I sprinted after Noah. He was running right towards the end of the pier. My brain went numb as I glanced to my left. Open, black ocean, roiling with angry waves. My breath caught. I felt the nausea and vertigo hit me at the same time, but my feet still propelled me forward, knowing the danger that loomed behind us.

Noah reached the end of the pier.

“Don’t think, just jump!” He yelled back at me without turning around. He dove gracefully over the edge of the pier and disappeared.

I reached the edge of the pier and looked down. The drop had to be at least 30 feet. The numbness left me and the fear took over my body. I felt my heartbeat pound through my body. My legs shook uncontrollably as I inched my toes toward the ledge. The violent winds blew the freezing mist all over my body, raising sharp, painful goosebumps on my arms and legs. I looked down at the drop again and quickly looked back up, shaking my head to rid it of the image. It was dark. I couldn’t see Noah anywhere.

I felt the wooden slats of the pier shaking under the weight of dozens of feet, getting closer and closer. I couldn’t breathe. I was trapped. I was trapped.

“Come on! Jump!” I heard Noah’s frantic voice from below. His voice grounded me, reminding me of the stakes of the situation. We couldn’t let them capture us or we’d both die. And I would not let him die.

“Jump!” I heard him yell again. I took a few steps back and launched my body over the edge.