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SHE paddles into the ocean. It’s dawn and it’s her first time on a surfboard. She sits herself up and floats. The rising sun kisses her skin and she smiles.
SHE:
This is peaceful.
This is nice.
The water is colder than I thought it would be.
—
There aren’t many waves yet. Do they come at a specific time of day?
Oh my god, I forgot about tides and- all that stuff.
Oh my god, a wave! I should ride it.
—
What do I do?
Maybe I should have taken a lesson. Or done some research.
Whatever.
—
Pelican!!! It’s getting a fish.
—
Oh my god, fish. Animals. There are animals in the-
-water…
Fish and stingrays and jellyfish and octopuses and squids and eels and crabs and lobsters and marlin.
Sharks.
Oh my god, sharks.
—
Maybe this was a bad idea.
—
A dolphin breaches about twenty feet in front of her and it is pure fucking magic. Her perception of the entire world is changed for the better.
SHE:
Surfing is dope as fuck.
We should all move to the beach and surf and swim and be a little chilly at dawn.
We should all chill with the animals like a big family and be respectful and enjoy life instead of stressing.
A shark breaches about ten feet in front of her with a big fish in its mouth. She is scared at first, but it subsides.
SHE: Don’t eat me, please.
She starts to paddle for a wave. She doesn’t catch it. She smiles and waits for the next one.