The After/Life (The After/Life Odyssey) Read Online Free Page B

nirvana that only first love can bring about (with no extra chemicals added, kids!). Everything seemed to be a bit blurred and it was only her eyes and her smile and her face and her body that stood out with striking sharpness. The pressing confines of the School somehow let go and there was more air to breathe and the dark whisperer had cowardly retreated, postponing his perpetual struggle for my soul (he would be back all too soon). Little did I know about events that would follow shortly to challenge my sense of euphoria and serve as a grim prologue for the things to come...
    …It happened during my usual swimming session. I had been swimming for about an hour already when I heard a strange gurgling noise from the opposite side of the pool. At first, I paid no attention and just kept on swimming with all my thoughts about her - naturally. The noise recurred and this time it was much closer. Most probably, one of the water filters had malfunctioned. It was too dark to see so I swam closer. Reaching the opposite wall, I checked all the filters one by one - they seemed to be in place and working properly. Puzzled, I tried to convince myself that it was just my imagination playing little tricks on my love dazed head. Just then, something slippery brushed on my leg beneath the water. Then it was gone. Terrified, I decided to get out. I was almost at the edge of the pool when something wrapped itself around my foot and pulled me down. I tried to scream and could not and I tried to free my foot but whatever had caught me held on with its repulsively soft but firm grip and it kept pulling me down and down. Managing to take in one last deep breath I was forced underwater. And there, in the dim and deceptive light of the underwater lamps I saw it – its huge green phosphorescing eyes, its deformed body with short degenerated limbs and its single tentacle wrapped around my foot and dragging me ever down towards a gaping black hole at the center of its head. So this is how it was going to end? I tried to struggle free but the creature just kept on pulling and pulling. Its eyes were fixed on mine – so alive and at the same time peculiarly lifeless. I was almost out of air and my foot was getting dragged closer and closer to the creature’s disfigured mouth. It had now settled at the bottom of the pool, spreading its limbs out in a full circle. And as my strength and will to struggle started to abandon me, her face suddenly invaded my mind and her calm voice said: “If you stop – you die”. And I gathered all my remaining powers and there was a moment of absolute clarity and I relaxed. The creature took it as a sign of surrender - I could almost see a carnivorous triumph in its dead eyes. As my right foot disappeared in its mouth I struck out with my left one aiming and hitting the creature in the eyes. A dark cloud immediately appeared and started to spread in the water but the monster held on. I then reached down and grabbed its eye sockets with my hands and started to tear them apart. The grip on my foot relaxed and I was able to break free. Instead of swimming out, I continued to rupture the animal’s head. I could hardly see anything as the water was now polluted with its black blood. The creature was trying to wrap its tentacle around my neck, its limbs were hitting the bottom of the pool in an uncontrollable rage, its gaping mouth was opening and closing. I placed my feet on the ground and, holding the creature by the now empty sockets of its murderous eyes started smashing it against the bottom of the pool in a dark frenzy. I went on until I felt how the skull of the creature gave in and there was a fountain of thick blood that engulfed me. I don’t remember how I swam out. I briefly regained consciousness lying at the side of the pool, covered in blood – both mine and the creature’s. The monster itself was floating lifelessly on the surface with only its tentacle beating weakly in agony. Then I faded again and