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Chapter 7: Level Three -- Murky Waters

My heart was already pounding as I slowly dipped my oar into the water, slowly helping to steer our canoe through the tunnel. We were now completely immersed in the dark, with only the flickering lights of torches guiding our way.

I watched Rey as he kept moving forward, with Austin and Blake now behind us. We were all quiet, listening to the water splashing against the rocks, droplets echoing, and the slight breeze slipping through. I could even hear Hayden's shaky breath behind me, and the oars splashing in the water.

Rey lifted his oar up and stopped for a few seconds. He turned to look at us with a slight frown on his face.

"You hear that?" He asked.

"Hear wha–"

I screamed as something hard whacked the side of the canoe, tilting it to the right. Then I heard it, a deep guttural growl echoing through the tunnel. I dropped my oar and grabbed onto the side of the canoe, but froze as I saw the oar being pushed out of the water, resting on a scaly and spiked long back and moving towards Austin and Blake.

I took a panicked breath as I stared at Rey, then turned and watched the oar keep moving. Austin lifted up his oar and Blake did the same. "Nobody move a muscle," Austin said. "I think these are–"

Something struck the canoe again, tilting it to its side, and before I could even think, my face was submerged by the icy cold water.

I had fallen out of the canoe.

"VERA!" Hayden screamed. He was pushed further towards Rey, and I was kicking and flailing in the water.

"Vera, stay very, very calm—" Austin's voice echoed behind me.

I tried to slow my moving and swallowed as I saw the saw oar on the scaled back moving past me. However, just as I thought it was about to pass, it turned.

The oar fell off the back as it sunk deeper into the water– heading right towards me.

I so badly wanted to scream. I was fighting every urge.

I was yanked into the water. Stabs of pain filled my right leg as I was dragged deeper and deeper. I kicked, tried swimming up with my arms. But as soon as the pain was there, it was gone. I kept kicking, and my face broke through the water.

"HELP!" I hollered.

Someone grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me up just as pain shot again through my leg. I screamed this time, and I heard Blake screaming too.

I turned and saw two yellow eyes looking at me, that and its mouth and teeth now clamped onto my leg.

Was that a freaking crocodile!? It began to move backwards again, pulling me along with it. I screamed again as Austin wrapped his arms around me, keeping me from being dragged right back into the water.

"I've got you! I've got you!"

I was dead. I was going to be dragged under, drowned, and eaten. There was no way Austin was stronger than a crocodile–but then again, as much as this monster tried to drag me under, I wasn't moving. A flaw in the game mechanic —

I heard more splashes and suddenly it let go again.

"Over here, you monsters!" I heard Hayden call out.

"Guys! There's an exit just in the front!" Rey yelled.

"Pull your leg in," Austin said. I slowly moved, making sure that my bloody leg was not dipped in the water, as Austin moved the canoe forward.

I looked up and noticed Rey was still in the canoe, splashing the water like mad, but at the same time moving the canoe in swift circles. He was making himself a target, but certainly not an easy one.

Then we spotted it. A pier and a door with the familiar number 3 on it. Only, it was still red. I stared at my bleeding leg and nausea filled my stomach, and I was shivering uncontrollably.

Hayden held his hand out.

"Blake, you go first," Austin said. Blake slowly stood up and grabbed Hayden's hand. Hayden tugged him up.

"I don't think I can stand." I spoke. No way was I balancing myself onto the pier.

"Stay on the canoe," Austin said. I grabbed hold of the sides as I felt him slowly stand up and jump onto the pier.

"Give me your hand," Austin said. "Hayden, you grab the other."

I grabbed both their hands, and within seconds, I was hoisted onto the pier. My leg burst out in pain, as if I was on fire. I screamed again.

"REY! Get your ass over here!" Austin yelled.

"Hey! Beasties! Over here!"

I turned and watched as Hayden had moved a little to the left, splashing water again. He took a slight step as growls echoed near him. Rey had quickly turned the canoe around, stood up, and jumped a few feet from the pier. He landed on the wooden boards.

"Let's go!" Austin knelt next to me. "We'll take a look at your leg in the house."

"No arguments there," I said.

"Put your arm around me," I grunted as I threw my arm around his neck, and he lifted me up.

"I dreamt that this was the way I was going to be carried to my wedding."

"Oh, you getting married?"

"Only in my imagination," I said and grunted a little, trying to ignore the fiery pain. "But this isn't exactly very romantic."

"It makes me feel very heroic," Austin said with a small laugh, causing me to smile then laugh too. It wasn't exactly funny, but at the same time I needed something ANYTHING to think of than the pain in my right leg.

"I expect a wedding invite if we get out of here."

I smiled. "Yeah, no everyone here will absolutely be invited."