Together they waded into the dark water. Even though Cate knew it was about seventy-eight degrees, it still chilled her to the bone. Beside her, Jack was breathing heavily as he worked up some courage. To her other side, Abby looked as white as a sheet.

“You okay?” she whispered. Abby nodded, but didn’t look at her.

“Turn your lights off,” Jack said softly.

“Huh… why?” Abby frowned.

“We need to save the batteries, and besides, the light just might attract… something,” he whispered.

They flicked their lights off.

“What about yours?” Cate said too quickly.

“We need to see, but we don’t need to be a carnival.” He smiled, put a finger to his lips, turned, and pushed out.

Abby went next, and then Cate.

She could barely see a thing, definitely not the raft, and just concentrated on following Jack’s light. She stroked, keeping her arms beneath the surface, and movements even and slow. In front of her, one of Abby’s boots broke the surface, a small splash, but it made her heart thump in her chest, and her anger flare. She bit down the curse to stop it moving past her teeth.

Jack’s light bobbed, but now and then she caught a glimpse of the raft edge. They glided towards it – forty feet, thirty, twenty, ten… and then they had it.

Jack held the edge, and brought them all in close so he could whisper to them. “I’m going to lift you in first, Abby. Then you help Cate in, okay?”

Abby nodded, and turned to place her hands on the edge of the floating pancake. “Nice and easy.” He sunk beside her, and must have put his hands underneath her boot or butt as she was lifted up and onto the flat surface without dipping the raft further under the water.

Cate grinned. “It works.” Abby didn’t sink, but stayed just above water level.

“You now, and then you help me up.” Jack went down again, and she felt his hands on the sole of her boot. It lifted and she used it like a step to propel herself up, kicking something as she came up. She rolled into the raft, once again not sinking it.

“Yes.” She said, rolling back to the side. She looked down, and saw Jack’s light down deep, too deep, and then it went out. Her mouth fell open, and she stared. She placed her face in the water, and reached up quickly to switch on her yellowing light.

Jack’s face was right there, coming up. He rubbed his forehead. “Nice kick in the head, girl. Lost my light.”

She grabbed his face. “Get in here.” She switched her grip to his shoulders and with Abby’s help managed to carefully lift Jack over the side. The raft sank a little then.

“Spread out, everyone lie flat,” Jack hissed.