Insanity Falls

Into the Woods

Everyone makes mistakes in their life, but even those who do know the limit before a "mistake" becomes a tragedy. Yet knowing this limit is not always enough, and no matter how hard you try you can't stop yourself from ruining your life more once your stuck in the quicksand, damaging what little is left of your soul. For us five we are just that, the "souless demons drowned in the hell's sand,"  all because we could not force are selves to end the madness from the start.
The words of angry villagers all yelling at us in a chaotic harmony of their emotions using language that terrified the children who could only just helplessly sit inside crying for it to be over, as protective parents shielded them from going near windows and doors. As we continued to march through the street single file, each chained like dogs on a leash earning more bruises by everything and anything the people could throw at us... quite literally too. Guards carrying guns kept a close eye on all of us, though it seemed more of hateful glare with a story behind it in my opinion.
Someone leaning over his window got hold of a brick and aimed it at the youngest girl in the line. Unfortunately she didn't notice it, as she was to busy looking at her feet doing her best to block out any sound, biting her tongue forcing herself to cry and silently praying god will have pity on the poor child.
Lorana, who was right behind her, pushed Aspen forward into me, luckily this caused the brick to miss her head. I didn't say anything and simply regained balance after she bumped into me. Aspen slowly turned her head and looked at Lorana confused but then noticed the brick laying on the ground where she wouldve been had it not been for her going faster at that exact moment. "I'm sorry I didn't really plan that I just," I overheard Lorana talking.
"N-no thank you actually," Aspen said amazed.
One of the guards nudged Aspen making sure she stayed in her place from now on as the "criminal 5" kept moving till they were out of the busy area of the village and half way up Haru mountain with still almost 6 hours until they reached its peak even at fastest speed.
     Night fell and tired as they were from walking uphill non-stop neither guard nor prisoner were allowed to take breaks. A bird that had found its way to Sapphire a while back which Ender nicknamed "Happiness" curled up in her warm hands. It began to chirp quietly, Sapphire tried to whisper, "shut up or you might irratate them!" But the bird didn't understand and took her words as "rude" then skipped over to a guard curling back into a ball on his shoulder. The guard was startled and shook the bird off then stomped on it thinking it was some kind of imp which have also been rumored to live in these mountains. (1,000  years ago, possibly more, Haru mountain might once have been an active volcano, which to the locals of that time looked like the entrance to hell described in a popular myth that was around long before we started counting time.)
Sapphire tried not to let tears fall as she stared at her squished bird friend.
The guard realized his mistake and he too felt sorry for the bird yet quickly moved on announcing we were here.
I remember us all staring at the falls and are last chance to get out any bottled up emotions was now. Even I who prided myself for being so strong couldn't help but cry. The guards must have felt terrible knowing what drinking the water from these falls would do to us but with everything we had done in our pasts turning back was impossible. To be honest most of us might've deserved this.
"Now drink from it," one of them ordered.
-third person pov-
Aspen was practically frozen stiff. And then as if she had had enough of the regret torturing her started talking making her way closer and closer to the water. "I'm sorry," she said angrily gritting her teeth. "I'm sorry, for the monster I am, I'm sorry I was lucky enough to live to die again..."
Everyone stared at her asking if she was ok, Aspen turned with an expression saying "help me!" true innocence flashed in her eyes with confusion, frustration, and fear. Then as she calmed down a bit tried to step off the log and back onto the ground. Sobbing harder than ever, but one of the guards pulled out his gun and shot at her feet.
Aspen lost balance and the log went rolling with her plummeting several thousands of miles down next to the raging water.
"ASPEN!" Lorana screamed.
"Dear god," Sapphire said at the same time.
Iris looked down and so did Ender afraid of what they might see, a short glimpse of Aspen's cloak before she dissappeared in the mist of the falls. They stepped back from the scene then were handed cups by the guards. Each prisoner filled theirs in the water than took one last look at eachother.
Lorana stared at the water, her hands were shaky and she had to think of happy thoughts if she ever wanted to get it over with, buy rather than happy memories the first thing she thought of was her parents. Abusive, terrifying, the reason she was here is because of them.. then a flash went by in her head, she pictured her parents standing right there in front of her, they looked like they just escaped hell and had this murderous expression. To make matters worse it almost looked as if her mom was staring at her with this strange fire in her eyes, and made sure Lorana was hypnotized by the flames as she watched the young girl intently like a wolf hunting it's prey. Lorana tried to shake it off but she was then forced to drink the water by a guard who yelled at her to stop stalling.
The other 3 felt pity.
"Cheers!" Iris said with this voice of hope, yet no matter how she said it you could tell she was being sarcastic about it, raising her glass in the air before taking a sip.
"To life," Ender added gloomily.
"Til the very end," Sapphire said