@tewwor.
THE LAKE. early summer.
RUSALKA HAS NOT VENTURED OUTSIDE THE CITY SINCE she first wound up here, breaking through the treeline with soaked hair and bleeding feet. then, she had run from her home for reasons she can no longer remember, lost and terrified, entirely alone.
tonight, that terrible clash of desperation and heartache has returned to her. rusa sits by the lake after an hour's walk along the highway. it is nearing two in the morning, and once again her feet are bare. she has never felt comfortable being sad in public, or around those she cares about — it wouldn't be very strong or brave of her, would it? people depend on her for emotional support. she carries them.
but sometimes, being a pillar for those she loves makes it very hard to keep herself standing. and today, she really needed to cry.
the naiads have been very kind; though still too shy to show their faces, over the course of rusa's inconsolable sobbing, they have left her a raw fish and some seaweed that she can't do much with at the moment. occasionally, she hears the flick of a tail diving back under, or the swish of a head of algae coming up. it isn't until there is a sudden cacophony of sounds, culminating in a BIG splash, that she snaps her head up and frantically wipes the remaining tears away so that she can see.
the water thrashes, white-capped spray exploding upward as something heavy slams into the surface and plunges into the deep. rusa sees a hand go under—sees the dark silhouettes of the naiads darting away in alarm—and moves without thinking.
before she knows it, she's skimming the lake floor with her eyes flung open against the deep. rusa has always been a strong swimmer, though she's used to the sea. someone is sinking. she can see him, just barely ten feet before her, fighting the water like an enemy.
all it takes is looping her arms under his shoulders and delivering a strong kick with her legs to get them both sailing upward. rusa makes sure his head breaks the surface first. she wants to ask him if he's alright, but it takes all of her energy to drag him toward the shore, to fight the current and the pull of whatever claims human lives at the center of the lake.
finally, she is able to heave both of their bodies onto the lake bed. rusa collapses. she feels rather like a wet dog, tendrils of red hair clinging to her body where they hung loose and buoyant minutes ago. but no matter. as soon as her mind is clear enough, she rolls over to look at the near-drowned stranger with wide, bloodshot eyes and speaks between heaving breaths. ❝ a-are you alright? ❞
