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“Search upstairs, hurry!” Olivia ordered, hitting the button to the door. Colin’s hand shot out fast, stopping the door from closing.
“I’m coming with you,” he said, stepping out and sending the couple to the upper level.
Heart pounding, she ran to the back of the house, yelling for Allison. Colin took to the study, and front of the house rooms.
Olivia looked everywhere, seeing the cabinets, powder room, and the kitchen were empty. Olivia hurried back and checked the front door and saw it was locked. Pausing, her heart skipped a beat as realization hit her and she paled. Hearing Colin in the background shouting for Allison she paled, turning slowly to face the terrace. She went to the door, seeing the door cracked.
Olivia walked out into the cold air, searching the grounds from above before her eyes landed on the pool.
She felt her heart break and opened her mouth in an ear-shattering scream, seeing Allison’s small form sinking through the cover. Being swallowed by the water, not struggling.
She burst into action and climbed over the railing, not even thinking about taking the stairs. She dropped herself onto the thick, cushioned couch below, knocking the wind out of her. Gasping desperately, she rolled, vaulting the furniture, and tearing across the yard to the pool. Screaming Allison’s name.
Her bare feet beat hard on the grass before slapping onto the concrete by the pool.
She heard a back door crash open, glass splintering as a door broke and Colin emerged through, tearing off after her. Vanessa and Johnathan were close behind coming from another door, both of them yelling.
Olivia ignored them and dove headfirst into the icy pool, hitting the water and the pool cover hard, knocking the wind out of herself once again. Her lungs were burning from the cold frigid air and the icy pool. Heart racing, she struggled through the heavy tarp, attempting to find Allison with no luck. Trying to stem her panic, she emerged and took a deep breath and sunk under the tarp blindly.
The water was freezing, her lungs were burning for air as she reached her hands out frantically searching through the icy dark depths, refusing to give up.
Oh God. Oh baby, please. Please, she prayed to God. Hoping they were above her and getting the tarp out of the way so they wouldn’t drown.
Olivia maneuvered through the cold water blindly, ignoring her pain and pushing the tarp away and praying. She emerged again for another lungful of burning, icy air before lunging herself into the deep side. So far under the tarp now, she wasn’t sure that even if she found Allison and got her to the surface that either one of them would make it.
She shivered violently, knowing she was close to the entrance of the grotto. Now far away from where she first entered the pool, and it was pitch black and soundless, making her search blindly. But she wouldn't let herself lose hope. After several more bone chilling seconds, her hand bumped into Allison’s foot and she grasped it, pulling her to the surface where, thankfully, there was room to poke their head up for oxygen.
Olivia’s lungs screamed for air as she emerged with Allison’s limp body clutched tight to her.
Colin jumped in as he left Johnathan and Vanessa to finish unlocking the ties to the cover and pull it out of the way, giving them space to not get tangled again. He grabbed Allison from her. Putting her gently on the side of the pool before turning quickly to find Olivia, who was pulling herself out at Allison’s side, hurriedly performing CPR on the girl, who was unresponsive.
Colin pulled himself out of the water, ignoring the freezing cold, and assessed Allison. Her pink tattered bunny was tucked into the pocket of her dress, the little destroyed ear sticking out and dragging on the ground.
She was blue.
Colin's heart immediately shattered into a billion pieces. He put shaky hands to his hair and gasped, his chest feeling like it was caving in.
“Goddamnit it, no!” he whispered raggedly, his brain refusing to process what was happening.
He looked up sharply. Johnathan was on the phone with the police, instructing them on how to get to the house. Vanessa was currently on her hands and knees trying to crawl to them, awful gut-wrenching sounds emerging from her. Finally reaching them, she placed her shaking hands on Allison’s head, stroking her wet, tangled hair out of her face. Olivia and Vanessa's breath swirled in a white mist around them in the semi lit darkness.
But none escaped from Allison.
“No!” Olivia’s voice bit out. “No Ally, you’re not doing this to me. Everyone can fucking hurt me but you,” she said angrily as she bent down and blew breath into the girl’s mouth. Colin watched as he struggled with his own demons, dread filling him as he just realized he’d just caused the death of someone the love of his life cherished.
Another death because of him. Another redhead.
Oh God, why do you hate me so? He lamented, the only thing he seemed capable of.
Olivia screamed incoherently as Johnathan tried to take over CPR. He placed the phone on speaker as he tried to move Olivia out of the way. She shoved him back away from her. This went on for what felt like an eternity.
A tear slipped from his eye as he looked over blankly, hearing the sirens approaching in the distance. Feeling his brain shutting down to protect itself.
Johnathan tried again. Colin could tell Olivia was exhausted, but she wouldn’t let anyone close.
“Get the fuck away! Alllisssooon!” she screamed, never ending those hard pushes into the little girl’s chest. Water trickled steadily from the little girl’s blue mouth, yet still she didn’t move, didn't attempt to gasp for air. She lay there, deathly still. Her hair was a mass of red tangles around her face, her eyes refusing to open.
“Oh God, whyyyyyy! My baby! Not my baby!” Vanessa cried.
