30. The Rips

Summary

• The character Kya heads into the ocean to outrun emotional pain and anger.
• She challenges herself by directly facing currents and riptides. Despite having years of experience with these waters, she has never sailed straight into the deeper more dangerous currents, stirred by the Gulf Stream.
• Riding these intense currents leads her farther into the sea. The turbulent weather and rapidly changing conditions drain her energy and incite a deep fear as she realizes she’s destined to be alone.
• She eventually finds a small sandbar that gives her temporary safety. After reflecting on her life and the behavior of people like her old lover, Chase, she decides she must let go and move on. As she recites a poem about letting go, she notices a collection of rare and beautiful shells.
• Exploring the sandbar, Kya gathers the precious shells and stores them in her boat. Acknowledging that this fleeting, beautiful sandbar will soon be washed away, she plans her route back to land.
• She safely returns and, feeling immense loneliness, recites another favorite poem. She finds solace in nature, retreating into the predictable, comforting cycles of her wilderness home.