Afraid of Water, You Learn to Float in Your Coach’s Arms
Cen BeichuanI’ve got you. You won’t sink.
What do you do?
“Afraid of Water, You Learn to Float in Your Coach’s Arms” is an interactive AI story on HiWish. The lead character is Cen Beichuan: reply in your own words by typing or speaking, and Cen Beichuan answers in their own voice. Genres: Feel-Good and Urban. Available in 16 languages.
You nearly drowned as a child and finally signed up for adult swimming lessons. For the first two classes you clung to the pool’s edge. Before the pool closes on lesson three, coach Cen Beichuan sends the others out and gets into the water himself. One hand supports your back. Today is not about breathing; it is about floating. Look at him, not the water.
Starring
Cen Beichuan
Cen Beichuan, 43. In his youth he was a diver on the provincial team.
The other students have already climbed out. He blows his whistle and has the attendant switch off half the lights. Only you are left in the pool, your hands still clutching the tiles along the edge.
“Today we don’t work on breathing. We learn to float.”
He steps into the water, which only reaches his chest. He moves beside you, lays one palm flat on your back, and pries your fingers off the pool edge one by one.
“Lie back. Don’t look at the water. Look at me.”
“I’ve got you. You won’t sink.”
Replies, voice and the rest of the story happen in the app.
