This is how we'll dance when
When they try to take us down
This is what we'll sing
Oh glory...

"Crap!" Ash yelled, slapping her leg. She missed the mosquito by millimetres. It buzzed around her ear, then flew off into the trees. "Yeah, you'd better run," she hissed after it. It wasn't the first, but hopefully it would be the last. At least for a while. The forest close to the shore was always infested with the evil little insects. She kept walking, heading towards the sliver of light she could see through the dense trees. Although the forest floor was mostly in shadow, it wasn't cold. Ash felt completely comfortable in her yellow and orange bikini and sarong.

She reached the edge of the forest and pushed through the last of the undergrowth, feeling the twigs and leaves beneath her feet turn into soft, warm sand. She smiled, letting the sand run through her toes. The waves crashed softly in front of her, the water a deep blue. She ran down to the middle of the beach and threw down her towel, smoothing it out on the sand. She dropped her bag on top of it, tucked her surfboard under her arm and ran out into the sea.

Due to being raised in London, she wasn't exactly an expert surfer. But she'd taken a few lessons on holidays, so she knew the basics. She waded out into waist-deep water then pulled herself onto the board, paddling hard. A few waves hit her, but she powered through them. After a few minutes she was in deeper water. She turned around to face the shore and looked behind her, waiting for a bump in the sea that would mean a wave was coming. It took a shorter time than she expected. The bump appeared and slowly rolled towards her, growing as it came. Just as it touched her toes she began to paddle hard, getting up her momentum.

The wave hit her and she whooshed forwards. As soon as she was sure it had taken her, she sprang up into a crouch then straightened her legs. And the thrill began. She stretched her arms out, bending her knees to keep her balance. The salty air whipped her hair out behind her, sending the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She turned the board, slowly and carefully, until it was shooting across the wave. She laughed, whooping and cheering. This was the best feeling ever.

Ash whooped again, feeling the fresh, salty air whip past her face. She could feel her board skipping over the smooth surface of the wave beneath her at what felt like a million miles an hour. Technically, she was doing it all wrong - her feet were in the wrong place, her board wasn't straight across the wave, etc. But it was what worked for her, and she wasn't about to change it. She felt the shadow of the wave creep over her and leant forwards, shooting out of the way just as a wall of water began to fall.

She turned her head to look, and lost her balance. She put too much weight on her front foot and the nose of her board dug into the water. She just had time to think oh, shit before the board tipped up and she was catapulted into the air. Normal people would be terrified, but Ash was having the time of her life. She tunbled head over heels, finally splashing down in a spot at least ten feet away from her board. She'd been lucky, she hadn't bellyflopped or smacked the water, so she wasn't hurt.

She turned to find her board, and found herself face to face with the wave, an inch away from her face. She didn't even have time to close her eyes before it hit her, throwing her forwards. It was almost like a rollercoaster ride. She tumbled up, then sharply down, then forwards again. All she could see was whitewater and bubbles. By the time it dumped her on the beach, she was gasping for air but pumped full of adrenaline.

She lay on the wet sand, getting her breath back. Slowly, a smile crept over her face. Small at first, but it grew into a huge, manic grin. "That... was... AWESOME!" She pounded on the sand, rolling over onto her knees. That was when she saw the girl, lying right near her on a towel. Ash didn't really mind. Things like this happened surprisingly often - she was used to being embarrassed.