““The salt stung my eyes. Knowing the freedom that was waiting for me in the water, I hadn’t taken the time to grab my goggles or a cap. Freedom from my thoughts, moments that weren’t disrupted by the snapshots of my parents… their blood pooled on the floor…their lifeless bodies heaped in the positions they’d fallen in. With each exhale, their blood seemed to slowly evaporate, their bodies began to lift, their skin turned pink. Time reversed. With this pause came an increased heart rate, burning muscles. I purged my emotions, emptied them into the ocean. In a place where I felt—and could be—truly weightless.””
