Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian: How She Was Taken Out of History

Chapter Four

Audrey stared at the rivers. They were large and blue, the water bringing a much-needed break from the desert heat. Unfortunately, there was a lot of area to cover. She had no idea what part of the confluence she was supposed to search. Well, if she was going to have to search all of it, she might as well start now.

Several hours later, the sun had nearly sunk below the horizon. Audrey knew she should probably get home, but she had one more thing she wanted to check.. She walked up to the edge of the river and dipped her hand in, causing a slight wave that flitted across the silent water. She frowned, leaning farther over the water. Nothing felt different, which was probably a good thing. But it was still disheartening. She was in for a loooong investigation.

Audrey pulled her hand back and shook it over the river, trying to get all the droplets of water off. As she stood up, her left foot slipped on the soil and she slid down the bank, straight into the river.

Great.

Audrey tried to swim, and it wasn't that difficult, as the current was weak. However, her long, floofy ball gown weighed her down. She came up gasping for air, and snagged her dress on some debris at the bottom of the river. She put her head back under and tore it off, kicking off her jeweled dress shoes in the process. She tried to swim back up, but it was like she was suddenly stuck in a whirlpool, though she knew whirlpools didn't exist in rivers, or they shouldn't.

The "whirlpool" sucked her deeper, and after a minute or two of being forced to use her breathing control an excessive amount, she was spit out into the light.

Only . . . she wasn't in the Tigris or the Euphrates. This river was too green for that. She swam over to the bank, keeping her head above water in case another whirlpool sucked her under.

Audrey climbed onto the bank, shivering from the cold. Her hand went to her starstone necklace, reminding her that she had a way out. She stood up and surveyed her surroundings. She was in a grassy meadow, with the river on her left and grassland to the right, as far as her eye could see - save for a few lone trees. She was nowhere near the Tigris or the Euphrates.

Audrey inspected the river next to her, careful not to lose her balance. The current seemed to be running to her right, and she followed it.