by Ronn Fryer
Olivia needed to think! There wouldn’t be second chances. Once she let go of the snag, the swift river might easily push her right past Ramona. If she missed, she’d be unable to swim back against the current. And, once she did reach the girl, Livvy still had no clue what she was going to do. Helping her tread water was a short term measure at best.
The cooler would have helped them stay afloat, but the damn snag wasn’t about to give it up. Just as Olivia was about to throw caution to the wind (or in this case – the water), offering herself up as a noble little killdeer, Stacy shouted –“Ramona, Catch!”
Chastising herself for her momentary lapse in reason, the ponytailed leader had quickly refocused on the pertinent logistics. Wading out, she hoisted a life vest above her head. Despite the distance, she intended to sail it within Ramona’s flailing grasp.
The life jacket was hardly a softball though. In spite of all the innings Stacy had pitched, this was a damn sight tougher than facing the best cleanup hitter.
Her first attempt was short.
The preserver tumbled end over end, dropping a good ten feet short of the girl’s outstretched hand. Instinctively following Stacy’s lead, Tina grabbed two additional life jackets and bounded in waist-deep, next to their team captain. As if they’d already practiced the procedure, Tina swiftly handed her one of the preservers. As if it were a big orange baton, Stacy plucked it from her grasp and let it fly. The second toss, nevertheless, caught the wind and sailed right over Ramona’s head.
“Damn!” Stacy cursed.
Just as Tina was handing Stacy the other vest, Olivia pushed off from the snag. A successful throw was looking doubtful and Ramona couldn’t hold out much longer. Livvy couldn’t waste any more time watching Stacy turn the river into a Coast Guard approved pumpkin fest.
With no more idea how she was going to save Ramona than she did the fox, Olivia let go of the cooler. If necessity was indeed the mother of invention, intuition might just as easily be the sister of insight. The river, every bit as dangerous as shovel-wielding bullies, was nevertheless predictable. Exploiting its energy, it could actually prove to be an ally.
Surging toward Ramona, headfirst, would risk dunking her – the current was just too strong. Olivia, consequently spun around so as to approach Ramona feet-first. Swimming upstream, against the rushing water, Livvy could not only arrive a good deal slower, she’d also provide the best possible extremities to keep them both afloat – her legs.
As if the river’s sympathy had somehow been evoked, the current delivered her gently to the girl who was rapidly facing exhaustion.
Ramona grabbed her ankles with a force Olivia could barely believe. It was a wonder she didn’t pull them both under – panic evidently pledged no allegiance to logic. Even though Olivia’s legs had arrived like sweet salvation, the real saving grace was that the approach left Livvy’s arms free. They were the only thing keeping her afloat. Her remaining strength, however, was waning fast.
Oddly enough, at that very moment, a blessing fell from the sky. Just as Ramona’s shiny black nails dug into Olivia’s ankles, it hit Livvy squarely in the head.
Stacy had sucked in a deep breath, aimed, and made her best pitch. Even though Ramona had been the original target, everyone agreed it was a perfect strike all the same. Evidently three times is a charm.
Livvy snatched the life jacket as if it were mana from heaven.
Map 3
Chapter 36 – Or Should I Go?
With Stacy’s precious gift firmly in her right hand, Olivia dug into the river with her left, twisting her torso just enough to face Ramona without slamming into her. The panic-stricken girl reached out, desperately exchanging Olivia’s ankles for the life preserver. Livvy, in turn, reached for the top of the log that was paradoxically holding Ramona against the river’s onslaught.
“Put it on!” She instructed, trying to sound calm despite raising her voice above the sound of the rushing water. With her back braced against the tree’s slippery trunk, Olivia helped guide the vest over the girl’s arms.
“My foot’s caught!” Ramona blurted, as she shoved her hand through the armhole of the preserver. Olivia nodded, acknowledging the girl’s plight, while doing her best to support the girl struggling to wrap the life vest around her tiny frame. Even on dry land, the puffy orange vests were awkward to secure; trying to buckle in someone caught between terror and exhaustion required a couple dozen extra hands. In spite of everything, however, Olivia found reserve she’d never imagined.
