'I… I… I can't… I… I can't breathe!'
Neo's eyes flashed open only to find himself in a world of blue.
'Where am I?'
It took a moment for the traumatic memories of the previous night to return in full.
The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on the blue rock.
Wait, the blue rock?
Neo looked around once more. All he could see was blue. A wonderful light blue that appeared mythical and surreal.
Was he inside the blue rock?
No, this sensation… he was underwater!
Neo's lungs burned as he realised he was practically out of oxygen. He tried to move his body but found the blue world around him to be a dense kind of liquid.
It was so dense that he could barely move.
He had no idea how he got here, all he knew was that...
'I'm drowning.'
The realisation of his current predicament did nothing to help Neo in that moment. He had to get out of this liquid—and fast!
Using all the strength he could muster, Neo pushed himself off the floor and tried to swim upwards. He had gathered enough force to propel himself at least a few metres, but he was dumbfounded when he found himself being dragged back down again.
Shit!
This place wanted to kill him!
Neo had been an avid swimmer in his youth. He had loved the freedom of being immersed in water and moving his body however he liked. Suffice it to say, he was a good swimmer. Actually, he was a very good one.
But why was it so difficult to swim out of this blue liquid?
Neo didn't have any time to think. He was drowning, and the impulse to gasp was beginning to take over his mind. He had to reach the surface before it did.
One more time!
Neo shot upwards again with practised ease. His body moved like a fish, and he soared upwards rapidly.
After reaching a certain depth, the strange force reappeared, dragging him back down into the liquid. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, it was futile.
Neo was beginning to panic now.
His situation was so dire, and he had only just woken up.
Desperately looking around for something that might help him, Neo's gaze fell upon the same shiny blue rock he had seen in the forest.
He swam over to it and placed his hand on it, only for something shocking to happen.
Neo's hands remained glued to the rock for a few seconds before his whole body sank into it mysteriously.
Gulum!
It felt as if he had fallen into a muddy swamp, and his body could only descend slowly.
An instant later, Neo found himself lying beside the blue rock on white, glowing grass.
He looked up and—
Oh, shit!
Neo yelped as he found himself face-to-face with a massive, hairy black gorilla of an uncommon grade.
Their faces were mere feet apart, and Neo could feel the hot air from the beast's nostrils.
F*ck me!
Neo slapped the blue rock so hard that his fingers broke. He prayed the rock would suck him in once more; otherwise, he would have to face this gorilla alone.
Once his hands stuck to the rock, Neo sighed in relief before his vision suddenly darkened.
He had thought he'd been sucked back into the rock, but the terrible smell that assaulted him suggested otherwise.
'Please tell me that is not a tongue!'
Neo stared at the slimy pink wall that flapped before him and came to the terrifying realisation that he was about to be swallowed.
It was a bloody tongue!
He was about to be swallowed!
Gulum!
Neo's body was finally sucked into the blue rock. He couldn't have been more grateful for his quick thinking. Had he touched the blue rock a second later, he would no doubt have been swallowed!
His luck was really trying to kill him off young!
He hadn't even married yet!
Or even tasted a woman!
Putting those thoughts aside, Neo mentally and physically prepared himself for the greatest swim of his life.
It was either being swallowed to death or drowning to death!
At least he had a slim hope of surviving one of those!
Let's do this!
Gulum!
Neo felt the cold blue liquid surround his body once again, covering his vision.
Since there was no time to waste, Neo shot up as hard as he could and swam upward again.
He managed to swim a bit higher before the force pulled him down once more.
Neo didn't stop this time.
The thought of being swallowed alive was the best motivation he could ever hope for.
Neo attained enlightenment in the heavenly dao of swimming and felt his swimming skills improve at a monstrous pace.
Again!
Again!
Again!
Try again!
Neo was sore all over from swimming so hard, but he couldn't care less.
He was getting higher with every attempt and was nearing the surface. He could already catch glimpses of other colours through the water!
He scrunched up his face as he began to drown again, but Neo had to put his all into this last swim.
He could feel that this was his final chance to reach the surface, so he gave it everything he had.
Again!
He was so close!
Just a little more!
Neo was going crazy with desperation. The desire to breathe was overwhelming.
His sore body felt like it would break apart at any moment, but he could only endure it.
It was do or die!
Now!
Neo shot upwards at a dazzling speed. He crossed metres in seconds and swam like a fish in water.
By the time the force came to pull Neo down again, he was already mere feet from the surface!
Too late!
Neo thought as his head burst out of the blue water. He coughed and gasped intensely, wheezing from holding his breath for so long.
At last, Neo had made it to the surface!