Water is home, just dive in.
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She needed peace, solitude and that's how she found herself by the lake most mornings. It gave her the escapism she needed from her daily life. The mid June sun was beating down on her back as she sat with her feet in the cool water. She loved watching the way the water moved, it symbolised everything her life wasn't. It was gentle and undramatic, whereas her life was manic and unpredictable.
Being by the lake, it was just her and the water. It was an added bonus that she loved to swim. She always had ever since she could remember. Her Mom had encouraged her to join the school swim team, to use her passion but Selena always shrugged her Mom off. Swimming was the only thing in this life that was hers and she wanted to keep it that way. Selena stood up, throwing her white t-shirt over her head exposing her black swimsuit. She looked out across the lake, she couldn't wait to dive in to the cool water.
She pulled her dark hair up into a pony tail. She couldn't wait for her only worry to be getting to the other side of the lake. Selena shimmied out of her jeans and left them as a crumpled mess on the floor along with her t-shirt and shoes. She positioned herself at the edge of the lake, sucking in a deep breath as pulled herself into the diving position.
Then, she jumped.
Her arms were the first thing that collided with the water, her face and body following as she pulled herself through the water. She pulled herself to the surface and she took a breath. Her arms pushed through the water as she kicked her legs. She was swimming, gliding through the water. Her only focus was getting to the other side. The water was warmer than usual, she put it down to the warm weather.
She could hear her arms as they hit the water, followed by the splashing her legs made as they kicked. A smile played on her lips as she continued to move through the water. She could be an Olympian if she wanted, she was more determined than most.
She continued to push herself through the water. Her pace quickening as she could see herself approaching the other side. Her body was tiring as she forced herself through the water. Just one more push...
Her hand grasped the grassy bank as she gasped for breath, her eyes adjusting to being out of the water. She laughed to herself as she hoisted herself out of the water and on to the grassy bank. She was exhausted. She crawled over to a dry patch and lay down, listening to her irregular breathing. Her heart was thumping in her chest from the adrenaline she loved so much.
The sun was attracted to her black swimsuit and the heat that clung to her skin was delightful after the cool water. She closed her eyes, her breathing now becoming more regular. Knowing that soon she would have to make the swim back to the other side, back to her clothes, back to her life.
She stayed there for the next few moments, the only sounds she could hear were the birds chirping in the trees. She reluctantly got to her feet walking back over to the water and slipping in.
She look a slow swim back to the other side, she let herself move slowly in the water. She didn't want to go back, she never did. She hated the noise and the chaos. They weren't like her. None of them were. She could never understand why her Mom did it, why she put herself through it every single time, but she did. Selena admired her Mother for that.
She reached the other side and pulled herself out of the safety of the water. She pulled back on her t-shirt, which clung to her black swimsuit. Her jeans were more tricky to put on, but she did her best to shimmy them on. She threw on her shoes and quickly rang the water out of her ponytail.
