The Swimmer

Summer is winding down and the days are beginning to cool off. 10-year-old Sammy is a bit out of sorts because of a loose tooth that's bothering him, making it difficult to eat at times. But this tooth isn't the only thing on the young boy's mind, as teeth of another sort preoccupy him – Shark's teeth. A few weeks ago he was bitten on the leg by a small reef shark while swimming, and the wounds are just now starting to heal and scab over. He still wears a dressing on the leg to stave off infection. Jay, an older bully, takes great pleasure in taunting Sammy about the incident, calling him 'pathetic' and a 'pussy,' and rubbing it in Sammy's face that he's going swimming, knowing that Sam still harbors fears about going in the water after the traumatic incident. But on a certain day at the beach with Dad and his little sister, Sammy will overcome all his problems – the loose tooth, the fear of sharks, and especially Jay, the bully.-wiseguy-18