by Various
‘Good,’ she replied. She fought a strange urge to apologise, but she would never apologise for being assertive or in control. This was her world and she was the boss.
She began rolling up her wetsuit, aware that there was no more time to stall. They had an hour, maybe an hour and a half at most, and then the sun would disappear and they would have lost their window.
‘You need some help with that?’ Nain offered, as she shrugged and tugged herself into the tight material.
‘Uh, sure.’ The worst thing that could happen was she accidentally tore a muscle trying to throw herself into her wetsuit without assistance. Yet Ever thought the tingles she had in her stomach as Nain’s fingers brushed her skin might have been just as bad. She was hyper aware of his body behind hers as he made sure there were no air pockets.
‘Your brother said I should probably tow you into something decent but on the smaller side to warm you up,’ Nain said.
‘Uh?’ Ever tried to snap herself back to the present and pretend that her thoughts hadn’t been dancing over the events of the previous night in Nain’s bedroom. ‘Something smaller . . .’
‘To warm you up,’ he continued, making no hint that he knew where her mind had been. His was there, too.
‘No,’ she replied, finally. ‘There’s not enough time for me to try dummy waves until I feel comfortable. The longer we’re out there, the more the cold, and the conditions are going to affect my body. I won’t be as sharp. My reflexes will be best at the beginning and from there things will only deteriorate.’
Not for the first time in the past twenty-four hours his hands found her tailbone and traced the indent at the small of her back. There was a snappy sound as Nain pulled the long zipper up her back and then tucked the cord under a velcro tab at her neck.
‘All done,’ he said. ‘No way I’ll miss you out there in that.’
Ever smiled as she stretched out her arms in front of her and admired the bright pink colour of her wetsuit. It had become her signature now and it was most effective.
‘Let’s do it,’ she said.
Nain climbed on to the jet-ski that had her board already tied loosely on the back of a tray where she would be able to lay down flat as he drove through the water. The camera crew were next, with the photographer sliding in behind Kitty who was driving one of the two remaining skis. Ardelia, staying on the boat, nodded at Ever, no words needed. Jake took the final ski, with the cameraman clutching to Jake’s waist with one hand and his expensive piece of equipment with the other. Ever did her best to ignore the temperature of the water as she dived off the side of the boat, plunging her whole body down into it. The sooner she adjusted the better, but she was glad no one could hear the raw release as she screamed under the water at the sudden chill. She popped to the surface, using a few quick strokes to get over to where Nain had reversed the ski, and pulled herself up onto the back. She tucked her arm over her board and under one of a dozen handles that lined the perimeter of the panel she was laying on. Nain looked back at her for a brief moment and she nodded. With a gentle rev of the engine, he took off.
He drove slowly out to the break, and she appreciated what he was doing. He was giving her as much time as she could to study what she would be facing, and she watched carefully as the world’s heaviest wave curled in on itself, presenting what would seem like a safe and surfable barrel before it doubled up — the weight of the ocean pressing down on the escape tunnel until it collapsed completely in a spray of seawater that washed over Ever’s face.
‘Don’t take me too deep into the shoulder,’ she shouted to him, and he nodded as he heard her loud and clear. ‘If I’m too deep when it barrels, I’ll never make it out.’
‘You got it,’ he called back. She could have swore she heard the word ‘boss’ in there somewhere.
When they made it to the back break it was simply a matter of waiting for the right wave. They were only a few hundred metres from her brother and Kitty, who were sitting in the spot for the best shot. To Ever it felt like kilometres. She pulled her gaze away from them and focused on the heaving mountains of sea that were such a dark shade of blue that they were almost black. She nearly called it once, but the words froze in her mouth as she saw the wave sit up to be bigger than expected.
‘Okay, Nain,’ she shouted, tapping hard on the back of the ski so he’d feel the vibration too. ‘You see it?’
He scanned where she was looking and began to turn. ‘I see it. Three back.’
