“Erica?”
The water seemed to still, and Brynna’s voice echoed back to her. “Erica” raised her head, but her face was still shadowed, her dark hair tumbling over her cheeks and chin. She leaned down closer to Brynna rather than pulling Brynna toward her and pulled her hand from Brynna’s.
Then Brynna felt the palm on her head.
“Erica?” she asked again.
She felt the pressure first. Erica’s fingers were splayed over Brynna’s skewed swim cap as her palm pressed down on her head, pushing Brynna lower, lower. Brynna thrashed at the water as it once again invaded her nostrils, her mouth. She felt it rushing down her throat, and she wrenched her eyes open, staring up through the water to see Erica, both arms outstretched now as she held Brynna under the water. Brynna writhed. Her lungs stung. She tried to kick out of Erica’s reach, but Erica’s grip only tightened, strands of Brynna’s hair breaking in her fist.
Suddenly, breathing didn’t seem so hard anymore. The water that pushed and pulled against her was a smooth, cool cradle, and Brynna was getting tired, so, so tired.
No.
Her eyes flew open, and she made one more pitch away from Erica. She heard each individual strand of hair breaking, felt the cool water rush over the fresh bald spots on her scalp.
She was free.
Brynna didn’t think. Her body took over, and she was slicing through the water with a speed and ease she had never known. She gripped at the side of the pool and launched herself out, gasping, crying, coughing—desperate.
Even in the pitch darkness, Brynna knew that Erica was just a hairsbreadth away. She turned, ready to dart for the door, but the arms clamped around her first, pinning her own at her sides.
“Brynna!”
Brynna opened her mouth to scream, but just like the dream, nothing came out but a tortured gasp and a vile dribble of ingested pool water. She willed her arms to move, her hands to claw, her legs to kick, but someone was shaking her, moving her.
“Don’t do this, Erica!”
Brynna’s voice echoed, a crisp, clear sound bouncing off the tiles.
And all at once, the viselike grip released and the whole room came alive in too-bright, blazing lights. Brynna was on her butt on the tile floor, huddled in a wet mess, and someone was rushing toward her. Fear welled up once again but was immediately doused when Brynna heard Teddy’s voice.
“Bryn, Bryn, calm down, it’s just me.” Teddy dropped to his knees and Brynna watched, dumbfounded, as the knees of his jeans darkened from the puddles of water he leaned in. He snatched her towel from the bleachers and wrapped it around her trembling shoulders, pulling her close. Instinctively, her arms were out, palms pressing against his chest.
“No, don’t.” Brynna launched to her feet and whirled around. “Where is she? Where is she? Did you see her when you came in?”
Teddy stood up, wringing the towel that slid off Brynna’s shoulders. “See who? What are you talking about, Bryn?”
“Erica.” The name was out before Brynna could think about it, could weigh whether or not she was ready to call out Erica or call out her ghost.
Teddy’s blue eyes clouded. “There was no one else here.”
“No. She was here. She was here!” Brynna’s hand went to her head as her eyes filled with tears. Her hand closed on the tender strands, and she tugged one lightly, feeling a tuft of wet hair coming off in her palm.
Teddy’s mouth dropped open. “Brynna, don’t.” His voice was soft and his fingertips brushing over her raw scalp were softer.
“She was here.”
Teddy spun, looking. “Stay right here.” He jogged toward the bleachers and bent, scanning underneath. “Did you see where she went?” He came at her, grabbing her by the arm. “We have to get you to the police or the principal. Did you see her? What did she look like?”
“It wasn’t—I didn’t…” Brynna looked at the hair in her palm, and her stomach churned, bile itching the back of her throat. “She was here. She tried to—she tried to kill me. Erica did.”
“We have to call the police.”
“No.” Brynna stopped Teddy, her hand on his arm. “We can’t—we…” She paused, for a moment wishing that Teddy would understand her without her having to explain. “We can’t call the police.”
Teddy swallowed slowly, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he did. “You said her name was Erica. Who is she?” He put his arm across Brynna’s shoulders and guided her to the bleachers, pulling her down beside him. “Is she from a different grade or something?” His eyes caught Brynna’s and flashed; he stared down at his palms. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”