had a chance to recover from the crash, the water hit them, smashing into the front of the car and foaming up over the bonnet.
Unable to flow through the archway, the water rose steadily. Soon it was pouring over the top of the doors.
‘We can’t stay here,’ said James. ‘We’ll have to get out.’
‘My things,’ wailed Precious.
‘Leave them,’ said James. ‘You’ll be drowned.’
It was a mad scramble but the three of them just made it out of the rear of the car, which was acting like a giant cork stuck in the archway. Some of the water was getting past, but the bulk of it was being held back.
James, Precious and JJ hurried down the street, ankle deep in filthy water. JJ was limping badly.
‘The car should stop it for a while,’ said James. ‘We might be in luck.’
Even as he said it, though, there was a groan and a crack behind them and James looked round to see part of the arch give way and fall into the street. He took hold of JJ’s hand and pulled him faster.
The next moment the rest of the arch collapsed and the car sailed out, like a great steel gondola.
It barrelled down the street towards them, carried along by the sheer force of water behind it.
Precious screamed.
James tried to speed up, but it was difficult running through the rising water, which tugged at his legs. It was clear they would never make it as far as the next side street. James desperately looked for an open window or door, but the houses were all still closed up after the storm. Then he spotted, about 15 feet ahead, a stairway leading up on to the roof of a building.
‘If we can just make it to those steps we’ll be all right,’ he said, picking up JJ. With nothing to weigh her down, Precious overtook him, running surprisingly fast in her dress.
Behind them they could hear the rushing, roaring sound of the water and the car grinding nearer and nearer, banging and crunching into the walls on either side.
‘Hold on,’ James gasped to JJ. His legs were giving out and he hoped he would have the strength to reach the steps.
Precious got there safely and raced up to the roof. James was right behind her, but so was the car. It knocked into him and he lost his footing, then something else bashed into him and JJ was torn from his arms.
James was thrown forward on to the steps, the water washed over him like a wave, then, coughing and spluttering, he got to his feet and dragged himself to the roof.
‘Where’s JJ?’ he gasped, sick that he had lost the boy when he had been so close to safety. ‘Can you see him?’
Precious pointed into the street, too terrified to speak.
There was JJ, being carried off by the water, clinging to the bonnet of the car.
‘We’ve got to help him,’ Precious yelled and James quickly looked out across the flat roofs to get his bearings. There was a clear view of the town from here, and he could see water flowing down all the streets on this side of the river. He saw the route that the car would take and he plotted his own route across the rooftops.
‘What can we do?’ Precious shouted.
James sprinted along the roof and jumped across to the next house, and then the next, keeping pace with JJ. He thought that he could take a short cut and maybe get ahead of the car and, as he raced along, he checked the way ahead. Luckily the buildings were tightly packed, but there were still a couple of hair-raising gaps that he had to get across.
He didn’t stop to think twice. He was used to this sort of thing and he ran as fast as he could, timing his jumps perfectly. The first wide gap he took in one clean jump, and on the second one he landed on his belly on the edge of the next building and, despite being badly winded, he scrabbled up and carried on.
His calculations were right. Soon he had overtaken the flood. He ran on until he found the perfect spot and threw himself off the roof just as the car passed beneath him.
He landed in the front seat. The car rocked from side to side. He held
Unable to flow through the archway, the water rose steadily. Soon it was pouring over the top of the doors.
‘We can’t stay here,’ said James. ‘We’ll have to get out.’
‘My things,’ wailed Precious.
‘Leave them,’ said James. ‘You’ll be drowned.’
It was a mad scramble but the three of them just made it out of the rear of the car, which was acting like a giant cork stuck in the archway. Some of the water was getting past, but the bulk of it was being held back.
James, Precious and JJ hurried down the street, ankle deep in filthy water. JJ was limping badly.
‘The car should stop it for a while,’ said James. ‘We might be in luck.’
Even as he said it, though, there was a groan and a crack behind them and James looked round to see part of the arch give way and fall into the street. He took hold of JJ’s hand and pulled him faster.
The next moment the rest of the arch collapsed and the car sailed out, like a great steel gondola.
It barrelled down the street towards them, carried along by the sheer force of water behind it.
Precious screamed.
James tried to speed up, but it was difficult running through the rising water, which tugged at his legs. It was clear they would never make it as far as the next side street. James desperately looked for an open window or door, but the houses were all still closed up after the storm. Then he spotted, about 15 feet ahead, a stairway leading up on to the roof of a building.
‘If we can just make it to those steps we’ll be all right,’ he said, picking up JJ. With nothing to weigh her down, Precious overtook him, running surprisingly fast in her dress.
Behind them they could hear the rushing, roaring sound of the water and the car grinding nearer and nearer, banging and crunching into the walls on either side.
‘Hold on,’ James gasped to JJ. His legs were giving out and he hoped he would have the strength to reach the steps.
Precious got there safely and raced up to the roof. James was right behind her, but so was the car. It knocked into him and he lost his footing, then something else bashed into him and JJ was torn from his arms.
James was thrown forward on to the steps, the water washed over him like a wave, then, coughing and spluttering, he got to his feet and dragged himself to the roof.
‘Where’s JJ?’ he gasped, sick that he had lost the boy when he had been so close to safety. ‘Can you see him?’
Precious pointed into the street, too terrified to speak.
There was JJ, being carried off by the water, clinging to the bonnet of the car.
‘We’ve got to help him,’ Precious yelled and James quickly looked out across the flat roofs to get his bearings. There was a clear view of the town from here, and he could see water flowing down all the streets on this side of the river. He saw the route that the car would take and he plotted his own route across the rooftops.
‘What can we do?’ Precious shouted.
James sprinted along the roof and jumped across to the next house, and then the next, keeping pace with JJ. He thought that he could take a short cut and maybe get ahead of the car and, as he raced along, he checked the way ahead. Luckily the buildings were tightly packed, but there were still a couple of hair-raising gaps that he had to get across.
He didn’t stop to think twice. He was used to this sort of thing and he ran as fast as he could, timing his jumps perfectly. The first wide gap he took in one clean jump, and on the second one he landed on his belly on the edge of the next building and, despite being badly winded, he scrabbled up and carried on.
His calculations were right. Soon he had overtaken the flood. He ran on until he found the perfect spot and threw himself off the roof just as the car passed beneath him.
He landed in the front seat. The car rocked from side to side. He held
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