Trapped

Cate

I got into the diving suit, annoyed at Aisha's stunt but deciding that it wouldn't do to make a fuss right now. Maybe I should mustle in on Angler as I got the immpression she liked him.

But for now the problem at hand was the diving. I had been playing up the terrified, but now I really was scared. What if I went the same way as my dad. My mum just thought I was out shopping with some girls. I hadn't dare tell her in case she tried to stop me. I pulled on my oxygen tank, triple checking it for faults, not that I knew much about this stuff anyway.

"You girls ready?" Angler called over to me and Aisha.
Aisha smiled and nodded. I grimaced.

"Sure." I said nervously.

I smiled at the two girls. "No need to worry. If we stick together we'll be safe." I told them for reassurance.

"Let's just hope no one needs to use the bathroom." I say quietly. "Only you would think of that Avery." Angler sighs. I earn a small chuckle from the both of them. "Need any help?" I ask the two girls as the walk over to us.

I can feel some tension between them. "In this situation safety overrules fondness." I tell the group. Angler chuckles. "The term safety sounds a bit foreign when you say it." I glare, trying to suppress a smile.

"Angler you have been around me long enough to know that in fact I do care about safety." I scold.

"You just choose just choose to do unsafe things." He replies. Thaniel chuckles lightly. "I think we are going to get along just fine." He jokes patting my shoulder. "That really scares me." Angler breaths, although I'm unsure if he's being serious or joking. Both probably.

Cate

"I guess your right and no, I don't need any help thanks, I'm ready." I said to Avery. All I wanted to do was get this over with. I could compete with Aisha another time. Avery smiled at us.
"Great," she said.

I smiled at the two girls. "Glad to have you guys on the team by the way." I tell them.

I pull my black hair into a ponytail. Checking the oxygen tank, I find nothing wrong with it so I put on the diving gear. Anxious to go out and explore. "When we come back from this, your father better have food ready for us." I told Angler. "I expect him to give us a little profit from whatever we find down there." says Cate. Earning a small smile from Angler. "What does your father expect us to find down there?" Cate asks curiously.

Angler sighs deeply. "Who knows."

"Something shiny." I interject.

Cate,

I was about to reply with a sarcastic "great!" when I realised that my life would be in these peoples hands if my equipment failed so I stopped myself.

"Something shiny? Like what, minerals?" I asked.

"Something like that," Angler sighed. And then smiled when he saw my worried expression.

"Cate, stop worrying we will get out fine. And there will be food, I'll see to that" I smiled at him.

"I can live with that." I hoped I grew to believe my words.

Thaniel,

So this was it. We, a group of teenagers, for heaven's sake, were going on a deep sea diving expedition. With all of our suits on, and our oxygen gear in place, we were ready. I glance over at Cate, Aisha, Angler, and Avery. I take a deep breath.

"We ready?" Angler asks.

I nod, but Cate looks green, and nervous.

"It'll be alright, everyone..." I say, not believing it myself.

"Yeah, right," mutters Aisha.

"I hope," I say under my breath.

I look around at everyone in the room, practically seeing the tension. In all honesty I felt nervous as well, I just didn't like to see it on other people.

"Love all the optimism in the room." I joked sarcastically. "Cheer up, think of the things we may find. If anything happens we will all have each others back." I said earnestly with a bright smile.

I could already feel the adrenalin in my veins, acting in response to the anxiety and thrill of diving.

Angler

We dived into the frigid water.

I looked around me in wonder. In all the time my father had owned an underwater business, I had never actually entered the waters. Now I looked in fascination at the underwater corral and fish, assorted in stunning shades.

Finally, the crack appeared.

A few of my friends pointed excitedly at the glowing mineral within, but I just grimaced and swam forward.

[[I need to check this more than once a day! ]]

Although I had dived a few times before, the sight was still wonderful to witness. The shiny glint from the crack caught my eyes drawing my fascination to it immediately. We swum into the crack. At this depth the water was icy, prickling my senses. I could feel the effect, the weight of the water had. It was certainly no swimming pool. My ears popped slightly from the pressure, nut I didn't mind. I was used to it. I looked around me to see the reaction of the other divers. Angler didn't look to pleased.

