Hero

The water swallowed her body whole like a monster devouring its prey. Haley held her breath as long as she could until it burned her lungs. The saltwater stung her eyes, but she kept them open watching the surface drift farther and farther away from her reach. The frigid temperature of the water felt like a disease that spread across her skin and infected her body. Haley couldn’t fight it anymore. She knew this was how she was going to die. She closed her eyes, no longer looking at the distance between her and the surface. Death was like a comforting blanket that wrapped itself around her.

Haley woke from the same dream that she had been having since she was seven.
It was always the same, she would drown and no one would save her. She could never figure out why she had these dreams. But it made her terrified of ever swimming in the sea. It only made it worse that they lived near the coast. But Haley never ventured anywhere close to the ocean. Her friends tried to help her get over her fear, but she wouldn’t budge. They couldn’t understand how life like the dream was and how often she had it. She couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe the dream wasn’t a dream after all, that maybe it was a premonition.

“Haley I have something to tell you.” Genevieve had been Haley’s best friend since the fifth grade. “My wedding is going to be at the beach. You know how much Alex loves the sea. I tried to talk to her about it, but she really wants this.” Haley felt her stomach drop a little listening to Gen talk. All she could hear was the ocean waves lapping against her cold dead skin. “Haley are you listening?” Gen snaps her fingers in front of Haley’s eyes, bringing her back to the present.
                “I’m sorry Gen. Listen it’s your wedding not mine and even though I love you for thinking of me, it’s your day. Don’t worry about me okay? I’ll be fine.” But all Haley could think about was the ocean’s cold deadly waters and the nightmare she would never forget.

When Gen’s wedding came around Haley asked if she could have a seat farthest from the water.
The ceremony was beautiful with the two blushing brides together. Haley couldn’t have been happier for Gen. But hearing the ocean in distance made her stomach queasy and she had to resist looking at it.
After the wedding the reception was held on the other end of the beach where an outdoor bar was set up. Haley figured she’d cure her anxiety with some alcohol. She had drink after drink until all she could see was the reflection of the sky in the sea and she wanted to fly.
Suddenly Haley was drunkenly running towards the water. “I’m gonna fly!” She yelled. Everyone stared at her as she ran and Gen tried to scream for her to come back, but Haley was determined.
She plunged herself into the water completely forgetting how terrified she was of it.
“Haley what are you doing?!” Gen tried running after her, but Alex stopped her.
“Keith!! Help her!!” Alex yelled to her brother. Keith was a trained life guard and he ran toward the ocean. He took off all the unnecessary clothing and jumped into the freezing water. Haley was already under the surface. He swam underneath trying to find her in the dark water. He searched and searched but she disappeared. Springing back to the surface for air Keith looked around frantically for her before once again dropping down into the sea to find Haley.
Keith found her in the distance floating down the bottom and he reached his arms around her waist and pulled her up to the surface. He carried her body to the shore and began giving her CPR. He almost believed he couldn’t save her until she began spitting up water. She coughed and looked around before her eyes locked with Keith. “What happened?” She asked. “You tried to go swimming while intoxicated.” Keith said. “I had to go in and save you!” Haley stared at him for a long moment before beginning to cry.
“You-You saved me?” She asked. “Yes, I did. It was a close call, but I found you before you drowned.”
Haley hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, “You're my hero.”