“Boy, oh boy, do I have a lot of questions for you!”
I needed to stick to the matter at hand. Chat later. “Can it wait? I have a pressing concern.”
“Oh no. Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure.” I explained how I saw Jules leaving with the kayak. “Do you happen to know where she might be going? Or if she’s going alone? Jack and I figured if anyone would know, it would be you.”
Gina’s voice was urgent. She talked fast. “I do not have a good feeling about this. She’s always done risky stuff. But her going out alone after a storm is a new level of insane.”
“Where should I look?”
“Did she have any overnight bags with her?”
Good point. Hadn’t even thought of that. “She was wearing an orange backpack—”
“No, that’s her day trip bag.”
“—and I do think there was a blue duffle in the front seat.”
“Whoo boy. Okay, okay. I think I might know where she went.” Gina’s concern amped up a few notches. My anxiety wasn’t far behind. “It’s a three hour drive. Me and Blake are coming with you.” She turned away from the phone, said something to him. “Seriously, we are getting in the car right now, and we live seven minutes away. I’ll explain the rest when I get there.”
FIFTY-THREE
Julia
June Creek was running faster than I’d anticipated. You had to wait for a good rain or else you’d be skunked. But the currentwasa little intimidating. Adrenaline flowed through my veins as I eased my kayak down into the access point and pushed out with my paddle. Now or never. I leaned into the tingling feeling; it was why I came after all.
The first rapids were fun, easy. I’d done hundreds like them with Gina and Blake. Brown frothy water gurgled up around the sides of the kayak, splashing me. I was thankful for my wetsuit, because the water temperature had to be in the fifties. Maybe high forties. Hypothermia would only be a risk if I spent a lot of time submerged. This was a short run; it would be over as quickly as it started.
Forty-five minutes tops. I’d do the run, hide my kayak, jog up the trail, and drive down to load her up. I’d be in a warm coat within ninety minutes. I’d had this planned out for weeks. I’d be fine.
I noticed a couple of downed branches along the edges of the water.
I should’ve reviewed river conditions first.
Of course I should’ve. Skipping that step was a major oversight.
I shook my head at my stupidity. I’d been distracted ever since I saw Pat. I had almost forgotten to grab my safety gear and hide my spare key too.
The crashing water roared in my ears. First drop was approximately eight seconds ahead. I paddled faster than the current to set the kayak for the drop. The bow tipped down, and my stomach flew into my ribcage. Adrenaline pumped. The kayak dove into the water below and bounced up as it should. I gasped as the cold water flowed around my torso. I smiled; it was fun and easier than I thought it would be.
I considered Gina and Blake. I should’ve invited them. Gina would kill me if she knew I was here alone. Pat would be worried sick. He was the last person I wanted to think about though. I pushed him out of my mind and tried to focus on the fun.
The second drop was fifteen feet. My heart raced as I neared the edge. I gained speed, adjusted the bow and yelped as the kayak fell into the cold water below. This time when the kayak bounced up, I was laughing. I’d never gotten such a thrill. My teeth were chattering, but the cold didn’t even bother me. I shrieked with excitement and paddled through the rapids toward the next one.
The final drop was twenty-five feet and followed by a tunnel beneath the road. I zoomed forward, confidence surging, setting the bow one last time. The freefall shoved the air out of my lungs. The fall was long and terrifying. My kayak plunged into the basin below and the water rushed over my head. The kayak sprang up and I gasped for air then whooped with excitement, lifting my paddle into the air in a triumphant fist pump.
The hard part was over.
I navigated rapids for several hundred feet towards a tunnel. It was wide and all the water drained through it under the interstate. Looked like a pretty simple, albeit dark descent. I eased on the forward momentum and let the current do most of the work.
The water carried me in with a loud swoosh. The tunnel was longer than I expected; I could barely see the light at the end. I screeched and laughed as the descent took my stomach. The current rushed me toward the other side at lightning speed. As I neared the end, the opening of light widened, illuminating the water.
By the time my eyes registered the huge branch wedged near the exit, it was too late.
My kayak crashed against the branch and tilted sideways. The current caught the keel and pinned my torso against the tree. I yelped, and my throat tightened as I realized the predicament I was in. I couldn’t get the kayak upright. The right side was pinned against the tree, and I was slowly getting crushed. The current flowing over my lap was strong, but I could maybe pull my legs out and bail.
Doing so would put me at the mercy of the water and rocks below. The angry creek continued to press me into the branch. I whimpered as the weight of the current started transferring to my shoulder. The longer I waited, the more my kayak would tilt, and the harder it would be to free my legs.
