The Wave

• Lillian Halse, Grade 7, St Norbert's College
• Short Story
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'Summertime Fun ONLINE' competition

She knew he was watching her as her feet sank lower in the soft blanket of sand. She could feel his light blue eyes on the back of her head as she started towards the turquoise ocean, but she ignored him.
Her feet connected with the warm water and she felt a wave of happiness wash over her. Before she knew it she was waist deep and had found the perfect wave moving smoothly towards her and took the opportunity. Filling her lungs with air, she dived into it and found herself in a whole new world. The water felt nice on her skin as fish of every colour materialized before her and crabs scuttled across the pure white sandy floor. Then, when her lungs couldn't stand it anymore, she pushed off the floor, creating a whirlpool of sand, and appeared above the water. She then continued to repeat the pattern with perfect strokes.
However, she didn't seem to notice the dark grey clouds filling the sky or the wind changing direction, but, when she resurfaced, she noticed something else. She was deep, very deep. Huge waves started to hit the surrounding rocks with such force that it made a huge crash!
The current was getting stronger as well, pulling her towards a clump of rocks. She barely had time to let out the scream that was on her lips before she collided with the rocks' rough surface. She glanced through the pain and looked back at the shore, her vision fractured.
She saw him dive into the water, noticed the way he was frantically trying to get to her, to save her. She wanted to tell him not to, but she could not find her voice.
She forced her eyes to stay open as he appeared next to her. She didn't resist as her body was pulled over his shoulder, but she felt the throbbing pain all the way.
That's when she saw it. A huge wall of water descended on them as they tried to get away. She buried her face in his light brown hair as the wave pushed them deep under water. It didn't seem so peaceful this deep. It was quiet, too quiet and empty. Empty apart from her and the boy who had attempted to save her life but had now lost his as well. Now two innocent lives had been lost when it could have only been one. But it didn't matter, nothing mattered. The last thing that she saw before her eyes closed for the last time was his sad face watching her as he too, disappeared.