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The Incidents
Everyone looked at her like she was different. She didn't think she changed that much. Enna guessed the haunted look in her eyes when there used to be joy and happiness convinced them. Or the confused and scared face that used to only have smiles. It could be anything that changed in her. So she smiled as she was in public, but only because there were people around. If no one was around her she would be in tears from the pressure and the memories of the “incident”. No one understood her, they just pity her. So, she stayed smiling in public because she couldn’t take pity. In the day her mind screamed at her to let it out and to tell everyone the truth, but she didn’t listen. During the night though, that’s when the mind got what it wanted, and the screams escaped from her mind. Her family always asked her “are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” She answered, not saying what she truly wanted to, which was replying ‘no’. She didn’t though, she just acted like nothing happened even though something did.
That day haunts her. What happened to her isn’t like everyone thought. She didn’t flail around her arms and legs. She didn’t scream out for help verbally. What happened to her isn’t like the cliche belief. It’s worse. Drowning is worse than being presented to the public. No one understood that fact until one day at school, alone at the side like normal getting glances filled with pity, when a new kid came. He went to the office with a blank face much like they were used to Enna having now. Just before school started, Enna was at her locker when she was called to the office. She was told she had to show Percy the new kid around. She did, and for the next three months, they stayed together because they didn’t get pity or questioning glance together. They barely talked when they were together, they just observed each other, when finally he asked her the question they both wanted to ask the other.
“ You drowned too?” He questioned quietly.
“Yeah, you too?” She returned in a whisper.
“Unfortunately,” he replied. Slowly they started to open back up to each other, sharing their experiences and after-effects of drowning. They shared their feelings that no one else knew about, not even their family. Some people notice the difference, the good change. Sure she still screams out in her sleep sometimes, and he still has sleepless nights but those moments have reduced by a lot from the day it happened. Their families noticed but don’t question it very often, they’re just happy for the change and the healing. Together the two knew that nothing would be like it was before their incidents, never would it be the same. It would be better now that they met each other and became friends. They would not let their incidents get the best of them anymore.

© The Scarlett poet