by B. C. Harris
As I look at the river before us, I know it’s too big for any of us to swim.
I turn to Frank who is standing a few steps away from me, looking forlorn.
“What’s wrong Frank?” I ask as I step towards her.
She turns away from me.
“Frank, what is it?”
“This is as far as I can go,” Frank tearfully replies.
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t fly over the river. You know that I am afraid of water.”
I remember her sharing this fear with me once before when we first arrived at the large lake where Lattisan is located.
We have a big problem. With the exception of Radwin, there’s no way we will be able to travel any further. The river is too big for us to swim. On either side of the river are steep walls of rock that would make it impossible for us to find a path, especially without a map.
Michael, who is standing close to me says, “Looks like we need to build a boat.”
“Build a boat?” I respond. “Out of what? As far as I can see, there are only rocks all around us.”
Unexpectedly, Michael laughs.
“Michael, this is hardly the time to laugh,” I say. “This is a serious situation. We need to find Shinti.”
“Yes, I know that,” Michael replies, “but look at Squirt.”
I follow Michael’s gaze to the river where Squirt if hopping up and down in the water enjoying his own little water fight.
“Maybe we should go for a swim,” Michael suggests.
“Go for a swim? Are you kidding?” I say. “How can we go for a swim at a time like this? We have to find Shinti. This isn’t going to be easy. There don’t appear to be any paths through the mountains. The only path we have is the river and it is much too big for us to swim.”
Michael looks embarrassed by my outburst.
“I’m sorry Michael,” I offer, realizing I was insensitive to his suggestion. “Yes, maybe we should pause for a few minutes and go for a swim.”
I think that a little relaxation might clear our heads and help us to come up with a plan for continuing our mission.
Before anyone says anything else, Michael is charging to the river. Drew is close behind him. Of course, Jasmin is following Drew like an obedient puppy.
“Come on,” Michael shouts.
As Jamie and I begin to follow as well, I turn to look at Frank.
Frank’s eyes are full of fear as she scans the river that covers the complete floor of the valley between the mountains. The steep walls of the mountains would force Frank to have to fly over the river which doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. I wonder if we could really go on without Frank. So far, she has played an important role in the success of our mission. How could we ever abandon her? Then again, it is possible that none of us will be going any further unless we find a passageway around the river.
I walk along the path leading to the river. Intuition tells me that this is the end of the road for Frank. I find myself beginning to wonder if we should all give up. Have we accepted a challenge that’s going to be far too difficult for us to complete? Capurni told us we would find Shinti after we made it through the first door. We’re now through the door and there’s no sign of the ancient world.
Michael leaps into the river. Drew and Jasmin are the next to follow. Jamie beats me to the river and rushes into the waters, although I’m not very far behind him.
The water feels good: cool and refreshing.
As I look at each of my friends, I can’t find Squirt.
A burst of water hits my face. It’s Squirt.
The purple zakabibble is all smiles as he shoots water at me. I laugh.
Squirt is here, there and everywhere spraying water at everyone. Between his high-pitched squeaky laugh and his frolicking around me, I momentarily forget about our journey that seems to have come to a dead end.
At the edge of the river, there’s a small sandy beach. I wave for Frank to join us, thinking she might at least feel safe on the beach, but she refuses to come.
Other than Frank, we are all immersed in the cool refreshing water. As Squirt continues to blast us with water, we are soon splashing water at each other like a gang of crazy limnits.
At one point, I notice that Drew and Jasmin are playfully splashing each other. I realize I’m growing jealous of Jasmin’s increasing relationship with Drew. She looks gorgeous even though every inch of her is soaked.
As Drew splashes water back and forth with her, he unexpectedly catches me looking at him. He grins at me.
Imagine if Drew liked both Jasmin and me. How awkward would that be?
Surprisingly, even Radwin joins in the fray. Buzzing overhead like a miniature airplane, he sends a stream of water at Michael and Jamie. I don’t remember seeing Jamie so unreserved before He’s having a great time. Radwin’s deep laugh and Squirt’s high pitched giggling have us all laughing. The loud laughter echoes off the steep walls that surround us. At one point I’m laughing so hard that I fall backwards into the river. When I surface, Squirt is perched on my head, much to the amusement of the others.
Michael and Jamie are using their hands like cups to drink water from the river. Holding my fingers tightly together I scoop some water into my hands and inspect it. I wonder if it is safe to drink. I notice something glimmering in the water that I hadn’t observed before.
“Something is alive in the water,” I say.
Squirt repeats, “Alive, alive, alive.”
As my classmates look around me, they start to examine the water around them.
“There’s something swimming in the water,” Michael says.
“They look like little flashes of light,” Jamie observes. “What are they?”
“Celleria,” I say. “Maybe this river is somehow connected to the lake where Lattisan is located. Perhaps, some of the celleria from the underwater city have traveled into other water systems.”
“If only we could use them to construct some zelans,” Michael casually remarks.
