I pull myself from the frigid ocean waters. It's early Spring but the coolness of winter was desperately trying to cling to the air. Steaming breath wafts from my nostrils, billowing erractically as I gasp to catch my breath. This has not been a graceful swim for me. I cough up salt water. The current had been rougher than expected. My knees buckle into the sand as I sink into the soft surf. The water laps around my ebony coat. I know I need to get out of this bone-chilling water, but I'm tired. For once, I wish I had been bred a draft horse instead of a refined Arabian. Moments pass as my heart begins to still, calming with the rythmic pull of the waves. I pull myself to my feet and exit the water, sand clinging to my hide. I peer around me, dark eyes settling on the meadow. Trees line the beach, scraggly in their early phases of Spring. Why am I so tired today? Cause you're old as dirt. My internal self muses. "I'm in my prime!" I yell out loud at my subconscious. Oops. That wasn't supposed to come out like that. I hope to God nobody has heard me as I look around in fear. This is the price you pay for being an introvert. |