Dylan
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Providence calls and my life in the lake begins. I sink to its depths to see my new world. How many times did I dream of this? Ah, but I'm not scared. This is calming and warm, the lake is so inviting. She told me it would be okay. She said she would always be there.
It glows at the bottom. The fish swim through shining reeds that blossom with new life. Each crab has a name, the one with a red smile is named Todd. I only had the one marker. But Providence keeps my attention elsewhere. That's different, I'm not used to it. I don't like having to pay attention to one thing for too long, so why is Providence making me do this? Have I made a mistake?
Was it greed or righteousness that brought me here? Why did I think to come? Now that I start to question it, I have no memory of ever wanting to come here before I jumped into the lake. That's right! I am with Kaede, or was with him. But then she took me away. My life right now is in the hands of another and now I am at the bottom of the lake. So what do I do? Swimming is an option but the current keeps pushing me down. I can move along the bottom but only at a crawl. Climbing the edges is difficult and the dirt falls away at my touch. This is getting scary, I'm just glad I'm not drowning.
My attention is set back on a problem. Two fish are being chased by a river eel. I quickly grab it before turning it another direction and carrying it along to the river. It is released and swims away very confused. Man, my whole body shifted into gear for that. I even stood along the ground while that eel couldn't even get out of my grasp. But now I'm along a crawl again, I can only lay on my back and look towards the surface. I should only be a few meters from the surface yet my hand can not even reach it. Ugh, why am I even here? We were on the road, I know that. But, no, we can't be...it better not be that shit with the ruins. If we were on our way there, I absolutely wouldn't have been calm enough to resist Providence.
I don't want to be here. As long as she has use for me, she won't kill me. But my whole life can't be devoted to being a river monster. Not that I'm no longer human or anything, at least I'd hope so. I just don't want to risk being here long enough for it to happen. I have to get out. Where are my tools? They all are either waterlogged or not even here. Hm, my satchel is missing. I'm gonna try screaming.
"Hhhhhaghheh." God no! I feel it all washing around my lungs even if I can still breathe. Aside from blowing bubbles, the noise barely sounded like a scream, no words could possibly be understood by that. Providence, let me go! I can't be here any longer. No, I don't care where I'm going, I can't stay away forever anyways! Do not keep me any longer, please. I know you can take away fear but at what cost? Let me be. I will always cower even at my own shadow, it's kept me alive so far.
I feel the water leave my lungs. After being flushed out, I feel only a small breath of air holding itself in. Oh gods, she only gave me enough to live right now, my strength is still returning and I need to reach the surface. My arms struggle to lift me up while my legs barely push me off the ground. I can only kick them so little and damn my arms for only being able to flail. I am desperate, I can feel chest straining. Don't breathe in! Keep your eyes open. I'm almost there and I see a hand reaching out. Kaede! I am so relieved, yet I am starting to choke on water. He pulls me out just after and he is helping me cough it out. It hurts so badly, even now my eyes are stinging while I am catching my breath. Kaede is already crying, he was holding my satchel, I probably made him so worried.
I hold him in a hug and thank him for saving my life. Kaede kisses my cheek a few times while holding my head lightly. We have already grown close enough to be comfortable holding each other but each kiss sends me through spirals of complex emotions. I am extremely happy and relieved to be with him that I even kiss his forehead. My relief turns to worry however when I look back at the lake. I expect to see her again and Kaede even looks over while readying his saber.
There is a dangerous look in his eye when he stares out and I can't help staring at the steady glow radiating from his lips and eyes. I notice his fingers twitch before a spark of energy flies forward and blasts a hydraulic tendril apart. We dart away from the lake's edge as motes of flame sweep out from his blade, sending away more lashing arms. We clear away into the forest, only taking cover when we feel we are far enough to be safe. I realize I still haven't said a word to him since pulling me out of the lake.
"Thanks." Fuck, that's all I could say. But he smiles and looks back to me with this kind expression.
"Let's get out of here. We can go somewhere else for now before moving to the crash site." Ah crap, that's right. We were going there, and I am not ready to see that building again. Why did the comet have to land there of all places? "Dylan, you okay? Are you still hurt?"
"No, I'm just processing. We gotta go, even though that place is ass and I nearly died there when I stepped through the portal."
"From the undead?" I did tell him about that but there was one other thing.
"Big ass pockets of killer air. Not dead air, literally makes you choke to death breathing it in. I only barely stepped out of one, yet it dug itself into my lungs somewhere and they haven't been the same since." Gods, and now I might even have a fear of drowning because of earlier. "Maybe we should stop somewhere along the way. There is that mountain lodge, but it was abandoned last I saw."
"Then we can just make a brief stop there. We can get to Lutsville the next day." Kaede was right, Lutsville was only on the other side of the valley. With that in mind, we set off once more.
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Dylan
