It had been a usual makeup-making morning and Riley showed up at my house around midday. Her knock was a series of taps and I heard her whistling trying to keep herself calm till I opened the door.
I couldn’t remember a time that she hadn’t come every weekend to update me on her new projects and ideas. Our families had been friendly since we were young, and we always supported each other in our magic-making activities. Now, both of us eighteen years old, were still the best of friends.
“Coming!” I yelled in her direction.
I set down the powders and essential oils I’d been using to make a new magic-infused eyeshadow palette and ran to the door.
“Hey, Riley, what’s up?” I asked, wiping the product from my hands onto my apron.
“You need to come with me immediately,” she demanded.
“What’s so urgent?” I questioned, taking off my apron, knowing that when Riley wanted something, there was nothing I could do to prevent it from happening.
“I did it. I perfected the potion for Underwater Breath. We have to go try it out!” she insisted.
“Alright, okay! Let me change into my suit, one s — ” I started to explain.
“No time! Just swim in your clothes! Let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and we headed off.
We lived close to the forest, where there were plenty of small creeks flowing to the big Lake Tinesi, which was home to neon fish and strangely colored algae. We practically ran to get there.
Once the lake came into view, Riley stopped dead in her tracks. She pulled out a small bottle lazily labeled “Underwater Breath” and instructed me to place two drops on the back of my tongue and walk into the water slowly. I hesitated, but Riley was a practiced potion maker — her mother had her making her own concoctions at the age of five.
"Here goes nothing,” I said, grabbing the dropper and placing two drops on my tongue. It was sweet and salty and sour all at the same time. I began walking slowly towards Lake Tinesi, and dipped my toes into the refreshing water.
It was a fairly warm day, sweat already lined my forehead from our sprint to the lake, and I was now very curious and in need of a swim.
I felt a strange sensation in my throat that was spreading, and suddenly the air felt weird to inhale and I very much wanted to be underwater. Riley hadn’t mentioned how long it takes to wear off, but oh well . . .
The feeling was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Breathing normally underwater, my eyesight was crystal clear, and my swimming abilities improved. Though it was an Underwater Breath potion, it made everything that was usually an annoyance underwater better.
Riley soon joined me underwater and we began exploring, deeper and deeper. In caves and out of caves, with fish, through the algae, it felt absolutely incredible. I had all the energy in the world and not a worry on my mind.
I closed my eyes and spun around in the water, feeling the sensation over my whole body. I wanted to bottle this emotion and keep it with me forever. I bet Riley would figure out a way to do that.
I had noticed something glimmering out of the corner of my eye and I waved in Riley’s direction. She stopped ogling over a bright pink fish and swam my way. She tilted her head in confusion and I pointed at the shiny object. She nodded and we swam further down to the glitterting curio hidden beneath the rocks and plants.
We started digging it out from the sand and our eyes widened when we realized what it was. An actual message in a bottle. We started to smile and swim with joy when a strange feeling overcame us both.
Suddenly it was not so easy to breathe, and the water was suffocating. My throat was closing up, and my heart was racing. Time to go. I kicked my feet quickly, propelling myself to the surface. The swim up was painstaking, like trying to swim through honey.
Riley was right behind me clutching onto the bottle. I broke through the surface and took in a huge breath of fresh air. My lungs filled and my heartbeat calmed. I was trying to take in everything all at once.
We swam back to shore and sat in the sunset light looking at the bottle curiously. We didn’t care that we were soaking wet, we were simply in shock that we’d just done what we had done and found what we had found.
“Open the bottle!” I excitedly told Riley.
Riley nodded and began to unscrew the bottle, it was tightly sealed, but she got it eventually. The parchment inside was dry and old.
“You open it,” she said, handing me the note.
I nodded and began to unroll it.
Go bake a chocolate cake.
I read the message aloud and Riley and I erupted in laughter that rang through the whole forest.
“Shall we?” Riley asked.
I nodded, immensely entertained with life.
I couldn’t remember a time that she hadn’t come every weekend to update me on her new projects and ideas. Our families had been friendly since we were young, and we always supported each other in our magic-making activities. Now, both of us eighteen years old, were still the best of friends.
“Coming!” I yelled in her direction.
I set down the powders and essential oils I’d been using to make a new magic-infused eyeshadow palette and ran to the door.
“Hey, Riley, what’s up?” I asked, wiping the product from my hands onto my apron.
“You need to come with me immediately,” she demanded.
“What’s so urgent?” I questioned, taking off my apron, knowing that when Riley wanted something, there was nothing I could do to prevent it from happening.
“I did it. I perfected the potion for Underwater Breath. We have to go try it out!” she insisted.
“Alright, okay! Let me change into my suit, one s — ” I started to explain.
“No time! Just swim in your clothes! Let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and we headed off.
We lived close to the forest, where there were plenty of small creeks flowing to the big Lake Tinesi, which was home to neon fish and strangely colored algae. We practically ran to get there.
Once the lake came into view, Riley stopped dead in her tracks. She pulled out a small bottle lazily labeled “Underwater Breath” and instructed me to place two drops on the back of my tongue and walk into the water slowly. I hesitated, but Riley was a practiced potion maker — her mother had her making her own concoctions at the age of five.
"Here goes nothing,” I said, grabbing the dropper and placing two drops on my tongue. It was sweet and salty and sour all at the same time. I began walking slowly towards Lake Tinesi, and dipped my toes into the refreshing water.
It was a fairly warm day, sweat already lined my forehead from our sprint to the lake, and I was now very curious and in need of a swim.
I felt a strange sensation in my throat that was spreading, and suddenly the air felt weird to inhale and I very much wanted to be underwater. Riley hadn’t mentioned how long it takes to wear off, but oh well . . .
The feeling was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Breathing normally underwater, my eyesight was crystal clear, and my swimming abilities improved. Though it was an Underwater Breath potion, it made everything that was usually an annoyance underwater better.
Riley soon joined me underwater and we began exploring, deeper and deeper. In caves and out of caves, with fish, through the algae, it felt absolutely incredible. I had all the energy in the world and not a worry on my mind.
I closed my eyes and spun around in the water, feeling the sensation over my whole body. I wanted to bottle this emotion and keep it with me forever. I bet Riley would figure out a way to do that.
I had noticed something glimmering out of the corner of my eye and I waved in Riley’s direction. She stopped ogling over a bright pink fish and swam my way. She tilted her head in confusion and I pointed at the shiny object. She nodded and we swam further down to the glitterting curio hidden beneath the rocks and plants.
We started digging it out from the sand and our eyes widened when we realized what it was. An actual message in a bottle. We started to smile and swim with joy when a strange feeling overcame us both.
Suddenly it was not so easy to breathe, and the water was suffocating. My throat was closing up, and my heart was racing. Time to go. I kicked my feet quickly, propelling myself to the surface. The swim up was painstaking, like trying to swim through honey.
Riley was right behind me clutching onto the bottle. I broke through the surface and took in a huge breath of fresh air. My lungs filled and my heartbeat calmed. I was trying to take in everything all at once.
We swam back to shore and sat in the sunset light looking at the bottle curiously. We didn’t care that we were soaking wet, we were simply in shock that we’d just done what we had done and found what we had found.
“Open the bottle!” I excitedly told Riley.
Riley nodded and began to unscrew the bottle, it was tightly sealed, but she got it eventually. The parchment inside was dry and old.
“You open it,” she said, handing me the note.
I nodded and began to unroll it.
Go bake a chocolate cake.
I read the message aloud and Riley and I erupted in laughter that rang through the whole forest.
“Shall we?” Riley asked.
I nodded, immensely entertained with life.