Deep.

Deep.

Deep.

That was all I could think as water swirled around me. My lungs felt like exploding.

I had already surrendered on flailing a few seconds ago, settling for floating.

Down.

Down.

Down.

I couldn’t see anything anymore. No light, no laughing faces as my campmates thought I was a breath-holding champion, nothing.

I had boastfully claimed that I could swim back up with a brick tied to my back, and the girl I had tried to impress so bashfully told me to do it. It was obvious it was a joke, but my heart told me to do it. Not my brain. Not my reason. My heart. That was my fatal mistake.

Ouch.

Ouch.

Ouch.

My eyes started to hurt. My lungs were on the point of bursting. I had to breathe. BREATHE. BREATHE. BREATHE. I made a desperate attempt to untie my brick, but to no avail. I was basically dead. My cat. My mom. My dad. My sister. I’d never see them again.

I closed my eyes, and I prayed. ‘God, forgive my sins. Let me be with Your Son Jesus in paradise.’

And then I took a breath.

Deep.

Deep.

Deep.