Ever grabbed the cable that had been waiting there for her and slid off the back of the ski, tucking her feet into the bootstraps on her board that had been specifically designed for big-wave surfing. As Nain began to accelerate she felt the careful tug of the cable and she let herself get pulled out of the water. To the casual observer it would have looked like water-skiing. The water sprayed Ever’s face as she looked over her shoulder to check the progress of the wave and Nain got her in position.
‘Ever?’ he called, waiting for confirmation.
‘YUP YUP YUP!’ she shouted in reply. She let the cable fall from her hands and watched it dance off along the surface of the water as the speed of the wave took up her momentum. It curdled beneath her and she bent her knees, not wanting to turn into the right too soon and miss the big event. It was a thick thirty-foot wave as she began to make the first drop, conscious of the roaring sound as the wave began to close out behind her. I’ll worry about that later, she thought, concentrating on the liquid staircase as it continued to drop out. She made the first ten feet confidently and focused on the next ten, which were already churning and trying to break within the massive wave. She hit the smallest of air bumps and soared for a moment, glorious as she sailed through the air . . . and then straight into a wall of white wash as it closed unexpectedly in front of her. One second the path had been clear, the next it was erased. As she felt the motion of the fall begin to take her under, she gulped a last breathe of air, knowing it would be her last for a while. Don’t panic, she begged herself. Do not panic, girl.
The thirty-foot wave crashed down on her as if it was ninety, slamming her straight down into the rocky surface she hadn’t realised had been soon close by. Thankfully, she didn’t hit that hard, but her body and board were sucked back with the movement of the ocean and she was dropped down over the falls. From there she lost all sense of what was happening. Ever tried to count in her head as her body was thrown around, cracked and whacked by the ocean and the bottom alike. She recognised and almost thought she heard a sound like lightning, then registered that her board had snapped, pieces of it probably already floating to the surface. She did her best not to panic, trying to relax her body instead as she let the small building of water drop down on her and have its way. The more relaxed she was, the less oxygen she would use.
Ever wasn’t sure how long she had been down there, but she guessed it couldn’t have been more than two minutes. She could hold her breathe for just over three, and she sensed she still had a little bit left in the tank. Feeling the pull soften slightly, she waited only a second before she fumbled along the ground with her hands and then pushed off, aiming for the surface. She kicked as fast and desperately as she could, trying to block out the thought that another monster wave could be about to break on her head at any moment.
Bursting to the surface with a rasping gulp of air, her arms flailed as she steadied herself, Ever desperately spun in a circle, looking for what might be coming. She was facing the cliffs and she turned just in time to see a nasty thirty-five-footer standing to attention. She heard shouts and vaguely noted that someone was calling her name, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the wave looming towards her. It was the sound of an engine that stole her attention, and she saw Nain speeding towards her, completely disregarding what was coming. She recognised the words he was shouting at her, and understood that she had one shot at getting out of the break zone. It looked as if he was heading directly for her until at the last minute he did a sharp hairpin tur
n and pivoted, swinging the tray around with him. Ever reached out her hand and slipped, missed, then finally locked onto one of the handles and pulled herself forward with everything she had left. Nain sped out of there so fast she was worried she was going to slide off the back.
It felt like minutes not seconds until they were safely out of the break and shooting over towards the boat. Nain slowed as they neared, and turned around to face her. The strange expression on his face made her wonder what he was looking at. Her mouth was stinging and she reached out and spat what she thought was a piece of coral out of her mouth. Her hands came away bloody and she watched with disconnected surprise as her tooth floated away in the current beside her.
‘Are you okay? Ever, are you hurt?!’
‘Bye, tooth,’ she whispered.
‘Ever, are you hurt? That was one of the worst wipeouts I’ve seen! You were down for two waves, I didn’t think—’
The other jet-skis caught up with them and she waved them off, looking back over her shoulder at the break. It sent a chill down her spine. She looked up at the sky and noted with disappointment the light was fading quicker than expected. She knew what she had to do this time.
‘Get me another board,’ she said.
‘Ever—’ started her brother, before she gave him a look and he fell silent.
