Rose Audition

[Miss Jack]

Ah, yes. I do so love polite new people. Especially with syrup. (Only joking, darling).

Thank you for reading the rules, I'd be glad to give you an audition. But so we're clear, we recently changed the auditioning rules to switch the POV order. Meaning, you will write your first reply in first person POV, and your respones to the challenge will be in third person POV. Clear as mud? Terrific.

Your word prompt is:
Safety First

[rose]

The acrid stench of chlorine emanated from the transparent, rippling surface, mingling with the general humidity generated by the heated pool. Both occurrences smothered me within their stiffling grasps, simultaneously beckoning me and making my nostrils twinge in discomfort. I sneezed suddenly, causing the few people bathing in the water to turn their rubber-hat clad heads, blobs of bold colour amongst the blue which dominated elsewhere. Thankfully, after surveying my appearance and making their own personal judgements (some restraining smirks, others preferring not to convey any emotion in response to my get-up), they continued with their early-morning paddles.

Said get-up, which I was unwillingly parading, was currently degrading any social acceptance I had obtained during this 'vacation'. They had told me that I had to face my fears at some point, though the anxiety weaved into an intricate knot within my stomach informed me otherwise. As my toes clung to the grey and blue mosaic of tiles which made up the edge of the side (as well as my sanity), my heart began pounding intensely beneath the layers of my skin, muscle, bone and vivid orange lycra bathing suit.

"So they can spot you easily if you go under! But the floaties will prevent that. Safety first my dear! We can't have you drowning on us now, can we?"

If this was being safe, then being sorry was looking pretty darn good right now.

[Miss Jack]

Beautifully written, and a very clever response to your word prompt.

Challenge:
Twelve years old, and only 200 pounds short of killer whale, the boy ran (waddled) to the edge and with a mighty war cry ("CAANNNOONNBAAALLL!"), he jumped in, nearly landing on top of the reluctant swimmer.

------
Best of luck. That was not the best challenge, I admit.

[rose]

After much coaxing from the instructor (sterotypically clad in a simple white vest and scarlet swimming shorts, a whistle suspended from a cord about his neck), and even more psyching up on her behalf, she had precariously dunked her feet below the security of the surface world and was now being soothingly led away from the comfort that was the half-metre deep shallow end.

The situation of having a muscular young man haul her about within her worst nightmare had contorted her expression from panic to somewhere amidst relaxation and tranquility, numbing her fear of being carried under and having her lung capacity filled with chemically-altered water. This was, however, until the shape resembling a baby whale that had gorged itself on a few too many krill emerged from the cubicles, beady eyes scanning the misty horizon, attempting to calculate how much water he could drink before it caused him to vomit, and how much of that remaining they would let him take home in a doggy bag.

Had the tiles not been cemented down, they would have shook and even leapt up off the floor as he rampaged across the field of white ceramic, navy blue swimming trunks doing nothing but emphasising the youth's jelly-like body structure.

"CAANNNOONNBAAALL!" Reverberated about the enclosed area, as stubby legs tried to meet with his stomach, though the lack of speed and height rendered his dive extremely ungainly- and allowed him to land right upon the back of the girl in the orange bathing suit.

Beneath the surface, not even floatation devices could combat the force of the boy's mass, therefore causing her to sink to the bottom of the pool, arms and legs flailing as best as they could under the 'child'. Yet they became tangled within those of the boy, who had not expected to land on something so uncomfortable as she. Eyes stinging, thanks to the excessive amounts of chlorine, her lungs experiencing the sensation of imploding within her chest, she suddenly was aware of large hands gripping her shoulders, heaving her upwards and placing her on the poolside.

[Miss Jack]

I loved it. I think you're an exceptional writer and you are a thousand times approved. On to your character sheet, madam. ^.^;

[rose]

Awwwwwwww thank you so much! ^-^ Yay, I'm excited now. XDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

I'm sorry for the abrupt ending- I was conscious of the length. xD;