I ran as fast as I could go. Sprinting past the trees with such speed that I couldn't even see them, but I really didn't care.(Explains why I get good mile times.) I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. The wind whipped my hair against my face with such force that it stung. My eyes burned with tears that fled down my cheeks. I gasped for air as the tears choked me and squeezed my throat tight. I heard my name being called from behind me, but I kept running. I had no idea where I was going. I never wanted to be stopped, or be found again.


The next thing I knew I was falling and fast. My face hit the cold hard ground with a bang. A sharp pain shot through my ankle. I sat up and twisted around trying desperately to find what the pain was all about as it seared up my leg again. My foot was caught under a branch that I had not noticed. My leg was twisted in an odd way that looked really gross. I knew I hadn't broken it. I have felt that before this was nothing like it. I think it was just sprain. I slowly disentangled my foot and threw off my shoe and my sock. My foot was defiantly swollen. I checked slowly. I hadn't broken it. I got up slowly and hopped to a rock near the river. I was in the Kern River. We were camping out here for a week. It had been a total blast until today which was the second to last day till the end of my vacation here. I really don't want to talk about what happened. I felt my heart pound with hurt and lies as I thought about it. I looked up trying hard to clear my head, and catch my breath. I hadn't noticed how beautiful it was. I had no idea where I was. I looked around slowly examining my surroundings carefully. It was probably the most beautiful place in the whole river. It was by a gorgeous part of the river that flowed gently but fast. I heard that the most of the rapids that flowed through this river were father down or the most extreme level four rapids anyway. I looked at the little waterfall nearby. The water falling on the rocks while rays of sunshine cascaded off the clear liquid sending multicolored lights splashing in ever direction. There were fir trees that completely surrounded me. The needles on the branches swayed lightly with the breeze, light red and pale yellow fish that swam seamlessly beneath the surface. The sky was a perfect cloudless light blue along the river. The trees continue down and up the horizon until I could see no more. Dark green grass lay beneath my feet. I was surrounded by little flowers that were every color blue, violet, orange, yellow, red, you name it. A slight ripple in the air pushed my hair gently out of my face. It was a warm summer day and the air fully explained this. It was not to hot and not to cold. I closed my sore eyes and breathed in the soft air that surrounded me. It felt like all my bad memories from my past and my future disappeared. Then suddenly I heard something on he river, I reopened my eyes. There was a sudden splash. A boy that looked about My age sat in a rafting tube in the middle of the river. His face looked panicked and then he saw me. His golden blond hair shinning in the sun light, his blue eyes looked like sapphires against the river water.
"Wha-?!" He yelled across the river in surprise. I guessed that not a lot of people came back here, it was pretty hard to get to. He looked so surprised and startled to see me. I stared back through my tears.
“Are you oka-” He shifted his weight trying to paddle to me, but he put too much on one side in his rush. I watched in slow motion as he fell out of his tube and into the huge river.
"Oh My God!" I yelled I tried to get up to run to him, but my ankle stopped me from doing so, as I remembered it and remembered the pain. He didn't come up for air for a while, but eventually he did, I wasn’t counting. Panick spread over my body like a wildfire. I tried to get up and ignore the pain, but it was too much. I fell to the ground trying I was no help at all. He was heading straight towards the rapids the current was too strong. I watched in horror as he was pulled under again. He was coming closer and closer to the huge rocks, if he reached them he would surely be pulled under the rocks and drown.
He was above the water again.
"Grab onto a branch. I twisted my ankle and can't move!" I yelled frantically. I don't know if he heard the entire sentence because he was under that water again. My heart constricted in my chest. There was pain in my head now that was as bad as the sprain. The impulse to pass out hovered over me ready to bring me down and find me incapable even further to not save the boy. Was I going to be the cause of someones death because I could not help. As an added bonus I felt like barfing now. I tried viscously to stay conscious.

The boy popped back up this time he grabbed on to a branch to a tree that had almost hit him on the head. I watched as he slowly pulled himself to shore. Relief swept through my body so quickly it almost knocked me over. I slowly got up of the ground with some effort and limped on one leg to where he was.
"Hey, are you ok?" I asked urgently.
He was doubled over on the ground spitting up water. I waited till he was done.
"I'm fine." He choked out.
"Sure about that?”
“ Positive.” His breathing slowed to normal.
“Sorry, that your raft is gone."
"That's ok at least it wasn't my life."
"Yep, That’s always a good thing." I said.
“Were is your camp sight?” He asked me
“I’ll show you.”
“Are you okay?” The boy said putting extra emphasize on the you.
“I am fine, just over reacting a little.” I could till feel the dry tears on my face.
We walked slowly to camp in almost a trance. He helped me limp back. I was smiling in relief and gratitude.
"Thank you." I said.
"For what?" The boy asked looking exceedingly confused.
"For helping me back."
"No problem. I should be the one thanking you for giving me the idea to grab onto something. Normal people don’t think of something like that during a crises. I know I sure wasn’t right then."
"Don't mention it." I said smiling.
“Bye.” He smiled and walked away.
“Goodbye.” I whispered back.
This memory will forever be burned into my memory.