"“…an ominous ripple formed in the middle of the pool. It was so subtle at first that..."

“

“…an ominous ripple formed in the middle of the pool. It was so subtle at first that only the swimmers noticed.

Then the vibrations became fiercer, the movement morphing from ripples to outright waves breaking against the pool’s cement walls. That’s when she heard it. An explosion. Had to be. What else made that sort of sound?

Now the whole pool room was shaking.

Spectators began to nervously edge their way off the bleachers in case they needed to make a mad dash to safety. The only person who hadn’t moved from his seat was Beckit’s fan. However, he did look different. His body language read anxious.

What the?

For a second, Beckit could have sworn she saw his skin change. Like a shiny metal. She even saw light reflect from his hardened jawline. No, she told herself. It was just nerves. The maybe-explosion, the panicked look on parents’ and coaches’ faces, and the commotion were all making her see things.

All of a sudden the noise stopped. It should have calmed everyone, but it didn’t. Instead, it put people more on edge.

What they were hearing, or not hearing, wasn’t the sort of quiet that eased people into a relaxed state, because it wasn’t quiet—it was silence. Silence that was packed with potential for noise beyond anyone’s reckoning.

Then it happened.”

”

- read more →