Prologue

Dark, cold, weightless .... lost in a stygian, ethereal realm. I feel my arms bob slowly, like a tugboat trudging an equanimous sea. My chest is burning - metaphorical flames caning my lungs – numbing silence entrances me. Strands of my sandy blonde hair dance with the flow of the water. Like a blanket, it surrounds me, begging me to surrender to its cold embrace.

I pull at my seatbelt one last time, my vigor dampened by prior efforts. Hoping it gives, praying I'll be able to swim to safety, to no avail. I look around one last time before my chest starts to heave. It tightens as the air escapes and water fills my respiratory system. My eyes get heavy as all the energy drains like a pinhole in a balloon.

Suddenly, I feel pressure around my waist, prying me from what was meant to be my watery grave.