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Post by quinzelade on Apr 10, 2018 19:04:44 GMT
So the Rusty Fears competition is officially over! With 94 entries and only two winning pieces, that leaves 92 delicious stories left unpublished. I saw someone mention on the forum that they'd like to see the other entries, and I agree! If you feel so inclined, post your submission here so we can enjoy them anyway.  (I'll go first, because hell yeah I'm gonna throw my work at people whether they like it or not  ) |
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Post by quinzelade on Apr 10, 2018 19:13:54 GMT
Deep
There is something final about the vast emptiness of water.
Darcy knew this, though she rarely spoke it out loud. She wasn’t sure which was worse: water clear enough the bottom stretched far below, or water so deep and murky, its depths were impossible to measure.
Darcy feared the deep.
The fear had followed her through childhood, on every swimming party and holiday, crooning in her ear. What if carelessness caused her to drift too far down, and she drowned before she broke the surface? What if something was waiting in the dark, ready to snap at unsuspecting ankles? Something with sharp teeth and searching tongues. Long fingers holding their prey, dragging children out of sight, their last scream a trail of glistening bubbles.
Even surviving to adulthood hadn’t granted a reprieve. The fear, once muddled with childish distractions, sharpened into something raw. Something primal. Gone were the outlandish scenarios and improbable monsters. Now Darcy knew fear with perfect clarity. The creatures she’d imagined gave a face to her nightmares. But with age, the masks fell away, until all Darcy could see was the endless, inescapable void.
Amanda thought this was ridiculous.
“Darce,” she said, stretched out on their old sofa, a sagging two seater pockmarked with cigarette burns and spilt drinks. “You’re, what, thirty-two? You need to get a grip. Only kids are scared of water.” She grinned to show she was teasing.
Darcy shrugged, not meeting her friend’s eye. Over and over, she’d tried to explain, each explanation leaving Amanda more confused than the last. How could she truly describe the chill sweeping through her at the sight of a dirty lake? The stabbing sensation in her chest, the racing of her heart, the constriction of her lungs? All over...what? She couldn’t say. She just knew.
Amanda stared at her, waiting for a response. When she didn’t get one, she rolled her eyes. “Look, you need to face this head on. Stop hiding. The second you take on your fear, it’ll go away!”
Darcy shrugged again. There was no point arguing when Amanda was like this. Better to use non-committal responses until she lost interest, or otherwise gave up in exasperation.
“Darce.”
Darcy looked up, glaring. Amanda glared back, though she couldn’t hide the wry smile playing on her lips.
“I know what you’re thinking: I’ll get bored. I’ll let it drop.” She sat up straight in one quick movement. “Not this time.”
Damn it.
“You’re coming with me to Bala Lake, even if I have to drag you down there. This has gone on too long. Let me help.”
“It’s the middle of winter!” Darcy shot back, grasping for any excuse she could lay her hands on. “We’ll freeze to death!”
“We’ll stay on the shore,” Amanda barrelled on, as if Darcy hadn’t spoken. “We’ll stay right on the water’s edge. I’ll bring hot drinks and snacks, and we’ll just look for a little bit, and then we’ll leave.”
Darcy opened her mouth to argue again, and then stopped. A small part of her—the part jealous of people who went on holiday and cruises and swimming, while she stayed at home—agreed with Amanda. The rest of her trembled at the thought of such a vast body of water. It was the biggest lake in Wales, followed closely by Lake Vyrnwy. Darcy knew them all—the diameter, the depth, temperatures...in her own country, anyway. She hadn’t bothered to research the rest of the world, because she would never risk crossing the ocean to visit other places. What if the boat sank, or the plane…?
A hand on her shoulder made her jump. Darcy glanced up to see Amanda crouched down next to her, looking uncharacteristically serious. “You can’t let this rule your life forever. You need to make a stand. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Promise?” whispered Darcy.
“Promise.”
--
Darcy’s dreams were filled with nightmares. The old monsters returned, and she spent her waking hours poring over everything she’d learned about water safety. Even in the car ride, Darcy hunched over her phone, barely speaking as Amanda chatted about anything and everything. By the time they reached Cefn-ddwysarn, though, Darcy’s signal died. She was left staring out of the window, the rate of her heart increasing with every passing second, until she forced Amanda to pull up so she could be sick on the roadside.
Amanda’s teasing stopped after that.
As they drew nearer, the weather worsened, the hills coated in a brilliant white. Darcy hoped Amanda might take this as a sign to turn back, but she persevered, swearing every time the car skidded on a corner. Finally, after many near-misses, they arrived at their destination. The cobblestone car park of Bala Lake was deserted.
