Chapter 6 - Battle for the Locked Buckle
Underwater, the sound of Maya’s racing pulse pounded like a muffled war drum inside her skull.
The seatbelt mechanism had jammed under the sudden angular torque of the sinking impact.
Maya dug her thumbs underneath the red plastic release lever, her nails bending against the stiff latch.
Clara’s head began to tilt limply to the right, her body losing the strength to fight the water.
Maya shook Clara’s shoulder once, desperately willing the pregnant woman to stay anchored to consciousness.
The pale-blue fabric of Clara’s dress was wedged directly into the teeth of the retractor housing.
Maya yanked the wet silk away with a savage twist, tearing the hem to clear the mechanical tongue.
Her lungs began to scream for air, burning with the familiar agony of prolonged submerged exertion.
She ignored the fire in her chest, planting one foot against the wheelchair's front frame for maximum leverage.
With a final, desperate heave, Maya shoved the release button inward until she felt the internal spring give way.
The latch popped free with a silent, tactile snap that vibrated through the metal frame.
The heavy black harness recoiled backward into the water, releasing Clara’s torso from the seat.
Maya immediately wrapped her right arm securely around Clara’s chest, beneath the woman’s arms.
Her left palm slid gently and protectively over Clara’s swollen belly, cushioning the unborn child from impact.
With powerful, surging scissor kicks, Maya propelled both of them upward from the pool floor.
The sunken wheelchair remained behind, an abandoned iron cage resting silently in the deep.
Clara’s limp weight threatened to drag them both sideways, but Maya refused to yield an inch.
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The glowing ceiling of light and sky drew closer with every agonizing stroke toward the surface.
Maya kicked with everything left in her thighs, slicing through the turquoise expanse toward freedom.
