Kailena Pinder

April 14th, 2021

Literature
Narrative writing Homework

Prompt: “

Four hours before, a golden glow spread across the sky as the sun chased the dark clouds
away. A ray of sun shot through Rayna’s window early in the morning, in a nice suite hotel in Port
Lincoln Australia. Rayna knew she had an exciting day ahead, as she jumped on a boat with her
mother, ready to go shark Cage Diving. The two-hour ride into the pacific ocean was dreadful.
People were hogging the bathroom, spitting out chunks of their meal due to sickness, an
unpleasant smell to be near, and the boat swayed with the waves nonstop. Not to mention the
ear-piercing cry of the seagulls flying above. “This a load of-” Rayna's words were cut off when the
captain made an announcement saying it was time for the second group to get in. The first group
had spotted two great white sharks about twenty feet long. The other teenager came out of the
cage all pumped up and excited. Her wet hair clinging to her face and her body shivering as it met
the chilly air. Rayna stared straight down into the ocean line near the cage, calming herself by
imagining how beautiful the scenery would be underwater. She dipped the tips of her toes in, but
her vision was interrupted. She felt the icy sting go straight up her leg. “This is way too cold to go
in!” she lied. She had changed her mind about this activity, who knew the uncertainty of what’s in
the water still made her afraid after all these years. Her mother listening caught on right away,
and insisted she faced her fears once and for all. Her face radiated positivity and her overall aura
was soothing. Who could say no to such a person? “Only for her” Rayna repeatedly thought as
she maneuvered her scuba gear on. Her mother was all she had and tried to always make her
happy.
Even when being lowered into the water, Rayna was unsure about this. She had sufficient
time to back out, but her conscience advised her otherwise. The cage lowered more, and she
knew It was time. “This is fine, the cage will protect me, that’s what it’s here for”. Fully
submerged underwater, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. Actually,
focusing on anything but opening her eyes was great for her right now. The humming of the boats
motor reassured her that her mother was right onboard waiting on her safe return.
Unexpectedly, something bumped the cage and it shocked, causing her to open her unfortunately
open her eyes . Rayna was observed by an older looking shark. Certainly, a tough guy considering
the marks from fights and fishhooks being present on his body. The shark seemed uninterested in
her and quickly swam away in the distance. “Seriously? She thought “That’s what I was afraid of?”
She became excited and comfortable in the new area, bouncing around and pressing against the
wall of the cage. A pretty fish caught her attention at the bottom, and she proceeded to observe
it. And then it hit. The same shark Rayna met a while ago. The same one she thought nothing of
anymore, because the cage protected her, but now the cage was sinking. The impact knocking it
right off the hinges of the boat. Chaos erupted in Rayna’s mind as the cage sunk deeper to the
bottom. The water getting darker as it moved away from the surface. The pressure increasing
from the dept at which she was hitting. She couldn’t think straight or calm herself to look at her
surrounds, just hope for the worst. Rayna was locked in. The shark circled above her cage, having
plans to continue whatever it had in mind. It’s a miracle how fast those on board reacted to the
events that had occurred. Rayna was in grave danger and her mother cried out noisily, putting the
blame on herself for insisting her daughter to participate when she didn’t want to. Two brave
young men responded immediately suiting up and dipping their heads in the water to check the
surroundings. Rayna’s life depended on her breathing techniques and the amount of oxygen she
had left in her tank. The men hurriedly swam down , one going to retrieve her and one keeping a
look out for the shark, who looked like he didn’t enjoy a crowd, swimming away. Rayna was
lightheaded but felt the young man unlock the top of the cage and pull her out. She couldn’t
move or think straight. All she could do was nuzzle into the safety of his chest as they breached
the surface. There Rayna was taken back onto the boat and wrapped in warm blankets. She could
she the blurry faces of people standing over her, but her eyes could not register their faces, her
ears were ringing and her head, spinning. The traumatizing experience causing her to drift off into
a deep sleep……