Hope

Darting through the boundless ocean, my eyes burned from the salty water. Emma screamed. Like spit from a hissing cat, the crystal water frothed up into the sky as she flailed and kicked furiously to escape me. The sun sat on the horizon watching us childishly play, we swam in circles like dolphins giggling and talking of our next adventure; simply free. Laughter from our friends echoed from the shore as they built a fire, the smoke twisting up into the golden sky. I let myself float to the surface, my body cradled and swayed by the calm waves. Dreamy and hazy, the summer heat lingered as the shards of sunlight hit the glass like water and glazed my skin with shimmers. I glistened. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I was sharply reminded of a time when things were much different.

Heavy air had filled my lungs and the sultry, steamy bath had clouded the mirrors; I had glided into the scalding water watching it ripple as I slipped beneath the surface. Sprawling out into the water, my hair swirled over my face mimicking the mosaic tiles. I couldn't discern the separation of water and air, I could feel it though. Escape was so close. So cruel, teasing me. The monotonous theme of life crawled beneath my skin coursing through my veins. Like weights in my pockets, I was drowning in despair. My stomach dropped as I came back to the real world, pulled and snatched and dragged further and further away from the surface, but for the first time I had chosen to swim.