Something Blue

Chapter 26

"Just slow down, would you?" he grumbled. "It's hard to keep up."

"Cuz I'm faster."

"Just slow down, Katie."

"Okay, okay."

Rock by rock, they picked their way closer to freedom. Then they reached the halfway point, which was as far as they'd ever gotten. Because everything had a name, they dubbed the halfway point 'The Island,' even though it was little more than two broad, flat rocks with a massive felled tree wedged against them. The water was wild in the middle, frothy and white and loud.

Katherine scrambled on her hands and knees along the length of the tree to the second rock, which was wide enough for both of them to sit if they squeezed tight. She liked to sit on the Island because she liked when Gabe sat close to her and she could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt. She didn't know why she liked it so much, and supposed it was because of the way her tummy fluttered inside when he was near. It was a nice feeling.

She sat on the Island, and a moment later Gabe joined her. He pulled his knees up to his chest like she had to keep his feet dry and they studied the next big leap.

"It's too far," he said solemnly, his voice raised over the roar of the rapids.

"I think we could make it," she said, but she knew he was right. It was twice the distance all the other jumps had been, and the rock on the far side was rounded and sat low in the water. And the water itself was so wild, they couldn't afford to miss it or topple off.

He didn't respond to her lie, and they sat for a long time, pondering the distance. Katherine dreamed of the adventure on the other side of that expanse. If she could just be brave for a minute, she could land on that rock and reach the other side of the Bridge and live in a fantasy land where everyone spoke in funny accents and she and Gabe could be best friends and nobody would look funny at them and her folks wouldn't be mad.

"Do you think there's weird animals over there?" she asked, leaning close so he could hear her.

"Yeah, definitely," he said, but his voice sounded a little sad.

"What kind?"

"I dunno. Giraffes?"

"What's a giraffe?"

"I think it's like a horse with a long neck."

She laughed. "What else?"

"Elephants."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I want to see elephants. And rhinoceroses. I bet there's rhinoceroses over there."

"Rhinoceroses are the ones with the horns?"

"Yep."

"They might jab you."

"No, they wouldn't," she said confidently. "You'll protect me."

"They'll jab me, then."

She laughed again. "Yep."

"Gee, thanks."

But she knew rhinoceroses wouldn't jab Gabe with their horns, and she would never see giraffes. Probably on the far side of the river there were just more pine trees and bears and deer. Nonetheless, she still wanted to see it. Simply because there was different from here.

There, she and Gabe could be friends. Here, they were forced to hide in the woods.

There, she could wear trousers and maybe say a bad word. Here, she had to wear a dress and she wasn't even allowed to say God's name unless it was prayerful.