Read Online 44: Book Three by Jools Sinclair - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jools Sinclair
Tags: Mystery, Young Adult
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everything.
Tonight was the night. It was time to go home.
CHAPTER 15
The lights from the island across the way sparkled like jewels in the dark night, calling to me.
And I was ready to answer.
I brought a few bottles of water, candy bars, and a windbreaker inside a pillowcase. I was wearing a non-cotton layer next to my skin with a hooded fleece jacket over it. I had stuffed a bunch of clothes under the covers of the bed and shaped them into what I hoped looked like a body. It wasn’t going to win any acting awards, but it might buy me a few precious minutes.
I left the house just past one. I wasn’t sure if there was an alarm system on at night, so after I closed the front door, I hid in the trees along the shore for a few minutes to see if anyone had followed me.
But everything was quiet and I took off down the beach.
I found the kayak right away and dragged it over to the shore. I packed it up, grabbed the paddle, and slid it into the water. There were still some small waves, but it was much calmer than it had been during the storm. I knew I could handle the swells. It was time to get home.
My heart pounded as I stared at the black water. It was the water of my nightmares. But that didn’t matter anymore. It was now the water that would take me to freedom.
I got in and pushed off. I paddled near the shore for a few minutes, getting the hang of the kayak and making sure there were no leaks.
Everything felt good.
I sank the paddle in the water, saying a quick prayer as I headed out into the Sound.
I wished I could have talked to Jesse before I left. I wanted him to know that I was escaping, getting away from Nathaniel and his twisted feelings and serum. But then I thought about how my next visit with Jesse could be back home at Drake Park, about how all this could be behind me soon. I picked up my speed.
As I paddled, I kept my eyes on the flickering lights ahead. Rolling under me, the black swells grew larger the farther I went out into the strait. I didn’t want to think too much about the size of the waves or the currents. I had to force down those thoughts as much as I could and swallow any fear that tried to bubble to the surface.
I also had to fight the urge to get to the island in a few giant strokes. I needed to keep a steady, even pace and not blow myself out. If I was lucky, this was going to be a marathon.
After a time, I stopped for a quick break to assess my progress. I sat in the middle of the eerie blackness, but I was happy. It was a beautiful night. The stars were sprinkled across the sky, the moon bright and leading the way. I took a long drink of water and glanced back at the island behind me. It was getting smaller. I pressed on.
Being out here was very different than what I had spent doing last summer. Running rapids all day down that familiar river canyon with the rock walls and wilderness close by on both sides hadn’t prepared me for this. I was now paddling in open water with nothing nearby, nothing to swim to if I capsized.
“Come on,” I said out loud. “You can do this.”
My confidence grew with each stroke. The swells continued to get larger and blacker. But I kept my eyes on the prize, paddling toward the island, which increased in size, taking up more and more of the horizon. I began to feel that my fate, like the paddle, was in my hands.
I had to fight down the growing feeling of euphoria that was swelling up inside me. I was at that point where your team scores a goal, but before celebrating you glance over at the linesman to make sure he hasn’t called offside.
I still had a long way to go.
CHAPTER 16
I just needed to keep going and I’d make it.
My arms were beginning to burn. I ignored the pain, paddling through it, thinking about home and being a river guide again next summer. About Ty and how great it would be to see him again. And about the other guides and how we still needed to have that party. And about how the holidays
Tonight was the night. It was time to go home.
CHAPTER 15
The lights from the island across the way sparkled like jewels in the dark night, calling to me.
And I was ready to answer.
I brought a few bottles of water, candy bars, and a windbreaker inside a pillowcase. I was wearing a non-cotton layer next to my skin with a hooded fleece jacket over it. I had stuffed a bunch of clothes under the covers of the bed and shaped them into what I hoped looked like a body. It wasn’t going to win any acting awards, but it might buy me a few precious minutes.
I left the house just past one. I wasn’t sure if there was an alarm system on at night, so after I closed the front door, I hid in the trees along the shore for a few minutes to see if anyone had followed me.
But everything was quiet and I took off down the beach.
I found the kayak right away and dragged it over to the shore. I packed it up, grabbed the paddle, and slid it into the water. There were still some small waves, but it was much calmer than it had been during the storm. I knew I could handle the swells. It was time to get home.
My heart pounded as I stared at the black water. It was the water of my nightmares. But that didn’t matter anymore. It was now the water that would take me to freedom.
I got in and pushed off. I paddled near the shore for a few minutes, getting the hang of the kayak and making sure there were no leaks.
Everything felt good.
I sank the paddle in the water, saying a quick prayer as I headed out into the Sound.
I wished I could have talked to Jesse before I left. I wanted him to know that I was escaping, getting away from Nathaniel and his twisted feelings and serum. But then I thought about how my next visit with Jesse could be back home at Drake Park, about how all this could be behind me soon. I picked up my speed.
As I paddled, I kept my eyes on the flickering lights ahead. Rolling under me, the black swells grew larger the farther I went out into the strait. I didn’t want to think too much about the size of the waves or the currents. I had to force down those thoughts as much as I could and swallow any fear that tried to bubble to the surface.
I also had to fight the urge to get to the island in a few giant strokes. I needed to keep a steady, even pace and not blow myself out. If I was lucky, this was going to be a marathon.
After a time, I stopped for a quick break to assess my progress. I sat in the middle of the eerie blackness, but I was happy. It was a beautiful night. The stars were sprinkled across the sky, the moon bright and leading the way. I took a long drink of water and glanced back at the island behind me. It was getting smaller. I pressed on.
Being out here was very different than what I had spent doing last summer. Running rapids all day down that familiar river canyon with the rock walls and wilderness close by on both sides hadn’t prepared me for this. I was now paddling in open water with nothing nearby, nothing to swim to if I capsized.
“Come on,” I said out loud. “You can do this.”
My confidence grew with each stroke. The swells continued to get larger and blacker. But I kept my eyes on the prize, paddling toward the island, which increased in size, taking up more and more of the horizon. I began to feel that my fate, like the paddle, was in my hands.
I had to fight down the growing feeling of euphoria that was swelling up inside me. I was at that point where your team scores a goal, but before celebrating you glance over at the linesman to make sure he hasn’t called offside.
I still had a long way to go.
CHAPTER 16
I just needed to keep going and I’d make it.
My arms were beginning to burn. I ignored the pain, paddling through it, thinking about home and being a river guide again next summer. About Ty and how great it would be to see him again. And about the other guides and how we still needed to have that party. And about how the holidays
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