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DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS:

STAY OUT OF THE WATER


It was close to 100°F, but swimmers took notice of the signs all along the beach. As far as the eye could see, no one was in the water.

Suzy wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand and stared out at the waves. For three days straight there was no relief from the steamy weather and the ocean stretched before her, cool, inviting, and off-limits. It was like someone put a tall, icy glass of lemonade in your hand when you were thirsty, and then warned you not to drink it.

She waited until the lifeguard turned and walked to the far end of the beach. Slowly she got to her feet and made her way over the burning sand to the surf outside the swimming area in the direction of the jetty and carefully sidestepped blankets shaded with umbrellas and people with cold soda cans pressed against their pink flushed faces.

She wouldn't go more than a few yards from shore.

No deeper than her knees. She'd splash around and come right back. It would be safe. Anyway, when you were wet it was easier to tan, and her pale skin needed color.

She edged in, immediately aware of the drawing sensation around her feet as her red polished toenails sank beneath the sand. The tingling pull of the water felt strange and exciting. She took a few baby steps farther until the water was just above her ankles, aware of the water pulling as if it were trying to draw her out deeper. She smiled to herself - superwoman battling the force of nature, like the latest video game.

Only now there were no buttons to push.

No play. No pause. No stop.

No controls.

One more step forward and she dipped down to soak herself before getting out. But the water level deepened sharply as if she had stepped out into a crater. She was thrown off balance as the water smacked against her with surprising brutal. She tried to recover, to steady herself, but she toppled forward, thrown to her knees as the hard pebbly sand scraped her skin. She tried to stand again, but the current was like a powerful rope that's around her waist, tightening its hold, momentarily letting go then tightening again, intent on dragging her out farther and farther, deeper and deeper into the ocean where no one could possibly find her or hear her calling. The wooden planks of the boat now blocked the light and darken her vision.

She tried to grab hold to push herself out and searched frantically to see if anyone saw her or was running to help. But she saw nothing except the blank faces of people stretched out on beach towels, eyes closed, earphones blocking outside sounds, oblivious to what was happening just a hundred yards from their safe havens in the sand.

Her head bobbed to the surface momentarily and she pushed herself from under the bat, gasping for air. Sheer terror spread through her as she tried to lift an arm to signal for help. As if a strong, sadistic hand were above her, she was shoved roughly underwater. She panicked, running out of air, trying to hold her breath so she didn't shallow water. She surfaced again and gasped to filled her lungs, arms and legs flailing wildly, despite the leadenness and exhaustion that was overtaking her body, setting in like paralysis.

"HELP!" she managed to shout before another wave crashed over her head, the pull of the current dragging her down again like a bouncing ball.

"HELP! HELP!" she cried over and over as her foot stomped on a hard mound in the sand. Without warning, the thing came alive, rearing up and viciously lashing her leg, sending shock of pain through every nerve of her slackened body. As she sank to the silent, blue world of the ocean floor, she opened her eyes and watched in horror as a swirling veil of blood surrounded her, darkening the water.

Dreaming.

She remembered dreaming.

A voice whispered to her. "Breathe, breathe, breathe," it kept urging. A warm body was over hers, pressed against her. Someone bigger than she was, stronger, a powerful life source. A mouth on hers, warm lips, lips she didn't want to leave hers.

Then the dream ended.

She was left, abandoned.

Everything turned cold.

A deep, incoming silence filled the universe like a silent scream, just before the darkness.

A deep, incoming silence filled the universe like a silent scream, just before the darkness

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Hey guys! I'm starting a new book starring Bae Suzy and BTS's Jeon Jungkook! #kookzy

I hope you all will enjoy this story! As you all know, I don't usually write all the cutesy romantic stuff, but still add a few twist here and there. This story will be similar to that concept.

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