Diving Lesson

It was planned as a short dive. Calm water, clear route, a simple return. Halfway through, the conditions changed and the current shifted. The turtle adjusted its course and kept moving; turning back was not an option. The distance had grown, the air was low, and the margin for error had narrowed to almost nothing. But the turtle, unfazed, did not slow. It had seen this before, as had the rider. Above them, the sun returned from behind the chapel on the rocks, throwing gold across the surface. Below, the water went quiet and green and endless. Clear skies, clear water. Neither turtle nor rider was in a hurry now.