I know what happens. We’ll talk a little more about that later on. I lay on my bed tossing and turning trying to go to sleep. Escape reality for a bit. I sleep eventually and I know I’m asleep because I look around me and I’m at a dock boarding on a boat. It wasn’t just me. I belong in a program; AFJROTC. The whole corps boarded and we weren’t in our uniform, it was more casual clothing. I heard snippets of chatter and gossip of other people’s lives and whatnot, but I’m not nosey. I just know things about people. Just then, a woman’s voice came on the intercom.
“Hello, I’ll be your Captain today! My name is Dixie and I just wanted to say Have Fun, Relax, and Enjoy the scenery!”
Her voice gave me a sense of comfort and security. It was soothing and sweet sounding. I headed to the bow of the boat. It was a little breezy, but sunny and cool nonetheless. I took a deep breath in and just gazed at this beautiful sight. My best friend found me and smiled.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, it is. God, when I get older, I’ll be doing this a lot. It’s so quiet and peaceful.”
He giggled and took out his phone. He took pictures of me posing and of the sunlight. Everyone seemed to have gone, and since I didn’t like to be alone, I dragged him with me to find the others. Everyone was at the front, crowding against the railing chattering, and shouting. Some people looked at me in fear. I looked in confusion with my best friend.
“What’s going on?”
“We hit something, and now the boat’s sinking. Slowly, but sinking.”
“Wait, what?”
I was now scared on what to do because I couldn’t swim. I panicked. My mind was racing.
“What should I do? What do I do?!”
My best friend hugged me and said that if we couldn’t do anything, we’d die together. He knew that I couldn’t swim. People started screaming, jumping off the railing, swimming. Some were running throughout the boat. My best friend looked at me deep in the eyes and said to stay calm. He held my hands, which were sweaty from overthinking and panicking. He walked over to the railing, guiding me.
“What are we gonna do?”
He sighed and looked back at me.
“If you trust me, if you really are my best friend listen to me ok?”
“Ok.” I stuttered.
“We are going overboard and we are going to swim-”
“I don’t know how!”
He looked irritated.
“Let me finish. We are going to try and succeed or die trying.”
Tears started welling up, but I did trust him. I held my hands across my chest laying flat and smiled. I closed my eyes and fell backwards. I hit the water head first and it was frigid. My eyes opened from the coldness of the water. I was flailing to try and swim. Of course, I panicked and I was sinking under. My best friend wasn’t anywhere to be found. It was getting harder to breathe. I decided I’ll just let whatever happens, happen. I stopped moving and sunk down. It then turned black.
I opened my eyes. I wasn’t where I was before.I was lying down on the ground able to breathe again. Only, there was a deep salmon colored fog. It was so thick, I couldn’t see at least 5 feet in front of me. There was no odor or anything but it was a pretty sight. I wasn’t worried anymore. Actually, I felt peaceful, eternal bliss, calm. I stood up, and started walking. I’m not sure which direction I was going, but I wanted to know where I was. I eventually found a cadet who looked just as lost as I.
“Germam?”
She looked in multiple directions but I held her shoulder and she looked at me.
“Lechins?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Where are we? What is this fog?”
“I honestly don’t know where we are, and what this fog is but are you feeling like, cool? What I mean by that is calm.”
Ok, so I wasn’t the only one who felt like this. I nodded.
I started to walk away from her. I walked to the right of her. It must have been about five to ten minutes when I saw a house. My house. I felt a bit happy as I walked up the porch. I heard sobbing from the inside, so I opened up the glass door. I walked in and seen everyone crying. My stepmom crying while cooking, my brothers and sisters crying while playing games, and my father crying while he was drawing.
“Hello? You guys? What’s wrong?”
No one answered me. I felt that bliss but in the very deep part of myself I felt a bit irritated. The fog had thinned down a lot, but it was still visible.
“Hello?!”
My brother spoke up.
“I can’t believe she’s dead.” My dad chimed in.
“Shh, can you not bring that up!?”
He was obviously mad and upset. The realization came to me that I had died. I drowned. I started to cry, but I didn’t feel sad, I still felt that peacefulness. I went into my room and tried to sleep. I ended up sleeping but now I question myself at times.
