The river that killed the grown-ups has decided to kill the kids. Which doesn’t make any sense—a river can’t think—but my brain is so confused and dizzy that it’s looking for reasons not to die.

Don’t give up. Keep bobbing, grabbing a breath when you can.

Daniel Redmayne, don’t let go! Remember who you are. Who cares about you. Stay alive. Use your panic to keep breathing. Don’t inhale the water, no matter how much you are tempted.

Keep kicking. Keep rising. Grab air when you can.

I’m trying, but part of me says to give up. It’s too exhausting, my strength is fading. The river will put me to sleep. The crazy, crazy river promises it won’t hurt.

Crazy, crazy. Sorry, Dad. I understand now that you’ve been in your own crazy river, struggling to stay alive. Thank you for trying so hard. Sorry, but I’m going to give up and go to sleep.

Take a nap. The water will be my pillow. The river will rock me to sleep. It sings to me, a beautiful chorus of watery voices.

Dan-yul, Dan-yul, let it go, go to sleep, Dan-yul, Dan-yul.

Shhh, shhh, sleep is waiting, nothing to fear.

Dan-yul, Dan-yul.

That’s it. It’s over. I’m fading away. The light glowing through the water is so soft and beautiful.

I’m not afraid. I’m letting go.

And then two hands from heaven reach through the glowing water, and they lift me out of the river and bring me back to life.

It hurts!

27. Friends for Life

The air is sweet, but I swallowed so much water I can barely inhale. Mia and Imani encourage me to get on my hands and knees so I can cough up the water. That’s the part that hurts. Eventually there’s nothing left to cough up and I start breathing like a normal person.

“Wow” is all I can manage to say.

Mia giggles. “Wow, he says. And wow it is! Imani did it, Daniel. She figured out how to save you.”

“Thank you.”

“It was amazing. We’re racing along the shore, trying to keep up with you, but the river kept taking you away. Imani goes, ‘Not on my watch!’ and then she scrambles up the ravine, runs across to the next bend, and waits for you to drift by.”

Imani shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I just cut through the curve and there you were.”

“However you figured it out, you saved my life for sure.”

“Like you saved ours. More than once.”

Mia leaps to her feet. “Come on, I’ve got an idea, and it’s really, really important!”

I get to my feet, still a bit woozy and weak in my knees.

“Join hands,” Mia commands.