Bubbles floated to the surface slowly as a pair of flippers glided through the sparkling blue waters. Tiny little fish darted past the larger mammal, scattering into glittering pairs. A sea turtle drifted by slowly, its dark eyes boring into the lighter blue eyes of the bigger animal. Seaweed twirled like a ballerina below, mesmerizing any who swam by with it’s long graceful leaves.

The water was warm, yet refreshing, reminiscent of hot Italian summer nights. The beach was empty, the pebbles left to stare out at the vast expanse of the sea longingly. Deserted beach chairs rested among the pebbles, each once a vibrant color, but now only a memory of what once was. Soft waves crashed onto the pebbles, leaving behind an aching feeling of ocean.

A cloud of bubbles furiously drifted upward from a red pipe as the large mammal swam deeper into the water. It’s stripes, red and white, like an old men’s swimsuit, ran the entire length of it’s body, from the tip of it’s collarbone to mid thigh.

White hair wandered from the head, floating around in a halo, matching with the ashen beard that gleamed in the dark ambience of the ocean. A pair of pink goggles rested on the man’s face, clashing horribly with the red snorkel.

His vermillion flippers, shiny and exotic, dipped through the water diligently as he guided himself calmly through the waters. Fish continued to scatter, but some stayed behind, untouched by his presence. The ocean floor shimmered underneath him, full of sea life crawling and swimming around.

The old man pushed his hands out through the water. To him, they were not sun-beaten and wrinkled with time, but young and strong hands that hadn’t experienced adventures worthy of the greatest heroes. They steered him through the water.

He floated on his back on the surface of the water, enjoying the soft clouds that wafted by and the gentle caress of the sun against his face. He closed his eyes gently and let the waves take over

-Anonymous