Crazy River

The clouds danced in the sky, slowly covering the sun as it beamed down. I looked behind me and saw the ground where we started a long distance away. “You should chill, there is nothing to worry about, Hailey,” Bella said. I sighed. There had to be a log in the distance that would break our boat. Suddenly, a rock hit the boat, and water droplets fell on my face, cold like snowflakes. I thought hard about what we could do. The wind was gushing in my face; it felt like the cold, crispy air on a winter day. Come on, Hailey, think. Then it struck me like a light bulb had gone off in my head. I wasn’t sure if this could work, but we had to try. I explained that if she jumped into the river, she could move the log out of the way, and we could go smoothly. “I would do that, but do you know how to steer the kayak through this river? I doubt that.” She was telling the truth; my cowardness wouldn’t help. “I think you should go jump into the water, Hailey.” 

“ME? No way. I wouldn’t be brave enough. I can’t…” My voice trails off. My heart raced; the log was only a few feet ahead. 

“Come on, you have to do this!” Bella yelled through the sound of waves as they crashed into the boat. 

I stood at the edge of the boat and held my breath. I closed my eyes, and suddenly, I heard a splash. 

“Bella?!” 

I couldn’t see her anywhere in the boat. I looked around and saw her in the water, struggling to get out. 

“Help me, Hailey!!” She yelled, gasping for air. 

She was coughing uncontrollably. I knew I had to do something, but what if it didn’t work? What if I hurt Bella? The voice inside me roared. Stop! Think! It was flooded with thoughts of what could happen. Then I thought, Bella is my friend, she needs me, and is counting on me. I stood at the edge, ready to jump. I guess there is no turning back now. I clenched my fists and held my breath. I could feel my heart racing. Each heartbeat echoed louder and louder as I heard the tide below me, a drum waiting for my decision. Then all of a sudden, something inside me told me to stop. What if you drown Hailey? I could still remember the smell of the salty ocean water that day at the ocean. I was enjoying it before I got swept inside. The flashback scared me. 

I knew something had to change. I took a deep breath and prepared to face my fears. 

2 

“I can’t breathe!” She said while gasping for air. 

With that, I shut my eyes tight so only blackness could be seen. I couldn’t do this. But if I don’t save her, who will? Slowly, I took a tiny step forward and jumped into the water with a big splash... In the background, I could hear the roar of water. An alarm of fear rushed inside of me. What if you sink? What if the waves take you in? What if you drown? You could be swept away. You could die. What if… I pushed all those thoughts away. This was for my friend; she's always been there for me, so now I have to be here for her. This is what friends do, and I’m her friend. 

The water pulled me into an icy embrace, but I was kicking up with all my might. It felt cold against my hand, like ice. I paddled hard, trying to move my body through the heavy currents that pushed me in the opposite direction. Panic clawed at my throat as realization hit me. You shouldn’t have done this, Hailey! I tried pushing those thoughts away, but what if these haunting echoes are right? They made that scary day creep back into my mind. And then… 

“AHH,” A wave had hit me. And I was going backward. I panicked, and I tried to kick my legs back to the boat. The wave took me in. I felt panic rise in me. That's it, I had to go back to the boat. I can’t do this, I can’t. Don’t be a coward, Hailey. Be brave. Be strong. It's not for you. Do it for your friend. With determination inside me, I made a difficult choice. I decided I could do this. I shut my eyes tight with uncertainty racing in my mind and held my breath. I jumped into the water. The water felt cold, sending a shiver down my spine. I swam toward Bella. I could feel the panic running through my whole body. As I got closer, I could see the tiny ripples, like small waves around her. Instead of minutes, it felt like seconds that passed, time moving fast. The currents swept me, but I knew I could do this. I pushed all thoughts away. I knew I could do this. As I got closer to Bella, I got more worried. A wave of panic raced through me as I tried to pull Bella against the current with everything in me. My heart raced, and I could feel the weight of my fears pressing down in my mind. What if I can’t move it? The thought spun around my mind. But then I heard Bella’s voice, cutting me short of my thoughts. “You got this, Hailey!” Her words sent a spark of determination running through me. I slowly swam closer to her and gripped her hand. I gathered all my courage and gave her one mighty pull. Then she shifted a little, and then I took a deep breath and pulled her hand harder. Then I realized I did it, I saved Bella. I felt a smile break on my face. Who cares about a log? Little did I know there would be an adventure ahead.