The Water Lilie's

Grandmas House

My vision began to come back to me, but my throat lit up in flames when I began to cough up the salty, sea water that had once filled my lungs. My chest and stomach felt like it had been stabbed into multiple times. I was laying in the sand, my wet hand covered in the grainy rocks beneath me and my hair most likely tangled mess.

Flashbacks came flooding back like my lungs refilling with water; the sensation of falling that felt like stopping at the top of the roller coaster for that brief second right before it unlocks and you're gliding down the rails where your stomach dropped, the absence of forces on my body, at least in the reference system of my own body. A weightless feeling. Suddenly the feeling of hitting concrete, which in reality was the sharp, cold waters beneath me, breathing me in and swallowing me whole.

I continued to cough out more water, which felt more like grainy sand scrapping my esophagus on the way out. My body convulsed as I gasp for more air and finally, I managed to suck in just as much as I needed as the rest of the water escaped me.

A familiar face was leaning over me, his hand still on my chest where it looks as though he must have been doing chest compressions. Jackson gave me a sweet smile and removed his hands from my body.

I looked around and noticed everyone had been standing around me, waiting, watching.

Ms. Erendale was on the phone with someone and soon I heard an ambulance. The sirens screeching in my ears reminding me of the high pitch screams of those nasty creatures beneath us in the water. My head was pounding and my chest was still in sharp pain.

I was fine... Really.

"Emzy!" Natasha called out. She ran towards me pushing Jackson aside, I tried to sit up as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Don't make me stop breathing again!" I laughed sarcastically.

"We don't know how this happened or what happened to you up there but we all feel terrible that we weren't there to save you from that fall," Eliza spoke up, she gave me a sympathetic look.

I couldn't help but realize everyone else had left the scene and all the remained were my friends and Ms. Erendale who was still on the phone.

She must be speaking to my mother now and im sure she is more than worried. Most likely she wants me to visit my grandma for a couple days and I think that might be the best way to recover and enjoy the rest of the trip. I wish my friends could visit too, I'd hate to be alone after what just happened.

I suddenly realized a burning sensation in my leg. I slightly sat up and glanced down to see it wrapped in gauze with a dark red liquid seeping through - my blood. The sight of it made me nauseous and I slowly laid back down trying to ignore the fact that what had just happened to me was real.

The paramedics rushed towards me and my friends slowly backed away, I was gently picked up and placed on a stretcher, a breathing mask placed over my face.

I hope I didn't just ruin everyone's trip.

As I was moved into the ambulance I could see Jackson and Natasha watching me as I was about to leave. She rested her head on his shoulder and I could tell she was crying. Colton walked towards them and Eliza followed. Colton wrapped his arms around Natasha and gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

I could feel my eyes burning, beginning to tear up as I watched the ambulance doors close in front of me and we drove off.

••••••

I awoke in a bright white hospital room in complete silence, I allowed my eyes to adjust as I rubbed them slightly allowing them to open. I was exhausted and my entire body ached all over.

I had to thank Jackson, he is the one who saved my life. I cannot believe what I did, falling off that cliff, that was completely my fault... I should've stayed back, I should've ignored the voices, I could've run away, I could've left and gone back to the cabins.

Suddenly I heard small footsteps gradually getting louder as they walked towards my room, I could hear that it was more than one person.

A young woman walked into my room, a nurse. Her long blonde hair tied back into a bun and a clipboard and pen in her hand. I noticed someone familiar step into the room as well, Grandma.

I smiled in relief, this means I would be leaving and soon I'd be back on the island with my friends enjoying the rest of the trip before its time for exams.

"Grandma!" I said in excitement. "I've missed you."

"Oh dear, shh. I know, I know." She walked towards me slowly and placed a gentle hand on my forehead.

The nurse spoke " You are able to go home now, we have crutches for you. You'll be able to walk properly in a few days, there was no serious damage and your leg should be fine by tomorrow by we strongly suggest taking it easy for the time being. We don't want you tearing any stitches." She smiled at me and began to remove the cords that had been attached to me.

"Thank you, all of you. I'm so sorry I should really be careful next time." I laughed a little trying to lighten the mood but my grandma still looked entirely worried.

When we left the building we walked over to her car, a small grey Ford Focus awaited us. We drove down an old familiar road I remember from my childhood and soon an old white cottage house stood before me and memories came flooding back.

The house that stood before me was my childhood home that contained all my childhood memories. All of these containing my father before he had left. When he left my mother and I we moved out of grandmas house and went to live on our own. We didn't live with our grandma when my dad was around, although we were on her property we lived in the small guest house behind her house, we did spend the majority of the time with her.

I didn't have any bags with me since all my clothes were in the cabin so I went inside and made myself at home, no sooner than later I could feel myself getting tired again and I had quickly fallen asleep on the soft white couch in the living room.

A couple hours passed and my Grandma woke me up as the shook me frantically.

"Wha-what?" I asked confused as to why she was shaking me like a crazy woman.

"Emzy, you were screaming in your sleep... Are you alright?" Her eyes gave me a sympathetic look and began wandering looking at my arms for any bruises or cuts when she suddenly stopped and fixed her gaze upon the silver chain that laid against my neck.

"You're wearing your mothers necklace?" She asked and quickly stood up in a panic.

"Yes, it was a gift when I started high school....what's wrong?" I asked sympathetically. Grandma didn't respond. "I'm sorry if it offended you, I know you gave her this." I slowly sat up concerned with what was going on.

"You- you had that on in the water?!" Her tone got angry and her voice slightly louder. "You're mother should have known better than to let you come to that island wearing that thing!" She yelled.

"What are you talking about?" This necklace, this must mean something. Maybe this is why I can see those creatures, maybe this is why I can hear them. This is why they're communicating with me, maybe this is theirs....?

"What did this to your leg Emzy? I couldn't have been the rocks like the paramedics said its too deep. What did you see down there?" Her face was bright red and I couldn't help but wonder if this had to do with all those folklore stories she told me as a child about the waters on this island. The creatures that were believed to rule the sea. Did she mean the Water Lillies?

"You have a computer right?" I asked as I slowly stood up from the couch.

"Yes. Why-" she began speaking but I ran out of the room before she could finish.

Across the hall I saw a room with a desk and a lamp with the door half opened, I approached it and I opened the door completely, an old computer sat on the dark oak desk and I sat down in the black spinning chair and opened the Internet browser. I began typing, I could feel my Grandmother standing over my shoulder watching the screen as my fingers hit the keyboard.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she spun the chair around so I could face her.

"I didn't think they still lived in these waters." She looked confused, angry and sad at the same time. " The last time I heard of them was when your mother lived here. This necklace Emzy, this belongs to them; this Gem they want it back." She ran her finger across the gem on my necklace and quickly removed it away.

"Well, then why can't I just give it back to them?" I asked holding onto the chain around my neck.

"They can't rule these Oceans anymore. Without this gem, they slowly deteriorate. They slowly die away and I cannot believe they are still alive." She said rather confused.

"Yeah well, they don't look like it..." I stated.

"Why out of all islands would your teacher bring you here?"

" We're learning about these creatures in class, in fact, we are studying them for our final essay."

"Well yours is gonna be one hell of an essay my dear girl." She stated. "But promise me you will no longer go into those waters?"

"Promise." I gave her a rather sympathetic smile.

Truth is I cannot promise that. I was more than curious now and all I wanted to know was why. And why did Ms. Erendale need to bring us here, what was she looking for? We could have easily done our essay from online research and two weeks is quite a long time for a trip to such a small island. Now I am full of questions that needed to be answered.