Unfinished Short Stories

Water

I stick my foot into the chill, summer lake before slipping beneath the water. I swim out till my feet can no longer touch the bottom. I bop up and down in the water while I look at the dock where Michael, my boyfriend, stands. He readies himself before splashing into the water. I smile and wait for him to come back above the water.

Panic takes a hold of me once he doesn't come back up immediately. "Michael?" I call out to the calm water. Nothing. I call again, getting a similar response.

I feel hands hug my waist, and for a split second I feel relieved.

The feeling is short lived when I get pulled under. I go to scream but my lungs fill with water instead. I try to fight the weight that pulls me deeper and deeper.

"Just let it happen." An unrecognizable, menacing voice whispers in my mind. I stop squirming in fear. "There, there." I feel something caress the back of my head as if whatever it is is trying to comfort me.

My chest fills with a pain as water takes over my insides. My vision is fading and fighting for air is no longer an option. Just let it happen repeats in my head.

I pass through a world and my vision returns to my eyes once air is able to fill my lungs. The scenery looks just like where I came from, but the air is heavier and the water feels thicker.

My body carries my mind to the shore and I crawl onto land. I take in as much oxygen as I can, feeling relieved.

My body feels like it's controlling me more than me controlling it. I stumble onto the dock and lean over the rail. The unrecognizable voice that whisper previously to me comes out of my throat as I scream for Michael.

I don't know what's happening. I don't know why any of this is happening.

Bubbles pop on the surface of the water. I stumble back. I know that whatever is there, it isn't Michael. It feels evil. My thoughts race with every possibility.

I hear drips on the dock. My head whips in the direction of the noise only to find a shadow of a person. Except, it's not a shadow. It's water that is shaped like a human.

It's hand reaches out to me, it's watery flesh dripping onto the wood. "Da. . . Dan. . . Danielle. . ." How does it know my name?

"Who are you?" I spit out in a stuttering mess. "What are you?"

IT only stumbles closer to me, causing me to back away from it.

"Don't run. . ." The voice slowly becomes clear in my mind as the one that keeps whispering to me. What does it want from me?

I feel frozen. I can no loner move my legs. The only thing that is mine now is my thoughts, and those are fading from being my own.

IT's watery fingers gently touch my cheek in a comforting way. Fear melts off my mind and replaces with an odd feeling that I can only describe similar to my mother's loving touch when I was younger and broke my arm. IT doesn't have features, but it feels like they're eyes are warming my heart.

They take me in a cold embrace. I rest my head against them as they rub circles onto my back.

"I've missed you. . ." The voice echoes in my head over all my thoughts, "I'm glad you are welcome into. . . my world. . ."

I feel enlightened. The thought of being dead crosses over my mind, but I ignore it and enjoy the moment.