The Voice

Suddenly, something grabs my arm. The sudden movement awakens me and I find my body trying to fight against it, while my exhausted, confused mind tries to figure out what it is. Have I got caught in the weeds at the bottom of the river? Have I even reached the bottom yet? I can't even tell which way is up. Was it some sort of fish thinking that I was a midnight feast?

Then the thing that's holding onto me begins to drag me, pull me, through the darkness. I begin to panic and try to struggle from it, but I am too weak to fight. I realise the thing holding onto my arm feels a lot like a hand, but it's difficult to tell, my whole body is so numb.

I feel something rough beneath me - my legs are being dragged along the ground, the river has become shallow, I'm being pulled towards the surface. It doesn't seem so dark any more, but my head is swimming and the black spots are returning, I'm about to pass out.

With a sudden jolt I am pulled out of the icy waters and onto the bank of the river. I scramble on the damp grass and gasp for air. The black spots disappear and I gaze into the dim park surrounding me, I find myself shaking and at first think I'm in shock but then the cold hits me. I thought the river was freezing but this is even worse. The cold is so painful I feel like my veins are turning into ice. My lungs are burning again from the freezing air, I feel like I'm chocking. I'm so weak I can't stand.

Then there's a voice, a horribly familiar voice, even though I hadn't heard it in twelve weeks:

"John?"

The voice makes my whole body shake even more, and I suddenly have a desperation to escape the voice, I begin to try crawling away from the bank.

"John, can you hear me?"

Oh yes I can hear you, that's the entire problem. Because this cannot be the afterlife, it simply cannot, there is far too much pain and cold for this to be the afterlife. I come to the conclusion that the current of the river pushed me out onto the bank, which means I am still alive and everything else I have hallucinated because of the shock and the cold. That man I can hear is dead. I can't see him because he is behind me, but I know I have to get away from him.

I just about manage to stumble up onto my feet, but as soon as I do the world starts spinning and the black spots return. I am still shaking uncontrollably and can barely keep standing yet alone stumble away, but I try best anyway.

Something is placed over my shoulders and pulls me back a little, it's a coat, his coat. I shrug it off immediately but the voice starts talking to me again, saying my name over and over in that horribly worried tone. I push him back but he persists.

"Leave me alone!" I manage to cry out fiercely, but just then my body fails me and I fall to the ground, shaking and gasping for air yet the world doesn't stop spinning. The voice continues to call my name but is becoming slowly distant. I feel like I'm falling.

And before I can do anything else, I tumble into darkness once more.

Sorry about the short chapter, but at least I didn't keep you all waiting too long!

Reviews much appreciated :)