Rogue in Paradise

I kicked off the gravel bank and plunged straight under the glassy surface of the lagoon. Down in the emerald depths, midday sunbeams cut clean through schools of prehistoric minnows, illuminating a massive freshwater clam wedged tight between two submerged limestone shelves. Waiting around wasn't on the menu. I pulled myself down along a sunken root, jammed my fingers under the mossy shell, and gave it a solid heave against the riverbed. Silt exploded into a soft cloud as the stubborn shell tore loose. Kicking hard off the rock, I broke the surface with a triumphant grin, hauling the heavy prize up onto the warm bank.