The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge

Author:Christopher Edge [Christopher Edge]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788005555
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Published: 2019-07-17T16:00:00+00:00

I move without thinking, tearing off my shoes and socks before I launch myself into the river.

I’m expecting to be able to wade through the water towards the place where I saw Johnny fall, but instead find myself gasping in shock as I plunge in waist-deep. The stones beneath my feet slip away as the riverbed swiftly shelves and I’m forced to kick, my arms stretching out in a breaststroke, just to keep my head above the surface of the water.

Feeling confused, I glance back over my shoulder to see what’s happening, but find I can’t even see the river bank. Dizzy and even the woods themselves are now lost in a mist that seems to rise from the water. I glance up towards the sky, desperately treading water to keep myself afloat, but even the moon is hidden behind this shroud of mist. All I can see is the swell of the water surrounding me, each white-tipped wave rising higher than the last.

This doesn’t feel like a river any more. I feel like I’m lost at sea.

Then out there in the darkness I hear the sound of Johnny’s voice.

“Charlie!”

I kick out in the direction of the sound. The swell momentarily lifts me as I swim into an oncoming wave, then I feel myself dropped as its spray crashes over my head. The water is so cold, the taste of salt on my lips making no sense at all. With every stroke I take, I feel the waves pushing me back and it’s all I can do to claw my way through the surging foam.

Panic starts to bubble in my chest, my heart racing as I snatch another breath. I thought I’d be able to drag Johnny out of the river, but as the waves chop into me I don’t even know if I’ll be able to save myself. A creeping sense of dread invades my head and I can’t stop myself from glancing down into the water. Beneath the spray, I can’t see the riverbed, just an inky blackness that seems to stretch fathoms deep beneath my feet. Where am I?

I grit my teeth to stop them from chattering, the rising fear numbing my senses as I search in vain for a way out. But then, between the waves, I catch a glimpse of Johnny, his head bobbing above the water like a cork.

I strike out towards him, my arms and legs thrashing through the water until I finally reach his side.

Johnny’s head is tilted back, his mouth barely above the surface of the water. As his eyes lock on to mine, Johnny’s flailing arms reach towards me and I have to push him away to stop him from dragging me under.

“Stop panicking,” I say, desperately treading water as the waves swell around us.

“Can’t swim,” Johnny gasps, his eyes wide with terror. “Legs – stuck.”

He swallows another gulp of water and I realise that he’s drowning in front of my eyes.

“Help me.”

There’s only one thing I can do. Taking

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