The Pond
There's a small pond in the forest behind my house. It's so deep, and the water so clear, sometimes I fancied I could see through to another world, another time, where everything is different. I spent hours sitting at its ledge. I dropped rocks, small pebbles, into it and watched the ripples fan out, a small shock wave that distorted the reflection. I loved to listen to the faint lapping of the water when it reached the edge.
It had this soothing effect on me. Whenever I needed to escape, I ran to it. It's secluded, in a small grove not easily accessible. It had become a safe haven for me over the years. All my cares, all my worries disappeared at the edge of the glade, and the familiar sight of the small pond brought peace to me. I had never dared enter its waters. It was always too sacred for that.
One particularly terrible day, when the sky was covered in thick black clouds who refused to drop their load, I ran to the pond. I found out moments before that my dearest friend since childhood had just been in an accident and had been rushed to intensive care. It was likely he wouldn't survive the night. On this day, I ran to the pond and kneeled next to its waters and wept. Minutes passed, and I drew silent. I stared at my reflection, a disheveled mess.
The longer I stared, the more convinced I became that the reflection in the water wasn't my own. I thought I saw it wink at me and beckon me to join it. My thoughts slowed, my mind became muddled. All I could think about was how pleasant it would be to join my reflection and forget about everything else.
I bent over the water, trying to get closer to the reflection. I leaned further and further until I lost my balance and slipped into the waters. I thought I heard in my splash a sigh of relief. As I began to sink lower and lower, I looked up at the surface and noticed how calm it had suddenly become, as if I hadn't fallen in. I tried to laugh, but instead a gurgling sound and bubbles came out of my lips. The light from above was beginning to fade, and soon I was enveloped in darkness.
My lungs began to burn with an invisible fire, begging for air. My mind began to clear slightly, and I felt around for the edges of the pond, but I could neither see nor feel them. I thought I would start to panic, but instead I felt even calmer.
I suddenly felt an electric shock run through my body; it felt as if I had been punched in the gut. I gasped in shock, and found, rather than chocking in the water, it was easier to breath than before. I looked back up at the surface, so far away, so distant, like an old memory. I looked around me and noticed other standing around me, all staring at the surface as if trying to contemplate what it was and why it was there. Some looked as if they had been there for days, some for centuries. I could see it in their eyes, how long they had been there. The oldest had the longest eyes, as if they were trying to remember something that was important, but just out of reach.
I heard suddenly weeping coming from above. I looked up to see a familiar face crying at the pool's edge. I couldn't quite remember who it was, only that they had been in my thoughts before I fell, before I joined this underwater sanctuary. Why had I been thinking about them?
The figure above stopped crying and looked down at me. I felt so sorry that he wasn't calm and peaceful like I was. He seemed to be almost confused at seeing me here. He wants peace. He wants to be calm like me. I smiled at the figure above and beckoned for him to join me.
It had this soothing effect on me. Whenever I needed to escape, I ran to it. It's secluded, in a small grove not easily accessible. It had become a safe haven for me over the years. All my cares, all my worries disappeared at the edge of the glade, and the familiar sight of the small pond brought peace to me. I had never dared enter its waters. It was always too sacred for that.
One particularly terrible day, when the sky was covered in thick black clouds who refused to drop their load, I ran to the pond. I found out moments before that my dearest friend since childhood had just been in an accident and had been rushed to intensive care. It was likely he wouldn't survive the night. On this day, I ran to the pond and kneeled next to its waters and wept. Minutes passed, and I drew silent. I stared at my reflection, a disheveled mess.
The longer I stared, the more convinced I became that the reflection in the water wasn't my own. I thought I saw it wink at me and beckon me to join it. My thoughts slowed, my mind became muddled. All I could think about was how pleasant it would be to join my reflection and forget about everything else.
I bent over the water, trying to get closer to the reflection. I leaned further and further until I lost my balance and slipped into the waters. I thought I heard in my splash a sigh of relief. As I began to sink lower and lower, I looked up at the surface and noticed how calm it had suddenly become, as if I hadn't fallen in. I tried to laugh, but instead a gurgling sound and bubbles came out of my lips. The light from above was beginning to fade, and soon I was enveloped in darkness.
My lungs began to burn with an invisible fire, begging for air. My mind began to clear slightly, and I felt around for the edges of the pond, but I could neither see nor feel them. I thought I would start to panic, but instead I felt even calmer.
I suddenly felt an electric shock run through my body; it felt as if I had been punched in the gut. I gasped in shock, and found, rather than chocking in the water, it was easier to breath than before. I looked back up at the surface, so far away, so distant, like an old memory. I looked around me and noticed other standing around me, all staring at the surface as if trying to contemplate what it was and why it was there. Some looked as if they had been there for days, some for centuries. I could see it in their eyes, how long they had been there. The oldest had the longest eyes, as if they were trying to remember something that was important, but just out of reach.
I heard suddenly weeping coming from above. I looked up to see a familiar face crying at the pool's edge. I couldn't quite remember who it was, only that they had been in my thoughts before I fell, before I joined this underwater sanctuary. Why had I been thinking about them?
The figure above stopped crying and looked down at me. I felt so sorry that he wasn't calm and peaceful like I was. He seemed to be almost confused at seeing me here. He wants peace. He wants to be calm like me. I smiled at the figure above and beckoned for him to join me.