“Probably because they’re sensible enough to stay away,” muttered Darcy when Amanda exclaimed at this. Amanda frowned, but didn’t reply, instead holding out her hand. Darcy took it, shivering with a mix of apprehension and gratitude. She would do this. And then she would never come here again.
However, as they drew near, Amanda’s concern shifted to amazement. The entire lake was frozen. Without warning, Amanda wrenched herself free and stepped onto the ice, leaving Darcy trembling at the shore.
“Amanda!” Darcy shrieked, clutching at herself as Amanda gingerly tested her weight. “What are you doing?”
“Have you ever seen a frozen lake before?” Amanda called back. “This is amazing! Come on!”
“What? No!”
“This is the perfect way to face your fear!”
Darcy’s breath caught in her throat as Amanda strayed further away from safety. Terror held her in place, but Darcy’s heart battled for her to follow. Amanda shouldn’t be out there alone. If she fell through, no one could help her.
If the ice breaks, no one can help you either.
“Darce!” Amanda jumped up and down on the spot, laughing. “It’s safe! Come on.” She paused and then smiled sheepishly. “Okay, I'm sorry. I promised I wouldn’t do this. I’m coming back. Stay there.”
Maybe it was Amanda’s gentle tone, or because she’d given up on Darcy again. Or maybe it was because she was so damn sick of fear dictating her life. Darcy raised a trembling foot and placed it on the ice.
Nothing happened.
Darcy took another step, and another. Her feet skidded a little, her breath quickening the more she walked, but she continued. The thrill overpowered everything else, sending her head spinning as she pushed on, unable to believe her own nerve. Soon she was almost halfway to Amanda. She felt dizzy with terror and exhilaration, unsure if she was about faint. A smile plucked at Darcy’s lips. She was on the water. And the water had not got her.
Amanda beamed as Darcy drew near. “I knew you could do it.” She walked towards her, but then halted as a deep crack sounded beneath them.
Darcy’s breath came out in a wheeze, visions of plummeting through the ice clouding her thoughts. The snow was picking up, making it difficult to see.
“It’s fine, just keep calm,” Amanda said, holding her arms out for balance. Slowly, she inched her way to Darcy. “Let’s go.” When she didn’t reply, Amanda gave her a firm shake.
“If we move, we’ll fall,” Darcy blurted out, trembling where she stood. The weight of her stupidity hit her like an avalanche. The only thing between her and the water was a thin sheet of ice.
“So you want to stay out here? It’s not broken yet. We’re probably just on a weak patch. If we go back the way we came, we’ll be fine.” Amanda gripped her arm, steering her around. Darcy’s heart hammered in her chest as they crept towards the footprints they’d left. The air was thick with mist now, snowflakes swirling in the gale. She couldn’t see the shore, but knew it lay somewhere just out of sight.
Darcy gritted her teeth together her feet rooted to the spot, and nodded. “We are never doing this again.”
Amanda gave a shaky laugh. “Alright.”
They stepped forward.
Crack.
Darcy froze. Amanda dug her fingers in tighter and hissed, “Keep going.” They stepped forward again, resulting in a second, louder crack.
Terror welled up in Darcy’s throat, so intense she thought she would vomit. “Amanda?”
I’m going to die here. I’m going to die.
“Keep going,” Amanda repeated, now pulling on her arm. “We’re fine. Keep going.”
They were waiting for me all this time. Waiting for me to do something stupid. Waiting for this.
She trembled against Amanda’s touch as slowly, slowly, they made their way back across the frozen lake. All she’d ever read online circled through her head like a mantra, beating against her skull to the rhythm of her footsteps. Hold your breath as you fall in. Body will be in shock. Don’t panic. Hold your breath as you fall in. Don’t panic. Hold breath as I fall in. Hold breath. Hold—
Amanda stopped dead. Darcy blinked, her brain struggling through the veil of dread to note the shore was nowhere in sight. She turned to her friend, who was still staring straight ahead, her dark features barely visible beneath the mask of snow. Then Darcy looked down. They had reached the start of their footsteps. Nothing lay beyond but clean, unspoiled snow.
“Amanda?” Darcy croaked, swaying on the spot as the wind picked up, battering against her. Amanda pulled herself free, shaking her head.
“I don’t understand,” Amanda mumbled, barely audible over the growing winds. “Where’s the bank?” Her voice was laced with mounting hysteria, and she began to pace up and down the creaking ice. “Where’s the bank? It can’t have disappeared. That’s impossible!”
Darcy’s throat constricted as the ground quaked beneath her feet. “Amanda, don’t—”
“Where’s the bank?”
The ice broke.
It was like a kick to the head. For a whole five seconds, Darcy could neither move, nor breathe. The cold consumed her, locking her limbs in place, pressing down on her chest. She could only hang there, fumbling on the edge of comprehension.
