A Drop in the Ocean [On Hold]

Part 3

As Tania paddled out, rain pitter-pattered on her head.

She adopted the stupidest tone she could muster: "'Isn't that gonna, like, ruin your weave?'"

"What's weave?"

The voice unbalanced her, as only an unrecognizable voice can. Stradled on her emerald board, she teetered, but caught herself in time. When she combed the choppy span of surrounding water, she saw no one.

Fifty meters off, Caleb's impressive paddling skills were pulling him ashore. Rain always brought on his quitter-card.

Tania couldn't quit.

Ever since her mom had pushed The Little Mermaid into the blu-ray player, she had dreamed of swimming underwater with her own flounder BFF. Nevermind that she had two legs instead of fins, or that her sister pointed out Ariel's red hair and purple shell-bra. Tania had been sore to discover, yeah, maybe she couldn't be a mermaid after all. But she could surf.

The open water was more than addictive; it called to her. Whenever she climbed on the back of her emerald board and successfully rode a wave, she felt like she had gained back a measure of control.

However, there was a certain line of stupid in catching waves in the rain. Tania had only done it once before, and the storm had blown over in minutes. She pictured Racist Ryan's confused face, and maneuvered her board over a cresting wave.

A call carried over the water, but she couldn't quite catch the words. She squinted at the shore line, so far away now, with Caleb waving his arms frantically.

Suddenly, a monster wave swallowed Tania, tossing her off the board. She was dragged under, but years of training helped. Keeping her movements and breathing calm, she resisted struggling against the current, dodging the coral reefs underfoot. A second later, she broke the surface, raking in breaths and smiling like an idiot.

All her smiling was for naught as another mammoth wave hit. This time, she was unprepared, and the water churned her about, the board chasing after her in wild arcs. Tania couldn't tell which way was up or down, as there was no more reef, just a swirling mass of dark water.

The emerald stallion, her friend and ally (much like the water had been), whipped around and slammed into her head. Sharp pain exploded at her temple, and she was left floating, dancing at the edge of unconsciousness. The battle with holding her breath lost out, and water seeped into her lungs in painful influxes.

A ribbon of red appeared in the gloom. Tania thought she was seeing what she wanted to see. Isn't that what happened right before people died?

Don't worry, Pretty Thing. I won't let you die.

The strange voice from earlier drifted into her thoughts before she gave into the darkness completely.