We fall silently to the waters below us, our bodies stiffend straight to minimize the splash. We go straight into the currents and are immediately pulled down stream. The shock of hitting the water and the temperature is more than enough to take your breath away, but I struggle to hold on as I drag my sister with me to the surface.

I swim upwards, still holding my sisters hand. I can feel her swim with me, but she isn’t a strong swimmer and I can feel her holding me back. My instincts tell me to let go and save myself, but I can’t. I can’t let go of her, I could never live with myself if I did, and I don’t want us to become separated.

We finally reach the surface of the water, taking in breath fulls of air, water sloshing in my mouth as I do, making me choke and gag. I look above us, from where we jumped but it’s hard to tell where that was. Water splashing in my eyes and the only sound I can hear is the water rushing around us.

The dogs reach the edge of the cliffs edge and howl.

Their owners aren’t far behind, but that’s where the sent ends as well as the ground below them.

Men in hunters fatigues break through the bushes and trees, and stop at the edge of the cliff. They look down and see two tiny specks float down the river , struggling to stay afloat.

One man brings up his hunting rifle, looks through the scope and takes aim. “Like shooting fish in a barrel “, he says with a slight chuckle.

The other man standing next to him, pushes his barrel down. “Don’t bother, Olan”, he says. Olan looks at him with a sneer. “That defeats the whole purpose”, the man says. The group of men walk back into the woods, the dogs trailing behind them