Chapter 2
Mason
The current is stronger than I expected. When I dove into the water it was easy to follow the stream as it dragged me down with the girl, allowing me to close in on her within just a few strokes.
But as soon as I got a hold of her wrist, I had to change directions to bring both of us back to the surface. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it appears that I underestimated the water still. Holding on to her slim wrist, I’m left with one arm to swim and have to rely on my legs to do most of the work.
It feels impossible at first, especially because she’s pulling against my grip as she tries to free herself of her unwanted savior.
Did she want to kill herself? Is that why she appears so keen to continue her descent into the murky depth?
It said in her file that she was at risk of committing suicide, even though she kept insisting otherwise. And unlike the people responsible for her at the ward, I believed her when she said that the cliff has a different allure to her, a promise that contrasts the one her physicians ascribed to it. Despite their undeniable expertise, this is something they will never understand—but I do.
I know what this girl needs. I understand the lack in her life, and I know she will never fill that void while she’s locked up at that institution, no matter how proficient their work is. Their staff is highly qualified and more than capable, no one knows that better than me.
But why this resistance to be saved, if death is not what she’s after? She must sense the danger, too. The sea is working against us, trying to imprison us underneath its fierce swells until we fill our lungs with its essence and find our end. The threat must be palpable to her, too.
Or is she losing herself in a near-death panic? If that’s so, she might not even realize what’s happening right now.
Either way, she’s going to pay for this, once we’re back on dry land.
If she keeps up this futile fight, she might lose consciousness sooner rather than later. Dragging her back to shore won’t become easier then, but at least I will no longer have to fight against her in addition to the waves.
All of a sudden, she stops. The strain on my arm disappears and I can finally make some headway to get both of us up to salvaging air. Not only is she no longer working against me, but she’s now supporting my efforts, it seems.
Thank God she’s still conscious.
The water rages around us, the surges doing their best to push us down again, while the current underneath is pulling at our feet. But there is no giving up now. My reserves still yield enough energy to incite a final boost, and then another, before my hand no longer finds liquid resistance, but is met with the cool breeze of salvaging air.
I break the surface and suck in a sharp breath, desperate to fill my lungs with air and regain part of the strength that was lost underwater.
She surfaces right next to me, but her first breath lacks the intensity of mine. Her lips are moving, parting just enough to steal a subtle kiss of oxygen, before her eyes roll back into her head and she threatens to sink.
I hurry to catch her, hooking my arm underneath her armpit from behind and wrapping it around her chest to pull her closer. She’s still with me, but barely so. Her struggle to stay awake is palpable, even with the overwhelming turmoil surrounding us.
“Don’t faint!” I yell against the deafening sound of waves breaking all around us. “Stay with me!”
There is no verbal response, but her body tenses within my embrace, a subtle but reassuring reaction. I take a moment to find my bearings and spot the small bay that leads up to the street to my right. As I make a move to swim toward it, the girl lifts an arm, erratically wagging through the air and almost punching me in the eye.
“No!” I roar at her. “Don’t move. I got you!”
She lashes out one more time, before she accepts that I have no intention of letting her go and her unbridled motions only make things worse for both of us. She holds on to me with one hand while using the other arm to stabilize herself above water. This would be great, if I didn’t feel the tension in her body grow weaker by the second. That little outburst may have robbed her of the last reserve of energy her delicate body could muster and she is, once again, at the brink of passing out.
I have to make it to the shore before that happens. Fighting against the relentless force of nature, I keep my eyes locked on the shoreline, closing in on it painfully slowly as I hope for each stroke to be the last before my feet can touch the muddy ground. The sea is not very steep in this area, a fact that should be playing in our favor now, while also speaking against her reckless decision to jump off the cliff.
She will have a lot of explaining to do.
Her body is limp by the time we finally reach the narrow water and I’m able to plant my feet on the ground. I release a heavy sigh of relief, followed by an urgent breath of air before I continue my way to dry land, dragging her through the water with me while making sure that her face remains above the surface.
Her eyes are closed, but she’s not completely gone, yet. Conscious awareness still flickers through her body, causing her eyelids to flutter while her lips move as if she is trying to speak.
I lift her out of the water to carry her as I make my way to the finish line. Her soaked summer dress adds a little extra weight, but she’s still surprisingly light in my arms. However, exhaustion still overcomes me as soon as we reach the muddy sand at the beach. I sink down on my knees, carefully placing her on the wet ground, before I can barely stop myself from collapsing right on top of her.
She’s breathing, I can see that right away. A shade of weary confusion adorns her pretty face when opens her eyes to look at me.
Does she recognize me? Did she ever notice me at the ward?
Whatever is going through her head remains a mystery to me—even as her lips part to speak.
“You’re taking me with you,” she breathes. It’s neither a question nor a request, but a matter-of-fact statement. An observation.
And she’s right. I am taking her with me.
Because she is mine now