"JJ, you do realise that I can't swim very well..." I muttered as we took the long walk up to the sports centre that loomed in front. "Even better." JJ laughed as he patted my back and tried to make me walk faster.

I just didn't get these tasks. What where they actually doing? How does this keep me and my family safe? Why will JJ leave once the tasks have been completed?
I just don't understand, but at the moment the choice is either to do four more of these tasks or go home and simply wait for Vince and his gang to return and kill all of my family, I think we'll go for the first option there.
A few coins rattled gently in my pocket as JJ pushed me through the sliding automatic doors and into the glistening reception area.
"Enjoy your swim Curtis..." JJ waved at me as he walked off.
You know what, sometimes he really gets on my nerves with his grin that spreads across his face and the fact that he won't tell me what the hell these tasks actually do. Though I'll forgive him I suppose, for all the help he's given to me.

I peered nervously over the shining desk to where a man and a woman sat typing furiously at their computers. After an awkward bit of conversation I managed to get through and headed towards the pool through a maze of corridors.
I'm going to take this time now to complain about wetsuits. No joke, they are probably the most uncomfortable thing ever, even more uncomfortable than a bed of nails, and that's saying something. I seemed to waddle over towards the pool edge and I dipped my feet into the water and let the cool water swirl in between my toes. I glanced upwards towards the life guard, him and his ocean blue eyes stared at me from across the pool through masses of curly blonde hair. His face looked stern but confused as he squinted at me. I gave him an awkward wave before I jumped into the water.
The cool water reached up around my neck and I struggled to breathe and keep my head afloat. It felt as if I was simply going to sink to the bottom of the pool, well that is exactly what JJ had told me to do. I placed a small tube, leading to a small container of oxygen that lay hidden in the back of the wetsuit, in between my teeth and allowed my self to sink to the bottom of the pool.

There I found it....a hook...a tiny hook that rose above the surface of the tiles. I swam towards it and attempted to keep my breathes steady and constant, trying to focus on piercing and wrapping the material on the wetsuit around the hook. All I had to do now was wait.

The pool seemed so quiet and peaceful as the clear but cool water blocked all sound from entering my ears. A ripple formed above me as an air bubble rose gently towards the surface.

Any minute now.

The rippling water didn't even seem to bother that it was contained, content with being trapped and unable to move, simply longing for its next victim to sink to its wallowing depths to be consumed.
I saw a figure dashing from their high chair and a flash of red and yellow running at the poolside before the water above me was torn in half as a person dived towards me. The lifeguard looked frantically down at me with his curly blonde hair soaked and swimming in front of his fearful eyes.
My eyes gently closed in front of him and I made my body still and lifeless. I heard the lifeguard gasp and lose all air. The world became peaceful as he rose to the surface for a few seconds only to dive back down so that he was level with me. He attacked the hook stuck in the floor with all his might, but could not hold his breathe long enough in order to untangle the material of the wetsuit. He re-surfaced once more, coughing and spluttering and calling for help desperately with no footsteps growing closer to help him.

He threw himself into the waters next to me and disturbed the peacefulness that I had previously been surrounded by, thrashing and falling until after three more attempts he managed to free me from the hook and brought me to the surface before dragging me from the pool and onto the beige tiles.
His hands were shaking as he tried to wake me desperately, a few other people from the pool had clambered out and stopped disturbing the water and had crowded around me. I allowed my eyes to gently flutter open and I pretended to cough up violently to my side.

"A-are you okay?" The lifeguard panicked, shaking my shoulders and checking for my pulse.
"Um, y-yeah, I think so..." I replied weakly, hiding my secret supply of oxygen and coughing again, I clutched my chest for good luck and watched worry grow on the faces of the crowd of people that had formed around me.
"L-listen, I'm going to call an ambulance. O-okay..."
"N-no!" I yelled sitting up, "it's fine. It's fine. I'm fine. Completely fine." I smiled weakly for good luck.
"Are you sure? I mean, any other person would have probably drowned."
"Yeah I'm sure." I sighed as I pulled myself to my feet and made my legs tremble slightly.
"Okay, if you're sure...."
"Mik-Curtis, my name's Curtis..." I replied with, mentally face palming at the fact that I'd almost revealed my real name.
"Oh. So you're Curtis...." The blonde haired life guard slurred as a smile spread across his face, "so you're Franks friend right?"
"Yep, that's me..." I lied.
"How's Frank doing?"
"Um..." I thought for a second, "Frank's alive and well." I started to make my way steadily away from the poolside, "I'm gunna have to go have a lie down at home or something, don't worry about me..."
"It's okay, just as long as you're okay, say hi to Frank the next time you see him for me!"
"Will do!" I replied with as I disappeared from sight into the maze of corridors.

- .- ... -.- / ....- / .- -. -.. / ..... .-.-.- / - .... . .-. . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -.. .-. .- -- .- / .. -. / - .... . / -. . -..- - / -.-. .... .- .--. - . .-. .-.-.-

After getting changed I headed back over to the front reception desk, tripping over and accidentally pulling the wire which held the vending machine to the wall.
"Oh well..." I sighed, "it'll be fine..."
I placed the coins into the machine and listened as it whirred and prepared to give me a can of coke, though it became stuck and simply laughed at me through the glass. I gave the glass a quick punch to try and tempt it down but shuffled away awkwardly as a ginger haired receptionist glared at me.

I walked quickly through the doors and JJ stood waiting patiently outside. I threw the soaking wetsuit at him angrily.
"Woah! Mikes what's wrong?" He asked, all innocent and sweet.
"What's wrong?" I mocked him.
"Mikes, what's happened?" He was being annoyingly persistent today.
"You!" I yelled, "you fucking happened."
"Well, I'm sorry Mikey, I'm not really sure that's my fault."
"What the fuck are these tasks!" I asked, slightly calmer now as I walked away from him. He trotted along behind me before drawing level, pulling his now damp beanie over his ears.
"They'll all become clear once they've been completed...." He smiled as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"But I want to know now!" I whined, shrugging him from me.
"Trust me...." He smiled, "we've only got two tasks to do now. Then I'll be gone, I promise. We're going to get task 6 over and done with now okay."

I nodded glumly, I had no choice, did I?

Notes

Hiya again, listen, I'm really sorry for this chapter it's kinda shitty but...I promise the next chapter will be better. :) I'm so sorry for like this terrible update schedule as well, but thank you for still being here and for reading, it means a lot. :) thank you so much, hope you are doing well.
-Lou.