6.
~ Dark, cold water enveloped him as he fought for the surface. The air in his lungs growing tight as he felt he would never make it in time. The cold grip of the underwater world was pulling him back down as Arthur struggled to finally reach the weak daylight.
He broke the surface of the lake with violent coughing and desperate gasps for air.
A heavy mist was crowding over the surface of the water as Arthur tired to gain his bearings.
The stillness was overpowering. The only noise in this strange, unnatural place was the Point Man's breathing. Not even the water made noise as he gave a halfhearted swim to see past the mist.
He had no idea where the shoreline was. The mist so thick that he could barley see beyond three feet. He had no idea if he would be headed for shore or further out.
Like a ghost, the bow of a row boat broke through the mist. It's silent propulsion making Arthur want to swim away from it. His inner voice telling him such a thing was evil. Through the fog, he could see a crouched figure sitting in the boat. It's back curved and draped in darkness.
The boat was slipping away from him quickly. Perhaps it was evil, but it would soon leave him and he would eventually drown in this world of water and mist.
With one sure hand, he grasped the side of the weathered, red boat and dragged himself aboard.
~ "What are you doing here?" Came a raspy, ancient voice. Arthur had to take a moment to collect himself. The fight in the water had taken more out of him then he thought. He looked up slowly at the dark figure covered in mist. It's sickly tendrels, lacing around the figure like fingers.
"You can't get away from the fog." The Voice said again. It was hard for Arthur to tell if it was male of female. The Voice was so aged and horse. "The fog..." It said sadly. "So much worse then it was before."
Arthur squired at the dark figure before him. The mist lifting slightly and revealing a horribly aged woman. Her long white hair had grown to her knees. Her posture was bowed over and her face was weathered and coursed with deep wrinkles.
"How do we get out of the mist?" Arthur asked looking over what Limbo had done to Ariadne.
"We can't." The old woman said dejectedly. "It's just... getting worse."
"I came here, to bring you back." Arthur said steadily. "To try... and bring your mind back."
"Arthur?" She said in a tired voice. Her eyes, blind from age, lifting up to peer at him. "You shouldn't have come. You should have just left me here."
"Your dieing the real world." Arthur whispered as the fog rolled in heavier over them. We don't have much time. You know this world is not real." Arthur whispered trying to take the weathered hand of the old woman.
"There is no way out of this world." Ariadne said. Her voice containing only a hint of the young woman she had been before. "I've tried, there is no way out of the mist."
"Ariadne." Arthur whispered as the mist began to obscure the old woman again. "I need you to trust me."
His hand fell on the hand gun he had dreamed for himself.
"You know the way out. You know this world is not real." He said handing her the gun. "You have to trust me." He whispered as he could feel the fog weighing them down.
"Come back to me." He whispered. "Come back to me."
The old woman took the gun from his hands. Her twisted fingers barely able to grasp it.
With a horrible bang that broke the silent world, the old woman's body fell off the row boat and into the cold waters. Arthur's body followed.
~ Arthur opened his eyes to Ariadne's bedroom.
"Ariadne?" Cobb was saying as the Point Man could feel her panicked body wake up. Hear her gasping for breath.
"Hey, do you know who I am?" Cobb asked sternly as Ariadne's abrupt jump back into the real world shocked her.
She took a few deep breaths and stared hard at the Extractor.
"Cobb." She said sternly. "Your Cobb."
"That's right." Cobb said with an exhausted smile. "Do you know who he is?" he said nodding at Arthur who managed to stand up, disconnecting himself from the PASIV device.
"Yes... Arthur." Ariadne said looking around the room. Her eyes seeming clearer now. Scared, certainly, but no longer confused.
"Cobb, where am I? What happened on the train?" She asked.
~ Ariadne was starving. The first thing she wanted to do was eat.
"I remember going under. In the dream, I was shot. Then... I don't know, it was strange. I think I was on a lake, there was a red boat." She said between bites of her sandwich.
"You dropped into Limbo." Cobb told her as Arthur stayed in the kitchen, listening to them and saying nothing.
"How long have I been asleep?" Ariadne asked in disbelief.
"Well, you haven't really been sleeping." Cobb said uncomfortably.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"You woke up with the rest of us, but your mind was gone." Cobb said gently.
"What do you mean my mind was gone?" She asked. Her voice containing that certain edge that Arthur had learned meant trouble.
"Ariadne, you were... confused. You didn't remember us or anything we had done. You were mentally lost." Cobb said as gently as he could.
"Mentally lost." She repeated numbly. "Arthur, what does he mean?" Ariadne said abandoning her food and standing up.
The Point Man was finally pulled into the difficult conversation.
"You were lost. Like an Alzheimer patient. You had no memory of us and we brought you here to take care of you." He said slowly.
"Take care of me? How... how bad was I?" She said. The panic coming into her voice.
"You could talk, walk, you even painted with water colors." Arthur said trying to point out the good things about her condition.
"My God!" She breathed. "Could I go to the bathroom by myself?" She asked. Her face flushing red. "I mean did you... have to..."
"You could do all that. I hired a nurse to help you." Arthur said wanting to go to her. Wanting to comfort her, but something held him back. Perhaps the horrified look on Ariadne's face.
"A nurse? I had to have a nurse?" She almost cried.
"It wasn't that bad." Cobb said soothingly.
"It was bad enough to require a nurse." Ariadne said. Her eyes were wide in shock.
"You were just a little confused." Arthur said. "You weren't totally helpless. The nurse kept you from hurting yourself."
"Did she have to dress me? Clean me?" Ariadne cried.
"No, I mean, she helped you a little with those things." Arthur said trying to be honest but not wanting to hurt her.
"Oh my God." Ariadne said holding her stomach. "How long was I like that?"
"Over a month." Arthur said calmly.
Ariadne shut her eyes, trying to block it out.
"I need to leave. I need to call Cooper." She said finally.
"Um... Ariadne?" Cobb said looking uncomfortable.
"What? What is it?" She snapped sensing there was something else they wern't telling her.
"Umm..." Cobb siad and finally looked to Arthur for help.
"When we told Cooper you were... ill. He decided to leave." Arthur said stiffly. "I'm sorry."
"What do you mean he left?" Ariadne said. "Were... were getting married."
"He asked I get the ring back." Arthur said formally. Looking at his shoes.
Ariadne looked at her left hand. The engagement ring noticeably absent now. She stood silently for a long time. Looking at both men with an unreadable look on her face.
Finally, she left the kitchen, returning to her room and slamming the door shut.
"That went well." Cobb sighed.
"At least she's back." Arthur grumbled.