Water Mist: Deaths Call

• Angelina (angie) Nikolova, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2020

Wondering around the forest at night is dangerous, unless like me you understand the dangers of the forest. As I walk through the forest the lake catches my eye, I see a little girl staring into the depths of the water. I gazed at the little girl, transfixed by the lake’s water; what is she staring at? None other than herself I think, dumb little girl, but the thought hits me of how much trouble she is in; staring at the water.
I begin to scream at the girl, stupid, the girl can’t hear me she can’t hear anyone but deaths call, it will take her life if I do not help her. I must not look at the water otherwise I will be taken too. I walk across jagged rocks, staring at none other than the girl who is bending her knees to dive. I am pushed by a elf– darn those elf’s they never liked me - sending me flying backwards to the lake’s edge. I hear it, death; I block my ears telling myself it will be ok, but a beautiful voice sings, her voice makes me drowsy and urges me to come closer into the lake. I turn my head only to see the girl, the girl diving into the depths of the lake. I must save her, and I am soon swimming into the lake. She’s swimming deeper and deeper, but I can tell she needs oxygen as her strokes are starting to slow. I can also feel my throat screaming for fresh air. She stops and let’s go of her breath, she’s unconscious, but some force is bringing her even deeper. I can’t help her now otherwise I’ll be dead too. Something pushes the air out of my mouth and water is streaming in, flooding my lungs. I have to get back to the surface, but it seems miles away. I change direction swimming up but a new current pull at me – my lungs are on fire – I have to get to the top. I fight for my life swimming faster than I ever have but the current is still strong and is battling to sink me.
I finally can see light coming from the sky I am close, but don’t know how much more I have left in me. Then a hand smashes into the water helping me back up to the surface – Noah I think – but I am coughing up all the water that has made its way to my lungs. I am crying, Noah holding me ‘another victim of the forest’ I whisper to him barely audible, but he nods knowingly anyway. Even as Noah helps me away from the lake all I can think about is how the lake has taken another life, when will this madness stop and how did I just survive?