A Gentle Ripple

The dark water around me was quiet, holding the reflections of tall branches overhead. For a long while, I simply watched. Then, deliberate and slow, I angled my front flipper and pressed downward. The water parted. A calm circle of ripples rolled outward across the dark surface, gently nudging a tiny floating twig. In the silence, the nearby orange-crested creature drifted steadily beside me. I let my body settle back into the cool water, perfectly afloat.