With Hope, the Beginning of Better

Chapter 11: Drowning Once Again

CWs: mentions of Corpses, knee pain

Notes:

Hope you enjoy!

Part 2: Demons

I wanna hide the truth

I wanna shelter you

But with the beast inside

There's nowhere we can hide

No matter what we breed

We still are made of greed

This is my kingdom come

This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat, look into my eyes

It's where my demons hide

It's where my demons hide

Don't get too close, it's dark inside

It's where my demons hide

It's where my demons hide

Demons by Imagine Dragons

Kaz

The sun was just touching the horizon, orange and full. The sky consisted of thick strokes of fuchsia, peach, and light indigo, with wispy clouds dotting the strokes. Kaz was rocking back and forth on their wooden tree swing while Jordie was pushing him, laughing.

"Kaz, you podge, let me have a turn."

Da was on the side, in his checkered shirt and overalls, watching his two boys with a warm smile.

"Now, now, Jordie, don't call your little brother that."

Kaz distinctly remembered that he only had a quarter bell until they all had to go inside, but he didn't want to leave.

"Da, can we just stay here forever?"

His Da smiled wistfully. "No, we can't Kaz, you know that. Life goes on."

"Besides," Jordie interceded, "with a brain like yours, you could change the world. You gotta get out of here."

In his experience, all Kaz had gained from his so-called amazing brain were snide comments and relentless teasing from his peers, but he decided not to mention that.

Instead, Kaz pouted. "You can do what you like Jordie. I'm just gonna stay here with Da forever. We'll swing on the swing, cook and eat hutspot, and play hopscotch all day long!"

Now his Da really laughed. "You know I'm too heavy for that swing, Kaz. Besides, I gotta farm sometime."

"I'll figure something out." Kaz's eyes became unfocused towards the distance. He heard Jordie say something that vaguely sounded like scheming face.

Jesper?

Kaz awoke, gasping. He heard a loud clap over him.

Lightning flashed through the sky and thunder soon shook through his bones. Waves began rocking the ship back and forth as Kaz gripped the wall for dear life.

The boat rocked again and Kaz's hands slipped from the grips on the wall. He landed on his bad knee, hard, and screamed from the pain. His surroundings blurred in the faint moonlight; he couldn't tell the door from the desk.

He let in one deep breath, then another. As his surroundings began to clear, he slowly got up and took steps towards the door, one at a time. When he opened the door, though, he froze at the sight.

There were corpses around him, in the sea, wet and bloating, their skin peeling off in large clumps. He distantly heard someone shout his name but it was too late. The water had pulled him in. He was drowning.