Free

Lucy overlooked the vast blue green water before her. The ocean. Bright deep blue stretched out to the horizon as far as she could see. Lucy had been persuaded to come the beach by one of her friends, and regretted the decision to do so instantly. To Lucy, the ocean was as beautiful and deadly as the creatures inside it. Great white sharks, with their pale rough sides and aggressive nature, the killer whales dispersing black and white like aliens against the dark blue water. Lucy looked at the ocean and felt what she always felt: A mixture of yearning and terror, a desire to throw herself into the cold water that was like the desire to drive too fast, leap too far, and jump from heights beyond reason.

Lucy was not sure what terrified her most about the ocean. There was a rage in the waves, dark and tipped with white like lace, they were deceptively beautiful, but as they neared the shore, closed like crushing fists.

Lucy had been trapped by a crashing wave once. She remembered the feeling of falling and tumbling in aggressive flips, as if in a washing machine, the force of the water pinning her to the sand. She had fought and struggled desperately for air, washes of light and ivory obscuring her vision, the sand being churned up beneath her as she shot out of the white wash and into the ever embracing air.

Lucy had seen stories and shows on TV about people who were abandoned out at sea, ridden mad from envisioning what lay beneath them in the miles and miles of black, cold, almost ink-like water. The concept of complete blindness and lack of control sent a shiver through her, snapping out of her reverie, her fear for the unknown fleeting from her mind as she became conscious of the water nearing the tips of her toes. Slowly she stood up from the sand.

The striking cool water rushed over her feet, sending pinpricks up her arms. As the water recoiled back into the ocean, a steady pull, almost like gravity tied itself to her mid waist, like a rope tethered to her waist, tugging at her to follow the tide.

Sunlight flashed against the wet sand, casting a golden flicker of light across Lucy's vision, the sand shimmered like enchanted treasure before her eyes. She allowed the captivating mirage to take hold, the slightest touch of hesitation passing over her before submerging her feet once again.

The cold chill rushed over her. Lucy tensed as she felt her body willing her to turn back. She forced down the screams in her head and pushed herself forward, leaving the sinking feeling behind on the sun-bleached white sand. She felt herself delving deeper into the water, allowing it to surround and embrace her, washing away the foreboding images of what may lay in the depths ahead. The water flowed up past her stomach, the sudden chill exerting a wild giggle from Lucy's dry throat.

Walking further, Lucy could feel the drop off ahead of her, she teetered just on the edge as best she could, her toes barely touching the sand beneath her feet. A sinking feeling threatened to take hold of her, Lucy desperately suppressed it, taking in deep breaths and willing herself to stay calm.

She closed her eyes and focused. The sound of soft lapping waves and seagulls faded from her ears, a gust of wind sprayed salty water over her her face, the only thing left above water. Calm took over her. Lucy's eyes opened as she turned her attention to the approaching wave. Adrenaline spiked inside her, rushing through her blood, down her arms and back, numbing the tips of her toes.

"This is it" Lucy thought, her heart hammering in her chest. Time slowed down. Thoughts flooded her mind, creatures with beady black eyes, dark and uncontrollable flashed behind her eyelids, threatening to take over her. But this time she would not let them. This time she would not allow herself to tumble and thrash among the water. Taking a deep breath in, the salty air empowering her, Lucy dove under the crashing water.

Lucy felt the wave roll over her. Beneath the water was silent. Lucy waited. Waited for something unseen to grab her and pull her down... But all she was confronted with was silence. Silence and the cool flow of the water. She felt as if she was flying without the risk of falling. Calm washed over her as she opened her eyes and stared into the depth below her. Midnight blue filled her vision. She could see no creatures with beady eyes and sharp teeth. The rays of sunlight poured through the water illuminating her hands in front of her. Time sped up as she felt pressure build up in her chest. Relief and satisfaction washed through her as Lucy resurfaced and filled her lungs with the salty air.

Warmth from the sun spread across her face. All the barricades holding her back, all the things that made Lucy perceive the world around her as a cage had tumbled away with the previous crashing wave.

And she was free.