Last Moment Saviour

• Ellie Zhang, Grade 6, Matthew Pearce Public School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

How could I have known? Known that something so amazing, so wonderful, could possibly have a negative downside to it? I'd always thought of this moment as sitting on the edge of a cruise, gazing out at a divine and picturesque scene spread like butter out onto the horizon as my feet dipped into warm, clear water below me.
Staring down into the murky depths of the ocean now really made me feel so different from what I wanted to feel. I wanted to be enjoying it so much I wouldn't want to go. I wanted to be astonished at how clear or pristine the saltwater was, glistening under sunlight on a glorious, midsummer day. Instead, I felt like a mouse being taunted and chased by vicious, growling cats.
I rubbed my eyes sleepily, at the same time trying to hide my disappointment of the cracks in our fishing boat.
"Suri, we know you're tired," Instructor Wendy said empathetically, and I turned at my name, "We just need to give everyone a turn. How about this, you're up now. Then you can have some rest, okay?"
Wendy was always my favourite, because of her blonde, frizzy hair.
Knowing I wasn't a good swimmer, nor did I have any survival skills or training, I quickly declined the offer. Wendy stared at me with an expression that clearly said "come on, you know you want to," and that was enough to convince me. I chewed a strand of my auburn hair and suited up.
At first, I drifted for a few seconds that felt like eternity. Though the water was black and I had almost no vision at night, I managed to somewhat enjoy the water's current. Then it swayed me back and forth until I got used to the dizzy yet stable feeling, where I knew no matter how far it threw me, I'd be safe.
Suddenly a cold chill creeped up my spine. What was that? I felt the tiniest inkling that there was something below me . . . could it be? Oh, great.
Then it came again, nudging my foot. A shrill scream ran through the crowd on the boat as Wendy shouted, "Suri, get out of there, now! Swim toward the red buoys and you'll see -"
Her last words were cut off as the boat flipped. I knew this was it. The shark was heading for me, hungry and ferocious and I was alone in the middle of the ocean. I saw the boat start to go down.
Drowning in panic and fear, my eyelids felt so heavy I couldn't open them.
That's when two pale arms lifted me out of the water and blonde frizzy hair blew into my face.
"Thank goodness you're okay, Suri."