Wednesday

Freewrite 10/01/08

First person character

I have to get my regulator cleared or this whole diving trip will be for nothing. I walk to the air compressor and hook up the hose directly to the regulator. Maybe I can blast out whatever's clogging it. Whoosh, hiss, wheezing sounds emit from the hoses and connections.

"Dammit!" I curse. "I just bought this damn thing and have only used it on two trips. It should work fine, it's brand new."

"What's wrong?" my dive buddy Mike asks after hearing my oaths and muttering.

"Regulator's blocked. Might as well get out my snorkel since it doesn't look like I'll be going deep today."

I shake the device again and blow hard on the mouthpiece in vain. "Nothing!" Despondent I throw it down on the bench and open the lid to the gear box. Maybe I have an old one in here, though I know better.

"Let me take a look." He says and grabs the part for inspection. Tossing hoses and fins, a cracked set of goggles and some old seashells, I dig through years of used gear already knowing I wouldn't keep a regulator in there.

"You dumbass!" Mike laughs. "You had the valve turned off."

He tosses my now 'fixed' regulator back at me. "Let's go."

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