Fist Time Down, By Arizona [me reader .TXT] 📗

The beach was hot under Sandy's feet.She shifted to the cool sand at the water's edge as she walked toward the dive boat. Shed been looking forward to this Grand Cayman trip forever.She was finally old enough to get her junior scuba-diving certification.
At the boat,her instructor,Ed,was loading the air tanks."Give me a hand?" Sandy grabbed a buoyancy compensator,the vast used to control the in water buoyancy of the diver and equipment.A tall girl appeared, swinging her mask."You've got yo be kidding me,"she said,looking at sandy."This kid's not old enough.She a shrimp."Sandy stood straighter."I'm twelve,"she said."I finished my five pool sessions.I just need my four open-water dives.Are you an instructor?"The girl glanced at Ed."Uh.no."Ed smiled."Susan's fifteen.It's her first open-water dive,too." Susan busied herself with her weight belt.Four other divers climbed aboard."All here!Take her out!"Ed called over to the captain."Where are we headed?"someone yelled over the engine."Balboa Wreck."Ed said."A sunken freighter about thirty feet down.Lots of eels there."
Sandy grinned,watching the calm blue water merge with the sky.After fifteen minutes, the captain cut the engine. Ed attached a line to a buoy."Gather around."Sandy climbed over the stern to the platform.Waves rolled over her legs."Number one stay with your buddy,"Ed said as he checked everyone equipment"Number two stay with the group."Susan rolled her eyes. "The A-OK sign means your good,"said Ed."Thumps up means you want too go up."explained Ed.Sandy put her mask on.She was dizzy with excitement.Ed pared everyone of."Sandy,you are with Susan." "Great,now i am a babysitter." Sandy pretend not to hear."GO hand over hand down the lead rope,single file,"said Ed."Wait for me at the bottom.Any questions?"Everyone was wide-eyed and quiet even Susan."Lets go!"said Ed with excitement.Sandy slipped into the water."Ready?"Ed asked.Sandy nodded and pulled a string attached to the dump valve on her vest.As the air hissed out,she snaked down.Under water,the only sound Sandy heard was her breath when she exhaled bubbles.The pressure around her increased as she descended. Clinging to the rope she pinched her nose and blew to clear her ears.She was weightless in the water of blue.
Sandy looked around.
A circus of bright fish darted through a maze of rainbow corals. Ed sank into view,motioned to the group,and swam toward a looming seemed to move.Silvery fish swam through open portholes on the algae-covered ship.When Ed swam left,everyone followed except Susan.When Sandy looked from left to right.Ed had stressed never to leave your diving partner.Sandy followed Susan.Susan poked her head into a porthole,her mask caught on a piece of metal. The mask fell,a cascade of bubbles exploding around it.
Susan thrashed and tried to bolt up for air,but her flipper was caught on the edge of the wreck.Susan was kicking up sand,and Sandy counted see anything. She reached through the porthole feeling around for some thing.There!Sandy graded the mask and slipped it over Susan's head.Suddenly Ed arrived. Sandy pointed at Susan's fillper.Ed worked it free, he looked anger.
After checking Susan's equipment,Ed led Sandy and Susan to the rest of the group. Orange, blue, and yellow fish flittered through coral and waving anemones. Ed pointed to pipe, where the tail of the eel protruded.After checking everyone's air pressure,Ed signaled toward their dive boat. Back on the deck, Sandy saw Ed talking to Susan. Susan's eyes were down.Ed waved Sandy over."Got a sec?" Sandy took a deep breath."Lot of action for your first dive,"said Ed,removing the air tanks from the vest."Only three left, and you'll be certified." "Your not made that we left the group?"Sandy questioned. "You stayed with your buddy."Ed glanced at Susan, then said to Sandy,"How about you partner with me tomorrow?" Susan's face was red."Please,can i go?""A diver needs to know he can count on his partner."Ed said as he was moving his bangs away from his icy blue eyes.At that moment I liked liked Ed or thought he was sexy. "I need to now you'll make safe choices."Susan's shoulders sagged. She turned toward Sandy."I understand that you saved me down there."She looked embarrassed."Thanks shrimp."Sandy could tell she meant it.She turned towers Ed as much as she regraded it she said."I'll be her buddy."Ed looked at Sandy "You sure?" Sandy gave him the A-OK sign.

Publication Date: 05-17-2010

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