It rained yesterday. The water current's heavy and the water's deep... I can't find a foothold and I can't swim out. Is this how Jun Ling felt when she drowned? Am I going to die here too?

No. Not yet. I have to live. So many things... so many things left to do...

It's not just the current. There's something else in the water with me.

Malice.

Directed at me.

I felt a tug on my leg, and suddenly I'm dragged deep under water. I see it. A person's face. The look they had on their face. It was a look of desperation and longing. It terrified me because I knew what it was immediately.

Shui Gui. Water ghost. The same type of ghost as Jun Ling. Except this one wasn't kind. It wants to drown me and then possess my body.

It was dragging me deeper and I couldn't resist it. But that was alright. Maybe dying here, I could meet her again. The thought of dying was... comforting and...

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I couldn't help but feel disgusted at that.

You suicidal maniac. Jun Ling didn't entrust you with her last wish so that you could just up and die here.

We had reached the bottom of the river. But all hope isn't lost. I still have air. And at the bottom of the river, there is ground. I won't hand over my body that easily! You're dead so how about you just... STAY DEAD!

I thrashed, spinning around in the water, trying to break its grip on me. And once I felt it loosened up the slightest, I kicked out at the ground. That sent me rocketing away a good distance. Just as it was coming again, I threw silt at it.

Silt I had collected in my hand while trashing around.

That seemed to stun it momentarily and I took off as quickly as I could. My head broke the surface of the water and I gasped for air. The current had carried me all the way down to the next town's bridge. I raised my hand through the air, grabbed the bridge and pulled myself upwards to safety.

After I was safe on land, I looked down into the water and saw it.

A few dozen ghosts glaring at me as if beckoning me to enter the water. So many... If I had to fight off that many it would have been impossible. How many people have drowned in this river?...

I'm going to ask the old men at the town hall next meeting to fence off the river. It's too dangerous. In fact why haven't they fenced it off yet? That's the real question.