Surfacing

Avery

I was drowning.

Vivian stood above me, her crimson dress billowing like a cloud of blood in the murky water. She pressed down on my shoulders, her manicured nails digging into my skin as I thrashed beneath the surface. Her face remained serene, almost bored, as she watched me struggle.

"You're nothing to him," she said, her voice somehow crystal clear underwater. "Just a placeholder. A warm