White Water

by Linda I. Shands

  Whirlpool! A rush of fear made her body shudder as the raft spun around for the third time. Kara knew if they didn’t get out of the spinning water soon, they’d be sucked under and drown. Again, the boulder loomed in front of her. This time she waited until the last minute, then shifted forward, shoved both oars against the rock, and pushed with all of her might.

  The force knocked her backwards. One oar snapped, and Kara felt the plastic paddle whiz by her ear. Tia screamed, and Kara scrambled to her knees. For one sickening moment they hung suspended at the top of a wave, then, like a rock from a giant slingshot, the raft shot backwards out of the swirling water.

  “My backpack!” Ryan’s yell hit her like a stomach punch, and she watched in horror as the boy threw himself onto the side of the boat, arms stretched toward the backpack floating just out of reach. “Ryan, no!” she screamed. She lunged after him just as the current caught the raft and propelled them downstream.

  Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. Her body collided with Colin’s as they both made a grab for Ryan’s legs. Then the raft plunged once more into a short patch of white water, knocking her flat on her back. Again, she pushed to her knees. Just as the raft shot around a bend in the river, she caught a glimpse of orange bobbing in the water close to shore.

  The current slowed, and the roar of waves was replaced by the slap of Colin’s oars as he propelled them toward an inlet of calm water that lapped against an eroded bank. A sudden jolt and the raft stopped dead about five feet from shore.

  “A tree! We’re hung up on a tree!” Kara heard the sob in Colin’s voice. Her brain registered the fear and frustration she saw on his face. She should tell him not to panic. Help him get the raft untangled. Get them all safely on shore. But she couldn’t move. Ryan. Her little brother was no longer in the boat. She had to find him, but when she tried to move, her arms wouldn’t cooperate. Her legs felt numb, and she felt as if her mind had been sucked into another whirlpool.

  “Wakara! Tia’s bleeding. She’s unconscious. Come on, snap out of it, you’ve got to help me!”

  Someone was shaking her. As she looked up into Colin’s fear-twisted face, all she felt was a cold, steady anger. “Get your hands off me, Colin Jones.” She heard her own voice, like ice cracking in a drinking glass. Her mouth felt dry and tasted like wood shavings from Lily’s stall. Her hands felt clammy as she raised them to his chest and shoved him away.

  Colin lost his balance and fell into Tia. Kara cringed as the girl howled like a banshee, then sat up holding her head. “Ooh. What happened? I feel like someone hit me with a brick.”

  “Let me look.” Colin peeled Tia’s hands away, and Kara could see a thin, red line running from the girl’s hairline to the bridge of her nose. The cut was still seeping blood, and Kara moved forward for a closer look. “It’s not deep.” She grabbed her backpack, dug out the first aid kit, and thrust it at Colin. “Take care of her. I’ve got to get Ryan!”

  As she pushed to her feet, the raft rocked violently, causing Tia to squeal, but it didn’t turn over or float free. It took Kara only a moment to see they were caught in a tangle of twisted branches from a fallen tree. She scanned the area for another way out. She could easily swim the five feet or so to shore, but the riverbank was high and so eroded there were no handholds to help her climb.

  Fear, sharp as an eagle’s beak, ripped through her as she realized they were trapped. But the vision of a bright orange life jacket bobbing in the river sent her up onto the edge of the raft. How long had Ryan been in the water? Had the current washed him into shore, or onto the rocks? Whatever, she had to get to him, and fast!

  KARA CLAWED THROUGH THE tangled branches until her hands closed around the slim trunk of the fallen tree. She shook it hard, then, when it didn’t break away from the bank, she shook it harder. Still, it held. She crouched, then willed her legs to act like springs as she hurtled herself into the center of the tree. Heart pounding, she straddled the trunk for a few seconds to catch her breath. Colin was yelling something about being careful, but she wasn’t interested in anything he had to say. Ryan was in trouble, and they’d already wasted enough time.

