Thunder erupted outside as if it were trying to break through the roof. Rain pounded against the walls as though someone had aimed a hose at the clock tower.
Theo held his backpack in front of him, still struggling to close the zipper, as he followed me down the spiral staircase.
“Let’s run to my car. It’s on the upper side of the park,” I said, shining my flashlight on the steps before me so I wouldn’t trip.
“Understood. Safety first.”
“This is not the time for jokes.”
“I wasn’t joking,” Theo barked back, missing a step and landing two steps down with a bang. He paused, barely holding on to his equipment bag. I pointed my flashlight at his feet. “I’m okay. Keep going,” he said, a little softer now.
We hurried to the bottom, but when I stepped onto the ground floor, water splashed up against my ankles. I slowed down. The flashlight reflected off the water seeping in under the wooden door. It was barely high enough to make it past the soles of my shoes, yet equally gut-wrenching as if it had risen to my neck.
I stepped back onto the first step and brushed against Theo’s backpack, which he was still holding in front of his chest. We couldn’t go out there with the lightning so close by. If it hit the river, we’d be fried.
“Oh, come on, it’s just water,” Theo said as he pushed past me.
“No!” I yelled, but it was already too late.
He had barely touched the handle when the door swung open. Water poured in as if he had stabbed an above-ground swimming pool, tearing it to shreds. The flood catapulted Theo back toward me. I reached my arms forward to catch him, but could only grab his arms. The force pushed us both back, causing us to stumble. My ass hit the steps, my equipment-stuffed backpack only barely cushioning our fall. Theo landed right on top of me. I clung to him with all my might to keep him out of the water, but for some reason, he fought back. Waves crashed against our feet, merging with a distant rumble to form a frightening song.
“What are you doing?”
“Let go of me!” Theo yelled back, flailing his arms around. He pushed himself up, and he stumbled forward, falling right into the water.
“Stop it! We have to stay here.” I sat up and finally sawwhathe was chasing.
His equipment bag was already twenty feet ahead, floating away on the current. Theo rushed forward, water splashing up his legs. Each step was slower than the last. After only four of them, he was already knee-deep. He took another step, slipped, and landed backward in the raging river that ruthlessly claimed this territory. For a moment, the water swallowed him whole.
“Theo,” I yelled, rushing forward into the water myself, but I stopped short in the doorway.
The current was way too strong. If I took one more step, I would suffer the same fate as him.
His head shot up. The current pushed him two feet away, against a bush that lined the usually neat walkway toward the clock tower. His hands grabbed onto the leaves and branches, ripping a few out at first but then getting a firm hold, which kept him from sliding away further.
Somehow, I had to get him out of the water and back into the tower. Staying here wasn’t ideal because who knew how long it would take for someone to come to our rescue. However, it was our only option. The river could never rise high enough to reach the top of the tower, and it would protect us from the lightning—as long as we managed not to get hit now.
I held onto the stone wall and stuck my arm out, but it wasn’t long enough to reach even a quarter of the way toward him.
My eyes darted around, searching for something I could use to pull Theo back toward me, when they landed on the tripod strapped to the side of my backpack.Worth a try.I yanked at it to get it out of its sleeve, but it didn’t budge. “Fuck,” I muttered, pulled at it again, and ripped the entire strap off. With quick moves, I opened all the leg locks, extending them as fast as possible before securing them again. I twisted the head around until the pan handle stood up, making the whole thing another six inches longer.
I tightened my grip on the wall and extended the tripod toward him. Thankfully, it was long enough. Theo let go of the bush with his left hand and wrapped it around the pan handle.
“I’m gonna try standing up,” Theo shouted.
“Wait,” I yelled at him. The rain pelting against the tripod made the metal slippery. I needed both hands to hold it. Otherwise, it would slip away and jeopardize the rescue mission. But I had to find a way to do that without losing my own balance. I repositioned myself, bracing my left foot against the wall andmy right foot against the far side of the doorframe, trying to brace my whole body against the stone. With both hands finally free, I locked them around the tripod, securing my grip.
“Now,” I shouted.
Theo took a step forward with his left foot, holding tightly to the bush and the tripod. The relentless current fought hard to push him back, but lost to our combined willpower. As he set his right foot forward and finally got back on his feet, a guttural cry erupted from his mouth, tearing through the rain like a warning to the storm not to mess with us. Rain splashed into his face so hard that he had to breathe through his mouth. His fingers clasped tightly onto the provisional lifeline.
“I’m gonna let go of the bush now,” he yelled, locking eyes with me.
Bracing myself, I nodded. He put both hands on the tripod. The force of his pull made all the muscles in my body work harder than they had in years. Once he had secured himself, though, it became clear that it would work out. Step by strenuous step, he made his way toward me until he was close enough to reach the wall of the tower with his right hand. He wrapped his fingers around it and, as soon as he did, he let go of the tripod. I put my left hand on his shoulder, pulling on him as if he wasn’t here already.
“Get on the stairs,” I yelled, pushing him forward. We had taken four to five steps away from the water when a colossal lightning bolt lit up the sky. “Fuck.” I panted, glaring at him. “If we had been just a second slower, the lightning would’ve fried us. What the hell were you thinking?”
Theo leaned against the stone, his head hanging low. His chest rose quickly, his eyes shut tight. “My camera… I just couldn’t think clearly anymore…”
