Deceived

Him

I sigh and run my hands down my face. We're just about dead from exhaustion, running from trap to trap, and yet they're still not satisfied. I don't know if I even want to try anymore. I look down. The water is now up to my waist. Autumn isn't laughing anymore. She stares at me, saucer eyed, as the water levels increase.

"Eric!" she shouts, "We can't-," but she is unable to continue as the water pulls her under. Autumn cannot swim. I dive in after her, but just as I do, a huge wave erupts out of nowhere and pushes me off balance. I lose sight of Autumn. I try screaming her name but I get no reply.

That's when I spot the lever. I don't think it was there before but if I pull it, the water might stop. Of course, I do not know that for sure but it's worth a shot. I swim over to it, surprisingly easily and pull it. It is a little hard to pull but I manage it.

As the lever hits the ground, a huge burst of water punches me square in the face. The lever just let out more water. Great, now I feel incredibly stupid.

I need air, now, but swimming up is getting harder by the minute. Just when I feel I am about to die, of exhaustion, starvation, lack of air, I reach the surface and gulp in huge bundles of air. I want to just stay here and hope that the water calms down enough to get out, but then I remember Autumn. She's still down underwater and maybe even already dead. But I push that thought out of my head and leap back into the water before I can change my mind.

I swim around frantically searching for Autumn before I finally spot her. Her eyes are closed and her body is limp. Panic starts to well up inside of me. I grab her and attempt to bring her out but it's just too hard. The water feels like syrup against my skin and I just cannot move anymore.

And then I spot the trapdoor. Right in the middle of this ocean is a trapdoor. Maybe if we get through, we can escape. But once I try swimming, all hope of escaping alive is lost. We are going to die and I am absolutely sure of it.

A strange noise echos through the water but I am hardly paying attention to anything at the moment. But that is before all the water is suddenly gone and Autumn and I are sprawled helplessly on the ground. We are not alone though. I spot another body lying a few feet away from mine. It takes a lot of effort but I manage to get up and walk over to the body. I am completely shocked by what I see.

The body on the floor is my very own mother's. She is not moving but her eyes are wide open. In her hand is tiny, silver object. I start to back away slowly. I can't look at her like this. Even if she worked for the bad guys, she was never entirely bad. She just proved that by saving us. I want to feel sad, angry, devastated, something. But I don't. I feel absolutely no emotion.

I do the only other thing I can think of doing. I turn around and walk away.