Rite of Water by LindaMarie 10/05/04: PG Elena is in the sea, in the frigid sea, treading water, watching her lovers like dolphins. She cannot go under, not yet; she remembers breathing water and then not breathing at all. She remembers pain. "Elena." She shivers as Stefan's cool arms (she knows they are Stefan's, for they touch her so gently) encircle her, bare skin to bare skin. "Follow me; come see." And he goes under, tugging her wrist. She inhales air and accedes, for him. Down, in the sunlit sea, they go down. She feels the pressure in her ears, looking up. The sky is so far away. Below, she sees endless blue. There, Stefan directs her, and there is a slick-brown sea lion, and Damon, pale as a harbor seal. Together they dance, a ballet, intricate twirls and postures impossible on land. She pulls Stefan in and the two becomes four, the dance becomes intricate knotwork. The sky stays high above, yet that one breath still lives in her lungs.