FALLING

Daniel, 11th - New York, NY

The water flowed over my face as I opened my eyes. I looked up and saw the great river roar over me as though I was a rock in a stream. The sun's beautiful rays fanned out around me like a many-armed angel. I felt the currents drag at my clothes. They seemed to whisper to me, “Come down Nathan, down into the depths.” I shivered, What's going on here I thought. The water felt more insistent now: “Come down Nathan,” it said again. Just then, a leaf dropped onto the river. I watched as it landed above me, sending ripples across the water. It flowed down the stream gently rocking from side to side. Such a nice leaf I thought. “Be like the leaf, Nathan. Come to us.” The voice seemed to emanate from everywhere– “What is this? Why am I underwater and who the f*** is Nathan?” I pushed up from the river bed, but it was as if it didn't want to let me go. “Stay Nathan,” it whispered into my ear. “My name’s not Nathan,” I screamed, trying to rip myself free from the silt. “No, stay with us Nathan, stay and be one.” I am not dying to some creepy river voice, I thought, as the silt started closing over me like a coffin. “Come join us,” the voice said as if slithering into my ear. It was getting hard to think now. NO NO NO I wanted to say, but it was like my mouth was sewn shut by a million little needles. The water pressed down on me, the pressure feeling like I was trying to move a mountain: “Yes Nathan, come down.” The silt closed over my head and the world went black as I was dragged into the dark abyss. “Thank you, Nathan.”