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I sighed deeply gazing out at the stormy night. I don't know why I agreed to this trip. Oh, wait, I remember now...

When my cousins invited me come along and rent a four-bedroom beach house for the summer, my first instinct was to get away from my insufferable brothers. It sounded nice at the time; ninety-eight days without my four brothers insulting me or hitting me or ruining any chances I may have at enjoying myself. It was only once I arrived at the beach house that I remembered my cousins are almost as infuriating.

Mathew is the least of my trouble; aside from his obsession with pancakes and how violent he gets during a hockey game, he's usually out of the way and out of mind. But then there's Alfred; loud, obnoxious, annoying, everything I'm not. And Francis...God how can I put my hatred of him into words!

It was only one week into our stay in this beach-side tourist economy town and I was already regretting my decision. The whole week was nothing but rain and storm, meaning the four of us had spent seven days cooped up with each other and no where to escape to other than our rooms. The only time we ever went outside was to get something from the store. I was contemplating buying a ticket home. It was a tough decision; either way I'd spend the summer tormented by my relations.

Behind me, Alfred and Francis were playing some stupid video game while Mathew watched. Alfred and Francis were both being extraordinarily loud, shouting and cursing at each other. I wanted to read a book, but the noise was too distracting and the walls weren't thick enough to drown it out even in my room. So here I am, sulking by the window, cup of tea in one hand, my head resting in the other, just looking out at the rain and lightning.

I had a decent view at least. Our house was seated on the cliffs that overlooked the ocean and the beach. Actually, I could see the whole town from the living room window...or at least I could if this damn storm would pass already. My gaze drifted down to the rocks and shoals below. Movement suddenly caught my eye.

During a flash of lightning, I could have sworn I saw some kind of creature down on the rocks. A large creature. It caught me so off guard that I let out a yelp and fell backwards, spilling my tea on the floor.

“Artie, dude,” Alfred said, eying my curiously, “What's up? You look like you saw a ghost.”

I scrambled back to my feet and back to the window. Another flash of lightning. Nothing was there...If I really did see something, it was gone now. “...I think I did...”

“Pfft,” Alfred snorted, “You're a riot!”

Oh, yeah. Did I mention I'm a bit...imaginative? I firmly believe in mythical creatures from legends and fairy stories, even though I've never actually seen any. Ghosts, fairies, unicorns, the whole lot. My entire family ridicules my belief, calling it childish and silly. It may be childish, but what proof have they that these creatures really don't exist? It's not so far fetched, is it?

I huffed, knowing that trying to explain to them what I saw would be fruitless, especially since I'm not totally sure what I saw myself. I wiped up my spilled tea and went to bed.

The next morning, I was awoken by a strange sound...or I should say a lack thereof. Silence. No rain pounding on my roof, no thunder, no wind, just waves and seabirds. I crawled out of bed and went to the window. The storm had finally passed and everything was peaceful. I smiled widely and quickly changed into a swim suit. After sitting inside for a week, I could finally enjoy the beach. Best of all, since it was still very early, I had the whole beach to myself! I could finally have the quiet I longed for since this summer began.

I took a towel, a folding chair, a sun umbrella, my book, and a small cooler with some bottled iced tea with me. I picked a nice spot a short walk from the water. I kicked of my sandals, pulled off my tee, put on my goggles, and waded into the cool water. Tiny reef fish darted away from my feet as I waded deeper into the water. Finally when it was deep enough to swim, I pushed off the sand and began floating through the ocean.

I loved swimming. It was probably the closest thing to flying I would ever get. Just the feel of floating in the water made me feel at ease. I decided to get away from the surface and explore the seabed. Reefs, coral, and countless fish were all around me. I was in a new world, full of colorful beings who gazed at me with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

There was a sudden rush of water as something large swam quickly past my head. I turned towards the direction of the disturbance. A shark. Not a large one, just a reef shark, but it was no less terrifying. It was circling me. I was in its territory and it wanted to know who this intruder was. Everything I read about sharks told me to remain absolutely still when encountered by one, but I was running out of air and the surface was at least twenty feet above me. I had to get to the surface.

