Chapter 2: The storm of the century

The next morning was very bright and humid. Mitch went to the barn and approached Arthur. “Y’know, I was thinking about treating you, since you worked so hard last night. I’ve decided to take you on a boat ride with one of my friends whom you have never met. He has a daughter who is around your age. I’m sure you’ll have fun making friends with her. I just want to make it up to you for all these years. How ‘bout discussing it over the boat ride?”

“Thanks.” Arthur hugged his dad, grinning. For once, he had found love from his dad.

Arthur hopped into the passenger seat in Mitch’s truck with Mitch at the driver’s seat. Mitch started the car and drove down the dirt road. Very soon, they got onto a normal road and drove five streets down, where he pulled over at a small farmhouse. Waiting at the door was Mitch’s friend, Thomas, and Amy. As soon as the truck stopped, Thomas hooked the boat to the truck, and Arthur moved to one of the back seats beside Amy so that Thomas could sit up front. Arthur started talking to Amy.

“So, how’s life?” Arthur was surprisingly cool when talking to new people.

“Good. How’s yours?” Amy asked. Her voice was a bit quieter. Arthur looked at her. She seemed a bit shy. Her long, brown hair was partially covering her face.

“Good, I guess.” Arthur replied. “Are you excited for the boat ride?”

“Sure. I have gone a lot, so it’s nothing special.”

The rest of the car ride was filled with chatter coming from all four friends. Finally they arrived at the lake. Mitch and Thomas unhooked the boat and set it in the water. The group all settled in the boat and Thomas started the engine. In no time at all, the boat was speeding across the water with the cool wind blowing in their faces; they really felt alive. Arthur loved looking in the water and seeing shadows of fish all swimming away from the boat.

“I hope we can do things like this more often. All four of us together having fun.” Mitch commented as the boat sped over an underwater cave. The ride seemed to go really smooth. They had no problems until,

“Dad! Tom! Look! A storm is brewing!” Arthur cried as Thomas turned the boat around. The boat sped back, but the storm was faster. The waves raged around the boat, lightning flashing across the sky. The boat rocked violently, almost throwing the passengers off. Soon, the waves got bigger and bigger, and they were still not even near land. Amy’s face turned green, and she vomited over the edge of the boat into the water, almost falling in. Thinking quickly, Arthur grabbed her arm and pulled her back in. The storm did not calm down, but, in fact, got worse. Thomas was forced forward into the steering wheel from a violent wave and was out cold. Now no one was steering the boat. Mitch desperately shoved Thomas to his own seat and sat in the driver’s seat. He tried to steer the boat towards land, but a huge wave forced the boat around. Now they were going deeper in the lake instead of further away. Arthur knew he had to survive. He just had to. Something inside him told him that they would survive. As Mitch turned the boat around once more, and as they were closer to shore than ever, a tidal wave overturned the boat around. As the boat flipped, Mitch smashed his head against the side and was unconscious. Arthur and Amy, on the other hand, made it out from under the boat. Arthur saw Mitch under water and tried with all his strength to swim him to shore. He could barely bring him to the surface of the water, and with the last bit of effort, dropped Mitch into the water, where he would never be seen again. Arthur could not believe what had just happened. He was left all on his own now with only a family friend.

Arthur and Amy swam towards each other, enduring every ounce of pain in their body, fear in their eyes. The last thing Arthur and Amy could do was shiver and scream, for a huge wave came crashing down on them, pulling them deeper into the water.