  She pulled herself along the slender trunk, ignoring the sting of pain as twigs scraped her face and poked into her hands. Seconds later she reached the spot where the tree clung to the bank by a tangle of exposed roots. She grabbed a handful of the slippery wood and pushed with her feet, launching herself upward. She landed hard on her belly, her fingers digging into solid ground. A few more inches and her knees gained hold. She jumped to her feet and sprinted downriver, pushing through the brush until she found a slim trail close to the water’s edge.

  Panting from the exertion, she forced herself to slow down and scan the water as she moved along. Ryan couldn’t have floated by them. That bright orange life jacket would be hard to miss. She studied the river and the opposite shore, peering under the ledges of the higher banks, scanning the underbrush at the water’s edge. The roar of white water once again filled her ears. The ground angled slightly uphill as she rounded a curve and spotted the huge boulder with the patch of churning water just a few feet below. It looked almost harmless from here. In fact, the rapids on the left side of Finn Rock resembled little more than a long, rippled slide. Like a ride at a water park.

  At first glance, the right side looked almost as unthreatening. Then, as Kara studied the current, she recognized with a sickening jab of fear the whirling spiral of water that could suck even a bigger raft than Colin’s down a spinning funnel to certain death.

  She shuddered, then forced herself to study the area where she’d last seen Ryan. He’d gone out of the boat a few feet downriver from the rapids. It’s not likely he would have been sucked back into the whirlpool from there. The thought made her feel a little better. He’d fallen toward this side, away from the current that had carried the raft straight and fast down the middle of the river. The last she’d seen of him was the life vest bobbing toward shore.

  There! Kara’s breath caught as she spied a patch of orange at the water’s edge just a few feet downriver from where she was standing. Arms out, she balanced herself and slid on her heels down the slight embankment. She sprinted over slippery stones, nearly falling into the ankle-deep water. In seconds she was in a small cove, where shallow waves lapped at a patch of mud-colored sand. She skidded to a stop and sank to her knees beside Ryan’s empty, bright orange vest.

  He made it to shore! Joy flooded through her, then quickly ebbed as she realized there was no sign of her brother in the cove. She looked around. No footprints either. “Ry?” She’d meant to yell, but her voice came out a whisper. She stood, cupped her hands around her mouth, and screamed, “Ryan! Where are you?”

  She heard a rustling in the bushes and spun around as a blue jay squawked and flew into the upper branches of a skinny pine. “Ry!” She cupped her hands and tried again.

  “Wakara?”

  At the sound of her name, she jumped and turned. “Colin!”

  His face was the color of ashes. “Wakara, I’m sorry. I came to help.”

  She steeled herself against his apology and tore her gaze from his pleading eyes. “Then help.” Once again Kara felt like an ice queen, but she didn’t care. It was Colin’s fault they were in this mess. If he’d paid attention to Mark’s warning and stayed on the left side of the rocks, they’d be almost home by now, and her little brother would be safe.

  She spun around and led the way back to the cove. “Here’s his vest. It’s unbuckled. He has to be around here somewhere, but I can’t find any tracks.”

  “Maybe the vest came off upriver and floated here on its own.”

  Kara felt frozen in place. “What are you saying? That the vest came off and my brother is still in the river?” The fury in her voice startled them both. Colin reached out, then drew back away from her.

  “I’m sorry, Wakara, but we have to look at that possibility.”

  Kara forced herself to think. The vest had b
een hard to buckle over Ryan’s jacket. The impact with the water could have caused it to come undone. But she couldn’t face that yet. “It’s also possible he made it to shore, got rid of the vest, and wandered off somewhere.” She gestured toward the woods. “He was probably stunned. In fact, he could be close—just not able to hear us call.”

  Colin nodded. “Tia’s still a little woozy. The paddle from one of your oars is missing. It must have broken off and hit her in the head. The bleeding is stopped, and I wrapped her in one of the sleeping bags, so she should be okay for a while.” He took a deep breath. “We’ll look for half an hour, then go for help.”

  Kara heard him, but was too busy scanning the area to really listen. “I know he’s on this side of the river. I’m going this way as far as I can along the bank.” She gestured toward the woods again. “You go up there. Crisscross the area inland, back toward the raft. We didn’t bring the walkie-talkies, so shout if you find him. Sound should travel well in here.”

  Colin nodded and bent to pick up the vest.

