Cynthia

by Christina Leigh Pritchard

  CYNTHIA

  A story by Christina Leigh Pritchard

  Copyright © 2016-2017 Christina Leigh Pritchard. All rights reserved.

  http://www.christinaleighpritchard.com

  ISBN-13: 978-1546544081

  ISBN-10: 1546544089

  Under Copyright Law: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise (except for brief quotation in printed or digital review) without prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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  This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, places and/or events are merely added to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used factitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real.

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  CYNTHIA

  A story by Christina Leigh Pritchard

  An introduction story to a new series by Christina Leigh Pritchard.

  Introduction to the Submersed Series

  Submersed Series

  Coming 2018

  A comedic romance set in futuristic Miami, Florida.

  Roger’s decided to introduce Leah to his first love, Cynthia. His new girlfriend must accept the people in his life. If not, this thing they have, can’t go on any further.

  Leah’s not so sure about any of it.

  Should she even bother going with him on this heart-wrenching adventure into the unknown caves where his uncle works? Is this relationship worth being stuck in dark bodies of water, filled with eels, and who knows what else? Especially, when she knows that Cynthia will be on the other side to greet her…

  She’s afraid of everything. Check. He’s not. Check. She’s jealous of Cynthia. Check. He’s still in love with Cynthia…

  Check.

  Besides, he’s everything she’d been raised to avoid, and for good reason. She glances down at her latest bruises from their trip to the beach. Roger made her heart beat, violently, inside her chest. It wasn’t from the reckless adventures he forced her to take with him.

  No.

  The hair on her arm stood straight up, just imagining him gently touching the crook of her back, while glancing at her with his obnoxious smirk, that went so well with his dimples and flexed muscles.

  Would this adventure be any different from the rest? Meeting this Cynthia, would ease her mind, and she’d know his heart belonged to her now.

  She gulped.

  Or, would this time, be her final warning to stay away? Could this be the last straw in their already rocky relationship?

  CYNTHIA

  Roger stood on top of an algae covered rock. The moon shone through the cave, illuminating him. He grinned, exposing dimpled cheeks.

  I took a good look at him. Waves crashed into his ankles and his calves flexed, to balance himself. His arms were massive and covered with tribal markings. It was the middle of the night, but he still wore his ugly, gold hat. He was a Miami boy, born and raised. Some things, would never change—like the ever-present earphones, strung around his neck.

  I really hated those headphones, and that hat… When would he outgrow them? We’d graduated college already, but even after dating four years, we’d never spoken of the future. Did he even want to start a new life with me? Had my Mother been right?

  When she met Roger, she rolled her eyes and refused to shake his hand. “You’re going to bring my daughter down,” she’d said.

  His response? He picked her up and spun, bouncing from leg to leg. “Mom!” He’d spoken in a deeply Miami-Latin accent which made me smile. “It’s so good to meet you.”

  She struggled in his grasp. “You’re sweaty and wearing a wife-beater shirt. Are you hitting my daughter?”

  He laughed, making a fist at me. “Woman, what did I tell you? If someone asks, you tell them you tripped.”

  My Mother was horrified. And, I was screwed. He’d officially stolen my heart.

  Until, he informed me that I needed to learn to cook right. It was in that moment that I wanted to kill him. Then, he tossed my elephant knick-knacks in the trash. “You don’t need all this crap.” I wanted to claw his eyes out. Maybe that would’ve been the moment to burn his hats?

  I’d nearly broken-up with him when he accused me of flirting with my Professor. But then, he took me onto the roof of his old apartment building. Someone helped him set up a picnic. “I wanted you to dine among the stars.” He’d made Cuban Sandwiches and one Peanut Butter and Jelly, just in case I didn’t like his choice of food.

  Sometimes, I really hated him, though. Like, tonight.

  I rested my back against a pile of sandbags. When was the last time I’d felt this tired and why was he taking me out here into an abandoned bunch of caves? I loved the beach, yes, but I’d never been diving or hard-core exploring. I tried snorkeling once. It was pretty. I wore a life vest and floated on the surface. Close to the shore, the fish were small, but as I drifted further out, the sea-life doubled, then tripled in size. Panic overtook me and I kicked my feet furiously to get to land, spending the rest of the day in a hammock with a nice, fruity, alcoholic beverage.

  “It’s just a little bit further, Leah.” Roger reached back. “Here, I’ll help you up.”

  I took his hand, and with one swift motion, I was on my feet. “Where’re you taking me? I didn’t dress for this.”

  “Nobody told you to wear your new mood skirt.” He frowned, watching it transform from green to a deep purple. “Are you mad?”

  “What? No.”

  “I thought when you read me the color chart descriptions, that the darker the color, the less happy you were.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Selective memory again? You’re going to use that on me tonight?”

  “Why are you taking me out here? The sign back there said ‘DANGER’, and this is clearly an abandoned facility.”

  The buildings were damaged and seagulls lived in their broken, glass roofs. I used to stand at the fence, as a little girl, observing the rusted rides, covered in vines, wondering what tragedy befell this place. I’d never dreamed of breaking into it. Giant iguanas sun-bathed on top of a broken track that ran into the largest building and they petrified me.

