Landlocked (A water witch novel) by C.S. Moore Read Free Book Online

good race or not, at least it was over. I held onto the ledge and took off my goggles. For a moment I was confused. I was floating alone. Where were the other swimmers? Had something happened? I whipped my head around and saw them kicking off of the wall on the other side of the pool. I had won by an entire length. That had never happened before.
    I turned my head to the stands to see Sylvia’s face; her rosy cheeks had paled and her eyes were wide in horror. I glanced at the scoreboard and saw the time next to my name, one minute forty seconds. That couldn’t have been right; the clocks had to be off. I had always swum it in two. I didn’t think I’d ever—or any high school student had ever done the two hundred IM that fast. When I looked back to Sylvia, she was on her cell phone talking quickly. In a torrent of splashing, the rest of the girls reached the wall. They took off their goggles and turned to the board, but it had gone black.
    “I’m sorry, we’re having some technical difficulties with our scoreboard. The computer techs are getting it back up now,” a voice assured over the speakers.
    I climbed out of the pool, wanting to retreat back to my seat without meeting anyone else’s eye; not my aunt’s, not the wide eyed crowd’s, and certainly not Jaron’s. I felt like such a freak. How was that possible? I had never seen anyone win by that big a margin, or clock in a time that low.
    “Great job, Maribel!” coach almost screamed. “Too bad about the board being off, that first time would have been a record…” She nodded behind me. “I’m happy with that time too, consistent as ever.”
    I turned and read the time from board.
     
    MARIBEL S.  :  2:00:08
     
    I was automatically relieved. Record setting wasn’t for me. I didn’t need any more attention. I already received more than I wanted. I breathed out a sigh and turned to wave at my aunt, no longer caring if it made me look like a twelve year old. She smiled down at me and gave a thumbs-up, beaming with pride. Maybe she had appeared worried after the race because she knew the time was off and didn’t want me to be let down after seeing its inaccuracy.
    “Hey, girl,” I said, sitting next to Clarissa.
    “You just made my margin of victory look like a loss,” she whined.
    “At least you had opponents. I was racing myself. I don’t know why they were all going so slow.” I wrapped my towel around myself, chilled.
    Clarissa leaned in closer. “No. They weren’t going slow. You were going fast.”
    What was she talking about? My time was about the same as always, and their times were all dreadful. “No I wasn’t. Look at those times, crazy girl. Some of them fell asleep, I think. Or maybe there was something shiny at the bottom of the pool and they went diving for…” My smile faded as I took in her expression.
    Her eyes were dark and confused. “Look, Maribel,” she said, pulling her stopwatch out of the towel in her lap. She handed it to me cautiously.
    I took it from her, bemused. Why the cloak and dagger? I read the little digital screen.
     
    1:40:47
     
    “That is your time. I have never seen anyone swim like that. It was like you were flying over the surface,” she said, full of excitement.
    I handed the clock back to her. “It must not be working right, Clarissa.”
    She rolled her eyes. “That stupid clock doesn’t matter. I saw you!” she said, squeezing my arm. “There is no way that your time was two flat. No way.”
    I shook my head. “Why would they change my time if it was right, Clarissa?” I asked, trying to reason with her.
    “That’s the real question.” She shrugged.
    I turned away from her and looked to the stands. I scanned the crowd but couldn’t find Sylvia, and Jaron was nowhere to be seen, either.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    4
     
    It was Saturday and I was torn. I loved my weekends; it was the only time I could really be myself and not