The Accident

Cal Currier

11/5/19

Writers Workshop

The Accident

I have to tell you the story of the second most terrifying moment of my life, but before you can know that story, you need to know the first most terrifying moment of my life.

There was warmth, quiet and comfort beyond anything you could imagine, just me and my brother, and we were happy. Then, a sudden flash of bright light shined in my eyes and terror pulsed through my veins while I took my first breath.

“They are boys!”

Fast forward 13 years

On the east coast, I had tried kiteboarding several times this summer and every time I only was on the board for 15 minutes before I had to go back to land with a lot of trouble because I had gone too far downwind. In kiteboarding, the goal at my level is to stay upwind, but I couldn't, so I had to go back to shore before I missed my shot and was pulled out to open ocean.This happened about 3 times in 2 weeks and then we hadn't kiteboarded at all 2 months from then, so when my dad, who kiteboards with me, said the conditions were just right to go out, I was unsure if it would go well.

When you kiteboard you have a harness and a lifejacket on. The harness has a loop on the from that string to the center of the kite. You are holding a bar that has a line from each f the ends that attaches to the ends of the kite. When you pull in the bar, the ends of the kite will pull in and tighten the shape of the crescent. When you pull in one end of the bar the kite will fall to that side so you can turn.  

Reluctantly I agreed to kiteboard with him so we went down to the beach where we stored the equipment. The salt and spray landed on my nose as I ran down the hill to the beach. The boathouse floor was salty and sandy under my feet as I walked to all the kiteboarding equipment on the far wall. The walk up the beach was long and tiring with my wet suit on and the wet sand under my feet. I had salt in my hair and sweat down my back as we arrived at our destination, a peninsula where the wind was concentrated as it whipped around the bend.

I was feeling good about this; I was prepared to fail and eager to succeed. I was sure that even if I failed, I would walk right up the beach again and relaunch. 

One week earlier I had gone wakeboarding with my board. At the time I wasn't wearing any footgear but it was different this time. This time I was wearing insulated booties because I was going to be out on the water for a longer period of time.

My past experiences had taught me to double and triple check my equipment before going out, so I had checked everything, but for some reason, I didn't think to check my board.

So I was ready and checked when I got my kite in the air, I walked down the beach to the water and grabbed my board. I waded into the surf and lay down on my belly with my arm out in front of me and my legs straight behind me.

After navigating the maze of ships I got out into the open bay. The surroundings were thus:, There was a shore that was five miles upwind from me and another shore five miles downwind from me. Around two miles from our shore was a long island that blocks off entry form open sea.

I was going stronger than I ever had before and was one mile out from my starting point and was exhilarated, I was going upwind.

After ten minutes of surfing, I realized that my dad was still on the beach untangling lines.

I was barely falling at all and my conditions were perfect. At this point, I had realized my board was too tight so my feet couldn't go all the way in, but it was of little concern to me, the one who could harness the wind,. tThe one that used the wind to go upwind. But anyways I was going back and forth when I lost my board!

Luckily there wasere a sandbar three feet underwater in the middle of the bay so I could walk the five feet upwind to get my board.

My dad was still untangling lines on the beach.

I was still going strong when disaster struck. The wind picked up by around five miles., I was swept off my feet, slipping out of the straps onof the board as the kite suddenly pulleds me forward. I couldn't get to my board because the windg was pulling me too far downwind. When the wind finally fell it fell to about five miles an hour and I was thirty feet downwind from my board, the waves pounding on my back as I drift further downwind, away from the beach, towards the swamps 5 miles away. 

My dad was still on the beach untangling lines.

I was getting pulled by the wind slowly but surely for thirty minutes, the whole time singing  “Help!” - Remastered by the Beatles. This was the second most terrifying moment in my life.

“Help, Iee nEEd SoMboDY heLp.”

You're probably wondering why I was so terrified, and I will tell you that I simply don’t know. I think that it might have been looking at all the things I should have done, maybe it was the thought that nobody could hear my beautiful singing, but what it probably was probably was the fact that there was nothing I could do.

Eventually, the wind picked up enough to get my kite back off the water and I started to pull myself towards the shore. I was making good progress and was almost home when I could see my aunt had got my dad and our neighbors’ boat and came out to get me. I landed my kite on the small motorboat and pulled myself up and into the safety of dryish landish.

After we went out and found my board drifting slowly a mile from shore, I got to take a shower and eat a generous bowl of cereal. Peace at last.