You press the button.

Ding.

The light is back! Woo!

And the room has four feet of water in it! Less woo!

It takes you a moment to get used to the sudden water, but once you do it’s fine.

You know how to swim.

And your whole head is out of the water. Probably shoulders, too. This is fine.

The water is slightly cold, but you get used to it quickly. It’s perfectly clear, with no chemical or salt smell.

This is probably tap water. Not something you’d want in a regular swimming pool, but this isn’t a regular swimming pool.

This is just a flooded concrete room.

You kick onto your back and start floating around. You might swim a few laps, getting some exercise for the day. There aren’t any pool toys or floating things to play with, so there really isn’t much to do here.

I mean, you enjoy swimming, sure, but it’s the kind of thing that gets monotonous really fast all by itself.

You let yourself sink down and try timing how long you can hold your breath. You can hold it for a good amount of time. You’re no Percy Jackson, but you don’t have to surface for a while.

Yep. This is getting kinda boring.

You immediately sink, thrashing your arms around in a panic.

Dude, you-

You scream, letting most of the water out of your lungs.

DUDE. You can-

This is it. This is how you die. All your nightmares were right after all.

DUDE, YOU CAN STAND!!!!

~

…Oh.

You get your feet under you and straighten your legs.

Yep, your head (and probably shoulders) is above the water.

You can’t tell, but I’m facepalming so hard right now. I swear, if I’d had to call in the medics for that, I would have contacted the Darwin Awards people.

Anyways. Ahem. You are now perfectly calm, standing there.

Just standing. In the water. Doing nothing.

Fascinating.

The water itself is perfectly clear. It doesn’t smell chlorinated or salty. I’ll let you in on a secret, it’s tap water. There’s a tap at the bottom of one of the walls that was used to fill the room to the appropriate height. It has since been disconnected, so it can’t accidentally keep filling and drown you or something.

That would be bad.

You slowly turn, looking around. The water ripples from your movement.

It also ripples when something in the far corner briefly touches the surface of the water.

Oh that’s not good.

There’s something in the water with you. You see a flash in the water, light reflecting off of scales.

This has just become significantly less fun.

You back away from the flash, trying to figure out what it was. Most fish don’t bite, right? Most fish don’t have teeth that-

Never mind.

Ok. You don’t see any movement, so you duck under the water and open your eyes, trying to spot the fish.

You see it flash in the far corner, but can’t judge the shape or size.

You’re just going to have to get closer.

You move yourself through the water, getting closer to the fish.

From the reflection of the scales, you see it getting closer to you. You duck under the water again and take a look.

Yep, it’s certainly a large fish. You surface and take a breath, then duck under again.

This time it’s close enough to see clearly.

Oh. It’s just a big ol’ white koi fish.

It swims towards you slowly, you being the only interesting thing in this room. You reach out and touch the fish as it swims past.

The fish lets you. It doesn’t really care.

You follow it around for a while, happy to have a swimming buddy.

Eventually it notices the button. It drifts over to it, looks at it from a couple of angles, then bites it.

Nothing happens.

It becomes completely apathetic to the button, and swims away, knocking against the back of your knee. You take a single step forwards, and your foot lands on the button.

Nope! Nope.

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.

No.

You take a firm step forwards and stamp on that button.

Ding.