Waves

• Heidi Fisher, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2011

I look out of my window, out of my tiny window in my tiny room at the sunrise on the horizon. The colours are beautiful, red orange and purpley-pink. It’s too early for any walkers, hikers or joggers to be making their way along the narrow, rock filled path that is near the beach. I look around my room and then find what I’m looking for. I pick up my bag, walk out the door, and in a couple of minutes, I’m walking that same path myself. When I arrive at my beautiful destination, sandy and desolate, I see that the horizon is closer now. It looks as if I can just reach out a single, pale finger and touch the warmth of the colours.
I am as far as I can possibly be from all my worries, which isn’t very. I root around in my old, tattered NYC bag, praying that I haven’t left my gear at home, meaning that I would have to make the journey back to our run-down shack which would mean that I had wasted precious time. But miracle of miracles, it’s there. Crumpled up in a messy heap, but there. I pull it on, rushing; I have to get down there before anyone else comes.
I go diving every day. It’s my life, my passion, my heart and the fluid of my soul itself. Whenever I dive, whenever I see the stunning marine life, all my stress, strain and worries are immersed in the golden sand that is the bed of the ocean itself.
I walk to the edge of the water, the connection between the sand and the sea. I keep walking until I have to pedal my legs to keep my head above the foaming ocean. I take a deep breath, and dive down so I am now a part of the ocean. Today the ocean is beautiful. One of my favourite things about diving is that nothing stays the same, the scenes change and evolve.
The ocean is bright and Azure, shining like a star at midnight and just as dazzling. Shimmering fish dart as fast as racing cars and seaweed laps underneath my toes, hiding secrets in their green tentacles. Down deeper, near the sandy bottom of the sea, the water is darker and somewhat brighter, like sequins.
It is so stunning it feels like I am as content and peaceful as I ever can be. But then, in a couple of seconds, the foaming waves are hurling themselves to the shore with more purpose. I didn’t realise how far out I was.
Then, a wave so big it looked like a tsunami, hurls itself at me. I don’t know which way is up, and which way is down. I burst up to the surface of the water but then I’m pushed down again. With one last effort I break through the surface of the water and start swimming back to shore. As if nothing has happened, I walk away.