I'd swam much too far out. I could still touch the ground, but the tide was sweeping up and around, pulling me east. Some waves I'd dive under and be tumbled in the eddies. Other waves, the perfect cresting waves, I'd push of the bottom and slide along with the surging wave. Then I'd lie on my back and let them gently-roughly lift me up and down.

Up on the top of a wave, I noticed a head just a few meters away. At first I thought it was a seal, but soon realized it was a young man. This was strange, you see, because I was so far out and only children were actually in the water. I think he heard me laughing out loud before I noticed him. He finally spoke, "It's incredible out here!"

He stayed for a while, stealing glances at me as I did to him. I know he was watching me because after surfacing from being swamped by a massive wave, he was laughing. Together we swam out further to the spot with the highest breakers.

Eventually he went back to the shore. I followed and found it a struggle with the undertow. He appeared to be struggling too, but we both made it back. I walked away, dried off, packed up my paniers, and biked home.

Now I'm deep within the world of Hagar Shipley in The Stone Angel. Really, it's hard to put that book down.