My psychiatrist

Part 14

I have to wake up.
I have to wake up.
I have to wake up.
That are the only thoughts in my head right now.
When I feel my hand hitting something soft, I grab for it and pull myself up, towards the surface.
When my head is above the surface, I gasp for air and breath quickly.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.

'Tess!' A voice yells.
I try to see anything recognisable, but my sight is all blurry. I think about my hand and look at the boy holding my hand.
Ashton.

'Tess! We gotta get out of here!' Ashton yells above the sound of the wild river. Who would have thought that the Niagara waterfalls would have become so wild so fast?
Just when I want to nod, I feel a very strong stream pulling me under again and I have to let go of Ashton's hand again.
Damnit.

When I look around me when I get above the water, I see the side of the river where I'm getting pulled towards to.
Black stones are gaping at me and the wild water is everywhere.
But that's not what scares me.

It's the end of the river.
I can see it.

At the end of the river, the river suddenly stops.
This can only mean one thing, and that's that the falls are close. The Niagara falls are close. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. 
I've never seen them, Ashton and I are going to visit them when we're done with kayaking.
But it won't be good.

'Ashton!' I scream and turn around, seeing Ashton being stuck between two pieces of grey rock.

'Tess!' He yells back. 'Grab a stone or something! I'm coming!'
I can barely hear what he is saying, because the sound of the river is so loud, but I desperately look around for something to hold on tightly to.
A stone.

In front of me, on the left, I see a grey rock.
I try to get the stream to pull me towards it, and with some kicks I manage to get to it.
However, the rock is so smooth I cannot hold on tightly and have to let go again.

'Try another one!' I hear Ashton yell.

And I try, I try every shitty piece of rock I meet.
But they're all too slippery.

'Aaaaashton!' I try to yell.

'Tess!' I hear before I'm getting pulled under again.
I shake my head and a few air bubbles escape my mouth.
The sound of the water around me is loud and I feel my hands are shaking.

I have to get up and find a stone.

When I get above the surface again, I take a deep breath and look at Ashton's direction.
He's got rid of the two stones and paddles towards me quickly.

'Ashton! Quick, please!' I scream.

'Try to swim!' I hear him yell back.
But it's not a normal yell. There is anxiety in his voice, he's afraid.
The panic suddenly falls over me as if it's a net which falls from the sky.

'Ashton! Ashton please! Hurry up!' I scream back and I get turned around by the water, facing the falls.

But this is no joke.
The end of the river is about 50 feet away, and Ashton is at least 20 feet away as well.

'Ashton! Please, please help me! Aaaashton!' I cry desperately.

But there is nothing he can do.

I feel the water getting stronger, and before I get pulled under, over the edge, my eyes look into Ashton's panicky hazel brown eyes, and I scream his name, at the top of my lungs, but there is nothing he can do.

'Aaaaaaaaash!'

And I fall down the falls.