I think she means stay as close to the center of the raft as possible. We’re scraping past rocks that protrude from the thrashing water. Get your foot in the way and you might lose it.

Imani has this fierce look, like she’s trying to calm the water with her eyes. Her dreads are soaked. We’re all drenched, which makes it more difficult to hang on to the rope with slippery hands.

The raft pivots around as we enter a whirlpool. We’re flying backward through the roaring waves, which means we can’t see what’s coming.

I’ve never been so scared in my life. Not fun scared. Fear-of-dying scared.

Mia yells something, but her words are swallowed by the roar of the rapids. I’m getting splashed in the face, so my glasses are blurry. Good thing they have an elastic strap or they’d be torn from my face.

Blind and careening backward, it’s all I can do to hang on.

Suddenly we enter calmer water and the raft starts to spin the other way. I assume the worst is over. That’s good because my arms are shaking from the effort of holding tight to the rope. But the river is playing tricks. The white water isn’t done with us, not yet.

Boom, we’re back in it! The logs leap and shift under us as we crash from rock to rock. I can’t see a thing. I try to wipe my glasses without letting go of the rope, but it’s impossible.

It’s all I can do not to cry out for my mom. Not that anybody could hear me if I did. Is this how my dad feels when he’s out of control? Terrified and excited at the same time?

It’s like the river wants to wreck us. Like it’s throwing a tantrum as it tries to tear the raft apart.

Please stop. Make it stop. Please please please!

I thought that building a raft was a great idea. What a moron. I never thought it through, what white-water rapids could do to a runaway raft. No paddles, no ability to steer, no life jackets. What were we thinking?

A wave smashes into my open mouth, choking me. I cough so hard I almost fall off. Imani snags my shirt and yanks me back from the edge. Thank you thank you. Not that I can tell her because I’m still coughing.

“LOOK OUT!” Mia screams.

My glasses clear just enough to see what she means. We’re speeding into a sharp curve where the waves break against the ravine wall. Nothing we can do to control the raft. We’re completely at the mercy of waves and a raging current, heading right for the wall.

If we hit it, we’ll be killed.