This was either the worst case of bad luck or the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. What did your lusus tell you? ‘Don’t go out tonight, squirt, there’s a storm coming’ ‘I feel it in my shell’ ‘You’re going to get pulverized out there, mark my words.’ And like an idiot you went out anyway. Abba was going to chew your earfins out for this. If the sea didn’t chew you up and spit you out first. A crack of thunder split the skies, and a bolt of lightning shot down to the sea, but you were having your own little battle beneath the raging waters.
If you were at open seas, this wouldn’t be such an issue. All you would have needed to do was dive down deeper until everything was calm. But that current you rode out spat you out far too close to shore, and if you didn’t find a way to get out soon, you were likely to end up crashing on the reef.
Your swim cap had been torn off a while ago, when you’d been floundering trying to get some leverage on something- yeah, good luck with that in water- and your goggles were askew and blocking your vision. With a curse, you manage to get a grip and tear them off, letting the waves rip them from your grip. Its fine, you’ll get another one. You’ve already lost your boogie board somewhere, the remnants of its leash still wrapped around your wrists and your shoulder aching when the board had been snapped and broken off.
Gritting your teeth, you try to roll under the next coming wave, only to have it grab and pull at you, tumbling you down, and you squeeze your eyes shut waiting to be thrown against the jagged reefs… only to hit.. sand? You didn’t even have enough time to thank your stars before you were slammed down and rolled across the beach bottom, getting the air bubbles knocked clean out of you and getting a mouthful of sand. You’ve been fighting and struggling for the last hour. Your muscles were at their breaking point. But damn if you didn’t manage to get last surge of energy and scramble up. The waters were already trying to pull you back, but somehow you managed to get up and stagger to shore before collapsing.
Wheezing and blinking the salt water from your eyes, you roll on your back and look around. Looks like you were on some sort of island, but-
“Cripes, is this thing tiny.” Your voice was hoarse, and you lick your lips, wincing at the sudden pain and taste of blood. Must have happened when your board clipped you in the face earlier. At least you didn't break a tooth. But- "Oh boy." You groan, taking in your surroundings. Looks like you were stuck on some itty bitty rock. Maybe it was some sort of desert island or something. And you're trapped here until the storm passes. Great. Sighing, you lay back down, not noticing behind you what looked to be the makings of a dock, and a ship someways beyond it. Or the figure walking towards you.
