Again, Raul’s eyes lock with mine. “You know a lot about small lips, Mya?”
Under the right circumstances, this could be the perfect moment for me. The night sky, the cool air, and Raul make the most enticing mixture for a romantic rendezvous. It’s too bad that I have to share this moment with four additional people and the imminent cessation of life as we all know it.
I raise my eyebrows, purse my lips a little, and glance out the corner of my eye. “I know all about my own small lips.”
I can feel my body temperature rising as I peek at Raul. To avoid any embarrassing moments, I step aside, kick my shoes off, and turn toward Kat. “Pool time,” I say, while I reach out and motion her to come over.
Kat is beside me in seconds, and we race to the water. She dives into the deep end of the pool, and I follow. My head breaks the surface, and I hear splashing and see bubbles from Raul and Matthew as they join us and swim around.
Raul chuckles a bit and smiles at me. I return the laugh and splash water toward his face. He’s about to reach out and take hold of me, when our attention is drawn back to Kat’s little brother.
“Look over there!” Matthew says as he points toward the north side of town. “Wow! What’s that Mya?”
The most wonderful colors are flickering across the sky. It reminds me of the pictures I’ve seen of the Aurora Borealis, with magnificent hues of purple and green streaked in curvy lines against a dark backdrop. “I’m not sure what that is Matthew.”
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful!” says Kat. “It’s fantastic!”
Eric quickly pulls his phone from his pocket. I watch as he looks to the atmosphere and frowns a bit. “Such a beautiful beginning,” he murmurs.
I swim over to the side, prop myself up on my elbows, and look back and forth between Eric and the sky. “This is the beginning?” I ask.
He nods. “This is the beginning.”
◌◌◌
Years from now, when people ask me what I did when the lights went out, they’ll be sorely disappointed to find that all six of us did the exact same thing — we looked at our phones.
Along with the others, I climb out of the pool and rush over to my pile of stuff. I pick up my phone and unlock it. I swipe over to the screen with Safari on it and touch the icon. A blank, white screen looks back at me. I close out of the app and try to connect with my text messages. It’s no use, the link is not available.
The phone lights still come on, and my downloaded music and games still play. The only difference is the fact that I can’t call or text anyone, I can’t use the internet, and in a short matter of time, I no longer will be able to recharge my phone by plugging it into the wall.
In all honesty, I’m a bit let down. I thought there would be some spectacular show, like fireworks or something. I look around and everything looks exactly the same as it did moments ago.
A bit disgruntled, I turn to Eric and ask, “This is it? This is what we’ve been building up in our minds all day long? This is the end of the world as we know it? How pathetic. I have to say that I’m inclined to side with Emily at this point.”
I glance toward Emily and can see that she’s pleasantly surprised to have a comrade-in-arms. She bobs her head as I continue my gripe. “So, it’s dark. Big deal. It’s dark every night out here in the country. How is this some big calamity? Why is everyone acting like this is so terrible?”
Eric looks down at his phone before glancing around at the faces in our little group. He licks his upper lip and speaks very quietly. “Not everything happens instantaneously, Mya. A pot of water doesn’t boil as soon as you put it on the burner; you have to wait until the increasing heat energy causes a destabilization of the molecules and forms vapor. That’s why people always say, ‘a watched pot never boils.’ It’s because it takes time.”
This conversation is putting a damper on my mood, and I decide to end it. “Thank you for the physics lesson, professor. While I appreciate your efforts, I have to admit that I’m not interested right now. I think I’ll go back to the pool.”
No one else says anything, so I look to see if Kat will be returning with me. She smiles, grabs my hands, and we dance the Tango over to the pool. Emily puts her phone down and returns to the opposite ledge to soak her feet. Taking a seat next to his sister, Eric drops his legs into the cool liquid; while Raul and Matthew put down their towels and discuss their upcoming cannonball contest.
