Hey!
I wrote this for a competition thing but it's way over the word count so.... I thought id post it. It's not PJO.
Though ideas are always welcome!
See Ya Eventually Creeps!
-Jaz
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The River
"Who fix me now? Dive in when I'm down?
Save me from myself, don't let me drown.
Who will make me fight? Drag me home alive?
Save me from myself, don't let me drown..."
He sings his favorite song quietly to himself, as sits in the tree above part of the river. It's calm currently but the river enjoyed toying with its victims. Making them think it is safe. Victims climb in for nice refreshing dip when the river will change in an instant. Beginning to churn and twist dragging its victim downstream. If the pressure or drowning didn't kill them, the rocks would. Until then the river seemed to lie in wait. Waiting for more victims to drag down so it wouldn't be lonely.
Still he sits up in the tree and no fear courses through his veins as it should. He's done this more times than he could count. It was stupid really. One missed step and he'd be dead.
But would his own death wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him? He wouldn't have to go back to the hell he called home... He didn't realize he was leaning forward until he grabbed on to the branch to steady himself. His heart was racing. He could've died. But that wouldn't be so bad...
He stared down at the water which seemed to call to him. He shook off the feeling before climbing down the tree and heading home.
~~~~
"Where are you going?" She asked running to catch up.
"Nowhere," he replied walking faster. She wasn't having it. She grabbed his wrist and held him there.
"You've been ignoring me lately. Just tell me what's wrong? Come on we're friends aren't we friends?"
"Friends? Friends? Do friends ignore other friends in the hallway!? Do friends keep walking away when the other is being beaten down ruthlessly? You only want to be friends when no one else is around! I'm not your friend I'm your fucking pity party! I don't need you to feel bad for me! I can do that by myself!"
She opened and closed her mouth unsure of what to say. He wrenched his arm out of her grip. He hurried off before she could say another word.
~~~~
"I honestly don't understand why you risk your reputation from him."
She jerked her head up to stare at her friends who had suddenly changed the subject.
"What do mean?" She asked.
"We all saw that fight between the two of you. And it's clear that it's bothering you. But it's okay, you don't have to keep pretending to be his friend. He-"
"I'm not pretending to be his friend."
"Look it's okay. Everybody knows he's your pity friend. I think it's sweet really." The two girls next to her nod simultaneously "But, at the same time it's bringing down your reputation. Which is bringing down our reputation."
She stared at her friends in disbelief. "You really think I'm pretending to be his friend? I am his friend."
The girl in the middle sighed. "I'm trying to help you here. Just do as I say. And stop pretending to like that freak."
"He's not the one I'm pretending to be friends with."
"What is that supposed to mean?" The girl asked eyes narrowing.
She stood. "You seem to know everything about me. So why don't you figure it out." With that said she grabbed her jacket and stalked out headed toward the river.
~~~~
He sat at the base of the tree rather than in it. He glared at the water as if it was source of all his problems.
Well in a sense it was. Here was the only place he could feel close to the person who was stolen from him by the river. What he would give to see her again. He would do anything. Anything.
He didn't even realize he had gotten closer to the river until the cold water filled his veins along with panic and fear.
He did his best to get t the surface of the water which was no longer calm. As if it had sensed him in the water and decided to pick up the speed. He coughs in splutters flailing trying to get his bearings. All memories of swimming and swim classes seem to have been replaced with fear 101.
He cried out in pain when he hit a rock. He held on to it but his grip was slipping.
How the hell was he going to get out of this?
She had always been there. She told him she'd keep him from falling in but had driven her away, just like everyone else.
What doesn't destroy you, leaves you broken instead.
Got a hole in my soul growing deeper and deeper.
And I can't take one more moment of this silence.
The loneliness is haunting me.
And the weight of the world's getting harder to hold up.
It comes in waves, I close my eyes.
Hold my breath and let it bury me.
I'm not okay, and it's not alright
Won't you drag the lake and bring me home again?
Who will fix me now? Dive in when I'm down?
Save me from myself, don't let me drown.
Who will make me fight? Drag me out alive?
Save me from myself, don't let me drown.
