Drowning In The Dark Novels & Stories

Daniel Jade went down on her knees right beside the bed, her fingers clawing at the quilt like she was trying to pull the whole mattress to the floor with her. Her chest heaved in these horrible, short bursts that sounded like dry coughing, only there was no air coming back out. Her mouth stayed wide open, her eyes locked on nothing, completely blanked out from pure terror. The sight of her spiraling hit Ivy like a physical blow. Ivy dropped straight down onto her knees in front of her sister, grabbing Jade by the shoulders, but her own hands were shaking so hard she could barely hold on.

She nodded. “It’ll take time,” I said quietly. “But I’m still here.” She gave me space. Later, I headed to the pool, trying to clear my head. The place was empty. I slipped into the water, swam toward the center, and began my routine When pain sliced through my lower abdomen. My breath hitched. Something was wrong. My strength faded quickly. Panic set in as darkness crept into my vision. And then…. Everything went black.

I’d always thought Travis was the kind of man who never smiled, as if he’d sworn off pleasure entirely. I never would’ve guessed the other side of him was quietly horny and insecure. My first thought was that I’d opened the wrong profile. I couldn’t stop scrolling. Account ID: “DeepSeaShark” “I couldn’t help it. I’ve snuck into her bathroom a few times. If she ever finds out those panties were me, she’d call the cops, right? I don’t want her to hate me.”

## DANTE’S POV A heavy, suffocating darkness held me under. It wasn't a peaceful sleep. It felt like drowning in thick, freezing oil, and every single breath required a massive effort. Somewhere above the surface, voices drifted like muffled echoes underwater, but I couldn’t reach them. I was trapped in the dark, my body just a useless, broken weight. Then came the warmth. It started at my hand, a sharp, trembling pressure, followed by something wet soaking through my sleeve.

I was indebted to him, he had set me free and was fighting the dragon so I could stay here in my blissful ignorance. The news stories just kept coming though and I couldn’t seem to avoid them, bodies washed up on the river, businesses robbed, cars crashing on the highway. The small port city was now a warzone in my wake. To make matters worse I had begun looking over my shoulder as if I expected to find someone there, all the horrible things around me I felt like the time in my world was slowly dwindling away. I felt like I was holding on tightly to a sinking ship, ready to drown with it.

The vow escaped my lips, tinged with conviction as I closed my eyes. As darkness enveloped me, I felt the sensation of drowning, a force pushing me down into frigid depths, suppressing my escape. Voices echoed my name, growing louder. ‘Happy birthday, Sia.’ my father’s voice called from the surface. I fought against the weight, striving to reach him, but the grip around my ankle was relentless. ‘Dad!’ I choked, bubbles escaping my mouth as water rushed in. Desperately, I struggled against the invisible hold, but it only tightened. The familiar voice faded, replaced by a gunshot that jolted me with fear. I tried to scream, but my voice was stifled, submerged beneath the surface. Suddenly, the

My vocal cords strain against the silence, but the void swallows every vibration before it can form into something real. I twist my body, neck craning painfully as I search frantically for a ledge, a crack, a single handhold in this endless darkness. Still nothing. Just me and the hungry void, its maw opened wide to consume me whole. Panic squeezes my lungs with iron bands, my chest burning with a helplessness so profound it feels like drowning on dry land. Then— A light.

The water filled my nose and mouth, making me choke and gasp. I kicked my legs and moved my arms, fighting to stay afloat. But the water was too deep and I was getting tired fast. My lungs burned as I struggled to hold my breath. I was drowning in this dark, endless water. “No, no, no,” I thought desperately. “I can’t die here. I have to get back. I have to live.” But my strength was fading. The water pulled me down deeper and deeper. My chest felt like it was going to explode from holding my breath. Dark spots appeared in my vision, even though everything was already black.

He dove to the bottom, wedged his fingers into the crevices of the rock to anchor himself, and stayed there until his lungs were nearly out of oxygen. He surfaced and hung on the edge of the step, gulping air. His lips were purple. His fingers were stiff. His whole body was shaking. That's when the water below the rock shifted. A faint blue light drifted up from below, barely visible, like a shadow of moonlight. It hovered near his feet for one second. A single second. Then swept quickly back into the depths.

I was afraid of water. But my best friend, Elara Vance, and my boyfriend, Everett Langley, were both competitive swimmers. Whenever they got together, they never ran out of things to talk about. I could never get a word in. The day Everett won the state swimming championship, I forced myself to attend the pool party to celebrate his victory, even though I was terrified of the water. But Elara suddenly grabbed my ankle and dragged me toward the deep end. "Tessa, you've been afraid of water for years. Today, I'm going to help you get over it." Everett let out a helpless laugh. "She's been afraid of water since she was a kid. Go easy on her." I thrashed desperately, trying to grab the side