I can remember the day I died.

When I was ten years old, my mother told me to go outside to play. As I ran into the woods behind my house I felt a chill, a foreboding feeling that I will never forget no matter how hard I try. But being ten years old, I shook it off. I could hear the bubbling brook and I followed it upstream for a while to my favorite spot, the Big Willow tree. It sat on the edge of the river with its majestic branches hanging over the brook that soon turned into a roaring river the further it went up.  I climbed Big Willow onto my favorite branch that overlooked the river, and snuggled up to the trunk to rest for a while.

I shouldn’t have been there. I shouldn’t have been in that tree, in that area, in the woods. 

As soon as I closed my eyes and started to drift off, I heard a voice...

“Hey. Hey, is there anyone there?”

My eyes opened slowly. I wasn’t sure if I had heard it, but I could feel the voice close to my ear.

“Can someone help me? I’m stuck! I’m scared, please, save me! I need help!”

This time I could hear it. I looked around for the origin of the voice but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. I huffed, frustrated I couldn't help the person right away. Climbing down from the tree, my feet hit the ground and I heard the voice again. They sounded a little more desperate and loud, but distant at the same time.

“Hey! P-please! Help me! I’m in the river! Come here! Help me!”

Ah, the river, yes! I could help them now! I walked over to the river, a couple of inches from the edge.

“W-where are you? I can’t see you sir- er or ma’am?”

“Ah, thank you, young boy! I’m over here! In the river!”

“Where? I don’t see you.”

“Come closer, you’ll see me! Come closer, young one! Help me!’

“O-oh okay... “ I hesitantly walked closer to the edge of the river, my feet now halfway in the water. Looking around the river, I studied any tide or movement it made to try and find whoever was speaking to me.

“Kekek a little closer, dear. You won’t find me from that far away!”

I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion and frustration. How could I not see the person? I wasn’t that far away… Was I?

“H-hurry! Hurry, dear! Help me!”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and took another step forward.