Stranded

Breaking the surface of the water I gasped for air whilst removing the plastic piece from my mouth. I sighed and closed my eyes, lying on my back. I floated in the warm blue Cuban water with my arms gliding out to my sides. The humid air was hot on my face as I drifted on the surface, completely calm.

“Isabella, you want to go down again?”

I opened my eyes and looked over at where Javier was crouched on the edge of the small boat.

“Do you even have to ask?” I said laughing.

I swam over to the small boat pushing myself up from the edge. Water trickled down my back as I squeezed the salty liquid from my hair. I slipped the oxygen tank off my back and carried it over to where Javier was now standing on the deck. I handed him my tank and pushed my hair to the side as he attached a new one and adjusted the straps before putting on his own gear.

“See anything interesting?” He said tightening the straps on his tank.

“Just the usual, fish, fish and more fish.” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

I sat on the edge of the boat swirling my feet in the warm water, looking at the sandy bank and reef below.

“Well what did you expect?” he called out to me.

I sighed and lent back on my hands with my face to the sun.

“I just…I just know there’s more down there”

I looked over my shoulder at Javier as he finished adjusting his tank.

“Isabella you’ve been down there 1000 times, you’ve pretty much seen every part of the reef.”

He sat down next to me and wiggled his mouth piece into place.

“Yeah, I know.”

Javier looked up at the grey clouds forming in the sky behind him.

“We’d better hurry,  it doesn’t look good.”