Splinters: Part One

Part One | 15

Everything was okay. I was intact. I had a family.

That was something I've never felt before.

I don't know how long we rode in that boat, but we did for a long while. I kept wondering if there were sharks in the water. I knew there probably wasn't, but what if there was. Could it eat us? If it were big enough? No, it would've done it by now.

"Dad!" Ursanne shouted towards her father behind her.

"What?"

"It's hot! Can we get in now?"

"Dad," I heard Greg say. "Let's let the girls get in now."

"You have to catch a fish for me, Ursanne," Robin said.

I scrunched my face up. "A fish?" I mumbled.

Ursanne shook her head. "He's only kidding."

"We can get in now?" Isabeau asked.

"Yeah. Stop the boat, Dad," Greg ordered.

"I'm gettin' there, I'm gettin' there."

He slowed the boat down until it stopped. It swayed from the waves which scared me a little. The girls headed towards the back of the boat. Melissa advanced towards me and sat on the leather next to my right side.

"You don't want to get in?"

I shook my head.

"It's a little hot," she taunted. "The life-jacket'll keep you up."

"I'm okay."

Melissa stared at me. She held out her hand and forced me up. "C'mon, Brayden."

I shook my head. "No."

"No son of mine is not going to have fun on this boat ride!" she smiled. "Let's go. You'll miss out."

"Brayden, if you don't come into the water right now," yelled Ursanne from beside the boat. "I'll go up there and force you."

She scared me when she yelled like that. Slowly, I stood up and went towards her. I dipped a foot into the water and then slowly eased my way in. I was waiting to touch the floor of the lake or gulf or whatever water formation Massachusetts arm was, but it seemed like a floor didn't exist. It seemed like it just went down and down and down. Ursanne's hands were at my waist as I slowly went lower and lower.

My bottom half was in by the next five minutes. I think Ursanne got annoyed because then she began to pull me.

"No, Ursanne. No! No!"

Melissa stepped forward toward the side of the boat where I was hanging from. "Ursanne-"

I let go, my wet hands slippery against the boat. I closed my eyes and began flailing myself around to keep afloat.

"Brayden!" Ursanne shouted. "You're fine!"

She pushed on my shoulders to make me stop moving, but I wouldn't. I was mortified. Then she kicked me.

"Ow!"

"Brayden, stop!"

And I did. And I was still floating.

I finally opened my eyes and looked around. All of my sisters were in the water, staring at me wide-eyed. My parents and, I guess, grandparents were hovering over me on the side of the boat, making sure I was all right.

I finally let out a breath, but I felt like I couldn't breathe right, like I was being strained in a tight shirt.

"I'm okay," I said, probably more for my own benefit than anyone else's, but kind of for Melissa's, too. I think she gets just as scared as I get when I feel like I'm in trouble.