Page 2 of Emerge

I came up coughing, and Ivy grabbed my arm to help. "It was still red, but it was completely closed. I didn't even feel a bump of a bullet or anything."

"That's impossible!" I reached down under the water, bringing my leg up as far as I could.

I felt around where pain had ripped through me when the bullet had hit, but all I felt was smooth skin. Had it been some kind of illusion?

"Maybe he can also control what we feel." Ivy looked toward the flashing light. "We should start swimming before we get tired. Are you going to be all right?"

"Yes."

We began swimming and, oddly enough, I didn't feel the clawing panic I usually felt in water. I'd already had enough siren epiphanies for one night, so I didn't dwell on why that was.

Our pace was slow as we made our way toward what I could only assume was a buoy. I wanted to laugh at the irony of it, but the longer we swam, the more dire the situation became.

There was no telling where we were and how long it would take to be found. The human body could survive three or four days without water, but did that change based on conditions? The sun, even though it was the middle of fall, would beat down on us.

That was if we even made it to the buoy. Things looked closer than they appeared when there was nothing but water. The buoy could be miles and miles away. If the sun rose, we probably wouldn't have the flashing light to guide us. Then there was the matter of what type of buoy it was.

"Your thoughts are so loud; I can hear them." Ivy stopped, her words coming out as a pant. "I thought I was in good shape, but I guess not. I'm so fucking cold."

"It doesn't seem any closer." I actually felt great swimming, but I wasn't about to tell Ivy that.

Ivy's eyes went wide, and she raised her hand to point behind me. "It-it-it's a sh-shark!"

I turned my head just as the fin changed its course and began to circle us. My breathing became heavy, and Ivy and I clung to each other.

"I don't want to die." Ivy was trembling. "Oh God, it's stopping."

The shark stopped near us, and as it raised its head, Ivy let out a blood-curdling scream while I started laughing uncontrollably.

It was Bubba.

"It's okay, Ivy. This is Jax's shark." I reached forward and gave him a rub between the eyes.

"What?" She coughed and cleared her throat. The scream had really been a doozy. "He has a fucking shark?"

"Are you going to take us to safety, buddy?" I continued to stroke him between the eyes, which he really liked. "There's a buoy over that way."

Ivy was looking at me like I was crazy as I pointed to the buoy. Bubba went under again and his fin pointed in that direction. I guess he did have some level of understanding.

I let go of Ivy and swam to one side of him. I gestured to the other side as I grabbed onto his fin. Ivy's eyes darted around, looking for another option, and her chin trembled. I couldn't blame her; it was all a bit crazy.

"He would have eaten us already if that was his plan. Grab on, unless you want to swim there." This was a story I would one day tell my children. Riley Kline, shark surfer.

Ivy whimpered but swam to the other side of him. We both squealed as he swam to the flashing light.

It was a lot farther than anticipated, and if Bubba hadn't shown up, we more than likely wouldn't have made it. As we got closer, I put my forehead against Bubba, grateful that it was a weather buoy that wasn't too high up. It would still be difficult to climb onto, though.

He slowed as we approached, and Ivy swam as quickly as possible to it. She grabbed onto the side, her back and arm muscles straining as she tried to climb on it. Bubba went under and then she screamed as he nudged her up with his head.

"I wish I could have seen your face." I held on to the side of the buoy and Bubba pushed me up.

The surface of the buoy was rough, and I cringed as the bare skin of my legs connected with it. I had lost my jeans during the swim, so my only option was my shirt. I took it off and laid it out to sit on.

"Let me look at your leg now that there's this light." Ivy had been staring at the water, probably wondering if Bubba was going to change his mind about eating us.

He had already disappeared, and I hoped we would be found soon. I flinched as I put my leg out, preparing to see a gaping hole even though Ivy said it was healed. I gasped and reached a shaking hand out to touch it, but hovered my hand there.

"Are those scales?" Ivy climbed on her knees but then almost fell off the buoy as it listed to the side.

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