Swimming or Sinking| Open

[Aki Welland]

The music blared in her ears, a book in her hand. She was really enjoying this time alone, for once not doing something illegal. Well, unless reading was illegal, which last time she checked it wasn’t. In fact people would probably be surprised to learn the trouble making seventeen year old actually liked to read, something she didn’t reveal too often. Sci-fi was a good thing, along with anything about Greece, The Romans, Norse Mythology or Egypt. Her current read, tucked under her arm, was a thick book about the pyramids which she had borrowed from Leo. [ With permission. He was probable the only person in the world who was immune and exempt from her style of borrowing things.] She had promised to take good care of the book and not damage it, seeing as it wasn’t an inexpensive thing. Inside she promised herself she wouldn’t let any harm come to it and if something did happen there would be another copy on express delivery. She had money, so she could do that. It wasn’t like her family was anywhere near poor.

The expensive headphones glinted in her ears, and she counted her steps as she headed to the Lake in town. It was warm out, slightly breezy, and as far as she could tell deserted. Aki could keep it that way too with a few punches and her razor sharp tongue. Well, maybe she would lay off the razors today in honor of actually doing something slightly productive. Her slim body made a beeline for the rocky outcropping that hung over the water. A slightly dangerous place that could still give her the adrenaline rush she lived for while reading. How could it get any better than that? For her it couldn’t.

She climbed the big rocks quickly and stared at the water below. It was dark and calm, but something about it stirred a primal fear in her she couldn’t contain. A shiver ran down her spine as she gazed at the wide expanse of water. One of the two things, no three, she feared with all of her heart spread out before her like a monster, ready to eat her up. Fight or flight instincts kept her frozen there, hyperventilating. It’s only water, it’s only water, it’s only waterit’solywater! the mantra rushed through her head.

Finally she had to just close her eyes and turn her face away. It burned with the heat of being flushed. She wanted to conquer it so badly, but every time she went near even a pool her body locked and she sank like a stone. She didn’t think anyone at Hammel even knew she couldn’t swim. Couldn’t swim to save even her own life. It reminded her so much of fire, all consuming and everywhere, but it was so different. Cold, dark, pressing all the air from your lungs… stop! You’re just inviting the nightmares into the waking part of your day. She scolded herself.

But really, who knew she couldn’t swim, other than Leo? Dr. Neville maybe just because he seemed to know everything, and maybe the head of security guy whose name she forgot on purpose [although she knew it was Vincent and just liked to pretend she forgot to piss him off.] That was it. Well, maybe A few others, but certainly not students who would know where to find her.

This was a bad idea. I should have had Leo come with me, or told someone I was out here. The first time she would ever admit something was a bad idea. So she moved away from the edge and snuggled up against the rocks to read, casting wary glances at the water. Even so, it was only a few minutes before she was concentrated on the mathematics of the pyramids, music a heavy fast beat in her ears as she mentally crunched numbers.

[Kessa Westwood]

Kessa could not, no did not want to sleep, the fear of dreaming overwhelms and consumes her. At first her school work improves so much because she works at it day and night. She had been looking at books and notes it started to wear on her, she knew she needed to get out and get away and what better then a bike ride to the lake.

So with a barrowed bike from a friend she was off with a backpack that had a sweater, blanket, hairbrush, book, notebook and pen, a sketchpad with colored pastels to draw with a nice lunch and plenty of water.

The ride is exhausting but refreshing and Kessa is for once happy, enjoying the water below the cliff where she sets up to draw she settles in a light thicket of tall grass, she stashes the bike behind a tall tree, returning to the thicket to draw and relax but she was determined not to fall asleep.

Eating her packed lunch she listens to the water flowing, the leaves rustling, the wind lightly blowing her red long locks of hair, it feels cool against her fair freckled skin and soon she is out like a light.

**********************************

Visiting her family is a joy for Kessa, she is very happy doing she loves, she forgets her problems, her nightmare and for once can sleep without fear.
Her sisters bring her to the cove where they go scuba diving, and swim, Kessa shows off her synchronized swimming that she had not been able to do since going off to Hammel.
Her mother wants to take the girls out for dinner before Kessa goes back to school with a smile Kessa kisses her mother and accepts the offer of dinner, any where Kessa’s little heart wants to go.
Ivy and Cedar conspire together for a present to give Kessa at the dinner so they suggest to her the beach side New Sandusky Fish Company in Sandusky, Ohio, the trip there is long but well worth it because the food there was so good, Kessa and her sisters are full and bring home leftovers.
Just before they leave Ivy hands her a small wrapped box and Cedar and her mom are nothing but smiles, it wasn’t her birthday so she was wondering what could this be?
Kessa carefully pulls the ribbon of and does the same to the bright blue paper where she carefully folds it and hands it to her mother to ‘recycle’.
A velvet navy box was inside the small white box, she opens it and a huge smile comes across her face, she blushes as she looks at her sisters and mother, tears stream from her blue eyes. “Thank you so much guys you should have!” she says as she pulls the thin golden chain with a small golden foal that was curled up. Her sisters a re giggling as they hand her another box, this one wasn’t wrapped it was just a plain white box that her older sisters push for her to open with smiles and giggles. Inside the box sat three bracelets each had the name of each sister on it. Kessa thanks them as she hugs each sister and her mother.

