I slipped past every step. The cold ocean air swarmed around me. I shivered and bit my lip ever step closer felt like getting closer to a cold black hole that would suck me in, and never let me out.The last step I felt as if I was already in the hole calling for help, but no one would hear he. “YOU CAN DO IT!” My mom called pressing the record button on her phone. Even from far away the click echoed through the waves like a lightning storm that wouldn’t stop. The sun shined through my eyes. The warmth filled my body. I closed my eyes you can do it I thought. I held my breath and jumped.

Suddenly the black hole felt warm. “It’s not even cold,” I shouted. I didn’t shout to anyone I shouted to myself.

 “How does it feel?” my dad asked staring down to the deep and dark black hole. He passed the board down “here I go,” he whispered 

“ It feels Great,!” I said My dad jumped into the black hole getting closer and closer. The waves crashed against the rock and the moment before my dad braced the water everything stopped.My brother stopped sliding down the steps. The waves stopped crashing at the rocks.But a big wave was coming. At that moment I felt the black hole sucking me in. I gripped the board tight and held my breath. And then the wave stopped.

My dad hit the water like a cannonball. He went under and quickly swam back up. Tiny waves bolted to the rocks almost knocking me off the board.

 “Haha,” my dad laughed. “Your right it isn’t cold,”. Tiny waves became big waves. I saw fear in my brothers eyes. I swam to the last step where he was standing almost frozen. I put the board out. 

“Jump,” I encouraged him. My brother held his breath I glided across the water to make room. He hit the water soft. The water sent ripples out into the black hole. He  swam up to the surface.

 “ It’s so cold,” he shivered.

 “No it’s not,” I nudged him. 

“You’ll get used to it,” my dad  said. The splashes against the rocks were normal now. My brother both had our arms on the board. I fought for my spot but he knocked me off. I treaded above the water but my legs were getting tired I didn’t know how much longer I could take care of this. “I’m getting a little cold,” I shivered. The waves got quieter but  my ears burned like I was soaking them in lava. I clung to the railing of the stairs when the bolt of water came back to the rocks. “Can we go in?” my brother asked chattering his lips. So I pulled myself up and as I stepped on the stairs. My foot forced itself off, and I fell back into the black hole.

“AAAAAA,” I screamed. The black hole pushed my face under. I bolted up and  coughed. My dad and my brother had climbed the first two steps though they seemed miles and miles away. I pulled myself up. Step by step the sun beamed at me. I felt like a Broadway star getting the light all to themselves. But sadly it was just sunlight and where I was  Broadway seemed like a million miles away. I felt warm though the black hole was beneath me and I should have been afraid but I wasn’t. But every step I took seemed like a journey to get to the thing I wanted most, a towel. I tried running to it but it was not going to work. I froze  my lips chattered and I shivered. I seemed like I was climbing a mountain and the people I had ventured with were at the top. Be brave I thought. It didn’t get better and every step still felt like climbing a moantain but I was doing it.

The last step was the best step you know you did it. I felt happy and warm inside. My parents watched me stand there and looked at me weirdly but I felt like a champion and nobody could ruin that. I stepped on the burning cement. My cold and slippery feet felt weird on the hot cement. I rushed to my towel. I slowly wrapped it around me.It felt like wrapping sunshine around me. I felt like I had just won a gold medal that hung proudly around my neck. There was nothing there but I believed there was. I was proud.

”I’m so hungry,” I said rubbing my stomach. 

“Yeah can we please get lunch?” my brother begged. 

“One minute,” my mom said typing away on her phone. Click clack click clack. I closed my eyes and covered my ears. I imagined myself throwing her phone down the black hole. Then the typing wasn’t so annoying . While I closed my eyes I heard chattering from  people everywhere. “Lunch time” my mom said . My stomach rumbled right on time.

I wanted to open my eyes eyes but I was too comfortable. I opened one eyelid and the sun beamed through. I got up and stretched. I snatched the towel up from the chair and wrapped it around me. “Oww!” I yelped, as my cold feet burned on the cement.”ow ow ow ow ow!” I yelped, as I ran around screaming. I sat down again looking down at my red feet. My wet hair dripped down my  back. One droplet at a time. My leg bounced up and down my lips shaked. I pulled the towel closer.

