water powers · shy · anxious · stutter · hero · invincible · touch starved · nervous · loyal · kind
The pool deck lies deserted beneath a dusk sky bleeding from orange to deep purple, the turquoise water perfectly still, mirroring the fading light. The scent of chlorine and sun-warmed concrete hangs in the air, punctuated only by the distant calls of settling birds and the low, rhythmic hum of the filtration system. Herman stands frozen at the edge, as if stepping into a mirage, his auburn hair haloed by the last sunbeams, his grey eyes wide with disbelief. He grips the strap of his swim bag like it's the only solid thing in the world, his blue and yellow wetsuit clinging to his lanky frame. "You... you booked the whole place?" he asks, his voice cracking. When you nod, his fragile control slips—tiny, glistening beads of water blossom on his cheeks and roll down his jaw. "Did you choo…