As I stare into the murky waters below, curiosity within me begins to rise. What do those dark ripples hide? Perhaps down, unfathomable depths below, lies a portal to a mystic realm. A world of true beauty and magnificence. A land that few go to and none return from. The only barricade to this portal being the water itself. Daring to delve within seems crazy. There is no reason to believe in such a land. But perhaps that is why few make it. Perhaps perfection alludes us because we dare not take a plunge. What if logic itself were our enemy, holding us back from the glory that is so readily before us? What if the water is just a test? A test of our faith. Logic, the enemy, says that the dive would result in suffering but what if instead we received bliss?
As I think these things the mysterious water becomes more seductive, beckoning me into its arms. Yet there, in the back of my mind, the enemy whispers into my ear. He tells me that at the bottom is just mud. There is no portal, no gift awaiting me, just death. He tempts me to give up on my hope, to walk away from the water, never to return, and for a moment I almost listen. I almost let his deceitful words trick me into non-belief. For a quick instance my eyes shift back to the dry land, the only world I know, and I remember the life I have there, but these glimpses into the past are weak and the sight of the promising water erodes them. My experience means nothing when compared to that of the water. It has spent a millennium laying there, waiting. Waiting for those who truly understand to accept its free gift. Who am I to think I know more then the most powerful force on this world. People live and die and yet water is still there. Civilizations rise and fall and yet water is still there. Mountains turn into sand and yet water is still there. It is the life force behind it all. It has given me life, why should I doubt it now?
I jump. An unearthly chill runs through my skin as my savior envelops me. As I sink I look above and see the light of my old world fade. Darkness is my only friend now and with that darkness comes doubt. Did I make the right choice? Will I truly be saved? As I sink a tremendous fear resounds through me, shaking my very essence and then, calm. My mind comes back to me. The enemy had control but now I remember. I remember what awaits me. I have only to wait a little longer. My redemption is at hand. No longer will I be merely an average person, content with their short, simple life, I will be enlightened. Knowledge and riches are coming for I have passed the test. I have taken the dive.
And then I hit it. The bottom. All remaining air within my lungs is thrust out of me. I am empty. I dig my nails into the mud trying to find the door I know to be there. My lungs throb, I need to find it soon. Panic surges through me as I realize it's not there. It was a lie. There is no golden portal. Just mud and stones. I can't hold back any longer and I gasp for air. The water, which I once thought was my savior, has become my damnation. It rushes in eagerly ready to consume the prey it has ensnared. I feel myself slipping away, being replaced by the treacherous water. Once again an unearthly chill runs through me. Once again my world begins to fade. I let the water take over as, once again, I plunge into the unknown.
