Paradise

• Ruby Levett, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

I stroll leisurely along the beach, my mind in a state of tranquillity. A pleasantly mild breeze ripples through my hair and causes the fronds of the palm trees dotted along the beach to sway slightly.

The warm sand between my toes is a soft golden in colour, as is the slowly setting sun. The cloudless blue sky is beginning to change to a rosy pink, with hints of red and purple.

The tide laps endlessly against the shore, lined with a foamy white froth. The cool turquoise water flows around my ankles, causing my feet to sink with a squelch into the sand.

A slight current in the water creates a disruption, disturbing the serene and smooth surface. It carries an unsuspecting leaf floating in the water nearby out to sea, where it eventually sinks into the depths of the ocean.

Further out, where the water is no longer balmy and gentle, large, glassy waves are breaking on the horizon, their immense power decreasing to nothing more than a ripple as they roll into the beach.

A group of surfers wait patiently for the next wave, their eyes scanning the water for any signs of movement. One surfer is fortunate enough to catch what might be the most monumental wave of the day when something phenomenal happens.

Merely seconds after the surfer has caught the wave, a pod of dolphins join him, unable to resist. I smile as the dolphins ride the wave in alongside the surfer, their fins breaking the surface every few seconds.

Everyone watches as they disappear under the water, returning to their subaqueous home. The surfer looks honoured, ecstatic and utterly surprised, all at once. I do not blame him; dolphins are such good-natured and intelligent creatures.

As the surfers paddle in, the moon begins to rise, it's eerie glow informing the sun that it can set, taking the pink of the sky with it. I sit down on the sand, enjoying it's warmth and it's smooth grainy texture.

A lone star twinkles on the horizon, waiting to soon be joined by thousands of others. I sit watching it until I am the only one left on the beach; everyone else has packed up, tired after a day of sun, sea and sand.

I relish the peace and close my eyes, listening to the quiet rushing of the tide, and the occasional cry of a gull. I relax and enjoy being in my place of comfort, my soul in an invisible orb of contentment.

To some, the beach is simply a body of salty water repeatedly crashing against the sandy shore. To me, however, the beach is a place of harmony, happiness and peace. To me, the beach is paradise.