The moon hung low over head, mocking her with the comfort of its glow. She was far too frozen to feel comforted. The soft churning, lapping sound of the water was ominous around her. Water. The realization hit her, and she glanced around, wide eyed. Her breath was growing ragged, but the cold, the biting chill, it didn’t eat down to her bones as quite as quickly as it had before. Maybe she was in too much shock for it to.

She caught a break in the water’s surface, faint splashing, a few gasping breaths. Someone else was here, there was another in the water. Was she being given a second chance? She glanced up at the moon in silent thanks. Her arms were strong this time, and she made a few solid strokes towards the form in the water. Her brow furrowed as the slowly sinking body came into view. This was no boy. She made a few more fierce strokes, and grabbed at him, pulling him to her.

She wiped at her eyes, blinking as she stared into that face. “Rand?” she whispered.

No... no, it couldn’t be. He was limp, and inexplicably heavy. She couldn’t keep them above water. The current, the icy bite of the water seemed to hit her suddenly, and water lapped over his uncharacteristically pale face. She snaked her arm under his and around his back, pulling him higher in the water, slapping at his face in a desperate attempt to get him to come around.

“Come on, Rand. You gotta help me. You’re too heavy,” she pleaded.

The current only seemed to grow. It clutched at their clothes, tugging insistently. She caught a mouthful of water and choked, struggling to keep her head above the surface. He was leaden, dead weight. She gasped, and glanced around. The shore. Where was the shore?

Moon, guide me! she pleaded, looking up to the sky as the water lapped at her cheeks. The clouds had shifted overhead, obscuring the light. She searched the endless churning surface for a break, for a hint of something besides water. With one more deep breath, she pulled him up and began to kick, pull, and stroke with all her might in the direction that looked most promising.

It wasn’t long before she caught another mouthful of water, and her fierce strokes slowed to a slow, sluggish battle. Glancing to her charge, she cringed to find his face obscured by the rippling fluid that threatened to pull them both to their deaths.

“No!” she cried out in desperation, but no matter how much she strained against the liquid ice, she couldn’t bring him to her. Soon she caught another mouthful of murky water. The water, relatively warm in contrast to the biting night air, slipped over her face.

She blinked, seeing the moon peek from those thick, dark clouds. The sight was distorted, shimmering from her view beneath the surface. Bubbles drifted up between her and the fading beacon as she released the air from her lungs. Though she would hold her breath as long as she could, she knew that burning, heavy cold liquid would fill her next. She pulled Rand against her, defeated once more. She’d failed … again.