  “Leave it!” Kara snapped. “It will make it easier to find this spot.”

  Without waiting for a reply, she turned and jogged along the shoreline, calling Ryan’s name. When she was forced to higher ground, she continued along as close to the bank as she could, searching the underbrush and even looking up into the lower limbs of trees her brother might have climbed. The terrain became steeper, and many times she was forced to climb over huge boulders, then scramble down the other sides.

  Half an hour later, her heart was pounding in her ears and her legs felt like jelly, but there was still no sign of Ry. Fear hit her like a fist in the belly when she realized the seven year old could never have come this far. Colin might be right. Ryan could still be in the river. But if he was still in the river, that meant he had drowned. She dropped to her knees on the ground. Her mind felt numb. She couldn’t believe that, not when there was still a chance.

  God has not given you a spirit of fear. Anne’s voice filtered into her thoughts, but Kara mentally shoved the half-remembered verse to the back of her mind. She didn’t know where God fit into this, she only knew she was too numb to pray and too scared to do anything but keep on looking for her brother.

  “Wakara!” Her name echoed through the forest like a shotgun blast.

  “Colin?” He had promised to yell. That must mean he’d found Ry! She jumped to her feet and ran toward the voice. “Wakara!” There it came again. She raced inland, dodging trees and brush. Still, the going up here was easier, and she forced herself on, following Colin’s voice, until she came to a clearing not far from where they had left the raft.

  Doubled over and fighting for air, she nearly tumbled into Colin’s arms. “Where is he?” she gasped. She looked around as Colin held her steady.

  “Take it easy.” He pulled her close and she gave in, laying her head against his chest until she caught her breath. When she recovered enough to stand on her own, she realized that, except for her and Colin, the clearing was empty.

  “Where is he?” she asked again.

  Colin shook his head. “I couldn’t find him, Wakara. I covered the area between here and the rapids twice, but there’s no sign. Think about it,” he said when she pushed him away. “Look around you. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”

  Kara felt stunned, and the fight went out of her like air from a balloon. Colin took her arm and led her out of the clearing. The sound of water rushing over rock was soothing. If she could just lie down and close her eyes, the river would lull her to sleep.

  The raft was tied up a few yards downstream from the fallen tree, and Kara realized Colin must have somehow worked it free. As they got closer, she spied Tia huddled under a sleeping bag in the bottom of the boat. Her friend’s eyes were red from crying, and the whole top of her face was swollen clear to the hairline.

  “Did you find him?” Tia’s voice was slurred, and Kara realized Colin must have given her a dose of the painkiller they kept in the first aid kit for emergencies.

  Colin shook his head. “No. And there’s no way we will. Not on our own.” He tightened his grip on Kara’s arm. “In you go, Princess. We’ve done what we can—now we go for help.”

  KARA FELT LIKE SHE’D JUST hiked the Grand Canyon from one end to the other. Her feet throbbed, and her knees were trembling from fatigue. We do need help, she silently agreed with Colin.

  The woods were too big, the area along the river too dense for them to cover every foot of it on their own.

  Colin stepped into the raft, turned around, and held out his hand. “Come on, Wakara. Tia needs a doctor, and we can radio for divers as soon as we get back to the lodge.”

  “Divers?” Kara felt her limbs go cold. Her entire body was shaking, but not from the temperature. If Colin thought she was going to give up that easily, it was obvious he didn’t know her at all. She took his hand and stepped into the boat. When he was seated at the bow, oars in hand, she grabbed her backpack with the sleeping bag strapped to the frame and tossed it onshore, then scooped up the first aid kit and jumped out of the raft.

  “Wakara! Don’t be an idiot. Get back in the boat!” Colin’s voice radiated fear and frustration. She ignored him until she was a safe distance from the raft. Then she said evenly, “Ryan had a life jacket, and he’s had survival training. He is not dead, Colin Jones, and I’m not leaving until I find him!”

  “Wakara, please.” He looked so defeated, Kara almost relented, but she steeled herself against his pleading eyes.

  “She won’t leave,” Tia’s voice broke on a sob. “I’m sorry, Wakara. I’d stay and help if I could, but I really feel sick.”