I gaze at the celleria pulsating in my hands. I wonder if it’s possible to construct a boat from them. I remember Capurni creating a couch from the celleria. I also recall him telling me that when the time is right, I too would be able to construct things from celleria. Is now the right time?
I stare at the celleria in my hands. I visualize a small boat forming. In a few seconds, I’m oblivious to everything else around me as I concentrate on a boat being created from the celleria.
“Amazing,” I hear Michael’s voice. As my mind comes back to reality, I notice a small boat, about the size of my palm, resting in my hands. “How did you ever do that?” Michael asks.
“I don’t know,” I say. As I look at the tiny boat in my hands I wonder if I could create a full-sized boat. I know I have to try. This might be our only hope for continuing our journey. It appears that the only possible way to carry on our search for Shinti is going to be on this river. A boat would certainly be a big help to us.
My friends are looking at me like I’m Harry Potter.
“Do you think you could make a larger boat?” Jamie asks.
“I’m going to try,” I say tentatively, “but first I need to have a clear picture of what the boat would look like.”
Drew slowly ambles to the beach as though he has a plan. He picks up a stick and begins to draw in the sand. As I approach Drew, I see that he’s drawing the outline of a boat.
We come closer to Drew.
Jamie says, “We need enough seats for all us.”
“And we need oars so we can row it,” adds Michael.
There is an interlude of silence as Drew works on his picture in the sand. Soon there is a large row boat with seats for all of us, oars for rowing, and even a rudder at the back of the boat for steering. I had no idea that Drew is such a talented artist.
“Great drawing, Drew,” I say sincerely.
Everyone turns to me.
“Do you think you can make this?” Michael
asks.
“I’ll try,” I respond, trying to clear my mind of any doubts. The success of our mission depends on me doing something beyond my level of understanding.
Still holding the tiny boat of celleria in my hands, I bend down and kneel in the shallow water. As I immerse both of my hands in the waters of the river, I cradle the tiny boat that I previously created.
I begin to stare at the picture of the boat that Drew made on the beach.
Silence descends around me. I force my mind to focus on the picture of the boat. I imagine that the celleria in the water are coming together to form the boat.
I concentrate on the celleria in my hands. I feel them pulsating. I imagine them shaping a boat. I picture them coming together to make the exact boat Drew has drawn in the sand. I imagine the celleria forming seats and oars and a rudder at the back of the boat for steering.
There’s a constant tingling sensation in my hands. The increasing weight of the celleria pushes my hands deeper into the water although my eyes remain glued to the picture of the boat in the sand.
Time stands still.
“Amazing,” Jamie is the first to reply.
“Amazing, amazing, amazing,” repeats Squirt.
“I don’t believe it,” Jasmin says.
I continue to focus on the picture of the boat.
“Unbelievable” Michael says. “In my comic books I’ve read about mind power. Now I’ve actually witnessed it.”
I feel a large object bumping against my legs. I allow my thoughts to drift from the picture of the boat in the sand to what I have created in the shallow water of the river.
I’m astounded when I realize that before me is a boat made from celleria that looks exactly like the boat that is drawn in the sand.
“Fantastic,” Radwin says.
In that moment of excitement and amazement, I come to a new realization. The boat is beginning to slowly move. There must be a current in the river that we hadn’t noticed before. Drew grabs the edge of the boat to stop it from moving. It’s instantly clear that he’s having trouble holding on to it. It’s almost as if the boat has a mind of its own and wants to start traveling on the river.
“Get into the boat,” Drew says. “Hurry,” he adds. “I can’t hold it much longer. Michael, get the backpack.”
I step into the boat along with Squirt who is once again perched on my shoulders. Jamie quickly follows while Radwin is flying in circles above us. Jasmin approaches the boat and feigns helplessness in an effort to get Drew to lift her into it. He happily complies while still managing to hold onto the boat.
Drew leaps into the boat after Jasmin is safely seated. Michael comes bounding into the water with the backpack.
As Drew pulls Michael into the boat, it begins to pick up speed.
Looking back at Frank who is sitting sadly on a rock, I yell, “Frank, come on. You won’t have to fly over the water. You can sit in the boat with us. You can even close your eyes and pretend that you’re somewhere else.”
Frank shakes her head dejectedly.
The speed of the boat dramatically increases. We don’t even need the oars.
“Frank, you’ve got to come with us. We can’t leave you behind,” I shout, although I realize that she would have to fly over the open water to reach us. I know that this isn’t going to happen.
“Frank, we’ll be back soon. Take care of yourself,” I say as loudly as I can, although I’m pretty sure that Frank can no longer hear me.
We’re beginning to race through the water. Drew is pushing against the rudder to keep us straight.
I wonder whether the celleria will hold together.
We fly towards a narrowing in the mountains. The current is becoming stronger. The water is becoming more turbulent.
As we race into a narrow passageway, I hear an incredible roar echoing around us. It sounds like a monster waiting to devour us.
Our boat is bobbing up and down like we’re on a wild carnival ride. I feel like I’m going to be sick. As we turn a corner in between the mountains, the canyon dramatically narrows again. The water becomes violent. The surging waves almost turn our boat over.
