Richard looks up and sees his uncle’s wavy reflection standing over the pool.
He blinks, momentarily stunned in the water as he sinks further and further down.
He feels the small vortex Eddie Bon-Moon was kicking up as he swims deeper and deeper into the abyss. Christopher Robin was close at his side, sliding elegantly through the water. Seth Bynum was sinking. His air bubbles floated past Richard.
And as if suddenly awake in the scene, Richard saw his 3 friends swimming and sinking into a darkness he couldn’t fathom.
It was a darkness that vibrated an energy, it was alive. The edges of it seemed to glow.
All the children and people in the pool faded away. The walls of the pool also vanished, and now Richard was lost, drowning in an endless ocean.
He tried to scream in the water, but only a slew of air bubbles came out. Chris and Eddie seemed to be swimming towards that strange hell. And Seth looked like he was unconscious. What was going on?
Rich turned upward and saw his uncle’s hand flat on top of the water, and even though the image was wavy, he could make out Kaye’s mouth movements.
He was chanting a spell.
Richard struggled to swim to him. He was a good swimmer and had swimming class for years. But no matter how much he tried to get to the top to reach his uncle’s hand, he couldn’t. He was trapped!
Richard called out again, but more soundless bubbles came out. Maybe his uncle would have sympathy for him and dive in to pull him out.
Kaye’s hand was deeper in the water. Was he reaching for him? Richard struggled with all his force to touch him, and just when he was mere inches from the skin, Kaye’s spell was complete.
A bright light explodes from Kayes’ hand and the entire pool explodes in pure light. Everything else fades to white, including Little Richard.
