Page 46 of Walk on the Wilder Side

CHAPTER NINE

“Wake up! Wake! Up!”Marge’s voice rang in my ears, then I felt a sharp slap across my face.

“Hey!” I cried out, clutching my cheek as I sat upright, blinking fast against the bright light. “You hit me!”

“Oh, thank God,” Sylvie said.

“She’s alive!” Doris cried between sobs. “She’s alive!”

I looked around at the concerned faces surrounding me. “What ... what happened?”

Marge sat back on her heels. “The adrenalin rush caused you to lose consciousness for a minute.”

“I lost consciousness?”

“Yeah. You passed out, you big ninny. I had to smack some sense back into you. You okay? No head injuries I’m not seeing?”

I touched my head and felt no bumps, and I didn’t remember hitting it. “No. I think I’m fine.”

Marge jutted a thumb at the water. “Good. Then we need to get the hell off this shore. That thing could come for us any minute if it loses interest in the cruiser it’s still batting around like cat toy.”

Ndungu’s watchful eyes scanned the rushing water behind us. “Marge is right. It isn’t safe here. Is everyone alright to move?”

“I think so,” Marge answered. “Role call! Everyone accounted for and unharmed?”

“I’m okay,” Sylvie breathed out.

Doris just flopped into a boneless heap and sobbed.

“Doris, are you hurt?” Marge kneeled beside her.

“No,” she finally squeaked out from the arms she cried into. “I was so scared.”

“But you’re alright now.” Marge touched her back. “And now isn’t the time to fall apart. We need to get away from the river and somewhere safe while we call for help. Right Ndungu?”

“Exactly,” he answered. “That hippo can come on land, and they are very territorial. They also can outrun humans by about 10 MPH. We don’t want to take our chances. Let’s start walking a little further inland while I call back to the resort.”

He looked at his hand, then his eyes went big as he started patting his pockets.

I let out a sigh. “Don’t tell me you lost your phone.”

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