Freezing water from the river splashing up from the paddle hitting the water hit my face. I sucked in short, burning, breaths. My lugs were dry and felt like they were slowly shrinking. My arms burned and my hands were numb. Rocks scrapped the bottom of my kayak making it rock.

I dared to look over my shoulder. I know they’re here. They’re just hiding out of sight. “Niklaus, come back to us”

“NO!” I let out a painful yell, as the voice floated in my mind, “Get out of my head!” I pulled my hand over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. They can’t get me. I won’t let them. I have to get home. When I opened my eyes I didn’t have time to register the large rock sticking out of the water before it was to late. My kayak slammed against it. Everything jolted forward, including me. I tumbled out of the kayak and was plugged into the icy depths of the water. “You belong here” the voice called.

The current was strong, pulling me deeper. My clothes scoffed me, fluffing out all around me. Making it impossible to see. My body slammed into rocked and fallen trees. I could feel as the air in my lugs turned against me, slowly running out. I reached out for anything to grab as I tried to push off the bottom of the river. “Stop fighting it” I could feel as each cut and scratch was placed on to my body. For a split second my head submerged out of the water before getting pushed back under. Lucky it was just enough to get a new breath of air.

My legs burned and begged me to stop. My plums were nothing but pulp and my skin was torn, but the current was relentless and unforgiving. I reached up out of the water my hand reaching for anything. I felt branches smack against my wrist cutting into my skin. Finally my fingers wrapped around a branch and pulled my head to the suffice. My face burned with sharp pricks of cold air. I flung my other arm up on to the branch and started pulling myself up to the shore. I flopped onto my back and let my eyelids flutter shut.

Ever so slowly I felt warmth spread throughout my body. It started at my toes and grew to my ankles. Like a vine it climbed up my body. I could feel it as it snaked it’s was through me. The warmth runs to hot and hot turns to blistering heat. I sat up and opened my eyes gasping for breath. I was no longer at the river shore. I was in what looked to be a hospital room. An ivy was stuck into my arm and wires were connected to my chest. I was in a gown with nothing west on. The room itself was bare and stale. A slow smile crossed my face. I had once again returned from the dead.