Trial By Tsunami

Part I

Tony shaded his face from the dazzling light of the cloudless sky. The hair on his head prickled in the pulsating tropical sun. Tanned and well built in his late twenties he splashed his girlfriend Laura.

"This is fantastic," he yelled, kicking water up. "C'mon one last swim." They had to leave the island tomorrow as their week was up and a great time was had.

Laura lolled in the shallows, "Yeah it's awesome but I need a drink," and as she ran off shouted. "See you at the pool."

Tony grunted and charged into the surf, oblivious to the giant white thunder heads on the horizon. He cut through the water turned and looked up at the blue sky. A smile creased his mouth as he pictured Laura with a Pineapple Tequila Boat.

Suddenly a wave swamped him and choking he spluttered. Treading water a shiver ran up his spine at finding the sea a heaving abyss. The water was dark and the shore seemed miles away.

An explosive, "What the fuck?"

With lips trembling he smashed the water angrily. Desperately he thinks, now, and swims stroke after stroke, inching forward the pain in his arms almost unbearable. Quivering exhausted Tony took a deep breath and sinks. The water goes over his head and he feels for the sand. His toes dig in. His lungs scream. His nose clears the water for a second. But a huge wave picks him up and slams him onto the coarse sand. Like Jellyfish he can't fight a thousand fingers of backwash. Tumbling, breaths gasping mingled with water. A piercing explodes into a migraine. Struggling upright Tony dug in causing a rooster tail of spray against his knee.

A shadow causes Tony to turn his head against the cruel spray. Standing metres a mountainous sand wave was poised. Birthed by forces below the ocean Tony was caught. In torment he screamed. The sea seemed possessed by a malignant life force. He wobbled cowering uncontrollably. Frothing dirty foam the wave twisted and pulsating with sheer power reared. His mind comments, ".....destroyed by a monster pulverised thrashed flesh scattered....."

For an achingly long Millisecond his skin warmed by the fleeting sun and he observed the tall coconut palms move in the breeze. Stung by more than the salt spray he felt lifeless. Like an echo tiny and far away something told him to run, run, run, but Tony's legs were useless. Time morphed a slow unfolding silence he felt naked and insignificant. ".....so this is how it is going to end....."

The undertow sweeps him into the wave. Down into the dark senses jangling cart wheeling into the murky depths. Spinning uncontrollably the pressure builds on his lungs. Pummelled dragged and thrown about like a rag doll. Eyes open to inky blackness an undreamed of place, dread, chaos and madness. The horror caused him to slam shut his eyes. Desperately Tony kicks and rights himself. Forcing his eyes open he can almost feel the glistening surface, dancing, beckoning but dauntingly far, I am going to drown.

Struggling madly vibrating with life he eyed the surface. he wants to live. But the crushing current pushes him down. He wonders at the insanity. Unexpectedly touching something he coiled thrusting instinctively upwards. But the current is irrepressible and he is slammed hard against the sand shelf. The dancing light is far under crushing water. Suddenly convulsed he recognises the pain of death. Expanding red spots take over and blood cells rupture. He descends into darkness as he drowns. A drowsy sensation replaces pain as he teeters into unconscious. Just stop, let go, take a gulp of water, and die.

But from somewhere still stroking he covered the metres into the sweet air. The ocean released him and he is reborn. Tingling from oxygen starvation sucking in air he is further than ever from shore. He bellowed, the sensation of life so exhilarating. But menacing kelp and drenching waves surround. He is unsure; can I make the beach?

He swims hard lining up a monstrous wave but perched on the crest realises it will crash and break his neck. He back pedalled furiously escaping the thunderous death blow. Churned like flotsam Tony finds the surge is irrepressible, now I know what it feels like to be a pair of knickers in a washing machine. He struggles to deeper water. The sun seekers are oblivious to his doom.

At that moment Tony hears a faint shout and sees hair trailing like seaweed.

"I will come to you," Tony shouts back.

Tony finds a man his head is barely above the water with long hair and pale skin .

The man whispers, "My ribs broken." He looked at Tony, "My children on the beach."

Tony grimly counts waves, and suddenly there is just white water, and he yells above the crashing waves, "Can you swim?"

The man, "No, but can kick."

The seas sheer ferocity and speed again scares Tony's who shouts, "Don't get any water in your lungs," and moves them to deeper water, shark infested waters.

The sea keeps rising and the men are dragged by the maelstrom. The sound of the sand waves is deafening as they collapse mightily on the now deserted beach.

Tony kicks hard and rises as high as he can on a wave crest. He spies a wooden fishing boat beyond the waves. It sways drunkenly on its line looking derelict with birds floating over it, and he shouts, "Hey, try for boat?"

The man shakes his head, his fear palpable. They tread water and the surreality of this hopeless situation quiets them. Their nerves are completely shot the swim into dark water beyond them. Like being in a car crash as you slowly spin out of control, waiting for the impact. The man's eyes are turned upward towards the grey sky and Tony undergoes the harsh realisation they are specks in a vast uncaring universe that heaved and surged so massively it felt like being in the belly of a living being.

In an eerie suspension the man begins to talk about his holiday a comforting human response to a realisation of death. He tells Tony he was playing Frisbee with his kids and said to them he was in for a splash. His angst poured forth, "I die!"

Tony retorts, "We aren't dead yet, just hang in there." But it starts to get darker as time slips away and Tony suddenly realises he has been in some sort of stupor.

He shakes his head; and Laura's words ring, see you at the pool.

Abruptly an extraordinary sensation creeps over Tony, a new energy and effortlessness. Sinuously riding the waves, at one with the sea and floating like a bubble he is suspended by his own energy . On cue the waves subside, the white water appears.

Tony can see the beach, "Kick, kick, kick," he roars, and they surged forward, rhythmically, trying to gain purchase. Slowly the men get some distance but the suck and roll of the set is ominous. Tony thinks, too late.