Hush Water

Part I

“They say… that when you’re drowning, it feels like you’re choking on fire”. Marci said in a parched voice, before taking one more puff from the cigarette between her ashed fingers. She liked to hold it in for a couple of seconds to savor the taste, then let it all out in one big sigh. It calmed her. “Speaking from experience, that statement doesn’t even begin to sum that shit it up”. Marci coughed into her sleeve, then carelessly flicked away the remaining bud. Marci was an attractive woman, with short curly black hair at the top of her head, which faded away seamlessly down the sides. She had deep brown eyes that stared off into the distance. She wore black gauges, and a leather jacket; and reminded Anton, of someone in an Italian gangster movie. Anton, a relatively normal, clean shaven, six-foot male with green eyes and blonde hair, shuffled through his mind for a response. “At least you’re not dead though, right?” He said with a half-hearted shrug and a dumb smirk on his face. That was his way of comforting her. He never really was the best person to talk to. But Marci thought he was kind, so she didn’t mind his company. She just happened to bump into the guy a couple of weeks ago. She asked him for a smoke, they exchanged a few cordial words, started hanging by the lake, and the rest is history.

Marci preferred the silence, whereas most people found it to be painfully awkward. Anton was most people. In the few times they had spoken, Anton was always the first one to “break the ice.” Marci didn’t particularly love that metaphor. ”Ice breaking, isn’t historically a good thing.” She said to him once. She wasn’t being a pessimist, she was just keeping it real. Anton thought she was just being funny at first, but before he could crack a joke in response, there she was staring off into the lake with the same haunted expression on her face that she had now. Even through all of her blunt words, and her seemingly unapologetic composure, Anton couldn’t help but to feel like somehow, he was responsible for the way she felt. “C’mon, I’ll walk you home. It’s getting cold.” Said Anton. A strange but familiar memory rushed into Anton‘s mind during the walk. He could hear his own voice whispering words he would never think to say aloud. Anton stopped abruptly and listened. He hadn’t realized that Marci had already stopped as well, and was staring back at him with cautious eyes. After a period of brief, but painful silence, Anton flashed an unhinged look at Marci that made her insides turn. She began backing up slowly, and Anton slowly advanced. “Are you okay?” Marci asked with shaken voice. Suddenly, Anton burst into a hard sprint in her direction. Before she could react, she choked up, then stumbled and hit her head... Blackness.

Marci choked and garbled as she struggled desperately to swim back toward the lakes’ surface, which was already well out of reach, and barely glimmered beneath the unsettled grey sky beyond it. From where she sank, it was like a distant fog light. What had happened to her? The water was cool and still, yet Marci‘s lungs burned as if she had just shotgunned a glass of lava. Her skull felt as if it were about to shatter under the pressure, and every muscle in her body clenched until she could no longer move. Despite her best effort, she continued only to sink. This wasn’t normal. Even in fading consciousness, Marci had realized that the water hadn’t been making any sound, nor did it swash, or even form bubbles out of her helpless screams. There was only stillness. It was like the water itself was dead, and the moon had abandoned ship. As far as she could see, there was no bottom in sight. There was only the insufferable, heart wrenching blackness, which resembled that of deep space. The time had come for Marci to die. She almost prayed for it. Death himself had put her on a brief hold, it seemed.

Marci‘s eyes went shut. The excruciating pain in her body began to leave seamlessly as she began to feel a sense of comfort. The monkey chatter in her mind quieted, and her previously unbridled fear began to quell. She was well on her way now. Marci‘s mind began to flicker. Her memories… Anton... how she got there… again… This already happened. Voices echoed in her head.

“They say that when you’re drowning, it feels like you’re choking on fire.”

“At least you’re not dead though, right?”

“C’mon, I’ll walk you home. It’s getting cold…”

The stark cold against Marci’s pale and frozen skin was suddenly replaced with a soothing warmth, then a rush of light struck her in an instant.

