1
My wet skin shivered as I cowered atop the cliff, even though the wind was as still as my breath. What was worse, I couldn’t stop my head from bobbing side to side as Sophie hummed that stupid Jeopardy tune.
I felt silly being in lace lingerie instead of a bikini, but we weren’t planning on swimming when we trekked through the woods tonight. We were gonna accidentally run into Robert and Jhett at the river spot they always hung out at, but the closer we got the more I freaked out about getting Robert alone.
Oh why did I let Sophie talk me into coming to the hidden pond first? She probably thought the detour would give me time to calm my nerves. But stupid me, I let her dare me into jumping off the freakin’ cliff as soon as we stripped. And as much as I wanted to talk to Robert, I secretly hoped she’d let me chicken out once I looked like a drowned rat.
The humming stopped, and the sweet sound of Sophie’s voice was smooth as it taunted me through song now. “Oh, Ja-hen-na!”
Crap, crap, crap…
I forced myself to peek over the rocky edge and look down – way down. There she floated effortlessly in the midnight blue pond, weak ripples flowing away from her pale silhouette, playfully squirting water towards me with the squeeze of her fist. Sophie’s aim was dead on. Had I not been thirty feet above the surface of the water, she’d nail me easily. I’d welcome it gladly if it would temporarily blind me, cause me to stumble forward and complete the dare I had yet to fulfill.
I had never been afraid of heights before. Of course, I had never tried to throw myself from one before either. And the lack of moonlight in combination with the creepy, placid water was freakin’ me out right now. Also, I’m pretty sure that squishy algae thing skimming the surface was The Blob and it was gonna jump out and devour me once I did my face-splat.
I moaned as I diverted my eyes to the milky white stars above. This was the third time I’d braved the path up the cliffs tonight. And it seemed inevitable that this would be the third time I did the walk of shame back down the way I came.
“Jenna Baker! If you don’t jump this instant I’m gonna grab your clothes and set them on fire! You know I will!”
Ha! Maybe I should remind her that the clothes came from her closet. Er, scratch that. Then she’ll have zero remorse for lighting them up.
Sophie’s been a crazy friend and roommate, to say the least. I’m sure it was a little odd for her to room with someone like me. Like all the other rich kids at Pennington Academy outside Rutland, Vermont, she had everything at her disposal and an unlimited credit card to pick up what she lacked. And parents that actually called and emailed her every week to check up on her.
Me? I barely had a penny to my name and absentee parents. Literally nonexistent. I was dropped off at a firehouse when I was only a few days old. All the babies born in the county were accounted for, so it was assumed my mother (and possibly my father) drove through Rutland to obliterate their parental rights. The only reason I could attend this swanky establishment was cause the academy sponsored a new student each year and provided them with a full scholarship. I didn’t care how many hoops of fire they made me jump through to get here, it was worth it to get out of those disgusting group homes. I even added a summer class every year just to avoid having to spend summer vacation in one.
Fall session of our senior year began not even a week ago and already Sophie had convinced me to try something stupid. I came to my senses twice already and walked back down the cliffs, only to have her put on the charm and convince me once again that this would be good for me.
Oddly enough, I actually did wanna jump, so it wasn’t all Sophie’s fault that I was up here again. And at the moment I was more scared to talk to Robert than I was to jump off the cliff. So maybe I could end the night with at least one fear tackled...
I sucked in a deep breath and edged my toes forward until they curled over the rock. My heart pulsed so hard I thought it would break through my ribs and burst through my body like that slimy alien did to that man in that movie. (Did’ja see that one? Grody, right? – So what if I’m stalling? What are you, the cliff-jumping moderator?)
Okay, maybe one more deep breath. God, just jump Jenna! I winced my eyes tight and flung myself into the void before I could think anymore about it. The feeling was exhilarating, prickly goose bumps and all, and I managed to brave a peek through the haze of my vibrating eyelashes. My heart gave one sharp pound, then froze when gravity took me. The wind whished and lifted me slightly as I fell closer to the glistening liquid below. The cliff and trees blurred, leaving nothing more than vertical streaks of muted tans, greens and blacks that resembled streaks of camouflage.
