I am treading water and my strength is ebbing away. Each time I slip under the waves I stay down a little longer. I fight to breathe once I break the surface and I steel myself for the next time.
In the meantime, I ignore the fire in my muscles that intensifies with each stroke. My mind tries to remember what it was like back on land, before I found myself here. No clear memories come to mind because I am so focused on trying to stay alive.
However, what begins to weigh on my mind is, I do not know how I got here. All I can remember is treading water. The pain in my muscles and the fear of never returning to the surface. Those are the only things in my mind. My dreams and goals. I am sure I used to have some but the only one I have now is to get out of the ocean.