September 8th, 2014

President Obama had decided to set up this simulator building that held a huge pool of water, wanting to know what they could do, in case a hurricane happened and we weren't expecting it. Obama had made a list and only a few people signed up. My dad, Jeff, had signed me, him and my mom up as volunteers to test out the simulator.

I can't swim, and my dad knew that, I wasn't sure why he signed us up. Suddenly we were in fishing boats that you'd see out on a lake or by the pier near the ocean shoreline. My mom, Karen, had the orange lifejacket and we were only given one. My dad is a fish underwater so he would have no problem swimming.

My mom has a bad frozen shoulder so I let her have the life jacket thinking it wasn't going to be too bad of a simulator. When I talked to my dad, "It's just going to be small waves right?" Dad shook his head telling me that it would show an actual waves like a hurricane right before it hits the land.

I freaked, climbed out of the water and doggie paddled towards where an emergency ladder was kept along the side of the huge pool and hoisted myself halfway out of the water. Obama looked on with a wide grin, "Excuse me, sir, this isn't going to be a huge wave is it?"

He didn't answer me, but one of the volunteers working the program told me it'd just be small waves, and she assured me that everything would be fine. My dad had swam after me, and tried to tug me back towards the boat.

Then next thing I knew, loud sirens were going off and red lights were flashing almost blinding me. Before I could even say anything to the woman or to my dad, a huge wave lifted up high above all of our heads. My family, a couple that had been serving in the military all looked up.

I swallowed back a scream, as the first wave hit us. It slammed against my backside, nearly making me lose my grip. Mom shouted for me and dad to hurry back towards the boat, she was safe and hadn't gotten hit by the water.

The second wave was beginning to rise above the water, I coughed a bit and held onto the metal bars feeling like I was getting hit by waves like at the wade pool in Michigan Adventures. (trust me, my knees buckled and I almost went under, pretty scary.)

The volunteer woman was hit by the second wave and taken into the pool. All I heard was her scream and when I glanced back I didn't see her head resurface. I coughed up more water that had made its way into my eyes, up my nose and down my throat.

Dad was trying to coax me down the ladder steps before the third wave hit. The third wave hit and I slipped and lost my grip on the metal bars. I screamed as I went under, fighting to go towards the surface but the current was too strong.

My limbs began to grow weak and my mouth opened up and water washed into my system, I was drowning but perfectly at ease with letting go. Closing my eyes I almost gave up completely when I heard a still voice amidst all that was happening.

"I won't let go." I opened up my eyes and looked around. "I won't let go." I saw movement in the water and saw a hand. It had a small hote in the center of the palm and then I knew I wasn't afraid to die. He was with me. "I won't let go."

I held onto His hand and that's when I woke up and heard my dad's alarm clock going off.