Grian always heard that drowning was panic-inducing, and the one sinking was always fighting for air until the end. He heard that it was a battle, the water clawing at the victim as they flailed their arms in a desperate attempt at swimming.
Maybe it was his Avian genes, making his respiratory system different. Maybe it was because the water was warm and inviting.
Whatever the case, drowning was nothing like Grian had imagined.
At first, he did panic, his instincts kicking in and trying to get air. Grian was expecting the ocean to claw at him, to be resistant to his escape efforts.
Instead, it was almost like a calm blanket, telling him that it was okay. That it would be over soon, to stop fighting. It gently pulled him down, lulling him to sleep. His arms ached, and after some time, Grian gave in.
When his lungs filled with water, all it felt like was a warm candle had been lit in his chest, gradually getting warmer. He couldn't breathe, but that was okay, right?
He felt himself drift off, sinking down to the bottom of the sea where some fish came and nibbled on his fingers. He knew that when he respawned, his old body would disappear. He didn't mind giving the fish a meal while he could.
It barely hurt, the warm water numbing his skin and causing his feet to fall asleep. The candle inside him grew bigger and hotter, almost burning now.
Then the tips of his fingers and toes lost feeling, the numbness spreading up his arms until he was just a head and the hot candle.
The flame burned bigger, and he felt like his chest was burning away, leaving numbness in its place.
He was just a head, darkness creeping at the edge of his vision. Nothing else existed.
______________
And then he shot up in bed, hair still soaking, the cold air seeping in and sending shivers through his body. His lungs heaved, body panicking as it tried to process what had just happened.
It was scary, the ocean almost hypnotizing him.
Tearing off his wet sweater and jeans, and changing into a pair of warm pajamas, Grian climbed back in bed and pulled the warm blankets back around him.
Never again.
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My Writetober 2020
قصص الهواةI've made my own spin on Writetober. The first 15 days will be whump, and the last 15 are just whatever I want to do. Prompts at the top of the chapter, came up with them myself. This is not to be confused with Whumptober. (cross-posted on AO3) (cov...
