Free Dive: beyond the blue curtain

By Stephen Francia

Immerse yourself in a world of extremes deep under water. For champion free diver Tyler Smith, the pressures beyond the blue curtain make him feel secure and in control. Above the surface, he struggles to contend with his relationships and life itself. Torn between achieving his goals below and trying to give Sarah his fiance the time and commitment she needs, will he find a balance? With unexpected events, family, competitors,and the the extremes beyond the blue curtain; friends will become enemies,records will be broken, and choices will be made. Take the emotional journey to find out what lies beyond the blue curtain.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephen Francia
• Release date: Jan 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466038509

Stephen Francia

Stephen Francia was born in the town of Orange, in AUSTRALIA. He is a proud father of 3 children and happily married. At age 38 he began to realize a need to 'do something.' With limited time to explore the more adventurous interests in life, he decided to pursue writing, thinking that his research and stories would take him to worlds he could not physically travel to. This journey has taken him into different genres and writing forms, including poetry.

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FREE DIVE – Beyond The Blue Curtain

By Stephen Francia

Edited By Julie Catherine Vigna

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Smashwords Edition

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Copyright Stephen Francia 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author

Prologue

The boy looked directly at his sister, his voice encouraging. It's ok, just try it. It's not like you haven't done this before.

His sister looked down at her feet apprehensively, looking back up at her brother as the sun’s rays reflected off her light blonde hair. I know. It's just, we haven't gone this far before. She looked back at her sandy feet again, then gazed out towards their intended destination.

The boy took her hand in his as he faced the same direction. It won't hurt. Take a really big breath, and relax.

But what if I panic? One eye peered out through her windswept hair.

With a reassuring look and genuine concern for his sister, the boy replied, Don't worry, I'm here with you. Really, nothing bad will happen.

They stood together now, the warm rock underneath their sandy toes. "On the count of three! One, Two, JUMP!"

As they leapt, time seemed to pass with a slowness that afforded their senses the chance to feel the salty spray through the air as it collided onto their warm skin. They had passed the threshold now, and could feel gravity pulling them down into the watery deep. The fall felt like an eternity to the siblings as their hands separated, moving to hold their noses, as the crisp cold rush of saline water enveloped their bodies, submerging them from the world above.

The boy indicated to his sister to go deeper, as she tried to focus her eyes, her cheeks puffed out, full of air. Inverting themselves, they let their own wrists come together as they extended their arms out fully above their heads. The outward sweeping movement found it's resistance against the blue water as they were projected further into the depths.

The boy could see his objective; a certain rock that he hadn't swum to yet, visible from the surface, but further away than it seemed. Needing to get there, the boy continued as he calmly held his breath. His sister, who was close behind, eyed the distance to the rock and began to doubt herself. Adjusting her position, she looked back to the surface and questioned whether she had enough breath for the ascent. Her heart started to race a little as she actioned her limbs into a quick swishing motion to reach the surface.

With an inner satisfaction, the boy touched his target and turned up to look for his sister. His eyes widened at the sight of his sister’s panicked movements. She was close, but needed help. Using his legs, he launched himself upwards through the water. Swift, sweeping movements brought him quickly to his sister's side. He propelled her upwards until her face broke through the surface. The boy distinctly heard his sister’s large gasp for air, followed by her rapid, uncontrolled breathing.

You ok sis? asked the boy, as tears streamed from his sister's eyes.

As she started to swim back to the edge, she sniffled, No, I'm not ok. I'm never going down there with you again.

It did not take long for their parents to hear the tale. The young boy got a stern lecture about going into the water without adult supervision, and taking his sister into danger. The boy peered out towards the ocean as his parents continued scolding him, already dreaming about where his next achievement might take him.

Chapter 1

This is my fortress, my barricade. A blue curtain of water that blocks you from entering. Only a select few do break through. Most of them I know; some of them are friends, a couple are not. At 110Mt under the water's surface, the pressure is about 156 pounds per square inch — PSI. That's a lot of pressure — for some.

For me, right here, right now in this moment, it's a compound world of serenity to the utmost extent. I don't use a tank, never had the need. A single breath is all that supports me. Pinned here in my state of motionless, I am surrounded by darkened waters, with the vague shimmering illumination of the display on my Aeris F10 free diving watch and the sparsely spaced lights near the vertical rope to remind me of my orientation. My particular discipline today is 'Free Immersion.' No fins, no propulsion devices, just a single rope to pull myself along as I ascend and descend on a single breath hold.

The darkened state of the waters surrounding my body doesn't frighten me, nor does it cause me to question my serenity. It seems like a lifetime, with every ticking second being counted in ultra slow motion. Sort of like those shots in the movies where someone trips, and says in a long, drawly, slow-motion manner, 'Nooooooooooooooooo!' Now, in a more relaxed way, change that 'no' into a 'one,' and keep going; you might reach the end of the one-second marker in my mind.

Above, not too far from my position, is the curtain. Like a horizon in reverse, with the line of darkened liquids as it meets the cerulean blue sector of the ocean. Each dive site is different, of course. Not all the colours are in the same hues, and variants can be disconcerting to the inexperienced free diver. Not me, though. When you get to my stage, you can feel the curtain. It comes upon you like the relaxing, satisfying experience you might get as you enter the door to your own home; as you're greeted by your family, and your senses detect everything that is familiar to you, making you happy. For me, it happens under water, deep water, beyond the blue curtain.

It's not warm though, it's cold. But the cold can't chill my emotions. All that surrounds me, this world, it does have an impact. The impact is only on physical particulars though, which is all part of knowing what you are doing down here. I glance slightly at my Aeris F10 again. It's been two minutes so far, nothing really. I'm not breaking any records today, just practicing for tomorrow's event. The depth is nothing too. In my other disciplines I'll descend to the 200Mt mark, where true darkness envelopes. With the free immersion discipline, it means there are more body movements, which uses more of my oxygen. It's a delicate balancing act, with choices to make. Less motion, less distance, more oxygen. More motion, more distance, less oxygen. Fitness is essential, but desire remains intrinsic. I take one last look at the scene around me, thinking of where my life will take me. Don't worry, I'm not about to stroll off with the dolphins and die down here. It's just not the way I want to roll. Although, it always