Ruler of the Undertow

Prologue: Shades of Gray...

I lay still—within a bathtub—practically daydreaming with a smeared thought scattered across my mind. From birth till now, I've always been socially awkward. I never had the naturally pretty face that earned me friends. I never had gifted structural genes. I spent my life purchasing hair products, skin care, special clothing, and more because I couldn't do it any other way. I had to buy what I am now, they got it naturally. Not only that, they got it better, much better.

Ever since I turned twelve, I've always stressed about others, what they thought of me, if they talked about me, and what they would say. These negative thoughts always stretched and contorted forcing me to use more brain power.

Even me, somebody who does it repeatedly can admit. It's a enormous waste of time. Life would be much easier—even fun—if people could just seal their little annoying lips.

"Pfft... I'm done thinking about all this bullshit, it's obvious, I'm just a coward who can't handle the pressure..." I mumble as the water fills up to my neck. Turning the faucet off, I lay back and look towards the light above me. "Yuck... There's like four bugs up there..."

"If you look at it without focusing your eyes, you'll see the brightness and light that comes from the sun. Unfortunately if you lock in and really take in the hues, you'll see a world filled with many—maybe even infinite—shades of gray." I think, smiling softly at a combination of light that shines directly down into my retinas.

"Some people are met with fates that they deserve, and some aren't. Stupid people who do nothing with their lives are met with a boring fate. People who are popular and happy tend to be met with an honorable death. Loners who have almost no friends—even acquaintances—will be met with one of four fates." I sigh before continuing down my long well filled with unnecessary thoughts instead of water.

"One: They die from some illness caused by depression or something like that."

"Two: They grow old and die lonely like some useless piece of shit living only to disturb."

"Three: They grow into a social person and slowly become likable."

"Four: They commit suicide." I think with a chuckle as the multicolored pills flood my mouth like some sort of city sized pool filled with building sized whales. Using the bathtub water, I swish the pills around and eventually they make their way down my most likely unhealthy throat.

"Bluegh... Time for seconds..." I utter. Or, should I say I speak my final sentence.

Pop... They fall into my gaped mouth.

Slurp... They swish around making a slushy like noise.

Swallow... They rush down my oddly tightened esophagus.

A headache swells from my head as my vision slowly but surely gets blurry—as if it'd go black keeping my eyes open for more than a second longer.

Slide... My head dunks under the water and my vision shades to a hex code of #000000—in other words pitch black.