The cold climbed up her calves, her knees, her thighs. She gasped—a sound too loud in the quiet—and then forced herself to breathe slowly. You’re fine , she told herself. You’re fine. This is just water. This is just night. This is just you. Emily pushed off from the edge and let herself drift toward the deep end. The pool was small by most standards—maybe thirty feet long, fifteen wide—but at night, with the trees overhead blocking out pieces of the sky, it felt like an ocean. She lay on her back, arms spread, ears submerged, and stared up at the stars.
Emily, 18, alone in the pool at night.
A cat. A scruffy orange tabby she had seen before, probably belonging to the neighbors two doors down, emerged from the hydrangeas. It sat at the edge of the pool, blinked at her slowly, and then began grooming its paw.
Things I want. (Real ones.)
The cat ignored her.
But she knew.
For five minutes, they kept each other company in silence. Then the cat stood, stretched, and disappeared back into the bushes. Emily was alone again. But now, the solitude felt different. Less like abandonment. More like a choice. She swam to the steps and sat on the second one, water lapping at her waist. The night air raised goosebumps on her arms. She hugged herself and thought about all the questions she had been avoiding:
Emily 18 Alone In The Pool At | Nightrar
The cold climbed up her calves, her knees, her thighs. She gasped—a sound too loud in the quiet—and then forced herself to breathe slowly. You’re fine , she told herself. You’re fine. This is just water. This is just night. This is just you. Emily pushed off from the edge and let herself drift toward the deep end. The pool was small by most standards—maybe thirty feet long, fifteen wide—but at night, with the trees overhead blocking out pieces of the sky, it felt like an ocean. She lay on her back, arms spread, ears submerged, and stared up at the stars.
Emily, 18, alone in the pool at night.
A cat. A scruffy orange tabby she had seen before, probably belonging to the neighbors two doors down, emerged from the hydrangeas. It sat at the edge of the pool, blinked at her slowly, and then began grooming its paw. emily 18 alone in the pool at nightrar
Things I want. (Real ones.)
The cat ignored her.
But she knew.
For five minutes, they kept each other company in silence. Then the cat stood, stretched, and disappeared back into the bushes. Emily was alone again. But now, the solitude felt different. Less like abandonment. More like a choice. She swam to the steps and sat on the second one, water lapping at her waist. The night air raised goosebumps on her arms. She hugged herself and thought about all the questions she had been avoiding: The cold climbed up her calves, her knees, her thighs
