Finding Home - 1

“We’re going to have to do something!” Paul shouted.

“I’m thinking!” I shouted back.

8 jet skis splashed at our tail as we raced down the river at 50 mph.

“Look out!” Priscilla yelled as one of the jet ski riders managed to get close enough to leap on the boat.

Paul shoved the attacker in the water before he could steady himself.

“We have to try something! They’re too fast!” Paul shouted above the wind and the slap of the boat on the river.

“I have an idea,” I said steering towards a dam. “Get ready to bail out!”

“Oh boy,” Paul replied seeing what I was about to do.

Priscilla screamed.

“Bail now!” I shouted as our boat smashed into the top of the 90 foot dam. The boat ramped off the dam and soared into the air below but Paul, Priscilla and I were sliding down the dam on our backs. We plunged deep into the water at the bottom. Good thing I had been correct in predicting there was more water at the base of the dam and not just ground.

From under the water, I heard the boat smash into the water out in front of us. I kicked my legs fighting to resurface. My lungs filled with air as my head bobbed above the water. Paul and Priscilla’s heads appeared next to me.

I was worried that the jet ski riders would slide down the dam after us but as of yet they hadn’t. We quickly swam to the closer shore and ran into trees. We ran until we were a safe distance from the river and then caught our breath feeling fairly certain that we weren’t being followed.

We laughed and talked.

“I really thank you both for helping me, especially you Paul,” Priscilla said. “I would have been in that prison a lot longer if it wasn’t for you. Do you guys know the best route from here to the Eastern Prairie?”

“The Eastern Prairie?” I repeated. “Is that where you’re headed now?”

“It’s home for me,” she explained. “I go to a high school there called Waterfall Academy. I know I need to head east, but I don’t know this land well.”

“No, I honestly don’t know how to get there from here,” I replied.

“You don’t have any clue?” Priscilla asked. I looked at the ground.

“We both travel a lot,” Paul replied. “We don’t know this area well.”

“I would think since you travel a lot you would have some idea of what route to take,” she replied standing. “You haven’t spent any time east of here?”

Paul shrugged.

“I feel like you’re hiding something from me,” Priscilla muttered.

Neither of us answered. Priscilla put her hands on her hips and wore a frown.

“Look at me and tell me that you don’t know the route?” Priscilla said to Paul.

“Yes, like he said, we don’t know how to get there from here,” Paul said shrugging hard. “Don’t get worked up about it.”

“I just feel like you’re lying to me,” Priscilla said. There was awkward silence again. “Fine. Fine. I’ll just find my way then,” she said walking off into the woods.