She didn’t know how much time passed before she surfaced again. This time, she could feel the panic inside her building as the crushing weight returned. Her lips parted, but she couldn’t draw in a breath. Her starving lungs protested. At that moment, she knew she was dying.
No! I can’t. We found each other. I’m not supposed to die. I have to live. If I die, they will be lost, she cried, fighting against the uneven beat of her heart. Help me! Please! Please, help me. Don’t let me… Don’t let us die. Please…. Sara….
Images of her friend promising to never leave her danced through her head. Her mother and father’s harsh sobs and the doctor’s quiet voice replayed as if it were happening right at that moment. She didn’t understand. She had been fine. The kids in school were getting sick, but s
