Free Glimmer by Amber Garza

Delaney
     
    THE RIVER’S ICY fingers reach for me, slithering around my legs and arms until it has me in its firm grip.  M y body is pulled underwater by the strong current , and my limbs are too tired to fight it any longer. Water laps over my head, rushing into my face and cutting off my breath . I claw at the frigid liquid, but it slips between my fingers and swirls around me until I’m dizzy. F ish-sce nted water swims on my tongue and clogs my throat. Closing my mouth, I struggle to keep my panic in check. The river swallows me whole, murkiness clouding my vision . I can’t make out Micah’s frame , and I’m sure he’s far ahead by now. Before the current swept me up we’d been swimming together. Air escapes my lungs, and I am pulled further down. Sputtering, I attempt to kick with my legs and pull with my arms , but it’s a losing battle . Each time I start to propel myself forward I am knocked back down. Tilting my head up, I catch a glimpse of light shimmering from the surface. Fear grips me at how far away it is. Foamy water swirls around me like a flurry of snow , and I begin to lose feeling in my limbs.
    As my head spins and my chest burns, darkness envelopes me. While I am tossed in the waves like a rag doll, I curse my useless muscles. If only I had superhuman strength like Micah I would be able to fight the current. What good is seeing visions of a future catastrophe if I’m not strong enough to prevent it? I think about the vision I had just an hour before of the little boy drowning in this river. It’s the reason we came here. I only ho pe Micah gets to him in time. At least then my death won’t be in vain. Just before I drift off, I feel arms circle my waist and hoist me up. My head rolls to the side , and everything goes black.
     
     
    I shoot upright, a cough erupting from my throat. Water spills down my chest, causing me to shiver. Arms cradle me, a finger brushes my cheek. I am lying in the dirt and it scratches against my wet legs. Goose bumps arise on my flesh. Everything is blurry, but as my vision clears I take in Micah’ s dark skin, his muscles imprinted against his wet t-shirt.
    “Delaney, thank God you’re okay.” Micah bends down, bur ying his face in my neck. His long d read locks swish along his back. He tightens his hold on me, pressing his chest to mine . I can feel his heart beating erratically against my flesh . “I thought I lost you for a minute. I don’t know what I would’ve done…” his voice trails off, his words thick.
    I know how he feels. There’s no way I could live without Micah either. We’d been best frien ds since we were both in diapers. B ut m y thr oat burns too bad to answer him , so I just continue coughing.
    My eyes widen as I take in my surroundings — the river rushing behind me, the sandy beach all around . I grab Micah’s arm , and he lifts his head.
    “It’s okay,” he says softly. “ The paramedics are on their way down . We’ll get you to the hospital. ”
    He doesn’t realize that my panic isn’t about me.
    “What about the boy?” I ask.
    “He’s fine.” Micah smiles reassuringly . “ I got to him in time. He w as only under water for a second. Not a scratch on him. ”
    I nod, relieved . Only Micah i s po werful enough to get to the boy in time and make it back to save me. I never should’ve doubted him. Already I feel stronger, more like myself. That is one of the perks of being a Warrior – our resilient bodies. Micah’s dark eyes search mine, worried lines framing them like spider’s legs. At this moment h e looks so much older than thirteen . Then again, Micah has always seemed older than he is. W e’re not exactly typical teenagers.
    “I always knew the boy would be okay. ” He fingers a strand of my wet hair. “ It was you I was worried about.”
    “Thank you,” I force the words out of my scratchy throat.
    “Hey.” Micah shrugs and gives me a tight smile. “You don’t have to thank me. We’re a team,