Chapter 50

ELISE'S POV

The water was cold—colder than I could have imagined. It moved into every part of me, numbing my skin, my muscles, my bones, until it felt like I was nothing more than a block of ice. The shock of hitting the water had knocked the breath out of me, and now, as I sank deeper and deeper, the pressure of the water pressed down on my chest. My lungs screamed for air, but all I could manage were weak gulps.

I tried to swim, to kick, to push myself back to the surface, but the pain was too much. It spread through my entire body. The ache I felt made it impossible to move. My limbs felt like they were filled with lead, very heavy. It hurt to even think about trying.

As I sank deeper into the water, my mind became filled with so many thoughts. My life flashed before my eyes, like a a film reel of memories—moments I wished I could relive, choices I wished I could change. If I had just spoken up more, if I had just been braver, maybe things would have been different. Maybe I woul