Jasmine and Ethan

Ethan stood at the stern of the massive luxury yacht and stared into the crystal clear water of the Alaskan bay. The yacht's staff all stood motionless at various points on the boat, staring into the water with worried looks on their faces. Ethan glanced at the stopwatch in his hand, then back into the water.

A dark figure in the water thrashed wildly as it got closer and closer to the surface.

Ethan glanced at his stopwatch.

Jasmine's hand grabbed the boat ramp.

She pulled herself up and gasped for air as her head broke the surface.

She exited the water naked and shivering, dragging an anchor chain behind her.

Ethan glanced at his stopwatch and spoke softly.

"4 down. 1 left. 3 minutes."

Jasmine gritted her teeth and quickly pulled in the anchor hand over hand. The rattling of the chain against the boat's stern echoed across the still water of the bay.

The large steel anchor broke the surface. Jasmine squatted down to grab it firmly with both hands, then threw it onto the deck at Ethan's feet.

She put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and breathed in and out with quick deep breaths as she shivered. Tendrils of condensation flowed off her skin.

Ethan stepped forward, picked up the anchor, and threw it off the back of the boat into the water.

The chain clattered loudly off the stern as it was dragged down behind it.

Jasmine opened her eyes and looked at the chain as it raced into the water.

The pace of her breathing increased, her deep exhales creating a cloud of condensation in front of her.

Ethan and Jasmine watched the anchor chain as it fell to the ocean floor.

The end of the chain landed on the bottom, and Jasmine dove into the water after it.

Ethan looked over his shoulder and nodded.

The boat crew hurried forward with thick lambskin blankets and hot water bottles. They spread out the blankets on the deck and placed the hot water bottles on top.

Ethan stared into the water, glanced at his stopwatch, then back into the water.

Jasmine's figure grew larger as she got closer to the surface.

She thrashed wildly, kicking hard with her legs and pulling hard with one arm as she dragged the anchor chain behind her with the other.

Jasmine's arm broke through the surface of the frigid water.

She grabbed the ramp with one hand and pulled herself up. She gasped for air as her head broke the surface.

Jasmine tried to pull herself up, but couldn't.

She slipped backwards into the water, her head still above the surface, still gripping the stern of the boat. Her eyes were wide as she strained to pull herself onto the ramp.

Ethan walked next to her, crouched down, and spoke softly.

"Does your body control your mind, or does your mind control your body?"

Jasmine looked up at Ethan, shivering.

Ethan stepped back.

Jasmine's head disappeared below the surface.

She hung motionless underwater, one hand gripping the boat ramp on the surface and the other hanging beside her gripping the anchor chain.

She closed her eyes.

Ethan and the boat crew stood motionless.

She opened her eyes and kicked hard as she pulled herself up and out of the water dragging the chain behind her.

She stood up and gripped the anchor chain with both hands.

Ethan spoke softly.

"30 seconds."

Jasmine pulled the anchor chain up rapidly hand over hand.

The anchor broke the surface.

Jasmine squatted down, grabbed it, and in one motion stood up, pulled the anchor out of the water, and threw it at Ethan's feet as she fell backwards towards the deck.

Ethan stepped sideways smoothly and caught Jasmine.

He picked her up in both arms, and laid her down gently on the lambskin blankets, positioned the water bottles around her naked body, then wrapped the blankets tightly around her.

He picked up the bundle of blankets with Jasmine inside and walked to the dining table set up on the deck. The boat crew and wait staff scurried around preparing the table.

Ethan placed Jasmine in a chair at the head of the table, then walked to the other end and sat down. He took out his phone and sent a text message. He sat motionless as he waited for Jasmine's shivering to subside.

Jasmine's shivering slowed down, then stopped.

A member of the wait staff walked forward with a silver platter with a silver dome. They placed the platter in front of Jasmine and removed the dome, revealing a large cheeseburger and fries. A large mug of black coffee was placed next to her plate.

Jasmine opened one eye and looked at the food, then the other. She snaked a hand out from under the blankets, grabbed the hamburger, and took a massive bite.

She closed her eyes as she chewed in ecstasy.

She reached for the coffee mug, and took several swigs before putting the mug down.

She looked at Ethan and raised an eyebrow.

Ethan stared at Jasmine unmoving.

Jasmine furrowed her brows and looked disappointed.

Ethan slid his phone across the table face up. It came to a stop in front of Jasmine.

She picked the phone up and looked at the screen.

Her eyes went wide. She smiled widely.

She looked at Ethan. Ethan nodded, and she snaked another hand out of her blankets and sent a text.

She continued smiling as she looked at the replies streaming in.

Jasmine sighed in contentment, then slid the phone back to Ethan.

She took a sip of coffee, then spoke.

"How'd I do?"

Ethan sat motionless, then replied.

"You beat Vicky's time by 46 seconds."

Jasmine looked confused.

"You said I only had 30 seconds left, how could I have beat her time by 46 seconds?"

"It was 30 seconds until the time I knew you were capable of."

Jasmine smiled, took a French fry, and chewed it with a big smile on her face as she looked out across the Alaskan bay.