Her Future

Chapter Six

Work was going great, they had ended up releasing most of the injured fish and mammals back out into the ocean, that involved four sea turtles a few lion fish and one dolphin. October was really loving this job, and today was the day they did their cave dive with the sharks to get October and anyone else new used to the sharks and their surroundings.

After almost a whole week of rain and a few thunderstorms, they had finally had a few nice days and today was by far the nicest at 88 degrees outside with no clouds and plenty of sunlight. October helped her boss and a few other people gather up what they would need to take down to the doc where the diving boat was, waiting for them.

"Ok groop, make sure you have your badges on all of your property and that you have, scuba gear, masks, flippers ect." Her boss was telling everyone. Once they had all of their gear gathered up they all piled into the huge van and took the short distance to the boat doc once everything was secured and everyone was on board they set off on their 10 mile stretch out on the ocean. Nancy came walking over to October and sat next to her, "Are you ready for this?" she asked.

October looked at her and smiled. "Very much, I've never done anything like this in my life." she said excitedly.

"Are you nervous or scared at all?" she asked her.

October thought about it for a minute, "I am a little, more like scared to be 47 meters down." she said with a chuckle and had Nancy laughing as well.

"Well as you can see we are not rusty and dont have crappy cables holding the cage, you'll be just fine. And just remember if its to much for you then just pop your head up and ask to come back aboard." she said to her.

October just nodded at her, though most of the nervousness came from the fear of the unknown and the thought of swimming with Apex predators in a vast open space of nothing but water and teeth, did make her a little scared her excitedness and the love she had for these beasts out weighed how scared she could be.

Being deep in thought she didnt realize that they had already made it to their diving point. and Nancy started to talk again, "Ok guys so we wont be chumming the water because it is unsafe for who all is in the water cage or not, but, we will be throwing a roaped tuna head out like you see on tv, this keeps them from being overly anxiouse over the food and around the cage with who ever is in there. If you guys feel up to it after words we will be going scuba diving and collecting samples off of the reef we passed comming out here." there was a reef? October thought and kept listening. "What ever you do, do not panic while you are down there if you want to get out swim up flag us down, we will bring you back to the boat, we will not push you. You yourselves have to be comfortable in the water with the sharks, so with further ado lets get to it!" she said and everyone started to clap excited just like October was to get in there.

Everyone suited up just like they were supposed to and Nancy checked everyones air and made sure straps were in place. After everything was set the first two started their dive, one of them being October, she just couldnt wait for her turn she wanted to go down as soon as possible, she was eager to see the beasts everyone feared.

She slipped her body through the cage and let her gear sink her until her feet touched the bottom of the cage, then she looked around, the water was semi clear so she could see just a little ways away from the cage, but she saw nothing, she knew there would be a chance that there would be no sharks right at first, so she waited, and waited, and waited, until suddenly there was a shadow in the distance, she didnt get to excited because she knew it could have just been a dolphin or a whale that was coming to investigate, but as it drew near she seen the dorsle fin and and long body of this shark, her breath caught in her lungs, this creature was magnificent!

It was, as she could tell from its markings, a Great White shark, female for she didnt spot a clasper when it swam up and tried to grab for the fish head. The way she was swimming was so smooth and majestic, not at any fast pase she wasnt in a hurry for anything or anyone. She took her time, approaching the cage and swimming away finding it and the humans in side interesting. The next time she approached she bumped the cage with her big head, October was thinking of how big she was when she remebered she had a underwater ruler, as she called it, that sent out lazer lights not harmful the shark or anything else that if she caught herjust right would tell her how long she was. As the shark approached again she did just that the moment she swam slowly showing them her side, as if she knew they wanted to know how big she was, as if she was saying "Yes look at my beauty take in how strong and big i am" October couldnt take her eyes off her, then she quickly looked at the meter and seen she was in fact 19 and a half foot long, almost in the same record of the largest spotted Great White a few years ago.

All she wanted to really do was climb out of the cage and swim next to her she knew she was not territorial at this moment that she was content with showing herself off and even though curious about the cage boat and people was not showing signs of stress or agitation again she swam with ease, then she swam away, and after about twenty more minutes of not a single shark in sight we came up to rest, and let the other group go down.

"How was it my shark expert." Nancy said to October.

October breathed a huge sigh, looked up at Nancy and gave her her biggest smile."It was by far the best experience i have ever had, she was Beautiful! So care free and relaxed 19 and a half foot long no scars no war wounds just...beautiful." she said to her boss.

Nancy just smiled at the girl, she had so much more to learn, she had the book smarts and the knowledge of a person with years of experience with sharks, but she didnt have the one on one smarts about it and though she listened well, Nancy had so much more to teach the girl.

After the last group came up they headed towards the reef to do some scuba diving and collect their samples, this was care free as well, October did as she had trained she was a very good scuba diver, she collected the samples she was sent down to collect and after they just swam in the water enjoying it, on one of her down dives she spotted a turtle and swam with it, feeling as care free as the shark or another dolphin, she couldnt believe that this beauty was her life now and she wouldnt give it up she wouldnt go back. 

