"She isn't ready yet." The two figures were pacing around the room, which I couldn't make out completely.
"There'll be a time where she won't have a choice, and I want to her to have something that will help her."
The figures were fading fast but before they could disappear, I swear I could make out a small rectangular object that I recognized was very similar to the one from the tarot reading. A flash drive. As the figures faded out, their words lasted a little longer...
"Nevaeh won't be ready if you keep on filtering her. It won't be much time now until we're gone... We need to teach her the – "
"Jess she won't already have a choice; we are giving her one now, nothing will change the outcome for us."
"I just don't want her to be lost, David"
"I know. We'll tell her everything soon, but for now we have a daughter to raise- "
...
"WAKE UP"
I felt an ice-cold splash of water on my face but refused to open my eyes. The water seemed to end for a second and just as I got my breath back, my chair fell and immersed my body into a bundle of iced water. My eyes burst open immediately. My head thrashed to avoid the water filling up my lungs as my body instinctually fought to swim up. The rope that kept me from using my hands before I had reached the bottom of what seemed to be a pool was not helping with looming panic. The knot was too tight for my oxygen lacking body to untie and very quickly I went from thrashing around to conserving energy. My body went still as I hit the bottom of the pool and the last things, I could make out were distorted figures staring at me from the ledge. My last breath was replaced by more chlorine and my muscles lost control as my vision got darker. I could still barely hear my parents' conversation, the memory of overhearing it from the stairs distorted. I was slowly beginning to give in to the exhaustion when the painful knot restraining my hands was untied. What must have been none other than a hallucination appeared because one of the shapeless figures from above was in front of me. His hand gripped mine as he carried my body towards the surface. As the stranger and I pierced the surface, I was rolled onto the ground where I promptly threw up the water that was in my lungs. When I finally got a hold of myself and looked up, I was faced with looks of disappointment. The stranger now risen from the pool behind me was surprisingly much more than a shapeless figure. With his very toned chest, caramel-honey tan skin, curly dark hair, and captivating green eyes. He glanced at the other strangers who were still throwing disappointed glares my way and then at me.
"Got yourself in trouble there, huh?"
My only answer was a simple nod.
"The name's Killian. You're welcome."
He reached his hand out for me to take.