I had no idea if we were going to make it. My visions hadn’t really extended past the hitting-the-water part. The air tore past my ears as we fell. It was just like what I had seen in my vision. I was falling and falling. It seemed to take forever and my body instinctively flailed as it realized the height I had just flung it from. Every one of my muscles clenched at the thought of making impact with something completely unknown. I had way too much time to think about what was going to happen. My dying wish was to kiss Trevor one last time.
My hand slipped from Mason’s and he hit the water first. Then I was driven under water and separated from Sophie. There was a delay in the agonizing pain that shot through my body from the impact of the water. It felt like something ripped through my tissues, then shattered my bones. The pressure of the water on my skull was intense. It was too dark to see Sophie or Mason. I couldn’t tell which way was up but I kicked hard and propelled myself in the direction that I hoped was the surface. My lungs moved inside my chest, expecting oxygen, and I had the unbearable urge to take a breath. I couldn’t remember if drowning was supposed to be a good or a bad way to die. It seemed like a bad way to me. I was about to give up and take a breath of water when arms wrapped around my chest and pulled. After I broke through the surface, I gasped repeatedly to fill my lungs over and over.
Mason dove back down and resurfaced only seconds later with Sophie. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
She nodded and gasped.
He swam over to me and asked the same thing, “Are you okay?”
“I think so. Are you?”
“I’m fine. What else did you see in your vision?”
“Nothing. It ended here.”
He looked up at the top of the waterfall. I followed his gaze and saw the silhouettes of the four men. They shot down at us.
“Dive!” I screamed.
I dove under the surface and swam towards a pile of large rocks near the far bank of the river. The brace on my wrist made it hard to swim effectively, so Sophie and Mason made it to the shore before I did. We slinked out of the water and crept behind the rocks. I crouched down next to Sophie and listened for more gun shots. I was shaking so badly it felt like a seizure. I couldn’t make it stop. Mason peered over the rocks. “They’re on the move. We have to keep going,” he said and pulled us both to our feet.
“I can’t.” I stumbled to the ground.
Mason yanked one of my arms and Sophie pushed my butt to get me going. I tried to jog, but my legs were ridiculously weak. I stumbled again, then tried to walk—it was more of a drunken stagger. My brace felt slimy-wet against my skin, so I took it off and shoved it down the back waistband of my shorts. I fell and landed on my wrist that no longer had the brace on it. I expected it to do some damage, and I waited for the pain, but it never came. I felt nothing. I was strangely numb. The trees around me moved in a wave, as if the ground was a waterbed. My eyes tried desperately to focus, but every blink made my vision blur again. Something was wrong. I rested on my hands and knees, digging my fingers into the grainy dirt to try to make the ground stay still. It was difficult to tell if the men were behind us because all I could hear was a horrible gasping sound. It took a second for me to figure out that the sound was my own breathing. I blinked repeatedly and tried to snap my head out of the weird fog.
“Mason!” Sophie yelled. She ran back and crouched next to me.
I heard Mason’s footsteps run back to where we were. It sounded like he gasped. “What is that?”
“She’s hurt,” Sophie said frantically.
I tried to say I was fine, but only a muffled gurgling sound came out of my throat. Then I tasted blood.
“Derian, you’re hurt.”
“Her shirt is soaked in blood.”
I struggled to look over my shoulder and got extremely dizzy. My shirt had changed a dark colour all the way down my back. I collapsed down onto my stomach and rested my cheek on the ground.
Dad, I screwed up real bad. I think I got shot, I’m lost, and I can’t run anymore. It’s okay if I die because I’ll come to be with you, but please help Sophie and Mason. I love you and I’m sorry that I messed up so badly.
My eyesight focused in and out. Mason took his shirt off and folded it up to pad my back wound. Sophie slid her belt off and they angled it across my shoulder and under my armpit to hold his shirt in place. His shirt was completely soaked in blood before they even finished tightening the belt. Mason pressed both his hands down on my back to try to stop the bleeding. His arms trembled as he held the pressure. The dirt scratched against my cheek and all I could hear was my own raspy breathing. Everything turned black and even the sound of my breathing went silent.
When I opened my eyes, I watched Sophie take her shirt off. She layered it on top of Mason’s, then tightened the belt again. They fitted my brace back on my wrist. The forest floor spun like the Tilt-a-Whirl at the fair. I spread my arms out as if I were flying and tried to hold on as the ground rotated beneath me.
When I became aware again, I was sitting up with Mason crouched beside me. “Where are we?”
“Mexico.” Mason pulled my arm to slide me onto his back. He hooked his elbows under my knees to prop me up in a piggyback. He was breathing heavily and his chest expanded against me. “Hold on, Deri. Don’t you dare let go.”
“Am I going to die?”
“No.”
“I think I’m going to die. Promise you won’t blame yourself,” I breathed out.
“I will blame myself, so you better hold on.”
“No. Blame me.”
My brain transitioned in and out of blackness. Each time I opened my eyes, Mason was still carrying me on his back. Sophie was leading us along the river. I couldn’t tell how much time had passed between blackouts. It felt like a long time. Eventually, I couldn’t tell anything.
“Deri, try to stay awake,” Mason said and I felt his fingers pinch my leg.
“But I’m sleepy.”
“Try to stay awake so you can hold on. I can’t carry you if you let go.” My eyelids closed. I tried desperately to open them again, but they weighed a ton. They were jarred open when I hit the ground. “Sorry, Deri.” Mason must have slid me off his back to take a rest. He kneeled next to me and cradled my head onto his lap. Sophie cupped her hands and scooped water out of the stream, then tipped it into my mouth.
“Where are we?” I mumbled. “I should get back to the Inn. Granddad is going to wonder where I went.”
“We’ll be there soon.”
“I’m tired. Can you carry me?”
“Sure.”
“Where’s Trevor?”
“He’s going to be at the Inn when we get there.”
“Okay. I’m thirsty.”
Sophie scooped more water and tipped it for me to drink, then everything went dark again. The next thing I remembered was riding on Mason’s back, my chin propped on his shoulder and my teeth clanking against each other with each step he took. My eyes kept trying to stay closed, but I fought after each blink to pry them open. I could tell it was night and we were in a forest, but I couldn’t remember why.
“Are you Mason?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know.”
“Am I hurt?”
“You’re going to be okay.”
“Bill.”
“Yes.”
“That’s what I’m supposed to call you, right?”
“It’s okay now.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“No.”
“You should be.” I tilted my head so my cheek rested on his shoulder and then closed my eyes.
Dad, can you please help Mason and Sophie find a safe place to rest? I’ll probably see you soon. I love you.