I'm so excited! Two more chapters to go! I promise they'll be some of the best.
Chapter 20. Sink or Swim. The Choice is Yours.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
The next morning was picture perfect. The birds were singing a sweet tune to the river's soft song over the rocks, the deer were prancing happily through the snow, and Louis was snoring so loudly it could wake up the dead.
"Ugh, Louis!" Ren shouted when as she awoke.
"Hu? What? Wasn't me." Louis mumbled just barely awake.
"Come on guys. Time to get up." Ren said getting to her feet.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
As everyone groggily woke up Ren saw the last thing she wanted to see. The river. The same river she had almost drowned in only four days ago.
"What's the matter, Ren? Oh." Larry said once he noticed her object of fear.
"Do we have to cross it again?" Ren said squeezing Larry's hand.
"Yep. It's the only way. But your gonna do fine, Ren. Just try and keep your cool and everything is going ok." Larry said giving her shoulders a quick squeeze.
"AWWWWWW! Look at the two lovebirds! Do you need some alone time?" Louis said teasingly.
"Ya know, I've been really nice about not teasing you and Tawny up until now. Don't think I can't change my mind." Ren said crossing her arms.
"Sorry." Louis said quickly.
"Come on guys. Let's just get this over with." Twitty said beginning to get impatient.
"Why don't you go first Ren. That way if you fall I'll be right there to catch you." Larry said reassuringly.
"Ok." Ren said nervously.
As she stepped out onto the first rock all the memories rushed back to her. When she first started to slip, when she lost full balance and felt her body make contact with the icy waters, when she hit her head on the rock and then all going black. But when she saw Larry standing ever faithfully behind her she also remembered the one good thing that had come from it that outweighed all the bad. True love. And from that memory alone, she found the strength within her to step to the next rock, then the next, and the next, until before she knew it she was stepping onto solid ground.
"See! I told you you could do it!" Larry said picking Ren up into a big bear hug.
"Yeah. You did." Ren said smiling. Then she pulled him into a romantic kiss.
"Well that's something that's going to be stuck in my mind for a while!" Beans said once he got across.