My chest hurts, my breathing shallow and weak. The force of air in my nostrils is cold, feeling like razors with every inhale. My ears feel full of water, noises around me sound muffled. While a beeping echoes against my eardrum. My left hand twitches feeling an object in my palm. Trying to open my eyes they feel heavy, like someone is forcibly holding them closed. When I'm finally able to open them everything is blurry. Movement erupts around me swarming my personal space.

"Rose?! Joe! She's awake! DEAN GRAB THE DOCTOR!" A voice that sounds like my mother, rings in my ears, sobs seeping from her lips.

"My little rosebud! Hunny, we thought we lost you." His warm embrace latches around me, as he too begins to tear. "Thank God." He whispered into my ear. My blurry eyes finally adjusting to my surroundings. My mother stands to my left, my father to my right. Dominic and Dean my two older brothers stood at the foot, of what looks like a bed. Beaming down to their sweet little sister, with worried faces.

Wait-

I realize, I'm the one laying down, I'm the one looking up at the ceiling, I'm in bed. Glancing around the room, it's snow white, with bright fluorescent lights. Behind my head, sat machines circling the headboard of my bed. Before I get the chance to speaking a word, a doctor walks in. He looks to be about thirty five, black fluffy volumed hair and five o' clock shadow along his jawline. Maybe six foot tall, he doesn't look muscular but he certainly isn't scrawny. His beady eyes, lock in on mine as he approaches my bedside.

"Rose, my name is Dr. Finley." Pulling out a little flashlight, he shines it in my eyes. "Do you remember what happen?" His flashlight stops annoying my pupils, tucking it firmly in his white coat pocket.

Opening my mouth to speak, my throat feels dry and horse. Coughs invade my speech, trying to mutter the word yes. I remember jumping and my foot got stuck. What did my foot get stuck to?

"Ki-n-da." My voice rasp from the water trauma.

"Well Rose you died. You drowned after jumping into Lake Willow. Do you remember that?" This doctor was very straight forward. Didn't give a shit about my feelings. Like dude you just told me I died, let me process that. Wide eyed I stare at the forward doctor, flabbergasted at his statement.

"I died?", I crocked out my confusion.

"Yes, Rose. You were dead for five minutes and fifty seven seconds to be exact. Do you remember what happened?" Fact throwing won't soften the blow dude.

"No." I felt so confused, unsure of what's happening around me, trying to remember my death.

The doctor turned to my parents, informing them of the post traumatic stress, I'm experiencing. "She will have to take it slow." He expressed before I tuned him out. They continue to talk as if I'm not there, a little irritated he wrote me off. My brothers stand where my mother once was. Both of them taking hold of my hand, and squeezing. Three little squeezes press against my fingers. Our sibling secret code for, "I love you."

My hand tries to reciprocate the motion, but instead feels like three wiggling fingers, slowly pulsing up and down. My brothers' eyes swell with tears glistening. But not a single tear fell over either of their cheeks. Holding strong, while my parents did the opposite. Not a single word is spoken between the three of us. Just a sibling communication, expressed through our touch, unspoken words. The hurt they felt, when I died, plastered all over their faces. Dr. Finley includes my brothers in the conversation, with my parents. My attention turned to him as well.

"Rose is going to need time and patience. Right now she is weak from her body shutting down, but the more she moves, she will feel better. Her memory will gradually come back. Everything will just take some time." He looked at me, with a quizzical expression. "Rose's brain went without oxygen for four to six minutes, meaning there might be brain damage. Best to keep a close eye on her, in the upcoming days." He's diagnoses and instruction, left me feeling lost. As if aimlessly floating in uncharted waters. His cold eyes looked at me, with pity, I did not want nor need.

His words angered me, but also scared me. However, his fake sense of sympathy may fool my parents, but not me. It's like he has a dark aura around him, like a shadow leaching all his bad juju. I can feel it, his black heart.

