MYSTERY

 BREATHE

Tyson woke up that morning feeling nervous. George was in danger. The whole scene of George's death kept flashing through his mind the whole day which made him feel uncomfortable.

He sat with his chin cupped in the hollow of his palm, as he pondered on what he could do to save George's life. His phone beeped. It was a text message from George and it read, "I need to see you, Tyson". Tyson's heart skipped a beat. This had happened in his dream. The horrifying scene flashed through his mind. What was he to do?

Only George and Tyson's parents knew George had a special gift of discerning future danger. At age 10, he discovered that whatsoever posed danger to someone's life and eventually killed the person was shown to him in his dream. When his grandfather died, he had seen it even before the old man became sick. 

Two nights ago, he had seen George in his dream drowning in a pool of turbulent water. He tried to save him but a force was pulling George downward, making him lose his grip and was finally sucked into a hole at the bottom of the pool.

By the weekend, Tyson decided to visit George. He had been ignoring George's calls and left his messages unreplied. Though he could see someone in danger in his dream, he had never saved any of them. He knew he could not save George from dying and decided to stay away from him and the aftermath of his death; the heart-wrenching guilt. The only reason he changed his mind that morning was to save him.

Tyson got to George's apartment and knocked on the door, hesitantly. Getting no response from anyone, he pushed the door and was glad it was unlocked. 

He walked briskly into George's room and found him changing into a swimsuit. 

"George?", he called out. George turned around and his eyes lit up with excitement. "Bro!", he rushed to hug Tyson. "Why haven't you come to see me since? I've missed you, man!" George said with a big grin on his face. 

Tyson could see how happy he was to see him. He missed him too but would miss him even more if he died. 

"C'mon man, put on a swimsuit, we're going to the pool to swim now", George said, excitedly. Tyson's heart raced when he heard George say "...swim"

At the pool, they had both been swimming and chit-chatting. All the time, Tyson made sure he was not more than 2 feet away from George. The only way he could save George from the impending danger was to stay close to him, especially now that they were in the 'pool of death'  as he saw in his dream.

Suddenly, they heard a strange sound from underneath. "What was that?" George asked, startled. 

"I don't know, man. Maybe it was a shark." Tyson said jokingly. 

The scary sound echoed again sending waves across the water. "We need to get out of the pool now, George", Tyson said as he swam towards the handrails of the pool. 

Just then, a force began to pull him downwards. Turning around swiftly, he saw George drowning already. His nightmare was becoming a reality. 

"Oh no! George! Grab my hand!", he shouted, stretching his hand and swimming towards him against the pulling force. It seemed as though they were at the centre of a turbulent sea.

"I can't BREATHE!", George cried out in a faint voice, gasping for air and trying to stay afloat. 

"I won't let you die! Grab my hand, please!". Tyson tried to reach for his arm. The force was becoming stronger. He was losing sight of George. 

Holding his breath, he dived into the water, swam towards the hole beneath where the pulling force came from and grabbed George's feet. With much difficulty, he swam out of the pool with George's body and lay him on the terrace.

Pushing hard on George's chest, he kept saying. "BREATHE MAN, BREATHE!". After 5 minutes of trying to revive him, George coughed out some water. He inhaled deeply. Tyson heaved a sigh of relief. He was still alive.

He could not have made it out of the pool alive. It was all a dream. Tyson woke up that morning feeling sick. Sick of the feeling of guilt that he dreaded so much. His mind keeps flashing back to the terrible event at the pool on the day of George's death; when he drowned and was sucked into a big black hole at the bottom of the pool. He saw it. It seemed like a dejà vu happening right in front of his eyes and he felt helpless. 

Soon the pool turned red. Everywhere reeked of blood. The blaring of the sirens filled the air; the ambulance and the police had arrived. George's life buoy hung on one side of the pool. Tyson stared into space. He could not see anyone or speak to anyone. He ignored their questions and just sat on the terrace of the pool; staring into space. 

Two years after George died, his body had not yet been found. Only Tyson saw what had happened but he wouldn't give a statement. He became even more reserved and frightened by nightmares. Sometimes, he stayed by the pool just to sit by the terrace and stare at the swimmers as the memories of George's death is replayed. 

On one of those days, two boys were alone in the pool and all of a sudden, it began to whirl. The same scene was starting to play out. " George, let's get out of the pool!" his brother shouted as he swam towards the handrails. But, George seemed not to care. He was having fun and didn't notice the atmosphere had changed. 

"Get out of the pool!" 

"Hey, boy! You need to leave that area, now"

"Someone get him out of there!"

"What the hell is going on in there?"

Tyson was mortified. What was happening? He had trepidation about diving into the pool. Little George was terrified now and the same force was pulling him beneath. "Help!" He screamed and he struggled in futility. He was weaker, far too weaker than George who died two years ago in the same pool. Tyson dived into the pool in a blink and grabbed the little boy. As he swam towards the terrace, the gory sight of blood hit him. 

He threw the boy on the terrace and just as he pushed hard on George's chest in his dream, he did the same. BREATHE MAN, BREATHE! After 5 minutes of trying to revive him, George coughed out water. He inhaled deeply. Tyson heaved a sigh of relief. He was still alive.