You Have to Choose... (Hiccstrid) (On hold)

Chapter 7

Two weeks later

Astrid's P.O.V.

"...And in blue, Florida's very own Astrid Hofferson, Queen of the Waves," the announcer says and I sit on my board when I reach the wave zone. I haven't had any illusions for a while now, so I have melted back to being one with the sea.

"Astrid, you haven't been yourself lately," Snotlout says as I reach him and Heather, "Are you sure you should be doing this?"

"I've skipped the last one, I can't miss another," I tell him as the starting horn blows. 

Right away I see a wave building on the horizon and start paddling out to meet it. I reach the base and turn before getting swept up the wall. I stand before dragging my fingers through the water, tuning out everything around me; the announcer, the cheers, the crashing of the water, etc. Suddenly, something in the water hits my hand and I look to see a...a fish-like outline. Well...more like half fish, half human. I steered my board over the wave and glided down the back of it before sliding back to the place the thing was, looking into the water.

"Uh-oh. Is that a signal?" The announcer asks someone that was in his booth. The beach was silent as I studied the ocean, looking for any sign that could suggest danger. "Hey, Astrid, if it's something serious, wave. If it's not, jump off your board," the announcer says and I stay still. I couldn't see anything. "Oh, my Thor! Astrid, look out!" 

I looked up to see a giant wall of water rising over my head, leaning over me like a scientist leaning over an experimentation table, about to dissect a living human. It crashed down on me and drove the breath from my lungs as the rope slips from my ankle. The current tossed me to and fro, as if I was nothing more than a rag doll. I resurfaced and gasped for breath only to be trampled by another wave. It pushed me back down until I collided with the reef. Air escapes my lungs once again as wave after wave pushes me against the coral and rock. I feel something sting my foot but don't have time to look down to see what it was before a force greater than gravity rips me from the reef and back into the current. Water filled my nose and mouth, eventually leaking into my lungs. I tried to swim back to the surface but my limbs were tiring and every time I got close to oxygen, the current took me back down. Finally, the water calms down and I'm able to resurface with a fit of coughing.

"Oh, my gosh! There she is guys, right there to your left!" I looked around to see a few lifeguards on jet skis, tubes tied to the back. The nearest person rides over and I climb onto the floatie before they take me to shore as I cough up half the ocean. When we're waist deep, I slide off and walk onto the sand as the announcer apologetically declares me disqualified. Suddenly, I'm swarmed by reporters.

"Astrid! What happened out there?"

"What did you feel when you were beneath the waves?!"

"Are you mad at the judges for disqualifying you?"

"What have I said about one at a time?!" I shout.

"Me first," a woman says, "What did you feel when you were beneath the waves?"

"Trapped. And stung in the foot by something," I answer.

"What happened that made you loose focus?" a man asks.

"None of your business," I retort.

"Are you mad at the judges for disqualifying you?" a woman asks.

"It's called life, honey. The sooner you accept that, the better," I tell her before freezing as someone else says a new question. I was no longer focusing on them. I pushed through the crowd and walked a few paces down the beach. After about ten paces, I paused and looked at my board at my feet. It was snapped in half. I fought against tears as I picked up the pieces and walked to my grandparents. I sat in an empty chair, they brought in case I ever got out, and wiped water from my face.