A recurring nightmare has always haunted me and caused me to break
out in cold sweat. It is a scene of sheer terror, a drowning girl
screaming for her life and I standing there helplessly to see her devoured by
the gigantic waves. Little did I know that the nightmare would come true
and has continued to torment me since then...
The beach was dotted with coconut trees swaying in the strong
gale. Sprays of seawater kissed my cheeks and I could almost taste the salt in
the air. It was a blazing hot day and my younger sister, Jane, decided to
stroll along the beach. Her wavy chocolate locks glinted under the golden
sunlight. As for me, I was relaxing on the picnic mat with Punk, our
five-year-old Saint Bernard, resting beside me. This pet dog was like our
guardian angel, watching over us wherever we went.
Strangely, the weather changed abruptly. The wind grew
harder than ever, causing the coconut trees to bow low. The sky darkened
and ominous dark clouds gathered.
“Jane, I think we should go!” I called out.
However, Jane, as usual, took my words lightly and ignored me.
“Jane, I say we pack up now!” I raised my volume by a few
decibels. She continued to turn a deaf ear.
The waves started roaring with rage. One rose higher than
the next. All of a sudden, one monstrous wave came and swallowed Jane up.
She was dragged out into the murky waters and disappeared under the swirling
whitish torrents. I could barely make out where she was.
"Jane!" I shrieked. I was in the throes of utter
despair. Where was she? I was no swimmer at all and horror struck
the pits of my stomach. I was nailed to the ground, stricken with panic.
My stomach had tangled up into dead knots. I yelled, “Someone,
please save my sister!”
But there was no one except the howling wind. My face
blanched with trepidation as a cold chill ran down my spine. Jane could
drown any moment! Tears streaked down my sandy face as I glared at the
angry sea.
Ruff! Ruff! Punk started barking ferociously, bouncing up
and down. Before I knew it, it plunged itself into the stormy waves.
“Punk, what are you doing!? Come back. Come back before it
is too late!” I pleaded in between sobs. The sea was louder than me
and swallowed up my voice. I prayed fervently for a miracle though I knew
the chance of survival for both was almost negligible.
With all its might, Punk pulled Jane towards the shore, licking
and barking furiously. Lying lifelessly on the sandy beach, Jane was
unconscious, her locks messy and wet. I knelt beside her and checked her
pulse. It was weak and her breathing was laboured. Luckily, I had
just learnt mouth to mouth resuscitation at Red Cross club and decided to give
it a try.
“One, two, three… Blow!” I repeated the procedure profusely.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, there was no sign of life.
Jane had slipped away for good. Punk seemed to know. With a few wet
licks on her face, it let out a long sorrowful howl as if one of its pack had
perished.
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