me, Suzanna! Help me!”
But I couldn’t find him.
* * * * *
When I awoke, I was shivering uncontrollably and aware of
three things—the rain beating down on me, the rough bricks scratching my cheek
and a great weight pinning me flat. Someone was breathing heavily and I felt
myself being squeezed relentlessly. I coughed, vomited water and groaned. The
weight shifted and I was rolled over onto my back. I opened my eyes and Grant’s
face appeared in front of me. His deep blue eyes were dilated with shock and
confusion, his hair was plastered to his head like a sodden mitt. Water dripped
from his nose and chin in large, lazy drops.
I laughed—or at least tried to. I couldn’t call the sound
that issued from my mouth any more than a strangled choke but something must
have told him this was a laugh because he laughed too, with utter relief.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I nodded weakly. “What happened?”
He lifted me in his arms and carried me toward the house. “Christ,
Suzie, I don’t know what came over you!”
I puzzled over this response for a moment, then let my head
fall against his shoulder, feeling pleasantly lethargic and wonderfully secure.
“It’s Suzanna,” I murmured.
Giles was called at once and appeared within minutes, his
clothes and hair mussed but with his medical bag in hand. Martha was also
present and had taken me aside to remove my wet clothes and wrap me snugly in a
blanket. After, someone else curled my fingers around a cup of something warm.
The lights were back on and everyone seemed to be hovering over me at once. I
still shivered but not as violently. I was appalled Giles had been summoned from
his home so hastily to tend to me when I knew I’d be fine in a few minutes.
“What happened here?” Giles demanded.
Colin and Alicia stared helplessly and turned to Grant, who
in turn looked at me.
“I…I don’t know,” I stammered. My teeth were still chattering.
Giles handed me a tablet and gestured to the glass in my
other hand. “Take this now. It’ll settle your nerves.”
Obediently, I placed the tablet in my mouth and gulped some
water. My throat felt raw. After a few minutes, the shivering began to abate
and I was able to speak coherently.
“All I know is I saw something floating in the pool. It
looked—” I hesitated. “It looked like a body and…and I was sure it was Dad.” I
shook my head slowly, trying to remove the image from my mind. “I don’t
remember much more, just that I knew I had to get to him…to save him. I must’ve
jumped in the pool.”
Giles listened, frowning and I saw him glance at Grant, who
nodded confirmation. Alicia blanched and covered her mouth with her hand.
Martha’s face was frozen. Even Colin had paled considerably.
David appeared in the doorway and rushed to my side. He
hunkered down in front of me, his face a study of worried concern. “Are you all
right? What happened?”
“I’m all right,” I assured him brusquely. The inanity of
what I’d done was beginning to dawn and I felt ridiculous.
“I’d like to be alone with Suzanna,” Giles said quietly.
They all acquiesced with sympathetic murmuring but Grant
hesitated, sending me a questioning glance.
“Don’t worry,” I reassured him. “I’m all right.” It pleased
me that he cared, although I didn’t entirely understand why.
It didn’t take me long to convince Giles I’d merely suffered
some sort of nervous hallucination brought on by the pressures of the past
days. He gave me a bottle of sleeping tablets, adamant that I use them, then
ordered me to bed.
After he left, David returned but I sent him away, claiming
I was very tired and needed to get some rest. In truth, I wanted to be left
alone. The reality of my little drama was now very vivid and it frightened me.
I could still see with total clarity the body floating in the pool. I could
feel the overpowering presence that beckoned to me in the silence underwater.
With a wave of panic, I
But I couldn’t find him.
* * * * *
When I awoke, I was shivering uncontrollably and aware of
three things—the rain beating down on me, the rough bricks scratching my cheek
and a great weight pinning me flat. Someone was breathing heavily and I felt
myself being squeezed relentlessly. I coughed, vomited water and groaned. The
weight shifted and I was rolled over onto my back. I opened my eyes and Grant’s
face appeared in front of me. His deep blue eyes were dilated with shock and
confusion, his hair was plastered to his head like a sodden mitt. Water dripped
from his nose and chin in large, lazy drops.
I laughed—or at least tried to. I couldn’t call the sound
that issued from my mouth any more than a strangled choke but something must
have told him this was a laugh because he laughed too, with utter relief.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I nodded weakly. “What happened?”
He lifted me in his arms and carried me toward the house. “Christ,
Suzie, I don’t know what came over you!”
I puzzled over this response for a moment, then let my head
fall against his shoulder, feeling pleasantly lethargic and wonderfully secure.
“It’s Suzanna,” I murmured.
Giles was called at once and appeared within minutes, his
clothes and hair mussed but with his medical bag in hand. Martha was also
present and had taken me aside to remove my wet clothes and wrap me snugly in a
blanket. After, someone else curled my fingers around a cup of something warm.
The lights were back on and everyone seemed to be hovering over me at once. I
still shivered but not as violently. I was appalled Giles had been summoned from
his home so hastily to tend to me when I knew I’d be fine in a few minutes.
“What happened here?” Giles demanded.
Colin and Alicia stared helplessly and turned to Grant, who
in turn looked at me.
“I…I don’t know,” I stammered. My teeth were still chattering.
Giles handed me a tablet and gestured to the glass in my
other hand. “Take this now. It’ll settle your nerves.”
Obediently, I placed the tablet in my mouth and gulped some
water. My throat felt raw. After a few minutes, the shivering began to abate
and I was able to speak coherently.
“All I know is I saw something floating in the pool. It
looked—” I hesitated. “It looked like a body and…and I was sure it was Dad.” I
shook my head slowly, trying to remove the image from my mind. “I don’t
remember much more, just that I knew I had to get to him…to save him. I must’ve
jumped in the pool.”
Giles listened, frowning and I saw him glance at Grant, who
nodded confirmation. Alicia blanched and covered her mouth with her hand.
Martha’s face was frozen. Even Colin had paled considerably.
David appeared in the doorway and rushed to my side. He
hunkered down in front of me, his face a study of worried concern. “Are you all
right? What happened?”
“I’m all right,” I assured him brusquely. The inanity of
what I’d done was beginning to dawn and I felt ridiculous.
“I’d like to be alone with Suzanna,” Giles said quietly.
They all acquiesced with sympathetic murmuring but Grant
hesitated, sending me a questioning glance.
“Don’t worry,” I reassured him. “I’m all right.” It pleased
me that he cared, although I didn’t entirely understand why.
It didn’t take me long to convince Giles I’d merely suffered
some sort of nervous hallucination brought on by the pressures of the past
days. He gave me a bottle of sleeping tablets, adamant that I use them, then
ordered me to bed.
After he left, David returned but I sent him away, claiming
I was very tired and needed to get some rest. In truth, I wanted to be left
alone. The reality of my little drama was now very vivid and it frightened me.
I could still see with total clarity the body floating in the pool. I could
feel the overpowering presence that beckoned to me in the silence underwater.
With a wave of panic, I
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