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DOT

I wanted to reach out to Kat. To show her it was okay to let go, but instead I felt myself wanting to rise up. To crawl back to her. To them both. And I began to panic.

Wait . I opened my mouth to scream, but it filled with water, choking my words as I began to suffocate on the darkness. Wait! I’m not ready!

“Dante, do something!”

Kat.

My fingers clawed at the water, fighting death as it tried to pull me down. I didn’t know what had come over me, but I didn’t want to go. Not yet. I wasn’t ready.

Kat!

My lungs burned, screaming for air as I gasped and reached, gripping the end of my soul. I yanked it so hard, trying to ascend back to the surface.

Please—

The feel of hot air hit my mouth and rushed into my lungs, again and again.

“Again!” Kat shouted as the feeling returned. The air soured through me, lifting me higher through the darkness. “Again!” More air filled me and suddenly I heard a distant and faint heartbeat. My heartbeat.

Cold water hit my face, soaking me as I slowly settled back into my body. My skin was on fire, my stomach twisted and filled with the most revolting contents. I began to cough, my hearing slowly returning. Someone lifted my torso as I opened my heavy eyes and vomited, expelling the poison from inside me, my life slowly returning.

“Dot!” Kat cried, pulling my hair back as I continued to regurgitate my stomach. I had never felt so sick, my body burning yet freezing, all at the same time. I trembled and shook, tears mixing with the cold water as it soaked into my flesh.

“Angel,” Dante’s raspy and hoarse voice hit my back as I realized he was behind me, sitting in the shower, holding my body up. He rubbed my back gently, the two helping me as I continued to throw up.

“Jesus, Dot, we thought we lost you there for a moment.” Kat sniffled, telling me she must’ve been crying.

“You really scared us,” Dante whispered, delicately hugging me.

I spat the acidic vomit from my mouth as my fingers felt like they were being pricked with needles, still shivering and hating everything I was experiencing.

“For a moment, you did.”