Feral Hearts Luna Rising

The panic crept in like a thief, stealing what's left of Kimberly's sanity, as her classmates goaded her to jump into the vast swimming pool.

“Jump! Jump! Jump,” they chanted in unison, their voices echoing off the pool deck like a haunting mantra. Madison, the team captain, led the chant with a sinister grin, reveling in Kimberly’s aquaphobia and distress.

Even her mind turned against her, whispering cruel truths to her; “You can't swim, Kimberly. You're a weakling! They will laugh at you. You'll drown!” Her eyes widened, her heart throbbing wickedly against her chest, her grip on the pool railing tightening.

Gripped by anxiety, she slowly stepped away from the pool’s edge, her eyes frantically scanning the dim-lit hall in desperation. That's when she saw it; a bizarre figure lurking at the far end of the pool hall. Even without her glasses, she could sense its piercing gaze cut through the shadows, boring into her with an unblinking stare.

Kimberly froze, and her panic intensified, paralyzing her with terror. Just then, Madison blurted “Chicken!” and the hall erupted with laughter from her classmates.

Overwhelmed with emotional distress, she covered her ears to block out their jeering, but it was too late. The mockery had become a deafening echo triggering her reflex epilepsy. She fell to the ground and began convulsing uncontrollably.

The pool hall fell silent, with her classmates frozen in confusion. Suddenly, the Coach burst into the hall, shouting Kimberly's name as she rushed to her trembling body.

“We need to get her to the sick bay!” she yelled as she gently but firmly lifted Kimberly's body.

“What's wrong with her?” one student asked.

Madison scorned, “She's faking it, trust me.”

“No! She's having a seizure!” another student cried out, rushing out of the pool, with concern etched on her face.

“Or, she's just seeking attention!” Madison, being the regular insensitive bully that she was, preferred not to take her seriously.

The coach’s face darkened. She turned to Madison, “You're relieved of your position as team captain, effective immediately!”

Madison's smirk faltered as she watched them carry Kimberly out to the sick bay, from where she was taken to the hospital.

* * * * * * *

Hours later, Kimberly lay on a hospital bed, her hazel-brown eyes, dull and gloomy while her slender body curled up in a gentle arc. She couldn't shake off the fear that still lingered in her heart after the traumatic events from the pool hall.

Another public seizure, another furious mother. Her formidable mother, Rebecca Silversmith, had signed her up for swimming classes, in an attempt to get rid of her aquaphobia, because she only saw it as a sign of weakness.

However, Kimberly had defiantly stopped taking her medication, despite knowing the risks, simply because she hated them. But she also did it to spite her mother. For her mother, Kimberly's public seizures merely reflected her as a poor parent who raised a child with fragile health.

Kimberly had her back against Doctor Miranda, her family doctor, who was documenting her health status and medications on her medical chart. “Don't worry, Your brothers will be here to take you home shortly,” she heard Dr. Miranda say in a warm tone.

“My mother couldn't come?” Kimberly asked softly. Not that she expected otherwise, she knew her mother would rather not miss her so-called business meetings than come pick her up from the hospital.

“No Kim, She sent your brothers instead.” Dr. Miranda replied.