Wednesday, October 09, 2013

I waded out into the surf, up to my ankles, to my knees. It went on for a long ways without getting too much deeper. Finally I was up to my hips and I dove in, reemerged, and swam frantically, trying not to touch the bottom, wanting to really swim, at least a little while. I lifted my chin up with the swells, aware all the while of the scary power of the ocean. I swam out a little more and treaded water, finding that I could barely touch the sand. I swam along the shore, turned around and swam the other way, and then turned in. When I put my foot down again I felt an angry stab from a sentient thing, something trying to save its life. I recoiled and swam away fast, back to the beach, and limped up on a little clot of blood and sand.