The Third Breath, page 6 of 12

Dawn has risen under Pip and holds him clear of the swell on her snout, soaked and upright, while the folded leaf floats over on its side.

The first breath lasted to twelve.

The swell came from wherever a sea keeps things, and the bell went sideways, and the second breath lasted to nine.

The third was water.

Then Dawn was under him, and there was air, and he counted nothing at all.

© 2026 A.J.Sharpe