Hot, blazing sun beating down hard on my forehead. The sound of the seemingly gentle but terrifying waves have become hazy and faded. I take the torn-up hat away from my eyes, Little by little, the world reappears in bright, agonizing light. As I try to sit up, I can't help but cry out in pain due to the starvation the last week and a half on the ocean has brought me. I now deepy regret the seemingly harmless "adventure" I embarked on what seemed like months ago, but really only ten days ago did this nightmare begin. I manage to pull myself into a sitting position, noting how red my skin had become. I smack my lips, trying to remember what water tasted like but all I could taste was the salty waves mixed with yesterday's sweat. I realized that I had stopped sweating this morning simply because there was nothing left to sweat. I do a painful, slow survey of the panorma of blue-ish green that was slowly consuming my sanity. I try and take a deep breath but what I kept praying would be fresh air was nothing but dry, salty hot fire in my nose. I take a glance at the sky once my eyes adjust. Not a rescue plane in sight. I realize now that I should have took a longer look, because that may have been my last look at the world. I wanted so badly to drink that cool, soft, resfreshing waterbelow me...but it would be my demise. So I come up with a better plan. I slowly, painfully stood up, mustering all of my strength and will power. With a quick leap, I am deep under the water and welcome into my body what had been my worst fear for the last week. White light confronts me and at first I am afraid. But I realized in that moment that the sea was not my enemy, but my savior.