Sophie’s cheer filled the air. I could sense the ‘finally’ in the long, drawn-out hoot.
Surprisingly, I managed to point my toes and pass through the surface of the water cleanly. So smoothly that the slightest lift of my feet curved my body and sent me farther into the dark abyss like a missile. Water whooshed as it streaked alongside my body, eagerly parting the way for my descent.
I did it! I finally did it! Elation filled my body and soul for that one split second.
And then it happened.
My feet scraped the bottom of the pond and fire burned on my skin. Debris and dirt swirled about as I skidded across the floor bed, destroying what little clarity the moon’s glow offered underneath the silky surface. Weeds tangled around my legs and snagged my arms. I tried desperately to slow the impact by digging in with the palms of my hands, but all I did was give myself more rock burn.
My legs were crumpled and forced upward as an immovable blockade refused to budge. A sharp pain dug into my back as I bobbed up and down across the boulder. The jolt knocked the wind out of me and air escaped from my lungs. A cool gush of foul tasting water filled my mouth and trickled down my throat, causing my chest to spasm.
My head snapped back as the last of my body shot past the boulder. I felt a surge of sharp pains shoot out from the back of my skull, then a soothing numbness. A heavy daze overcame my head and traveled down my arms and legs. The only thing that seemed to be reacting at all was my heart and it threw itself into hyperdrive. Thub-thump echoed through my stuffy head and pulsated down my limbs. I wanted to breathe, to move my legs and arms toward the surface, but nothing would obey the command. My chest blazed as my heart began to slow now. Thuuub-thummmp.
My body lay lifeless above the clay bottom, bobbing gently with the ripples caused by my wake. I shot so far from where I crashed that the water around me wasn’t as murky here. My still eyes were swallowed up by the turbid liquid, yet I could still hone in on that blurry sliver of moonlight trying to lead me to the surface. It struggled to overcome the shadows of the depth, to reach out and extend what help it could offer and show me the way to salvation. But it wasn’t enough. My body was heavy – unwilling to move to save my life.
I was surprised at how good the release felt. Never had I known that stress ate away at my body until it began to dissolve in this moment – little tickles that skidded along the surface of my skin. But with this soothing release came excruciating pain. The lack of oxygen caused my lungs to heave so hard a rush of water gushed down my throat. I tried to gag but my body was beyond that now, even though the water splashing in my lungs left me with the most unnatural, uncomfortable feeling ever.
The water around me darkened more, and it had nothing to do with the strength of the moonlight.
Black…
Cool…
Silent...
2
A soft rainbow mixture of pastels swirled and danced around me, like stars traveling the night sky. Bright, blinding pastels, yet they didn’t sting my eyes. No longer was I wet. Or numb. Or at the bottom of the pond.
Or naked. Thank God. My jeans and camisole made a sudden reappearance.
How did I get here? It must be a dream. No place like this actually existed. I must have dreamt jumping into the pond, and once the story played out, my mind sent me on to my next destination. But what was this place?
I spun in circles but all I saw was the color of pearl ivory, filled with streaks and hexagonal sparkles of even more pastel colors than I ever thought imaginable. It was so beautiful. There was a slight humming noise too. But it wasn’t annoying. In fact, there was something quite soothing about the vibrato resonating within my ears. And I felt this strange sensation within me. Like every cell inside my body was in harmony, swaying happily along with the hum that surrounded me. I felt…happy, and safe.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. The air was warm and scented slightly. Like sugar. It was sweet but just mild enough to tease my senses and put a smile on my face. Mmm…the scent made my entire body feel light as air, like every breath of air I breathed actually lessened the hold gravity had on me a little.
It all felt so dreamy. And hazy. Like some drug I took was slowly starting to take effect.
“Why aren’t you moving forward?” said the male voice coming from somewhere in the vastness. His tone seemed smooth, sweet, caring. I opened my eyes and turned in circles. He didn’t appear until the second twirl. He was taller than me by about six inches, had a nice lean build with some muscle definition, soft hazel eyes, and adorable shaggy dirty blonde hair. Seriously adorable – I wanted to run my fingers through it.
