Page 52 of Distortion
The memory of that is why I decided on this today instead of a hike. The white water rafting is just the thing to make her miserable, I remind myself. The whole point of this afternoon and tonight is to make her uncomfortable, scared, tired, and wrung out ... and it’s only going to get worse before the week starts. With any luck, she’ll be gone by Monday morning.
We push off into the rapids and the raft pitches and rolls. Right out of the gate, we’re using our oars and trying to keep the boat from tipping. It’s actually not too bad. This stretch of river is only Class Two, maybe Three today with the water so much higher, but nothing we can’t handle.
I hear a feminine scream and laugh as I see a wave drench Daisy. She’s going to be freezing by the time we get to the cars in a couple of hours. Too bad none of us remembered to bring her any spare clothes.
My grin is nasty as I watch her flail with the oar. She has the coordination of a newborn foal. Her movements exaggerated and largely useless. But I don’t tell her what she’s doing wrong. She’ll just wear herself out faster.
I look out at the forest around us.
Nature.
I’m not a huge fan if I’m completely honest. I like the cleanliness of the lab, and the controllable variables. But I have to admit that out here like this I can imagine living in a cabin hidden in the trees and losing contact with the world for a while.
The minutes wear on and my attention is taken up by the current. There are sections which are narrow and quick, worse than I thought they’d be despite the elevated water levels.
I vaguely hear Shade and Blake yelling at her when she doesn’t do things right or correct our course fast enough, and I almost feel bad. It’s not like she’s ever done anything like this before, that much is obvious. I glance at her in my periphery to see that she’s staring straight ahead at nothing. Her movements mimic Blake’s. Her face is shuttered.
Then a particularly large wave comes out of nowhere. Our boat tips and we fight the fast-moving water to stay upright.
‘Fuck!’ I whoop at the top of my lungs, a smile overtaking my face. ‘I live for this shit!’
I hear the other guys yelling and laughing, and I take a deep breath, absorbing the moment, my adrenaline pumping.
But when the worst is over, and the boat levels out, Daisy isn’t there.
‘Shit! Man overboard.Womanoverboard!’
Shade and Blake’s faces turn as I scan the river frantically. But she’s disappeared.
‘Fuck, I can’t see her!’
‘Where is she?’
I see movement and I realize it’s on the edge of the raft. A pale hand is gripping the handle that was closest to her seat.
I lean over the side and grab for her, my fingers closing around what I know by feel are the straps of her life jacket. Ihaul with all my strength and pull her back onto the raft. She’s coughing and spluttering.
I’m an asshole.
‘Are you okay?’ I ask.
She looks through me, but I see a tiny nod before she lurches over the side and hurls.
I glance at the others. Neither of them are laughing now.
I sit back, my heart pumping. But it’s no longer excitement. It’s fear.
Luckily, from what I remember, the river widens now and that’s the worst of the rapids on this stretch, thank God. Couldn’t have come at a better time, I think as I close my eyes for a second, trying to calm down.
I hear my phone and grab it out of my pocket. It’s Shade.
No lunch stop.
I nod, glancing at Daisy who’s gone back to mimicking Blake’s moments. She looks exhausted.
‘Daisy.’
She blinks and looks at me.
