The Rush

Part one: Roses

The ice-cold dam water of the spillway rushes under my body as I lie there on my board. I can't see past the tall solid concrete walls either side of me, only forward. I look up to the cloudless sky, the sun beams in all its glory down on us, its rays of light twinkling on the water.  I breathe in deeply through my nose, attempting to settle the mixed emotions making a stew in the pit of my stomach and take in the scent of algae and fresh summer air. My mind seems to settle on one emotion.  Anticipation. I feel a smile creep its way onto my face... We're actually going to do this!

I look to my left and see Mark adjusting the Go-Pro strapped to his head, making his mop of blonde hair look even wilder and Liam right beside him plant a kiss on the crucifix that hangs on a thick silver chain around his neck; he looks to the sky and mumbles what must be a prayer.

"Oh cut it out Liam, this is going to be sick!''  I say whilst chuckling unable to hide my excitement, he smiles and flips me the bird.

"You're crazy Alec!" He raises his voice and accuses, over the rush of water.

"Yeah your probably right... but my guess is that you two are just as bad 'cause you're both here with me." I call back.

"True. Very true." Liam agrees and Mark nods his head, both with wide smiles on their faces matching mine. Truth is we're just a bunch of idiots about to do what idiots do best... something idiotic.

"Who's dumbass idea was this again?" Mark yells practically speaking my mind. He looks nervously at the white water coming off the flip bucket at the bottom of what I like to think of as our own personal slightly illegal waterslide. We must stop in that little pool like area before we plummet ourselves off the edge and onto the rocks. Should be simple enough... right?

"Oh yeah and for the record, I would like pretty red roses at my funeral." Mark jokes.

"Yeah me too, I'm a bit of a roses man myself." Liam chuckles.

"Aw, come on guys stop thinking about flowers and think about all the views on YouTube we'll get!" I say to them.

I remember the video we posted last month when we climbed the cell tower, the boys had said the same thing. Now look at us! We're a thousand dollars richer and I can't wait for that rush of adrenaline to pulse through my veins again.

"You ready boys!" Mark yells, he doesn't wait for a reply.

"Threeeee!" Mark starts the countdown... I ready myself on the board.

"Twooooo!"  Liam booms... my heart pounds faster in my chest.

"One!" I cry out, we push forward on our boards and slide down the dip. Our bodies take flight on the water and race down the spillway at a rapid speed.  I feel that unmistakeable adrenaline rush as I had hoped and it blossoms from my stomach, to the very tips of my fingers. I look over to the boy's, fists pumping in the air smiles on faces like we're on top of the world. We whoop and yell and our laughter bounces off the concrete walls. I feel so alive in this moment; I never want it to stop.

But of course it does. Next I know our ride has come to an end, we're in the area just before the  drop. I stick my hands into the water but it doesn't seem to slow the pull the water has on me, I slide off my board but still grasping it I try kicking backwards but the current is too strong.  The feeling of liveliness dies. My heart hammers in my chest and fear plants itself in my stomach, as panic alights itself in my body. I let go of the board and frantically kick and splash, I look over to my friends and just at that moment I see Mark reach the edge my body is pulled under. I kick my legs and break the surface of water, I gasp for air.

"MAAAAARRRRRRRK!" I scream so loudly it hurts my throat, water floods into my mouth choking me, I cough and splatter I let my body be pulled forward and assist it by kicking. I have to save Mark! He reaches out to me. I go under again. I come back up.

"ALEC! HEL-" I hear Mark hysterically call fear clearly laced in his voice, before his cry is cut off.

It's too late. He looks at me in that last second and I see the terror in his green eyes as his hands still reach out desperately. I swim as fast as I can towards him in my last attempt to save my friend.

I watch as his flailing body falls over the edge.

I feel a stab of pain slice through my heart. A lump forms in my already water clogged throat. I can no longer breathe. I see Liam as his head bobs in and out the water. We make an attempt to swim towards each other, I grasp his arm just as we tumble off the edge. I scream. Liam screams.

I let go.

...
The first thing I'm aware of is pain . So much pain. Pain that covers every inch of my body. The second is the steady beeping of a monitor and hushed voices furiously whispering around me. I force my eyes open, despite them feeling as though someone has sewn 100 pound weights to my eyelids. I see my body covered in bandages and plasters. The beeping sound coming from a heart monitor and the hushed voices belonging to my parents and a tall lanky man with white wispy hair who must be the doctor.

I wave of realisation floods my body and panic clouds my mind. Liam. Mark. Where are they? Are they okay? I look at mom who has now realised I'm awake, she looks terrible like she hasn't slept in days. With dark moon crescents under her eyes standing out from her pale skin. Her normally silky black hair is now in a messy ponytail and she's wearing loose jeans and an old bally cardigan, very different from her normally professional look. Her brown eyes are full of sorrow when she looks into mine, I dare not let the question leave my lips. She already knows what I was to say, one slight shake of her head tells me all that words cannot.

Roses it is then.