Samia

I was fine at first. I was having a great time at the beach. And suddenly, I am choking and breathing water. And then, I black out. Let me backup a bit and explain how I got here. My family and I are water bugs. We LOVE swimming and playing in water. I am a swimmer on the local high school team. I am the best swimmer on the team (I am the fastest on each of the strokes and the mile). Thank goodness for the spring coming; I needed a break. 

Said break came in the form of a family trip to the Atlantic Ocean. My mom, Christine, packed my sister, Ally, and I into the minivan and off we went. We went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a really pretty trip and I liked it overall. I loved the activities we did, but the best part was going to be swimming in the ocean. I looked forward to feeling the waves crash over me. We were on the beach for three hours by this point. I had been swimming for about an hour by the time the storm had started rolling in. My family and I chose to ignore it for the time being, but the waters started to hit the riptide. There was not a lifeguard or anyone watching the beach. 

I started swimming out and trying to find the perfect wave to bodyboard into the sand shelf. As I swam into the largest wave, something caught my eye and I wiped out. I got sent flying underwater and I got disoriented. I started to panic after I could not properly resurface. I finally figure out which way is up and breathe the next wave, causing me to choke on water. As I started to get fuzzy around the edges, I saw a tail flip past me. That thing is HUGE. I am pretty sure I am hallucinating and am about to drown at this point. Suddenly, I am the main character in The Little Mermaid because a very pretty, golden-tailed woman is dragging me through the water. She tells me it is going to be okay and then I pass out. Next thing I know, I sputter water and vomit as the EMT is telling me to breathe. 

"Did anyone see the mermaid?!" I exclaim with gravel in my voice. They laughed at me, but shook their heads. They went through some questions to make sure I am okay overall. 

"Where are you?" 

"Virginia Beach."

"What country are we in?" 

"The US." 

"What color is your hair?" 

"Dark brown and my eyes are seafoam green. Any other questions about my appearance?" I snap slightly because I do not like to tolerate time wasting. 

"Last one, what is today's date?" 

"March 15th, it is my spring break." They determine I am not concussed, but I am taken to the hospital all the same. I was checked out and nothing was out of the ordinary. It was not until I got home from the hospital that I found the hair on my clothes and a trident note in my pocket. The note said "Belle Crest, NC".