Night 50: Lake
[teleporting from here]
Just like before, the ground disappeared beneath Rita, and she felt an odd, queasy feeling as she began to fall. This time, however, she was ready for it. Fighting the urge to gasp or scream, Rita kept hold of the breath she had taken before breaking the ring. She knew what was coming next.
There was a splash, and in an instant the world around her was a watery blur. The freezing water stung at her skin like a thousand tiny needles, and it was a struggle to keep from losing what little air she had. Rita kept her focus, however, and through the flailing of her arms she managed to find her way to the surface before long. The mage gasped when her head broke the surface, and she immediately began treading water to keep it up there.
There wasn't any pounding rain this time, which was fortunate, but the cold and the darkness stifled her senses. She needed to see if the other two had made it with her, but it was going to take some time for her eyes to adjust to the dark outdoors. Her movements awkward and sluggish, Rita raised the hand that carried her flashlight above the water. The device flickered dimly for a few moments, then went dark.
"Hold on a--don't go out on me, damn it...!" Rita hissed, shaking the device frantically. She could hear a sloshing sound from inside it. Did water leak into it and damage the mechanism? Damn it, this was useless!
Just like before, the ground disappeared beneath Rita, and she felt an odd, queasy feeling as she began to fall. This time, however, she was ready for it. Fighting the urge to gasp or scream, Rita kept hold of the breath she had taken before breaking the ring. She knew what was coming next.
There was a splash, and in an instant the world around her was a watery blur. The freezing water stung at her skin like a thousand tiny needles, and it was a struggle to keep from losing what little air she had. Rita kept her focus, however, and through the flailing of her arms she managed to find her way to the surface before long. The mage gasped when her head broke the surface, and she immediately began treading water to keep it up there.
There wasn't any pounding rain this time, which was fortunate, but the cold and the darkness stifled her senses. She needed to see if the other two had made it with her, but it was going to take some time for her eyes to adjust to the dark outdoors. Her movements awkward and sluggish, Rita raised the hand that carried her flashlight above the water. The device flickered dimly for a few moments, then went dark.
"Hold on a--don't go out on me, damn it...!" Rita hissed, shaking the device frantically. She could hear a sloshing sound from inside it. Did water leak into it and damage the mechanism? Damn it, this was useless!