Short Story: Sophia's Descent Into The Murky Water

The darkness surrounded her; its pressure was oppressive like the depths of the deep sea. It engulfed her with the forfeiture of life; however it did not rip her soul from her body, instead it took theirs. She had lost people before, but never had their death been so profound as to diminish her own sense of self. Never before had the loss of someone been so close to her as to cause the quantity of grief she now felt. She couldn’t fathom how divers survived at the pressure of those oppressive depths or how some could even find beauty in the pitch black; there was nothing beautiful in their deaths. She didn’t know that the diver survives by slowly acclimating to the physical and mental strain; knowing that resurfacing

Through tears, I see two images of me: the helpless child on land and the independant woman on water. I blink and the land and water merge. I become one” (33). ***add the part about her feeling free in the kayak... free from the contraints and prejudiece of being in a wheelchair…..

A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.

In the short story “Portrait of a Girl in Glass” we see that Laura “made no positive motion toward the world but stood at the edge of the water… with feet that anticipated too much cold to move” (Williams 110). On this edge, she created her own little world. Some like to live in an illusion of what they want or wish they had, while others prefer to stay in their state of misery and allow it to consume them. As it becomes familiar they start to be numb to anything until they start to be pulled out of it, though they will resist anyone who tries. Amanda Wingfield was the only person who tried on a daily basis to pull her daughter out of her lonely world. She did it out of love for her daughter, but the way Amanda went about doing it just seemed

Then not so far off, I saw Tia and her mother and I ran to her, for she was all that was left of my life as it had been. We had eaten the same food, slept side by side, bathed in the same river…When I was close I saw the jagged stone in her hand but I did not see her throw it. I did not feel it either, only something wet, running down my face. I looked at her and I saw her face crumple up as she began to cry. We stared at each other, blood on my face, tears on hers. It was as if I saw myself. Like in a looking-glass (41).

She slowly lifted her vision from the ground up towards the view of the forest. As she moved her head from side to side she looked in wonder at her surroundings. All she could see expanding right in front of her eyes was a beautiful crystal clear water hole with waterfalls rushing in from either side. Behind this amazing waterhole towards the right there was yet another exit out of the forest, although this one seemed different … it lead towards her street that she last remembered living on. Annabel seemed very relieved to see this exit but there was something that seemed to stop her walking out into her freedom. The thought of leaving the forest meant she would say goodbye to her parents for good. Annabel couldn’t bear to do this; she couldn’t live with herself if she knew there was something else she could do that might reunite her with her

The water dragged and strapped her down from all possible sides. The more she struggled the more disorientated she became. Left, right, up, down she couldn’t make any sense of it all. She pushed with her arms and legs but she couldn’t find any leverage, for all she knew she was forcing herself further down. Her lungs craved for more air and even though she knew she wouldn’t receive enough, her body still took a final breath. Cold water filled her lungs, burning her throat as if hundreds of needles had pierced into it. Her muscles relaxed and she was oddly calm for a moment - then everything slowly faded too black.

A million thoughts running through her mind. “Get to the creek, get the bag”. The torches search the over grown field her body hot in the frosted blades that come up to her knees. Dropping to the ground chest flat to the earth her heart in her throat. “We know you’re out there” he says the panic in his voice worries her. The field suddenly becomes dark and the people are getting closer. Marching in rows like men going to war. Without another thought she is running feet stumbling one after the other. Aching knees and weak bones carry her to the edge. She reaches the wall of trees that she has forever longed to meet. She turns to see if anyone had seen her. The lights are back on and the torches are moving through the grass. She looks down at her thin pale wrist and removed a small band with ‘Renee Grace’

She stands, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She’s drowning so far under, the ocean drips from her eyes. She’s screaming, but staying as silent as the shadows in hopes to avoid brutal words. Analyzing her options, she walks away from the edge: she keeps trying as she whispers to herself: one more day.

Her grandiose false sense of self-worth and self-esteem came crashing down after the rude comment made by the young boy that was sharing the bench with her. After all, she was not as invisible and confident as she portrayed herself to be. The remark just reinforced her invulnerability and her feeling of being unworthy. Her exuberant and love for life suddenly turned into haunting nightmares revealing her distorted reality. She was so immersed in that reality that she was emotionally unable to deal with the new reality that was presented to her. She realized that her life was an empty shell enclosed with a false sense of reality that she created for herself. Although, the rude remark was too painful to handle, it unleashed an avalanche of

Carter pressed himself against the door, praying someone would come back, and praying no one would.

I saw a shadow at the end, its presence calling for me. I slowly rose up and balanced myself as I stood there, shaking. The wind was cold and continuously brushing through my skin, even though I felt like we were enclosed in a tight room. “Why do you want to get rid of me Ellie? Why???” His voice was sorrowful but at the same time grew so low and deep, like he was speaking from under the ground.

Chloe had made a plan to escape so when she went outside she ran off with a bag and she got to the end off the island and found a boat. She didn’t know how to drive a boat but she was going to get off this pathetic island anyway. She had hated I ever since she started walking, her adopted family had given her everything that she wanted but all the time she had sent there she had never had any friends or proper family and she didn’t even know if her name was Chloe anymore.

Although she was just attempting to swim alone, she saw this experience as a great failure because the fear or “encounter with death” prevented her from moving forward with the goal that she set for herself. The frustration that stemmed from this experience carried to that night where she asserted herself to her husband by defying his wishes. Her assertion was her first experience of freedom from oppression.

“I keep seeing things. Things I can’t explain. Things I can feel. All the experts say I’m going crazy,” laughed Philip sadly. Tears began to fill his eyes, “Maybe I am crazy, but it’s important that I get this information out there. I have little time among the living and I have been unable to solve a problem. It haunts me every day. Experts here have tried everything to block it from my mind, but it never falters. And…I see other things along with it. Jack, I know I will not escape this place alive, but I know you will. I have seen it. You will finally see those mountains you dream of, but first I need you to solve this problem for me. I know it is important, but I cannot yet understand why. I only know that she is in trouble and she is important. Why? I am not sure, but she must be saved. I know you can save her if you follow the right path, and perhaps, along the way prevent other atrocities. I have