Page 26 of Rescuing Nathaniel

March 2nd

5:57 P.M.

The water was swallowingher whole.

Eagerly consuming her.

What was it with her and water all of a sudden?

Ava had always enjoyed swimming, although she never loved it as much as Nathaniel apparently did. They’d had a pool at her house, a cool one with its own little waterslide, and she’d spent many summer afternoons playing in it. The ocean and lakes were a little scarier because the water was more dangerous and felt more alive. But as long as her feet could touch the bottom, she didn't mind either.

In this water, she was way out of her depth.

It had to be several feet deeper than she was tall and moving so fast. Definitely felt like it was alive.

The only thing that stopped her from completely panicking was the feel of Nathaniel’s hand wrapped around hers.

Nathaniel was there.

That meant she was safe.

Well, as safe as you could be while you were lost in the Mexican jungle being hunted by men with guns who wanted to take you back and remove all your organs from your body.

While panicking, she could feel Nathaniel’s smooth strokes beside her, guiding them through the fast-moving river like he’d done it a million times before. Who knew, maybe he had.

The bullets that sporadically pierced the water didn't seem to worry him, and he could hold his breath for so long.

Already her lungs were screaming at her to take a breath. They felt like they were on fire, and it took every ounce of strength she had left not to open her mouth in a futile attempt to find some oxygen.

There was no oxygen there.

Just water.

Water everywhere.

With her lungs burning and the wound in her stomach burning, Ava felt like her insides had been set on fire. Even though she was surrounded by something that put fire out, her entire body felt like it was consumed with flames.

Right when she thought she couldn’t wait a single second longer, that her mouth was going to open despite her screaming at it not to, that it wouldn't find what it needed, Nathaniel guided them back up to the surface.

Immediately, she greedily gulped in mouthfuls of beautiful fresh air.

Air had always seemed like such a no-brainer, it was always just there, you never thought about it, never realized what a privilege it was to be able to take a breath and fill your lungs. Not until that privilege was taken away from you. Only then did you realize how lucky you truly were.

“Just a little more, Aves, take another deep breath for me,” Nathaniel told her.

“I can't,” she whimpered. It was getting harder and harder to hold her breath, and she was starting to worry that she was just going to pass out while underwater and fill her lungs with water instead of air.

“You can. Last time, I swear, we just need to get a little further away from them. Now, Aves.”

The command in his tone somehow forced her to obey, and she sucked in as much oxygen as her burning lungs could hold and then they were under the water again.

Everything blurred together down there. The water made it difficult to see anything, and the sound of it rushing her along with it filled her head.

Time seemed to have no meaning.

What felt like hours was no more than seconds.

Her body pleaded with her to let it have some air, but there was none for her to offer it. Even if she wanted to get up to the surface to take a breath, Nathaniel’s grip on her hand would have been unbreakable even if she wasn't so weak, and he was towing her along with him. Where he went, she went, and she wouldn't be taking any breath until he allowed her to go up to the surface.

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