For all the years i've known him I've always worried about him. He didn't seem to take much joy in the little things in life, and his father certainly took advantage of what he could do, pushing him to do his work. Angler was always the hero. i caught his eyes, giving him a thumbs up, he nodded but I didn't get much of a smile from him.

I looked over at Thaniel gesturing for him to swim near Angler, to look after him. I beckoned the two girls over to us, as they had strayed away somewhat to look in wonder of the ocean floor.

(Just one stupid question, can we still communicate with each other? Just wanted to make sure and all.)

>>>I'm assuming we can...Right Tazakk?<<<

Thaniel,

Even though I'm nervous as hell, I still love the sensation of zooming thought the water. Fish scatter, and I float for a few seconds, reveling in the feeling of happiness that washes over me. Then I see the crack. About 4 feet across at its widest, a brilliant shine is coming from it. I swim over and join Angler and Avery. I have no idea what the amazing mineral is, but it's beautiful. I point excitedly. Angler just grimaces and swims down towards the crack. I roll my eyes, and wave the others forward.

"Let's get this over with," I mutter.

I smile over at Thaniel. "You're starting to sound like Angler." Angler rolls his eyes. "That isn't a bad thing." He states. I laugh lightly. Returning my attention to the mineral through the crack. "I can't wait to get back and tell my uncle what we see." I mumble quickly adding.

"Don't anyone dare say we might not be going back. It's not a fun thing to think about." Aisha smiles lightly, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. "You really are optimistic." She states. "On the outside, I appear to be. With certain things I am. Like this. It's nice to think positive. But for some situations you just can't." I reply with a light tension. She nods and drops the subject.

Avery was mentioning not going back up..was she insane?!

I loved it down here. The pretty blue-green fish, the seaweed floating like halos and the shiny little crack down below. Not waiting for anyone I rushed down but realized too little-too late that the pressure would cause me to suffocate. I start to writhe and scream hoping, no praying that anyone would help me.

My heart skipped a beat when I turned and saw Aisha suffocating. "Help!" I screamed, grabbing the teams attention. I swam over the Aisha as fast as I could. I took a deep gulp off air, and switched on a safety breathing device for situations like these. I connected my oxygen take to her mask, letting the oxygen rush in to help her. I looked around at her gear, in hopes it could be fixed. I saw the problem, the pressure and speed had caused the the attachment to her tank to pop off, letting precious gas slip into the water. I tried to reconnect it but my strength seemed to elude me, with my evanescent oxygen supply.

I had come across situations like this when climbing, and handled them with ease, but diving was different. When you were under water you also had to count in the fact that you had the pressure of the water crushing down on you.

Cate (aplologies for the long post, but I havn't looked at this for a while )

I was the last to dive into the water. The others were already below the surface.
I as I plunged under I stared in awe, I had never realised why my dad loved diving so much but now I understood. The water was beautiful. My dreams were interuppted when I saw Aisha and Avery struggling further down. I looked over to Thaniel and Angler pleading with them to help, but they just stayed where they were gobsmacked by the situation. I heaved a sigh, had I been on dry land I would have uttered "Boys!" I kicked my legs and swam down, Avery pointed to a tube that was letting bubbles of oxygen escape. I grabbed hold of it and she pointed to a valve which it had clearly come off. I brought my hand forward rammming the tube home. I had never been strong but everything was so much lighter under the water and with a bit of persuation I fixed Aisha's kit. Avery let go of Aisha and Aisha adjusted her oxygen mask.

Angler and Thaniel came swimming down to us. Avery shook her head in despair at Angler. Thaniel turned to me and Aisha a clear look of concern on his face.

"Are you alright?"

We just nodded and then laughed through our masks. Aisha turned to me a clear look of thank you on her face.

"Umm, Aisha I'm sorry for calling you a slut ok?" I said awkwardly

She just laughed. Then we embraced as best we could under the water with all our kit and we were friends, at least until we got back onto land.

[[Okay, yes, we can communicate underwater (though I see you guys took that into your own hands(great!)). Just to clarify, we use radios that are attached to the inside of our helmets. Whatever anybody says, the rest of the team can hear.

I'd add to the story, but I'm a little pressed for time. ]]