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“They’re on the rocks,” Saff muttered to her. “You ready?”
Maddie nodded. “I want to use my cane as we cross. It’ll help me feel the rocks and where to step.”
“Okay,” Saff replied. “Do you want me to hold you from behind?”
Maddie nodded again.
A moment later, Saff led her to the first rock, the rushing water drowning out all other sounds.
She tapped her cane against the first rock, feeling its width and judging its size. Saff’s hands dropped to her hips, keeping a firm hold on her body.
She slowly stepped forward until the tip of her cane slid off the end of the rock, then it was immediately yanked off to the right with the rushing water.
She drew it back up.
The current must’ve been strong. Much stronger than the river she and Saff had crossed weeks before.
She swallowed, trying to force out the memory of Saff being pulled under the water.
“Lift the cane up and feel about a foot ahead,” Saff said, her voice right behind her ear. “The next rock is only about a foot away. Feel for the edge.”
Maddie followed Saff’s instructions, easily finding the edge of the next rock. She repeated the process as she had with the first one, feeling its size. Then she carefully stepped over the gap, Saff’s hands tightening around her torso as she went.
They repeated that four more times before Maddie finally asked, “How far is it to the other side?”
Saff stepped up behind her, her arm sliding around her stomach and holding her close to her body. Maddie relaxed a fraction at the contact, releasing the deep breath she’d been holding in.
“Halfway there,” she answered. Then Maddie felt her body stiffen before she called out, “Josh, be careful on that one. I don’t think its—“
Right as the words left her mouth, Maddie heard a sudden crash.
Saff turned, crushing her against her body.
“Josh!” her father’s panicked voice bellowed.
She could hear something like thrashing water in front of them.
“James, don’t!” Saff yelled. “Hold on to Erin!”
“What happened?” Maddie asked, grabbing onto Saff’s forearms as they tightened around her.
“Don’t move,” Saff said roughly.
Suddenly, the arms around her loosened, then left completely.
Terror filled her, not at the thought of being alone on the rock, but of Saff leaving.
“Saff!” she yelled, one hand reaching out for her while the other tightened its grip around the handle of her cane.
“Maddie, stay there!” her mother’s voice called out, dripping with fear.
She waited, listening to the thrashing of the water.
“Saff!” she called again, but no one answered.
The thrashing grew louder, then she heard a loud grunt.
“Are you okay?” her father yelled, then he added something else that she couldn’t quite make out over the rushing water.