The Awakening (standard:fairy tales, 996 words)
Author: LadyofMistyFog	Added: Jul 18 2003	Views/Reads: 4010/2407	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
When all seems lost to Tawney, she decides to end her life, but in fashion. But induling in a swim in a forbidden lake, she awakens something that will not let her die, and will never die.

The sun shone brightly even though big thunder clouds should have filled
the sky, declaring their fury upon the world.  Big, fat raindrops 
should have been crying down from the heavens, bathing the air in a 
shimmery curtain.  But it wasn't like that, it was bright and happy, 
completely opposite of what she felt. 

Tawney sat in her room on her bed, blue eyes red and puffy from crying,
her arms bearing tiny slits from a nearby razor blade.  It was how she 
dealt, cut the pain away, but today it just left her burning both 
emotionally and physically.  She didn't want to be there anymore, she 
wanted to be away from everything.  It wasn't her fault everything had 
taken a turn for the worse. 

Her mom had lost her job, so money was even tighter than before, and
then she, in a fit had quit her job, and made it impossible to return.  
Her boyfriend, Blake, had told her that he liked her as a friend, and 
she had almost believed him.  That was until she found out he was 
dating one of her close friends.  To her, life was over as she knew it. 
 Even though she was sixteen, she had really thought Blake was the love 
of her life.  Her heart ached nonstop and she felt as if someone had 
torn a huge hole in her.  The lying, cheating bastard.  It wasn't fair, 
and it wasn't as if things were going to get better. 

With that bitter thought, she cocked her head and stared out her window,
towards the forest edging in at the border of their yard.  An idea had 
occurred to her, not for the first time, she should just end it all.  
Go out to one of the trees and hang herself.  It would be better that 
way, they'd all be better off without her.  Then another thought 
drifted into her mind. 

There was a lake a little ways into the woods that her mother had made
her swear to steer clear of.  When she had pushed her for the reason, 
her mother had been dodgy and somehow shifted the conversation 
elsewhere.  Tawney didn't know why nor could she have figured it out if 
she had tried, but she wanted to go swimming there.  Wanted to feel the 
cool dark water caressing her skin, beckoning her out into the deeper 
waters. 

She leapt up, that was what she was going to do.  She'd just go swimming
once in the lake, then she'd come back and off herself.  It wasn't like 
it really mattered anyway, she'd be dead long before her mom found out 
she went there.  Quickly she maneuvered through their house, avoiding 
the few items of furniture they hadn't sold. 

Before she even realized it, she was pushing through scratchy branches,
her instincts driving her deeper into the wooded area.  The scent of 
pine pervaded her nostrils and she inhaled deeply.  Her heart was 
pounding and even though she was walking straight, her head was 
spinning.  It was calling to her, she had to go swimming in the lake. 

Then she was there at the shore, the water rippling softly around the
edges, begging her to take a swim.  Her breath caught in her throat, 
she hadn't realized how beautiful the scenery truly was. The water was 
crystal clear, revealing tiny fish swimming around the rocks at the 
edge, while towards the middle, she caught glimpses of bigger shadows 
which had to be fish.  The tall mountains surrounding the little 
valley, reflected majestically in the mirror like water. 

Then she heard a soft voice that seemed to vibrate from the lake and
mountains, "Tawney."  It broke her beauty induced stupor and she 
stripped into the bare.  Something about the removing of her clothes 
seemed ritualistic, as if stepping into the water in anymore would 
taint it.  Then she slid into the glassy water and a felt instantly 
relaxed.  The water was neither cold nor warm, but a temperature that 
suited her perfectly.  It didn't have currents, but instead was 
perfectly still, and yet she felt as if she were being drawn into the 
middle of the lake. 

Slowly she drifted out, enjoying the water against her skin.  The
sunlight twinkled across the broken surface like diamonds, and she felt 
distinctly as if she was alone in the world, in a special place.  But 
at the same time, she felt that she had companionship, but not of the 
flesh. 

Eventually, she found herself floating on her back in the middle of the


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