I dive in and decide to continue swimming underwater, across the pool. Like a jellyfish, my T-shirt billows out, and my hair swirls around me. I open my eyes, extend my arms, and slowly glide while I search for prey. My underwater senses hone in on a nearby area of weakness, and I alter my course. Eric’s little toes beneath the surface call to me, and I prepare to attack.
Just as I reach out my hand, a sudden pressure forces my entire body to the bottom of the pool. My knees slam into the rough concrete only seconds before my chest and elbows. The reserve of air is forced from my lungs, and I begin struggling to return to the surface.
I flap my arms and try to push myself upward, but my knees and torso stay glued in place. All around me, the force intensifies, until the left side of my face crashes into the pool bottom. My arms and hands quickly follow, producing an image of a wide spread insect pinned to a flat board for display.
The blue water around me is still, as if frozen. The peripheral vision from my right eye has a clear view, and I can see colors dancing in the night sky.
I expect my lungs to be burning because of a lack of oxygen, but instead, my whole torso feels as if it’s on fire. An intense heat is slowly creeping out to my extremities and little tremors are coursing along my arms and legs.
My neck hurts from the force weighing on my body. My hands and fingers are flattened, and the skin on my face feels stretched downward.
The pain is unbelievable. If I were able to make a sound, I would scream in terror. My chest is so tight that no water can enter my lungs, but there’s no air left in them either.
My eyelids are heavy, and I know that I’m dying. Grayness clouds my eyes and dims my vision. Before the hue turns black, I take a final look around my deathbed. Grief consumes my final seconds when I see the outline of another figure trapped under the water only a few feet away. Arms and legs splayed to the sides and on her back, Kat is trapped on the bottom of the pool with me
.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Come on, Mya! Breathe, damn it!”
My awareness is returning, and I can hear frantic conversations. I must be out of the pool now.
“Bring her over here!”
“Is she ok?!”
“Help me with Kat. She needs to be warm. Rub her arms and legs.”
“Move,” I hear a voice say. “Let me do it!”
I feel the rough surface of the wood as someone places me on the deck. My head is turned to the side, and my jaw drops open. A moment later, my face is upward, and my nose is pinched. Hard lips meet mine, and four rapid breaths enter my airway. Tiny droplets of water hit my cheeks and forehead. Fingers press into the artery on my left wrist, and after several seconds, the cycle begins again.
“Breathe, Mya,” a soft voice pleads. “Please breathe.”
With my eyes closed, my hearing seems to intensify. I notice the creak of the deck boards as the others move around, a sniff from someone nearby, and the rapid blinking of the person hovering just over me.
As lips make contact with mine for a third time, I open my eyes. A drenched Eric hovers above. Startled, he sits down on his knees and looks at me. “Breathe,” he whispers. “Take a breath, Mya.”
Cool air flows across my tongue, down my airway and into my lungs. My wet clothes shift slightly as my chest rises and falls. My eyes stay glued on Eric’s face while I await his next orders. My arms and legs are too heavy to move, and other than breathing, the only function I can manage is blinking.
“You’re going to be ok, Mya,” he says in a slightly distressed voice. Very ge
ntly, he touches my fingers. “I’m going to get you a towel. I’ll be right back.”
A hushed conversation between Eric and Raul ensues, and very quickly, a dry blanket is wrapped around me. I’m lifted off the ground by Raul and carried over to a nearby lounge chair. Still holding me, Raul sits and snuggles me closely. His hands begin a steady caress of my arms and legs, while he rocks me to and fro, and whispers rapidly into my ear.
“Everything’s going to be fine now. You’re fine. You’re safe. Everyone’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
Sensation begins to return to my extremities, and I swallow a couple of times while slowly stretching my neck. In the neighboring lounge chair, Eric and Matthew have wrapped Kat in a cocoon of towels.
Following Emily’s precise medical directions, the two boys work together to warm and rouse my friend. With all the commotion and constant movement, my view is blocked, and I’m unable to see Kat’s face.
