While We Fall (The Eva Series #2)

Chapter Nine

No.
Panic washed over me as I stood on the bridge, frozen in fear. I knew I had to run over to where Jo fell, but my legs refused to move. I was terrified to look over the edge, because then it would be real.
Jo would be gone.
As long as I stood in that spot, I wouldn’t have to feel the pain of losing my best friend.

“Jo!” Ben called from the other side of the bridge. His yelling sparked movement within me, and I felt my legs carrying me towards the edge of the bridge, climbing over the bonnet of the four wheel drive I had slammed into the back of the station wagon only seconds before.
I skidded to my knees and peered over the edge, bracing myself for what I might see.
“Jo?” I gasped. She had landed on the bow of the boat, but she wasn’t moving.
A loud screech from behind made me jump to my feet. I spun around to see the zombie trying to crawl out of the station wagon, it’s blood-shot eyes locked on me. I searched for my axe, only to remember it was still sitting in the four-wheel drive.
I reached over and grabbed the car door, slamming it against the zombie’s head again and again, until it was just a crumbling, bloody stump.

I turned my attention back to Jo just as Wyatt and Ben appeared, sighing in relief when they realised that Jo hadn’t fallen into the river.
“Jo!” I called, tears filling my eyes to see her safe.
“Try to wake her up.” I said as I sprung to my feet. “I’ll get some rope.” I bolted back to the RV, my determination to save Jo drowning out any fear. Once inside, I rummaged through my backpack, grateful that I packed anything I could fit in there from the camping store, including a long rope. I pulled it out of my bag, swung it over my shoulder and sped back to Wyatt and Ben, being sure to keep Dixon shut safely inside. Crocodiles could snatch him up in a second if he got out.

I heard Jo’s voice as I approached the bridge, and my hope grew knowing that she had regained consciousness.
“Is she okay?” I called as I tied the rope to the barrier on the opposite side of the bridge, I didn’t want to risk putting too much pressure on the already weakened side.
“I think so,” Said Ben. “But we gotta hurry. She’s really panicking down there.”
I made sure the rope was tight enough before running over to the edge and throwing it down to Jo. “Tie it around your waist and we’ll pull you up!”
Jo stood up and grabbed hold of the rope, careful to keep her balance so she didn’t fall into the river. Her hands shook as she tried to tie the rope around her, causing her to drop it more than once.
“C’mon Jo! Just tie it!” I called. Wyatt and Ben stood behind me holding the rope, ready to pull.
“I can’t!” She cried. “My hands are shaking too much!”
“It’s okay,” I called. “You can do it!”

I noticed writing on the side of the boat that said ‘Crocodile River Tours’, and I started searching the water for any movement, but I knew if there were any crocodiles in the water, we wouldn’t see them until it was too late.
Then, in the corner of my eye, I saw movement. But it wasn’t in the water.
It was in the boat.
My gaze shot up to see a zombie emerge from the cabin of the boat. He was wearing a headset and microphone, the tour guide for the river boat.
“Jo, you need to hurry,” I called, trying not to hide the terror in my voice. I didn’t know whether telling her about the zombie would make her move faster or frighten her so much that she fell in. Before I had a chance to decide, the zombie let out a quiet groan, but it echoed through his microphone and through the speakers on the boat.
Jo screamed in fright as she spun around to face him.
“Hurry!” I yelled, grabbing a tighter hold of the rope. She finally looped the rope around her waist and within seconds we were pulling her up.

I stood up to get a firmer grip of the rope but was pulled forward as the weight suddenly became heavier. I leaned over to see the zombie hanging on to Jo’s legs, her frantic kicking the only thing stopping it from sinking it’s teeth into her flesh.
“What is it, Eva?” Wyatt called, seeing the terror on my face.
“A zombie! It’s on her!” I said, tugging on the rope with all my might.
Jo screamed, and I peered over the edge to see a crocodile peeking out from the water.
“Quick! PULL!” I yelled, but the crocodile had already leapt out of the water.

It’s razor sharp teeth locked on to the zombie’s waist, pulling it off of Jo and down into the river, creating a whirlpool of mud and blood as it thrashed around violently. The strength of it’s pull caused us to stumble forward, leaving Jo dangling dangerously close to the water.
Using all our strength, we hauled Jo up higher and higher until I saw her hand reach up and grab hold of the edge.
“We got this, Eva,” said Ben. “Help her up.”

I let go of the rope and grabbed onto Jo’s wrists, dragging her onto the bridge and out of danger. She wrapped her arms around me, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Ben was on his knees next to me as soon as she was safe, checking her for bites or wounds. The moment she let go of me, he was hugging her. “Jo, are you okay?”
She nodded her head, but the tears welling in her eyes told a different story. He held her tight as she cried in his arms. “It’s ok. You’re ok.” He whispered before kissing her head gently.

Wyatt helped me to my feet, and I realised that I, too, was shaking.

“C’mon,” I said to Wyatt after we had untied the rope. “Let’s move these last two cars so we can get out of here.”

As I walked back to the four-wheel drive, I tried not to think of how close I just came to losing my best friend.

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Author's Note:

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