The Ocean's Girls

Sinking

Robyn 'Rihanna' Fenty

The sun beat through the salty air, casting everything in a warm bright aura. The far off cawing of seagulls and the distant crashing of waves were enough to lull me to sleep, but truthfully sleep was the last thing on my mind. I opened my eyes from my happily warm dazed state and gazed at the board lying next to me in the sand. 

The large white body was flawless, the polished material glistening in the sunlight. I slowly sat up from my towel, in only my favorite black bikini. The huge beach was full of people, but I had managed to find a small secluded patch to lie down in. I stood from my towel, grabbing the surfboard and walking across the sand stretch that seemed to continue for miles along the ocean's coast. I wove through the tightly knit set ups of towels and umbrellas until I reached the water, the cooling froth lapping against my ankles. 

I took a deep breath, breathing in the misty late morning air before I slipped the surf board's cuff on my lower leg, wading deeper into the warm ocean water. A huge perk of Barbarous. 

Tucking my curled shoulder length dark hair behind my ears I duck under the water before standing again, the depth at this point only reaching up to my hips. I climb onto the board, lying down as I paddle with my hands farther away from the beach. 

I crashed through smaller waves until I saw a far off surge of water in the distance. Bingo. I prepped myself, paddling quickly back towards shore as the water started to crest, and I quickly switched to a standing position as the water lifted the board and I smoothly rode the wave out until it finished again, purposely jumping off the surf board into the refreshing water. 

I hop onto the board in a sideways sitting position, someone grabbing my attention as they paddle closer. A larger man in a wet suit. 

"Hey!" He called from a top his board, waving to catch my attention. "They want everyone to go in, an unexpected storm's not far off coast." He yells to me, and I give him a thumbs up to say I heard. He starts paddling towards the beach. I scoff at this, eyeing the darkened sky out at sea. Sure, it might be the forming of a small storm, but the sea looked calm enough. I didn't see any apparent danger. 

I start to swim back towards sea, just as a horn blares back at the beach. Yep, they defiantly wanted people to get out of the water. Why? 'Cause the storm? That was stupid, it hadn't even formed yet much less get anywhere near shore. I come to the conclusion it must be overprotective lifeguards, and paddle farther out. I spot the surges of far off water, determining that pretty good sized waves were going to be headed this way. 

I start to prep myself again, turning the surf board around towards shore like before, but somehow I'm still moving out to sea. Frowning, I paddle to fight the strange current, but it makes no difference as it steadily and swiftly starts to propel my farther and farther away. 

Oh shit. A rip tide. 

I kick into action mode, swing around on the board and confidently paddling to the side, as I had heard thousands tell me before. Whenever in a rip tide, you swim to the side to escape the channel of opposite flowing water. 

I'm starting to make some headway to move across the current just as wave crashes into me, tossing me off balance. They were starting to become more powerful. I manage to stay sitting on the board, only for another wave to crash into it, flipping the object. Dunked under water I immediately surface, only to feel a sudden impact on my arm, and I wince as the stupid surf board shoots up from the water, it's buoyant body crashing back down next to me, held in place by the cord attached to my ankle cuff. 

I carefully inspect my arm, pursing my lips at the bleeding gash. Great. Just what I needed.

I clamber back on, the current still in action, this whole time dragging me out farther. A spike of panic shoots through me, and I whip my head around to the beach, the thin line in the distance seeming insignificant. I wave my arms over my head in a desperate attempt to call for help, but I know that no one was going to easily spot me, much less know I needed the assistance. Cursing under my breath I turn back to face the ocean just in time to be hit by a wall of water. Damn it. Never turn your back to the sea.