wonderous beauty

The water gleamed with an uneasy sheen. It rippled along the edges of the pool, lapping at its toes and playing a game of catch-me-if-you-can with the concrete wall which, unlike the water, was full of vitality and life, and was as cold and crisp as a baked cookie.
I stood at the edge of the pool with mounting apprehension building in my chest. It had been a long time since I chanced upon such an opportunity, and this was one not to be missed. Beside me, my best friend, Yi Chuan, stood with taut grace, hands on her hips and was gazing intently at the water.
"Ready?" She asked.
With a strangled gasp, I nodded. A large fist of fear hammered away in my heart.
Without hesitation, Yi Chuan plunged, deep crests of water radiating away from the spot where her body entered the water. I spotted a distorted snake-like image that weaved its way around the bottom of the pool. Throwing caution to the winds, I took the plunge.

The water slapped me hard on the face as I inhaled a gulp of the cold water. It caught my breath and made me gasp, a innate, animalistic sound that replicated a monkey under duress. It was hard tame the pounding in my heart, but I attempted nonetheless, and to my great surprise, the water beneath my feet calmed. I felt the rigid lines of the floor make contact with the soles of my feet. My head was above the water, but only just.
I became aware of the life giving presence of the very water I was immersed in, and the environment before my eyes slowly began to take shape. I spotted Yi Chuan, just centimetres away, grinning, teeth flashed white in the light from overhead, as she waded her away towards the steps.
"Moments please, "I said, before raising my arms and letting them glide under the force of the water. I surged forward as my arms guided my sense of direction. It was comforting now, no longer cold, and it embraced me with a sense of security. I stopped short, and in a few quick, short seconds I saw what I thought was a girl standing on the far side of the pool, hair whipped around her face, and I watched her enter the pool with such grace my breath was taken away.
Underwater, her body careened through the water like a torpedo, forcing apart any obstructions with her very presence. Mermaid-like, I watched, transfixed, as she closed her eyes in sleepy slumber and remained cutting through the water, feet propelling her forward, arms pinned to her sides.
"You alright there?"
I looked up with a start. I had been still for more than 4 minutes. It was Yi Chuan, sitting up against the jacuzzi portion of the pool and paddling her legs in the cool water while bubbles ran up in torrents. Shifting away from the spot I was in, I wondered if I would be like that girl someday. If I ever could. Or perhaps, if I put in enough effort.
A figment of my imagination? I'd like to think not.