Cold. It was... cold. Every inch of his skin felt like it was being stabbed by knives, trying to seduce him into letting out a pained scream. But he knew that if he did, he would loose his precious oxygen. His lungs were burning. Fire, tearing apart the inside of his chest. Tears welled in his eyes, mixing with the freezing water that was choking the life from him. It was too cold to move, causing his body to sink like a stone... further and further away from the surface. From his precious sister. Arms flailed, grasping for something to pull him up... for a way to the surface... for a hand to hold. But there was no one.

He would die alone.

Finally, when he could take it no more, the scream was released, filling his lungs with the icy liquid. A darkness began to surround him, closing in like a thick veil. Was this it? His arms had stopped flailing, eyes closing in a final attempt to feel release. But... something was different. It felt as if he was being held – held by a reaffirming grasp, cradling him against a surprisingly warm figure. He was afraid. Very much so.

"Let go, child..." A voice brushed past his ear, sickeningly sweet, like something he might hear in a nightmare. He thought of his sister... his mother and his father... Could he give up on them?

"You must."

With one final, desperate reach for the surface, he stared at the pale skin of his hand, reaching towards the impossibly small dot of light. To his surprise, another hand curled around his, entwining their fingers. Pale skin melding with a darker shade and a comforting squeeze.

"Let go, Jack."

And so he succumbed to fear's command, slumping against the darkness and letting his conscious thought fade, only after mouthing a single set of words.

"Thank you."