The Reservoir

Read The Reservoir for Free Online

Book: Read The Reservoir for Free Online
Authors: Rosemarie Naramore
expected.  “Hey, get a picture of Daniel!” he called out.  “He’ll definitely want one!”
    Holly retrieved her cell phone that she’d stored in the glove compartment in front of her seat.  She set the camera mode and clicked several photos of Daniel.  She was fixed on him, as he was situated squarely on the tube, when suddenly, he was gone.  She dropped her camera, and hastily groped for it in her lap.  She found it and snatched it up.
    She glanced up in time to see that the towable was airborne and caught a glimpse of Daniel tumbling through the air like a rag doll behind it.  Everything had happened so fast.  Apparently, he’d caught the wind and had gotten a thrilling ride for his trouble.
    “Zack, he’s down!” Holly shouted.
    “Ah, heck!” he said, and pulled back on the throttle too quickly.  The boat surged to a too-sudden stop.  Fortunately, Niqui and Kendall had planted themselves securely in their seats, bracing themselves with their hands and legs, but Holly had been preoccupied with her cell phone camera.  She launched off her seat and her cell phone flew out of her hand, and into the water.  It landed with a plop.
    “My phone!” she wailed, struggling to grab hold of the side of the boat.  It was the second phone in as many months that she’d lost.  Of course, this one wasn’t lost.  She knew exactly where it was.  Four hundred feet below the surface of Yale Reservoir.
    Forcing the phone from her mind, she returned her attention to Daniel.  She feared he had hit the water hard, but he was tough.  To her relief, and his other friends, he gave a wave indicating he was fine. 
    “Get the flag up!” Holly called to Niqui, although she knew there were no other boats around.  But water safety dictated that they take no chances.  And too, they could get a ticket if law enforcement spotted them ignoring the rules relating to boat safety. 
    The group watched Daniel swim toward the towable.  His stroke was relaxed and even, so Holly knew he was fine.  He took a hold of the towable with one hand and yelled, “Pull me in!”
    “Holly, take the wheel,” Zack told her, leaving the boat idling as he hurried to take hold of the rope.  He began pulling Daniel toward the boat.
    Holly took her eyes off of Daniel for a brief moment, contemplating her cell phone, now sunk into the “inky” depths of Yale Reservoir.  She ventured a glance at the boat’s depth finder.  The device confirmed her beloved cell phone—her contact with the outside world—was precisely four-hundred-twelve feet below her.  What was her mother going to say this time?
    She knew precisely what her mother was going to say.  “You have to pay for the replacement phone.” 
    Despite David’s objections, and she was confident her stepfather would object to making her pay, her mother would force the issue.  And Holly couldn’t deny it, she couldn’t blame her.
    “What’s up with Daniel?” Niqui said with alarm, rising from her seat, and interrupting Holly’s thoughts.
    “What?” Kendall said, also standing and trying to see behind the tube.
    “What the—” Zack shouted, when he heard Daniel’s sudden, piercing screams.
    “Help me!  Get me the hell out of here!  Help me!” Daniel cried.  “Zack, pull, pleeaasseee!”
    Zack tugged with all his strength, to no avail.  Neither Daniel nor the tube were budging.  Zack thrust the rope at Holly.  “Try to hold on.  If you can’t…”  He shrugged, and then dove into the water.  Despite the buoyant vest, he managed to make good time closing the distance between the boat and Daniel. 
    He reached his friend, who was holding onto the tube with everything in him.  Zack shook his head, unsure what he was seeing.  The tube was tipped on its edge, Daniel straining to hold on.  It was apparent something had a hold of him.
    “Daniel, what the—?”
    “Make her let go!” he wailed.  “She has me Zack.  Make her let go, please !  It has to

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