"Karen, get out." She was thrashing now, staring at the water bubbling around her. "What did you do?!" "Get out of the pool!" I yelled. "What is this?!" "Karen!" I dropped the toxic bottle onto the concrete deck, the plastic clattering loudly. "Get out now!"
Something in my terrified tone finally pierced through her panic. She scrambled toward the plastic stairs, coughing as the chemical fumes rose from the surface. She hauled herself onto the deck, her skin already turning red.
I sprinted to the chairs and grabbed a clean towel, throwing it at her. "Rinse off!" "What?!" "Use the outdoor shower! Right now!"
As the water washed over her, her sheer terror finally morphed into blinding anger. She wiped her eyes and glared at me.
"You put something in the water while I was swimming?" she shrieked. "Yes." I hated saying it. The weight of my stupidity crashed down on me. "Yes, I did."
Karen looked past me, her eyes locking onto the discarded bottle leaking onto the concrete. Then, she looked back at me, the arrogance completely gone, replaced by a promise of absolute ruin.