I was drowning deeper and deeper, getting colder and colder. Strong beams of light pierced through the thick filter of darkness, they were beautiful but sad. It's scary? No, that's not it. It's sad, yeah, sad. A heavy swoosh sound came from above and beyond the torrent of bubbles, an obscure big object followed covering the bright sad rays but giving the water a deeper darkness.

Sinking even faster and faster it looked like it was above me. The object getting closer allowed for some sadness to cut through and an elephant to be seen. An elephant of all the things on this damned earth, an elephant? Seeing the leg in more detail than I thought the light allowed I noticed that it was going to crush me soon. Trying to swim away from it wouldn't work, I'm not a good swimmer. My elephant biology isn't so great either so I assumed moving directly under it would work. Belly soft, leg hard. Turning and swimming a bit, bit by bit as to get the aim right, was all for not.

Getting caught by the incredibly dense foot immediately made me cough up mostly all the air I tried to keep in and not think about, causing me to suffocate. Plunging harder than ever, the pressure increased, and the sound of thick passing water became muffled like a sound from cotton in my ears. Thrashing was the only thing I could think of and that wasn't even a thought, just a response. Hitting my arms against the damned beast did nothing, clawing my wrinkled fingers into its privates did nothing, and scratching its "soft" belly did nothing either. It was unique really. A feeling of urgency-I needed to get out of this state now-occupying my thoughts like nothing else.

As the weight, suffocation, pressure, cold, very violent movement, and the feeling of not seeing that sadness again, ever, dined at my life as I hit the floor. I didn't die immediately, which would've been better than suffocating whilst being crushed in the cold. Panic overwrote the other functions of my body I threw out scratches, and claws, and pushed at the animal's foot. Hitting it alone felt discouraging, the thing was just too big to give me even a look. Beating my head around like a dusty rug I caught something of interest even in the state I was in. It was a sword.

A rectangular sword with a minimal curved edge and a rectangular guard covered most of the handle like a case. Designs similar to a circuit board gleamed brightened at the line and faded at the circle then repeated. It emitted a glow similar to the sadness of the rays but this light was warm. With genuine desperation and hope, I reached for the only source of warmth beneath too many layers of cold. Grabbing it I felt my breath come back and that pain of suffocation being eased. The foot, the darkness, and the cold of the underwaters all faded. My surroundings were filled with light and my nostrils were fresh air. I'll live.

The sensation was everything I wanted and more, but, I was still being crushed by something else. Being bothered by the pressure of being deep underwater, and having trouble breathing truly I followed the warmth and left the big bundle of meat and apathy. Gripping the sword this tightly was surprising. I can't let it go. Ascending the waters my anxious feeling of the pressure increased. Before I knew it I could spot the strength of the rays even through my field of light. I don't think they were this sad before.

The sadness was getting brighter and brighter but my hope wasn't getting any weaker, nor was my grip, I couldn't tell what was happening only that they were definitely protecting me.-Definitely, yeah. No doubt, none?-But, neither was that anxiety. Every passing moment, going up and up, getting to the top, the surface, to my freedom, I felt it all. Taking a deep breath-no, still not yet. The ceiling of water was progressively brightening as I got closer. 5 meters-no, 20 feet. 4 and a half meters. 3 meters. 3 and a half meters.

Yes, almost there, right here. Before hitting the surface, the top, the up n' up, before reaching my freedom I was crushed. After obtaining the light, after regaining what I once had, I didn't make it? Really? Really? I could breathe. I could see. I could move-hell, I even swam faster, I had hope and the sword, yeah the sword. Sword?

Whether it was a vision or a dream. Whether it was a thought or a memory. I will keep it with me forever...or however long.