A/N: Sorry for the slightly-shorter chapter. I've never been whitewater rafting and thus intentionally avoided going into much detail on it, and there wasn't much else to say otherwise without slowing down the story. There are three ways I could go from this chapter, so there'll probably be a delay until I decide 100% which of them I want to choose.
The next few days were filled with activity. The family was able to find a raft and some camping equipment between Rick and Jack Marshall's supplies. The rest would have to be bought at an outdoors store. Finally, everything was ready. It was decided they'd drive, due to the amount of gear they needed to bring along. It would be a long trip, but if they were successful, it would be well worth it. Laura and Melissa would come along both to spend more time with Jack, just in case, and also to get the large SUV home. No matter how their mission turned out, this would be a one-way journey for Jack, Will, and Holly.
The only real concern, before they left, was the paperwork required. It would normally take a lot longer than they would prefer to wait, but thanks to Melissa helping get the paperwork completed online, and Jack and Laura working together to call in a few favors, the arrangements were made very quickly and everything would hopefully go smoothly.
Upon their arrival at the canyon, late in the evening, everyone got out to unload the equipment and began to say their goodbyes.
"No matter what happens, you don't know how glad I am that I got to see you again," Jack told his daughter as he gave her a hug.
"-sniff- me, too," she tearfully agreed.
"Thanks for introducing me to the 21st century, Melissa," Holly told her cousin.
"No problem. I kind of enjoyed it. It's weird to think if we see each other again, you'll be 50-something. Of course, I probably won't remember this anyway..." she trailed off, still somewhat confused by the whole thing.
"C'mon. We'd better get moving," Jack said, "We've got to make it as close to the river as possible tonight. It's going to be hot tomorrow."
Will and Holly nodded and briefly waved goodbye to their cousins, who were getting back into the SUV and preparing to drive back home. The trio then set off for what promised to be a very long night. Thanks to their time in the Land of the Lost, however, Holly and Will had built up as much endurance as Jack had from his various outdoor activities.
Even in the middle of the night, it was very warm. The air was so dry that, because of the limited water they had available, everyone tried to avoid talking unless necessary. However, they were each thinking about how long it took to get back to their own world from the Land of the Lost, only to have to return a few weeks later. They also thought about what they were going to be risking if something went wrong, and about all the great things they'd be able to enjoy once again, if their mission was successful, this time.
The group did stop off briefly at hiker rest points periodically, but tried to avoid staying more than a few minutes. They were in a hurry.
Around the middle of the next morning, after what seemed like an eternity, they were at the head of the river, not far from where they had each started last time. It was a good enough spot to inflate the raft and begin the next (and possibly shortest) leg of the trip. They had found this place at the perfect time: they were getting tired, it was about lunchtime, and the canyon had heated up significantly.
"Let's stop and eat, before we continue," Jack suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Will agreed enthusiastically, "I'm starved."
Holly pulled some food from the supplies while Will and Jack worked on a small campfire. Having slept for much of the drive, they had made it mostly okay so far, but were starting to wear down a little. They would need this time to prepare for what would either be the last or next to last leg of the journey, depending on whether the portal was still at the same place.
After a quick lunch, they put out the fire and set out on the next portion of the journey, which would involve rafting down the river, until they reached the waterfall. There were only 2 paddles, which Will and Jack would use due to having similar strength, while Holly sat in the seat behind them. After they shoved off the bank, everyone held on tight.
Starting out, the ride wasn't too bad. "It'd be nice if it didn't get any worse than this," Will commented at one point.
Shortly after he had finished speaking, they hit rapids! The raft was slammed against rocks almost hard enough to cause the passengers to fall into the river. Suddenly, the current started picking up even further, going faster, and faster! They were being swept toward a familiar cliff face, but there was a problem.
"The wall's still open, but I just realized something!" Jack shouted over the rushing waters, "There was an earthquake on each of our trips! What if that triggers the doorway!"
"I haven't felt anything yet!" Will replied.
As the raft was carried toward the waterfall, everyone looked ahead as Holly replied, "Wait! If there's no earthquake and we're about to go over the falls, then that means-"
Before she could finish her sentence, the raft plunged over the edge! "Hang on, everybody!" Jack shouted as all three closed their eyes as they began the long drop.
TO BE CONTINUED?
