Page 4 - Birthday edition 1 -OUTCAST_Neat

He had a year when he neglected his studies, but now it seems he has recommenced. Yet, his
newfound dedication to education is overshadowed by his increasing reliance on alcohol. She
witnesses him drunk more frequently than ever, and he often sits alone by the boat, brooding over
something. Whatever burdens him, only he knows. Approximately twenty minutes pass with no
notable events. She starts to feel the chill of the evening, an icy reminder of her own immobility and
silent observation.

Luckily, she, like him, carries a bottle to numb her senses. She sips from it, relishing the sharp burn
of the liquor, and lights a homemade cigarette. She always keeps an ample supply, just as she does
with her bottle of gin at home. Darkness envelops the surroundings, leaving her with a mere
glimpse of the scratched boat and Andrew's silhouette. Suddenly, the boat comes alive.

She watches as he rises, pausing for a few seconds, then takes deliberate steps toward the edge.
With practiced precision, he releases the mooring, swiftly settles back into the seat, and pushes off
the pier, allowing the boat to glide away onto the water. He takes hold of the oars, rowing himself
farther from the shore, out onto the open expanse of the lake. A brief pause, a drink from the bottle,
a drag from his cigarette. Once he finishes smoking, he flicks the spent butt into the water, savoring
the last sip from the bottle before resuming his rowing. He's now roughly 200 meters from the
shore. Suddenly, he starts rowing more intensely, further out. As he reaches almost the middle of the
lake, he lays down the oars, stands up, and gazes out over the water as if he's trying to find
something specific. He sits down, and from where she stands, it looks like he's rummaging for
something at the bottom of the boat. He stands up again, and she can see that he's holding the large
stone in his hands that he struggled to get on board the boat, which is now tilting heavily to one
side. He wobbles as the boat is about to capsize, and suddenly there's a loud splash. The boat turns
onto its side, and Andrew disappears into the water. She gasps and stands there for a few seconds,
petrified. "A voice inside her says, 'You're drunk; this isn't something that happens in reality.'" But it
is something that happens in reality, not just something she dreams or fantasizes about. Another few
seconds pass. "She snarls at herself as she starts running towards the lake and the water. She stops
and stares out over the dark lake. 'Damn, I've been drinking.'" Whispering to herself amidst the eerie
stillness of the lake, her eyes fixated on the lone silhouette of an inverted rowboat gleaming under
the haunting glow of the full moon. It was as if the boat held secrets, secrets that had plunged
beneath the depths, concealed from prying eyes. Her heart raced with trepidation, for she knew
without a doubt that he had met a watery demise, sinking relentlessly into the abyss. She is an
experienced swimmer, despite her miserable condition she has persisted in being a winter swimmer.
It has been her only connection to her former life, but nonetheless, swimming has given her a
microscopic sense of still belonging among those who are a bit special and can accomplish certain
things. She feels like a member of a specific club, just like when she was young - always the special
beautiful young woman, which is also how she was used in fashion campaigns. Ultra beautiful and
unique. She doesn't want to think about that anymore; instead, she swims towards the rowboat and
the place where Andrew probably sank. She knows he must have passed out, and she starts to feel a
nagging sensation that either it's a lifeless body she will find or a body with very little life left. But
she is convinced that she will find him. At the same time, she tries to figure out how long he must
have been underwater.

Driven by an inexplicable impulse, she sprinted towards the small, weathered pier that jutted out
into the murky waters. In a frenzy, she discarded her garments, revealing only her bra and panties,