  Concern for her friend softened Kara’s tone, but not her resolve. “Get going.” She stared past Colin’s shoulder so she wouldn’t have to look at his tear-stained face. “Send in Search-and-Rescue as fast as they can get here. I’ll be around.” Then she scooped up her pack and sprinted into the woods.

  When she was out of sight, she stopped to listen. The sound of Tia’s sobs grew fainter, and Kara knew Colin had taken off. Dad was supposed to meet them at the old mill by six o’clock. That was five hours from now. By then it would be almost dark.

  Kara strapped on her pack and began to walk again, following a zigzag course upstream along the river. When she came to the spots where boulders blocked her way, she went around, calling loudly as she walked. Had it been only three short hours since she had buckled Ryan into his life jacket and helped him into the boat?

  Ryan can’t be dead. God wouldn’t let that happen.

  But Mom died.

  God saved us from the fire. He’ll save us now.

  Why should He? You haven’t even prayed. The thought stopped her cold. She hadn’t prayed, she realized, not once. She’d been too intent on finding Ryan.

  “There are no problems too big for God, but a stubborn heart can muffle His voice.” Where had she heard that before? Anne, of course. Anne had the answer to everything. Well, Anne isn’t here, and I don’t have time to pray right now!

  She pushed her thoughts aside and struggled through the brush next to the water’s edge, searching the riverbanks in and out of the water. She bent down and peered under ledges where a body might lodge. She would never admit Ry was dead, but he could be unconscious and hung up on a tree branch or something, just like the raft had been. She swatted at the huge black flies that buzzed around her ears and face, and brushed away mosquitoes that attacked every time she stopped to call Ryan’s name. When she came to the spot where she’d found Ryan’s life vest, she worked her way inland and followed a deer trail upstream. She watched the ground carefully, looking for tracks. She spotted deer droppings and antler rubs on trees. Prints of small animals told her this trail was well used, but there were no human footprints to be seen.

  When her legs threatened to dump her to the ground, Kara plopped down on a stump and listened to the sounds of the forest. Blue jays squabbled over a patch of early berries, and squirr
els scampered from tree to tree as if the intertwining branches were freeways they traveled to and from their homes. Any other time the thought would have made her smile. Now she was too tired to feel much of anything. The vague sickness in her stomach turned to rumbling, and she knew she needed to eat if she wanted strength to continue the search.

  She dug through her pack and found a squashed package of raisins, two fruit rolls, some trail mix, and three strips of beef jerky. She settled for the trail mix and a box of juice, then looked at her watch. It was only four o’clock. Colin and Tia still had at least an hour on the river and another hour before they met up with Dad. They’d never get Search-and-Rescue in here before dark.

  A new rush of tears warmed her cheeks. That means it’s up to me. She closed her eyes and tried to think. Where should she search? Farther inland? She shook her head. No. Ryan would stay near the river. Back downstream, past where they’d grounded the raft?

  “Where is he, God? You’ve got to help me. Show me where to look!” It wasn’t really a prayer, more like an angry demand. And that’s exactly how she felt: angry, desperate, and deserted by God. And Colin’s betrayal hurt almost as badly as Ryan being lost. He had made a choice to run the wilder rapids. He had deliberately put them all in danger. She would never be able to forgive him for that.

  Kara stood and strapped her backpack over her jacket. The afternoon sun didn’t penetrate into the forest. It would be cold tonight. She was dry, but Ryan had been in the river. If he was unconscious and unable to get warm, he could freeze to death. Some choice, she thought bitterly, freeze or drown. She hurried down the deer trail, not stopping to call or even catch her breath until she reached the clearing where she’d met Colin a few hours earlier. There’d been no sign of Ryan between here and the rapids. Was it possible he’d been carried past them downstream? The current had been pretty fast, but the river wasn’t deep. Surely they would have seen him. Besides, his life jacket was on shore a long ways back. Even if it had come off in the water, it made sense to think Ryan would have been washed ashore at about the same place. And what about his backpack! she reasoned. There’d been no sign of it, either. Ryan must have caught it and carried it with him away from the river. Maybe the water level had risen for some reason and washed his footprints away.