Tent World

Chapter Eleven--Alone

Propelled by the force of the river, Wendy flew into the air above the falls. The sudden sense of free falling caused an unpleasant tickling sensation in her stomach, and a wave of nausea washed over her. The experience reminded her of the roller coaster ride at the state fair as it began its first thunderous descent.

The pool rose toward her alarmingly fast. A feeling of helplessness filled her; she was at the mercy of the water. She didn't expect to die--she believed there was a mission to fulfill--but she had a gnawing feeling she could get hurt. Her only reassurance was being held by her sister. But the compression, when she hit the water, snapped her hand from her sister's, and the current pushed her deep into the pool.

Water filled her nose and created an uncontrollable urge to sneeze. When her feet hit the bottom, she kicked against the rocks, propelling herself away from the current. Breaking through to the surface, she coughed and sneezed, forcing water out of her body.

Before her rose sheer rock cliffs that formed the sides of the pool. The rock was too steep to climb. The current swept her along, and the roar of the falls receded in the distance until all she heard was the swishing of the water against the sides of the narrow canyon. There were no rapids, no thundering roar of a river out of control. It reminded Wendy of being in a car on a freeway with no exits.

Constantly moving her arms and legs to keep herself afloat, she began to tire. She watched for something to grab onto, but there was nothing. Turning onto her back, she tried floating, but water swept over her face and into her mouth, choking her.

Maybe if I just put my arms at my side for a few moments, she thought. But when she tried, she sank. As the water swept over her head, she thought it would be easy to do nothing. It almost seemed like she was at home in her own bed, and the water was a quilt. Maybe this is best, she thought. She felt no fear. No pain. In her weakened condition, she actually felt at peace, and the feeling seemed to warm her through and through.

Her feet struck the bottom, and she instinctively pushed against it. When her head popped to the surface, her lungs exploded. She hadn't realized how much she needed air. Feeling dizzy, she tried to catch her breath but sank back into the water.

Again she pushed against the bottom, and when she broke to the surface a second time, she opened her eyes and discovered the canyon had widened, and the river had slowed. Next to her was a small rock bar large enough to stretch out on and rest.

Her muscles moved reluctantly as she pulled herself out of the water. The surface of the river was empty. Her sister was gone. She was alone.

The round rocks rolled under her hands and knees as she crawled onto the bar. But they radiated warmth from the sun, and once she lay on them, she was too tired to move. Before sleep overtook her, she wondered how she was going to survive without her sister. She remembered the amulet and reached for it. It was gone. She fell asleep, sobbing.

When she awoke, the sun and its warmth were gone. Not even a hint of pink remained in the sky. Wendy decided it must be late at night. Still wet, she was shaking with cold, and when she moved, she discovered her muscles were stiff and sore. Curling into a ball, she tried to conserve body heat.

The stars above formed brilliant points of light and swept across the sky in a narrow band bounded by the tops of the cliffs. None of the light reached her at the base of the canyon. She couldn't even see the rocks right in front of her.

In the background, she heard the gentle lapping of the river on the stones. She also heard something else. It sounded like the gentle swish of fabric rubbing against itself like pant legs as one walked. But no one could walk on the bar without moving the stone, and she heard nothing of that sort.