Meanwhile, shouts continued ringing out from shore. Jennifer sent words of encouragement to both Ramona and Olivia while Courtney yelled nonstop instructions at Stacy. None of their screaming helped at all, but at the moment they couldn’t seem to do anything else.
Later, though, each girl would have to confront her own conscience. They’d all likely chastise themselves for lack of foresight, or failing to come up with a response. Some, however, would have to face the fact that they simply lacked courage. Even if additional bodies paddling about would only have complicated matters, it wasn’t rational thinking that kept their feet planted firmly in the sand. Their own fear of drowning was all too real.
Nicole, in her desperate attempt to do something, pulled out her cell phone only to find she had no service. All the bars in the world, however, would hardly have mattered. Even if she could have described their location, no help could have possibly arrived in time.
Saving Ramona had been a priority, but she now had a preserver keeping her afloat – Olivia didn’t. Completely relaxed, it might be possible to simply float down the river. The best Olympic swimmer, however, could only resist the current for so long, and neither girl would ever be a medal contender. Despite their present heartrates, conserving precious energy was absolutely crucial.
Unsure whether to hand Stacy one of the remaining life jackets or try swimming out a second time, Tina made a snap decision. They couldn’t afford another bad toss. She turned and pointed to her canoe. “Throw me a preserver!”
Even before Jennifer could grab Tina’s life jacket, however, Olivia went under.
During every crisis there is a moment in which someone either acts or runs – basic fight or flight. Inaction might seem like a third possibility; but in reality, doing nothing is just another form of retreat. Screams, shouts – outcries of any kind, simply express the level of frustration the bystander is experiencing. Since action usually requires putting someone else’s welfare above your own, self-preservation obviously favors retreat. Even if variables in a crisis may be numerous, the decision is nevertheless, singular. It’s just a matter of whose hide is valued most.
Self-preservation, though, is a time-honored human trait. Bravery, despite any perceived nobility, is quite an irrational act. Risking your ass, especially for someone you’ve only known a short time, strongly suggests a few missing brain cells. Not a single girl standing along the river’s edge, however, questioned Tina’s intelligence.
Without hesitation, she sloshed back ashore and snatched the life jacket from Jenny’s outstretched hand. With the preserver draped over her shoulder, she hightailed up along the bank to the identical spot at which Olivia had entered – painfully piercing the tender soles of her feet on the same sharp reeds.
Upstream, the strip of sand that the girls had been standing on quickly gave way to three inches of muck beneath two inches of water. And, although running through mire literally sucked, Tina nevertheless covered a good deal more than fifty feet of shoreline before she entered the water. The Au Sable may have thought it had the upper hand, but it didn’t take the girl’s determination into account. Used correctly, fear is nothing more than extra power.
After bounding across the gravel-lined apron, Tina plunged into the river’s main flow, the strap of the life vest cinched tightly in her teeth. With the current pushing her downstream, she began paddling like a possessed beaver. Surging past the cooler, she was only a few yards away from Ramona when Olivia’s head popped back up.
Spitting out the strap, Tina grabbed the kapok-filled vest and flung it to her friend, shouting, “Grab it!”
Livvy didn’t have to be told twice.
Chapter 37 – With Or Without You
“Are you...o – kay?” Tina gasped, struggling to catch her breath. Of all the girls, she was by far the best swimmer. Unable to find time for extra-curricular sports, she’d nevertheless once raced the captain of the school’s swim team – beating her by a half a length. Although she had to summon her best for that challenge, it didn’t compare to the effort she needed to reach Olivia. This felt like an absolute race against time.
Even with the current’s help, she’d pushed herself to the very limits of her endurance. And, despite the log’s culpability, once she reached it, she braced herself against its curved surface with the utmost gratitude.
