He was standing in a river. The current tugged at his legs, threatening to topple him over if he was not careful. Everything around him was gray, the trees, the sodden river bank, even the water. The sky held neither stars nor clouds; no moon gave its light to see by. Not even the wind seemed able to exist here. The only movement was from the vast, swiftly flowing river.
A dark mass, alternately floating and flailing in the water was coming toward him. He recognized arms and a booted foot as human, one that was attempting to fight the hold the river held over them. Instinctively, he reached out and grasped a slim wrist. The current made an effort to remove his arm from its socket as well as pull him into deeper water. Planting his feet as firmly as possible, he gave a mighty heave and fell backward onto the muddy bank, half in the gently flowing edge of the river.
The owner of the slim wrist still in his grasp was half collapsed on his chest, gasping for breath and shaking with weariness. The head lifted to reveal a woman staring at him. Sodden hair clung to her face, masking some of her features and expression. He wanted to say something, anything, but he had no voice. Before he could become alarmed, something seemed to shift around him.
The gray world suddenly began to dissolve, the woman's eyes, caramel-colored, the only spot of color he had seen, disappeared last.