“Keep going. That’s it,” James says, as softly as he can through gritted teeth. I can see he’s struggling. I can hear it in his breathing. His whole body is tense, wading one step at a time.
Then I drop. Out of nowhere my head is completely submerged. I panic. The floor of the riverbed has vanished. The water has me. I slip through James’ grip as my body is pulled downwards.
Chapter Ten
My head surfaces back above the water as I gasp for air. I’m gulping more water every time I take a breath. The raft with our bags on drifts alongside me. It’s going too fast to be attached to James now. Unless he’s been caught too.
Another current grabs me, whipping me sideways. I go under again.
My whole body lashes out, trying to find something, anything, to hold onto. I push downwards further to see if I can get a grip on the surface but it’s too deep.
That’s when my leg catches on something sharp. I cry out but I’m underwater. It sounds gurgled, otherworldly. I swallow more. My body goes rigid as it fights the intake. I think I’m choking.
Red droplets float beside me, dragged in the same direction.
Am I bleeding? I close my eyes as they start to sting.
The river bobs, flowing between two rocks and ebbs downwards again, like a violent mini waterfall. My face is thrust back above the surface as I take sharp, painful gasps of air.
“Fliss!” I hear James yell, just as I hit something flat and hard. It slams against my ribs. Or maybe my ribs slam against whatever it is. It leaves me breathless, clawing at anything I can. I think I hear my name again. And then nothing.
*
“Felicity, can you hear me?” James’ voice pierces the silence, the darkness. I burst awake, choking as I try to breathe. There’s still water trapped in my oesophagus. I throw myself to the side, emptying my guts on the soft ground around me. I clench my fists around damp bracken.
James’ hands are on my side, stroking my arms. He helps me lie down again when I’m ready. He touches my face, my chin, my shoulder, casting his eyes all the way down my body. Everything he does is with gentle care. Something about my leg has him touching his face, squeezing his jaw.
“What?” I croak. My throat is burning.
“It’s nothing. Just stay down, ok? You passed out. God, I think I should call for help.”
I take a deep breath, assessing my body for pain. Despite them being icy cold, I can feel and wiggle my toes. My legs ache and there’s a biting pain on my left shin. My ribs burn from where they smacked against something hard, but I can breathe. In fact, my breathing is now relatively shallow with James kneeling beside me, running a hand through his soaked hair.
“You know when I—” I cough as talking becomes difficult. “You know when I said your idea was mad?”
James turns his eyes back to mine, tilting his head in a disbelieving stare. “Don’t you dare…” he says. “Don’t even go there, Felicity. I’ve never been sofucking terrifiedin my entirelife. I thought you were dead!”
I try to laugh, shaking my head. For a moment, I assumed I was too. I think about asking him how the hell he managed to drag me out of the river and onto the bank. I want to talk some more about how this is the stupidest idea he’s had yet but his expression is agonised, not his usual arrogant smirk I’m so used to, so I decide it’s maybe not the time. And anyway, a more pressing concern is bothering me as I look down and realise how exposed I am.
“Where are my bloody clothes, Gloatman?”
James scratches the back of his neck. I’m shivering on the cold muddy ground, but to see him shudder as the chill racks throughhimis a surprise. Especially as he runs so hot. He looks back down the river enshrouded in thick greenery, the trees on either side linking branches over the water as if to provide it with shelter from the sun.
I gulp, realising how serious this actually is. What if I had actually drowned? Or knocked my head so hard I couldn’t be resuscitated? What if I never saw my parents, my friends, ever again?
I could’ve died!
“Please stop freaking out,” James says quietly, softly. I peek across at him through blurry eyes. He’s right, I am freaking out. But at least he’s not saying it like he usually does. There’s no accusatory tone there this time. He puts his hand on my shoulder, rubbing his firm-skinned thumb in circles. “It’ll be ok, alright? I’m going to go search for our bags.”
“You lost our bags!?” I sob.
“Well, Felicity,” he chuckles, exhaustion sitting heavy on his features. “I prioritised savingyour lifeover our clothes. I’m sorry if that now presents an inconvenience to you.”
A memory flashes back to me. I was flitting in and out of consciousness as he hauled me onto the muddy bank. My brain has retained snippets of hot skin plastered on mine. Strong arms lifting me. Curse words being hissed.
“I’m so co-old,” I whimper. “But thank you,” I add as he rolls his eyes.
“Good to know you’re back to your usual self. I was going to turn your phone on and call for help but then I realised it’s fucked off down the river somewhere with our bags.”
