Fear of Octopus

Streaming in between layers of waters, my head would pop up through the surface to reveal the cool air up above. Being able to twirl and wind through such peaceful waters, there was nothing more that I loved to do than swim. It kept me always exploring and wondering what was underneath. Face breaking the surface, we could stare down and wonder what is at the bottom. For most of us, we would never actually know what lies beneath. I pondered  this idea many times trying to uncover the secrets of the water from a lake to even a large ocean. It would be interesting to know what was down beneath, but in a large swimming pool the only thing I could do was use my own imagination.

Stroking back and forth form side to side, my mind would often imagine beautiful fish swimming around me following my moves. The vibrant colors from the ocean would reflect off the bottom and reveal a secret mermaid castle. Classic mermaid movies often guided my creativity as I thought about treasures and beautiful princesses I could admire. While it was all just a dream as I would float back and forth, soon my mind began to think of things other than a fantasy. Beneath the castle fantasy, there was often a secret layer with the evil queen trying to stop everyone from good. She would destroy the beautiful fish and create trouble for the peaceful mermaids in the ocean. I would soon let this idea drift into the swimming pool and fear that she would someday come back to get me. I used to think that the water was a peaceful escape, but as I neared the deep end the imagination would turn almost into a nightmare.

As my feet paddled through the water, thoughts of the monster grabbing me and strangling me down into the water were the only things that crossed my mind. I feared being pulled underneath and never feeling the warm air up above. To this day, I have let my 5 year old ideas get the best of me and I stay clear of the deep waters. Never will I allow myself towards any dangers that could someday drag me under the water to no escape. While this idea is extreme, it haunts me every time my eyes glance underneath to the bottom of the pool. While some fear of my realistic ideas, my creativity sure got the best of me.