A World Beyond the Waterfalls

What Just Happened?

I shake my head. "There's no freaking way."

"I dared you to though!" Dylan complains.

I put my hands on my hips. "Are you crazy?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Maybe I am."

Liam laughs. "Come on Kota. Just jump."

Dylan folds his arms and walks closer to me. "Do it."

Liam steps up, too. "Do it." They say in unison, as if a chant.

As they come toward me, I take a step back. And then another. And as I take my last step back, my foot slips off the edge of the rocks, causing my body to jerk backwards, falling over the SIDE of the rock pile.

"Dakota!" Liam screams. Dylan lunges for me, swiping his hand toward me, trying to get a grip on my body. He takes hold of my forearm, holding on tightly while I dangle over the edge.

"DYLAN!" I scream, breathless. I gulp air into my lungs, all of the wind having been knocked out of me. Dylan grips my arm tighter, trying to pull me up. I reach up and grab Liam's hand, using all of my upper body to pull myself up. I find a foothold and stand there, catching my breath, practically swinging off the side of the rocks. I look down, the stupidest thing I could've done and I see that I will not hit the water if I fall, I'll hit the ground.

"Dakota." Liam says breathlessly. "Try to hoist yourself up. Use those pull-up skills."

Having been relying on the foothold, the boys' grips loosen a little. And when I step away from the ledge to push myself up, the boys aren't ready. I slip out of their grasps and tumble towards the land below. Screaming, I flail my arms and legs. But I'm not moving toward the ground. I'm heading straight for the waterfall. And then it happens. I slam into the front of the raoring water, spilling over the side of the hill, pouring into the lake below. But as the current pulls me toward the lake, I smack into hard ground, my head banging against a ledge. I feel all the air in my lungs knocked out of me, pain coursing through my bones. My heart pounds in my chets and my head throbs. I tumble across the ground, head over heels, lurching to a stop when I hit a wall. Groaning, I sprawl out on the cold ground, my cheek pressed to the hard surface. I let out a wail, somewhat of a call for help. But there's no answer. What just happened? I ask myself. And then a shooting bolt of agony sweeps across my entire body, forcing me to close my eyes and scream. I can barely breathe, the pain every time I suck in, in my chest is unbearable.

Slowly, I make my way to a sitting position against the wall. Breathing heavily against the pain, I check myself for breaks or bruises. My left ankle is swollen, but I think it's just a sprain. My arms are fine somehow, but my ribs are NOT. I put a hand against my left side ever so gently and I wince. I quickly pull my hand away, I can;t even touch my ribs. They hurt whenever I move. Well, this is good, I think. I close my yes and rest my head against the wall behind me. And that's when I hear it. A blood-curtling scream. My eyes pop open to see Dylan crash through the water, his body smacking the ground roughly. His head twists awkwardly and when he settles, he doesn't move, he doesn't groan, he doesn't do anything. Except lie there.

"Dylan?" I squeak, my voice hoarse and weak. "Are...you...okay?" I ask, in between gasps for air. He doesn;t answer. He just lies there, motionless. I start to panic. As much as it hurts, I push my palms against the cold ground and use all my strength to move away from the wall. I slide my butt across the rough ground, inching closer to Dylan, ever so slowly.

After about ten minutes of huffing and puffing, I reach the boy. His brown hair is soaked with blood, not a good sign. His eyes are closed, his cheek pressed to the ground. His arms and legs look fine on the up side. I rub his back. "Come on, Dylan. You're okay." His chest doesn;t heave, like it should. And the panicking comes back. "Dylan!" I scream as loud as I can. " My body floods with exhaustion. The smallest efoort drains my energy. But I won't stop now. Not with Dylan like this. "Get up, Dyl!" I scream. "Get up!" And then I break down and start crying. My body crumbles to the ground, not able to hold myself up. I slump onto his lifeless body, my head resting on his chest. I sob into his t-shirt, my head in my hands.

We just lie there, not moving, me crying, him lying still. I can't imagine him being dead. I mean, he was a jerk to me, but that doesn't mean he deserves to be dead. And then I realize I don't want him to be dead. I want him to live. So that I can get to know him. So we can become friends. So he can live a nromal life, with me. I need some friends in this neighborhood.

As I sob into his shirt, I feel his heart beat in my bones. Don't ask me how that's possible, it just is. "Dylan?" I whisper. "Are you...breathing?" I try not to get too excited. People just don't start breathing again out of nowhere. But deep down, I feel the hope of the situation rising and I know that he's gonna be okay. "Dylan. Come on, Dyl. You got this buddy. Wake up."

And then his eyes pop open, his body jerking upward. His chest heaves. "Kota." He whispers immediately, breathing heavily.

I feel a tear roll down my cheek. "I'm here, Dyl. And so are you." And I lean down and rest my head on his chest and his arm wraps around me, pulling me closer to his side. I can feel his breath on my neck.

"Don't ever do that to me again." I whisper, regaining my composure.

"I'm sorry," he whsipers into my hair. "I'm sorry, Kota."

I reposition myself so that I can see his face. "Dylan?"

"Mhm?"

"What just happened?"

"I have no clue." He says with a little laugh. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. And it brings hope and comfort. It sooths me, making me feel safer then I have in years. But I still have no idea where we are, or how we're gonna get out.

"I'm scared, Dylan." I say quietly, catching his eye.

His face softens and his eyes close with exhaustion. "Don't worry, Kota. We're gonna get outta here. I'll make sure of it." And that actually reassures me.

He leans down and kisses my forehead, his lips gentle and warm. He keeps them pressed to my forehead as I slowy drift to sleep, my body too tired to stay awake any longer.