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The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet. Finally. He’d been going at it with the pickaxe for over 20 minutes, but that damned ice was much thicker than it looked. He gathered momentum and put down his hiking boot with as much force as he could. The ice gave way with a loud and ominous sound that clapped like thunder and a hole gaped open under his feet. Still much too small, he mused. He took to the pickaxe again, widening the edges of the gap with each targeted blow. When he deemed the size to be satisfactory, he put his tool down. He knew he needed to hurry. In such extreme cold the gap would soon have ice forming at the surface once again. He hastily stripped off his jacket, gloves, shoes and pants. Standing in his underwear and shirt, he shivered both cold and deeply agitated. This is it, he thought to himself, peace at last. With a resolute sigh, he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, took a deep breath, and jumped feet first into the clear, glacial waters of the lake. As the cold enveloped him, he closed his eyes and let all the air out of his body, resisting the urge to move his limbs, to reach for the surface - letting himself be swallowed by the water.The freezing water attacked his nerves, like sharp needles penetrating his skin. His fingers and toes began to grow numb and he started to feel the pressing need for oxygen - his brain was sending out a mayday, but he intended to ignore it. “Sorry old friend, he thought, but it’s really your fault we’re in this mess in the first place”. He was growing more uncomfortable.Out of nowhere, something tugged at his leg hard, weighing him down. Forgetting himself, he gasped in shock. Frigid water rushed into his lungs, burning him from within. He gagged, but all he managed was to let more water in. His eyes fluttered open and he frantically looked around, but the sun had barely risen. The lake was a dark translucent pool with little light infiltrating. He couldn’t make anything out. Shit. He’d come here for a peaceful death, not for his heart to give out from terror. His whole body was in excruciating pain, his chest was on fire, his mind working double time trying to coax him into choosing to surface for air. Panic seized him for the first time since she had made the decision to come to the lake. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe this wasn’t the way. Maybe he hadn’t thought this through. Out of the blue, something echoed in the darkness. It sounded like… like a voice. It could have been human, but it was far too cold, far too deep and melodic. It was almost human, but not quite. That outwardly sound came closer and closer, but he couldn’t make out what it was that it was bellowing. He felt as though the echo was about to touch him. He felt another powerful tug at his foot and he started spiraling deep into the vastness of the lake at an unnatural speed. His lungs were being crushed by the pressure, his eyeballs felt as if they were about to pop, his ears were buzzing. “How dare you!”. The screech was the last thing he heard and then everything went quiet and dark.

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The Decision

marialena.r

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Elbow Grease

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Maria Eleni Rizou

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