Nothingness…

Part II

Marci awoke on shore where she had awoken a time before. This time, Anton had remained waiting against a nearby tree stump, and a small campfire. It was night. Anton let out a puff of smoke. “Thats two!” He shouted as he held up two fingers. It was like he was watching an NBA player shoot a free throw. Marci coughed and sputtered. The water in her lungs spewed from her mouth and nose. Anton kneeled down a few feet away and took another smoke. “You’re probably wondering what happened.” He said calmly. Disoriented, and confused, Marci bared her teeth and swiped at Anton. She missed. “You know, you never DID explain how you ended up drowning in the first place. Or maybe you don‘t remember yourself.” Anton kicked Marci as she begin to crawl. Her voice hadn’t caught up to her yet, but she still managed to let out a pained shriek. ”You’re fucking cursed Marci! You know why you’re not already fish food? Because there ARE no fish Marci! Theres nothing! No life whatsoever in that there lake!“ Marci squirmed in agony. She caught her breath and began to stagger once more as she crawled. This time, Anton walked along side as if to mock her. “Let me tell you a story.” He said.

“Once, in a little shitty town called ‘Alenway’, there was a lake. Could you guess what that lake was called, Marci?” Anton asked before delivering another kick to Marci‘s rib, winding her. Marci gripped her side and wheezed. “Hush Water, was the name of that lake. But this wasn’t your ol‘ regular lake Marci. No see, the thing about THIS particular lake was that it DID shit to people…their souls.” Anton leaned begin to undo the buttons on his shirt. Before Marci could think the worst, Anton revealed a scar on his abdomen. It was a from stab wound. “A gift from YOU Marci. The first time I killed you, you actually managed to get me on the ropes, and THIS is what you did to me. You took me with you Marci. We BOTH drowned that night.“ Marci‘s eyes widened in horror. She summoned all the strength in her body, and darted for a clearing beyond the trees. “HELP! HELP ME!” Marci bellowed. A dim light appeared came into view in the distance. She looked back and saw nothing. Anton was nowhere in sight. A faint sense of hope made it’s way into her stomach, but it was short lived. The dim light had come closer into view now. It was the same little camp fire. Marci’s stomach churned now. Anton clicked his tongue from behind her.

”You didn’t let me finish my story.” Marci turned fast to see ANTON holding a knife. “What is this?” Marci whispered. “Another one of Hush Wasters’ little jokes. Now, whereas you keep losing your memory, I always end up remembering more and more before you do. After coming back the first time, I was never the fucking same! Exclaimed Anton. You’re fucking crazy!” Screamed Marci. “Am I?” Anton screamed back. “I thought I was too. After the second time, I just had to keep testing it out. It‘s like an addiction now Marci. No matter how or when I kill you, you always end up coming back out of this lake. Then once again, we just happen to stumble into each other, I just happen to ask you for a cigarette, and the story goes on.” Marci looked around for a something to defend herself with. Desperate, she pulled a thick stone from the ground, and raised it. “If you’re so sick of me killing you, then why don’t you just stop coming for me, you sick asshole?” She growled. Anton jumped at Marci, forcing her to shuffle backward. Then, he rushed her. Anton knocked the stone from Marci’s hand and tackled her to the ground. Anton punched Marci, then she was dazed.

Anton panted hard while he brandished his knife at her. He was enjoying himself. “Like I said, it‘s like an addiction now Marci. I‘m never going to stop coming for you.” Anton clenched a hand around Marci’s throat. She whimpered with closed eyes as she choked... again. Anton raised his knife high in the other hand, but before he could say a final word, he was struck to the side of his head with the same stone which he had previously disarmed, knocking him violently on his back. Everything fell silent. Marci caught her breath, then made her way on to her feet to see Antons motionless body laying beside her. Blood pooled from his head, and his eyes remained open. He was dead. Marci felt the same sensation of hope she had recently lost. The sun was coming up, and Marci could hear sirens approaching from the distance. Someone had heard her screams. Without second thought, she pulled Antons lifeless body toward the lake, then let it sink. Closer now, the sirens wailed. Marci knew that if they found her at the scene, she would be charged for murder. So she ran.