Waves

The calm sound of waves.

Yet they are not calm at all

They pull me away.

Waves are unpredictable. They are produced by the movement of water such as: earthquakes, underwater landslides, changes in atmospheric pressure, underwater volcanic eruptions, the movement of ships, or even fish jumping. On the beach, I witness wave after wave pass by. Some look intimidating and large while others small and weak. I listen to the swish of the waves and watch the peaceful beach. What I do not notice is the deadly rip current that has the capability to pull unknowing people out, maybe never returning to shore. Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water. Some have been recorded to be as fast as 8 feet per second, faster than any olympic swimmer ever recorded. The speed and invisibility of these rip currents is what makes them so dangerous. I am filled with the stress and anxiety of school, practice, work, homework, family, and friends. I am overwhelmed, tired. A never ending cycle that pulls me under water, never seeming to catch my breath. As I lay on the beach, I slowly enter the ocean and the current pulls me away. Further and further. The shore starts to fade and I no longer recognize where I am.