Secrets Of The Coral Reef - A Short Story By Lucy Connors

This week's story come to you from the lovely Lucy who blogs over at From Pen To Screen. If you haven't had a chance to visit her blog yet, here is a little about her.

My name is Lucy and I write the lifestyle/writing/beauty blog ‘From Pen To Screen’ (www.daisysmiler.blogspot.co.uk). I wrote this short story while I was on holiday in France a few years ago, but it has been rewritten quite a few times since then. I hope you enjoy it, be sure to let me know what you think!

 I hope you all enjoy her story!

Secrets of the Coral Reef by Lucy Connors

 

Standing on top of the board, I am alone. Alone in paradise.

 

I raise my hands above my head and lunge forward. The water rushes up to me and I am enveloped from head to foot. I pull with my hands and open my eyes; I am in a whole new world. I am amazed by the colour and radiance of the corals and seaweed that sway before me; the orange, red and pink anemones stand rigid in the sea floor. Slowly I look up and see a shoal of shimmering rainbow fish swim over my head and I stare in wonder at all the different colours of their scales, glistening in the sunlight. A million stars twinkling above me.  Sea weed wraps around my leg as I step off the reef. Trying to protect me. From what? I did not yet know.

 

Down. Down. Down. Into the blackness under me. I stare. Imagining all the evil wonders that lie beneath me.

 

Out of the corner of my eye I see the anemones shrink back into the sand, the rainbow fish scatter in all directions and I instantly know something is wrong. I turn my head as slowly as I can to minimise my movements.  My body soon follows my head as I stare in horror at what meets my eyes. Unable to draw my gaze away. A grey fin slices through the water, a grey tail flicks from side to side. We meet eyes for a fraction of a second and the shark swims towards me. Powerful muscles designed just for this, power him through the water. My instincts tell me to swim but I know the shark would have me in a second. Fight or flight. Adrenaline courses through my body, through my blood. My heart pounds through my chest sending (what I thought) were small vibrations through the water. Towards the shark. The panic starts to take over. Forcing myself to breathe through my mask I fight for control. I breathe long deep breaths. Long deep breaths that are taking too long. Long deep breaths that are wasting time. Long deep breaths that will either save, or cost, my life.

 

I try to think. I try to remember. I know. I draw my hand back and propel myself forward, clumsily pushing my body forward to give my arm more power. Amazingly my fingers meet their target and I jab them into the shark’s eye. The force behind it sending a wave of shock rippling through my body.  A waterfall of emotion bubbles up inside me. He gives me an evil grin, a warning and swims away, tail flicking behind him.

 

My breath suddenly escapes me and I realise I have been holding it. I kick up to the surface and breathe slowly. Finally allowing myself to relax.

 

For now, I think, Olivia Tophill is alive to live another day.

 

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