They nodded. “Okay. I’m going to break it. And it’s going to come rushing in. it’s going to be scary, but you girls are badasses like your uncle. You’ll be okay.”
They nodded again in unison, and I was very close to throwing up. I literally tasted the bile coming up the back of my throat.
I broke the window.
Water rushed in way faster than I ever thought it would, filling every single nook, cranny, and spare space that there was.
It was a muddy brown, and within seconds, I lost sight of everything that wasn’t directly in front of me.
Praying that I’d done the correct thing and that I could hold on to them both despite the rushing current, I reached for their hands. “Hold your breath, and let’s go!”
I probably should’ve waited until it was filled completely.
But I wasn’t used to waiting like I was supposed to.
I was used to doing.
And that meant getting the fuck out of the water as fast as I could.
With both of their hands clutching me and promising never to let go, we forced our way out of the window.
Water immediately started to pull us downstream, and it was confusing at first because I got turned upside down with the weight of the girls, causing me to panic slightly.
But then I finally found where I needed to be facing and swam up hard.
My legs burned as if fire were licking through my veins, and I made a promise to God, that if he helped me get out of this alive, the girls happy and healthy, too, that I would work out with Will at least three times a week.
Luckily, we made it to the top, and we all gasped as our heads came above water.
“Cannel!”
I blinked open my eyes and stared into Ashlie’s terrified ones.
I kicked my legs and held us afloat enough that we could breathe, then started to look for a way to get out of the river.
With a quick glance around, I realized that I had no clue how far we’d floated downstream.
It could be a few yards, or it could be miles.
I didn’t know.
But what I did know was that I was going to get us back to shore.
And that was exactly what I did.
I swam us toward the bank and reached out for a log that had fallen, the branches of the trees now dragging in the water.
“Hang on!” I cried and caught ahold of the branch.
The knobby tree limb dug into my palms painfully, but I held on, and was rewarded when the tree held our combined weight.
“Made it!” I cried. “Girls, reach for a branch and try to pull yourselves to shore.”
They did, both of them nimbly climbing out as if they hadn’t just been in an accident.
I, on the other hand, had zero strength left.
No matter how many times I tried to get myself up, I couldn’t do it.
In the end, I knew what I had to do.
“Girls.” I cleared my throat. “I want you to climb up that hill, and follow the river that way,” I pointed toward the way we’d come. “Until you get to a cop. If you don’t see a cop, don’t come out of the woods. Do you understand?”
The girls nodded. “I want you to hide. I want you to pretend that you are invisible. And don’t freakin’ move from the woods until you see a cop. Promise me.”
They both promised. “Stay together. If you can’t see the river anymore, I want you to stop where you’re at, and stay still. Someone will find you. But only go to a cop, do you understand?”
Both girls nodded. “Go.”
They went, and I felt like my heart jumped into my throat.
They didn’t argue.
With determination on their faces, I watched them until they were out of my sight.
Then sent up silent prayers that they would be okay.
I heard the crashing through the woods what felt like a lifetime later.
“Cannel!”
The sound of Will’s voice made euphoria sing through my veins.
“Here!”
I tried to cry it out, but the only thing that came out was a croak.
“Baby?”
I cleared my throat and tried again, not getting any louder than I had the time before.
But he’d heard me, because before long, I saw him crashing through the woods like a wrecking ball.
“You’re not allowed to drown.” Will hit the water hard, slithering into it because the bank was too steep to keep him up there where it was dry. “Give me your hand, and I’ll help you up.”
“The girls?” My teeth were chattering, and I was fairly sure I couldn’t feel my arms anymore.
“They’re fine,” he said. “They’re up there with my boss.”
I swallowed hard. “I can’t make my fingers let go.”
“I’ll help you let go, baby. That’s what I’m here for,” he soothed.
I closed my eyes briefly and allowed him to help me let go.