Chapter VIII
VIII
The water was cool, soothing the prickling heat of the sun on her skin. She was the only one taking advantage of the pool, which was by far the way she preferred it. She could pretend no one else existed; it was just her and the water.
It was funny now to think how much she had resisted acquiring this particular skill. Struggling to breathe underwater, spluttering, eyes red, hair wet, limbs weary. But now she felt most at peace when she was parting water.
There was a shadow in the pool; a dark shape moving behind her.
It surprised her that she hadn’t noticed someone climbing down the ladder, or diving in.
She flipped her body and swam underwater.
The other swimmer was a woman, but she was not wearing swimwear.
She was in clothing that was now plastered to her body.
There was no rhythm to the way she was moving in the water.
Then the movement briefly stalled…before she powered towards Eniiyi.
Eniiyi felt fear squeeze her heart. Suddenly water rushed into her throat and then her lungs.
Everything she knew about treading water, about surviving, flew out the window.
She was going to die. The terror was clawing at her brain; but her muscle memory began to kick in.
She had mastered the water, she was not going to drown; her body would do what she willed.
She rose to the surface, kicking frantically and gulping in air. Her throat was burning, but she was in no danger of drowning. Once she had calmed herself, she looked around for the figure in the water, but there was no one there.