Very Short Fiction

Renae Rife - "Rapid"

"Come on, it'll be an adventure!" Her husband's uncle had said. "Let's go river rafting!" Renae was apprehensive at first, but convinced herself she needed to do something, besides work. Her job was stressful and frustrating and lately it'd started to seem like all she did was work. So she let her in-laws convince her to go rafting down a river. She'd never done it before, so maybe it would be an adventure.

Ryan wasn't thrilled either, but he shrugged off his apprehension just as his wife did, and they all went along for the ride.

The morning of was bright and clear as they packed up and headed out early. It was already promising to be a hot day. "But, hey," Renae thought, "We're going to be on the river, so, not so bad, I guess."

Trying not to think of the dangers on the way down, Renae distracted herself by texting friends and snap chatting selfies to her followers.

Finally arriving, they pulled into the parking lot next to Ryan's uncle's vehicle, and they began unloading. The park was beautiful with summer's beauty and bright sunshine. The sweat was beginning to bead on Renae's forehead from the heat and nerves, as she looked around at the setting.

Within the hour they were all packed and checked into their rooms in the motel and they were preparing for their trip down river. The unloading of the canoes and equipment took less time than Renae expected—she was in absolutely no rush—but she was hopeful for good things.

They all pulled on life vests and climbed into precarious seating. They pushed off the bank and soon began a slow cruise down river.

A gentle breeze was rustling the leaves of the trees and birds sang out to them as they paddled their way down the lazy river. Renae was beginning to enjoy the scenery, wishing she'd been able to bring her phone to take pictures, but she remembered she didn't want a water logged smartphone.

After a half an hour, the heat and sun seemed to grow stronger, bearing down on them. "Why did I not bring sunscreen?" She said aloud.

"I don't know," Ryan responded as he continued to paddle.

"Yeah yeah, you'll burn too." She told him.

They had been barely a few yards behind her in-laws when she realized that she didn't see them. Ryan noticed it too, and saw that she was worried as well.

"They're probably just a little faster than us, is all. I'm sure everything's fine." He didn't sound convinced to her.

Almost immediately the river began to get rougher, rockier. "Whoa!" Ryan shouted as he padded to avoid a boulder in their path. Renae saw and tried to help correct as she paddled, but their turn was short, and the rear of the canoe smacked against it, rocking the vessel.

They shifted their weight just enough to compensate, righting themselves before it capsized.

"This is definitely not fun anymore!" Renae shouted.

"It's okay," Ryan reassured her, "we'll be out soon, I think."

"You THINK?!"

"Just calm down. We will be okay."

She paused, took a deep breath. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. "Okay." She said finally.

They continued to navigate the ever rougher river, as they began to move quicker and quicker. Boulders, fallen logs, and other debris made the going harder as they attempted to find their way back to civilization and family. Renae's grip on the paddle tightened as they worked together to swerve and dodge the obstacles in their path. Neither spoke as they focused on staying upright.

After what seemed like forever in rough waters and focused silence, the came around a bend in the river. Ryan spoke up.

"Oh man," Renae barely heard him over the sound of the rushing water. "Is that what I think it is?"