With a shiver, I opened my eyes upon feeling a slap on my cheek. My gaze, confused and still clouded by confusion, sought to understand what was happening around me. As I gently touched my cheek, throbbing with a slight blush, I turned my attention to Charlotte, whose expression was tinged with concern.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice still sounding dazed from the experience. I watched as Charlotte looked at me attentively, her eyes shining with the sheen of tears threatening to escape. "You weren't breathing a moment ago!" she exclaimed with a tone of anger mixed with sobs. "You were taking too long to come back, so I came to find you."
Anthony felt bewildered. All he could remember was going to the river to take a shower. How was it possible that he wasn't breathing? The idea seemed surreal, like a fragment of a confusing dream fading away with time. However, Charlotte's crying brought him back to his senses, reminding him of the distress he had caused.
