Pull Me Under

[notalice]

The crowds still gathered around the 5th year girls' door, but Leander couldn't face it any longer. She slipped back into her room unseen and ran for her bedside cabinet, pulling out her diary and the letters that were still tucked inside them. How had everything gone so wrong?

Pushing back past the crowd, Leander didn't stop running until she was down all the stairs, out the doors, and standing at the edge of the lake. As always, there was something about it that called her to it, and tonight, she didn't resist it's call. Placing her diary on the ground, she tugged off her night gown and the bandages that were tied around her arms. They were soaked with blood, but that didn't phase her tonight. All she wanted was the sweet caress of the lake, and the calming darkness of sinking into the black.

Still breathing heavily from her run down, Leander moved back and few steps, wiped the tears from her face, and then ran as fast as she could towards the edge of the lake, diving head first as deep as she could. Her lungs craved oxygen and instinct told her to hold her breath and reach for the surface. Her mind overruled instinct and held her in her place, arms immobile at her sides and she forced herself to take a breath. She could feel the water flood into her and pain rippled through her. By that point, her body took control and forced her to move, but her lungs were still attempting to clear and find oxygen, which only led her to inhale more water. There was no change to reach the surface again before weakness settled in, and the darkness began to take hold.

Forcing herself still, Leander looked in the direction she thought the surface to be and relaxed. Once she stopped moving, this turned out to be a really relaxing say to slip into the peace and calmness of darkness, and, for the first time in months, Leander was happy.