They are driving home, it’s late and the highway is dark, long and winding so when Kessa’s mother suddenly comes across a disabled tractor trailer she swerves to advoid it but over corrects, the car crashes thru the barrier at the side of the steep hill, the car flies off the top of the hill , hit’s the ground and rolls several times down the hill were it stops and bursts into flames.

A short time later Kessa comes to enveloped in fire she screams as fire burns her skin.

[Aki Welland]

The numbers in her head slowly take on new shapes before her eyes, bending from words and pictures to the thoughts of another person. Why was the music so slow and distant? It was blasting into her eardrums? She knew it was because she had purposefully turned it up all the way to drown out everything around her. Even so, Aki knows her thoughts have been caught up in someone else's memories and she can't so anything now. Nothing.

There are flashes of food and smiles, and something about Fish. She has a feeling of love every time she looks into the eyes of the people around her, the little girls whose names she knows are Ivy and Cedar. Aki doesn't even know who they are herself, but her love for them is strong. Everything about this has the feeling of being in the skin of a different person. It doesn't fit right!

The necklace, the bracelets they all fly by so fast. Everything gone in a flash. The truck, rolling, and then her worst fear.

Fire.

It's like her back has been flayed open as her mind plays tricks on her. The flames tickle her skin and char everything around her, just as they did when she was young. Suddenly the two younger faces are one younger face, the terror stricken face of her younger sister. The scene changes in a blurr to the apartment, smoke thick, roiling with heat and pent up energy with no where to go. The coals bur into her back making her arch despite her best efforts to cover the younger form. Screams rip from her mouth in anguish and a mental scream of pain is loosed from her mind. It's like every time she had the dream, only stronger, fed by someone else's fears.

The book moved from where she had been holding it to down the rock, having slid from her fingers. Aki's eyes are glazed in pain and she can't think, or register the fact how close to going over the edge of the rocks into the water below she really is. All she can see is the fire in Kessa's mind.

[OOC: sorry if my tense and verb usage jumps a bit. Sometimes I get confused when writing.]

[Kessa Westwood]

The fire envelopes her burning her, she could smell the flesh, the crackle of the fire is loud in her ear, the screams she emits echoes in her own voice just as someone steps on her leg snapping suddenly from the nightmare, the fight or flight response suddenly makes her push what ever it was invading her personal space, the object being pushed forcibility over the edge of the short cliff face.

Kessa stopped screaming when she realized that she was awake and that’s when she could hear splashing of water and someone screaming ‘HELP’. Without thinking she looks over the cliff and sees someone in the current, obviously not being able to swim, she dives from the short cliff face into the icy cold water below, while it was deep enough not to be able touch bottom is was surly not for diving into from that hieght resulting in a broken wrist and collarbone, but her thought is on the person and not the pain, she swims up to the girl who is struggling to keep her head above the water line, she flips her on her back telling to relax and swims to the side of the stream until she is able to touch bottom with her feet, she helps the girl to a very shallow part until she is able to sit making sure the girl is alright.

“Are you ok? What happened?” Kessa asks only then noticing the pain in her wrist and shoulder, some blood staining the clear water as is slowly escaped from a would from her wrist. “DAM” she exclaims,

[Aki Welland]

Fingers pressed against her flesh and all hold on the rock face vanished. The drop seemed to last forever and her scream of complete terror blanketed her mind. She was falling over the side and into the water, the one thing she hadn't wanted to do. Although her clothes are light Aki felt like they weighed tons, felt as if they were stones dragging her down. The girls copper hair floated all around her in a coppery halo. She was barely keeping her head above the water, and at times she sunk below. Her eyes were wide open and stirred up grit assaulted them. Pain she normally wouldn't register flared in her wrist where she had banged her hand against the rock, the water, then rocks below. The girl couldn't think, couldn't breath. Water was everywhere.

