My Pretend Paradise

Beginnings

I couldn't believe how long it had been since I'd been in the water like this. The beautiful blue mixed in with the green hues was the prettiest thing I had ever seen. The droplets running over my skin felt amazing. I could stay in here forever but I knew I didn't have long before the walls would go up and we would all be cut off from the ocean for another year. I always hated watching the walls go up. I found myself looking out the windows at school, wishing I could see the ocean instead of a 20m high grey wall. I still couldn't understand how the ocean could be hazardous. It always just looked so beautiful and calm I couldn't believe it could really be such a destructive force but I'd seen the photos of entire countries that had been decimated by a single wave. Tsunamis. Awful to think about but the water around me just felt so calm and tranquil, even for the ocean, I just couldn't imagine it being so lethal. Only humans seem to have such an inclination to violence. We are constantly at war with like every country in the world. One country is always trying to take over another country. It's basically all the news reporters ever talk about. I can't stand to watch the news, though we have to by law at school. Worst hour ever. Even worse than maths.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Oh crap my half an hour was already up and I was now too far away from shore to get back in time. I'd heard stories of people who got locked out of the city whether by being in the ocean or the forest. Their stories never ended well. I cannot let that happen to me. Swimming in is my only option so I go for it, doing the best freestyle I can manage after years of not swimming. I am definitely moving but I'm just not going fast enough and I am starting to lose my breath. The wall is now visible, only the top is peeking out of the sand but I know there are only minutes left. In a total panic I scream and swallow a lungful of water. I forget what I'm doing and start thrashing. As I take in more water I can feel my body starting to slip away. With my heart hammering in my chest, my lungs start to burn for oxygen. I am below the surface now and I kick my legs as hard as I can and grab at the water in front of me, trying to reach for the surface. I get no closer and start to feel the weight of the water against my body. Sinking down, I know this is the end. I swear I even see a bright light. Well at least this way I don't have to worry about living on the outside of the wall.