Austin's Memoir



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__Magens Bay Adventures__ ===== ==== “Mom! Hurry up, the sun won’t be out forever, you know.” I hollered out to my mom. She trudged from behind the c ar, scraping th e ground with numerous beach chairs, colorful umbrellas, and towels. ====

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 “We’d be there already if you helped a little **,** ”  She muttered loud enough so I could hear it. She dropped the beach chairs on the ground into a pile so that I could pick it up and bring it on the beach. =====

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 “Fine....” I creeped over to her **,**  dragging my feet in the smooth sand. =====

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It was our third stop at St. Thomas. The sky was clear, the weather was beautiful, and I knew that it would be a perfect day to go to the magnificent Magens Bay. I stepped out of the congested van filled with too many people and enormous beach bags, stretched my legs and arms, and looked at the body of  blue  that lays ahead of me. They bay glistened from the sun’s reflection, and the water stretched out into the distance. I bolted to the brink of the bay, where the water gently blanketed the gray sand. I could not wait to go swimming in the crystal clear bay. =====

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//Splish, splash.// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The refreshing water beneath my two feet bounced into the air and sprinkled back into the crystal clear bay. My cousin, Carl, and I drenched each other with the cool water each hoping to win ou <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">r “water war.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Suddenly, something brushed against the side of my foot. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What was that?” I loudly whispered to my cousin. He shrugged his shoulders, and we both looked down into the water. We observed the clear water and saw gray shadows no longer than the length of my palm swiftly swimming. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Fish!” he yelped. The school of fish glided by very quickly. “How about we make this into a contest?” =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Hmm...?” I curiously asked while observing the water breathers. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“How about this: Who ever catches one of these fish first.... has to carry the other person’s things back to the car!” Carl exclaimed excitingly while getting into position ready to grab one of the sea creatures. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I mean I guess we could do that...” I replied nervously praying that I won’t lose. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ready.... set.... Go!” He shouted and pounced into the air like a cheetah hunting for it’s prey. I started to scavenge for the fish hoping to find them soon. I knew I didn’t want to bring back all of the beach things back to the car, so I definitely had to win this contest. I spotted the school of fish at my side <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**,** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and stalked them slowly hoping they won’t notice me. I crept closer and closer until I could make my move. I jumped over to the fish reaching for at least one, but I ended up startling all of them. I then glanced over to Carl to see how he what he was doing. It seemed that he was struggling, too. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Come on you two! Let’s go now! The ship is supposed to be leaving in an hour or so.” My mom bellowed out to my cousin and I. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ughh...” We moaned in unison. “Just give us a little bit more time.” We both pleaded. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Fine.” My mom groaned while dawdling back to the car with many colorful bags in hand. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I knew I had to catch this fish fast before Carl did. I looked up to the sun gleaming down on us then back onto the water. Then I see a gray cloud in the water swiftly moving. Fish! I knew it was my chance to catch it and for me to win the game. I creep over to the fish and get in ready position to capture one. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“One...” I whispered while lightly splashing toward the fish. “Two...” I bend over finding my target to grab. “Three!” I exclaim and jump for the miniature fish. BANG! Our heads collide, and we both fell backwards.’ We fish swiftly swam away. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We lost the fish!” Carl exclaimed, “Ugh... I guess we should just bring each other’s bag to be fair.” =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Sounds good to me,” I replied. We both walked up to the smooth sand, but something was missing, “Our bags! Where are they?” We both looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. =====

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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Come on you two!” My mom yelled to both of us. She was holding all of our bags. We both looked at each other with a grin and raced back to the van. We boarded back on our cruise ship, never to forget this great day at the beach. =====