AmericaRaeThomas

Music is one thing I really enjoy. I love to play the piano. Some of my favorite songs to play are Ode to Joy by Beethoven and Silent Night. In my living room, we have an old piano that I love to fool around with. It would also be really cool to learn how to play the guitar.

My other hobby is swimming. I have even tried snorkeling. Tropical fish are so beautiful underwater! However, you can count me out if you want to go scuba diving- I am deathly afraid of drowning in deep water.

The color green is the best. Did you know that some colors can even affect your moods? Green is said to be soothing and rejuvenating. It also symbolizes nature.

Tigers are also amazing. Their stripes are absolutely mesmerizing. They are definitely my favorite animals! One day, I hope to see a tiger in the wild. Tigers are one of nature's most beautiful creatures. This year I am looking forward to using the wiki because of these free writing pages. I think that watching other students write, and even write a bit myself, will be so cool. The online discussions about The Outsiders should be really neat, too. I have never done anything like that before. Overall, I think using the wiki will be really informative and interesting.

Deep Water

I am so scared of deep water, but I have never told anyone why. Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything!

A few years ago, my family and I went on a vacation to the Caribbean. I got up early on the first morning to go snorkeling. I was eager to get in that crystal clear water and pretty much have the best time ever. The sky looked a little ominous as I was heading out, purple and gray with huge stormy clouds dominating the view. Yet, I ignored this and the news, which called for severe thunderstorms. After all, newscasters are always wrong! Right?

Wrong. However, I didn’t know it at first. The clouds were slowly drifting away and I somehow lulled myself into a false sense of security. I kept telling myself that the gray skies would pass, bringing trademark Caribbean sunshine. Nevertheless, the tight yellow life vest was a comforting presence around my shoulders. I strode down confidently to the water’s edge, ignoring the stares as I waddled past like some huge, yellow, rubber penguin.

The water was everything I could have imagined and more. The fish were bright, vibrant creatures that I was able to watch in their actual home! Rainbows danced before my eyes in a magical ballet that I was the sole witness to. It was incredibly, indescribably beautiful. That is, until the inevitable happened. About twenty minutes after I had entered this fantastical underwater world, the first telltale rumbles began. I ignored it, despite my growing anxiety. They only grew louder, growling like starving wildcats. The waves got rough, buffeting, me from every angle. Have you ever heard of a washing machine wave? Imagine that multiplied by a thousand, and you’re getting close.

I was ready to give up on my snorkeling venture, and I would’ve gotten out right then and there. Well, if I could have. The waves were rising. I attempted to make my way towards the shore, but the rough surf pushed me farther and farther away from possible salvation. They kept growing, until it seemed to me like they could rival the height of Mount Everest. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the red flag being raised. //Perfect//, I thought gloomily, //if only I had known that an hour ago//! It still puzzles me how no one saw me being tossed about like a ragdoll, but somehow my predicament went unnoticed. My eyelashes were starting to stick together because of the salt water, and water that had nothing to do with the rain had begun to stream down my face.

“Help! HELP! HELP! Can’t anybody hear me? //HELP//!”I screamed desperately, but the cracks of thunder were too loud for anyone to hear me. Besides, anyone who had a prayer of rescuing me had already scurried inside to be dry and warm. They were the smart ones. Now, I began to shiver, immobilized by the rough ocean. Salt water sloshed about me, seeping into my mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. I coughed and spluttered violently at the taste. //Please, please, please//, I pleaded silently to myself, //someone come and save me//! The rain, which was now coming down in brutal, sideways sheets, was my only response.

More thunder rumbled ferociously, as if chiding me for harboring any hope of rescue, even if it seemed unrealistic. Fish swam through my legs like silver bullets, eager for the safety of deeper waters. I glanced down, towards the ocean beneath. In my panic, the crystalline water turned into a yawning black abyss, overflowing with sharks and other monsters. I squeezed my eyes shut. //Go away, go away.// I willed my overactive imagination to control itself. When my eyes flew open, the abyss had vanished, but the fear lingered, chilling me to the bone more thoroughly than any waves.

The storm didn't show any signs of dying. If anything, the flashes of lightning seemed to be getting even brighter, although that could have been my imagination, too. Thunder growled again, and wind whipped the strings on my life vest into my face. Angry red marks appeared where they struck, flung at me by howling gales. To make matters worse, my mind hadn't finished playing tricks on me.

The grumble of a motor filled my ears, Or, so I thought. I glanced around frantically, trying to catch sight of the ship that it came from. It never appeared. The next time it happened, I still couldn't help but whip my head from side to side, desperately looking for something, anything, to get me home. Nothing came. The water had turned gray, and the fears of deep water returned. Sharks, squid, whales.... Anything could have been down there. //Don’t think about it//! I willed. Mental pleas ignored, I curled into a fetal position and let the cruel waves carry me away.

Then I heard it. The faint distant hum of a boat. It was different from what I'd heard before. Deeper maybe, or more mechanical- something told me this was the real deal. I turned in circles, hoping to get a glimpse of it. I waved my arms frantically, energy having been restored at the sound of an actual engine.

“Over here!” I yelled hoarsely, “OVER HERE!” It took a minute, but gradually the sound grew louder.

“Here, here!” I called again, still motioning with my arms like some hyperactive windmill. The boat appeared over the crest of a wave, and for a moment everything stood still as the pilot locked eyes with me, a desperate, frightened girl trapped in the wild ocean. Then, time began again and the ship maneuvered its way through the beastly waves to my side. Someone flung a ladder overboard, and I grabbed onto it for dear life. It took them nearly an hour to pry it from my shaking hands. A blanket was thrown over my sopping shoulders and dripping life vest, which had literally saved my life. After that, it all became a blur of mugs of hot chocolate, various reprimands for my stupid actions, and mostly the hugging and crying of my family, who I later learned had no idea where I’d gone.

The next day, I walked to the beach, flippers in hand and life vest once more buckled around my chest. In the early golden rays of the sun, I watched a dolphin flip joyfully out of the waves. A grin spread across my face as I tugged my flippers on. As I dove beneath waves, I had only one thought on my mind. I might be scared of deep water, but nothing will ever keep me out of the waves forever.