Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Laura Marling's "Alas, I Cannot Swim", her song "The Captain and the Hourglass" from said album, nor Eyeshield 21.

It's technically Monday, right? PM Bragi151 some praise for gifting me the story-line and for beta-ing this.

Sena! Juumonji's heart and mind and soul cried at the frozen body on the bank.

"Sena!" Juumonji cried out in blissful triumph.

"…alas I cannot swim/and I never will get to put my arms around him/There's a life across the river/that was meant for me/instead I live my life in constant misery/There's a life across the river…" Juumonji heard his short love whispering over and over and over in a broken refrain.

"Sena! It's fine now! I'm here for you! I'm going to bring you home!" He called desperately, struggling to reach his boyfriend who seemed to never get closer nor farther. "SENA!" He screamed.

Sena looked up.

"You're across the river." Sena informed him, matter-of-factly. "But I'm chained. I'm not chained. I can't swim. I used to be able to swim."

"No, Sena, it's fine now. I'm here." Tears streaked down Juumonji's face. "It's fine now, we're on the same side of the river, Sena."

"But," Sena frowned deepened, "that would mean you're dead. And if you're dead, there's no reason for me to cross the river, the sea, the waters."

"No, Sena," Juumonji begged, finally making progress towards his lost love. "Sena, we'll cross the river together. I'll take your hand in mine like I used to, even though we were both so embarrassed, and we'll cross the river of death, and I'll bring you back with me into life!" He declared firmly, noting with a frantic joy that the distance was steadily shrinking.

"Juumonji," the light was slowly returning to Sena's eyes. "How?" He started.

A wordless roar cut between them, and Juumonji felt his buoyant heart sinking as he recognized the presenceless presence of the voice.

"I've met your challenges! I've surmounted them! You aren't allowed to sweep him away now!" Juumonji cried.

"I do as I please," it said and swept him into the water.

"NO! SENA!" He howled, in pain at the bone-chilling cold of death's waters, and almost physically in pain at how close he'd been to Sena. If he were in a mortal plane, he could swim two strokes in the water and close his arms around his once-lost lover, but of course the voice wouldn't make it so simple. An inarticulate cry of pain and loss was ripped from Juumonji's throat as he sought Sena again, and could feel stream of time flowing past as surely as the waters, sweeping away Juumonji's love and his life and his sanity. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Ticking away.

H'oh shit. Well, I guess I'd be more worried about the response from leaving this as a cliffhanger if it weren't for the fact that this is a tragedy and that you all should already hate me. 3