Pond

[⚠️TW: Suicide⚠️]

It was already past midnight and Io was lying awake in his bed staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. Not being able to sleep wasn't unusual for him since he often had terrible nightmares that would keep him awake all night. The difference now was that this time it wasn't because of nightmares.

After a while of trying to fall asleep he got out of bed. If he can't fall asleep he could atleast do something more productive than just lying in bed. He got dressed and walked to the door of his room. Right as he was about to open the door he stopped and took a few steps back. He wouldn't want anyone to notise him.. A flash of green light illuminates the room for a brief second. Everything goes silent. Io holds his breath for a moment. You only realise how loud the world is after all sound is gone.

Io put his hands into his pockets. They were empty. He turned around and walked to his bag. He dug thought the bag for a moment. "Surely it must be here somewhere.." Soon he finds what he was looking for: a knife with a handle made out of birch and a leather sheath that has a picture of an owl on it. He puts the knife in his pocket. "I should really buy a belt for this.." He leaves the room trying to be as quiet as he can.

He stepped out of the front door and closes it as quietly as he can. He starts walking towards the nearby forest. He wandered through the dark forest for what seemed like an hour. He stops in front of a pond. A creature covered in water plants lifts its head from the water just enough for its glowing eyes to be above the water level.

Io takes off his shoes and socks and steps into the shallow water. He looks at the creature and says "näkki maalle, minä veteen". The creature swims to the edge of the pond, gets out of the water and sits down at the edge of the lake. Io pauses for a moment and then takes off his shirt. He wouldn't want to risk ruining it in the water. He folds the shirt and puts it down on a rock right at the edge of the water. He takes the knife from his pocket and puts it on top of his shirt.

Io walked deeper into the water. As the water reaches his waist he wraps his arms around himself as if that would shelter him from the cool water. His hand briefly brushes against the scar tissue on his left rib. That wasn't the only scar he had. His torso, arms and legs all had scars on them. He didn't need to see them to remember their exact places and shapes. They all reminded him of mistakes he made in the past.

He moved deeper into the water. Everything aroud him was quiet. Thoughts popped into his mind. Thoughts about death and thoughts about life. Usually he would try his best to escape those thoughts but not this time. His thoughts were full of questions that he desperately triedto find the answers to: "Why did I survive this long?" "Answer: Chance." "Why didn't I die back then?" "Answer: Luck." "Why did I choose this path?" "Answer: Desperation." "Why do Iive this life?" "Answer: Chance" "Why don't I just die?" "Answer: Fear" "Do I feel happy?"

..."Do I feel happy...?" Of course he felt happy. Life seemed like it was finally going well for him. Everyone here treats him like a person. He feels like he finally found the right place for him... His hand touches a scar on his right shoulder. A feeling of worry slowly creeps into his mind. "What if this all ended again..?" It wouldn't be the first time that everything falls apart right when he thinks he has found happiness. All it would take is one bad choise. Or maybe none of this was real to begin with. He shakes his head. "This is stupid.." He looks over at the creature that is staring at him with glowing eyes from the edge of the pond. What if he called it back wihout leaving the water first? He would die. Thanks to his ability no one would ever find his body. The perfect disappearence.

He moves deeper into the water. The water reaches his shoulders. He lifts his feet off the bottom and lets them float to the surface. He looks at the stars in the sky.

"What if I actually let it kill me? I wouldn't have to think anymore. Would anyone miss me? I'm not that important to anyone. I would be scared to do it but I suppose you can only get over your fears by facing them. Besides then I wouldn't have to fear anything anymore. It's just like dissappearing. I've done that before only this time I wouldn't come back... I wouldn't ever be hurt again. I wouldn't be bothered by nightmares. I could finally rest..."

He opes his mouth to call the creatures name but before he says anything he gets startled by the sound of a branch snapping somewhere in the woods. He swims back to the rock where he left his shirt and knife. He looks around to see the source of the noice but he can see anything in the dark. He takes a couple of deep breaths and says "näkki veteen, minä maalle".

The creature slides back into the water. Io puts on his shoes and shirt. He tries to make himself believe that he is completely safe and that the noise was probably just made by some animal. He takes the knife out of the sheath just in case.

"Maybe it's time to head home..."

[OOC: It's 4 am already... 😐]