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Sylvie had told Jake earlier that she was going to the poolside with her son so he could get a little splash about. Apparently, Jackson had been asking to go to the pool all morning. He was going to take him out there but one of the cows got sick and he said he’d take him later. His mother said she’d take him instead since she was finishing up her work.
The vet was there with the cow, examining her while Zack stood nearby.
His gut was telling him something was wrong.
“You okay, bro?” Zack said, noticing Jake’s expression.
“I’m going back to the house. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“No, I’m good.” He paused for a moment. “You know when you get this feeling that something’s wrong. Or that you need to be somewhere.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I have that feeling now. I don’t know why, but the Lord’s telling me something.”
His brother, Zack, looked concerned and said he would stay with the vet while Jake left the barn.
A wave of turbulent feelings swept up inside of Jake.
He had had an instinctive feeling about something and went out directly towards the pool area.
When he got near, he thought he heard a muffling sound.
“Sylvie?” Jake said, running faster towards the pool. “Jackson?”
A wave of panic swept over him. His heart crushed inside him.
There they were floating in the pool.
“No!”
Pain and fury shot through his body as he dived in and pulled them both up to the pool side.
Drowning was silent.
It’s often assumed that people screamed and cried out for help if they were drowning, but often it happened suddenly, and people lost consciousness.
First, he laid them down flat and checked them for breathing. He then started first aid and CPR when he couldn’t feel a pulse and breathing was non-existent. He also dialed 9-1-1.
Was he too late?
How could this be happening again?
His heart smashed hard against his rib cage. He thought he was going to lose his mind.
This couldn’t be happening again.
He was trapped in a nightmare.
His family.
He was losing his family—all over again.