the water is cold by Sam Chao (16, Maryland)

I’m scared. This is unfamiliar territory. It is the great plains that have not yet been discovered. I am Columbus, but I have no spine. I am Lewis or Clark, but I am not as brave. I am Armstrong, but the moon is menacing. 

You wait for me in the water. I fiddle nervously for you are just out of reach. You smile at me and beckon me to join you. Shall I? Will I? I fiddle again. Your sly grin is irresistible, but the water makes it so. You do not leave me by myself. You wait patiently just beyond the seam where water meets land. You ask me again. I cannot refuse.

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The water is cold. It is winter, but I am summer. I clash with it violently, and I shiver uncontrollably. I hesitate to take another step. You look frightenedly comfortable. You are the pioneer and I am the wagon you pull along. I cave and take another step. I immediately regret it. I am pricked by thousands of icicles, warning me to stay away. A cool breeze cautions me further. 

You wave it off and extend a hand. I reach out to take it, but I am not quite there yet. You smirk as your point is made. I take a dauntless step that I perceive to be a show of fearlessness. You chuckle amusedly, and I flush a shade of pink. 

You invite me once more, and I finally give in. I take another step, and another. The water is nearly at my chest now. I submerge myself in it, and I am filled with a rush. My body dances to the rhythm of the bubbles that arise to the water’s sunkissed surface. I am a seasoned diver, twirling elegantly throughout the air. I am a nimble skater that pirouettes on freshly glossed ice. I am Tchaikovsky’s graceful swan.

You take me for a trip in the water. You show me people I am familiar with. They are unexpected visitors. I am overjoyed to see them. But my bravery is not enough for you, and you pull me deeper into the water although it is already at my neck. Your laugh is refreshing. Intriguing. Persuading. I venture deeper into the unknown seas. You show me the magnificence of this region. The sky is scintillating. The sun and moon are equally visible. They do not battle over time. The distant stars have drifted closer to us. We relax and stare at them for a while.

The water is warm now. It is tranquil. The waters are our monastery. The skies are our playground. The people are our village. We sit in peace with our eyes closed. Our troubles wash away. It is not unfamiliar territory anymore. A warm breeze comforts me. I feel at home. You make me feel at home. 

At last, I am at serenity. I realize that eternity in paradise is not that bad. 

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