If he didn't pull her up out of the water soon, the muscles in his arms would give way and he would drop her. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes to try and block out the pain. His biceps were on fire, shaking with the effort of keeping her head above the surface. She glanced up and saw his expression, and guilt racked through her body. Part of her wished he would just let go, but the survivor in her wanted to fight, to live. Her own jaw set in determination, she dug the toe of her sneaker into the crumbling riverbank and pushed upward. Her hand slid further up his toward his shoulder, and when she dug in with her other foot she managed to wrap her fist in the sleeve of his t shirt. Her other hand was too numb to help out much, so she kept it tucked close to her own body as he pulled her up.
She was almost on the shore when a dark swirling form rose out of the water and took hold of her leg. Its grip was so strong that she was yanked back toward the depths, her belly scraping against the rocky bank. If not for the arm wrapped around her waist, she would surely have been dragged down and drowned. She could feel the heat of her rescuer's skin through her sodden blouse, the tremors running through his muscles as he fought for her life. The shaking was worse now, and he could not keep from crying out as her weight became too much for him to bear. His fingers pried open of their own accord, and she could feel herself sliding farther backward. Her hands scrabbled for a hold on his clothes, but the creature stealing her was too powerful; she could hear the man's shirt tearing away a little at a time, and soon it would rip completely.
Just as she feared she was fated to join the evil creature into eternity, there was another pair of hands reaching for her. Looking up, she saw the man's older brother on his knees at the shore. Together, they held onto her and pulled, engaged in a deadly tug-of-war with the demon. Soon, she could feel them gaining ground, and after a few moments the grip on her leg began to loosen.
"Almost there," the older brother growled, his fingers, cold from the frigid water, digging into her skin as he grabbed for the belt loops of her jeans. The other man remained silent, digging deep for a final burst of energy, and his arms tightened around her one last time as he pulled backward. The creature's hold suddenly released all at once, and she came free with such ease that both brothers stumbled back as she landed atop them. They remained that way for a minute, catching their breath, their limbs still entangled with each other, and then slowly sat up, grateful to have avoided death yet again.
They took her home, where they were sure she would be safe, but before they could leave she rushed forward and flung her arms around the younger of the two, the one who had first tried to save her.
"Thank you, Sam," she said into his broad shoulder.
His arms, now warm and dry under a fresh t shirt, wrapped around her in return as he replied, "You're welcome."