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Itzel stood by the shore, the waves crashing harshly against the sand. The wind was harsh and the temperature was lowering itself. The water hadn't frozen yet, as the November cold air nipped at Itzels face, her nose and cheeks flushed in red. She stared out at the water, her eyes glossy from unshed tears and the mix of the rain.

You will never be enough.

The thoughts came like a low hum at first—quiet, barely noticing they were there. But every passing second, they grew louder and more insistent until they drowned everything else out.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to break the wind that had her feeling cold, but it wasn't that that caused the ache in her bones. It was the expectation of what she has always known. The relentless comparison to her older family members, reminders to be better than a drug addict-drop out, or the single teen mom. Her mother's voice filling her head in reminding her to do better and succeed. So the self-pressure began – to be perfect and nothing else. To be everything her parents dreamed she could be.

Her parents had sacrificed so much for her and her sister. They crossed borders, left everything they knew just for the hope of a better future. She was that future. She was supposed to be the one who made it; to prove that it had all been worth it.

But she was failing.

Grades were slipping, and anxiety and exhaustion filled every fiber of her. She was no longer a straight-A student with a clear path to success. Every lecture and assignment felt like another weight added as she tried to keep up, but it felt like she was falling behind.

The thoughts grew louder, swirling in her head, each one weighing heavy on her chest.

You're disappointing them. You're wasting everything they worked for.

The water lapped at the shore, steady and smooth. It called to her the way a siren called pirates from their ships. It would be so easy. The lake was right there, stretching out its hand like an escape of a promising silence. Relief from the noise around her, from the crushing weight she couldn't bear anymore.

Just step in. The water is fine.

Itzel's feet inched forward, her sneakers sinking further into the soft mud. The rain was heavier now, blurring the world around her, making it easier to focus on what was in front of her. The call of the water, the promise of serenity.

Why pretend you're okay, just come in. The water is fine.

Her feet moved on their own, another step into the cold water. It now seeped into her shoes, biting at her skin.

No more pressure. No more fear. The water is fine.

A few more steps in and the water came up to her mid-thighs. It wasn't deep enough yet, but it would be soon. Her breaths came in shallow now, her heart pounding loudly. But despite the panic beginning to settle inside her, the water seemed to soothe the chaos, muffling the storm of thoughts that had been swirling in her mind for so long.

Itzel closed her eyes, letting the sound of water consume her into a false sense of peace. Her shoulders relaxed and her body began to feel lighter as she moved towards the drop off of the lake. This is what she wanted, right? She tilted her head back, the rain blurring her vision as it fell in heavy sheets. She had moved in far enough where the water was at her collarbone, one more step forward and it would mean letting it all go.

Something shifted as she began to make her final move. A flicker of panic cut through, sharp and insistent. Her mind scrambled as reality sank in.

I don't want this. I don't want to drown. The water is not fine.

She struggled to move, her body jerking toward the shore, but her legs felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the chilling water. Each time she tried to step forward, the mud and waves tugged at her, pulling her back as if the earth itself were refusing to let her go. Her heart raced, pounding frantically in her chest; the drop-off loomed beneath her, leaving no solid ground to cling to. Itzel couldn't swim.

I don't want to die.

Panic surged through her as she fought to move, but it was futile. She gasped for air, the waves dragging her further into the depths. Then, through the relentless rain and her blurred vision, she spotted him.

Wally.

He stood on the shore, rushing toward the water, his bright red hair matted against his forehead as he sprinted closer. His eyes were wide with fear, his mouth moving as he called out her name, but the sound was lost to her.

Desperately, she tried to shout, to reach out to him, but her body was too weak to respond. The cold gripped her ankle, the mud pulling her deeper into the abyss. She sank, her head slipping beneath the surface.

As the water pulled her under, she saw Wally dive in after her, his arms cutting through the surface.

And then, the darkness swallowed her whole.






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thank you belle for the graphic! <3