“I’m gonna’ do it,” a man called to another one at the bottom of the steps. He  climbed the fence right next to the top step and did a huge sigh. 

“Dude,” he called down “record”. I looked at him in awe how was he doing that wasn’t he scared, I shivered just thinking about it. “Here I go,” he gulped. He held his breath and jumped. Everybody stared in silence ,everyone was silent. Then we heard a huge splash. I rushed over to look down at the water. “WOOHOO!” he screamed. 

“That’s crazy,” I gulped.

“Awesome dude!” the other guy called.

“Lets get some lunch,” my mom said

“I’m starving,” I repeated “I was trying to tell you”.

As we headed to the restaurant we saw flocks of people  coming up from the ocean.

”were lucky we came early,” my dad pointed out. 

“Yeah,” my brother said.” 

“I got a super good video of you guys getting in the water, “ my mom said pointing to her phone.

”Lemme’ see,” I said, as I snatched the phone out of her hands.” Hey there’s me” I pointed out. 

“You look ridiculous with your goggles on,” my brother laughed.

” I DO NOT!” I argued.

 “Yes you do,” he said still laughing.

”Were you guys scared,” my dad asked trying to change the subject. 

“I was so scared,” I said. “But sometimes you have to be brave and not give up,” I said. 

“I wasn’t scared,” my brother said proudly. 

“Umm yes you were,” I pointed out. 

“No you were just scared,” he said 

“Sure,” I said sarcastically.  

My family walked and walked ahead of me. I tried to catch up but I was too tired.The restaurant wasn’t that far but I felt as if it was a million miles away. I could taste the pizza and the lemonade. I licked my lips  my mouth was watering. I was motivated to move ahead I powered walked to my family.

 “Comon!” I yelled  speeding past them. “Let’s go!”. I curved through a sea of people walking, talking, running,yelling. People were doing all sorts of things. I knew what I wanted to do eat lunch. My mind was set on food and I was determined to get it I zoomed to the restaurant my parents and brother we’re way behind me  but I didn’t care I was so hungry my stomach was yelling. “ Wait up!” my brother called running to me. I didn’t care I was so hungry. 

 Finally  we were at the last corner I turned to the restaurant I could taste the food in mouth my stomach rumbled. I looked up to the restaurant. Blue stairs piled in front of me. The restaurant was so close yet so far I  had to get up the stairs. I wasn’t afraid of the stairs it was just there were huge holes in the middle of each step holes I could slide through. I bit my fingernail. I waited for my family, my brother came first he glided up the steps he was too big to fall through.

”comon, let’s go,” he said taunting me. 

“ I’m just waiting for mom and dad,” I said “don’t worry just stay there,”. My parents came around the corner. People walked up the steps like there were no holes. Weren’t the scared I thought. My mom joined my brother up the stairs 

“we’ll go get a table,” she suggested . My dad was saying stuff to me but I wasn’t listening.Then something clicked in my brain I just climbed 50 or more steps with holes in them  I could do this. “Ginger,” my dad said “ are you listening.

 “Sorry, what were you saying?” I asked 

“ I was just saying do you need help?”. 

“Umm I think I’m ok,” I said proudly.

When we got in the restaurant a waiter led us to our seat.“This is your table,” the waiter said  gesturing to the table

“Thank you, “ my mom said. I sat in the chair and put the towel down to make myself comfortable. 

“ what do you guys want to eat?” my dad said picking up the menu 

“I’ll just have pizza”, I said “oh and an Ice cold lemonade ,“ I added.Waiters and waitresses curved through table after table jotting down orders. You could hear sizzling from the kitchen. The cooks were making all sorts of food  all of their smells smelled delicious together I inhaled and sighed. I licked my lips. When a waitress parked herself at our table she had scribbling up and down her notepad. She wiped sweat off her face and smiled. . “So how are you all doing today?” she asked scribbling something in her notepad. Before anyone could  answer I said “Great” and I wasn’t lying.