I met a monster while on a photo shoot.

This is a story I tell often. It has a happy ending, but still has a disturbing note that will haunt me. <br><br>This was in the summer of 2019, during which I was still taking photos for fun. At the time, I was in my late 20s. I live in a coastal town, and I used to go to the beach every chance I got. This particular day was a special challenge for me, as I was trying to take photos of the starfish with water surrounding them. This meant wading in the water and getting as close to the animal as possible. It was a lot of fun, and I was alone in my little world of sand and sea. <br><br>I spent around 3 hours in the water, and got all the shots I wanted. But I decided to stay longer, and wade in the water more. I had a rain jacket with me that floated on the water, and I had my phone inside. I was getting tired, so I decided to lie on the jacket and just relax. After all, my feet were 10 minutes away from the shore. <br><br>I must have lost my awareness for around 20 minutes, as my mind began to wander into a meditative state. I was lost in my little world, with the sounds of the sea and the waves gently pushing against me. I wasn't sleeping, but my mind was elsewhere. <br><br>Then, all of a sudden, I felt a hand on my ankle. I instinctively kicked my leg in the direction of the hand, and turned around to see who it was. That's when I saw him. There was this man, probably in his mid 50s, with a grey beard and long hair that barely covered his head, and sunburnt red skin. He looked like someone who was stranded on the island. <br><br>He had a small sailboat that was parked about 100 meters from me. I was shocked and afraid, and my brain went into "fight or flight" mode. I tried to kick him again, but he was too fast. He grabbed my ankle and pulled me towards him. I had nothing on me to defend myself except my phone and a water bottle. My heart was racing, and I couldn't think straight. I tried to throw the water bottle at him, but it barely touched him. He didn't even flinch. Then, I acted out of instinct. I took my phone and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. <br><br>I don't know how it happened, but he let go of my ankle and collapsed backwards into the water. I didn't wait. I turned around and started swimming frantically back towards the shore, back towards safety. I didn't look back. I didn't dare to look back. I was too afraid of what I might see behind me. <br><br>I finally reached the shore, gasping for air. I was so relieved to be back on land, to be safe. I sat on the sand for a long time, trying to process what had just happened. I was shaking like a leaf, and I couldn't stop thinking about the man who had grabbed me. <br><br>After a while, I decided to go to the police station and tell them about the incident. They listened attentively, and they promised to send someone to check on the man. They asked me to show them where the man was, but when we arrived at the beach, he was gone. He must have left while I was talking to the police. <br><br>I never saw that man again. I never heard anything about him. But I never forgot him. I never forgot the feeling of being in his presence, of being so close to being taken away. I never forgot the fear and the relief that I felt that day. <br><br>But more importantly, I never forgot to be more cautious. I never forgot to be more aware of my surroundings. I never forgot to defend myself. I never forgot the lesson that I learned that day.