The river that brought us together.

Submitted into Contest #98 in response to: Set your story on (or in) a winding river.... view prompt

2 comments

Sad Happy

Note - Sad at the begging, happy at the end.

Also thoughts of suicide, but she does survive, don't worry.

I doggy paddled in the river 50 miles away from my house sopping wet. Me and my friends Jonathan and Emily decided to go and go to the river to go tubing. But apparently it was just a trap; they had made me flip over, and the seconde I was under water, they had left me. Now I only had the water and my sopping clothes to comfort me. It didn't bring much; I was cold and sure to get a cold.

I was thinking about just ending it here right here and right now. Then who would be crying. I took a deep breath of air and let my head sink into the water. My hair floating around me the water making me feel strangely alive, but still making me shiver. My head started to see everything around me. My breathing started to get heavy, I was regretting this, I was panicking.

I could tell it was getting to late, my eyes where starting to close. Better to just give to my fate I guess, I closed my eyes and was ready for the water to take over me.

I felt a tug on my t-shirt, and felt a body press against mine. They were warm. I didn't try to fight, my body was too weak. When my head hit the surface I started coughing up for air, while I was being dragged to the surface. the warm body was still pressed up against mine, they sere stocking my hair. They must have my head on there lap. Somehow, I got enough strength to open my eyes to see who it was. Mark...my old time best friend and crush. Everything went black.

Flashback No.1 -

"There is no way you can catch me Mark!"

"Wanna bet?" He telled chasing me in our game of tag.

"Never!" He continued chasing me until he grabbed me by my waist and went tumbling down with me on top of him.

Flashback No.2 -

"Honestly, this just doesn't make any sense!" Mark tugged at his hair.

"Mark," I said taking his hands away from his messy brown hair "If you need my help I'm right here." I pulled up my chair so that it would be next to his. We talked about the formula of the algebraic equations. "Then you just have to figure out what number this is, then your good."

"As much as your good at explaining things Kayla, but I just don't get it. I'll ask Miss Thompson tomorrow, no can we work on my chem work?" He smiled at me cheekly.

"Sure, your smart you know that right? You're just overworking yourself, thats why your not getting it. What about we take a movie break and continue this tomorrow after school; this isn't due till friday. He smiled at me and laid his head on my shoulder. "thank you." I heard him whisper under his breath. "Anything for you mark anything for you." I ran my hands through his already tousled hair.

Flashback No.3 -

We sat in a poorly made blanket fort at midnight in Marks house. It was a late friday and we had decided that I would stay the night as to celebrate surviving the first week of grade 10.

We watched mean girls in our pj's witch included mark in a pair of sweatpants, and me in pajama pants and one of his sweat shirts because I forgot to bring tops. I sat in between his legs while his younger sister took up the space beside him on the couch. "I like this." I whispered to mark as his sister veronica was just falling asleep. "Me too." He responded by pulling me closer to him, if that was even possible.

I woke up in the morning laying in the same spot I was in the night before.

When I woke up I was in something soft and warm, I thought I was dead. But then I realized Marks body was pressed up against mine. I had on one of his sweatshirts that smelled the exact same from grade ten. His hand was in my hair stocking it softly. As much as I didn't want to get up, I felt as though I was intruding...I was supposed to be dead. When I started to sit up slowly and looked around me, Mrks room had stayed the same. Vintage and always clean, but always had the smell like he was always in a forest.

"Glad to see your still here." He said, I could tell he was crying. He was never good at acting though when he was upset. I was the one that made him feel like this. I turned around slowly looking at him before bursting into tears. My tears were warm; Mark pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry." I sobbed into his chest, I could feel him kissing the top of my head. It made a cage of butterflies irrupt in my stomach. "Shh It's not your fault Kayla, it's Okay, your Okay."

The door of his room opened to let in 11 year old veronica. Good I hadn't seen her since she was 7 and a half. She didn't say a word but instead just walked in and ame and gave me a hug. I'm guessing she heard the news when mark brought me home. God, I have seriously brough pain to people.

An hour later, we all sat in Mark's bed just like in grade ten watching mean girls. Veronica sat just watching the movie, while me and Mark just cuddled while he occasionally kissed the top of my head. "Promise me you'll never leave no matter what?" He asked me "Promise."

"This gives you deja vu right, but like the good kind?"

"Yeah" I smiled, God I loved this boy. I cuddled into the boy more and continued watching the movie.

The river 50 miles from my house did bring us together.

June 17, 2021 20:17

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2 comments

Harlow Jones
03:24 Jul 01, 2021

Hi, Mackenzie! Thank you for sharing this story and writing on such an important topic! First, thank you for the content warning. That was very considerate of you and for your readers. Now, I wish you added more detail before the suicide attempt. I wish there was more of a buildup. Also, make sure your grammar is good to go before submitting. Lastly, I really loved this couple! I'd love to follow them and their story. Great work, and keep it up! Best, Harlow

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Mackenzie Belair
20:58 Jul 01, 2021

Hello, Harlow! Thank you for your comment on my story and next time I will make sure to add more details to my writing and check my grammar. And thank you for your kind words about this! - Mackenzie

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