168

The van skids sideways as it hits the bridge, and you glance at Uncle Lou yanking the wheel to meet the turn. The large vehicle leans to the left, and then the world spins. Your body jerks against the cross strap of your seatbelt and holds you in place. A sharp pain flares in your right shoulder and knee as you bounce against the passenger door.

The van topples end-over-end, and you hear a groan of metal bending followed by an immense splash. Your vision twists with the van, up is down, left is right, and all of it is faster than you can react to hold yourself in place. Upside-down, your head bumps the ceiling, and the chest strap snaps off at the lock, sending you rolling into the dashboard. Glass shatters nearby, and water pours through the cracked driver's side window. The vehicle stops moving with an abrupt jar, and your neck nearly snaps from the sudden stop.

Your left knee throbs but bends. The salt-taste of blood licks your lips.

As water fills the van, you look over at Uncle Lou, who has an odd look on his face. A line of blood trickles from his nose and left eye, smattering the ceiling-turned-floor. He doesn't move. Somehow, his seatbelt holds his body in place, and his arms hang limp.

"Uncle Lou!" you shout and cross the front of the van to help the man. As you spin your body around and watch the cold, stagnant water filling the cabin, you slide near the unconscious body of your companion. "Wake up!"

You crawl the distance of the short dashboard and try to devise a plan to catch Uncle Lou once you release his seatbelt. Only seconds remain before the van is completely submerged. You grip Uncle Lou's shirt and reach for the seat buckle latch but stop as you finally see the left side of his face—the skull dented and caved from impact. You blink hard and stare again, hoping the picture changes. From temple to jawbone, the side of his face is now concave. His eyes are vacant. Life has gone from his body.

The water has risen to the top of his head, and you slowly realize the van is sinking fast. Though the driver's side window is broken, it will be difficult to climb past Uncle Lou. Your gear is still in the back of the van, and once the vehicle sinks, retrieving the equipment may be too difficult. Leaving through the passenger side window might be easiest once you bust it open but in your shaky state, you quickly wonder if you have the strength to do it.