Page 2 of Guided by the Stars
We suck in a lungful of air and dive beneath the surface. It’s clear on the top, but the deeper we go, the dimmer the ocean gets, only giving us dark silhouettes of the sand below.
As usual, we keep up with each other and, swimming side by side, we breach the surface. I look back, finding myself surprised and slightly worried. We’re further from shore than I thought. It’s late and dark, maybe we shouldn’t have gone this far.
I turn to ask Adriane, but get a face full of water instead. “Hey!” I shriek, laughing as I rub the salty water from my eyes and blink away the sting.
“Nora…” Adriane calls. The fear in her voice sends a shiver down my spine and my eyes open wide, realizing the splash wasn’t Adriane at all. She’s turned away from me, frozen in place, and my breath catches in my throat, following her gaze. The once-calm waters are swirling around us with whitecaps in every direction, ready to trap us.
Like Adriane, I’m stunned, rooted in place, with every vein in my body pulsing hard as fear sweeps over me. Then the shaking, soft touch on my cold arm snaps me back into the moment and I focus on following Adriane’s lead, pumping my legs as hard as I can to stay above the surface.
“What are we going to do—” I attempt to ask, when a wave crashes over, separating us, throwing us beneath the surface. My arm instinctively reaches forward, gripping Adriane’shand in mine as we both frantically kick our feet with all our strength to bring us up above the water.
I cough, spitting out water while turning around, trying desperately to find the shore. I squint, thinking I see land, but water dumps over us once more, and we’re pushed under the surface yet again.
The undertow yanks me backwards, forcing me to spiral without direction and my hand unlatches from Adriane’s. I fight to find it again but the water is raging, rolling like a storm, and it has me caught in its eye. It’s violently moving, separating us more, and making it unable for me to escape.
The sea changes directions, forcing me forward, but I’m jolted back just as quickly when coral embeds itself into my swimsuit, trapping me underwater. Panic rushes through me as I reach down, tugging hard, trying to escape. I twist and turn, flailing my arms around as my mind races with dread.
My eyes shut as I squeeze them tightly together, feeling my heart hammer hard against my chest as thoughts of my past flash through my mind. I’ve known fear, I’ve faced death. It’s not what I’m most afraid of. It’s the unknown. The being alone in the dark, trapped without anywhere to run.I don’t want to be trapped again.
I open my eyes, squinting, unable to see anything around me, and my lungs burn. A dry pain is crawling its way up my chest and into my throat as desperation for air consumes me. I’m dizzy. My instincts tell me to keep moving, to fight as much as I can, to get out of here, but the more I struggle, the less oxygen I have.I need to survive.
In an attempt to steady myself, I let flashes of my family’s faces come to my mind. I picture their smiles and remember the laughs we shared. I focus on them and on my will to never disappoint them. I let our happy moments fuel me.
With all the strength I have left, I make one strong tug. Relief washes over me as I feel the fabric tear, but I’m not in the clear. The waters are strong, trapping me back into the whirlwind of their rage and pushing me from all sides.
I release a gasp as the force of a wave collides with my side. The taste of salt burns into my lungs as water seeps in, weighing me down, leaving me at the mercy of the seawater. Then another powerful surge hits, taking my body further under. I’m weak, tired, and caught beneath it’s hold.
I’m sorry mom and dad. I’m just not strong enough.
Defeated, I let my body sink. I’m trapped, fully aware that I’m drowning. The tears mix with the burn of the water as I settle into my fate, when suddenly I’m propelled above the surface with movement of the tow.
My head spins with weakness as I choke, trying to take in air with labored breaths. The pain is unbearable, everything is burning, yet I force my eyes open at the new chance of survival. I squint, scanning the surface of the ocean looking for Adriane.She’s out here somewhere. I can’t let her be left alone in fear.
A burst of movement above catches my eye and my gaze darts towards the stars in the sky, blinking against the sting of the light. Somehow they are shining brighter than before, twinkling rapidly against the darkness of the night, bringing comfort. My tense body relaxes against the steady flow of the water as a welcome calm strikes through me. It’s an oddly peaceful moment, like the stars themselves are shifting in my presence and releasing a spark of tranquility to bring everything into alignment. It’s as if I’m connected to whatever greater purpose this life has to bring. I sigh, but the calm quickly evaporates when reality crashes over me as another wave in the distance crashes with vengeance.
With hazy eyes I scan the water quickly, catching a flash of red in the corner of my eye and croak out, “Adriane!” before both of us are pulled back under.
Hair clings to my face as I’m spun around, but I keep my eyes open, fighting the pressure of the sting. Everywhere I look it’s crashing water mixing with oxygen. White foam with the deep blue sea forbidding me to see far. Everything is disappearing as I’m being trapped in the dark yet again.
I can’t do this again. I’m too weak.
Just then, a faint trickle of light appears, along with the feeling of hope, as I hear a whisper from behind. I spin around quickly towards the soft voice, but Adriane isn’t there. Confused, I spin around more, not seeing a living creature in sight. Hallucination or not, I let it power me. I can feel it, my instincts telling me she’s still alive and out there.
Adriane, I’m coming.
With adrenaline kicking in, I swim in the direction the voice came from, willing my lungs to hold out just a little longer. When I break through the water, the flash of her red hair reappears at the exact same time and relief floods through me.
The unforgiving waters don’t let the moment last long. We’re both pulled down again, except this time I know the way. I let my instincts guide me, and kicking with all the power I have left in me, I don’t stop until I spot her through the waves.
She’s surrounded by jagged coral, with her back towards me as she tries to turn herself around. The moment she does, her eyes flash and she angles her body toward mine, reaching out as if to grab me.
I swim harder, and the closer I get, the more my body responds with an unusually comforting warm tingle that vibrates along my skin. It grows stronger by the second, seepinginto my skin, reassuring me and bringing hope. I use it, letting its power give me the strength I need to push through this last bit of distance.
With Adriane in front of me, I reach my arm out and tug her by the hand away from the coral. Using our combined strength, we push through the surface as one and I wrap my arms around her. I hold on tight, finding relief flooding through me.
“Are you okay?” Adriane asks as we pull away from each other. It’s only then that I notice the difference. It’s the calm of the storm. The water peacefully reflects the moon from above and glistens with the gentle breeze.
“I think so. Are you?” I ask softly, despite that we’re still treading in water. Us being together brings a comforting reassurance. I’m grateful that she wasn’t taken away from me as well. “I was so worried when we separated.”
