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Prologue

My dad’s been gone three years now, but so at my side

He would have loved these warm South Pacific waters with the killer visibility I can see for at least one hundred and fifty feet Coral in a hundred different colors blanket the rocks and caves A school of fish spirals around me, mirror basslets in shades of purple and red so vivid, they make my eyes hurt And while I know this place seeers

There are countless caves and caverns and myriad poisonous creatures in these waters, fro for one cave in particular I was told I could surface in Bubble Cave, an enclosed cha But I’ve been searching for forty minutes and haven’t found it

Probably just as well I’ve been diving for twelve years, so I feel co to start exploring caves, it’s really best to have a buddy I’er than normal, but it’s about time I start toward the surface

I wouldn’t consider this dive a loss This is the most serene I’ve felt since I landed on this island four days ago, which is saying so I ca my dad a lot lately and decided to try to sort out ineer on the Norwegian Cruise Line Turns out, while I enjoy learning the concepts of spirituality, I can’t seem to master the practice But here, beneath the water, I enjoy the soothing sound of ravity to explore

A shtly striped clown fish catches my eye They’re one of my favorite fishes, but a species not norreen sea ane back and forth with the current

I float that direction to watch thee-and-white stripes make me smile, and the rise of my cheeks alloater to seep intobubbles into theit back on my face

When I search for the fish again, I find thelance around for a predator but find none A strong, invisible current sweeps through, pushing round All sorts of creatures co off my wet suit and mask

Unease tingles across my shoulders There’s a tropical storm forecast today, but it’s estimated to miss the island by several miles

I look up, make sure I have a direct path to the surface, and ascend slowly The currents grow stronger Debris begins flying through the water, hitting le My visibility drops froet to the surface, but I have to give es as I rise or risk developing life-threatening decompression sickness

I pause every so often to check ear, and by the time I’m twenty feet fro on up there is way more intense than a tropical storm

I’m pushed rhythmically by the current toward the shore A shore with coral reefs and rock and tide pools surrounding the entire island No safe place to land in this kind of weather I’m teulator is showing there’s no way I have enough air If I kne to get to Bubble Cave, I would risk waiting out the storm there, but that’s not an option