It was damp and dark when I regained consciousness. There was water dripping from the rock formations hanging from the ceiling, a fat drop fell directly on the side of my nose. Sliding down, it made it's way to the corner of my mouth and I spit, the minerals forming here adding a bitter taste that I wasn't used to. As my eyes began to adjust, I saw that there were two pools of water with a pathway of stone splitting them down the middle.

The pathway didn't look manmade, it was more so like, the stone had worn down into a lighter pathway from so many footsteps over time. I turned my head to look behind me, the stone pathway opening back up to a much wider surface. I followed it up the sides of the cave (I assumed) we were in. What looked like miles above us was a small opening, just enough moonlight peering through to illuminate the weeping willow laying between the pools of water, to see the vines creeping their way down. Like a ladder or safety line just out of reach. Other foliage appeared to be growing through cracks in the stone all down the walls and out of the floor I was sat on. The white glow of the moon wasn't bright enough to show the green of nature around us, instead, it all looked black. More ominous.

A large, seemingly endless opening seemed to be the only way out, yet nobody was running. They were entirely focused on cupping the water into their hands and gulping it down. I had no desire to drink from either and there didn't seem to be any authority around to go after me if I attempted to escape. My eyes darted again to the drafty but utterly silent tunnel entrance as my mind started to race.

"Maybe I can find some drier plants and some wood? There has to be a smaller rock around here I can spark against the cave? What the hell is even in that tunnel?"

"I wish I could ask somebody what to do. If anyone's tried to get away, or even where we are? How has that not occurred to me yet?"

"Don't trust those people. They haven't even acknowledged your movements. Something's wrong with the water."

The final thought came with a swift punch to the gut. Logic started to struggle for it's voice to be heard through the screams of panic. I guess I had been avoiding even considering what was going on. A sudden bell rang from either deep within the tunnel or within my head. I swear I could hear it reverberate against the cool floor beneath me but the moment it reached my ears, I became frozen.

Images of a deep, nearly frozen lake began to pulse through my brain, appearing behind my eyes. The waters of the lake were an unrecognizable opaque blue with dimly glowing lights appearing to swim below the shallow breaths of the wave. Edges of a wooden boat capped with dull gray steel bobbed into view. The looks on the faces of the people around me, exhausted, withdrawn, determined. I felt a tug on my arm, the face never came into view but I heard the words clearly, "we're being saved from death! We're going back!"

The thud in my chest felt palpable. A flood of what had happened beyond that tunnel rushed over me, I held my breath throughout it. Just ride it out. None of us remembered how we died, but I remembered arriving at the big city. The "City of Death". Both more human and alienating than expected. Different docks and rivers surrounded the city. Behind an alley was a makeshift dock. Hushed whispers of escaping were started amongst a small group of us. After we split off, a cloaked figure pulled one of us to the side and brought us to the dock.

We had died...and were now in this place to escape death?

A sharp and startled cry jolted me out of the flashbacks. Vines from the top of the cave had started creeping down and wrapping around people's waists. As they did, the people they touched started emitting a white light. Everyone closed in around the waters sat back in shock, all of us staring up the active tendrils.

The light did not stop growing and as it did, it began to become clear that the people experiencing it were in pain. A warmth spread around us, but not quite touching us. When the first one burst, there was no sound from anyone below. The others soon followed, the most grotesque show of fireworks any of us had witnessed. At least it was short lived. Nobody reached towards the water. The silence that settled made the rustling of the weeping willow sounded like a howl. Only the footsteps tapping and echoing closer to the tunnel entrance broke the spell.