DANGER BENEATH THE WAVES
A story for the younger age group by Karen M. Leet
KRYSTAL was waist deep, splashing in the waves, when something bumped her leg. She stood absolutely still, instantly stopping the wild splashing. She wanted to run. She wanted to make a dash for the safety of the beach. Instead she took a deep breath and called to Rolf. “Something just bumped me. Get the kids out of the water quickly and quietly!” Rolf stared at her for a moment. She could see his blue eyes widen with alarm, but he stayed calm. He moved closer to shore, while she stood with her back to the open sea, watching to be sure none of the children ventured too far. “Kids,” Rolf called, his voice low and calming, “walk quickly and quietly to the beach. No running. No splashing. Move now. See who can be the quickest and quietest. Good, Missy. Quieter, Shawn. Good, good. Keep moving everyone.” He threw a look over his shoulder as he began herding the children toward the sandy beach. Even while she admired his handling of the children, Krystal wished she could be with them, close to shore, almost safe. Maybe it was a crab. There were plenty of crabs around. Or a jellyfish. But even as she thought of the possibilities, she scanned the ocean surface, searching for a dorsal fin. Somehow she knew that whatever had bumped her had not been a crab or a jellyfish. She had a feeling it was something large. Krystal had wondered sometimes how she would handle an emergency if one occurred. She wondered whether she would panic or keep her head. Keeping still in the water took tremendous control. She wanted to run, thrashing and flailing through the breakers. Instead she watched as Rolf urged the youngsters to safety. The moment the last child was clear of the water, Krystal moved. Gently she edged forward, bit by bit. She felt a sense of urgency, yet knew she must remain calm, not churning or agitating the sand beneath her feet or the water around her. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. Glancing at the beach, she saw Rolf talking with a lifeguard, gesturing toward her. The lifeguard raced for his station and began signalling people to get out of the water. Krystal could see the children clustered together on the beach, snatching at the colourful towels, bickering normally. They didn’t understand. But what mattered was that they were safe.
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