Riptide

"Hey! Wait up!" I cry, watching my friends paddle out farther and farther. Rick turns back and laughs, long strands of his wet hair flipping into his face. "You weren't paying any attention when we told you we were going out to find the big ones," he shouts, mirth written into his features. Amy turns around to look back at both of us. "And you were, yet you are still behind me, Rick!" He turns to her with a challenging look in her eyes. "You better hurry, because I won't be for long!"

I duck low on my surfboard and stroke harder, my arms burning with the exertion of surfing for around two hours and then Rick and Amy's jokes. The water is a bit choppy, but I expected that. We came out here today, because of the reports talking about a storm just a bit farther out. We get storms like that regularly, so I knew it would whip up some nice swells.

Rick and Amy goof around a bit ahead, and I catch up to them easily, shaking out my arms. Rick pauses and points out to the right a bit. "See that swell? That's gonna be mine, baby!" He whoops, and starts paddling out again. Amy and I hang back.

"So, let's give him five minutes to give up, and then we go?" She laughs.

I smirk, knowing Rick's eyes are bigger than his mouth. "Sure. You go first."

"Aww, but I feel bad. You always let me go first." She says, looking slightly sheepish. "Let's switch it up, and you go next. I wanna see some of your skills."

I nod. "Thanks."

"Anytime sister," she answers, lightly punching my shoulder.

I look out towards the waves Rick is attempting to ride. He's doing all right, but you can tell he's a bit unsettled. I turn my attention off of Rick, and instead onto the wave. It's a perfect A-frame, each end seeming to break in a perfect mirror of the other. My heart beats a bit quicker, and I adjust my leash. I can't wait to get out there.

Rick drops into one of them successfully, but then he doesn't get his line right. He shifts around, and leans too far back, bogging and bailing. The wave crashes over him, and a few seconds later he pops up with a grin.

He paddles back towards us, and whoops. "Man! That was gnarly! There was a bit of an undertow, and it took me a sec to surface."

Amy looks at me. "Ready chicka?" She's part Spanish, and sometimes it comes out when she's amped up.

"Bye!" I call, paddling. Excitement makes my body tremble slightly, and a cool wind sweeps over my back, making me shiver. I wear a wet suit, but it can't quite fight the chill. The adrenaline will make me forget it, and I already notice it starting to do so.

I watch one swell rising, and drop into it easily, popping up to my feet and curving down into the barrel of the wave. I snap back and forth, getting into my line. As the wave's lip curls over me, I feel the rush of adrenaline surging through my body.

This is my home. This is where I really live.

It's over much too soon, and as I move to kick out at the end of the wave, something tugs sharply at the back of my board, tipping it back down into the curvy froth of the wave's end.

I fall backwards, pinwheeling my arms, letting out a small shriek. Damn. Amy and Rick are gonna give me so much flack for screaming like a sissy.

I hit the water on my back, just in time to see the wave's small lip crash over my body. I get shoved under, and splutter, remembering to keep my mouth shut. Just give the wave a moment, and it'll spit you right back up. Just like all of your other bails.

I know not to struggle and waste my energy, but instead to just wait it out. It starts to spit me up, but then pulls me back down again, dragging me back by my leash. Wait. That's not right!

Then I remember what Rick said, as I get whipped back and forth by my leash around my ankle. There's a vicious undertow. That's what's happening. And it's got my board, pulling me by my ankle!

I struggle, swimming hard to the side. That's what you are supposed to do for a riptide, but I can't remember what to do to escape an undertow!

My leash suddenly goes slack, and then something plows into my head. And then everything goes dark...