Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne tilted her head, trying to paint a picture with her barren imagination. However, she felt a noticeable drop in her anxiety levels after hearing her instructor's words.

By the afternoon, when the sun was high and the air felt a tad warmer, it was time to hit the water.

Diving suits came in two styles, including the two-piece and one-piece, and one could pick whatever suited his fancy. Ever the fashionista, Leda went for a stylish two-piece, while Roseanne opted for a slightly more modest one-piece.

Even so, when they stepped out of the changing room, they caught quite a few admiring glances, and someone whistled in their direction.

Before they jumped in, the instructor suggested they get acclimated to the water's temperature first.

"Once you're in, try not to tense up too much. I'll guide you to the diving area myself," he said. "Our rescue team is nearby. If anything happens, signal for help, and they'll be there in a heartbeat." "Okay," Roseanne said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Okay, ladies, welcome to the underwater realm. I hope you have the time of your lives," the instructor said with a smile that was infectious enough to make Roseanne smile back.

But when it was time to get in the water, Roseanne's nerves inevitably crept back up.

thumbing toward herself as if to say, "With me by your side, there's nothing

a deep breath, she followed suit. As she sank deeper, the light began to blur, and

the water flow almost

then, the instructor gestured that

herself in the surrounding world. Fish swam by, darting past her on both sides. A

jellyfish to contract into a ball no bigger than a fist before it vanished from sight. She

Leda turned back and saw Roseanne pausing to watch the fish, her

She tried to

but only watched the

slip-through her fingers.

Leda swam over and took

emerge from the murky waters, looking like a

rocks and corals