[Chimes]: 564.Adrift In Cool Waters

A splash.
An echo.
Childish giggling bouncing avidly off of the sky blue walls. Everything was blue, save for the few white tiles that were splitting the walls in half. Many shades of blue. Light blue. Bright blue. Midnight blue. Sea blue. Sky blue. Once I would have thought it pretty, like gems glittering in the dim lighting. That was before.

As children go you get two main types: the cheeky courageous child, full of confidence and wonder; the shy placid child, the one that stuck to the corners staying out of attentions way. In normal situations you would either have one or the other; a shy child or a confident child. In my case it was different. First I was a confident child, willing to do anything set out before me, like many of such a young age then it happened. The transformation was absolute though not entirely noticeable to those outside the walls of my young, impressionable mind.

First impressions. A strange idea especially for the young mind. Every small child wants to wear what they see as pretty, my choice was a small pink bathing suit with a small skirt attached. It glittered when the light hit it, sparkling and shining, making me feel like a princess.
I was making a name for myself within the small group, as much of a name as a six year old could make. All of us new to the world of water and pools, none of us had an advantage over the other and that was just how I liked it. I didn’t shy away from the group like some of the other children; I was the epitome of confidence. I was in my element laughing with the other children like I had always known them, which was what it was like when I was small. I would forget that I hadn’t known people for not very long at all and think I’d known them forever; it was easier to make friends that way. At least that’s what I had decided.
As the idle chatter slowly died the reason we were all here became more apparent. Swimming. Each of us learning to swim for the first time. The instructor and her assistants strolling into the small pool area.

I don’t recall her name. Certain details faded from my mind, I didn’t want to remember anymore. I still remember what she looked like but I don’t want to. Thin, twiggy with too much skin for her bony frame creating wrinkles across her face. Premature wrinkles no doubt, though I could have been wrong. She terrified me from the start.

Getting in the pool for the first time was a bizarre experience. Expecting the water to be warm but finding, at the beginning, it was cold. The shallow end wasn’t that shallow, the water rising to the bottom of my shoulders.
She looked over to us, beginning her speech on what we would be learning. Glancing at the group around me I noticed their expressions were a mixture of fear and inquisition. My face was probably full of curiosity, but I couldn’t tell you for sure. The details become hazy after so long. Though I do distinctly remember the moments that followed.
“Right,” She spoke as her bony finger was pointed in my direction, “I want you to swim across the pool, towards me.”
I’d never swam before, I’d seen it done. It looked easy. The other side of the pool wasn’t that far. She wouldn’t have told me to do it if she thought it were dangerous. She knew that I’d never swam before, not even dog paddle.
I started forwards.
Only travelling a small way.
Slowly the world started to slip downwards.
The water rising.
Clogging my throat.

Minutes, hours. Who knows. I was told it was ten minutes before they finally realised I wasn’t coming back up. They laughed. All of them. That was the moment. That was the point of which I was no longer the courageous little girl I used to be.

They laughed and I cried.