‘Honey,’ said Kitty, ‘I think you’ve got a perforated ear drum. You’re gushing blood from your mouth and you know how many sharks are out here. You wouldn’t be able to get in two more rides.’
‘That’s okay,’ grinned Ever, knowing she would be an ugly sight. ‘I only need one more.’
Silence fell among the group as everyone exchanged glances.
‘Welp, you heard the woman,’ said Nain. ‘Grab her other board.’
Soon Nain was zipping out over their first fateful path to get Ever in line for her next bad idea. One of five back-up boards she had specifically for occasions like this was tucked under her arm. She took a moment to open her mouth and let sea water flow into it, the fluid stinging the wound where her tooth had once been. She lightly gargled and then spat out, pleased to note that the tangy taste of blood was no longer in her mouth. Nain slowed and Ever began scanning the horizon.
‘We wait for five minutes and then we head back in,’ he told her.
She said nothing.
‘I’m not having you sit out here bleeding like shark bait as your legs dangle in the water.’
‘I’m not even bleeding anymore,’ she said, as he turned to look at her. She gave him a goofy grin and opened her mouth wide. ‘See?’
‘If you’re mentally damaged and I just drove you back into the fray—’
‘THERE!’ she shouted, pointing at the wave she wanted.
‘Oh, God,’ muttered Nain. ‘I don’t know.’
But Ever had already slid off the back and was patiently waiting for him to accelerate. He gave her a long, lingering look and they shared a moment of clarity. It was gone in an instant as he motored forward, pulling her up behind him. Ever didn’t turn around to check on the wave this time. She knew it was building. She could feel it. As she let the cable drop once more, she took a steadying breath and braced herself. The wave hollowed out beneath her and she hit backwash early, causing her to be propelled forward in an air jump that had cost her the last time. Ever landed and the wave was already quicker, shooting her along at a speed that felt unfathomable for a human. In Ever’s mind it was like slow motion as she took the first wave within a wave and crouched down to make it through the first barrel. A faint sucking nose drew her attention to the base, and she negotiated a second and then a third drop until she knew the entire beast was beginning to wrap itself around her body. She focused on her out. She could hear the whoops of her friends in the distance and definitely a scream from someone else, but her main accompaniment was the wave as it roared at its escaping prey.
She could see the smooth waters of the channel in the distance, within reach, yet she could feel the spray of the wave as it began to close in around her. Crouching, she gave herself as much acceleration as she could, and squinted her eyes against the water as the light began to disappear within the tunnel and white foam consumed her vision. She shot out of the wave and into smooth waters like a bullet being released from a gun.
For a moment she was unsure what had happened. The force of the wave was carrying her forward, her board moving of its own accord in the aftermath of the great burst of speed the ocean had given her. Her mouth hung open and she turned around, looking at Shipstern Bluff as it was covered in a cloud of white water from what she guessed was the biggest wave of the day. Ever squealed, just the once and to herself, so that if anyone asked her about it later she would deny it. She clasped her hands to her mouth and sunk back in the water, her board still attached to her ankles. Leaning back, she let the water cover her face as she relived the most perfect of perfectest moments in her head.
A commotion caused her to look up, and she saw everyone on the boat going collectively bonkers, screaming and whooping and jumping up and down. Her brother was giving her the devil’s symbol with his fingers as the two cameramen exchanged footage at the back of his and Kitty’s jet-skis. The roar of another motor came closer, and Ever turned to see Nain shaking his head at her with a mix of fear and awe.
‘You,’ he said, slowing down so that he was next to her in the water. ‘Do you know what you’ve just done?’
‘What’s that?’ she asked, still in shock herself and slightly panting.
‘You just surfed the biggest wave at Shippies.’
She gulped. ‘How big?’
‘Maybe forty, forty-two feet — at least.’
