The Ocean is Full of Fear and Magic

The Ocean is Full of Fear and Magic Alissa Tarzia • Fiction

I alkto ard the ater. The hot sand starts to cool off in places the water hit during high tide. I sink my feet into the thick soup-like sand. I look at the water and mentally omit all the beauty I see, instead, I think of all the things unseen, waiting for me to be foolish enough to step in the water, get deep enough in for something to reach me and drag me into the chasm of the oceans unknown.

My forehead starts to sweat more than it was before. The sun is bright and bits of light reflect off the water moving rhythmically with the waves. Jenny’s nearly knee-deep in the water, and so far, so good.

“It feels so good, Josh!” Jenny says, as the waves push her forward.

I watch her body bob back and forth like one of those blow-up figures outside of cellphone stores: lanky and mobile. My toes touch the edge of the water as it pulls away from me. I walk closer, and the water pushes back up against me. Despite my fear, the water feels refreshing against the warmth of my body. I keep going in until the water consumes the bottom half of me. I enjoy

These Fish Bite • 49

the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the water. The fears I’ve carried for the past three years get pushed to the back of my mind.

• 50 Alissa Tarzia