Part 3!
The group wandered off a bit, not far away enough
to get out of eyeshot. They shouted for him only every
once in a while, in case they missed GF calling out for
help. Walking down the river did provide a lot of noise
pollution, but they didn't dare take any chances. The mood
was somber, yet intense. Each person was focused on what he
or she was doing. Mark was scouting in front, since he
seemed to know the woods well. The others seemed lost even
though the sun hadn't set yet. Even the dog was befuddled.
But Mark clearly fit in with the woods, and blended in the
beauty somehow. The rest spread out in a row, Kylie between
Sparky and Rosti.
"So, um. Who are you guys?" she whispered. Sparky
ignored her, Rosti turned to look at her and grinned.
"Roaring odd group of people," he said. Kylie snorted.
"I noticed," she replied. His smile broadened.
"Yeah, definitely. You know Freeze? We think he has a
thing for Mark." His tone got quieter. Kylie looked at him
shocked.
"He's gay? And Mark?" She made a face. He nodded.
"Yeah, he is. So is GF. We also speculate that Freeze
has a thing for GF as well." He said.
"Like a gay love triangle?" Kylie laughed. Rosti
chuckled.
"Yes. We're not sure about Mark though... I don't
even know if he HAS a sexual drive. A radgie gadgie, that
one is. However, him and UNF..." He trailed off, saying
nothing and everything. Kylie shook her head in wonder.
What an odd group of people, so different. Mark shouted out
from the front, his voice hardly carrying over the river's
noise. Kryshak ran to Mark and started barking out at the
river.
"I see him! He's in the middle of the river." He
stopped and pointed to the wide, dangerous river. "Wow, he's
out far. Worst place too, that's where the water gets
violent," he added, apparently talking to himself. Sparky
and Rosti ran ahead, the whole group gathering around Mark
and the dog. When the group caught sight of the unconscious
and wet GF they groaned.
"Is he even alive? I can't tell from here." Alex said.
"I don't know, we can't just leave him there, though,"
Sparky said.
"You're right. Who volunteers to attempt to swim out
in violent, nearly white water and risk their lives to save
someone who might be dead?" Alex said bluntly. The group
looked down, conflicted. UNF's eyes seemed to glisten in
the sun, and Freeze seemed down.
"I can try," said Rosti. "But first I'd like to come
up with a reasonable plan. I'm not just going to swim out
there. We need a rope or something of the sort, so you can
pull me back in case I can't do it," he said. Cardinal nodded.
"We can take off our shirts and tie them up. If we
need to, we can find a big branch and tie the shirts on them
to make it reach a further distance."
"Good idea, everyone, take off their shirts!" Rosti
exclaimed. UNF, Sparky, and Kylie protested.
"I am NOT taking off my shirt in front of you idiots!"
UNF cried out.
"I DO NOT want to become a tangible piece of porn to
you morons." Sparky added.
"No, just no!" Kylie nearly shouted. The three girls
stood there in a group, glaring at the boys.
"But we want you to so much..." Cardinal said, the boy
put on a creepy grin.
"Ew, EW! I do NOT want to see that. Let's just have us
guys take them off and see if we can work with that,"
Freeze said. "If it's not enough, well, there's always rape."
Kylie squealed. It was decided; she did NOT like this
group of immoral people. She wished she could run away, but
there were so many...
The boys stripped off their shirts and tied them up.
All of them, save for Freeze, were wearing long sleeves, so
it added up to a pretty decent sized rope. It looked long
enough to reach.
"That looks good. Rosti, tie to your wrist and go
out." Freeze said. Rosti nodded, and fixed the rope on his
wrist. He stood straight, preparing himself for this.
"Well, wish me luck." He grinned. The group smiled at
him, UNF, Sparky, and Cardinal hugging him. Kylie, Alex,
and Freeze waved goodbye. The dog barked and jumped at
Rosti, who got a serious petting in return.
"Ta-ra!" He launched himself into the river. Swimming
in strokes, he was already getting exhausted.. The river
was pushing at him, trying to force him down. Water got in
his mouth and up his nose. He coughed, but kept going. GF.
That's all that mattered. The group was cheering him on at
the bank, giving him support. Rosti gritted his teeth; he
wouldn't let his river get to him, not a chance.
Slowly making progress, Rosti inched his way to GF.
The body laying there, caught in large boulders. Nearly
there. Rosti's body was screaming to give up. How nice it
would feel just to relax and get carried away...