We’re at the mercy of the raging river.
Violent rapids toss us into the air one minute and then the next they pull us downwards as though they’re part of a ferocious creature who is trying to swallow us.
It’s only a matter of time before we’re crushed against one of the massive rock walls on either side of us. Or the river sucks us to its bottom.
We shoot around another corner.
My heart sinks.
Jasmin screams.
I can’t even get a sound out of my mouth.
There’s a tower of mist rising above the bubbling foam directly in front of us. We are about to go over a roaring waterfall.
- 26 -
THE DROWNING
We’re in serious trouble. Our boat is rocketing in a cauldron of rapids. There’s no way to escape the horror before us.
“Hold on!” I scream to the others, but it’s no use as we’re being thrown around in the boat like we’re trapped in a washing machine.
Jamie snatches his glasses off his face.
Suddenly the boat twists completely around and abruptly turns upside down. We’re thrown into the foaming water.
Panic grips me.
Then it happens.
I’m swept over the edge of a huge waterfall. My heart leaps into my mouth. I think my head is going to explode as I plummet downwards caught in the ferocious force of the seething water. Although it feels like I’m suspended in mid-air for several minutes, it’s likely only a few seconds before I strike the surface of the wild river at the bottom of the waterfall. The impact knocks the breath out of me.
The turbulent river drags me into a whirlpool where I’m tossed around like a ragdoll. It feels like the swirling force of the river is going to rip my arms and legs from by body.
A vicious undertow grabs me and pulls me downwards like I’m caught in the hose of a powerful vacuum cleaner. I frantically kick to escape. For a brief second, I think I might reach the bubbling surface of the river, but the undertow refuses to let me go.
I’m not going to make it. My lungs feel like they’re going to burst. Finally, unable to fight any longer, I close my eyes and silently cry for help.
As I begin to drift downwards towards my death, sometimes slams into me, although by this time I’m almost unconscious. I think I’m being dragged to the surface, although I’m not sure if this is really happening.
I imagine that a green kangaroo-like creature with orange polka-dots has pulled me out of the water. The weird creature carries me to a small beach along the shore of the savage river. As I lay on my back, I think I see Drew crouching over me. What is he going to do?
Suddenly Drew’s lips touch mine. He’s breathing into my mouth. Don’t stop, I think. If this is heaven, I like it.
I cough.
At first, it feels like I’m gagging, but soon I’m throwing up water and whatever else is inside me. Although it’s a horrible feeling as I fight for a breath of fresh air, something tells me that I’m going to live.
As I attempt to focus, I realize that all my friends are gazing down at me. There is fear in each of their faces.
“Emily,” Radwin says in his deep voice as he hovers over me, “you almost drowned.”
Almost drowned? I remember being in the boat on the roaring river. I shudder as I think of the boat capsizing. I recall being swept over a waterfall.
Looking around me, I see the screaming falls further along the river. I hear their thundering noise.
I look once again at my friends. They’re soaked. It hits me that they also went over the dangerous waterfall.
I keep blinking; on one hand trying to erase the memory of what happened, while on the other trying to make sense of it all.
I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and attempt to relax.
After a minute or two, I open my eyes again as
a small purple furry creature brushes against my face. It’s Squirt. I look at the faces of my friends. I see their relief. We have plunged over a mighty waterfall and survived.
“I almost drowned?”
“Yes,” Radwin responds. “Frank saved you.”
Frank? Didn’t we leave her behind? I think. How could Frank save me?
“After we left Frank,” Radwin begins as though he heard my thoughts, “she said she sensed that something terrible was going to happen to us, so she flew over the water to see if she could help.”
“Flew over the water?” I reply. “Frank, how could you do that? You’re afraid of water.”
Frank blushes, her orange polka-dots turning a bright shade of crimson.
“After we went over the waterfall, the river carried us here,” Michael adds.
“Except for you,” Jamie says with concern. “We thought you had drowned. We waited and waited for you to surface, but you didn’t appear.”
“Out of nowhere,” Michael continues, “Frank flew over the falls and dove straight into the river. The next thing we saw was Frank pulling you out of the turbulent water.”
“Drew gave you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” Jasmin says with obvious jealously in her voice.
“Frank, you saved me.” As the words leave my mouth, I manage to get on my feet to give Frank a huge hug. Turning to Drew, I say, “Drew, you saved me as well. Thank you so much.” As I hug Drew, I know that the taste of his lips, even in this crisis situation, will linger for a very long time. I dare not look at Jasmin. As I smile at each of my other friends, I notice that Jamie is looking at Drew with wide eyes.
I remember our mission. Are we now any closer to finding Shinti?
I feel cold. Jasmin is shivering.
I begin to explore our surroundings. I hear the huge waterfall behind us. We’re on the shore of a boiling river. Beside us are towering mountains.
“Look!” Jamie says.
At first all I see is the mist like a blanket of white fog from the waterfall. I look harder. Above the far shore there is a faint outline of buildings.
