The Dark Water Read Free

together, still slick from our swim. “Even if this place is like Narnia, even if there’s a magical talking bird that spits water from its mouth and teaches you the secrets of the universe, we don’t have time. We have to get back and figure out a way to get past Sutton and bring the water to Westbrook and Fenton. If we don’t, the whole town dies. Maybe more.”
    â€œJimmy and Odessa can handle him.” Even as I say the words, I know I don’t believe them at all.
    â€œAre you serious? Jimmy and Odessa? They’ll stop Sutton all by themselves?” she asks, eyebrows raised. “Mia, do the math. Every second we’re here, the greater the odds that we won’t have a home to go back to. Not only that, you said yourself Mr. Kish came here on purpose. He came here for a reason,
without you.
He knows what he’s doing and he knows how to get back. The town doesn’t have the luxury of seventeen years of planning.”
    We’re quiet, all of us. Breathing deeply. My skin tingles I’m so angry. I’m angry because she’s right. Dad came on purpose. He’s fine, with or without clothes.
    Rob seems to agree; after a moment, he looks at me apologetically and I’ve lost. “She’s right, Mia.”
    His parents live in Fenton too, and he must be just as concerned for their safety, but it doesn’t make his siding with Jo sting any less.
    I take a shuddering breath. “I mean, what’s down here? What’s he walking into?” I say out loud, but Rob and Jo have the sense not to answer.
He’ll come back, of course he will.
I stare at the giant wall spreading out before me, and feel sorry for myself. Until I see something move.
    â€œMia, I’m sorry,” Jo says, but I cut her off, grabbing her arm and squeezing hard.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    There’s something bobbing up ahead—many somethings—coming through the gates. Rob puts a hand over his eyes, as if to shade them from an imaginary sun.
    â€œThere are six of them,” he says.
    â€œSix of what?” I reply.
    â€œMia, we should go,” Jo pleads.
    Suddenly, the shapes become tall pale figures moving at incredible speed. I remember the images from the map. The white characters, the brilliant blue eyes. I take a step backward, my foot sloshing in the water. They’re only fifty feet away, and it may be a trick of the light from the gates, but their eyes seem enormous, too big to be real. They each have something in their hands, knives or spears or something.
    â€œOh shit, hurry,” I shout, and turn to the water. The others follow and we dive in. The skiwear is problematic, but I don’t want to waste any time shrugging it off. I buzz across the surface, letting my adrenaline push me. I hear sounds, one two three six splashes behind us as they follow us into the water. I swim possessed, the water guiding me, until suddenly I’m there. I can
feel
a suction below me, as if there were a drain. I stop, look around for my friends, but I’m alone.
    â€œRob, Jo!” I shout, treading water.
    â€œMia, go!” This from Jo, who I can see now, being dragged out of the water. I couldn’t tell how tall they were before, but her captor’s gotta be seven feet. Rob’s there too, held by another one. I feel the tingling beneath me. I could get away. I
should.
Jo’s right, I need to save Fenton.
    But then I hear it, too late. A swish in the water. I spin around and he’s there, eyes like softballs, blinking wet and curious in front of me. I scream, and don’t stop until he’s dragged me all the way back to shore.

2
    THEY TIE OUR HANDS WITH ROPE, LOOPING THE ENDS together and then around our waists so that we’re connected, and we’re forced to walk single file. They’re giants, my head only reaching their chests, and they walk on either side of us, sometimes staring at us but not saying a word.
    After I