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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 pitch black, murky to a point where Misa wasn't certain whether her eyes were open or closed.

She just kept getting dragged down and down and down. All the while she was wondering if there was a bottom to this endless briny deep.

And why, even after being submerged for several minutes, she hadn't passed out from holding her breath.

She struggled against the iron grip, though a part of her knew it was useless. This was the monster's domain, it's gruesome playground where it held all the power and she held next to none.

It didn't stop her from frantically trying to wrench her arm away from it though. It seemed amused at her futile attempts and still hadn't made a move to hurt her.

It was toying with her, she realised. It was all just a sick game to this thing. She could almost make out the creature's bloodthirsty grin.

Then it turned it's snake like head to her, red eyes hungry and unhinged it's jaw. Her blood turned to ice in her veins. A startling second encapsulated in time.

This was a moment some would recount their lives, wrapped in laughter and mirth as they were. Her own was not cut from the same cloth, shrouded in alienation and a consuming sense of dread.

Misa regretted spending her last few moments alive wondering if she'd become another gravestone without a body. If anyone even cared enough to build her one.

That was when the surface of swamp water broke and light filtered through like the clouds of heaven parting or something suitably poetic to fit the situation.

Another hand, a human hand, clamped onto her other arm to pull her back up. Whoever this person was, Misa decided they had to be preferable to the swamp creature lurking below her.

However, the monster's grip only tightened. A predator sensing that it's easy prey was getting away. There were several seconds of tense struggle as both parties fought over her.

Air was running out. It had been a miracle that she could hold her breath for this long but if this kept up, she'd surely drown. There had to be something, anything, she could do.

Misa felt something tangled in her hair. Her hairpin. She'd forgotten to take out her hairpin before sleeping. Usually, this would be a cause of vexation (it took an absurd amount of effort untangle hairpins) but in this moment, she'd never been more glad for it.

Since it had already been loosened by the rush of the water, she was able to tug it out. That was when she was presented with a glaringly obvious problem.

She'd have to let go of the hand to aim it properly. For a second, she felt genuine fear. By doing this, she could throw away her only life boat to safety.

But there wasn't any time. Certainly not enough to weight the pros and cons of such a decision. So for once she didn't think, she just acted.

Making a wild stab upwards, whoever was helping her dropped her arm in surprise. For a terrifying second, there was that dizzying descent again. The void of blacks and greens whizzing by almost lazily.

Steeling herself, she angled the sharp end towards the monster's eye. The green tint of water hazed her vision somewhat and she began to feel lightheaded. Despite the dizziness, she gripped the hairpin like a lifeline and pushed it downwards into the monster's eye.

An inch away from the monster's face, icicles of blue topaz erupted from where her fingers held the amethysts. They glittered dangerously, beautiful and deadly. The hairpin skewered cleanly through half of its face, it's gaping maw still open in shock.

Misa's also gazed at her hand in something akin to awe. The hairpin hadn't been sharp nor had she been strong. At least not able to push enough force into it to do as much damage as she did.

She squinted, seeing it's mouth forming something. 'Y o u ' r e -"

But she didn't have the luxury of waiting around to hear what it had to say. Her lungs were crumpling like wet tissue as the paralysing water pressure bore down on them.

Pushing herself back to the surface, she emerged coughing up water. She distantly felt someone patting her back and looked up at her saviour.

Misa felt surprise at seeing another girl. Not that she didn't think a girl could save her but the hand that had grabbed her had felt a lot more...masculine.

That was when she noticed. There was another shadow stretching next to her. The girl wasn't alone.

It was him. The suspicious boy from earlier that night. Except this time, he was readying a sword in hand, teeth gritted in determination.

He startled in surprise at her soaked appearance. Perhaps he was shocked that she was still conscious or even alive.

"How did you-"

"It's- it's still down there," she spluttered weakly. "Don't let your guard down..."

The dizziness had returned, whether it was from overexertion or oxygen depravation, she didn't know. But she welcomed the nothingness of oblivion.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───