Raging Waters

Prologue Meagan and I chatted as we pulled on our denim jackets and followed the anxious crowd of movie enthusiasts down the corridor towards the front foyer of the small theatre. I grabbed a tissue from my pocket and wiped under my eyes to make sure my eyeliner was still in place as Meagan blew her nose and sniffled. “Sarah, I've seen Titanic about five times and I always feel as if it was the first time. I just love that movie, so sad and yet so romantic.” “I don't know, Meg. I've only seen it once before and it was too sad for me then. I don't know why I let you talk me into seeing it again. Next time I pick the movie and it's going to something cheerful with a happy ending.” Meagan snapped the buttons closed on her jacket as she nudged my shoulder. “Are you okay? I didn't realize that the movie had gotten to you so much. I'm really sorry and you're right, you choose the next movie. But come on, let's up cheer up now because we're off to see the guys.” We stepped out through the revolving glass doors and headed towards the parking lot where Meagan had parked her red Focus. My skin was still crawling from the emotional experience of the movie. “Meg, I had a really creepy feeling come over me when the guy was floating in the water. I know it's a movie and I know Leonardo DiCaprio is just fine, but still, watching him drown this time really got to me. It seemed so real and I don't know what I'd do if that was Brad.” “Well, it wasn't Brad. It was just a movie, Sarah. Come on, let's forget the movie. The guys will be back from Ali's uncle's place by now and when we get to his house we'll see them and forget all about the movie. Then we'll remember how lucky we are to have such wonderful boyfriends.” “Oh Meg, I know. I never thought I'd ever be so lucky and have someone like Brad, and I still can't believe that we're a couple. We've been together just over a year and now I can't imagine living without him. Of course, you and I are still waiting for that special date to dress up for these guys, and I wonder if he'll still like me when he sees me in a dress.” Meagan giggled and put on her favorite music as we drove off. “He'll love you in that cobalt blue dress that you'll wear for him one day.” I leaned back in my seat and when an old classic by Van Morrison came on, the quiet melody relaxed me so much that I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep. Seconds later I was walking hand-in-hand with Brad along the beach with the warm summer breeze blowing gently through my long brown hair. I was wearing that cobalt blue silk dress with the spaghetti straps that I always wanted to impress him with. Things couldn't have been more perfect. There was a peace that I'd never experienced before and a thrill in my heart that captivated my thoughts and made me realize that I was the luckiest girl on earth. We walked for a while and then slowly the peace became infiltrated with the distant voices of shouting and panic. It got louder and louder and soon we were running through a park where people were screaming and crying. I had no idea what was going on but I felt an urgency inside me to help them. Brad and I were quickly separated and I was running through the landscaped gardens and then I ended up in an amusement park where I was searching diligently for someone, but I didn't know who. The screams got louder and old ladies were crying hysterically. “Sarah, you have to find him,” one of them shouted. Find who? No one would tell me who I was looking for, and whenever I stopped to ask I was pushed away and told to keep on searching. My heart was racing with anxiety as I saw their tears flowing. I kept running and searching, and then it occurred to me that maybe I was looking for Brad. That's when my heart almost jumped out of my chest. Is Brad in some kind of trouble? Now I was as scared as they were. I ran from ride to ride looking for Brad but I couldn't find him anywhere. Meagan and Ali came at me from behind and Meagan asked me if I found him. “No, I don't know where he could be. He was with me a second ago and everything was fine. How could he be in danger so quickly?” Meagan was shaking and her lips were quivering and an old lady ran past us and was shouting at us to stay away from the water because it was evil and that we shouldn't find him there. We both stopped in our tracks and asked at the same time. “Why?” The woman disappeared and I turned to Meagan and asked her what she meant. “I don't know, Sarah. She just said not to go there.” I looked at Ali who was searching all around us the whole time we were talking. He began focussing on a path that led down to the beach and I could read his thoughts. “Come on, Meg. Ali and I are going down to the water.” We ran down the winding path as fast as we could and that wasn't easy for Meagan or I since we were wearing heals and formal dresses. All of a sudden it was quiet and the screaming voices were left behind as we ran towards the water. There was a loud rumbling all around us as we searched the waters with our eyes carefully. A minute later Ali said that there was nothing there, so we began heading back to the park with the others. My insides shook with fear because I was terrified that something terrible had happened to Brad. Everything was silent and I couldn't hear anything. Not even the birds chirped. The only sound I could hear was my own heartbeat that pounded in my ears. Meagan lifted her arm and waved and I when I turned around to see who it was, Brad was headed towards me wearing a big smile. No one moved and I felt as if I was in the Twilight Zone. A crowd of people stared past me and the fear on their faces made my chest pound harder. As I turned towards the water I saw someone far out waving their arms - and then they disappeared. The blood drained from my head and I gasped as I stared at Brad. Then the music began to play the Van Morrison song, Those Were the Days - the same song that Meagan was playing in her car earlier. Brad reached out his hand and asked me to dance. I had waited for these words since the day I realized that I was in love with him but I couldn't take my thoughts off of the person in the water. I looked back at the beach and saw only the ripple in the place where I'd seen someone waving for help. I closed my eyes and all I could do was cry as Meagan wrapped her arms around me and tried to comfort me. “Sarah! Sarah?” I opened my eyes and held my breath. Meagan was rubbing my left arm and asking me if I was okay. I looked around and realized that I was still in the car. “Hey, you're dreaming, Sarah. Another bad dream?” “Yeah, it was. I was, I was walking along the beach with Brad and then we were looking for someone. No, I was looking for him because he got lost. But then I found him.” “Slow down. You're not making any sense. You were looking for Brad?” “Yes. No. I'm not sure now. I was with him and we were looking for someone and all the people around us were so scared, like this person was in real danger or something. I'm not sure what, though, but there was water or something. Geez, I'm losing it. Anyway, we couldn't find him and then the music started to play and Brad and I were dancing. It was scary, Meg.” “How could dancing with Brad be scary?” “No, not that. The feeling that someone was in danger and needed our help but we couldn't do anything. Oh geez, we're going to the family reunion tomorrow at White Falls Park. I hope this isn't another premonition.” Meagan turned into Ali's driveway. “Well, maybe it isn't. I think that movie really bothered you and I'm sorry that I put you through this. It was all about water and people dying and now you've had a dream about it. I promise we'll never watch it again. Anyway, come on. The guys are home so let's forget this and go have some fun.”