From across the river, Diana paddles faster, getting into the rhythm.
“Yeah,” you say.
And you can tell Fran wants more details, but that’s when you hear Silas again from up front.
“Adventurers, are you ready?” he says.
His question hangs in the air until, finally, Troy takes a break from his deep concentration and provides the necessary response.
“Ready for what?”
“Your first group challenge!”
Fran turns around and nearly hits you with the grip of her oar.
“What did he say?”
“Something about a challenge,” you say.
“Ugh,” she says. “What is this? A reality show?”
Beside you, Troy and Diana have actually pulled even with your canoe. You look at Troy this time, and he has an expression on his face like the one when he first asked you for a pill. He’s breathing hard, and his glasses start fogging up. He goes to wipe them, and when he can see again, he immediately drops his paddle into the lake. It hits the surface with a splash and starts to float away.
“Troy!” says Diana. “What the hell? I think we’re going to need that!”
But he’s not moving. He’s not moving because he sees what’s ahead. And when you finally look away from his terrified face and see for yourself what’s coming, you freeze too. You don’t drop your paddle, but you can see how one might. This is definitely a paddle-dropping kind of moment.
Because what’s ahead are some swirling rapids, and you are heading right toward them. You’ve never seen actual rapids before. And while these are relatively gentle by movie standards, there is still a very real current whipping along, and they look like they could probably kick your ass.
The lake is feeding into a river, and the water where they meet is churning, sending foamy white splashes up in the air. A couple of rocks obstruct the path, and water just pounds them, erupting over the top in waves. It’s hard to tell how close you are,but you’re definitely moving faster than you were before. No one’s even paddling anymore, but it doesn’t matter; the water is moving, so you’re moving.
Silas is talking again, but you can barely hear him through your shock at what’s coming.
“Life is going to throw things at you that you’re unprepared for,” he says in what can only be described as “loud therapy voice.”
Your boats funnel closer as you approach the river.
“That’s what life is, really. A bunch of stuff you’re unprepared for. Control is an illusion. But you can learn to handle it, guys. It’s possible. Sometimes you just have to let the current take you.”
You all pull closer to the rapids with each word.
“Jesus Christ,” says Fran. “You can’t paddle us backward, can you?!”
You stick your paddle in the water to give it a try, and the power of the water almost rips your arm off. It’s kind of shocking how strong that force is. Fran has to reach back and grab you by the shirt to keep you from going ass over teakettle. And when you look back up, you’re only a few feet away from the start of the rapids. Fran yells something as the current sucks at your boat, but it’s hard to hear.
“WHAT?” you say.
“I SAID I REALLY HATE METAPHORS!”
For a moment, you think everything might be okay. It doesn’t look like too long a stretch before the safety of the next lake. It’s just a little speed, then you’ll coast to a stop on the glassy surface beyond. You raise a fist in the air to try to embrace it all, and that’s the exact moment when you feel the crash of another canoe careening into yours.
Then everything goes dark.
The world sounds like a vacuum roaring through your ears, and when you open your eyes, you’re underwater and you can see the white rapids swirling above you. Your life jacket is trying to tug you up, but the current is making it hard. Also: You have never been colder in your entire life. You spot someone near you, kicking toward the surface, and you start to swim.
As you get closer, you see it’s Diana and you reach out for her. You both pop up at the same time, your life jackets up around your ears, and your packs floating around you like lily pads. An upside-down canoe drifts by and you half-heartedly reach for it, but its destination clearly has nothing to do with you.
Fran pops up next, sputtering and swearing, but seemingly okay. Then you hear screaming from behind you, and you all turn at once.
