There it stood, a shining beacon of all that was good. He was so close to the top he could taste the warm air. He knew what would happen from here on out. Like a unit, his limbs will kick and in return, the water would propel him to the surface. Bubbles slipped out of his mouth, clouding his vision. An instinct-driven burning thrummed from within his ribcage. His sides pinched and his form lost its graceful arch. His eyesight downgraded to tunnel vision and further until only a sliver of light pierced the waves. Like a pod popping out of its shell, he shot out of the water, flinging droplets left to right. He didn't care. Head in the air, he took his first and most satisfying gulp of air.