Move.
Darcy opened her eyes, the burning cold nearly forcing them shut again. She looked down, and saw the dark, endless abyss yawning out beneath her, ready to swallow her whole. It was almost enough to make her scream.
Move!
Darcy jerked her head upwards. Ice with snow left a darker opening. Even through her blurred vision, she could see the dark hole. She just had to reach it. Forcing her sluggish limbs into action, Darcy fought her way up, the air stinging her cheeks as she broke the surface. She gasped, dipping back under for a moment, her breaths shallow and fast.
Next step. Next step.
Pursing her lips together, Darcy tilted her head back, keeping it above the water until her breathing slowed.
Calm. Keep calm.
Her body was numbing, but there was still time. With difficulty, Darcy paddled to the edge and found the thickest portion of ice. Her frigid hands clawed at the slippery surface, dragging herself until her upper body perched on the exposed ice. Darcy paused, panting, and then kicked her legs as hard as she could, digging her fingers into the biting ice.
Gradually, painfully, Darcy pulled herself free from the water.
She lay there in the snow, sobbing with relief. The tears froze in her eyes, and after a moment, she pushed herself up and tried to unstick her eyelids. Her clothes were already beginning to freeze in this inexplicable snowstorm.
“Darce…”
The weak, pitiful voice cut through the wind like a scream, and Darcy’s head snapped towards it. In the centre of the broken ice was Amanda. Her eyes were wide and glassy, her mouth dipping in and out of the water.
“Darce,” she said again, just as her mouth and nose submerged. There were no bubbles. Amanda’s lips were blue, her skin deathly pale. And still she stared ahead, her eyes fixed on Darcy as she sank lower and lower, face stricken with horror.
Darcy rolled onto her front and crawled over, holding a hand to her friend. Amanda gazed on, making no attempt to reach out as she slowly disappeared beneath the dark water.
“Amanda!”
The word echoed mockingly, before being swept away by the gale. The water was as still as glass and black as coal, mirroring her own frost-encrusted face.
And then Darcy began to move. At first she thought she’d overbalanced, and quickly sat up to avoid falling into the water. But she continued to slide towards the opening, picking up speed the more she tried to struggle away. Something was dragging her to the hole.
Darcy fell headfirst into the water. The black enveloped her, and she cried out, precious air escaping in large, shimmering bubbles. Below she could see the figure of Amanda, slowly drifting down, her legs together as if bound by weights. Darcy looked up and nearly gasped. She was much further away from the opening than before.
This ascent was torturous, the needling air cutting her skin for the second time as she broke the surface. Sweet, blissful, agonising air. It ripped through Darcy’s body, and she retched and spluttered, each breath too shallow to sate her. Her head went under, and Darcy just managed to close her mouth in time. She thrashed her legs, wanting to taste the air again, and drew in another burning breath.
Darcy seized the edge of the ice, but she could no longer bend her fingers. Her hands slipped away, useless. With a grunt, Darcy placed her arm on the shelf and pushed. For a brief moment, her body lifted out of the water. Then her muscles gave way and she slammed back down. She went under for a third time.
No!
Darcy kicked her legs as hard as she could, barely able to get above the waterline. She reached for the ice, but her arms flopped back down with a heavy splash. Her legs were no longer responding, paralysed by the cold. Water slopped into her mouth, cutting her tongue, and Darcy choked. She tilted her head enough to keep her nose free, but soon that went under too, and Darcy realised she had no air left in her lungs.
She was sinking. She was drowning.
And then, with the gentle touch of a lover, what felt like long fingers took hold of her ankles and pulled. Darcy descended. Below her in the void, Amanda waited, her arms outstretched, her hair fanned around her in an eerie halo. She smiled widely, her glassy, dead eyes focused on Darcy.
The first breath of water was molten metal pouring down her throat. Knives pierced Darcy’s lungs, and she screamed, drawing in more. She jerked as pain consumed her, her body too exhausted to fight any longer. But with each waterlogged breath, the fear left her, resignation taking its place. She was meant to be here, she realised, as the dark closed in. Down. Down in the deep.
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liraven
Right Honourable Poster
Posts: 68 
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Post by liraven on Apr 12, 2018 1:54:14 GMT
(I'll go first, because hell yeah I'm gonna throw my work at people whether they like it or not ) Thanks for sharing your story, I really enjoyed reading it! |
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Post by quinzelade on Apr 12, 2018 8:16:34 GMT
(I'll go first, because hell yeah I'm gonna throw my work at people whether they like it or not ) Thanks for sharing your story, I really enjoyed reading it! Thank you! Hopefully a few more authors will share so I can read theirs too!  |
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