Hugh stared at the water with no expression, his suitcase gripped loosely in his limp hand. He was waiting for the ferry to come, his ticket tucked in his back pocket, but staring at the water was starting to give him other ideas. It would be so much easier to just go in, let the water envelope his body like the town's Bog Boy. Hugh knew if he died the others would be devastated, but there would be no chance of them coming to find him. Hugh wouldn't get dragged back to a place he didn't belong.
"I'll just keep hurting everybody," Hugh whispered hoarsely. As he stepped down closer to the water, it lapped at his feet in an almost hungry fashion, soaking his shoes. Hugh shivered when he felt how cold it was, but that made him glad. He didn't exactly know how the body worked, but he was pretty sure that he would die faster in the cold water. Taking a shaky breath, he started to wade in.
He heard several of the other people waiting for ferries call after him. Some of them sounded panicked, others more annoyed. A dry smile spread across Hugh's lips as he ignored them. He was shaking from the cold water, now in it up to his hips. He could do it here, maybe. But no, it would be too easy for him to bob back to the surface or for someone to drag him back out. So Hugh pressed onward.
By the time the water was up to Hugh's chest he was shaking violently, every inch of his body feeling as if it were frozen. He was crying too, and still clutching his suitcase like a lifeline in his hand. He reluctantly let go and let the suitcase sink into the ocean. Just a little farther, Hugh thought. Just a little farther, and all of this will be over. I'll see Liam, mom, and dad again. We'll be a family again. Hugh looked up at the blue, bright sky for one last time. He smiled at the sight of the puffy white clouds, the blue sky, the chirping of he birds. It was a good day to die; a beautiful, sunny day.
As his head disappeared under the water, he could have sworn he saw a magnificent peregrine falcon flying low, searching for something it had lost. His heart suddenly seized with fear at the thought of it being his headmistress, he frantically began inhaling as much water as he could, trying to hurry the process of his death. His clothes weighed him down, which he was grateful for. Hugh's body began to violently jerk, his throat was burning, his heart was beating sluggishly. It was almost time.
To say that Hugh wasn't scared would be false. He was terrified of dying, but there was no other way. Everything hurt, and he wanted to breathe so badly, but he kept himself down under the water, inhaling and gasping. His vision grew blurry and he almost smiled. It was time. He was going to pass on. He felt as if he was being lifted out of the water, and he saw a bright light. Someone was calling his name, a familiar voice, but one he couldn't quite place. He closed his eyes, and let himself be swallowed up by the light.