Once they were all done for the day as they were starting to get back to the boat October seen the shadow of a small juvenile Tiger shark. The garbage cans of the ocean, she thought to herself as she watched it slowly swim closer to her, she did have a thought that it might have been better to get back on the boat, but instead she watched the shark swim, taking note of how the body behavior was as the shark slowly started to get closer to her, she just stayed as she was slowing her heart beat and not thrashing around as she had read in books and seen on tv.

October wasnt the least bit scared, worried, or paniced, mainly because the shark infact didnt show any signs of agression, she could feel eyes at the boat staring at her and she just couldnt care she waited were she was floating, as the shark neared her. she watched as it turned and swam by her slowly exposing its belly a little as it turned, not threatening, she thought to herself as she reached her hand out and touched the shark.

She touched it, she thought, and it didnt bite her or become aggressive, infact it came back for more attention, swimming right at her it pushed its nose downward as if going for her flippers, a sign she knew as a pet me sign, it wanted its nose stimulated so she did just that as the shark approached, she made she her hand wasnt any closer to its mouth as she tickled her fingers over its snout, and they stayed that way for what seemed forever while she petted this shark, then, it just swam off and she swam back to the boat, completely in aw.

When she climbed up her boss approached her, "October, you shouldnt have done that." she said in a serious voice, and October thought she might have just risked her job doing what seemed to come naturally to her, then Nancy said, "But that? That was by far the most amazing thing i have ever seen, two sharks in one day October completely relaxed around you, i think you are a whisperer." she said to her.

The whole experience took her breath away as they headed back to land and to unpack everything, by the end of the day she was beat it was 5 pm she was a little burnt from the sun, but she was on cloud nine, knowing no one could bring her down, she walked to the bar to get her pup from his new auntie Milly and to have dinner, she just smiled at Dean when she walked in and found a seat at the bar, seeing Milly she waved with a huge smile on her face, and since Dean was intertaining the stripper of his Milly came to help her, and brought her pup to who was getting so big so fast, and he was so smart, when he seen October he let out a happy yelp and lunged at her, "Hi my baby boy!" she said and got down to love her dog, when they were done he sat at her stool as she talked to Milly.

"Whats got that smile on your face today my dear?" Milly asked.

October smiled bigger, "Well today was the cage dive." she wiggled her brows at her friend.

She laughed out loud when Milly shook her head, "Your f*****g nuts woman." she said to her.

"No whats nuts is when we went scuba diving for samples at the little reef, a Tiger Shark swam up to me and let me pet it, outside of the cage." she said to them because now Dean was in on the converstion as well, the stripper didnt find it to awsome though.

"Why in the hell would you ever swim in the ocean, its dirty and has things that could kill you are you insane?" she shreeked.

October frowned at her, not taking her bull s**t she said back, "Why the hell would you ever dress the way you are now? Are you insane? Ms. Stripper... there are just as many harmfull things on land as there is in that ocean the only difference is fish dont care about petty little tid bits such as you, if this bothers you, please feel free to leave." October told her.

Ez just sat there looking at October as if she grew three heads, "What the hell did you just say to me? do you know who i am and who i am dating?" she said pointing to the owner of the bar with an i***t look on her face.

Percy started to growl at the woman and made her screech and jump off her stool, October just patted his head to get him to stop and he did, going back to laying on the floor next to her. "I do infact know exactly who you are, your a stripper, your dating the owner of this bar, woopty doo! I could frankly care less you are not entitled to anything your just here." she said to the woman.

She just huffed and looked over at Dean who chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Dont be rude to paying customers Ez or you'll have to leave." he told her with his arms crossed over his chest. 

October was watching him and couldnt help but notice how his muscles bulged when he did that, when he turned his head to her their eyes met and held for a bit, then she looked away with a raised brow. "Give me a beer Milly." she told her friend.

"On it girl." she said and went to fetch her a bud heavy.

Dean approached, "How was it?" he asked her.

Knowing what he was talking about she smiled again and it was genuine, he hadnt seen that smile on her for a few weeks now and he was glad it was back, "Exilerating." she told him. "My boss Nancy thinks im a shark whisperer, because even though i was in a cage the Great White showed the same actions as the Tiger Shark did, they were calm and curious, they came to me then they left." she stated taking a swig from the beer Milly brought her. "Thanks babe." she said to her.

Milly smiled, "Anytime girl." and she went to a few tables topping off drinks.

"Are you off tomorrow October?" Dean asked suddenly.

October scrunched her face up at him in confusion. "Yes why?" she said.

Dean scratched the back of his head. "Well, we have a band coming tomorrow for the weekend opening like we always do and was wondering if you would want to stop by and see them, its free unless you want some drinks." he told her.

October thought about it, "Sure why not i actually have the entire weekend off so maybe ill come and have a few with Milly." she said.

"Oh sweets ill be working but ill bring you those few if you show up, James is coming as well." she told her in a hushed tone.

That ment girl back up to October, she winked at Milly, "I'll be here." she said. "Well Percy are you ready to go home?" she asked her dog who leapt up and yipped at her, he was so funny sometimes. "Later everyone." she said, they all said their good byes and miss stripper gave her the glare the whole walk out. "Bye stripper." she said with a smile while everyone laughed. then she walked out with Percy at her feet.