It was so dark and oppressive, pushing the air right from her lungs right when she needed to breath. Aki choked and spluttered, taking in about half water and half air as she hopelessly flailed and tried to stay afloat. NO NO NO! HELP! Her thoughts were broadcast so loudly that she doubted anyone within a mile COULDN'T have heard them. There was a splash near her and she twisted more, but her own body wouldn't cooperate. Then someone flipped her one her back and the gritty water rushed away, leaving her face clear. She gasped and pulled air in, spitting dark water out.

She was aware she was moving slowly, the other girl propelling her forward. It only took a moment she the force to become stronger until she could feel sand beneath her body. She sat upright breathing in the water. The girl was saying something but hatred was growing in Aki's eyes. Her body flashed out of the water like it was made of acid.

"YOU!" she said pointing her finger at the girl.
" You're what happened! I was just chilling and you have to come here with fire in your brain and then...." She couldn't even speak the next words.

A thought occurred to her. She knows I can't swim.

Aki's eyes narrowed and she forgot about the throbbing in her wrist and the ache in her lungs.

" If you tell anyone about this I swear I will make your life hell." She hissed, meaning the threat. She couldn't let anyone know she couldn't swim, that she was terrified of water.

[Kessa Westwood]

The girl she just pulled to safety had leapt from water like it was hot or something her sudden tyrant shocked Kessa as she removed her tee shirt to wrap her bleeding wrist.
“ME?” she questioned the girl as she stood up with water lapping at her ankles, at the time she could care less about the sand that stuck all over her fair skin.

One step at a time she would be face to face with the girl she just ’saved’ her words cutting like knives in her side that made a cold chill run thru her spine “Fire in your mind” would hit her like a log in her gut but ’how did she know’? Kessa was outright scared by this person who knew just what she dreamt.

“How do you know about the fire?” her voice demanded a reply her eyes were on the strange girl that she just saved “Who cares you can’t swim! I want to know how you know about the fire! Who the H**L are you?” Kessa clearly was defensive and demanding of the person before her, both still wet from their cold swim in the stream, unknowing to each both had a fear of fire, both had an ability, both are Hammel students, both seemly untrusting of the other.

[Aki Welland]

Aki snarled when the girl exclaimed “Me?” Who else? There obviously wasn’t anyone else here since there wasn’t a single thought coming from anyone but the two of them. How could she be so thick? The curly haired girl wrapped her bleeding wrist in a tee shirt and Aki was reminded of her own wrist. She took a moment to examine it and see what the damage was. At once she knew it was broken just by how wrong the shape of her wrist was. That, and most of it had turned black by now from quite heavy bruising. Broken, smashed, and who knew what else. She would be lucky if it was just broken. Aki was dripping wet and uncomfortable, chills starting to spread across her body. She wished she had some kind of laer beams or something so she could evaporate the lake just to spite it. Of course, it was a very large body of water and she had been on a cliff. It still didn’t give that red headed crazy person the right to push her in, even if she did save her [which made no sense.]

At the moment Aki was feling particularly cruel. The girl came closer and closer one step at a time until she was face to face with the telepath, which was a mistake. Her defenses were overwhelmed and she couldn’t control herself. Not to mention she was pissed. She was going to give it to this girl.

“ I care greatly whether people know whether I can swim or not. Obviously, can’t you tell that or is the red hair getting in the way of your fucking ears too?!” Her emotions and thoughts were a seething mass of red hot anger and she was about ready to let them go and burn this girl to the ground in a pile of mumbling, over thought ribbons. She wanted to stand that close to the telepath fine, she was going to pay for it.

Aki’s good hand reached out and snagged the other girl’s good wrist, twisting it in a way that would make it quite uncomfortable.

You are a complete idiot. You go to a meta-human school, did you ever think about that? My name is Aki. Congratu-fucking-lations. You’ve managed to piss off the only student telepath currently at Hammel. That’s who the hell I am and how I know about the god damn fire! She let her words be carried to the other girls mind along with a shadow of her rage, anger and pain. If she wasn’t careful her own thoughts would overload the other girl and turn her into nothing but a babbling idiot. With power comes danger.

[Kessa Westwood]

Kessa didn’t know she had just crossed the wrong person at the wrong time and when Aki grabbed her wrist she fell to her knees as Aki let loose on her.

The pain she felt thru out her body and head made her let out a short scream, there was anger and fear with lots of fire that she saw inside of her own head, she shook her head and tried to move from the girl but she was still held by her wrist in a painful position.

