He seriously needed to paddle faster. At this rate, they were going to catch him. And that would not end well. He willed his arms to move faster and faster but he had been going for so long that his arms were numb, yet they felt like they were going to fall off.

“Hurry up”

“Get him”

“Paddle faster”

Voices from the boat behind him called out to each other.

The boy spared a quick glance back, trying to make out how far away they were. To his suprise, the four men in the little tinny were more than a hundred metres away. Thankful, he kept his rowing to a constant pace, keeping his eyes facing forward.

“We’re going down!” Was the call that made the boy turn around. Laughing, he saw the grown men sinking, their boat only just above the water.

“Suckers” He called to them, resulting in angry glares from all four of them.

“We’ll get you next time!” The oldest of the blokes promised