Swallow

by Amira Luo

My weary arms were barely strong enough to pull myself onto the shore. I panted as beads of sweat rolled down my cheeks. I fell onto my knees in exhaustion. I gazed desperately at the violent waves to see what was left of my crew and vessel. No life remained, smothered by blankets of plastic bags and aluminum cans once within the cargo on my ship.

One day ago, I came here to dump junk in the sea like always. It saves the company I work for a lot of effort. The landfills are piled with mountains of garbage, whereas the ocean is an endless field of potential.

I slowly sat up and shook my head in disbelief. I sighed. I looked down at my body, my clothes tattered. I ran my fingers through my short brown hair. It was tangled and soaked with salt water. As I stood up, my feet burned against the hot sand. Palm tree leaves rustled in the wind. The waves crashed against the shoreline, and seagulls screeched. The sun was bright red, and it was slowly setting below the horizon. I was exhausted, laying down and gradually closed my eyes.

I awakened to the rattling of aluminum cans caused by the waves crashing onto the shore. My stomach rumbled. My eyes scanned the area, desperately looking for something to eat. I spotted a bright red apple in the distance. I dashed over, my stomach grumbling louder and louder. I snatched it up, then angrily ripped it apart. It was merely a child’s toy made of foam.

The blare of a horn echoed in the distance. I turned and saw a passenger ship emerge from the infinite fog. At last, I could finally return home. The boat was just fifty meters away when it had to stop. The sea floor was too shallow for it to continue. I had to swim over by myself. I couldn’t wait any longer to get off the island. I stepped into the cool water and propelled my legs and arms as fast as I could.

As I pushed through the water, the ship became larger and larger until something entangled my legs. I glimpsed something white slither around me like a snake hunting its prey. I slashed my arms around in an attempt to untangle myself, squirming furiously in the water. My mouth filled with the taste of the salty sea. The more I struggled, the more tired I became until my head sank below the surface. The waves swallowed my body.

The ocean was calmer than ever, with no life underneath the blanket of plastic bags and aluminum cans.