Species Unknown [Book 2: Pisces)

05. SHADOW IN THE WATER

I NEVER THOUGHT dying would be so peaceful. At first I tried to fight it. I tried to claw my way back to the surface.

Then I thought of my mother, and I pictured her sitting here beside me. It felt so real that, when I opened my eyes, I wasn't surprised to see her sitting beside me beneath the waves. My eyes burned from the salt water, but I refused to close them. I knew this was a hallucination and it was the strongest one I have had in a while. But instead of freaking me out like my visions usually did, it calmed me. It made me feel less alone, and thus, less afraid.

I watched my mother as she smiled, holding her hand out to me as I sank. I tried reaching out to her, but I was falling too fast, and I missed her hand. With that, she vanished, leaving me with only the image of the fading surface above me.

The deeper I sank beneath the surface, the more the sounds began to fade away, along with the fear and the pain.

I let my body fall, watching the surface fade away as I slowly drifted to the bottom of the ocean. It was truly beautiful, the way the sunset reflected against the water. My eyes burned from the saltwater but I didn't want to miss it. I looked around, admiring how the rays of yellow and orange light sliced through the water around me, rippling around my body.

That's when I saw it.

A reflection of light, glimmering like a cluster of gems. White gems, of pure starlight gliding through the water, towards me. The patch moved in serpentine movements, dodging the rays of light.

I wanted to keep looking at whatever was so beautiful, but my eyelids grew too heavy. I closed my eyes, and gave into exhaustion. I had no fight left. Eventually my body touched the ocean floor, and there I laid.

It was a serene feeling, lying weightless in the soft sand at the bottom of the ocean. Then, I felt my body grow warm, as if embraced by the sea itself.

My head spun and the sweet darkness began to fade. The sounds began to return, I could hear the waves again, muffling the voices of far away cries. But I could also hear something else. Something softer. Like a murmur. Gentle words like a lovers caress moved against my ear, but I couldn't make out what they meant.

I felt the water around me shift, and suddenly I felt heavy. The shouting was clearer, closer. My head spun and the pain returned.

So much pain.

My stomach seized and I turned over to retch seawater. Coughing and gasping, I sucked in huge gasps of air as I filled my burning lungs.

My vision returned, and blinking away the saltwater and tears, below my pale hands I saw sand. Looking around me, I saw Noah and a group of others running towards me from across the beach.

How?

Glancing back at the water, I saw something submerge itself just as I glanced over. If it wasn't for the slight rippling of the water following the movement, I would have thought I imagined it.

Noah was the first to reach me.

"Lani! Are you okay?!" He cried, kneeling down beside me.

I didn't respond, I just kept staring at my hands and the wet sand that squeezed between my finger tips. It looked more grey now that the sun had set, taking all the color with it.

How had I gotten here?

"Someone call an ambulance!" Noah shouted from beside me, making my head pound.

"No." I rasped, throat raw from just coughing up the saltwater from my lungs.

"What?! Are you joking?" Noah shouted, his face was flushed and red.

"I'm fine, I just want to go home." I said, getting up. I felt Noah put a hand on my arm to steady me as I stood.

"Lani, you almost died. You need to see a doctor." Noah said softly, his blonde hair falling in front of his face as he looked down at me in concern.

I pulled his hand off my arm, and I noticed his knuckles were bruised and bloodied. I looked up at him. "What happened?"

Noah closed his eyes and hung his head, his wet hair falling over his face. "We searched everywhere, you were underwater for so long. I thought you died." He admitted, his voice breaking.

Letting go of his hand, I looked behind him to see Reid and Austin holding up a bruised Hunter, dragging him up the sand.

It was a reminder. That everything that just happened was real. The pain of the memory broke me from my daze. My eyes burned. This was all too much.

"I'm going home." I said suddenly.

Noah's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry Lani." He pleaded, running a hand through his wet hair. In fact, more than his hair, his whole body was soaking wet.

He went in after me.

I nodded, at a loss for words, and began making my way up the beach. I could hear Noah curse as I left, but I just kept walking. I was done with everything. Done with this stupid internship, these people, and the damn ocean.

I just needed to get home.

My stride turned into a run as I got my strength back. I rushed up the beach and across the highway, back towards the compound. Finding my car, I quickly got inside and locked the door. I rested my head against the seat and let out a long sigh.

Instinctively I reached towards my neck to hold my w necklace only to freeze when I felt nothing but skin. My eyes widened in panic and I began feeling my neck, but my necklace was gone.

It must have come off in the water, and is likely long gone. My chest aches at the thought of the loss of the last piece of my mother I had.

My father will be furious. I thought with a sigh.

I let out a shaky breath and I felt my eyes prickle with the threat of tears. I closed my eyes and let a few hot tears fall as I tried to calm my rapid breathing. After a moment, I opened my eyes again to glance over at the compound. I wasn't sure if I would be coming back.

With that thought, I wiped the trail of tears from my cheeks and turned on my car to begin the drive home.

As I pulled onto the highway, I could see the coast and the leftover people cleaning up the tables and getting ready to leave. One person sat at the edge of the beach, with their head between their knees. It was dark, but I knew who it was.

Noah.

My eyes burned and I looked ahead. The coast was almost impossible to ignore and I found my eyes returning to the ocean often.

I kept thinking about what happened.

How could I have possibly made it to the surface?

The last thing I remembered was laying at the bottom of the ocean, weak and near death. There was no way I would have been able to make it back alone. I would have drowned. The residual burning in my chest and throat was all the proof I needed to remind me of the death I had miraculously escaped.

Did Noah save me? His hair was wet, so he must have gone in the water after me. But then again, he was so far away when I surfaced. I let out a sigh.

Looking over at the ocean, I paused when I saw something move under the water, surfacing. I blinked a few times, focusing my tired salt-burned eyes on the figure floating in the distance. It was hard to make out, but somehow I could feel it's eyes on me.

We stared at each other for a moment before it slowly submerged itself back into the tide, becoming no more than a shadow under the dark water, waiting, watching.