I panicked. I totally freaked out! The wave crashed down over me and my surfboard. I went down, down, down. Life-giving oxygen floated out of reach, above the waters that had swallowed me.
I’m going to drown! I’m only fifteen. I haven’t gotten my driver’s license yet. I haven’t surfed the famous Pipeline in Hawaii. I haven’t fallen in love—unless my Sports Illustrated swimsuit poster counts.
I barely had any breath left as I desperately tried to reach the surface. Then it hit me—not the meaning of life, but my surfboard.
Time stood still. My underwater world was peaceful. I drifted helplessly like an astronaut who suddenly becomes detached from the mother ship. People rescued from the brink of death talk about seeing a white light. Others claim to hover above their body and peacefully watch the crisis as it unfolds. But, instead, I saw her.
Maybe it’s ’cause I’m a raging hormonal teenager that I had this particular vision.
Out of nowhere she appeared—golden yellow and sun-fire orange hair sparkled like tiny stars and flowed in the glistening water. The most wonderful pink-lipped smile flashed before me. Her angelic skin glowed; her piercing ocean-blue eyes stared through me and touched my soul. She floated majestically before me, a silver locket in the shape of a heart dangling from her lovely neck. This had to be a dream, or a sure sign that I had already died and gone to heaven!
I had never seen this dream girl before. She definitely didn’t go to Seaside High. Nothing plastic on this girl. No silicone or liposuction marks. Just that sparkling silver heart.
Where did this angel girl come from? Why was she swimming at six o’clock in the freezing morning? Why wasn’t she drowning like I was? There was no sign of a snorkel or a tank anywhere. Why did she swim like a fish? And what was that strange bikini bottom? Aquamarine metallic spandex all the way to her funky nouveau riche flipper gear.
I must have gone into shock. My underwater world started to fade dead away when she did something that was definite dream material—she kissed me. This gorgeous glistening girl! Kissed me! Not with air. Not with water. But with life. With love!
It was the best kiss of my life—and, if it was to be my last, it wasn’t such a bad way to go. She took me by her soft healing hand as I struggled for life and gracefully pulled me to the surface, where I gasped a grateful gulp of California’s fabulous smog. I coughed and choked, but I felt the warmth of the shimmering sun and smiled back appreciatively as she treaded water, grinning and glowing like a swimming angel.
And then everything went black.
I awoke blinded by the sun, my surfboard lying next to me, my wet suit still damp, sand clinging to my hair, the tide gently rolling over my feet.
I slowly sat up, wondering what had happened. According to my waterproof Fossil, it was nine-thirty—I was totally late for school. I had a throbbing headache. Now it all made sense. I must have been dehydrated this morning and passed out on the beach. The rest had to be a dream.
I attempted to stand, not wanting to annoy Mr. Johnson by being any later to chemistry than usual. But my palm stung. I prayed I hadn’t been pricked by a jellyfish. Not only was I dehydrated, but I had been poisoned as well. I opened my clenched fist. It wasn’t a wound from a man-of-war—it was a sparkling silver heart!
I apprehensively caressed the mysterious silver heart and gazed out toward the rolling sea. Maybe I had wiped out and hit my head on my surfboard. Maybe I did almost drown. Maybe I had been saved. And maybe in the struggle I had pulled the necklace off a—mermaid?
Maybe I was safer surfing the Internet.