Sometimes, she just wished she could be swallowed whole
Chloe Han, 21, stared into the ocean. It was a cool October day in San Francisco but that didn't matter to her. The Korean college student loved the cold water because it kept her from thinking about literally anything else. Having spent the last three months working on her thesis for UC Berkeley, Chloe couldn't look at another piece of paper without her eyes starting to blur.
Preparing to dive into the water, Chloe thought about what the last four years had gotten her. Very few friends, not many memories, just lots and lots of studying, and lots of preparation for her future. A double major in environmental chemistry and geology, Chloe felt confident about her future but somewhat unfulfilled.
Wearing a blue body swimsuit and tying her long black hair into a bun, Chloe put on a snorkel and started diving. She loved looking underneath for bizarre rocks or marine life. Chloe swam for a few minutes but didn't see anything. As she started to make her ascent back to the surface, she noticed a gleam next to a bed of algae. Moving closer, she realized the gleam was coming off of a rock. She attempted to pick it up but it was wedged in tight. Chloe kept pulling with all her might but it didn't move.
"Come on, move."
Fearing she would exhaust herself too much, Chloe attempted one last pull. With heavy strain, Chloe managed to get it free. She started to examine it. This did not last long as a black mist started to pool out of the opening from where the rock originally was. Chloe started to swim away but the mist followed her. Eventually it caught up and flowed into her eyes and mouth. Chloe's vision started to blur and she had trouble breathing. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK" she started muttering to herself.
Running on pure instinct, Chloe swam as quickly to the surface as she could. After a couple of frightful minutes, she made her way back onto the beach. She took off her snorkel and laid down on the sand, gasping for breath.
Chloe had plans to get some dinner but the experience left her shaken, and she decided to just head straight home.
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Reaching her apartment, Chloe nervously fumbled the keys in her hand, eventually getting her door open. She quickly changed into a white tee and a pair of panties and passed out on her bed.