The heat is unbearable. It causes people to do things they would never do under different circumstances. Laying in bed with all the fans strategically placed around me I should be relaxed, but the air is thick and humid and incredibly uncomfortable. The thickness traps you in its grips and taunts you with the sight of clouds.
A few hours later and we are off to heaven. Cold and water was all the convincing I needed to go on a short car ride. Even though the sunlight was fading rapidly we decided to go for a short swim anyways. Any type of water even the foul algae covered Columbia was worth the few minutes of glorious detachment from the bitter heat. Sadly with only my brother for an escort I had to agree to his terms. First I had to at least try Snorkeling “for half an hour at least” my brother had said, and second of all when he wanted to leave we were leaving no but’s, and’s, or’s or if’s. After what seemed like an eternity of a car ride we finally got to the river that had the power to revitalize our bodies. Practically throwing towels and shoes aside we plunged into the freezing water and let the poisonous head get dragged out of our skin. But it wasn't till later that I realized what I had gotten myself into and how there was no escaping what was about to happen.
Some time had passed since we had plunged into the welcoming water and being in charge of everything my brother had decided he was going to break my long tradition of staying above the water. Had he known that his younger sister has a terrifyingly huge phobia of drowning? Who knows, but I assure you without a doubt that it wouldn't have stopped him from doing what he was about to do. Trusting as ever I slipped on the well used gear that was lent to me and awaited further instructions. And as hoped for they came, and they came, and they came and they came. Most of what Brian said was opinions of his not solid instructions like I had hoped for. Something along the lines of “Don’t freak out and try to stay calm” just might have helped calm my fears. But finally I was told I was ready for a trial run so as willingly as a cat steps into water I slipped down into the collapsing water. The only light came from the fading sun that was peaking over the treetops but when I went into that abyss everything disappeared. Sadly, it was terrifying. After a few dozen tries a shaky and unsteady breath gasped for air. Out of pure luck I had managed to put the breathing tube in my mouth before I went underwater and it was only that pure luck that saved me from being scarred for life from the depths. Every fiber in my body told me there was something very very wrong about this situation. You should not try to breath underwater my mind was yelling at me. “This is wrong!” With each uneasy feeling my mind gave me my stomach backed it up with an even more convincing gut wrenching nauseous feeling. “Breath,” I had to remind myself “If you stop breathing then you will sink to the bottom of this muckish hole and no one will ever find you.” With that thought came images of the me sinking into the muck that represented earth below me. “Stop it! You aren't helping, wait what am I forgetting?” Breath. Each minute ticked by seemingly carrying weights that slowed them down. And after a millennium my breathing was a bit more regular than what I had started off with. At this point I decided that I was ready to start moving around instead of floating like a dead body. “Stop it! No dead bodies.” And with that I started to move forward. I meandered around larger groups of water plants thinking of all the animals that could hide inside. “Fish and clams. I wonder if maybe it goes deeper than how it looks. Then the fish would have a nice home. Or maybe there aren't any fish. Maybe that is where meat eating creatures hide. Stop it!” My mind immediately betrays the cool I have been keeping up and bring forward all of those creepy stories that I was foolish enough to read. “You aren't the first one I've taken from your world.” I imagine it telling me as it drags me down. It will slowly open up it’s mouth and smile with a toothy grin. It’s eyes looking to me as if I will fill it’s huger if only for a moment. “Quit it!” I scream to myself, “If you woose out now no one will ever take you to do anything fun ever again.” And with that I’m about to turn to avoid another patch of plant’s but something slimy wraps around my leg. And that was the end of it. I don’t remember much about that small bit of time but I can assure you it was one of those moments where your body overthrows your mind and runs away from all rational thoughts. Thick and cloudy water was filling up the goggles I was wearing and no matter how hard I kicked the unseeable monster wouldn't let go. It was pulling me toward it and I could see in my mind it’s cruel, viscous eyes. I tried to call out and realized too late that I was still underwater. As I look back on this experience I think of it happening over a longer period of time but really it was only long enough for my brother to grab my leg and pull me away from the children that were running a bit to close.
Humiliations gets the better of most of us and sometimes can lead us to say things that we don’t mean. I had just gotten my head above water when I screamed “Stop it!” into the face of a kid that had no idea what I had just gone through. Once again much to late I tried to apologize, but realized the kid looked too terrified to understand what I was saying. And with that I managed to swim away nonchalantly. About as nonchalantly as a half drowned cat in water. Cold, terrified and mentally beat I dragged myself out of the foreboding water and collapsed into the welcoming firm dirt. When I woke back up the water was lapping at my feet like some tame beast. “I hate water,” I thought to myself “It tries to eat you alive and when you manage to get away it acts like a sweet dog licking your palms. I hear a horn go off somewhere close by and realize that I’m the only one left on the shore line.
“Not this time,” I whisper to the grabbing hands of the water “Not this girl.” And with that I jog up to the van where Brian is impatiently waiting for me to figure out that he wants to leave now.
“So?” Brian raised his eyebrows in a questioning gesture “How did you like it? Did you see anything cool? Would you do it again?” All I can manage to do is laugh, but after getting some of the tension out of my body I manage to reply reasonably cooly.
“I didn't die so I think it went reasonably well, as for trying it again. I’ll have to think about that one.”