River People

I opened my eyes, stupidly thinking I could see in the murky water. Dirt stung my eyes and I squinted to try and find the surface. The current was very strong, dragging me down the river, farther and farther from my home. My hand brushed the bottom and I felt a branch. I gripped it tightly, hoping it would stop me from tumbling with the cold water. My lungs burned as I yearned for the oxygen above my head. My arms were sore from holding on so tight and the cold water freezing my muscles. I realized too late that I would have to take a breath soon, or I would drown. The dark water became pitch black as I lost consciousness from lack of oxygen.

I'm awoken by sudden light and air. I gasped, my breathing ragged. I blinked my eyes, trying to see, but the light was harsh and I closed my eyes again. My ears popped and I heard whispers.

"Sy is wakker." I didn't understand the language. "Wat moet ons met haar doen?"

"I'll take care of her." My eyes flew open when I heard my native language spoken. I could make out silhouettes above me, the men looking at me intently.

"She speaks the language of the Mountain people," said the speaker from before. He looked at me. "Do you understand?" He repeated the question in his native tongue.

"I understand," I said, my voice cracking. He nodded and turned back to his comrades.

"Sy praat bergmense." One man nodded and reached down to help me up. My legs were weak from the cold and I stumbled before standing straight.

"Who are you?" I croaked.

"I am Erik Clay. This is my brother, Amir, and Myles Mendez and Terry Haines." Erik, the translator, pointed to each man as he told me their name. "And you are Kezia Gaynor. Welcome." Erik smiled at me.

"How do you know my name?" I asked cautiously, stepping backwards and almost falling into the river again.

"All in good time, Kezia." Erik said.

"We glad you here," Myles said with difficulty. His accent was very thick, making him hard to understand.

"Thank you," I told him. "Come with us. We will take you to Oskar." I looked at Erik, confused.

"Leader," Myles speaks up again.

"Myles knows your language better than the others. I am a Translator, so I know many languages," Erik explained as he began walking away from the river. The other men followed and suddenly, I was alone. I considered jumping in the river again-but only briefly. I did not want to drown. I made my decision and went in the direction Erik did. Hopefully, I wouldn't regret it.