The girl found something out of the ordinary

"Uh, hi? You, uh, swimming alone?" the girl stammered, clearly surprised by the sight of Melissa's head in the water.

"Hi," Melissa mumbled, a hint of shyness creeping into her voice. "Yeah, I like swimming too."

Melissa's mind churned. The girl remained oblivious, seemingly content with her arrival. A flicker of hope ignited in Melissa – perhaps the girl would head straight for the locker room, offering a window to disappear before the second girl reappeared. But disappointment quickly followed. The girl, in a move Melissa hadn't anticipated, settled onto a nearby bench. Now, not only was her presence a dead giveaway, but her proximity made any attempt at escape a risky proposition. The tension in the air crackled, thick and almost suffocating.

"Cool! I hate waiting," the girl chirped, oblivious to the Melissa's predicament. "So I figured I'd join you...well, almost."

Panic gnawed at the edges of her mind. Every second spent submerged felt like an eternity. How much longer could she maintain this ridiculous charade without arousing suspicion? Her muscles screamed in protest, begging for relief, but surfacing meant revealing her predicament.

The girl's voice broke the silence. "Hey, you okay? Why aren't you swimming?" Her concern sent a shiver down Melissa's spine, not from the question itself, but from the way the girl's gaze flickered downwards, lingering for a moment on the still water surrounding Melissa's head. A knot of dread formed in Melissa's stomach. This innocent inquiry could unravel everything.

"Ugh, just catching my breath," Melissa mumbled, forcing a tired groan. "Been swimming laps for a while, you know how it is."

Relief washed over her as the girl finally rose and retreated towards the locker rooms. This was her chance! Melissa surged upwards, the cool water a welcome shock after holding her breath for so long. But a new obstacle emerged: the stark reality of her situation. Wet and exposed, dashing through the halls was out of the question. Her gaze darted around the pool area, searching desperately for anything – a towel, a forgotten shirt, anything – that could offer a semblance of cover. The clock was ticking, and the silence felt heavy with the potential for discovery.

"Honestly, I have no idea where to start, but I guess at the beginning..."

Melissa's heart lurched. A mere moment ago, the girl had been a distant figure retreating to the locker room. Now, she stood mere feet away, a living embodiment of Melissa's worst fears. Panic clawed at her throat, constricting her breath as she scrambled for a way out of this unexpected confrontation.

“Why… you..?”, Melissa was speechless.

A blur of motion caught Melissa's eye. The girl, who had just entered the locker room, was sprinting back towards the pool area. Her unexpected return slammed the door shut on any hope Melissa had of a swift exit. The water, once a refuge, now felt like a trap.

The girl's voice cut through the air, sharp and accusing. "There's something...off. And now I see it – your shoulders. You're not wearing anything in the pool, are you?" A tremor of fear ran through Melissa. The girl's observation shattered her carefully constructed illusion.

Speech deserted Melissa. The girl's words were a sledgehammer blow, shattering the fragile illusion she'd constructed. All she could manage was a stunned silence, her body a statue locked in a silent plea. The girl, no longer a casual observer, now held the upper hand. Her next words, dripping with a newfound awareness, would determine Melissa's fate.

"That's strange," the girl said, her voice laced with suspicion. "I just went to the locker room, and every single locker was empty. Not a single towel, swimsuit, or anything. It's like..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the ominous implication hanging in the air.