Sudden thrashing wouldn’t help me and might only draw predators in faster. I kept my movements as steady as possible even though my heart pounded a thousand beats per minute. If it were a striped bass or anything regular, it would’ve left my side by now. Based on the size, it was large, larger than me. Which left minimal options. A dolphin might get aggressive, but would be nowhere near as bad as if a shark had caught my scent. My focus on the dock, I swam. If I stopped, I’d lose any composure I clung to. Once I thrashed in the water, even a non-predator would react. My hand smacked against the wood of the pier. I grabbed for the support beam and pulled myself up, half-expecting something to come snapping at my feet. Nothing did. I backed away and sank down to the cypress planks of the dock. My arms and legs shook—not from the cold. I stared into the blackened water, waiting to see whatever slithered down there. Had it been in my imagination? A sound drew my attention from the end of the pier where my bag and ballet flats still lay.
