Island Seven (Book 1: DOVE Series)

Chapter 17

Vivi:

My eyes snap open.

I see the dim, dawn light seeping through the cracks of the small shelter. I quickly push myself up to a crouching position, since that is all the space the shelter will allow.

I peek my head out of the opening and hear the splash again. Someone must be in the river... I search the ground for a weapon, but see nothing of use other than a couple small stones. I grab a stick out of the shelter, breaking a small portion of the entrance, and brace myself for battle.

"Who is there?" I ask more confidently than I feel. I look all around the river, but see no one. Was I hallucinating?

A quiet female voice whispers out behind me. "Hi." I turn around and place the stick at her chest.

The girl is dripping wet, like she just took a swim down the river. "Who are you?" I ask curiously. Was she one of the trapped kids? I still don't know what those people's intentions were, but they seem suspicious.

"My name is Puddle!" She says smirking a little, trying to lighten the mood. She glances cautiously at the stick jabbing her in the ribs, but shrugs like its normal.

"Where did you come from?" I ask, lowering the stick, but still on guard. This girl seems a little too confident.

"I don't know. I just woke up in the river downstream last night and have been walking up it since. Do you know where we are?"

I shake my head morosely. "No, I woke up here yesterday morning. However, it has been kind of crazy. There are at least four other people here as well, but I'm not sure. All I know is I was chased by a girl and woke up in a cave. Then I was allowed to leave, and I ran."

"Did you ask them anything?" She asks carefully.

"Umm... not really, why?" I was confused by her question, it seems irrelevant.

"Well maybe we should find them and ask them how they got here." She says lightheartedly. I guess it makes sense, but I still think it is dangerous. "But first I have something I need to show you..." She suddenly pales.

"What's wrong?" I ask sympathetically.

"I feel really light headed... I just need to sit down for a while..." She collapses on the ground.

"Puddle?" I walk worriedly over to her, and notice that she is dry already. Weird... I see steam emanating slowly from her body. She looks as if she is drying out. Maybe some water will wake her up. This could be caused by dehydration. Why would someone walk all night in a stream though without drinking?

I drag her body back towards the river, wincing every time I must pull her over a bump or rock. I lay her beside the water, and splash some water in her face. I need to know what she had to show me. Her eyes flutter open and she rolls into the river. I sit bewildered for a few seconds.

"Puddle?!" I jump into the river to grab her, but I can't find her. "Puddle!" I must know what she had to show me... She is the only one I can trust. I dive underwater and see no one.

Just as I am seconds to giving up, someone taps my shoulder. I burst above the water's surface and turn around, blinking water from my eyes.

Puddle is floating behind me, as her brown hair falls behind her, almost unaffected by being wet. Her hair almost glowed in the sunlight and her skin nearly reflected like the surface of a pond.

"How-" I start to say, but can't seem to find the words.

"Oh yeah, that's right. I can't leave water for very long, especially in the day or else I will dry up." She says nonchalantly.

"What?" I ask completely confused of what she is saying.

"Oh, right! I wanted to show you something!" She started to slightly levitate in the water, and started to created a little whirlpool around her. How is she doing this? That's when I notice her look up at me and grin. She raises her hands and water sprouts from the river like a sprinkler. "Isn't it great!"

I look at her in awe, and smile in agreement. "How about I show you a waterfall?"