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Birthday Gift
In the soft glow of the blue night light, I sit on the cold tiled floor, hurdled in the darkest corner where little light struggles to penetrate.
The windows are colsed but I feel a chill engolf my feet and I squeeze my toes. I'm cold, so I reach out to the sofa where a red sweater lay. As I put it on, a very familiar scent tickles my nose and I sneeze, recognizing the scent, I hug the sweater tighter around my body. And I weep....

In an hour it would be Saturday, the decorations are already up and I still have the movie tickets in my bag. After debating for long on what movie to see, we had finally agreed on one.

Something old.

I clutch the small box in my hand tightly and drop by drop my tears dampen the soft material.

Water surrounds my feet, I look down and all around the room water pools in. More and more. I try to get up but I can't. I'm strapped to a chair by a seatbelt. I begin to struggle as the water grows faster, reaching up to my elbow. A sudden jolt sends my head crashing into the dashboard. Faintly, I hear my name and the door beside me opens, the water totally buries me as hands tug at my seatbelt with so much force it snaps.

The waves lift me as the car pummels into darkness, deeper into the river, but I can see someone trapped there. I scream his name, forgetting that I'm still under water. Bubbles escape my mouth and I dive for him, but strong hands grip my shoulders and I am lifted out of the water. I struggle frantically and crash back down, screaming his name.

I drop to the floor. Tiled floor. Hard and dry. The box clatters away from me. I reach out to pick it and that's when I notice the wet foot prints leading towards the balcony. Gripped by fear and urged on by curiosity, I follow the foot prints, crawling. Getting to the balcony, I slide open the glass doors and step out.

Right there, outside, on the ground below, boldly written in the sand was,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ONLY SISTER I HAVE."

And in the dim light of the crescent moon, I see his outline, still wearing the red sweater I had gotten for him just yesterday as we drove back from the island. The water dripping from his clothes forms a pool around his feet and slowly he begins to fade....

The sky rumbles and a drop of rain touches my skin. Immediately I shudder and scream. Breathing heavily, I run inside and close the door with so much force the glass vibrates.
Now I hate water.
Now I'm Aquaphobic

© Leo_kitti