“Am I supposed to?”
“I think so.” But he didn’t sound so sure either. “Do you see anything?”
Still feeling a bit dazed, I shook my head slowly. “No.”
He slowly walked circles around me, visually absorbing every sparkle of light that reflected before him. He swiped at one as it passed by and it dissipated into a million little pieces, all which maintained their sparkle as they continued every which way.
“I’m Jenna.”
He opened his mouth to answer, but his voice halted momentarily, and he rubbed the back of his head. “I think mine’s Chance.” He slowly rubbed his thumb across his fingertips, analyzing, and I wondered what kind of residue that sparkle left behind on his skin. “Maybe we’re looking at this wrong. Maybe the way out is up.”
My head tilted upwards like his, but the same pearly swirls filled the air there too.
“Maybe it’s a riddle of sorts?” I suggested. “Maybe we can’t move forward unless we ask to?”
He nodded his head in agreement but just stood there, looking around. “I kind of like it here though. It’s warm.” His face hardened and he seemed a bit confused.
“Where were you before this?”
“I can’t remember. Can you?”
“I was swimming with my friend.”
I suddenly felt moist. Tiny beads of water began to squeeze out of my pores. I shivered and flicked the water off my skin in a sweeping motion.
Chance reached out to offer his hand. “Well? Shall we try your idea and ask to move forward?” A lopsided grin slowly formed across his face and I couldn’t help but smile back. Something about the warmth of his smile, the deepness of his dimple and the softness of his green and gold speckled eyes made me feel so at ease. I entwined my fingers with his and allowed my arm to wrap partially around his.
“You’re wet.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” I tried to wipe the water from my arm in such a way that kept him dry, but the beads of water were increasing to the point of flowing steady streams. Still, Chance didn’t let go, and he lifted our hands to keep them dry.
A sharp pain jabbed my ribcage and I doubled over in pain, crying out and throwing my free hand to my chest.
“What?!” There was urgency in his voice as he bent down to grasp the side of my face.
I heaved, and a series of sharp jolts rhythmically came every second. Tears drowned my eyes and gushed down my face as fast as the water beads were streaming down my body.
“Jenna?! What is it?”
I couldn’t answer. The moment I was able to draw in a quick breath, an unforeseen force drove it back out again. And something else was happening too – something weird. I felt a pull within my body. Like gravity trying to suck me downward. It started out weak but was growing in intensity. Invisible tendrils reached out and twisted around my legs like a crawling ivy winding its way up a tree. They constricted around my legs and tugged downward.
My body jolted as I tried to fight the movement. Chance felt the jerk too, and threw his second hand around mine to secure his grip.
“Jenna?!” His voice was so desperate as he tried to pull against my invisible assailant.
My chest constricted, and all I could release was a weak, “Chance?”
The invisible tendrils yanked harder than ever and we were ripped down through the makeshift ground and streamlined through the air. Streaks of pastels whipped past us and the water on my skin flew across my body, down my arm and into my hand. Our fingers began to slip and I threw my other hand into the jumble. Our fingers went into a frenzy, trying desperately to stay connected.
But he was slipping, and the invisible pull refused to relent. Our eyes locked and I saw the panic in his eyes as our fingers finally slipped and he fell from my sight. A moment later I heard a soft cry from deep within the vastness – my name.
3
Fire roared from my chest and licked my throat. Air was forced through my mouth but it did nothing to cool the flame. What it did do was bubble up in my lungs and cause a surge of liquid to rush upwards. My upper body spasmed and water caught in my throat, the muscle lining raw and scratched like a wild animal had torn at it.
Hands pressed into my aching ribs and twisted me sideways so I could expel the water from my lungs.
Heave. Choke. Heave. Choke.
I heard sighs of relief and the faintest ‘damn it Jenna’ escape Sophie’s mouth. I could still feel droplets attached to the membranes of my lungs and throat, but coughing and clearing my throat seemed to dislodge the stubborn water molecules – painfully so. I hadn’t opened my eyes yet, so I was surprised when I heard Robert by my side.