I push against Raul’s chest and move my head slightly while trying to convey my most urgent concern. “Kat?” I croak.
Across from me, Emily steps aside to reveal drowsy eyes staring back at me. The left corner of Kat’s mouth raises slightly, and she gives me a wobbly nod. “Mya,” she whispers, “you’re ok.”
“Shh,” says Raul, pulling me into a tight embrace. “Kat’s going to be fine. Just like you. We’re all fine now, Mya. Just rest now.”
◌◌◌
After several more minutes of ministrations from the others, both Kat and I are greatly recovered. The fear and exhaustion that I’d initially felt is gone and has been replaced with an overwhelming sense of calm.
Kat reaches to take my hand, while Emily proceeds to check us out. “Are you having any trouble breathing? Did you take in much water? Does your chest hurt?” Once she’s satisfied that we’re suffering from only a few scratches and possible bruises, she sits down and asks what happened.
“I’m not sure,” I say. “It was really weird. At first, I thought one of the guys accidentally jumped on top of me.” I look over at Kat before continuing. “I couldn’t move off the bottom of the pool. It was like a magnet, and it just kept pulling on me.”
“It was hot,” adds Kat. “I was hot all over.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say, nodding in agreement. “Like a burning sensation, except…I’m not burned anywhere.”
Kat reaches up to rub her eyes and puts a finger in her ear. “My toes are all tingling, and I hear a high pitch, but other than that, I feel fine.”
“Everything seems to be ok right now,” says Emily, “but you should probably go to the hospital.” Looking to each of the boys, she continues, “Near downing is serious. They can get really sick from it.”
Wanting the security of knowing that an adult is nearby, Raul stands and insists that he carry me to the barn. Following his example, Eric scoops up Kat before she has time to protest. Matthew collects all the empty cans and shoves them into the backpack, while Emily questions everyone about any other possible injuries.
Silence greets us as we travel down the path. The nighttime noises are absent and give me time to reflect on my stupidity of swimming while drinking.
Once we’re near the barn, I insist that Raul put me down. My clothes are beginning to dry, but I’m sure that my hair is a mess, and I don’t want Mom to see me and panic.
Eric helps Kat to stand, and I walk over to give her a hug. “How are you feeling?”
With a sniff and a shrug, she replies, “I think I’m good.”
Still holding on to her elbow, I lock eyes with her and ask, “Do you need a doctor?”
“No,” she says, “I don’t want a doctor. Can we just see how we feel in the morning?”
“If you’re sure,” I say. When she nods an affirmative, I blink and break eye contact.
“Ok, here’s the deal,” I turn and coach the others, “Kat and I were goofing off and ended up in the pool. Raul and Eric jumped in to make sure we were ok, and then we all got out. End of story. Nobody got hurt, just a few scratches on the side of the pool.”
I look around at everyone, “Don’t add a bunch of details.”
Emily looks as if she is about to argue, so I give her my back and begin walking.
As soon as the barn door opens, I feel a vibration in the ground. Eric stops moving, and I can tell he’s listening for something. I look at Emily and see that she’s halted all movement, and her eyes are darting back and forth. Another small tremor ripples across the ground, and suddenly, Kat is right next to me.
Off in the distance, there’s a large boom that reminds me of the celebrations on the Fourth of July. Two more rumbles reach my ears.
Tightly clutching a towel around her, Kat’s eyes are wide as she whispers, “What is that?…Fireworks?”
I look into the room to see that several parents are up and heading for the door. The three men grab guns and give us all hand motions indicating that we should go inside.
“Do you know what it is?” I ask, to no one in particular.
Raul shakes his head and shrugs, so I turn to Eric. I can tell he’s hesitant to say anything. “Please tell us what you think it is.”
“I’m not sure…an explosion, perhaps.”
Matthew looks completely surprised at the idea. “An explosion!”
Eric puts his hands up in front of his chest. “I don’t know. It’s just a possibility.”
