suddenly as it had begun. The silence was sharp, uncomfortable, uncanny. They both heard the bells at the same time, felt the ropes straining as the old boat moved. The boat was like a rock out in this water. Hadn’t moved, except up and down with the water levels.
Rian reluctantly extricated himself from her arms and sat up. ‘I’d better check.’
Genie rolled over to the corner, grabbed her bunny.
Rian saw her do it and smiled. ‘Bunny’s not going to save you.’
Genie pulled a zip down in the bunny’s back and pulled out some cash. ‘This is everything I ever saved.’ She stuffed it down her pants. ‘If we have to run, I’m ready.’
Rian was astonished, but impressed. He went to inspect the outside. The bells were down by the landing and they were installed to warn of gales, but strangely he couldn’t hear any wind.
Genie was getting clothes together. They’d be running soon. The danger was coming and she didn’t understand what it was, but experience told her to heed the warnings well.
Rian went to the hatch and flung it open. Outside was
still, water dripped from the canopy, but it had certainly stopped raining. He could even see some stars as the clouds parted. The ropes strained again and he looked down at the water. It was moving fast. As fast as the spring melt. No way it should be going this fast in summer.
He squinted as he looked upriver towards town. As he did so he could hear a noise, akin to thunder, but steady and growing louder all the time.
Genie popped up beside him with his backpack.
‘What is it?’
Suddenly he understood exactly what it was.
‘Hell, Genie. Flash flood. It’s a flash flood!’
And now he didn’t know if it was safer to ride it out in the boat or run for high ground. But there was no high ground nearby. This was the widest part of the river. Any flash flood would just roll in and . . .
‘Close the door. Fasten it,’ Genie told him. ‘This boat’s been here ninety years. You said so. It can survive this.’
Rian wasn’t so sure. Wasn’t sure of anything any more.
A wall of water was coming downriver and there was no way they could outrun it. No way.
‘Inside,’ Genie yelled. ‘Now.’
Her guess was as good as any. He followed her back inside and pulled the old oak doors shut. They weren’t by
any means watertight, but they were tough and could withstand some force.
‘Genie, check the portholes. Screw them shut. Close cupboard doors.’
Genie was on it, running from cabin to cabin to check the windows. Only one was slightly open and there was no way she could tighten the brass fittings. It was stuck fast. Water would get in for sure.
They could hear it roaring now. There’d be debris, trees, logs, boats, anything that got in its way would be coming round that bend and on top of them in seconds.
Rian followed her, grabbed her arm and dragged her to the stern, trying to figure out where the safest place would be.
Genie clung on. Not shaking now. She’d already seen the danger. She already knew what was going to happen.
Her job now was to get Rian through it.
‘We’ll be fine. Just never let me go, Ri. Never let me go.’
The noise was deafening and then they were flying through the air, crashing against the bulkhead as a whole tree smashed through the upper structure and ripped away the roof. A wall of water crashed down, scoured out everything in there and Rian and Genie were scooped up, sucked in and spat out, joining everything
else that tumbled in the debris of the first wave.
Genie felt something scrape her arm. Rian was hit hard by something as they somersaulted, breathless, swallowing water, desperate to hang on to each other, stay as one as they flowed along with the torrent.
‘Got to grab a log,’ Rian yelled. ‘We’ll go under if we—’
They went under as the water turned, sluiced by rocks in a different direction. Genie clung to Rian, he to her, both hardly able to see anything. Another huge tree crashed into
Rian reluctantly extricated himself from her arms and sat up. ‘I’d better check.’
Genie rolled over to the corner, grabbed her bunny.
Rian saw her do it and smiled. ‘Bunny’s not going to save you.’
Genie pulled a zip down in the bunny’s back and pulled out some cash. ‘This is everything I ever saved.’ She stuffed it down her pants. ‘If we have to run, I’m ready.’
Rian was astonished, but impressed. He went to inspect the outside. The bells were down by the landing and they were installed to warn of gales, but strangely he couldn’t hear any wind.
Genie was getting clothes together. They’d be running soon. The danger was coming and she didn’t understand what it was, but experience told her to heed the warnings well.
Rian went to the hatch and flung it open. Outside was
still, water dripped from the canopy, but it had certainly stopped raining. He could even see some stars as the clouds parted. The ropes strained again and he looked down at the water. It was moving fast. As fast as the spring melt. No way it should be going this fast in summer.
He squinted as he looked upriver towards town. As he did so he could hear a noise, akin to thunder, but steady and growing louder all the time.
Genie popped up beside him with his backpack.
‘What is it?’
Suddenly he understood exactly what it was.
‘Hell, Genie. Flash flood. It’s a flash flood!’
And now he didn’t know if it was safer to ride it out in the boat or run for high ground. But there was no high ground nearby. This was the widest part of the river. Any flash flood would just roll in and . . .
‘Close the door. Fasten it,’ Genie told him. ‘This boat’s been here ninety years. You said so. It can survive this.’
Rian wasn’t so sure. Wasn’t sure of anything any more.
A wall of water was coming downriver and there was no way they could outrun it. No way.
‘Inside,’ Genie yelled. ‘Now.’
Her guess was as good as any. He followed her back inside and pulled the old oak doors shut. They weren’t by
any means watertight, but they were tough and could withstand some force.
‘Genie, check the portholes. Screw them shut. Close cupboard doors.’
Genie was on it, running from cabin to cabin to check the windows. Only one was slightly open and there was no way she could tighten the brass fittings. It was stuck fast. Water would get in for sure.
They could hear it roaring now. There’d be debris, trees, logs, boats, anything that got in its way would be coming round that bend and on top of them in seconds.
Rian followed her, grabbed her arm and dragged her to the stern, trying to figure out where the safest place would be.
Genie clung on. Not shaking now. She’d already seen the danger. She already knew what was going to happen.
Her job now was to get Rian through it.
‘We’ll be fine. Just never let me go, Ri. Never let me go.’
The noise was deafening and then they were flying through the air, crashing against the bulkhead as a whole tree smashed through the upper structure and ripped away the roof. A wall of water crashed down, scoured out everything in there and Rian and Genie were scooped up, sucked in and spat out, joining everything
else that tumbled in the debris of the first wave.
Genie felt something scrape her arm. Rian was hit hard by something as they somersaulted, breathless, swallowing water, desperate to hang on to each other, stay as one as they flowed along with the torrent.
‘Got to grab a log,’ Rian yelled. ‘We’ll go under if we—’
They went under as the water turned, sluiced by rocks in a different direction. Genie clung to Rian, he to her, both hardly able to see anything. Another huge tree crashed into
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