"You're nearly there!" Freeze called out. Just then,
Rosti grabbed GF's arm, and reached the body. The group
called out in happiness behind him. He raised a fist and
laughed. Time to get back...
The river caught him by surprise. A surge of water
rushed at him, and he lost his balance. Gripping GF's body,
the water smashed into him, forcing Rosti down the river.
The rope was tugged out of Alex's hands.
Instinctively, Kylie went out to jump. Alex, however,
burst ahead of her and jumped out to grab the rope. He fell
into the water and started to swim. Rosti was struggling to
fight the current, while at the same time trying to get to
shore. Alex rushed down, and somehow managed to grab it.
He put it in his mouth and started swimming to the edge.
Kylie and the group ran to catch up to them. Kylie
reached out to help out Alex. He was so close!
"Someone get my ankles!" she shouted. Freeze shuffled
to her and grabbed them. Kylie crawled out to the edge and
made her way into the river, hoping that Freeze would able
to keep hold. It was biting cold, like ice cubes slamming
on every inch of her body. Gritting her teeth, she reached
out for Alex, hoping he would get to her. Alex looked
determined, and swam hard.
They made contact. Kylie grabbed his wrists and
shouted at Freeze to pull her in. UNF, Sparky, and Mark
helped out Freeze, and the combined strength easily pulled
her back. Alex quickly climbed back on land and started
pulling on the rope. Everyone else followed his example.
Rosti lay there, exhausted; he couldn't move anymore. They
pulled him up on shore, and he crawled, coughing up water.
"Someone! CPR!" UNF cried out. She was kneeling at
GF's body. Kylie, catching her breath, came forward.
"I can do it," she said breathlessly. Kylie had taken
a First Aid class at High School; former training was
required in order to graduate. She'd done it on dummies,
but she was unsure of herself now. Living bodies of real
people were different. Kneeling by GF, she paused.
"Get to it!" Alex shouted. Kylie flintched at
immediately tilted the head back and put her ear to GF's
mouth. No breathing. She put her head on his chest for a
pulse. Freeze knelt beside her, putting two fingers on the
neck.
"I feel something," he said. "It's a weak pulse."
Kylie nodded, too focused to celebrate at the good news.
She tilted the head back and inspected the mouth. She
suddenly felt dizzy.
"You do the breathing, I'll pump the chest," she said,
nauseous. Freeze stared at her, annoyed.
"This is saving a person's life! What the heck are you
thinking?" he exclaimed. Kylie shook her head, unable to
say anything. Freeze sighed and pinched the nose. He put
his mouth to GF's and blew air in.
"No response, I have to pump the chest," Kylie said
after a few breaths. Freeze nodded, and kept getting to
work. She pumped GF's chest, hoping he would wake up. Come
on GF, she thought, breathe!
The body coughed. Freeze and Kylie acted
instantaneously, pushing GF on his side. Water came spewing
out of the mouth, and he started breathing.
"Thank goodness!" UNF said, her and Sparky were now in
tears. Alex and Rosti smiled and nearly laughed. Mark
clapped Kylie's shoulder and sighed in relief.
"GF? Can you hear me?" Freeze called out. GF's eyes
wandered around and focused on Freeze's.
"Where am I?" He whispered.
"By the river you "fell" in," replied Mark. GF was
too busy catching his breath to reply.
"Sorry..." he said. "Hope I didn't cause too much..."
he coughed.
"Don't waste your energy talking, just rest," Kylie
said. GF's eyes found hers and went wide.
"YOU." He hissed. Anger flashed in his features. GF
suddenly began to cough violently, and began to convulse.
He shivered and started to wheeze, lips turning blue. Kylie
was startled.
"What's going on?" She said in a panicked voice.
"I don't know! GF? Answer me!" Freeze shouted. GF
could only attempt to gasp for air. He shivered and went
slack, the body unmoving. Blank eyes stared up at the sky.
"No, no, no, NO! Quick, CPR!" Freeze shouted. He put
a hand on the body's neck to check for a pulse. Kylie
grabbed the wrist and put a head on his chest. She felt
nothing.
"Why is it not there? Why? Oh my gosh. GF? Why...?"
Tears streamed down Freeze's face. UNF and Sparky turned
away crying. Mark was no where to be found, but Alex and
Rosti stood by reverently, eyes glistening.
"I... I think he's... Not..." Kylie couldn't find the
words. Her throat hurt, and tears came out.
And everyone knew. GF was dead.
