Treading Water Book Novels & Stories

I knelt and dipped my finger. It was water indeed. On my finger coming in contact with the liquid, it formed a ripple. I dipped my entire hand into the liquid and my skin came in contact with a hard substance. The white light dimmed and my fingers curled on the cover of the book which was clearly seen under the water. I pulled it out, some of the water falling on my sweater and stood on my feet. The lake beneath me disappeared and morphed back into the hard ground. My feet was no more dipped into the water. My clothes weren’t drenched either. It was all magic I believed.

I tumble into the water, feeling the roar of the river crash over me. It pins me down, forcing the air from my lungs. I bend, trying to kick off from the bottom of the river bed and straighten again, but the water has me. I kick out, trying to fight my way back upright and push through the water. There’s still the chaos of the fight as I crash through the stream, swimming with broad strokes towards Thade. He’s already in the water, wading towards me. He reaches out, helping pull me back to my feet.

Daifuku, in response, flicked his tail and sent a deliberate spray of water right into Takuto’s notebook. Message received: “You're still hopeless.” Later that night, at his desk, Takuto hunched over a hand-bound, heavily annotated manuscript titled: “The Cat Master’s Secret Swimming Techniques: Volume 1” He flipped to the core rules, scribbled in colorful markers and accented with rough stick-figure doodles. Rule 1: Always remain elegant. (Even if you’re drowning, groom first.) Rule 2: Treat water like a dog. (Hate it. Conquer it.)

I remove my shoes and step onto the wet sand. The water touches my toes first. Cold. But not unpleasant. Another step. The waves slide around my ankles. Another. Knees. Another. Waist. I glance back at Michael. “If I die I’m haunting you.” “You won’t.” “Famous last words.” I take one more step. The water reaches my chest. And then— Something happens. The ocean… moves. Not violently. Not like a storm. But gently. Like it recognizes me. The water parts around my body.

She countered hitting a sensitive spot. I narrowed my eyes and her expression softened. “I only say the truth, do what you can with it.” She turned on her heel then walked away. I lowered my gaze to the book in my hands. My pulse thudded against the leather cover. It's time to face the truth. I swallowed, lifted the book, and whispered, “Show me the people in the water.” The pages trembled, fluttering as if caught in a breeze only the book could feel. Then it stilled. A single sentence bled across the page in dark red ink:

I managed to plaster a huge smile on my face before my grip started to loosen. “I love you” I whispered into thin air as the cold water of the sea welcomed me with open arms. Is this how my life ends? My arms are sore, my legs are numb, and I’m slowly running out of breath. I tried opening my eyes to see the underwater for the first and last time when suddenly something caught my eye. My book! It was as if it swam its way towards me and the moment it touched my reaching hand, a bright light pulled me inside. Wait what?! What’s this? I can breathe!

This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any kind of resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely simultaneous. I love and appreciate your comments. I gladly like to hear what any of you might say. With that all out of the way, I hope you enjoy this book. ♥WELCOME TO THE BOOK♥ ♥TAMING THE DRAGON♥ ❤ELYSIAN POINT OF VIEW❤

Not exploding from pipes. Just… appearing. The thin layer crept outward from where I stood, filling the grooves between the stones like a rising tide. I froze. “Oh—” Someone behind me stepped back quickly. “Where’s that coming from?” The water climbed over my shoes. Then my ankles. A quiet ripple moved through the crowd as students began noticing. “Is that—” “Move back.” I tried to breathe. The water kept rising. It slipped between the stones in a steady, unstoppable flow, spreading outward in widening circles. Not dramatic enough to look like a disaster, but relentless enough that people were already stepping away.

~Liv~ My feet hit the edge of the water, that cold slap against my toes making everything real for a second, and I just kept going, wading in deeper, the mud sucking at my shoes like it wanted me already, thinking screw it, screw all of them, the yelling parents, the pitying sister, the team bosses treating me like some ticking bomb attached to Rowan's career, why not just let it end here, but then I heard pounding footsteps behind me, fast and heavy, and before I could even turn, arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me back hard, splashing water everywhere as I stumbled onto the grass.

I reached out, my fingers trembling as they brushed the leather cover. The scent of wildflowers and ozone was so strong it made my head spin. Unlike the other floating books, this one sat heavy and grounded on the pedestal, as if it were the anchor for the entire room. The title was embossed in a regal, ancient script: "How to Mute Your Change's Resonance and How to Detect Another Change." "It’s exactly what the Queens said we needed," Sol whispered, leaning over my shoulder. "A way to move without alerting the Eclipse."