Into Darker Depths

The sunlight was but a diffused glow in the bottomless ocean. The deeper I swam into the water, the less light permeated. In the crystalline waters of the lagoon, the silver-scaled fish danced like one choreographed shoal, every finned ballerina in absolute sync. Since all noises ceased to exist, I found myself at perfect serenity. Without the madness and the confusion, my mind strayed into comforting, perpetual darkness. It was in this water, where the sound was inaudible, that I heard my blood pulsating through my body. As the light bent around my outstretched fingers, I felt every tissue in my body craving for its warmth.

It was suddenly cold, colder than I imagined. I jolted out of my tranquility and glanced around. The water was now a midnight blue, with only dim silhouettes of fishes evident every now and then. I had never been this deep before. The pressure on my body increased exponentially; the water left like a thick soup that pinned me down. My desire to explore the sea had disappeared like embers rising above a fire. The sun-pecked shore called out to me. I was thrown into a frenzy of fear; the diving school never taught me how to react to a situation like mine.

In my mind, my instructor’s cold voice whispered, ”Four years of diving school training, and you don’t even know what to do. Keep calm and try swimming up to the shore. Nothing comes from panicking except for excessive oxygen consumption.” I instinctively knew that I had to follow the voice, and I tried my best to calm my pounding heart. I kicked quickly with powerful strokes, forcing myself against the flow of the water. My feet gave up, and I was exhausted, but every time I descended deeper, my feet thrust up. The surface was closer; I could feel the water gradually becoming tepid. One more stroke, and I’ll be above the waves, lounging in the warmth of the sun. A sudden jerk pulled me into the ocean. One of my worst fears had come true. A current plunged into the sea, mercilessly pulling everything within, and I was now trapped. I looked up at the light, knowing it was my last time, before slipping into a cold, yawning darkness.