The World In A Drop Of Water

8 Pages 1894 Words

I was drowning, water slowly filling my lungs, but I didn’t care. Light from the sun cascaded through the rippling water and danced on every underwater surface. Everything was calm and peaceful. This would be my last memory on Earth and it was a beautiful sight to see. It was as if time had frozen and I was witness to the majesty of the moment. I thought of nothing and felt nothing save the cool water gently swirling across my skin. It was absolutely gorgeous.

That’s when time decided to start again, and it did it at full force. My throat closed up and my eyes burned from the chlorine. I was forcing water out of my lungs only to fill them with even more water. I was frantic and thrashing towards the surface. The light, which had been so beautiful before, was now taunting me safely above the surface, beckoning me with a voice that betrayed it’s thoughts. It knew I wouldn’t make it…I couldn’t make it and it was just toying with me. Then I was free, sweet air flooded every pore on my face and air filled my lungs. In my efforts to stay afloat I inhaled a small amount of water with that glorious air. It didn’t bother me because I was getting more air than water, and that air was all I needed. Inhaling the water did cause me to cough, and that was the most disastrous part of it all. When I coughed it made me inhale more water and air together. Again, this caused me to cough again and again – each time I breathed in more and more water until I was getting more water than air. I was going under and everything was going dark. It was only then I realized I was screaming and I forced myself to stop and save my breath.

It’s amazing how far away the surface can be when you’re only six and can’t swim too well. Even when the water is only four feet deep. I was suddenly blind with the chlorine and tears. I was going to die right then and there and I was scared piss-less. I was losing energy and the will to keep swimming towa...