“Don’t hesitate like I did. Take the bike and pedal faster than you ever have before.”
“But—”
“There’s no time for questions. Trust me. I was so close. I saw her sitting on the ledge.”
“You saw her?”
“I saw her.”
I want to cry at the affirmation that I'll see her again with my own eyes.
I’m going to see Emma.
A siren sounds behind us, and he looks in the rearview mirror. He isn’t surprised. It’s like this has happened before.
How many times have we done this?
He doesn’t stop. He hits the gas harder.
We’re close. Too close to stop.
The bridge is in sight and we’re speeding toward it.
“You’re going to have to run!” he yells.
“What do you mean?”
“Just trust me and run!”
Another cop turns onto the road in front and slows their speed, forcing us to slow down too.
“Go!” future me yells when the car comes to a full stop.
I push open the door and bolt. I don’t give myself time to think about anything other than the bridge.
I block out the sounds behind me. The commotion. The police. The chaos.
My feet are on the bridge and a second later I’m at the ledge. I pull myself up on the stones and hurl my body over.
I’m weightless in the air, heart rate spiking as I descend, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that I made the right decision.
I hit the water and it pulls me under. Cool water rushes over my face, sending a shiver down my spine.
It’s dark all around me. It’s like I’m sinking deep into the ocean, not a river. My arms and legs are outstretched above me, not moving.
There’s the faintest glint of light above me, reflecting off the surface. All at once, I jolt myself into action as Emma comes rushing to my mind.
I beat against the water, propelling myself up. My limbs are heavy, not wanting to cooperate, and my clothes cling to my skin. When I reach the top, I gasp for air, trying to find my bearings. My glasses are gone and everything is blurry. I can barely make out the shapes in the distance. The trees blend into each other and the water pushes me farther downstream. I whip my head around. I can see the silhouette of the bridge, but it’s getting farther away by the second.
The river bend isn’t far from the bridge.
I have to get out of the water.
Struggling to catch my breath, I swim toward the rocky shore. As soon as I get my footing, I stumble out of the water.
My head is light, and I want to lie down. I want to take a moment to breathe, but I know I don’t have time.
I need to keep moving.
