The smile beyond the water

The water wasn't blue ; it was a hungry, churning black. Every time I reach for her, the distance between us stretched like pulling taffy. "Help" she whispered, though her lips didn't move. I reached out, my fingers brushing the cold surface, just as the last ripple of her hair vanished. Suddenly I woke up panting heavily, as the silence of my bedroom hit me harder than water ever could.

My mother heard the loud sound of my panting, and started knocking my door and I quickly tried to catch my breath and pretend I was just finishing a workout, then she asked if I was alright ; it didn't take so long for me to say I am fine. Then she said "xynaz" get up already it's your first day of boarding school, and you don't want to be late for it. "Fine", I said

I got up and took a bath before having breakfast, while my mother was packing my essentials. After my bath, I had my breakfast and went out for a walk, there I met some of my friends, as I was talking to them, I heard my father calling for me and I realized that it was my time to bid farewell.

I went back, and got in the car. After some time my parents came in, and we left for the school. After travelling for a while, we made a pit stop to have lunch. I finished my lunch early to check my surrounding and as I was admiring the scenery a car zoomed passed by me, there I saw a familiar smile. My mind went blank, it could only foresee one thing, that "Smile", was it her............?

As my mind was still in a haze, I could hear a voice calling me out, when my mind resurfaced to the real world it was my mom who was calling me, what happen? She asked, looking at my dazed face "ohh nothing", I replied.

We started our journey and arrived at our destination after 3 hours.

The air at the school campus was thick with a mixture of exhaust fumes, impending rain, and the nervous energy of hundreds of newcomers. As soon as the car came to a stop in the sprawling parking lot, my parents were already in motion, brochures in hand, heading towards the main administration office to finalize my admission.

"Stay with the car, and don't wander off," my father instructed, though I barely heard him.

I leaned against the cool metal of the passenger door, watching the chaotic ballet of arriving students. It was overwhelming, a cacophony of voices and slamming car doors. Yet, as I surveyed the scene, a strange, profound sense of calm suddenly settled over me, washing away the anxiety of the morning. It was a familiar feeling, a presence that felt like coming home, though I couldn't understand why.

I found myself scanning the crowd, looking for the source of that inexplicable comfort.

Across the lot, a group of girls was walking toward the dormitories. They were laughing and talking, a vibrant bubble of energy. Among them, I recognized a girl I had barely glimpsed earlier—she was the one whose scooter had zoomed past me on the main road, disappearing into the crowd just as quickly.

Seeing her didn't just feel familiar; it felt like the missing piece of the serene sensation I had just experienced. She hadn't even looked my way, yet just seeing her eased the knot in my stomach.

As quickly as they appeared, the group turned a corner behind a building, disappearing from sight. The noise of the parking lot rushed back in. I took a deep breath, clutching the car key in my pocket, and sat back into the car, waiting for my parents.

***The End***

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