Fear Landscape

salty water fills my lungs...dragged back down...I hear anguished cries...my sisters...water closes over my head

Salty water fills my lungs like the wayward tears of a giant. I surface, coughing and hacking, only to be buffeted by fierce wind and dragged back down. I tumble as if falling, but no air rushes past me. My arms claw futilely at the waves, and I fight my way to the surface once more. I must endure, help will come. Just as my hope begins to mount I hear anguished cries, and my head whips around, searching. I search for the faces that match to the familiar voices. My eyes lock on to the petrified expressions of two little girls, and not just any two little girls. The sight of their small faces amid the roiling waters wrenches my heart, and I cry out, voice hoarse from water that grates against my throat like steel wool. My sisters. They cling to each other, and I know not whether the wet on their face is from their tears, or the watery grip of the sea. I feel as if lead has been poured into my bones and weights tied to my feet, yet I struggle towards them in the frustrating slow of a dreamer. My limbs scream with pain, and I must bear it. I am shaking now, too weak to swim towards them, and I doubt they even know of my presence. A grey fin slices through the churning water, bumping at them. I know what will happen, and I hope the end will come before I must witness it. The water closes over my head and I cry out, giving them the last thing I can, a shred of comfort when death itself is circling them. The only thing worse than living your own worst fear is watching the ones you hold dearest struggle through it. Dying a watery death alone, in the middle of the ocean, is horrid, but to watch the people you love die your death, is insufferable.

Author's Note

This is a piece we were asked to write in my English class about our greatest fear. I think my fear is evident. It appears at first that my fear is drowning, but near the end my fear morphs into the fear of losing my sisters. Though I would never tell them that. My sisters I mean.

I would just like to say hello to all! I've just joined, and this is my first piece posted on this site. You can call me by my username, WhimsicalAutomatonophobicHippopotamus, or you can just call me Olivia. Thank you. :)

Reviews

[Green]

This was so honest. I would never have been able to write about my biggest fear because I would not want other people to know it. So I totally respect that you did that here. But also you wrote it so well. It was very descriptive and, though I've never drowned myself, I'd figure it's pretty accurate too.
But I think my favorite part was the end (not when they die) because it shows how much you love your sisters.
Good job.

[WhimsicalAutomatonophobicHippopotamus]

Thank you so much, and I apologize how long it took me to get to your comment, internet issues.

[Green]

I can totally understand that, no worries