'Cause you know that I can't do this on my own.
~~~~
"Are you an idiot!?"
He looked down from where he was climbing the tree to the girl standing there staring at him.
"Not last I checked," he replied. "Now, can I help you?"
"You're so stupid your climbing the tree next to the river! The river! Are going to fall in!"
"No I'm not," he protested comfortably sitting himself on a branch and looking down at her. "I've done this many times."
"That doesn't make it a good idea!"
He shrugged. "Why do you care anyway? You've never talked to me before despite us being in three classes together."
She blinked surprised but ignored his question. "And what are you going do if you fall in?"
He paused and cocked his head to one side. "I suppose you'd save me," he decided.
"Me!?" She cried indignantly.
"So you'd just let me die then? Wow what's kind soul you are."
She frowned before letting out a sigh and situating down at the base of the tree.
"What are you doing?"
"Well if I've been deemed your savior I need to stick around."
"Don't sit down there you'll get splashed. Come on up here."
"I'm not climbing the tree."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh I see. My savior is chicken."
"I'm not chicken."
"Chicken."
"Idiot."
"Bak. Bak. Bak."
"Fine!" She scrambled up and without much thought climbed up the side of the tree and sat next to him. "Happy now- oh we're up high..." She gripped his arm tightly.
"Oh," he said softly. "You're scared of heights..."
"Thanks Captain Obvious! How do I get down!"
"You don't. You'll make sure I don't fall in the river and I'll make sure you don't fall out of the tree. Deal?"
She nodded slowly. "Deal."
~~~~
She hurried down the river bank calling his name. She had assumed he was ignoring her. That was until she heard the splash.
She screamed his name as she ran as fast as she could. Time passed painfully slowly as she looked for him. Finally she spotted him clinging to a rock panic evident on his face.
"You idiot!" She screamed.
"It's not like planned this!" He shouted back. "Help! Please! I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"Not now stupid!" She shouted searching for a branch or something to reach out to him. Finding nothing she took off her jacket and grabbed a sleeve and swung it toward him. He grabbed it with his left hand but his right lost the grip of the rock. He began to go downstream. Only this time he pulled her in with him.
~~~~
Two souls washed up downstream later. Both lay soaked and breathing heavily on the river's bank.
"We're alive?" He said but it came out more as a question.
"We're alive," she repeated before she started laughing with relief. "We're alive!" She pulled him in a hug.
"I'm so sorry," he told her. "I should have said those things-"
"And I shouldn't have ignored you. But that's not important right now. Right now I want to know what the hell you were thinking!"
He sighed and stared at the water now calm again. "I don't know. I was just thinking about my mom and then next thing I knew, I was in the water..."
"Your mom?"
"Yeah... She loved the river despite the danger. One day, she my dad and I came down here for a picnic. I tripped over a rock and scraped my knee. I was crying and she started to try to make me laugh by doing a funny dance... The edge of river bank gave way under foot. She slipped in... My dad has blamed me ever since..."
She didn't respond at first. "You come here to be close to her." He nodded once and she pulled him in a hug. "Come on," Let's go before my mom sends out a search party."
He gave a small smile as they both rose walking back upstream in silence. Both froze when crying reached their ears. Around the corner a girl was crying as she knelt at the base of a tree. Dying flowers were lying around her and a fresh bouquet sat on her lap. On it was sign. The sign had two sets of names, dates, and ages.
"I miss you so much sis..." The girl sobbed.
She stared at her sister in disbelief as things settled in. They didn't make it...
She heard a splash behind her and turned to see a multitude of faces staring back at her from the river. One of those faces was his. A smile nearly split his face as he embraced a woman. His mother... she realized. He look so happy standing with his family. Why couldn't she have that?
She looked back toward her sister and reached her hand out. Her sister looked up and looked past her at the river. The sister stood walking closer before she shook her head and ran off.
She frowned.
"It's okay," said the voices behind her as one. "She'll be back. They always come back and join us."
She nodded and looked at the river and jumped in without hesitation. Submerging herself until her sister comes back. She didn't want to be lonely.
~~~~
Song: Drown. By Bring Me The Horizon