The Falls

“Where’s Carrie?” Ashley shouted from within her bright red kayak, over the roar of the water that rushed around them. Her brother, Jason, gave an exaggerated shrug from his kayak and his voice drifted to her, the words undecipherable.

“I’m going back,” Ashley shouted to her twin and turned the kayak around with strong, sure strokes. She caught the swift current and let it sweep her along. She began to call for Carrie, concerned at the girl’s sudden disappearance. They’d been kayaking all morning; just the three of them and then, Ashley had turned to check on her once more, and discovered the girl had disappeared. Of the three of them, Carrie was the only one that had never kayaked before.

Ashley allowed herself to be swept along and thought about Carrie’s infatuation with her twin. There was no reason to dislike the girl but her obsession with Jason bothered her, particularly at a time when he was vulnerable. They’d just recently lost their mother and Jason's fiancé in a tragic car crash. Even so Carrie seemed determined to force herself on Jason, today’s excursion included. Ashley had suggested it would be good for them both, at least until Carrie insisted on joining them. Ashley spotted a bright blue kayak on the bank to her right and began to angle toward it.

“Carrie?” Ashley queried the quiet forest. There was no response as she got out of the kayak and ventured further into the dimness. The soothing shade of the trees surrounded her, the buzz of insects all around. A crack of a tree branch made her spin around in alarm.

“Carrie?” she called again, her voice low and hoarse. She took a few more steps. Goose bumps sprang up on her arms and the hair on her neck prickled. A movement to her right caught her attention. The last thing she saw was a thick tree branch that hadn’t been there before. Ashley woke some time later to the bitter taste of blood. She realized she was in her kayak with Carrie perched on the end.

Ashley blinked, groaned, and tried to speak. Her throat clicked but no other sound came out. She struggled to get out of the kayak and that unlocked her voice.

“Carrie, what’s going on? Why are my hands tied?”

“You’re all that’s left between Jason and me.” Carrie stood and began to push the kayak into the water. “Now you can join his fiancé and mother.”

“That’s impossible.” Ashley stared at Carrie. “You couldn’t have.”

“Could and did,” Carrie whispered and set her adrift in the river. Ashley twisted in her bonds, struggling to free herself from the tight ropes that bound her as the kayak pitched and spun in the current.

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“Carrie! Ashley!” Jason moved aside a branch. Night had fallen and he had begun to think all three of them were lost in the woods until he saw smoke rising through the treetops. After a moment he came to a halt and stared at the scene in front of him. A fire crackled in front of Carrie as she sat and stared into the flames. She looked up at him and a bright smile lit her face.

“Thank goodness you found me.” Carrie stood and moved toward him. “I got swept down here and was too exhausted to try and find my way back up to you guys.”

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8/28/08 Word Count: 567 words

This is an entry into the Twisted Tales contest. Judging begins 9/1/08.
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Twisted Tales Contest  (13+) A monthly contest for stories with a twist. Get 500 GPs for entering! Nov round open! #1269187 by Arakun the twisted raccoon

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