She held out her hand to him and he pulled her on board, disregarding the tray floating behind them. As she wrapped her legs around the ski and he swivelled to face her, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. He was shocked at first, she could tell, but his body soon awoke to the sensation as he kissed her back. His tongue felt like a warm sun to her cold lips, and she tried to pour into that kiss everything she had: the fear, the adrenaline, the danger, the passion. As he gripped her, yanking her forward in the seat so that their bodies were pressed together, she vaguely noted the sound of wolf whistles coming from the boat. She took a breath, leaning back as the taste of salt danced on both of their lips.
As the glint in Nain’s eyes met the mischief in her own, she couldn’t help but ask: ‘One more?’
Song of the Sea
Alli Sinclair
The sun cast an orange glow on the shores of Ipanema Beach as Lexi Leonard wiggled her toes in the sand. The fine granules tickled her skin, bringing back fond memories of growing up on the shores of southern Australia — before one stupid mishap changed her life.
Refusing to get sucked back into that familiar emotional abyss, she turned her attention to the notebook on her lap, brimming with pages of useless doodles and random words in swirly letters. Sadly, none of her artistic endeavours inspired the music and lyrics she so desperately needed to write before the deadline from hell knocked on her door. She finished drawing a flower, then concentrated on the surfers taking advantage of the swell. For ten years she’d avoided setting foot in the ocean, content to stay on the shore. Although, she had hoped Rio de Janeiro’s inviting waters would lure her in so she could fight the demons from the past, but so far, no luck.
A sharp pain shot through her lower back, a constant reminder of the accident.
‘Lex!’
She turned to find her best friend, Kat Kennedy, weaving between boards planted in the sand. Her long blonde hair and short blue sundress swayed in the breeze as scores of men playing volleyball stopped to ogle her curves. As always, Kat was oblivious.
Kat sidled up and gave Lexi a hard nudge. ‘Finished that TV jingle yet?’
‘Very funny.’ Lexi laughed, not minding her friend’s teasing. Especially since Lexi’s last album had collected three Grammys.
‘Seriously, though, any luck?’
Lexi shook her head. ‘I’m still stuck.’
‘This block is in your mind, chickadee.’ Kat tapped Lexi’s forehead. ‘The studio’s not going to change dates again. You can do it. I have faith.’
‘I’m glad someone does.’ Lexi tried not to think about the sixty-three and a half days she had left to write a bunch of kick-arse songs. She didn’t want to let down her huge fan base, who were relying on her to come up with something brilliant. Nope. No pressure at all. ‘I thought a vacation in the sun would help, but I’ve come up with nada.’
‘How can you not be inspired? Look at this place!’ Kat pointed to a group of surfers in their mid-twenties exiting the ocean, their well-defined muscles highlighted by the setting sun. Kat sighed.
A tall surfer with dark hair and shimmering olive skin winked at Lexi and she quickly looked away, still not used to the attention her red hair and blue eyes had received since landing in Brazil.
‘Guess we could be in worse places.’ Lexi’s lips kicked up at the corners.
‘Yup.’
‘I only wish my bloody muse had come with us.’
‘There’s no such thing as a bloody muse. Just get off your butt and do the work.’ Kat gave her a friendly shove.
‘Maybe I could conjure up my muse.’ Lexi grinned, then closed her eyes. In a dramatic fashion, she shouted, ‘Oh come, ye muse, and let thy powers bestow upon me a worldwide hit — or at least a top ten. Strike me with your brilliance, oh wise one.’ Lexi flung her arms out and spun in a circle, carried away with the ridiculousness of it all. Her hand hit something hard, and a milli-second later the sound of crashing filled her ears. She stared at the pile of boards that had fallen like dominoes. ‘Oh shit.’
‘Shit indeed.’ A tall, dark handsome cliché stood next to her — the surfer with the winking infliction. Kneeling down, he inspected the boards, muttering in Portuguese. He frowned and looked up. ‘What were you doing?’
‘I . . . uh . . .’ Lexi glanced at Kat, whose lips were drawn tight, as if trying to contain a fit of laughter. Lexi turned to the surfer. ‘I was messing around. Sorry.’