CHAPTER 2 – Voices Underwater

That night, Eshan couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the girl’s wide, lifeless stare. He decided to keep the lights on.

But around midnight, he heard it:

A soft, underwater voice.

Like someone speaking from beneath the pool.

Eshan walked outside.

The pool looked darker than usual.

Almost bottomless.

When he leaned closer, he heard it again:

Eshan… down here.”

He stumbled back, heart pounding.

He had never heard the girl say his name before.

He pointed his torch at the water.

Something moved beneath the surface—a shadow, swirling slowly.

Eshan whispered, “Who are you?”

The voice returned, this time clearer:

You knew me… long ago.”

Suddenly, the water flashed like a mirror.

And Eshan saw something impossible—

A small boy.

A younger version of himself.

Standing with the same little girl… laughing near the pool.

Eshan’s breath caught.

“I never lived here before,” he whispered to himself.

But the voice inside the water said:

“You don’t remember because you left us.”

The water rippled violently.

Eshan ran back to the house, slamming the door behind him.

But the drowned voice whispered even inside his mind:

Don’t forget me again.”

The next morning, shaken and sleepless, Eshan tore through his old belongings. Something in the voice felt too familiar. Too personal.

He opened a dusty box from his childhood. Inside were old books, broken toys, and a photo album.

He flipped through the pages, and then his heart stopped.

A photo showed a young Eshan—maybe 8 years old—standing near a pool.

And behind him…

the same little girl.

Same pink dress.

Same face.

She hadn’t aged at all.

Eshan stepped back, breathing fast.

“How… how is this possible?”

His hands shook as he flipped to the next photo.

This one showed an ambulance.

A crowd.

A stretcher.

The pool in the background.

But the girl…

was nowhere.

Suddenly, a memory flashed in Eshan’s head—

Kids screaming.

Cold water.

His own hand slipping away from someone’s grip.

Eshan clutched his head.

Something deep inside him was unlocking.

A voice echoed in his mind:

“One life saved…

one life lost.”

Eshan fell to his knees.

The girl wasn’t haunting him.

She wasn’t random.

She was connected to him.

To his past.

And she wanted him to remember the truth.

That night, Eshan knew something would happen. The air felt heavy, the world too quiet. He stepped outside, knowing he had no choice.

The pool was glowing faintly, like moonlight trapped inside it.

This time, both figures were waiting—

the (tall pale man) and the (little girl)

The man slowly raised his head.

His voice was dry and broken:

“You survived.

We didn’t.”

Eshan stepped back.

“What are you talking about?!”

The girl’s voice joined his:

“You were drowning…

We tried to save you.”

Images flashed in Eshan’s mind—

him slipping underwater,

someone pulling him up,

someone else sinking in his place.

Eshan whispered, trembling,

“You both died… saving me?”

The man nodded painfully.

“Our time stopped.”

“Yours continued.”

The girl reached for Eshan’s hand.

Her fingers were freezing cold.

Now it’s your turn to come with us.”

The water around them started moving violently, pulling Eshan toward the edge.

He grabbed the fence, fighting for breath.

The man whispered:

Balance must return.”

Eshan screamed and pulled away—

running back to the house, slamming the door.

But he knew this wasn’t over.

They wanted him.

And they wouldn’t stop.

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