The Gift

Chapter 97

Whit

I guess we failed his test. But we won't surrender, no way. That isn't going to happen.

The force of hitting the water might have knocked us out and drowned us if Wisty and I hadn't been almost perfectly in sync. We pull off a near splashless dive and slice through the surface. But underneath, the water is churning and rushing up from the bottom of the sea.

Who controls the water? Who else?

The entire harbor is piling up into one enormous wave-a tsunami to end all tsunamis-and we're floundering, swimming right in the middle of it. Higher and higher it builds. I've never seen anything like it. I think it's safe to assume no one has. Unless we're supposed to take the Great Book literally. Are we?

Wisty and I can't force our way downward against the surge. It's useless even trying to swim at this point. If you can't beat it, join it, right?

And so I imagine us… on longboards. And it actually happens!

"You did that?" Wisty yells as she steadies her footing on the surfboard.

"Yeah!" I shout. "Even if we crash and drown, it'll be some kind of a ride!"

Wisty smiles a crazed surfer-girl grin at me as the wave starts to go down-as we start to go down.