Each Friday, I will blindly pick a picture card from the board gameMysterium, and set a timer for fifteen minutes. When the timer goes off, the story is done.
Anthony's head went under the water. It was too dark to see where he had gone. Cassidy had prepared her mind for the worst.
Her chest started to get tighter.
Her pulse escalated to where it felt like it would pound through her ears.
Right before she was going to scream out his name, Anthony's head reappeared above the water again. Well, at least that is what she thought it was. It was hard to tell because the moonlight, the only light source, was hiding behind a cloud.
The splashing got closer and Cassidy sighed and let her shoulders relax for a brief moment. He was fine. Not only was he fine, but he was going to be returning with the prize that he brought up from the bottom of the lake.
Anthony swam over to the boat and pulled himself up. Slung across his body was a netted bag that was glowing red. No moonlight needed.
"I can't believe you pulled this off," said Cassidy reaching for the bag Anthony just took off his shoulder.
She passed bag between her hands getting a better look at the treasure Anthony brought up to the boat.
"There's even more down there. Thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, down there. We are going to be rich, Cassidy," he said while reaching for a towel and started drying his hair. "It's your turn now."
Cassidy looked at him. He must of hit his head on a rock down there if he thought she was going to go into the water.
"Nope. That's your job. I got the boat and you do the diving," she said crossing her arms across her body.
Anthony got closer to her. The moon had come out in full force and she could see his eyes clearly. They looked dark and threatening. This wasn't like him. She wasn't sure if she should cross him, the way he was looking at her read that she should get into the water if she valued her life.
This was a look she had never seen from him before.
"Fine," she said before she went into the boat's cabin to shimmy into a wet suit before returning to the deck.
When Cassidy returned, Anthony was throwing the rope ladder over the side of the boat so she could climb into the dusky water below.
"You better appreciate me," she said before she shot Anthony a look and gingerly climbed into the water.
The icy depths enveloped her as she sunk into right above her chest. She took several deep breaths and tried to warm her body. Cassidy swam over to the spot where Anthony had come back up with the crystals. She took a deep breath and started to go under the water.
She looked around under the current and tried to get her bearings. She looked around and saw the faint red glow from the depths. She pushed off and swam deeper to the bottom of the lake. Cassidy was surprised that the crystals seemed to be closer than she thought.
As she got closer, she noticed something she hadn't seen in the ones Anthony had brought onto the boat. It looked like something was moving inside of the crystals.
Cassidy crept closer. She thought the lack of oxygen from holding her breath was causing her to see things. But, she swore it looked like someone was trapped inside of the crystal trying to swim for help.
Cassidy reached out to touch the gem and she felt electricity surge through her body. She felt like she was floating above herself. She tried to swim forward but found she couldn't. It was like she hit a wall. A bright, red wall. She spun around and she noticed she was trapped on all sides.
That is when she saw it.
Herself, well, her body, swimming away with a bag full of red crystals.