DROWNING WAS A funny concept.

Well, not funny. Interesting was the right word.

Drowning had millions of meanings depending on its context. For all I knew, I could be drowning in life, in hope, despite the water that filled my ears and lungs, stinging my eyes.

The water embraced me, just as I was embracing my best friend, Jett.

His skin had turned pale and wintry, the miniscule movements of his chest the only sign that he still wasn't dead. Bitter cold pricked my aching muscles as I tried pushing us up.

But the water didn't want to let us go.

The currents pulled us in, choked us. The sunlight grew dimmer under the murky blue, and so did my eyesight. Darkness turned the edges of my vision fuzzy, made my strokes to life turn weaker.

I sobbed into the cruel currents.

For sixteen years I was powerful. Normal, in control.

And now here I was, weak with my life hanging by a thread.

My teeth clenched as I heaved us up, up, up. Towards life, that shining word that no one truly appreciated.

Aqua tendrils curled around us, popped the bubbles that had left my mouth and nose, and dragged us deeper.

I fought, I really did.

I fought against her hold until my bones turned weak and cold as Jett was, fought until I felt my breath left my body.

The water now thrashed, dragging us deeper and deeper.

The sun didn't shine, or maybe that was just unconsciousness taking over.

But people didn't have thoughts when they were unconscious, did they?

☽✧☽✧☽

I was still drowning. I could only wonder how I was still alive, still breathing.

It felt like I was dead, though. The water suffocated me, filled every pore of my being.

And then darkness.

☽✧☽✧☽

Jett wasn't with me now.

I wasn't drowning with him anymore.

His cold left me colder, and it was still dark.

So, so dark.

☽✧☽✧☽

A bright light.

The word light sounded like life, and one spark of hope lit along with it.

I pushed, I pulled. I scratched and tore at the water, if that were possible, and clawed for that distant life. Light. Whatever.

But the water muffled my pleas and cries for help, for Jett.

He still wasn't here.

The water smothered me once more, and lulled me into sleep. Death. Whatever.