skonen_blades

Waking up underwater is a curious sensation.

I wasn’t struggling and the water was warm. I had a mask on around my head that let me breathe. The sound of me inhaling and exhaling was loud in my ears.

I had no idea how I got there. I’d never taken a scuba diving lesson in my life. The water was dark. I didn’t know what direction I was facing. I couldn’t see any lights outside but there were lights attached to my helmet.

They stabbed out into the water around me. I couldn’t tell how deep they were penetrating. I had no sense of scale. I could see little particles in the beam of light like flecks of dust in a sunbeam.

Slowly, the fear crept in. I had no idea how much air I had left or which way was up.

I must have been drugged. There was no other explanation for how I could have gotten here. It would also explain why I was being so slow to panic.

The voice in my ears almost made me scream.

“Everything okay down there Danica? We lost you for a second. Over.” Said a male voice inside my helmet.

I said nothing. Were these my attackers? I was becoming terrified. I could hardly move. Was I miles underwater? I starting thinking of sharks. I could feel a scream building inside me.

Whoever this voice was, it didn’t sound like it intended me harm. It was all I had. It might be my only way out.

“Danica? Over.” Said the voice, a little bit of concern starting to rise in the undercurrents of the voice.

I wanted to shriek but my voice came out as a whisper.

“H-help. Help.” I breathed. “Who are you?” I asked the voice.

“Danica? What’s going on down there?” said the voice. I could hear the feet hitting the floor. Whoever he was, I had his full attention.

“Get me out of here.” I said. I had the sudden need to claw at the bodysuit I had on, to smash the glass in my faceplate, anything. Any way to end this.

“Danica! Stay with me! Guys!” his voice moved away from the mike. I heard others in the background. In my speakers, I could hear an alarm start up.

“We’re losing her. It’s happened again.” He came closer to the mike again. “Danica! Listen to the sound of my voice. Don’t move! Stay with me!” He said. I heard the slapping of feet on decks in my headphones.

I felt a pulling at my back. I was being reeled in by something.

That’s when I started to panic.

I thrashed around on the end of whatever safety line I was attached to. I was even imagining that it was the tongue of a monster pulling me into its mouth. I screamed. I wet myself. All rational thought left me. I lost control.

“Danica, listen to me! This has happened before! It’s your secondary personality rising! You can fight it! You must not panic!” said the voice into my ear.

Somewhere, I found the ability to stop screaming. I took deep, whooping breaths. I went totally still.

“Thatta girl, good girl, thatta girl. That’s right. Deep breaths, no movement. You’ll be home soon.” Said the voice.

I let the line tug me through the water.

Somewhere in the back of head, I understood that I must now be in shock.

I waited to be back at this ‘home’ the voice spoke of.




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