  “You’re over-reacting.”

  “Then why, when we climbed the fence, did you tell me to keep my voice down?” I glanced at my shredded skirt. It had gotten snagged on the chain-links he cut to help me through. “You’re getting me a new one and this time I want a mood dress.”

  “You’re moody enough.”

  I shoved him, losing balance on a slippery rock. He caught me, holding me tight. I could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath. My body grew warm, even with the water crashing against us.

  “Careful,” he said, his lips inches from mine. “How can I sell you to pirates if you’re damaged?”

  “I can’t stand you.”

  He laughed, guiding me towards a body of dark water. The only light came from his flashlight. The moon could not seep through the rocks here. He pointed his light at our feet. Were we standing on an old, dried out reef?

  “Do you see what we’re walking on?” I couldn’t contain my giddiness. “Look at all the old corals! This was a reef!”

  “Yeah, I know.” He seemed unaffected. “There’s tons of them out here.”

  “It’s not normal to see so many in one spot. How did they get here?”

  “They were dug up and brought in for beautification.”

  “When and by who?”

  “About thirty or so years ago, some scientists did the restructuring of these caves for aquatic hybrids.”

  Water
collected beside me, forming a small pool of salty liquid. With the flashlight pointed at the ground, I could see my reflection staring back at me. My green eyes seemed brighter and my red-brown locks fell in my face as I leaned in for a better look.

  Rock formations encircled us and as I followed Roger deeper into the cave, the walls arched high above us.

  I shivered as an icy breeze ruffled my hair. “Where’re we going?”

  “Just a little bit further.” He pointed at a quick-moving waterfall that crashed against a winding waterway. “We’re going inside that tunnel.”

  I squinted, watching the current knock into a low opening. “You want me to go underwater inside that?”

  “Yeah, it’s not as scary as it looks.”

  I trembled, sitting down. “I’m not getting in there.”

  “You’re going to have to hold your breath and don’t worry, just keep your hands on the rope.” He wrapped some thick twine around my waist. “This is worth it, I promise. Trust me.”

  “Last time you asked me to trust you, I ended up in the hospital.” I raised my shirt, exposing a long scar on my ribcage. “Do you remember that adventure?”

  “Life is messy, girl. C’mon and live a little.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “Fine. If you’re chicken, I’ll take you back.”

  “Okay, good.” I attempted to stand.

  He laughed like a hyena, and arched into the diver’s position.

  “Roger, don’t you dare!”

  “It’s worth it, Sweetheart.” He jumped, his remaining words muffled by the water. “Trust me,” is all I could decipher.

  “No, no, you jerk!” I watched the rope slither after him like a snake. My heart pounded as I struggled with the knot he’d tied about my waist. I strained, trying to stretch the line so that I could sneak out of the loop. I needed to get out before it was too late! My hands shook, unable to loosen it.

  I was going to kill him.

  The rope tightened, jerking me forward. A burning sensation ran along my back as I slid across the rocks. The jagged, protruding, edges of the dead reef, pierced my bottom and sliced my legs. I screamed, frantically searching for something to grab onto. Dried sea-plants crumbled into dust with each attempt. At the edge, I clutched onto a brain coral. Roger tugged, tightening the line. I whimpered as the coral cracked in half from the pressure.

  Roger pulled the rope once more, sending me flying from the rock-mass. I gasped, taking in a quick gulp of air.

  My body stung, splashing onto the surface. I kicked my feet, reaching for hanging corals. Tiny shelled creatures raced from inside holes. Their heads peeked out and their feelers twitched. I shrieked, feeling him yank the line even harder.

  “No, Roger, please!” I let out a tiny sob, just before being submersed.

  My lungs tightened and I grabbed the rope. He guided me through a narrow canal. I could feel slime as my arm brushed against the underwater walls. There could be sharks or snakes swimming right next to me, but because it was so dark, I wouldn’t know until they attacked me. I tried to surface, knocking my head into an overhang.

  My heart pounded and I moved closer to him. My ribs hurt from the lack of air and I needed out of the tunnel. I grew dizzy, clutching the edge of his swim trunks.

  I didn’t want to drown. I’d never been a swimmer or played sports. I was from a very formal family that prided themselves on their knowledge of music and literature. Give me a violin or flute and I’d knock your socks off, but put me in a pool and expect to see me on the steps.

  Roger took my hand, shoving me ahead of him. He hoisted me towards the surface. I gasped, filling my lungs with air. My chest heaved and I winced from the pain. He appeared next, barely winded.

  He took my face in his hands, and pressed his lips to mine. I shoved him and he grinned. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

  I was breathless. “You—I can’t—believe—you.”

  He held me close. “C’mon, we’re almost there.”

  “I’m not going into anymore underwater caves. I almost drowned.”

  He shrugged, releasing his grip on me. He swam in the darkness to a small ledge and climbed up. My rope tightened as he pulled me towards him. “The worst of it is over. Once you see why I took you here, you’ll forgive me.”

