Unarmed

10: Swim 4 ur Arms

The day of the OGOLs was upon them and dragonflies whizzed around Izzy's stomach. This race was the one that would make or break her body composition. She had trained long and hard for the past week preparing.

Haggy and much of her family walked Izzy to the competition pool. They carried a 3D, geometric flag that waved in the wind above their heads. It's flying rainbow colors were flashing and shining in the daylight.

Cassidy helped Izzy zip into her black body suit with little rainbow hearts all over it. An announcer started calling out names, completely butchering Izzy's when he got to it. "Eye-see-yuh?"

"Omg it's not that difficult." She mumbled as she stepped up into the starting stump. The announcer continued to call out names and more people stepped up onto the stumps in the lanes besides Izzy until all the 20 stumps were filled. A cheer erupted from the crowd. Izzy looked around at her competition. They were all alien. And they were all armless. So they had an advantage and a disadvantage. There was no telling how fast they were. Many were cracking their necks menacingly. Probably trying to sike her out. But Izzy would not be swayed by them. She looked ahead at the hilly pool. Just about 207 meters and she would have her arms forever, or never again.

"Swimmers take your stump..."

The competitors bent down, preparing to dive.

"Get set..."

The tension intensified.

"Ready..."

Izzy gripped the stump.

"Prepare yourself..."

Ok was this really necessary.

"On my mark..."

Really now.

"GO!"

Everyone exploded off the stumps. Izzy was torpedoing through the water, nearly avoiding a passing frog-like creature. She swam up and down hills and around obstacles. Her legs were a flurry of movement and her arms spun like speedy windmills, propelling her through the water.

She reached the other side of the pool with confidence and blurred vision. Getting up on the side of the pool she rubbed her eyes and looked up. Her competitors reached the wall about 5 minutes later, huffing a puffing from the effort. Apparently their lack of arms was much more a disadvantage than Izzy could imagine.

Suddenly she was lifted off her feet and Haggy's family had her up above their heads, cheering her name.

"Eye-see-yuh from the northern family has just set a world record! 5 minutes and 22 seconds faster than the fastest time! YGG!" The announcer officialized her win.

Izzy raised her arms in the air and smiled around at her new family, glad she could take a stand successfully. She would get to keep her arms and maybe start a revolution. It was a whole new world full of endless possibilities. A new hope spread through her arms as she was carried away into the cheering crowds of her new home.