Full Summary:
She was in trouble with her parents. Colleen was supposed to come over toady and make dresses with her, but she was stuck doing chores all day. Her mother had come into town today and told Colleen that she wasn't allowed to come over. Nobody knew what was about to happen. It had been raining for a couple days. Nobody thought that something like this could happen.
Without Warning:
Being in trouble sucked. Colleen was supposed to come over so that we could make dresses together, though I don't have any fabric. Mother won't allow me to waste my time making stuff like dresses, robes, coats, basically the necessities. And father was always drunk. He had a way of getting' drunk and then coming home and lashing out at me. Mother would just go into another room and pretend she couldn't hear. My home life wasn't that bad, but I didn't want to live there no more. I was almost to the point of going to the sheriff, but by the time I get the courage to go to him, the bruises have already faded away.
Father had me picking' the fallen branches out of the dry riverbed toady. He said he wanted it all done by the time him and Mother got home from town. They said if they found any trace of me in the house, I'd get a sound whooping. So here I am, picking up the fallen branches when I hear something like thunder. Before I can do anything, I'm swept off my feet by a torrent of water and washed downstream. I remember looking up to see the wagon pull up and Father jumpin' out, runnin' towards me, and yellin' something. But that's all. I think I got hit in the head or something.