EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 1

I stopped running and collapsed over a huge moss-covered
boulder.
“Katie!”
I looked ahead and saw that I was falling behind.
“Please wait … you are going too fast!”
She couldn’t hear me, and besides, I told her to run
as fast as she could, and that’s what she was doing.
I watched in agony as she kept going, oblivious to
my situation. My lungs were on fire, and I could barely
breathe. The whole world was spinning around me. I
took a moment to calm myself and regain my bearings.
I would have to kick it into high gear if I wanted to catch
up with her.
“Katie!” I screamed in a last desperate attempt.
Birds flew frantically from their roosts; Katie’s name
echoed through the woods, then faded into the wind.
I was exhausted, wanting to lie down and die, but that
was not an option; somehow, I would have to keep
moving. I could not leave my little Katie out there …
lost in the woods … alone.

The dolphins were more playful than usual today. They performed acrobatics and played tag with me for what seemed like hours. The water was a very light shade of turquoise and crystal clear. The visibility was amazing, and I could see everything in this breathtaking underwater paradise. The coral reef in all its glory and all the different ocean species were picture-perfect. The warm water caressed my skin as I started slow dancing with my aquatic friends. Bodies intertwined as we weaved our way around the brightly-colored coral. A couple of sea horses joined in the celebration. The eels played hide and go seek between the sea grasses and algae. Schools of tiny, beautifully-colored fish played follow the leader as they darted in and out through the tentacles of this live coral maze. I stopped mid-twirl to take a closer look at a beautiful little starfish lying in the sand, and unintentionally disturbed a giant manta ray as it lay there camouflaged.

“Come back! Oh no! I’m sorry! Please don’t go!”

He swiftly flapped his large magnificent wings and gracefully took flight away from our watery playground. As I watched him fly overhead, I felt sorry that I made him flee his resting place. He had as much right to be there as we did.

As I looked up toward the heavens, I could see the rays of sunlight shimmering like diamonds on the surface of the water. It was almost hypnotic. I could watch them for hours. Time seemed to be non-existent during my adventures. Who knew there was such beauty beneath the surface of our vast waterways? Suddenly, bringing me back to reality, I was distracted by one of my little friends who gave me a nudge on the shoulder. I guess it was his way of asking me for the next dance. He must have thought I had given up on him or something; the party wasn’t over yet. I turned and grabbed onto his fin and off we went, twisting and turning, head over heels. Mr. Fred Astaire… I called him Fred for short. This guy really loved to groove. He also liked to show off in front of all the others. He was quite the acrobat. One more pass and then we headed straight up to the surface. I loved it when he did this. I enjoyed flying through the air with him and then splashing back down into the water. Just as we got to the surface, I lost my grip. Damn… I hated when that happened. It wasn’t a problem though because I knew that he would come right back around and check on me; he always did.

I stayed at the surface for a moment and looked around me, but it was not something I enjoyed very much. From above the water you don’t find the same sense of security. You don’t see the beauty below. You fear the unknown, desperately treading water to keep your head above it, terrified about what might be lurking below.