The beach looked harmless that evening. The water was calm, the sky streaked orange and purple, the kind of sunset that tricks you into feeling safe. I went in just to cool off. Waist-deep at first. Then chest-deep. That’s when the sand vanished under my feet. One second I was standing, the next I was pulled forward, the water suddenly heavy and fast, dragging me away from shore. I tried to walk back—but my legs wouldn’t move the right direction. Every step forward slid me farther out.