Creative Writing Challenge - Task #9 - Continue The Story | Meeting at Rivers Edge

Peter listened intently as his Dad relayed the story of how his Mom came into the picture.

Let's take the golf cart over to the studio that way you can get a better idea about what happened. In fact why don't you drive, since you know the way. Peter happily obliged. When they arrived Peter followed his Dad inside heading straight for the viewing room.

Son I am going to show you one of my favorite movies of all times. A few minutes later Peter stopped wiggling in his seat. His eyes focused intently on the screen as he watched his Mom and five other young women wearing helmets riding the whitewater of the Colorado River. The girls were shouting instructions back and forth to each-other. Then all the sudden-wham! His Mom went flying over the side of the raft. She reappeared a few seconds later, but the raft was no where in sight. Although she tried to stay calm it was clear she was beginning to panic. The other girls were trying to make themselves heard over the fury of the water, but they were already too far away from her.

The water carried her swiftly down stream. She tried to grab onto branches and avoid being slammed into the rocks. Peter was sitting on the edge of his seat, unable to restrain himself from his emotions he jumped up and cried swim to shore Mom swim to the shore!

As if she could hear him, his Mom began the arduous task of attempting to make her way towards the shore. It was only about thirty feet to the edge of the water, but it might as well have been one hundred. She was a strong swimmer and water swirled pulling her as she struggled against the cold. As she approached a boulder a look of panic came over her. Rather than paddle away she aimed straight toward it using it as leverage to push herself against the current and closer to the shore. A momentary sigh of relief before she was swept into a tangle of branches. Latching on to the biggest limb she could reach, she regathered her strength and hoisted her full weight onto the shore of the river. It was rocky and she had a hard time hanging on to the slippery stones.

By now Peter was jumping around slapping his Dad on the back. Did you see that Dad? Did you? His Dad pulled the boy to him and gently turned him toward the screen, nearing the end of the film Peter saw his Dad reach out to offer his Mother a hand and a dry towel. You see son we met while I was filming for a segment for PBS on Whitewater Rapids in the western US. She was the most courageous woman I had ever met.

Text owned by @mother2chicks photographs courtesy of https://pixabay.com/en/