Sprint to the Finish

A rude surprise greeted the fans in the bleachers. Their hometown hero was being pushed to the brink. The champ stroked furiously and gasped for air, clawing frantically at the water which had seemingly turned to molasses. Her face was a tortured mask of pain.

 

In a clash of contrasts, her rival elongated her strokes and knifed thru the water with ease. Nicole was gaining with every meter. There was no need to fight. The water was her ally, a faithful friend through countless hours of lonely practice. It flowed naturally over her supple frame, touching for a moment’s caress and releasing.

 

The crowd rose to their feet and cheered their favorite. The two girls were locked in a dead heat sprint to the finish. Champ vs. challenger. Brute strength and graceful power.

 

Nicole held her concentration thru the deafening roar. A final burst of energy to the last kick. She was there . . . she was almost there . . . and she raised her hand to touch . . .

 

A solemn hush fell over the crowd when the newcomer was first to the buzzer. The champ was a scant .02 seconds behind, but it could have been two hours. She fell back into the water and sobbed.

 

The upset victor stepped out of the pool and grinned. Nicole Larsen stood a full 5’10” tall in bare feet. Her figure, clad in the skin-tight racing suit, was toned to perfection. She pulled off the swim cap and let her corn-silk mane cascade to her shoulders.

 

But what people mostly commented on were her eyes. The irises were larger than normal, not the dark blue seen in the sky overhead, but the softer, robin’s-egg tone found just above the horizon on a clear and breezy spring afternoon.

 

Eyes of turquoise which gleamed with the quality of finely cut gems.

 

Deadly Angel by Andrew Cofrin

A Stunning Upset

The winner of the girls 100 meter freestyle, Nicole Larsen, strode with assurance past the bleachers, oblivious to admiring and envious stares. Winning was what it was all about. The payoff for all those early morning practices. The reward for the complete absence of social life.

 

She cooly accepted her winner’s trophy and climbed up to the fourth row. Unlike the other competitors with large cheering sections, she had only her mother, little sister, and her swim coach.

 

“Nice job,” Miss Ramsey said, giving the wet Nicole a warm hug. “Though, I can’t say I was surprised.”

 

“Yeah. Guess they know me now.” Nicole toweled herself dry. “That UCLA recruiter was shocked when he found out I was only sixteen.”

 

“Is Nicole really going to go to UCLA?” her sister asked.

 

“We’ll see about that. Nicole still has two years of high school. Too bad your father couldn’t make it, dear,” her mother said to Nicole, “but with the flu going around and all.”

 

Nicole bristled visibly. Her father was a pediatrician. Out of scores of swim meets, he’d only been to a couple. There were always work demands, sick patients, last minute emergencies, etc. He just didn’t care enough to take an interest in my swimming, Nicole thought.

 

She got up to leave with her family. Her sister whined she wanted to see the boys compete, but it was a four hour drive home.

 

Deadly Angel by Andrew Cofrin

Nicole Wins Championship

The Redding Gazette reported the exciting news of Nicole Larsen’s stunning victory. Her praises were sung over the homeroom PA at Sequoia High School. All the students were happy for her.

 

“A fully paid scholarship to UCLA! You’re so lucky, Nicole!” one girl said. “Maybe you’ll meet a movie star down there.”

 

“We’ll be rootin’ for ya in the Olympics,” another encouraged.

 

Literally overnight, Nicole had become a high school celebrity.

 

“I wish I could be like you, Nicole,” a sophomore gushed. “You’re smart, beautiful and a great athlete. You get the best out of life!”

 

“Yeah . . .” Nicole gave her bravest smile to her well wishers. She was not used to the attention. A full-on regimen of school studies and swim meets had left no time for a social life. She didn’t even have a date for the Junior Prom.

 

There was so much more beneath the surface. Things the others would never see. Nicole preferred it that way. She couldn’t let anyone get too close.

 

Deadly Angel by Andrew Cofrin