  I crossed my arms. “I seriously doubt it.”

  “You gonna just float while I tug you to safety? There’s big monsters below you.”

  “No, there’s not. You’re just trying to scare me because you’re tired.”

  “It’s up to you, but I’d suggest you get out as fast as possible. I’ll flash the light so you’ll believe me.”

  No, don’t!” I kicked hard and wrapped my hands around his ankles. He lifted his legs, raising me out of the water. He strained, grabbing me under the shoulders.

  “That’s my girl.” He grunted, dropping me beside him.

  I lay flat on my back, wheezing. The ground felt like damp clay and above us, I could see the long icicles of wet, dripping limestone. Bats rustled and the walls glistened when light hit them.

  “This place is freaky, but beautiful.”

  Roger lay his arm on my chest and placed his hand on the side of my face. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Water splashed us. I squirmed, pulling my legs up. “What was that?”

  “A monster, probably.”

  “Seriously, Roger, what was it?”

  He aimed his light at the surface. There was a ripple forming in the center. A shadowy figure moved in zig zag patterns. I recoiled into his arms as something dipped, arching its scaly back.

  “What is that?”

  “I told you there was stuff down there.” He pointed the flashlight just below us. “See, look.”

  I leaned over and gasped. The head, of what looked to be an enormous eel, peered up at me from its home. I grabbed his shirt. “I want out of here. Take me home right now.”

  “Leah, calm down. We’re almost there.”

  “No. This is crazy and I don’t want to die.”

  “You’re not going to die.”

  “Take me home.”

  “The only way out is the way we came. You sure you want to go that way again?”

  I beat my fist into his chest. “Roger!”

  He laughed, helping me stand. “Just trust me.”

  “You keep saying that.”

  He pointed to a narrow tunnel with flickering halogen bulbs mounted into the walls. “We’re going in there.”

  “What’s inside that place?”

  “Patience is a virtue.”

  “Oh please, four years ago, I lost any virtue I had.”

  He popped me in the back of the head. I ducked, stepping inside a stairwell, naturally carved out of the limestone. Moss poked through the cracks in each step and water ran along the walls. “Where’re you taking me?”

  He pointed to the left. There was a wall of air tanks, masks, snorkels, flippers and wetsuits, hanging on hooks. Equipment bags rested on the ground and it looked as if someone had borrowed one of the suits.

  “Just go past all this diver’s equipment.”

  Roger knelt, taking off his hat, revealing short, brown hair. “I better put this and my headphones away—don’t want them damaged.”

  “Oh, I see.” I crossed my arms, my blood boiling. “You wouldn’t take that awful hat off for the ballet, but you’re willing to for some dead corals?”

  “You’re cute when your jealous.” He tapped me on the nose. “Don’t let me forget them. I put them in the second diver’s bag.”

  “I make no promises.”

  He smacked my bottom.

  “Hey!”

  “Here we are.” Roger pushed some hanging seaweed out of the way so that I could pass. I ducked, entering a dimly-lit limestone cave. Tiny waterfalls, some with a constant flow and others with just a trickle, landed in large, round, hollowed-out stones. They resembled ancient serving bowls that I’d seen in a museum. The wal
ls were covered with these objects, and water filtered into each one. The overflow spilled onto the floor and streamed into the surrounding body of water. I glanced up, across the next water-hole, mouth agape. More water fell down the walls into ‘bowls’.

  “What is this place? What are those things hanging out of the wall?”

  “Those are pods.”

  “What’s a pod?”

  “Tío!” Roger cupped his hands around his mouth, calling into the darkness. “The lights, Tío! She’s here.”

  “What is a Tío?”

  “Tío means uncle. You’re about to meet the greatest scientist of our time.”

  “What?” I glanced around as lights flickered to life, brightening the cave. There were hundreds of pods, reaching the tops of the walls.

  “I thought you’d love this. It’s better than reading; trust me.”

  “There you go again with the trusting spiel.”

  “You know you love being out of control.”

  “No, I don’t. My heart is racing and I’m petrified. I hate when you do this.”

  He caressed my hair, staring into my eyes. This calmed me somehow. “Leah, have you ever seen a place like this?”

  I shook my head, taking in the view. The walls glistened and light danced from one waterfall pod to the next. “Too bad I’ll die before I get the chance to tell anyone about this experience.”

  He threw back his head and let out a monstrous laugh. His grin created dimples in his cheeks and I grew hot. “Drama, drama, drama. Girl, how in the world have we made it together this long without killing each other?”

  I gritted my teeth. “Don’t worry, after this, I’ll be plotting your death for sure.”

  “Of course, you will, now c’mon. Let’s find Tío.”

  “Did someone call for Tío?” A gruff voice spoke with a heavy Spanish accent. I turned around to see an old, skinny man, wearing an unzipped wetsuit, that covered him to his waist. His scrawny chest was exposed and as he stepped closer, I could see kinky, gray chest hairs. His head was bald and he wore what looked to be a single spectacle in his right eye. It made his eye bulge in comparison to his left.