This story was written for the 2025 Literotica 750 Word Challenge. The story below is exactly 750 words.
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The sun shone brightly overhead as Tabby and I made the final preparations for what would be my very first cave dive.
I'd scuba dived before, exploring coral reefs, but this would be different. Instead of open ocean, this would involve an almost nine meter dive to the bottom of a lagoon, then enter a twelve meter tunnel that would connect to the underground cave.
While this particular cave was perfect for amateurs such as myself, Tabby, my instructor for the past two years, made sure we went over all the safety rules again. Especially important was the reminder that we'd need to make decompression stops along our way back to the surface to avoid the bends.
The water was warm as we began, quickly cooling the deeper we went. There was a guideline already established along the length of the connecting tunnel we could easily follow. Unlike more complex caves, the tunnel we traversed was spacious, allowing plenty of room for two to pass comfortably.
The last remaining sunlight quickly faded as we continued, but our headlamps were bright enough to illuminate the way.
Twenty minutes after first entering the water we arrived at the other side, surfacing to a wide open cavern, replete with crystalline stalactites hanging high above.
Tabby and I pulled ourselves up onto the rock ledge at the edge of the water and removed our air regulators.
"Perfect," Tabby said, checking the gauges. "We've only used twenty percent of our air. That leaves us more than enough for the return, plus an emergency reserve."
Standing, she stretched. While our relationship was strictly professional, I couldn't help but admire her well toned swimmers body.
I made an attempt to stand also but found myself suddenly overwhelmed with dizziness. Dropping back down hard, I felt short of breath and feared I might pass out.
Tabby noticed my distress immediately. "What is it, Gabe? What's wrong? Talk to me."
"Don't... know." I gasped, struggling to form words. "Can't... breathe. Head spinning. Heart... pounding. I feel... I feel..."
Truth was, I didn't know what I was feeling. But Tabby did. "I think you're having a panic attack. I've seen this before. Are you claustrophobic, Gabe? This is your first time in a cave like this, perhaps it's triggered something subconscious."
"I don't know," I managed, still wheezing, "never had this... problem... before. But I need to... get out of here! Now! I can't..."
Tabby knelt beside me. Her voice was calm. "Gabe, I need you to listen to me. Relax. Take long, deep breaths. Focus on your breathing. We can't leave here until you get that under control. Do you understand?"