With her bad hand there was the vain attempt to cover her ears from what she was experiencing, Aki spoke harsh words that were sharp, the combination of the spoken words with what she was feeling inside her head made her beg “PLEASE STOP, PLEASE” by now there were tears coming from her eyes as she saw fire before them that she couldn’t escape from, even when she did close them.

[Aki Welland]

Aki didn't stop like the girl asked. No she did the opposite. She let the emotions flow strongly into the girl. Maybe that would teach her to get a control of her power so that people like herself didn't end up breaking things [wrists, minds, things like that]. Aki wasn't happy, and she was letting all her fear and anger pour into this girl until there was a huge swirling ball. It hung between the two of them only kept there by the link between them. Aki wasn't going to let it go, even though it was burning her too.

But really, she couldn't hold it very long. The emotions faded as she lost control and let go. She couldn't keep it up, not with such intensity. Aki did have a loathing hate for this girl now though. She was......she knew things now that no one else could know. It wasn't right in Aki's mind that anyone should know her weakness. Leo knew, but he was allowed. That was it. She scrunched up her face as a wave of exhaustion came over her and she really began feeling the effects of her broken wrist. Even so, the other girl would be worse off. She thought about just leaving her there, lying on the ground in pain.

[srry for the most horrible post!]

[Kessa Westwood]

Kessa’s pleas to stop went unheard the fact that the images came in faster, harder and the intently of the fear and anger caused great pain that she screamed until she lost her voice her pale blue eyes were surrounded by swollen, red skin that was once fair and lightly dotted with freckles.

Once the girl let go of her hold and her link with Kessa, she fell to the sandy ground holding her head, those swollen eyes tightly closed. Kessa would see for a while what Aki sent her, her fear and anger, fire, a lot of it. Fire was one of Kessa’s worst fears and even with her eyes tightly closed she could not escape the images of fire that Aki placed in her head.

After awhile the images would subside but the damage was done, she was crying now unable to stop herself even though she tried to stop.

Desperate Kessa even while sobbing and in great pain from her head to her fractures she forced herself to get up, she could see the other girl thru her own tears, she grabbed the girls ankle and begged her to make the images to stop, Kessa even swore never to tell a soul about anything that happened at the lake or what she had seen from her link with the girl.

[Aki Welland]

She had formed a link. Damn it! Another strong link that she didn't need! Aki didn't need physical contact now to feel and see what Kessa was feeling. This little bit of information squashed out the last bit of pity that Aki had for what she had done and left only a sort of cool malice. Kessa was officially the enemy, although that wasn't something that was hard to do with Aki. Making enemies anyway. The girl had quite a talent for it really, and if she put her mind to it she could make alot more enemies than friends. She wondered if she could even.....no, she wouldn't do that. It wasn't right.

But then through all the pain and tears Kessa grabbed her ankle, making all the emotions backwash through Aki in a devastating tidal wave of emotion. She could see all the fire again, and could hear the pleas stronger as well as the promise, and could hear how much Kessa just wanted the fire to go away. She didn't know how to make it go away! It was just there, not being projected or anything. What was the point of asking the telepath for something she couldn't do? None. There was no point.

" I don't know how to get rid of it." She growled out of teeth that were barred and grinding together, trying to keep the flood at bay. She could see the sort of link growing stronger and didn't like that. The link didn't need to be stronger, didn't need to be more than it already was! It was bad enough. She only tried to kick Kessa's hand away, but the movement was feeble and didn't seem to do much good.

[Kessa Westwood]

Kessa was at Aki’s feet on her knees, sand that clung to her wet, fair skin, drip’s of blood stained her clothes, her eyes swollen with tears that flowed down her face, her wrist and collar bone broken but the pain inflicted on her by Aki’s attack was plagued Kessa the most.

"I don't know how to get rid of it." Aki growled making Kessa sit back look up in the sky and almost loose herself. Yet something from inside of her made her gather herself up, stop crying and start to get a grip on the situation before not only her but Aki, both of them had injuries that would need tending to.

With her good hand she wiped tears and sand from her face, she looked at Aki and told her she was sorry, she didn’t mean to push her over a cliff, for her broken wrist and anything else that Kessa could think of at the moment, then she politly suggested that they needed to help each other out of the current situation, after all both were hurt and wet, the light breeze also made Kessa shiver uncontrollably.

“Come on what will it hurt to work together?” Kessa would ask most straight forward and bluntly “I promise I won’t ever bother you again” She added hoping that Aki would bury their differences at least for the time being until they could get back to the school to get help for their injuries.

As she waited for Aki, she stood up doing her best to shake off the sand that stuck to her like burrs.