Chapter 20 - Epilogue

A rough and turbulent river sent a spray of water outwards to the gloomy shore. Water droplets hit Adagio’s face as she breathed in the scent of storms and sadness. The darkened sky held clouds black with rain, which torrented down on her figure. Her siren figure.

She peered into the darkness. “Someone’s here,” Adagio thought, though she didn’t know how she knew. She ruffled her fins uncertainly as she tried to name the creeping feeling she felt on the back of her neck.

Then she heard it.

Blending with the sounds of the rushing river and the downpour around her, Adagio heard heart wrenching wails coming from below the water.

She wiped the rain from her eyes and looked further, trying to pierce the darkness with her gaze. She could just barely make out the figure of… something. Something, huddled in on itself, at the bottom of the river. Crying. Sobbing. Screaming.

Adagio’s mind felt fuzzy. Something was wrong, she just couldn’t place it. The horrible feeling in her stomach, the chills down her spine… something was really, really wrong.

The wails grew louder, harmonizing with the storm. The river rose, waves crashing onto the banks relentlessly. They grasped at Adagio’s hooves, trying to pull her beneath the surface. Adagio resisted, straining against the water, but to no avail. This water was different. She somehow knew that she wouldn’t be able to swim, despite her aquatic form.

And then, she was drowning. Water flooded her lungs and panic gripped her senses. Her gills fluttered in the riptide she was caught in, trying desperately to offer some relief to the burning in Adagio’s chest. She tried to swim to the surface, but the water didn’t care. It dragged her under, and as it did, the screams only grew louder. Louder, louder, louder still, the mysterious figure’s cries infected her mind.

Just as Adagio was starting to run out of breath, her water-blurred eyes caught sight of what seemed to be emitting the horrid sound.

It was a stone statue in the form of a swan, beak open in a disparaging cry. Cracks had begun to form along its outspread wings. Adagio floated closer, and it’s shrieks somehow got even more piercing than before.

She thought she saw a strange glow emitting from the swan’s chest, but the murky water and loss of air made the distinction difficult. Her vision soon began to fail her, her lungs burning painfully. As she slowly lost consciousness, Adagio realized that she could no longer tell which one of them was screaming.

Author's Note

It’s been awhile, huh? Sorry for the absence- I have some really good stuff cooking up, but life has been... extremely hectic. I don’t know when I’ll be able to start posting consistently, but I hope it’ll be soon.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed the epilogue; all will be explained in due time