my hand if you want.” He smiled at me encouragingly but I still felt unsure.
“I don’t kn ow if I can do this.” I admitted, feeling rather nauseous.
Danny looked at me intently. “What are you afraid of?”
“I – I just – it’s – I’m scared at the thought of not being able to breathe.” I rus hed out rather quickly, feeling like an idiot.
Danny nodde d sympathetically. “Okay, is that what happened yesterday? Did you panic about not being able to breathe?”
I avoided Danny’s gaze. “I don’t want to talk about yesterday.”
I heard him sigh heavily. “This is getting old Darcie – why won’t you tell me what happened? It’ll make my job a hell of a lot easier if I knew why you were so scared of the water.”
I still didn’t look at him and stubbornly refused to answer. Instead, I rashly decided to duck my head under the water and damn the consequences.
My lungs felt like they were on fire … I could taste the salty water but there was nothing I could do to stop it from rushing into my lungs ... I was choking while I screamed out for help but nobody was there … I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness until someone yelled …
“Darcie!”
I opened my eyes and found that I was still in the water but Danny was supporting me while he tried to prop me up against the side of the pool. Once that he saw I was conscious, he lifted me up to sit at the edge of the pool. I avoided his eye-line as he stayed in the water and rested his elbows on the tiles around the edge of the pool. I sucked in a few deep breaths in a bid to lower my racing heartbeat.
There was a long silence and I wondered who would be the first to break it. I wasn’t ready to talk about what had just happened but I knew that Danny would want to pry. The way I saw it, I had two choices; wait for Danny to interrogate me or jump in there first and deflect the issue at hand.
However, before I got the chance to speak, Danny beat me to it.
“Are you okay?” He met my eyes and I saw deep concern there.
I nodded. “Sure … I just feel a little stupid – that’s all.”
Danny shook his head. “Don’t – it’s understandable,” he paused for a second as if he was debating about what he wanted to say next.
He glanced at me and then took a deep breath. “Who was it?”
I feigned puzzlement. “Who what?”
Danny pulled himself up out of the pool to s it beside me and sighed heavily. “Don’t play dumb Darcie.”
I shrugged and tried to s ound nonchalant. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Danny gave me a long hard stare before he spoke again. “How often do the flashbacks happen?”
I flinched at his words as if he had wounded me but didn’t answer.
“Is it always when you’re submerged in water? Or do they just hit you unexpectedly?” he continued on.
I blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall and tried to get up. However, Danny gently laid his hand on my arm to stop me from rising.
“Darcie, I’m just trying to help you. Please talk to me.”
I remained silent and continued to avoid his gaze. I heard him sigh deeply.
“Look, you don’t have to tell me everything … all I want to know is if I’m right. Do you suffer from flashbacks?”
I slowly nodded my head but still didn’t look at him . “How did you know?”
“It kind of adds up – what happened at the spring, yesterday and just now. However, today was the first time you actually spoke during it …” He trailed off and I felt sick
W hat had I said ?
I reluctantly lifted my head to look at him . “What did I say?” I asked in a shaking voice, fearing the answer.
Danny gazed at me thoughtfully. “Just two words … ‘Help us.’”
I avoided Danny’s gaze and quickly looked up to the ceiling in a bid to compose myself and prevent the floodgates from opening.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Danny asked quietly, a few seconds later.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and
“I don’t kn ow if I can do this.” I admitted, feeling rather nauseous.
Danny looked at me intently. “What are you afraid of?”
“I – I just – it’s – I’m scared at the thought of not being able to breathe.” I rus hed out rather quickly, feeling like an idiot.
Danny nodde d sympathetically. “Okay, is that what happened yesterday? Did you panic about not being able to breathe?”
I avoided Danny’s gaze. “I don’t want to talk about yesterday.”
I heard him sigh heavily. “This is getting old Darcie – why won’t you tell me what happened? It’ll make my job a hell of a lot easier if I knew why you were so scared of the water.”
I still didn’t look at him and stubbornly refused to answer. Instead, I rashly decided to duck my head under the water and damn the consequences.
My lungs felt like they were on fire … I could taste the salty water but there was nothing I could do to stop it from rushing into my lungs ... I was choking while I screamed out for help but nobody was there … I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness until someone yelled …
“Darcie!”
I opened my eyes and found that I was still in the water but Danny was supporting me while he tried to prop me up against the side of the pool. Once that he saw I was conscious, he lifted me up to sit at the edge of the pool. I avoided his eye-line as he stayed in the water and rested his elbows on the tiles around the edge of the pool. I sucked in a few deep breaths in a bid to lower my racing heartbeat.
There was a long silence and I wondered who would be the first to break it. I wasn’t ready to talk about what had just happened but I knew that Danny would want to pry. The way I saw it, I had two choices; wait for Danny to interrogate me or jump in there first and deflect the issue at hand.
However, before I got the chance to speak, Danny beat me to it.
“Are you okay?” He met my eyes and I saw deep concern there.
I nodded. “Sure … I just feel a little stupid – that’s all.”
Danny shook his head. “Don’t – it’s understandable,” he paused for a second as if he was debating about what he wanted to say next.
He glanced at me and then took a deep breath. “Who was it?”
I feigned puzzlement. “Who what?”
Danny pulled himself up out of the pool to s it beside me and sighed heavily. “Don’t play dumb Darcie.”
I shrugged and tried to s ound nonchalant. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Danny gave me a long hard stare before he spoke again. “How often do the flashbacks happen?”
I flinched at his words as if he had wounded me but didn’t answer.
“Is it always when you’re submerged in water? Or do they just hit you unexpectedly?” he continued on.
I blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall and tried to get up. However, Danny gently laid his hand on my arm to stop me from rising.
“Darcie, I’m just trying to help you. Please talk to me.”
I remained silent and continued to avoid his gaze. I heard him sigh deeply.
“Look, you don’t have to tell me everything … all I want to know is if I’m right. Do you suffer from flashbacks?”
I slowly nodded my head but still didn’t look at him . “How did you know?”
“It kind of adds up – what happened at the spring, yesterday and just now. However, today was the first time you actually spoke during it …” He trailed off and I felt sick
W hat had I said ?
I reluctantly lifted my head to look at him . “What did I say?” I asked in a shaking voice, fearing the answer.
Danny gazed at me thoughtfully. “Just two words … ‘Help us.’”
I avoided Danny’s gaze and quickly looked up to the ceiling in a bid to compose myself and prevent the floodgates from opening.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Danny asked quietly, a few seconds later.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and
Similar Books
