My lungs burn, crying out for air, and even though I can see the rain splattering down on the surface above me, I know I won't reach it before I black out.
Firm hands grip me, and for a second I think it's the water finally claiming me after all these years, until I see Lisa's worried eyes in front of me.
Why is she worried? The thought flits through my panicked brain. She's in the water now, and can breathe.
Somehow these thoughts are like a reset switch, and my mind calms down as I open my mouth, and fill my lungs. Air doesn't flow in, but the water feels just as good as I take another watery breath. The sensation of something thicker than air filling my lungs is a whole new experience, and I focus on that thought, rather than the water surrounding me, to keep calm and sane.
