The white t-shirt sticks to my stomach, turned see-through by the churning, spitting sea. Froth bubbles in my hair, disappearing as my head tucks under several inches. A roll of green water pulls my feet backwards, trailing my body along with it. _ Swim sideways!_ They shout, following my path on the sandy shore, worry creasing their faces.
Coughing and sputtering, my mouth opens and closes, searching for air. My arms scream and whine; they don’t want to work for me anymore. But I force them to pull and push.
Another roll pulls me closer to the horizon, my legs kick pointlessly towards the side, where those on shore direct me.
Suddenly, there are no more rolls. No more froth. No more churning or spitting. The monster that had tried to claim sits beside me, its kind brother in front of me, unfolding onto the beach, then falling back.