Chapter 2 The River
"As they fell, Bogg could see the swiftly moving river and reacted instinctively. He knew he couldn't control his position during transit, but as soon as he felt water he started taking strong strokes against the current in Jeffrey's direction. He reached him just after the boy landed and the whitewater immediately pushed them into and over the large rocks, taking them downstream quickly. He coughed as he accidentally breathed in some water and grabbed Jeff around the waist and held tight. With his other hand and using both legs, he tried to move them toward the edge of the whitewater rapids. Then Phineas felt his shoulders leave the water and realized they were going over a waterfall. He pushed off with his foot to try and stay under Jeffrey as they fell. After a short drop they landed hard on a boulder. He kept hold of Jeffrey, pulling him as close as he could, even as he saw stars.
Jeff landed hard on top of Bogg's chest as they dropped through the air and onto the boulder at the foot of the small waterfall. He heard Bogg grunt as he landed on him and felt his grip on him slip. He held on tighter to his partner as they hit the water again, and when they went under, he wasn't sure Bogg was still conscious. He struggled to keep his own head above the water, wishing he could do the same for Bogg. They were carried quickly and hurled repeatedly against the large rocks and boulders in the river.
Suddenly, Jeff saw a rope sail across the water in front of them. As they plowed into it, Jeff grabbed it and wrapped it around his hand and arm. His other fist was clenched around Bogg's belt and his legs wrapped around his partner.
He felt the rope get taut and the pain in his hand was terrible as they were hauled toward the edge of the churning water where he could see the trunk of a large tree jutting out into the rapids. Suddenly they slammed into it and stopped moving downstream. The force of hitting the tree loosened Jeff's grip on Bogg but there was no current here to take him away. Instead, Jeff watched in horror as Bogg's head slipped quietly under the calm water in the protected area in front of the tree.