mouth open, shouting.
But there was no one and I knew that. People don’t run, don’t wave, don’t make their way to you across the water.
I was under and my mouth was open, taking in great gulps of lake like it was oxygen, and I thought O
h, a pool is good, it’s safe and convenient, it has lifeguards
. And then
work leg, work
but it wouldn’t and if Mr Henshall had been there it would have listened because everyone listens to him, even when he doesn’t make any kind of sense.
And it’s crazy the things you see, you think, when you’re going under, because there was someone and Mr Henshall and
work leg, work
but it wouldn’t. And as the water folded me down into itself, there were flashes of colour,
of blue or maybe green or maybe a kind of greeny-blue, and what do you call that in-between colour anyway? And mosaic with jagged edges, should have trimmed them, careless
. And I wondered if this is what you see, if this is what you think when you’re sinking, when you’re going under all the way down into the silty dark, and how I wish, I wish I had a sword that gave me dominion over the lands.
Or even just a stick.
A stick.
Oh, a stick, up there in the light.
The good light.
Following me down.
My fingers, finding it.
That voice yelling, that mouth open, rushing towards me.
A platform up above me, something to grab onto, something to clamber onto, something to be safe.
So I tried, dragging my traitor leg behind me like a broken wing, and he leaned out towards me, held the stick, said,
holdonjustholdonthat’sall
, said,
Stay back, Cassie. I’m serious. Don’t make me break your nose.
eleven
That was from Mr Henshall as well.
“Don’t get too close,” he always said. “Don’t let a drowning person drag you down with them.”
It was most important
to secure your own safety at all times.
It was
reach to rescue
and
defensive posture
and
break their nose if you have to (don’t quote me on this)
.
I held onto the stick, onto the branch, and I didn’t grab onto the platform, which was a raft, of sorts. I let myself be dragged through the water and then we were in the shallows and he was hauling me in, all the way to the good solid ground – the voice, the mouth, the someone.
Liam.
I sat in the mud while he pulled the raft up onto the bank.
What are you doing here?
I wanted to ask, and
how did you get here
and
where did you get that raft thing?
But I couldn’t say anything just yet, could only focus on getting air in and out, in and out.
“Are you okay?” Liam sat down near me at the water’s edge.
I nodded. I didn’t feel okay – not yet – but I knew I would soon. Eventually. Because even though my leg was still wood and there was lake in my throat, I was out now and there wasn’t any further to sink.
“Thanks,” I said finally. “My leg – it …” I made claws of my hands, gritting my teeth.
“Cramp. I had that in the pool once. The wall was right there and I thought I wasn’t going to make it back. Pretty scary.”
“Yeah.” I ran one hand cautiously down my leg, probing for the pain.
Cramp? Was that it? Nothing to do with my lungs or digging in, but just a normal cramp, like anyone could get.
Any idiot who tried to swim out into the middle of the lake after a stick, that is.
“You probably just went too far,” Liam said. “What were you doing out there?” He peered out across the lake. “What’s that thing?”
“The fire tree,” I said. “That’s where I went.”
“The fire tree?” He turned back to me quickly. “Seriously? How far is that?”
“I don’t know. A long way.”
He gave a low whistle. “You’re crazy. I mean, I know you’re
better
and everything, but …”
I leaned back on my elbows. “I thought it was closer. I thought I could get there. I did get there. Then I had to get back.” I shot him a quick look. “How long have you been here, anyway?”
“I only saw you just there.” He pointed to a spot about halfway between the
But there was no one and I knew that. People don’t run, don’t wave, don’t make their way to you across the water.
I was under and my mouth was open, taking in great gulps of lake like it was oxygen, and I thought O
h, a pool is good, it’s safe and convenient, it has lifeguards
. And then
work leg, work
but it wouldn’t and if Mr Henshall had been there it would have listened because everyone listens to him, even when he doesn’t make any kind of sense.
And it’s crazy the things you see, you think, when you’re going under, because there was someone and Mr Henshall and
work leg, work
but it wouldn’t. And as the water folded me down into itself, there were flashes of colour,
of blue or maybe green or maybe a kind of greeny-blue, and what do you call that in-between colour anyway? And mosaic with jagged edges, should have trimmed them, careless
. And I wondered if this is what you see, if this is what you think when you’re sinking, when you’re going under all the way down into the silty dark, and how I wish, I wish I had a sword that gave me dominion over the lands.
Or even just a stick.
A stick.
Oh, a stick, up there in the light.
The good light.
Following me down.
My fingers, finding it.
That voice yelling, that mouth open, rushing towards me.
A platform up above me, something to grab onto, something to clamber onto, something to be safe.
So I tried, dragging my traitor leg behind me like a broken wing, and he leaned out towards me, held the stick, said,
holdonjustholdonthat’sall
, said,
Stay back, Cassie. I’m serious. Don’t make me break your nose.
eleven
That was from Mr Henshall as well.
“Don’t get too close,” he always said. “Don’t let a drowning person drag you down with them.”
It was most important
to secure your own safety at all times.
It was
reach to rescue
and
defensive posture
and
break their nose if you have to (don’t quote me on this)
.
I held onto the stick, onto the branch, and I didn’t grab onto the platform, which was a raft, of sorts. I let myself be dragged through the water and then we were in the shallows and he was hauling me in, all the way to the good solid ground – the voice, the mouth, the someone.
Liam.
I sat in the mud while he pulled the raft up onto the bank.
What are you doing here?
I wanted to ask, and
how did you get here
and
where did you get that raft thing?
But I couldn’t say anything just yet, could only focus on getting air in and out, in and out.
“Are you okay?” Liam sat down near me at the water’s edge.
I nodded. I didn’t feel okay – not yet – but I knew I would soon. Eventually. Because even though my leg was still wood and there was lake in my throat, I was out now and there wasn’t any further to sink.
“Thanks,” I said finally. “My leg – it …” I made claws of my hands, gritting my teeth.
“Cramp. I had that in the pool once. The wall was right there and I thought I wasn’t going to make it back. Pretty scary.”
“Yeah.” I ran one hand cautiously down my leg, probing for the pain.
Cramp? Was that it? Nothing to do with my lungs or digging in, but just a normal cramp, like anyone could get.
Any idiot who tried to swim out into the middle of the lake after a stick, that is.
“You probably just went too far,” Liam said. “What were you doing out there?” He peered out across the lake. “What’s that thing?”
“The fire tree,” I said. “That’s where I went.”
“The fire tree?” He turned back to me quickly. “Seriously? How far is that?”
“I don’t know. A long way.”
He gave a low whistle. “You’re crazy. I mean, I know you’re
better
and everything, but …”
I leaned back on my elbows. “I thought it was closer. I thought I could get there. I did get there. Then I had to get back.” I shot him a quick look. “How long have you been here, anyway?”
“I only saw you just there.” He pointed to a spot about halfway between the
Similar Books