Back when the tree had originally fallen into the river, its top had naturally splashed in first, the current subsequently turning it upside down in the water. Although most of its branches were submerged, a substantial length of the trunk protruded four inches above the water’s surface. A far cry from a cushy air mattress, the slippery base nevertheless provided a buoyant refuge from the river’s relentless energy. Without it, neither girl could never have possibly held her position.
“Yea – ah,” Livvy managed, her breathing every bit as labored as Tina’s.
Although she’d never practiced yoga, Olivia seemed to be attempting one of its most difficult poses as she wrapped herself around the log. Even holding half of the life jacket that Tina had brought, fighting the water’s constant push was exhausting.
Squeezed between the two girls, Tina also struggled, scissor-kicking nonstop against the current. Her legs kept banging against something, but she’d worry about the bruises later. With her back propped against the log and her arm threaded through the preserver she shared with Livvy, Tina reached out to Ramona. “And you?”
Even as the bulky vest rode up around her neck, the girl managed a nod. Despite everything, she tried her best to put on a brave face. The look in her eyes, however, betrayed even the faintest affirmation.
Tina offered the girl an encouraging smile. Turning to Olivia though, she confessed, “When you went under, I was scared shitless. I was afraid you were drowning!”
“No, I went down on purpose,” Livvy explained. “Her foot is caught and I tried to get it free. The current almost swept me away the first time.” Still fighting to catch her breath, she paused a moment and wiped water from her face. “I went under again, only this time holding onto the limb – I know what we have to do.”
Tina might not actually have gills, but she seemed totally at home in most any aquatic environment. Olivia, was a damn sight less amphibious. Drifting along in a canoe was one thing. But, as if dealing with a treacherous undertow wasn’t challenging enough, she had to fight her initial compulsion and force her eyes open once she was underneath.
It was a practice she typically chose to avoid. Pool chorine burned and who knew what kind of nasty microbes lurked in dirty water. She cringed at the very thought of peeking into anything remotely close to the likes of the waterway that flowed through the heart of Lansing.
The Au Sable, however, could never be so denigrated. Although it tends to get a little murkier downstream, it’s still amazingly clear well past Horseshoe. Even if the rushing water might distort the surface in places, the biggest hindrance to visibility below, was simply bubbles.
To avoid excessive disturbance; and, conserve precious air, Olivia had tried her best to limit movement when she’d pushed herself down. Despite a racing pulse, she had shimmied down the submerged branch, minimizing the turbulence long enough to get a decent view of the predicament. The bad news was that her foot had been caught, leaving the girl’s head exposed only twelve inches above water. The good news was that it hadn’t been caught twelve inches below.
In theory, the solution seemed simple enough – just wrench Ramona’s foot down and away from the limb’s slingshot-shaped crotch. In order to do that, however, she’d have to pull the girl back under.
With barely enough time to explain the situation, Olivia had none left to sugarcoat it. Facing Tina, she explained, “We have to pull her back down.”
Ramona’s face registered sheer panic.
Displaying the most reassuring look she could muster, Tina squeezed the girl’s hand, promising, “Sweetie, trust us, we can do this!” Surveying Olivia’s face, however, the girl doing the reassuring wouldn’t have minded a little reassurance herself.
Livvy cupped Ramona’s face, and explained, “Tina’s going to unfasten your preserver. I’m going to dive down and grab your ankle – do you understand?”
Eyes wide, Ramona managed the slightest nod. “When she does,” Olivia continued, “you have to let go of the preserver.”
“It’ll be okay,” Tina confirmed.
With heart pounding wildly, Ramona pursed her lips and offered a pathetic version of a smile. Even though she’d only known these girls a few days, she was about to place her fate in their hands; blind faith emerging from eyes wide as saucers. Not that there really was a choice, of course. Despite trembling lips, protest was in no position to argue with pragmatism.
Expediency at the utmost, the moment had come; they were about to discover if miracles really did happen.
