Drown. 
Little air pockets bubbled their way up to the surface, almost as if seeking for faint hope of freedom. Almost unaffected by the volume of water it is engulfed within, not withholding or underestimating the importance of what's trapped within. 

"It seems to be in a hurry to get out of the water, " he mumbled as his finger traced the path the air bubble took. It wasn't a straight path, it was like trickling upwards, an attempt to take the shortest route, the quickest route but dealt with the next best alternative. It felt kind of like a parallel to a human that has always been trying, failing and trying yet again. Trickling upwards to join the air above. Where it belonged. 

"Because it doesn't belong in the water you dumb boy, " his younger "smarter" sister rolled her eyes before retorting. He cast an annoyed look in her direction,

" NOT TRUE, " he rebutted. 
" It is! " 
" It's not! " 
" It is! " 
" It's not!" 
"It-" 

"WILL THE BOTH OF YOU KEEP IT DOWN! " 

That was the command that made both folded their arms, huffed and look away from each other. 

"Psh... " He broke the silence and continued to monitor the air bubbles generated from the air pump. "There are dissolved air you know. " He slyly mentioned in a soft voice but it was loud enough for her to hear. 

"Well, only some! " She snapped, " You don't see the majority of air joining the water right? " 

"Why aren't they eager to seek to reunion with the rest? " he murmured softly as the air pump release yet another batch of air bubbles. 

Both of them kept silent letting the motor sounds fill the room. Why wouldn't some of the air wouldn't join the rest of the air? Why would there be this division anyways? Air, where it belongs, and water together with itself. Maybe, just maybe, like our human world, there are exceptions. We don't always have to be with who we "ought to be". Maybe, just maybe, we could be different and adapting to a different surrounding and yet maintaining our purest state. Unchanged. Or even if we've changed, our function remains. 

"Maybe... it's drowning? " His seven year old sister offered a reason. 

His mind whirred at that suggestion and began exploring the possibilities. But his thoughts were limited by the logic set by man. 
"Air... " he rolled his eyes. "is not a living thing... " He stated as-a-matter-of-factly. " It can't drown. " He groaned at the childish mind of his sister. 

".... Mmm... " she hummed and ignored his comments. "What if, it has forgotten that it is air? Like how daddy forgotten that he has us? " her eyes were indifferent at the mention of that person. That person he still had grudges against. Before his thoughts was allowed to expand further, his younger sister took the silence and replace with her young wise words. 

" Maybe Daddy was drowning. He forgotten that he belonged with us. He needed help but... " she glanced at the air bubbles, looking extremely sad. " We are too busy floating up, we have left Daddy behind.... " she ended off softly. 

"Drowning? " he wanted to know how it feels like to repeat this word. It gives one a dull feeling and a sense of desperation. Yet, it could at the same time describe the euphoria a person feels. Could daddy be drowning? Was it his fault that this man he has always admired left the house doors and never came back? 

" I heard mummy say that she gave up on daddy... " she muttered softly, lowered her head and the ears of her bunny doll. " I never did. But I'm just a tiny air bubble... " 

He gave a small gasp. He was astound to hear that his mother said those words, but more than that, how his smarter sister ( as annoying as she could be ) really made sense to this. They are after all children. They don't know anything. But they do know the meaning of love, the meaning of happy, the meaning of sad, the meaning of trying, the meaning of drowning perhaps. 

She still looked sad. His heart ached. He bravely took a step forward to began his role as an older brother. He hugged his little sister tight, and tried to control the emotions that both of them shared at the memory of their father. 
" Even, " he started, unsure of how he could comfort his sister. " Even if what you say is true, I will never let you drown okay? " He didn't know how to continue. 
She pulled back, held her rabbit doll in a hand, and another hand holding his tiny hand, " Me too. I won't leave you behind. We shall join the air as quickly as we can, not forgetting who we are. " 

He smiled, his sister is really mature for her age. He the top of her head, and whispered softly, " Even if you forget, I will stay with you." 

"We're not drowning, we are just believing in ourselves. " he his dry lips, and wondered how he could end this.
"Even if everything has changed, we are who we are. " she chirped. 
And both of them smiled, before heading back into the room to surprise their mother. 


Little air bubbles collide with each other to form a larger air pocket. And it was an express ride upwards. 
Floating.