Wipe Out

• Ebony Adams, Grade 9, Bellingen High School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

“It’s my first time, I’ve never done this before, I have no idea what I’m doing” runs repetitively in my head as I stand on the shoreline. The strong ocean breeze rushing through the air slightly calms me but not enough to remove the hundreds of butterflies in my belly, it feels like there all stuck in a net trying to fight their way out all at once. My feet getting splashed by every single wave that meets the shore, there slowly sinking into the wet sand, I brush my feet together feeling little grains of sand between my toes. I bend down feeling the water rushing through my fingertips as I put on my leg strap. I stand back up and leap forward toward the ocean.
I get through the first wave by diving deeply beneath it. I feel so proud, I think to myself “this isn’t that hard” but I must have jinxed myself because all of a sudden I’m getting smashed under water by the most powerful wave, I tumble around, a medley of salt water, sand and surfer. The only thing running through my mind was fear, fear of dying. I come back up gasping for air as if I’ve just tried to set the new record for holding your breath. Everything’s starting to calm down, but something just doesn’t feel right. It feels like the water is going more than one way, pulling desperately at my tangled legs. I had got myself stuck in a huge unforgivable rip. “Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. I panic. The feeling of fear consumes me. I keep thinking to myself “this is it, this is the end of my life, here at this age, without being able to say goodbye to anyone”.
I’m exhausted from the struggle. I rest my salty cheek against the board and listen to the ocean try to swallow me. The next thing I know, the rip is somehow drifting away, leaving my there in the middle of the ocean with nothing to rely on but my board. My brief relief is crushed as a wall of waves approach. All the feelings of fear and death come back, but I don’t let it get to me I bring it all in as much as I can. Just before the wave hits I begin to paddle and I’m up and away. I feel the power of the water as it lifts me higher. The board feels firm beneath my feet. The strong breeze rushes through my air as I, glide through the water. In my joy I think I see a pod of dolphins jumping and splashing through the water beside me. “I’m doing it. I’m doing it. I’m surfing” I yell. My dream has finally come true.