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Rated: E · Chapter · Fantasy · #1434364
The first chapter in a story I started two years ago. Tell me what you think.
Water leaped into the air as a splash resounded in the open, echo-y building. The smell of chlorine washed into any nose of the person that would step foot into the large, one-roomed building.

"Hurry up, Kyana!" A man shouted as the black haired teenager resurfaced. "I can only allow you here for one more hour."

The girl nodded before walking back up to the diving board and responding, "Thanks a bunch, George."

The man smiled while watching the regular, after-hours guest as she took another dive into the pool. She came to the public pool house every other day and stayed at least three hours after they closed up for the night. George, though only in his early-thirties, always looked to the eighteen year old as a daughter. He guessed it was because he was usually the one that was one-duty when she decided to stay.

His smile widened, though it was still soft, as the girl resurfaced again. She looked over at him with those ebony eyes and smiled before climbing out again, walking right back to the diving board.


Kyana looked down at the water, deciding this would be her last leap of the day. She let her black voids wander around the calm water, staring at the clear, eleven foot depths before her. The smell of the pool's chlorine did nothing but annoy her, making her wish it wasn't there, but she blocked it out and smiled as she stepped up to the very edge of the board.

The diving board wiggled under her feet, but she ignored it, bouncing up on it once before taking a single breath and diving into the silky liquid. She opened her eyes and smiled under the water, letting it hold her and give her life. Her pale skin seemed to electrify at the touch, and her short, ebony hair floated around her.

Taking in the regular feeling of bliss, Kyana closed her eyes and let herself sink to the bottom peacefully. A new smile placed itself upon her lips as she allowed her body to float in place at the bottom, used to being able to keep herself where she wished in the water.

The seraph...the seraph.

Kyana's eyes jolted open and she was gazing around her, frightened by the sweet, female's voice that entered her ears. She looked around under the water, as if someone could've somehow been there and whispered in her ear.

Lady Kyana....

The voice whispered again, causing the said girl to start swimming to the top of the pool. Something grabbed her leg, but she couldn't see what, so she thrashed to get to the top.

Calm yourself...savior...thrown out....

Only being able to piece together a few words of every sentence, Kyana slowly calmed herself and closed her eyes with the utmost effort she had. Why couldn't she swim to the top? What was holding her leg?

We need you, please come back...everything is all right.

She peered at her leg again, but saw nothing, so she tried swimming to the top again. When it didn't work she began kicking at whatever was holding her left leg, trying to get free again.

Lady Kyana...Lady Kyana....

Kyana opened her mouth to yell at the voice, but water flooded into her mouth. Quickly, she closed her mouth and spurted the water through her lips little by little. Her lungs began to tighten, her throat beginning to burn as no new air made it's way to her needy lungs.

She knew she would drown at this rate.

Let go of me!

Her legs began kicking again as she reached for the top, meeting her goal this time.


"Kyana!" George's voice called out. "Kyana, are you okay?"

Glazed, black eyes gazed up at navy blue as Kyana stared dully at him, taking in deep breaths. Her mind was obviously not with her as she waded automatically, eyes clouded over with thought and, what seemed to be, fear.

Suddenly, her distant look diminished and she was attentive to her year-long friend. She raised a curious brow as he stared at her with worry and concern, her mind wandering what he was thinking about.

"George? Hello..?" She questioned doggy-paddling to the edge of the pool. "You 'kay?"

"What happened? You were under there for fifteen minutes, Kyana!"

"I was not. Stop jokin' 'round, George. Seriously...what's wrong wit'chu?"

"I'm not kidding around, Kyana. You were under the water for fifteen minutes. I was getting ready to jump in." George mustered, having to haul his voice up.


Kyana let her eyes widen in shock as her friend gave her this information. He had never been so frightened as to almost dive in after her, besides the first time she stayed under for more than two minutes.

"It didn't feel like fifteen minutes." She murmured lightly, pulling herself out of the water. "But...then again...."

Kyana trailed off as she lifted her feet from the water and pulled them to her chest as she rubbed her left leg where whatever it was had a hold of her. Her black eyes were staring back into the pool, curiosity, yet fear, seemed to be shimmering in her eyes as the light was shimmering on the water.

A hand being placed on her shoulder caused her to jump lightly. Looking up, she forced a smile to her friend and putting her own hand over his. Some water that had been on George's palms seemed to melt into her skin as she caressed his hand lightly. A smile appeared on Kyana's lips as she felt some of the liquid drip from her hair and hit her back lightly.

It stung.

"Go jump in the shower. We need to cool off." George commented, pulling his hand back and staring at it.

"Mm'kay, Georgey. I'll close up, if ya want?" Kyana suggested, standing and wrapping the towel George handed her around her shoulders.

"No, I'll lock up tonight."

"Suit yourself, George."

Turning on her right heel, Kyana started her way towards the changing rooms, ignoring the splash from the pool as George jumped in. She knew he would, but...why wouldn't he? He could possibly think something was holding her back and was in the pool.

But, that's the thing. There was something in the pool. There was something that held her back. And, there was something that could possibly snag someone else.

Kyana shook her head as she pulled the top over her head and stepping into the warm water of the locker showers. She bit her lip as she pulled her small shampoo bottle from the small rack and poured it into her hand.

"What could it have been?" Her voice murmured as she lathered the soapy liquid into her hair.

The string, or object, hadn't been rough and hadn't felt like fishing wire. It wasn't visible, so what else could it have been? There was no way that it was just her imagination...you can't do that to yourself to stay under for more than ten minutes.

Honestly, the object was silky, as if it were the water itself that formed into a thick rope to cling around her lower leg to keep her under.

"Oh, look'et me. I'm just thinking things." Kyana shook her head as she rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair. "There's no way 'en hell that it was water. I'm goin' crazy."

Kyana laughed softly, knowing that talking to herself was a good sign her theory was right. Then something entered her mind.

"Seraph..?"

Kyana's brows furrowed as she tilted her head towards the spout of the shower, letting the water cascade down her form. The warm water had really warmed up her skin a bit, considering she had actually gotten goose bumps from this swim, though the reason why hadn't been hard to find. She let her mind wander to all the definitions she knew as the water tumbled from the shower head, seemingly missing her form as her mind blocked it out.

Who needed her? What Savior? Where was he or she 'thrown out' of?

What was a seraph, anyways?

She sighed as she turned the knob of the shower and reached out for her dry towel.

"Well, sounds like I gotta pull out that dictionary when I get home." She mumbled to herself as she began towel drying her hair.
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