Drowning

• Yaroslava Leonova, Grade 7, West Beach Primary School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

“‘What’s depression like? He whispered. ‘It’s like drowning. Except you can see everyone around you breathe.’ “~Unknown

Slowly I drowned in the hateful words that ripped my heart apart. The pain broke my exhausted body.I had to get away. I had to run. With the last portion of strength left in me I ran away until my limbs ached from pain, until my heart pounded tearing my rib cage apart, until the hurt eased and I reached the shore of the neglected beach. I collapsed onto the scorching, filthy sand scarcely panting, feeling emptiness in my worn out body. The forceful crashing of stormy waves tenderly soothed the pain; the squawking of seagulls beckoned me to disregard but the sorrowful memories flooded my head like an overflowing raging river. Everyone despised me. Everyone wanted me to die.

Thoughtlessly I plummeted into the bottomless, brackish ocean. The powerful waves engulfed me, mercilessly throwing my fragile body to the depths. I struggled to the surface as the sea threw me around like a ragged toy, and heavily forced every breath out of my broken lungs. Despairingly I swung my body for the last time. My repealed, frozen muscles stung from pain, my eyes blurred from icy tears, my heart gradually stopped. I had to let go… The prevailing ocean sucked me deeper away from reality. I slowly sunk to the bottom of a boundless pit of darkness before completely disappearing into the eternal shadows of death. Was this the end? Is this were I would spend perpetuity? The final seconds melted as my life replayed in front of my useless eyes. The happiness, the grief, the rage… Nothing mattered now.

Wearily I lifted my eyelashes. A thick, aroma of summer blossoms filled the fresh, evening air. The glowing, picturesque sky splashed with rosy lace and dotted with clouds as fluffy as candy floss accented the natural beauty of the surreal tropical landscape. Far away in the distance summer birds happily chirped away reciting evening songs. The azure, crystal-clear ocean calmly splashed in the distance leaving a tingling feeling in the tips of my toes. A beautiful boat sailed the turquoise waves far on the horizon reflecting evening glitter. I fell onto the warm sand and stared at the darkening sky to see a stunning, multicolored rainbow cradling me like a baby in its gentle arms. I was surrounded by a blur of heavenly pleasure.

Had life given me a second opportunity to live? Or had I drowned in the afterlife everyone feared?