Trapped - Alillia Bowden (2022

By Alillia Bowden

I awoke underwater. Not clear beautiful water, but dark, cold, thick water that is trying to squeeze the breath out of you. I didn’t know which way the surface would be. I decided to begin thrashing my legs hoping for a breath of air to come quickly. I struggled in the darkness, hoping to find something lighter at the surface, something light like air, clear and easy to breathe in. It felt like days, but itI couldn’t have been more than a few seconds until I broke through the crushing weight of the dark water and emerged into the bright light air. I gasped and sputtered, relieved to be free of the crushing darkness. As I surveyed my surroundings, I realized I wasn’t as free as I had hoped. Where there should have been a nice beach or a rocky coastline, I instead found myself trapped once again, this time in a glass bottle. I knew that the oxygen in here wouldn't last long. I slowed and controlled my breathing trying to develop a new plan of escape. As I looked up to the mouth of the bottle, I could see something brown trapped in the bottle with me. Except it wasn’t trapped with me, it was the thing preventing my escape. A brown cork, at first glance floating in the sky. I decided to focus on the cork, if I could move it maybe this was my ticket to escape. What did I have to help me? I was utterly alone. The water couldn’t help and I couldn’t fathom going back into its crushing depths to try to find anything of use. I only had myself to rely on. I tried to climb up the bottle first, but the walls were slippery and the cork was high in the sky. I made attempt after attempt but I was getting tired, using up my air, and I kept getting pulled black into the clutches of the cold water. I racked my brain for a solution. Time was running out and my heart was beating quickly.

My fingers had pruned, hair sopping, everything was cold. As I stood there shivering, the only other idea I had was to break the glass. I did my best to gain some traction placing my feet and hands carefully so I might be able to have some force, and pushed with all my might.

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