Chapter Three
Micah Stevens was dragged downstream for what seemed like miles before he was able to grab onto a knotted and crooked branch that poked down into the water. He climbed out using the stick, which made him think of the arthritic finger of an old witch. He collapsed on solid ground on the creek’s far bank. He peeled off his shirt to wring it out. His teeth were clattering like the skeletons in the Halloween cartoon he’d seen on TV the other night. Goose flesh was broken out all over his body. The water was deeper than he could ever have imagined and the stink of it was in his nose. His lungs ached. He felt lightheaded and the muscles in his legs were cramping. And despite all of this he found himself flushed with pride. He’d survived the bike wreck. Trunk Creek had tried to swa
