The journey started off peacefully. The 5 of us had already gotten to know each other quite well, despite it only being our third day on the river. The river was wide; the mouth of the river, where the village was located, was so large, it looked like a giant lake or a small sea. As we travelled farther, I noticed the riverbanks getting closer, but the river was still wider than a lake. We were sailing in the middle of the river. We were almost unable to see land on either side, it was as if we were sailing the sea. I could constantly hear the sound of Karl's voice in my head, raspier and quieter than before, and along with the voice came a sharp pain through my skull. "Sela... Help me.... Sela..." Karl's voice sounded in my head, dangerously low. It went from a loud cry to a very low whisper. "We're coming for you, Karl, we really are." I tried to call to him. He was probably so weak he couldn't even think properly anymore. It worried me to think about him. It hurt me to think about him. "Don't worry, Sela, we'll find him, I promise." Tula would tell me every time Karl called out. I would smile back and act happy around the crew, but when I was alone, I was always worried, scared that I would never hear his voice again. That it would be the end.
"Aww, Sela's scared," Chester constantly teased, "Scared little baby." I just rolled my eyes at him and then kicked him in the belly. "Aww, Chester's hurt," Matt jeered, "Poor little crybaby." Chester stuck out his tongue as we laughed. "Food's ready if you want it," Morgan called out from her little station, "You big babies." We all laughed, Tula ruffled my hair and Matt slapped Chester on the back, we made our way to Morgan for our dinner. Chester grabbed a knife and scratched another line on the deck at the front of the canoe. There were 15 lines now, 15 days since we snuck out of the Hut and set off on our stolen canoe. We enjoyed the meal cooked for us by Morgan and we each returned to our stations, mine being the telescope at the front of the canoe.
The Sun was high in the sky and a fresh winter breeze blew into the large white sails of the canoe. Peering through the telescope, I looked to the horizon, where the sky touched the river, the colors so similar that it was hard to see where the sky ended, and the river began. All of a sudden, I saw a large ripple in the water. Then I saw it again, this time, closer. Then a third time, even closer. I stood up and hopped down onto the main deck. "Guys?" I said quietly, "I think something's coming towards us."
Almost immediately, Chester and Matt sprang into action. Matt grabbed a large knife from Tula's cooking pack and Chester grabbed the harpoon which had been lying on the floor of the canoe since before we stole it. Another ripple appeared, about 10 feet away from the boat, then again, 5 feet away. Then, in the blink of an eye, a horrible creature emerged from the icy water below; it was almost the size of the canoe, covered in sharp silver scales, large black spines protruding from its back. Its fiery eyes stared directly into mine, 3 layers of razor-sharp teeth bared, ready to attack us. "It's a Water Weevil!" Exclaimed Morgan, holding a knife in each hand. The creature let out an ear-shattering screech, a massive 3-taloned hand came crashing down, ripping the sail to shreds. "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!" I cried, clinging onto the side of the canoe. The creature screeched again, leaping over the canoe. Chester leapt into the air, the harpoon slicing the Weevil's large, scaly silver chest, thick black blood splattering around the boat. The weevil let out an ear-piercing scream as it crashed into the freezing river. "Nice one, Ches!" Matt shouted, grinning. A black pool of blood began forming where the weevil had fallen into the water. Suddenly, the hideous head reappeared at the back of the canoe. Matt and Morgan threw their knives at the beast, striking it on the neck and between the eyes. The creature once again leapt into the air. Chester grabbed the harpoon and pulled it out of the weevil's great belly. Harpoon in hand, Chester sped across the canoe and leapt forward, embedding the harpoon in between the beast's eyes, beside Morgan's knife. The weevil screeched and flailed, splashing about in the water, until suddenly it grew really quiet and the weevil sunk like a rock, disappearing below the surface of the river, never to return. "Well, there goes a perfectly good Harpoon and three perfectly good knives!" Cried Chester, making his way to Tula and I. Laughing, I threw myself into Chester's arms, embracing him tightly. "You were great, Ches!" I replied as he put me down and embraced Tula.
"I know," said Chester, "but my Harpoon!" Matt grinned at his best friend, and Morgan looked to me, rolling her eyes at Chester's remark. "Keep watching the water." She said, "More may come."
"Is no one going to mention the fact that Chester is crying about a harpoon yet barely noticed the ripped sails?" Asked Matt, teasingly. Chester stuck his tongue out in response. Morgan disappeared below deck, then reappeared a second later holding a small pack. "Here, Tula," she said, tossing the pack over to Tula, "see if you can use this to fix the sail." In the pack were some needles and some ropes. "Thanks, Mor," replied Tula as she began to work.