The I regained consciousness after a while, but decided to pretend that I was still asleep in order to find out the intentions of person who saved me. I slowed my breathing to ensure I still fooled the person that I was still asleep.
"He should be awake by now. Why isn't he awake?" they asked rhetorically.
"Did I put him in a coma? I don't know how to take care of someone in a coma."
They were beginning to sound worried. They were muttering to themselves in low tones. I was somewhat feeling bad until I heard -
"It wouldn't be wise to let him suffer any longer. Let me put him out of his misery." they concluded.
Beads of sweat began to form on my head as I began to think that they couldn't be serious about 'putting me out of my misery'. What possible misery was I going through?
I heard something large being picked up and felt the ground vibrate as they took a step forward, and the rate at which I was perspiring was far more than it was previously.
The sound of something heavy being carried grew closer and closer with each passing second. I had experienced a near-death experience not too long ago, and the feeling of being in death's grasp every moment of my life was not something I had a fetish for.
I groaned and got up slowly, and imitated a person who was just waking up.
"Who are you, and what are you doing?" I did my best to appear tired and pained, hoping they would stop whatever cruel method of mercy killing.
I turned to look at the person and saw that they were a female. She stopped midway and suddenly dropped the giant stone.
"Sorry, but could I ask you a question?" she asked solemnly.
"Sure, I guess."
No sooner had I finished my statement I saw my vision blocked by the face of this same girl. No normal person could move that fast no matter how short the distance between us was.
Now that she was closer, I could make out more of her features than I could before; her ebony hair wafted like a cold current around her shoulders, her obsidian eyes, which looked empty were placed on her delicate and sublime face. All of this was complemented by her black and purple dress.
"Why did you pretend to be asleep when you woke up?" She asked with a curious but slightly threatening tone.
'I'm done for.'
A woman who could carry such a big stone would have no problem with damaging my fragile body. I couldn't run, my body was far too damaged for that.
I began thinking of possible responses I could give this girl without her bringing the boulder back to 'put me out of my misery'. This girl was clearly not normal. Nobody carries a giant mass of rock with so much ease, and no one moves that fast.
"Still awaiting your response."
She kept her hand on my arm, and squeezed it with a smile on her face.
I hesitated causing her to squeeze harder than before. My bones felt like they were about to break. I couldn't pass out again, not yet.
"I didn't trust you," I said in a flat tone.
The moment I said that I felt different entities trying to enter my mind all with a single goal - to cause my demise. I fought back but to no avail. All of them entered my mind plaguing it with negativity. I could no longer control my mouth. Before I knew it, I started talking but the words were not mine.
"You can't expect me to suddenly wake up and thank you for pulling me out of the river."
My volume was rising as I removed her hand and got on my feet. I fought back desperately before these 'things' in my mind use my own mouth to cause my death.
"People can't be trusted; people are selfish, only looking out for themselves and their best interests."
It felt like I wasn't the one talking anymore. How the hell was I supposed to know how people think? It wasn't just one person I was speaking for; it felt as if I was representing the thoughts hidden in the back of every person's mind — things they wanted to say but could not express for various reasons. In this moment, I was their mouthpiece; every negative emotion they shut off or kept to themselves, and I had access to everything.
"I helped you because I felt sorry for you." she replied.
"You can't possibly tell me you helped me because you felt sorry for me—that's bullshit. Everyone has their own reason for doing something for someone else, and it is never, I mean never, just to be nice."
I could feel the anger building up in my body as I continued; my mouth kept moving of its own accord. I no longer had control of what I was saying.
"Feeling sorry for someone is just people projecting their insecurities about their inadequacies on someone who is 'supposedly' worse off than them."
She looked down at her feet as I continued lashing out at her. I couldn't tell her expression from the way her hair covered her eyes as she was facing down. I wanted to stop, but I no longer had control over my mouth. I continued the verbal onslaught on her.
"People, no matter who they are, always want to feel good about themselves, and they will resort to any means, no matter how inconsiderate or selfish, because that's just how they are. They can't help it, it's their nature. But people are always boasting about change, but to change their fundamental nature is suddenly a problem."
She walked closer to me, but I continued.
"That's why you saved me. You're just trying to use me to reduce your guilt. I'm just a medium used to make you feel less like the asshole you are."
She stopped right in front of me and slapped me so hard I flew a few feet.
My mouth continued to move regardless—
"See that? That is your true nature you just expressed. The one that would have left me to drown if you weren't trying to make up for your insecurities." I spat.
She simply sat down beside me and said nothing. All the entities which entered me left at that moment apparently satisfied with the damage they had caused. We didn't talk for a while.
I couldn't begin to defend myself for all that came out of my mouth. I was waiting for my impending death, contemplating whether she would believe me if I told her what had happened to me that I suddenly began to speak like that.
Some moments passed shortly after that before she decided to asked me a question.
"What do you think Death is?"