Chapter 9

She takes a deep breath as her head breaches the water’s surface. She then gets swallowed once more by the waves. Underwater, she forces her eyes open, ignoring the salty burn. She finds her little boy sinking only an arms length away. Reaching out, she barely misses the boy’s fingers with her own. The current pushes her to the surface where she takes another deep breath, then gets pulled back under. Still sinking, her boy has drifted even farther away. She fights against the water as she makes her way toward him. Grabbing his shirt, she pulls him close, seeing the whites in his eyes as his body lay lifeless in her arms. Together they get thrown around the sea. She plugs his nose, breathing the last bit of air from her lungs into his. The boy’s body spasms as she pushes him toward the surface.

His eyes open as he coughs up saltwater. Trying to stay afloat, he gets the feeling that his life was just saved. He thanks the gods, unaware that his mother, sinking just below him, was the one who gave him her last breath.