Dany stood and waited, intent on at least offering a good morning when the bather surfaced. Thirty seconds went by, then a minute. Dany began to pace along the river’s edge, scanning up and down its length. Surely he’d emerge at any moment now. He waited, and as the seconds ticked by his casual concern grew to heightened panic that the swimmer may actually be in trouble. He dropped the coffee pot of water, kicked off his boots, and pulled off his T-shirt as he ran into the cool water that quickly rose above his head. He swam quickly to the spot he remembered the man going under and frantically treaded water, trying to peer down into it, but the rushing current made it impossible to see beyond a few feet. Taking a deep breath, Dany dove down, straining to catch a glimpse or a clue to lead him in the right direction. Running out of air, he pushed toward the surface and broke through the rolling waves with a gasp. He scanned the length of the river again and along its banks, hoping against hope that he’d see the man and they could laugh off his heroics. Nothing.

Taking another deep breath, Dany dove down again, determined to reach the bottom this time, filled with a dark flicker of faith that he might at least locate a semi-conscious body trapped against a rock or tree branch or something.… A flash of light shot up from the riverbed and Dany kicked toward it, using all his energy to not be taken away with the current. Anchoring himself against a rock, he found the source of the reflection, a silver medallion and chain hooked around a branch of driftwood. He grabbed hold of the branch and pulled with all his might, but it remained lodged between two granite boulders. Out of breath and strength, he pushed off the rock to the surface, gratefully gulping oxygen. Scanning the river again, his breath caught in his throat. The hiker sat, dressed, with the coffee pot resting on his knee on the very rock Dany had perched himself on. An eerie tremor crept across his skin as he realized they had just traded places. He shook the feeling from his bones as he swam toward the curious and handsome apparition. He couldn’t help but notice that the man’s hair and clothes appeared perfectly dry as he himself trudged out onto the riverbank with his own jeans sloshing with water and hugging him uncomfortably.

“You’ve got to be crazy,” the hiker said. “The water’s not too warm this time of year.”

“But you were just.…”

“Mind if I join you and your friend?” the hiker asked as he stooped over and filled the coffee pot again from the river. “We should get you warmed up by a fire.”