Tina released the plastic clasps on the girl’s life jacket as Olivia summoned all her remaining strength and launched herself down. Defying the current’s onslaught, Livvy ran her hand along the girl’s thigh to her captured foot. Without hesitation, she wrapped her fingers tightly around Ramona’s slender ankle. With additional verbal, and physical encouragement from Tina, the girl let herself drop, just as Olivia tugged.
Aided by Livvy’s downward pull, Ramona twisted her leg, kicked wildly and wriggled free. An extra series of frantic leg kicks and she surged back to the surface with fingers spread like eagle talons, desperate to recapture the life jacket and Tina’s waiting grasp.
Ramona was free! And freedom was sweet beyond description.
But, as if owed penance, the river in turn, captured Olivia. More accurately, it captured her shorts.
As the exchange student pushed off, her force drove her rescuer downward. Desperate to avoid getting caught under the ominous main branch, Livvy splayed her legs and squirmed sideways. Her efforts managed to deflect her upper body from the limb and the submerged trunk. Unfortunately, it sent her cute little tush into yet another, smaller limb. The immodest branch slipped between the thin cotton material and her inner thigh, painfully scraping the tender skin.
On full survival mode, Olivia surged upward, the button on her shorts offering little resistance to her determination. And, once the rushing current gained entrance, the zipper acquiesced with minimal objection.
Although Livvy had little infinity for narcissism, modesty was no match against self-preservation. With or without her shorts, she was breaking the surface.
Chapter 38 – Au Natural
If someone would have asked Olivia how she made it back to shore, it’s doubtful she could have told them. Had her shorts not surrendered to the underwater snag the result would have been unthinkable. Fortunately, however, they slipped down her legs, well past her thighs, before the raking limb finally released them. Panic-stricken, Livvy had surged upward, the pain barely registering.
When she resurfaced, she was totally out of breath. Gasping desperately for oxygen while simultaneously coughing up water, she reached wildly for help – eyes all but blinded by tangled strands of soaked hair and generous portions of spring-fed river.
Tina grabbed Livvy’s arm and yanked her up.
It was certainly no time to be delicate. Although it seemed like Olivia had been under an eternity, Ramona had actually only popped up a mere ten seconds earlier. Those few seconds that Olivia fought to free herself, however, could have determined an eternity.
After jamming one life jacket back into Ramona’s grasp, Tina had been prep
ared to hand her the other and dive down. The turbulence made visibility difficult, but it looked like Olivia may now have been in distress. Words couldn’t possibly express the relief she felt, however, when Livvy’s head broke water.
Olivia thought she heard Tina say, “Here!”
“Here?”
The sound was reassuring, but reality seemed strangely evasive.
“Here?”
Her fingers suggested coarse nylon – wet, slippery. A life jacket?
Livvy was not necessarily out of it, but she wasn’t really in it either. Fear, adrenalin, and sheer exhaustion left her confused, disoriented.
The submerged tree, sawmill survivor in its own right, had threatened their lives. Even as it amounted to the one thing that kept the river from sweeping them away, it was hardly a philanthropist. Evidently it desired compensation.
Her shorts, she thought...NO!
In desperation, she tried to reach for them. She would not let herself be exposed, absolutely couldn’t be!
Although the tree had ultimately been denied its souvenir, its efforts left Olivia’s shorts firmly bunched about her ankles, along with the torn remainder of her Victoria not-so-secrets.
With one hand she’d instinctively grabbed onto the preserver, holding on for dear life. Tina, meanwhile, had a grasp on her arm that even Bobby and Slacker together couldn’t have broken.
Still, Olivia needed – no, absolutely had to, pull up her shorts!
Tina wasn’t prudish though; she’d be the last one offended by nudity. Half the things she wore already pushed the limits. Olivia really needn’t be worried about the French girl either. She’d risked her life to save Ramona, surely the girl would see only gratitude. Besides, her fantasies may likely have already coveted just such a vision.
Despite gagging on river water, Olivia tried letting go of the life jacket, struggling to restore her modesty. Before she could reach down, however, someone grabbed her newly-freed arm. Who? Surely not Ramona. Not Tina, she still had a vise-grip above her elbow.