Each time I tried to swim up to the surface, the sea pulled me back down. I felt as if I was going to burst. I needed air. But there was only water.
Water ran up my nose and into my mouth. I was going to die. I was going to drown.
Then, something hit my shoulder. I reached up and grabbed at it. It was a paddle.
I felt Ethan pull me up as I kicked in the water. I came up gasping for air.
Ethan reached out and grabbed my arm. “It’s OK, Maya. I’ve got you. Hang on!” he called.
Panting and gasping, I grabbed the side of the small kayak.
“You can’t get in the kayak,” he said, “It will tip over.”
“Please, Ethan, I can’t stay in the water. I’m so cold,” I cried, “Please help me.”
“Look!” said Ethan. He pointed at the big kayak. It was floating upside down on the water. “We have to get to it and turn it right way up. You swim and I’ll paddle.”
I looked across the waves and saw the big kayak bobbing upside down.
“I can go and get it,” I said.
“No,” shouted Ethan, “You might get swept away. Stay with me, Maya. Hang on. We can go together.”
He reached out and touched my ice-cold hand. “We can do it,” he said.
Something in Ethan had changed. He seemed more grown up. Suddenly I felt safe with him.
He started to paddle towards the big kayak. I swam and pushed the little kayak in front of me. Ethan leaned away from me to keep the kayak moving in a straight line. We wobbled and paddled hard. We were getting closer and closer.
“Hold on,” said Ethan, “I can grab it.”
I heard a crunch as the kayaks bumped together. Ethan put his legs over the side and slid into the sea.
His small kayak rolled into me. I cried out.
“Hang on, Maya,” he called. Then he disappeared under the water.
“Come back,” I screamed.
My heart raced. I could feel it thumping in my chest. I clung to the kayak, but my body was turning to ice.
Ethan had gone.
