We have once again fallen into the hands of a rampant dictator. She has built “barriers” to keep us in. Physically, these barriers do not exist. It is a mere skill that has long been forgotten and made illegal. Swimming. However, I would soon encounter a man that would teach me this forsaken activity.

            When I was walking to school that morning, my eye caught a glance at something rather strange. It was a man in the water seemingly kicking it. But I came to realize that he was actually swimming. I was shocked. No one in this secluded island possessed the skill. But here I was staring at a man practicing it as if it were nothing. For some strange reason, he would do it every day for the next week, avoiding all the security men. Soon, I would come by every day to watch him and take notes. Even though I knew it was wrong, I didn’t report the man. I even practiced swimming in secret.

            Weeks later I was ready. I was ready to escape this treacherous island and discover a world beyond what I knew as “home”. I was an orphan at an early age and the need to rebel has been manifesting in my bones for a while now. So naturally, the need for me to escape the island was inevitable. The man I have been watching has taught me many things. I saw his grace as he glides across the water and how it comes so naturally to him. I’ve seen his movements and memorized them in the back of my head. So in the middle of the night, I packed everything I needed that was waterproof and set on my journey to freedom.

            I arrived at the spot where the man always swims. To my surprise, he was still in the water without one security guard around. A quick glance made me realize he had no intention of stopping me. I slowly headed into the water. Before I could even attempt to swim, the man said two words. Be fearless. It made me jump a little as I realized the man had seen me watching him for weeks now. I gave him a firm nod and dove into the shallows. The water was surprisingly warm but cool to the touch of my skin. Before long, I was drifting away from the shore and the island. I was shocked at how swimming came so naturally to me. I tried to remember and mimic the man’s movements in the water. But my body couldn’t help but move on its own. “I’m finally free”, I said to myself as the island went out of view.