We’re all waiting for a more in-depth explanation. When nothing else is forthcoming, I ask, “Why would there be an explosion?”
Eric shrugs. “If the electrical current has created an overload, it can cause an explosion. If that’s what’s happening, there may be fires in several places.”
I chew on my lip and think for a minute. Eric is so smart. He seems very sure with his response. I squint up at him and remember that he said it takes time for some reactions to occur.
“I guess your proverbial pot of water is boiling now.”
◌◌◌
The noise is a distraction from my disheveled state, and Mom simply kisses me on the forehead before rushing outside to see what she can do to help. I want to help too, but since I don’t know what’s happening, I’m at a loss of ideas.
I turn to the others and join in their conversation. “What do you think we should do?” I ask.
“You need to rest,” cautions Emily. “You and Kat should go lie down. Just because you feel fine right now doesn’t mean that everything really is fine.”
I look over at Raul and Eric, and I can see they both agree. I understand their hesitancy; however, the commotion outside has me worried. “But shouldn’t we be helping or something?”
“Dad won’t let us go,” says Kat. “He’ll want to check things out and make sure it’s safe for any of us first… Besides, I think they’re right, Mya, we should go rest. I want to sleep.”
“Sure, ok, we’ll go sleep.” I’m worried about Kat now. I give her a small smile and hug her closely to me. We turn and walk over toward our pillows and blankets. “Are you ok?” I whisper. “Should we go get your mom?”
She shakes her head against my neck and hugs me tightly. “No, I’m good. Just tired.” Then she steps back, and with a little grimace says, “But I don’t want any more beer for a while.”
CHAPTER NINE
The following morning begins like any other Saturday. I awake slowly, because all my senses don’t kick in at the same time. I lay on my bedding, vaguely aware that it’s morning, and no others are stirring around me. Then, I remember that I’m in a barn and lying on the ground.
I have no idea what time it is, but I can tell that it’s still very early. Pale light from a single lamp, left burning through the night, offers a shadowed view of the room. I crack open one eye and see that Kat is sound asleep next to me, so I pull the blanket over my head and try to resume my semi-state of lost consciousness. It’s no use. My bladder is calling, and I decide it would be better to use the indoor commode now, rather than later.
I shuffle over t
o the far corner, press on a small puck light, and pull the curtain tightly closed. Turning around, I put my hands on my hips. I can’t help staring at the contraption. It looks like one of those metal walkers with a toilet seat and plastic bowl in the middle. In the movies, this is the type of thing that sits beside the beds of really old people.
After completing my business, I unlock the back door, open it and see a small trash can. I grab the toilet pan, dump the contents into the bin and secure the lid. Noticing a box of baby wipes, I grab one to clean out the pan before I replace it, and I use a second to sanitize my hands. All in all, the experience was not nearly as traumatic as I was imagining.
Remembering to press off the puck light, I exit the toilet area and leave the curtain open, as a sign that it’s available for the next participant.
I’m no longer the only person up, for a peek across the shadowed room shows Eric is awake and sitting at the table. I decide now is a good time to swallow my pride and apologize for my behavior toward him the previous evening.
While crossing the room, I quietly clear my throat. “I’m sorry for everything that happened last night, Eric. You were right, and we didn’t listen.”
Eric is eating cookies and has sugar on his cheek when he looks at me. “It’s fine. I understand. It was a really long day. We can just put it behind us and start fresh today.”
A box containing breakfast foods sits next to the wall behind Eric. I walk over and peruse the contents. Choosing the cinnamon Pop-Tart over the chocolate donuts, I grab a package and return to my seat.
“Everyone was up really late last night. Our dads went into town, but nobody’s come back yet,” he says, as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a deck of cards. “Want to play a game while we wait?”
I feel as if I’m looking at an antique entertainment device. Since so many games are available to download to my phone, it’s been years since I’ve seen an actual card deck. “I don’t really play,” I say. “I don’t know any games, except Solitaire and Crazy Eights.”
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