Qiutong Lu

Story of My Friend in Primary School

My best friend from primary school shared with me a terrifying occurrence she endured. One time, her family and friends went for a camping trip to a large river in a valley. It was a hot and sunny day, and she loved to swim, so quickly went into the river, splashing around in the water, while the others remained onshore. She swam until she got to the center of the river, but the current was very strong, and it quickly drew her down into the water’s depths. She struggled to swim to the surface, and gasping for air, yelled for help to those watching on the shore. Unfortunately, the current continued to push her away from her family and friends, and they thought she was just enjoying herself in the water. She knew she was going to drown, and continued to scream, but her mother just laughed, thinking she was just playing. Luckily, as she splashed and gasped for air, the water’s current slowly started to change, and after some time, gently pushed her towards the shore. Scared, angry, and grateful to be alive all at once, my friend vowed to never put herself in danger again, to be more careful and aware, for she realized that depending on the help of others is not always reliable.

“An illustration of my friend’s extraordinary experience of the danger of nature. ”