in the water

When she came up for air the sun slashed across a cloud and formed a stream of light around her. The water glistened, and the lifeguard thought how peaceful it was, to watch people dip in and out of the sea. The girl waved at someone she knew.

The water felt her small shape and with an arm of waves played, twisting her round and round, as it had played with many of the children who found themselves in the sea's embrace. The water giggled and gurgled.

The small boy, who had abandoned his sand castle as soon as the tide had come in, was looking for a seashell to give his mother, when he saw the girl in the water emerge. He saw her eyes widen. He ran back to his mother.

The girl was being thrashed around by the waves and the sea. She hadn't meant to go swimming, not this deep, and now her fear had taken over. Though she wanted to make it back to the shore she felt too scared to move, terrified to do anything but try to stay afloat. She wanted to scream but the sound got stuck in her throat. She saw a lifeguard and tried to wave, hoped he would see she was incapable of anything but drowning.