Sparkling in the Deep

[A/N]: This is the first of what may turn into a gradual series of images with little stories attached. I'm not a serious writer, but I hope you enjoy my drivel. --- Mid September wasn't exactly swimsuit season; Marie knew that. But Summer just couldn't be over yet. She needed the lapping wind and waves, the crunch of sand underfoot, and that sense of the awe she could only find when staring out toward the horizon over shimmering waters. So, just a little after noon, the young woman had taken a bus to Woodland Park, walked down a little trail on the left side, and clambered down a steep hill to a secluded little spot she knew. It was just a tiny strip of sand, sandwiched on both ends by trees that descended down into the water. Alone here with a rough earthen wall behind her and Lake Moore before her, Marie might as well have been the only person on the planet, and she couldn't help smiling at the feeling. Even as a chill wind blasted her square in the face, she was glad to have come here. She unzipped her red jacked, revealing the tight yellow tube top and jean shorts covering a tan, athletic body beneath, then tossed the jacket and a towel she had brought with her down onto the ground, and kicked off her sandals. She dug her toes into the warm sand as she twisted her upper body to the side in a stretch. The cool air was already giving her goosebumps, but just a few twists, squats, and shoulder rolls later, she felt ready. With a childish giggle, she rushed headlong into the shallows. It felt like being stabbed by icy needles, but she pushed through with practiced ease. She was shoulder-deep within seconds, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. The world seemed to slow down around her for a moment before she took a breath, closed her eyes, and plunged her head below the water's surface. Crouching beneath the waves, the noise of the world around her faded out. She held herself there for nearly a minute, reveling in the sensations of her body acclimating to the temperature. When at last she had to come up for air, the water felt almost warm, while the air above chilled her face and chest anew. Grinning, she dove forward and began to swim. Steady, powerful strokes propelled her away from the shore. When she was no longer able to bump her toes against the submerged ground, she shut her eyes, took a breath, and dropped her head beneath the water again. After a moment, she carefully began opening her eyes just a little at a time. The world gradually swam into vision; a blurry flurry of colors that wouldn't fully resolve into anything solid until she was very close. Marie had explored here a lot over the years, though, so she could pick out the vague landmarks fairly well. There, a dark shape that she knew was just a particular big rock. Over there, a wiggly mass that was some kind of kelp or seaweed or whatever. And that- She paused. She had been glancing past a shady dip in the ground dotted with colorful anemone, when something caught her eye. Curious, she struggled to stop her forward momentum, and began swimming back towards the dip. Just as she reached it, her burning lungs reminded her that she needed to breathe soon, so she abruptly scrambled back to the surface. She gasped for air as the cold wind pricked her wet skin once more. It took her a couple minutes of patiently wading to get her breathing and heart rate back to normal. When at last she felt able, Marie took in as much air as she could hold, flipped upside down, and dove down. She had drifted a little, but she was fairly sure that shaded spot was the hollow she'd noticed. Something there had caught her eye. Something shiny. She knelt down amidst the anemone, and crawled about with her face inches from the ground. She wasn't seeing it now. She was starting to wonder if she'd just imagined it when she felt her knee bump against something small and hard. She turned over and saw something grey half-buried in the muddy sand. She cautiously poked it with a finger. It was round, and flat, seemed to have some sort of engraving to it. With just a little effort, the woman tugged the trinket free of the ground, and wiped it off with her thumb. She leaned back, and held it up towards the surface light, but this did little to illuminate the object. It was clearly a coin, but that was all she could say for the moment. She was nearing her limit again anyway, so Marie made her way topside once more. Once there, she examined the coin more closely. It was about the size of an old 50 cent piece, but clearly wasn't one. The markings on one side were reminiscent of a pitchfork surrounded by letters too worn for her to read. The other side had probably shown a face at one point, but most of the features had been worn smooth. Whatever it was, it glinted a silvery hue in the midday sunlight, and had a surprising weight to it. "Well, finders keepers, I guess." Marie said to herself with a grin as she pocketed the mysterious coin. "Real glad I opted for something with pockets today." The athletic young woman spent the next hour or so combing the area to see if she could find any more sunken treasures, but came away empty-handed. She spent another hour still at the beach, shivering, but thoroughly pleased with how her little outing had gone.