Butterfly Wings

Epilogue

Epilogue Part 1

I drift numbly through the ice-cold water; the water pushes me forward as I stare numbly at the darkened sky. I can feel the sting of ice against my body, the breeze of cold air smacking me; my body shivers against my failed attempts to breathe calmly. The night sky is filled with cloudy stars and the big bright reflection of the full moon. I can still feel my wounds drip with iron, as I float on my back trying to not pass out from the tiring struggle to stay awake. I fight against the forces around me, the world fights against me, the cold water, the cold night air; I look to the side, the forest fills the dreamless void with beauty and horror, the darkness is peaceful but fearful.

My bloody and beaten body whips side to side as the now calm flowing river becomes skinny and rough. I feel the fear bubble up as I realize I am dying, I will die, this will be my end, I will drown. I now fly down the stream of rushing water, water whips my face as I turn to face towards my new unknown destination ahead, I struggle to keep myself above the water. I watch the trees fly and I push with all my strength to float on my back again, shadows of trees fly by and I quietly cry watching the stars and sky move above me.

I cannot help but admire how beautiful it is, and I cannot help but think, if I die at least, I can be somewhere beautiful. I float for what feels like forever as the cold dark black thick stream of water around me seems to slow, and I feel the current relax. I look forward to seeing something that chills me to the bone, the reason for the slowness of the current, a drainage that is sucking water through what looks to be a damn wall and the fear that calmed with the rough current returns with an even more fearful scream.

I try and try again to swim away but the closer I get, the strong current returns sweeping me away harder than before; I push myself and I cannot seem to get away until finally I give up and my now broken body loses the last of its strength. I get pulled into the void of night sky water; I feel my body being swung in every direction. My head rams straight into a cement wall and I feel my breath leave me and unconsciousness fill me, until the pricks of ice water are numb against me. My heavy eyes blink several blurry pictures away until I can see the scene around me. The sun is barely picking up and the chill of night still sits around me, my mangled body sits against a large boulder as the numbing water sweeps under my legs.

I feel numb in every way, my bloody fingers reach up and I look at my now black and blue fingers, swollen like a balloon and the long cuts of blood cover my entire arm, I feel my heavy head lull from side to side as I try to move. I can hear distant noises of cars zipping, what sounds like traffic and car horns, I can hear people laughing and children screaming, as I finally flip to my now bare belly and lift my head up and look over the brick ledge that seems to wrap around the entire lake, and I see a distant park past the busy trees and I see a walking path a couple feet away from me with benches that follows the path around the lake, it feels too normal, it feels too safe, and I whip my head to the sides and see a bridge that's blocked by a huge hanging tree, I see people standing and taking pictures; smiling and talking, and to the right I see a road in the distance, the trees cover the view like cracked blinds.

I suddenly hear fast footsteps and my heart picks up, they have come to finish me off, I lay my head down quickly and play dead, hoping they do not see my movements, and I hear the heavy quick steps slow to a stop and I hear what sounds like a ragged breath, suddenly the voice above me screams out, a man's voice echoes in all directions and the whisper of a voice now identified as a woman speaks out of range.

I can hear the man I assume is with the women shout again more directly. "HEY, do you have a phone? Can you call the police, we just found a body!"

A gasp is heard in response and I assume the stranger has now noticed my presence in the water, I hear others gather as gasps and people speaking out to try and help me begin to fill my ears; I listen closely as my body stills even more, my breath almost non-existent. I can feel the calm current of water splash and move harshly around me, and I feel the warmth radiate from the figure next to me. I feel fingers touch my arm and I flinch and curl away from the figure's touch, loud gasp fills the air around me and the figure is quick to grab my arm and my head to hold me in place.