Waves Of Death

• Sarah Bailey, Grade 9
• Poetry
• 2011

Bodies in the murky, brown water being swept away, their eyes open in terror and their fingers reaching for me. As the ocean pulled back this wave of death another immediately came to take its place.
Sitting up, I realised that I was drenched in sweat. As I clambered off my bed to turn on the light I reassured myself that it was just a nightmare. These repetitive dreams have been part of my life for the past ten years.
At the young age of seven, I was confronted with live footage that showed the death of my parents. They had been on a week-long holiday in Bali. I had been staying with my grandparents at the time and have been living with them ever since.
The ocean. Its water has always terrified me, especially after that tragic day. The ocean. A hungry beast, claiming lives, pursuing its prey. The ocean. A place of happiness for most, but all I see is those pale fingers reaching for me.