I pushed off the sandy floor and kicked with all my might. Below me I saw the shark spring into action, charging at me at full speed. I kept swimming for my life, the surface getting ever closer . But just before I could breach, I felt sharp teeth clench into my left leg and pull me down. I tried to cry in pain, but the last bubbles of air left my mouth and were quickly replaced with salty sea water, some of it trickling into my lungs. My vision becoming hazy, I glanced first at the surface ever distancing itself from me, then to the shark below me pulling me back to the sea floor.

Suddenly, a projectile came out of nowhere and struck the shark. A spear? Whatever it was, it made the shark release my bleeding leg and swim off with a wound of its own. With the last of my strength, I tried to make it back to the surface, not even caring where that spear might have come from. But I couldn't make it. My limbs finally gave out and I could only float there as my vision grew dark. My eyes closed and I drifted into death. The last sensation I felt before finally blacking out was the feeling of something grabbing hold of me and carrying me away.

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I coughed up seawater as life suddenly flooded back into me. I was no longer under water; rather I could feel I was back on dry land, warm sand below me and hot sun above me. I still couldn't quite find the strength to open my eyes. Someone pushed roughly on my chest, forcing more water out of my system. Then fingers pinched my nose and a pair of lips met mine, breathing life into me. I was receiving CPR.

I finally found the strength to open my eyes, only to see my vision was still blurry and hazy from air deprivation. I could vaguely make out a pair of shimmering (color) eyes and a messy head of (color) hair, but that was it. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and they fluttered shut yet again. More pressure on my chest followed by the lips again. Even though they were only touching mine in an attempt to save my life, every time those lips touched mine I felt sparks and chills run through my body. It was almost agonizing not to see who my rescuer was right now.

With a final choking cough, the last of the water vacated my lungs and I could finally find the ability to sit up and open my eyes. I swung my head left and right to find my savior, but just as mysteriously as they came, they had vanished. I was alone on the shore. Not even a footprint to prove anyone had been here.

“Arthur!” someone called. I turned and saw Alfred, Mathew, and Francis all running toward me, concern clear on their faces. “Dude, what happened?”

“Shark,” I groaned as they helped me to my feet. I gasped in pain when I tried to put weight on the leg the shark bit. I looked down and only then did I realize I was bleeding severely and had at least a dozen punctures into the flesh of my leg.

“You should know better than to go swimming this early,” Mathew scolded in little more than a whisper. “Sharks feed close to shore early in the morning.”

“I know, I know. I just had to get out of the house.”

“You should be zhankful Matieu 'appened to look out zhe window ozherwise you could 'ave bled to deazh out 'ere!” Francis said.

“Mathew?” I questioned, eying the Canadian. “Mathew, you're the one who spotted me?” He nodded. “Tell me, was there anyone with me? Did you see anyone else on the beach? You have to tell me!”

“N-no, I-I didn't see anyone,” he stuttered out.

“Dude, take a chill pill. What's the deal?” said Alfred.

“The deal is I should be dead!” I exclaimed. “I was in the middle of the ocean, fifteen feet from the surface, out of air, gushing blood, and no strength to get back to the surface. Before I blacked out, someone saved me from the shark and carried me all the way back to shore. But I have no idea where they came from! I was the only person out there, yet some mystery person comes out of nowhere, spears a shark, and brings me all the way here!”

“Woah, the dude speared a shark?!” Alfred gasped, fully intrigued.

“Yes! Then this person dragged me onto the shore and gave me CPR. But as soon as I gain the ability to thank them, they're gone! And no one seems to know where they vanished to!”

“Um, Arthur,” Mathew spoke again. “T-this is interesting and all, b-but we should probably get you to the hospital for stitches...” I was reminded of the bleeding leg by another sting of pain. My cousins called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital.