Don’t scream

The night sweats were getting worse, the dreams so vivid it hurt. Natashia woke up every morning on the dot at 4:00am. The sheets on the floor, her body in a fetal position shivering. Every day she could see just a little bit more into her dream.

This morning she got out of bed, made herself a hot chocolate, put on a robe and sat on the love seat. She decided that sleep was not an option today. She needed to be focussed at work. A huge presentation was gnawing at her from within.

Natashia had to convince her team to exclude water skiing at the resort that was opening in a few weeks. The design was spectacular with mountains in the background, and in the front of the property was a huge crystal clear lake waiting for tourists to engage in water activities, hiking, relaxation. The resort was for the wealthy to come and vacation with their families. There was a casino, huge rooms with fire places and balconies to see the landscaped views. Everything was perfect except one thing. Waterskiing…

Natashia was frightened by the thought of it at this location, it brought back to many memories from long ago. She new the horrors of being dragged from the ropes attached to the boat. She new that it meant only one thing. Death to whomever can’t let go. She dreamed it so often and heard the stories four years ago.

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Four years ago

Natashia was only 16 years old when she was asked to go camping in the mountains with friends and family. The hike was long as the three families hiked to the mountains by Xya’s pass in British Columbia. There was no road access to the cabins up in the mountains. Three close families made the trek every year, but this year her family was asked because the Beckim’s family couldn’t make it due to a tragic accident in the waters at Blue lake.

The hike up the mountains was spectacular, the view was breathtaking. Looking down at the water ahead was the same colour as the sky almost like it was dancing as one. The rest of the families caught up while Natasha was taking it all in. They were all happy to see Blue Lake because they new they were close to the cabins.

All the families dispersed claiming their own cabins. Settling in and unpack for the weekend. Natashia claimed her room with a single bed, flowing curtains flapping in the wind. The breeze hitting her nose with the smell of pine trees and clean air. It was intoxicating. She looked out the window to see some of the boys already jumping off the rock into the water. They were yelling and having a great time. Alex, Natasha’s brother yelled at her to get her bathing suit on and join in the fun.

Friday night around the campfire listening to the stories of blue lake and the mountain hikes were fun to listen to. The parents went to bed.

Nathan leaned in, put his finger to his lips and hushed everyone. He said, “do you all want to know what really happened to Josh last summer?” Everyone got quiet, you could hear the breathing of 5 teenagers looking at Nathan. He got everyone’s attention.

Nathan in a very serious voice said, “well it was a sunny Saturday afternoon when everyone wanted to take turns waterskiing. Two were in the boat, one driver and one spotter. Josh was the last to waterski that day. The parents were starting supper, the other kids were swimming. The only people watching Josh were the people in the boat.

Josh got up fine with two skis, and decided to drop a ski. The driver and the spotter were talking when Josh disappeared. When the spotter looked backwards expecting Josh was still up he was gone. He yelled stop, stop stop the boat! Where is Josh!

The bar of the rope came up with the slack of the boat stopped. The driver turned the boat around and could not see Josh. They were screaming for him, everyone on land started running in the water. The spotter jumped in to look for him. They could not find him.”

A helicopter came, police came, divers came to blue lake. When they found Josh his mouth was open like he was screaming. Nathan looked at everyone around the fire and said, “ that’s not the first time that someone on blue lake was found in the water with their mouth open and eyes wide open!”

Everyone started to laugh, good one Nathan someone said. It never happened before it was a tragic accident. Nathan shrugged his shoulders and looked into the fire then directly at Natashia.

Natashia did go in the water that summer but was afraid to open her mouth and look around. She was petrified that she too would be found dead.

——

Looking around in her apartment wrapped in her robe she could see herself in the dream. She was on two skis enjoying the wind blowing her hair back. The water splashing her ankles. Looking into the eyes of Nathan. Her body under the water, screaming for help, floating in the weeds.

How could she present to the committee that waterskiing should never happen at blue lake. How many people died there. This was her job to see resorts being built from the ground up, to recreation activities, servers, hotel linens every last detail. But something about Blue lake made her shiver. After all it was her idea to build the resort there with the breathtaking views.

The presentation of recreational sports and activities went well, but she wavered in her speech talking about water skiing. That weekend, everyone on the committee would drive up to the new resort to make sure there was no stone unturned before opening.

The hiked in the mountains were just as she remembered, beautiful and peaceful. The water was cold but refreshing. She was swimming with a co-worker when a bass brushed up against her leg. She thrashed in the water, her head went down. She could hear herself screaming, looking around taking in water. When she finally broke the surface she was still screaming. She could hear herself clearer now that she was above the water. Her co-worker talked her through her panic attach and swam with her to shore. On the beach someone got her a towel and sat with her on a beach chair until she could finally breathe.

The story that Nathan told four years ago was just an accident, there were no others. Screaming in the water and drowning is just not true.