Chapter Five
THERE I WAS, TRAPPED underwater, caught up in the momentum of the river. Lungs burning, legs kicking in an effort to get somewhere, anywhere. I didn’t know what had happened and right now, I didn’t care. All I cared about was reaching the surface, getting some air. But no matter how hard I tried, it didn’t seem like anything I did made a difference.
The real possibility of drowning was staring me right in the face, and I felt absolutely powerless to do anything about it.
The current thrust me forward, and for just one moment, I felt warm air against my face. Realizing that I’d been pushed up to the surface, I managed a raspy breath—and then the water swept me back under.
A sense of despair came over me as the water closed over my head again, but I tried to hold on to some
