made circles of white foamy waves. The canoe bumped again, harder this time.
“We’re getting close,” Marty said. “The river is starting to get rough.”
A wave of fear swept over me. We need Ramos for this, I thought. It isn’t safe to be doing this on our own.
I wondered if the others were thinking the same thing.
I was so surprised when Erin spoke up. “Maybe we should turn back,” she said. “I don’t feel right without Ramos. I mean, what if one of us falls into the river? What if our canoes crack up on the rocks?”
“Erin, go climb in Russell’s canoe!” David joked. “The two of you could hold each other’s hands.”
“Not funny,” Erin snapped.
Our canoes tossed up, then slapped back down.
“Russell, are you getting seasick?” David asked.
“No way! This is fun!” I lied. “I hope it gets rougher than this. This is kind of babyish.”
I’m going to be the bravest one here, I vowed to myself. Even if it kills me!
Foamy, white water tossed up in front of us, then splashed down into the canoe. The canoe rocked from side to side as water slapped the sides.
I bounced into the air and nearly dropped one of my paddles. Charlotte’s hair flew wildly behind her head. Our faces were wet from the cold spray.
“Guys, I’m serious!” Erin shouted. “This is too scary! And we haven’t even come to the falls!”
I was so glad she was saying this, and not me. But would anyone listen?
“Erin, just keep paddling,” Marty said. “You’ll be okay. Really.”
“We won’t be okay!” Erin cried, her voice shrill and trembling. “We’re going over steep falls, and we’re going to crash into rocks below!”
Charlotte suddenly spoke up. “We have to do this!” she shouted, bouncing up as a wave tossed the canoe. “We can’t be the first senior campers in history not to go over Forbidden Falls!”
“But the others all had a counselor with them!” Erin protested.
“So we’ll be the first without a counselor!” I shouted. “We’ll be famous!”
Everyone turned to look at me. “Russell—you’re the man!” Marty yelled. “You’re the man!”
We all had to shout over the roar of the water. White-foamed waves tossed against the canoes on all sides. The canoes bounced beneath us.
Our canoe went into a wild spin. Charlotte and I stabbed the paddles harder and held firm. “Whooooaaa!” We both laughed as the canoe finally straightened itself.
Paddling hard, I turned to the other canoe. Marty sat in front. He was drenched with water. His hair was matted to his head. Water rose up into the canoe. Splashed against the front of his life jacket.
Erin, in the middle, leaned forward. She seemed to be ducking behind Marty, letting him shield her. Her face was very pale in the gray light. Even from my boat, I could see the fear tightening her face.
David stared straight ahead. His eyes were narrowed. His face was set. His body was tensed, alert, ready for anything. As the canoe bounced and rocked, his expression didn’t change.
Our canoe bumped down hard, then bumped again, as if going down steep stairs. “We—we’re almost there!” I shouted to Charlotte.
She shouted a reply, but I couldn’t hear her over the roar of the rushing water. The canoe shot forward, rocking harder. The current pulled us faster…faster.
“Look out!” I shouted as the swirling waves tossed the canoe at the shore. “Too close!”
Tall, gray rocks jutted up along both sides of the riverbank.
We struggled to paddle back to the middle. The river curved sharply here, and the current kept pushing us to the shore.
The falls are right around this curve, I remembered.
Cold water splashed over me. I gasped and sucked in a shuddering breath.
So close…
We’re seconds away, I knew. Seconds away from Forbidden Falls.
The river curved sharply. The rushing current carried us forward, faster…faster…
Charlotte and I stopped paddling. I gripped the sides tightly, holding on for dear
“We’re getting close,” Marty said. “The river is starting to get rough.”
A wave of fear swept over me. We need Ramos for this, I thought. It isn’t safe to be doing this on our own.
I wondered if the others were thinking the same thing.
I was so surprised when Erin spoke up. “Maybe we should turn back,” she said. “I don’t feel right without Ramos. I mean, what if one of us falls into the river? What if our canoes crack up on the rocks?”
“Erin, go climb in Russell’s canoe!” David joked. “The two of you could hold each other’s hands.”
“Not funny,” Erin snapped.
Our canoes tossed up, then slapped back down.
“Russell, are you getting seasick?” David asked.
“No way! This is fun!” I lied. “I hope it gets rougher than this. This is kind of babyish.”
I’m going to be the bravest one here, I vowed to myself. Even if it kills me!
Foamy, white water tossed up in front of us, then splashed down into the canoe. The canoe rocked from side to side as water slapped the sides.
I bounced into the air and nearly dropped one of my paddles. Charlotte’s hair flew wildly behind her head. Our faces were wet from the cold spray.
“Guys, I’m serious!” Erin shouted. “This is too scary! And we haven’t even come to the falls!”
I was so glad she was saying this, and not me. But would anyone listen?
“Erin, just keep paddling,” Marty said. “You’ll be okay. Really.”
“We won’t be okay!” Erin cried, her voice shrill and trembling. “We’re going over steep falls, and we’re going to crash into rocks below!”
Charlotte suddenly spoke up. “We have to do this!” she shouted, bouncing up as a wave tossed the canoe. “We can’t be the first senior campers in history not to go over Forbidden Falls!”
“But the others all had a counselor with them!” Erin protested.
“So we’ll be the first without a counselor!” I shouted. “We’ll be famous!”
Everyone turned to look at me. “Russell—you’re the man!” Marty yelled. “You’re the man!”
We all had to shout over the roar of the water. White-foamed waves tossed against the canoes on all sides. The canoes bounced beneath us.
Our canoe went into a wild spin. Charlotte and I stabbed the paddles harder and held firm. “Whooooaaa!” We both laughed as the canoe finally straightened itself.
Paddling hard, I turned to the other canoe. Marty sat in front. He was drenched with water. His hair was matted to his head. Water rose up into the canoe. Splashed against the front of his life jacket.
Erin, in the middle, leaned forward. She seemed to be ducking behind Marty, letting him shield her. Her face was very pale in the gray light. Even from my boat, I could see the fear tightening her face.
David stared straight ahead. His eyes were narrowed. His face was set. His body was tensed, alert, ready for anything. As the canoe bounced and rocked, his expression didn’t change.
Our canoe bumped down hard, then bumped again, as if going down steep stairs. “We—we’re almost there!” I shouted to Charlotte.
She shouted a reply, but I couldn’t hear her over the roar of the rushing water. The canoe shot forward, rocking harder. The current pulled us faster…faster.
“Look out!” I shouted as the swirling waves tossed the canoe at the shore. “Too close!”
Tall, gray rocks jutted up along both sides of the riverbank.
We struggled to paddle back to the middle. The river curved sharply here, and the current kept pushing us to the shore.
The falls are right around this curve, I remembered.
Cold water splashed over me. I gasped and sucked in a shuddering breath.
So close…
We’re seconds away, I knew. Seconds away from Forbidden Falls.
The river curved sharply. The rushing current carried us forward, faster…faster…
Charlotte and I stopped paddling. I gripped the sides tightly, holding on for dear
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