Dark History - Waterboy's Origin Story

Six years ago

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At seventeen, Sorley was still struggling with the memories, the anger, always feeling dirty. Being around water was the only thing that helped him feel any better, but it was never enough. He always eventually had to leave it. He would be aging out of the system soon and instead of looking forward to being independent, he just felt a sense of dread and inadequacy. He was almost an adult and felt weak for still struggling with what happened to him when he was a kid. He did not think he could handle things like holding a job, balancing a checkbook, cooking, paying rent… He just wanted to swim.

One day he decided he would rather die swimming than go on as he was. He skipped school and raided his foster parents’ liquor cabinet because like water, alcohol helped him feel better for a little while by numbing the pain. He filled his backpack with booze and took the bus to the beach where he got so drunk he could barely stand and could not walk. He crawled into the surf and swam out to sea.

The water had a sobering effect on him, but he kept swimming further and further out to sea until he could no longer see land. He swam, waiting for exhaustion to take him so he would drown. He got tired, but he never drowned. He finally forced the air from his lungs and sank to the sea floor where it was too dark to see and waited. Finally he needed to draw a breath, breathed in water… and it was just like breathing in air. Sorley knew he should be dying, but only felt more alive. He must have sat on the seafloor breathing in water for half an hour before finally trying to get back to the surface, which was when he learned he could manipulate water. The water itself propelled him to the surface. After Sorley’s eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he experimented with creating fountains, ribbons of water in the air, playing with the water like a child playing with playdoh. As the sky began to grow dark Sorley used his power to get back to shore.

The anger, depression and anxiety were all still there, and Sorley knew as a meta his life would not get easier in the current climate. But he felt a little bit stronger.

He aged out of the system and got a call from his sister. His biological sister. He had not seen Kiana since they were eight years old, living with that religious family that left belt scars on Sorley’s back. They made plans to meet at a local McDonalds.

How vibrant Kiana was with her bright red hair and flashing green eyes, especially compared to Sorley’s faded foster sister. She talked about how expensive even one room apartments were these days, and how a two bedroom apartment would be a better deal if someone could split the rent. Sorley had planned on living alone until he died but it was a struggle to afford the rent alone. He reluctantly agreed to share an apartment with her.