As he closed his eyes violently, he thought to himself, clinging to his last ditch thought with hope like a religion. He had no other option but to trust in its power, to believe that it would somehow, someway, save him from this never-ending torment. He opened his eyes to see an indifferent mirror/glass-like barrier between him and the creature, separating them. The creature's eyes were fixed on him, its claws snapping futilely against the glass, a sound that was both familiar and terrifying.
The glass seemed to be a temporary reprieve, a fleeting moment of safety in a world that had been devoid of both. And then, the glass on the side of the creature started to shatter, fragments of it dissolving into nothingness as it dissipated, leaving only him falling in a dark, inhabited scene. The sudden loss of the barrier sent a jolt of fear through him, and he felt his heart racing with anticipation.
He could see an end, and panic set in. He would collide with the ground, and his mind recoiled in horror at the thought of the impact. He lost his composure and almost started wailing, the sound dying on his lips as he splashed into water. An endless abyss of water was there, with no visible bottom, just an endless sea stretching out into the darkness. The water enveloped him like a shroud, cold and unforgiving.
He realized he couldn't swim, and he lay there struggling, trying to stay afloat. His limbs flailed wildly, but he couldn't seem to generate any momentum. The water seemed to be pulling him down, a gentle yet insistent tug that he couldn't resist. He went underwater several times, and there was no solid surface to hold onto. Over and over, he struggled, his lungs burning with the effort. He kicked and flailed, desperate to stay above the surface, but it was futile.
The water seemed to be playing a cruel game with him, tantalizing him with glimpses of the surface before pulling him back down into the depths. He felt like he was being torn apart, his body stretched to its limits as he struggled to survive. Finally, he gave in, his body sinking deeper into the water. He felt himself losing consciousness, his vision blurring.
But then, somehow, he came back to his senses, his body bobbing back up to the surface. Only to sink again, his lungs burning with the need for air. The cycle kept repeating itself, with him stuck on the verge of death. Anytime he was truly about to drown, the cycle seemed to repeat itself, his body resurfacing just in time. He was trapped in a living nightmare, unable to escape the water's grasp.
His body screamed for oxygen, and his mind reeled with the horror of it all. He felt like he was losing his grip on reality, his thoughts fragmented and disjointed. As the cycle continued, he lost all sense of time. He was trapped in a never-ending loop of drowning and resurfacing, with no escape in sight. His body weakened, his struggles growing feebler with each passing moment.
But still, he held on, somehow, his mind refusing to give up even as his body seemed to be surrendering to the water's relentless pull. He clung to the thought that had saved him from the creature, hoping against hope that it would somehow, someway, set him free from this watery prison. The thought was a spark of hope in a sea of despair, and he grasped it with all his might, refusing to let it slip away.
The thought didn't seem to be working, and with every repetition, he was starting to forget what it was, just barely clinging to it by his fingertips. The desperation was palpable, and he felt like he was losing his grip on sanity. But then, something shifted. He could propel himself slightly with each cycle now, his body beginning to learn the rhythms of the water. He started to move his arms and legs in a way that felt almost instinctual, as if his body was adapting to the water's demands.
At first, it was awkward, his limbs flailing wildly as he tried to find a pattern that worked. But with each repetition, he grew more confident, his movements becoming more fluid and deliberate. He was learning how to swim, his body responding to the water's cues even as his mind struggled to keep up.
And just as he felt he was going to tear himself apart and rip his organs out, he felt it - a sense of buoyancy, a sense of control. He was able to suspend himself in the water, his body no longer sinking helplessly into the depths. He proceeded to swim to the surface, taking a big breath of air that filled his lungs and revitalized his exhausted body.
As he broke through the surface, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. His headache began to recede, and his vision cleared. The scenery brightened up a bit, but it was still bleak and unforgiving. The water stretched out endlessly in every direction, with no sign of land or rescue in sight. He hated it, hated the repetition and the endlessness. It disgusted him, and he felt a wave of revulsion wash over him.
But as he floated there, his breathing started to regulate, and he began to move his arms and legs in a slow, deliberate rhythm. He was staying afloat, and that was all that mattered. For now, he could focus on survival, on finding a way to stay alive in this desolate, watery world. His mind began to clear, and he started to think more clearly, his thoughts no longer clouded by the desperation of his situation. He looked around, taking in the endless expanse of water, and wondered what lay ahead.