"For now we need to get her some food and make sure she is hydrated. Now that she is awake we will start the twenty four hour observation. When the time is finished, if there are no problems, within that time. She will be free to go home. Nurse Jasmine will be taking over for me. If you have any questions or concerns, please, call me." My parents nod excepting everything Dr. Finley said, as he glance towards me, just before leaving again. His mouth curled sending chills down my spin. Was that his poor excuse of a smile? I just have a bad feeling about this guy. I don't know what it is, but he gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Nurse Jasmine walks in informing my parents they can go home and get a good night's rest. If anything happens they will call. Smiling at me she places a plastic spoon and blue jello on my bedside table. She took the hospital mug from the same table, to fill, with I assume to be water. After the nurse leaves my family says their goodbyes, following shortly after Jasmine. Only then do my eyes start to feel heavy yet again. The lights shining brightly, directly above me start to flicker. A shadowy figure forming in the corner of the hospital room. But my eyes are so heavy I can't fight to keep them open. All I see is darkness, and with that I didn't fight the sleep taking hold.

Next thing I know Nurse J is flicking the lights on, waking me from my slumber. Scanning the room for the clock. My eyes squint reading 3:00 am, jeez people let me sleep. She asked me a few questions took my temperature and off she went. Only letting me sleep for a few more hours, before doing the whole process again. Finally, day brake peeps through the curtains of my hospital window. I asked the nurse to open the blinds, so that I may watch the sunrise. She obliged my request, so I could see that big beautiful sun beam into my room. Just that moment simply brightened my spirit, feeling as if I hadn't drowned. Not long after that my mother entered my room.

"Morning sweetie! How are you feeling today?" Her tone of voice, soft and nurturing.

"Better." The frog in my throat is less evident.

"Good! I have someone who wants to see you." She stepped to the side, swinging my door open a little wider. When she said that I was half expecting Dena to run and jump on me. But to my surprise it was James. He's figure towered over my mother, stepping into the room. He slowly approached my bed side, while my mother stepped out leaving us alone. James took a seat, his eyes not leaving mine.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Wow this is eventful, I wonder why he is here.

James slouches back in the chair relaxing his arms on his thighs. When he awkwardly starts rubbing the back of his neck. The confused look I held, was unwavering, blinking at him with a stone face, waiting.

"So, do you remember anything?" He questioned, unsure of how to start the conversation.

"A little, I remember jumping and hitting the water. I remember my chest burning, and my ankle was stuck." My mouth dry, as I plainly stated my recollection.

"Yeah, you jumped and when I didn't see your head come up. I jumped in after you. You went down deep and your foot was caught on a rope. I got to you just after you stopped moving. The rope tangled around your foot......"

He hesitated to tell me more, but I was too intrigued at the moment. I sat up to get a better view of him. His fidgeting giving off the feeling of bad news.

"What James? What was my foot caught on?" My stern face demanding an answer.

Leaning in towards me, his lips part speaking in a hushed tone. "A dead body."

"WHAT?!" I shouted, sounding more like a normal speaking voice, with a screech.

"You found a body Rose and I had to tell them where it was." He spoke as if it was traumatizing for him. But he wasn't attached to the dead thing. At that moment a memory flashed through my brain. A picture of blond hair waving in the waters current. Reveling a white ghost face of a female, her eyelids wide open. Staring into the abyss of Willow Lake. Wrapped in a black plastic, attached to a few concrete cinder blocks. Holding her to the lake floor with a rope stringing around her. I remember her single hand flowing free, giving the rope slack to tangle around my ankle. I remember desperately trying to reach the surface.

Next thing I know James has his hands gripping my shoulders tightly. As if holding me down from an outburst. A nurse and my mother run into the room relieving James of his hold.

"She just started freaking out! Hitting herself." Now that I think of it my head does hurt.

"Rose! Rose! What happened!? Are you ok?" The nurse tried to get me to focus my eyes on hers.

"I remember." The words falling from my lips as if it was a secret.

"I remember."

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And that's a wrap for chapter 2! I hope you like it so far! Remember this is a mystery i can't give all the juicy bits at the beginning so keep reading! Don't for get to vote and comment!

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