this morning #1093.

this morning, when i came to, it was through thin waves of grey smoke. i did my best to get my bearings. stretched my shirt over my mouth & nose. tried to stay low. based on the strength of the water sounds, i assumed i was at least twenty yards away from the shoreline. i called out twice. waited. no response. where had they all gone? did they just leave me here to die? i tried not to panic. reached into my backpack & grabbed my flashlight. shined it in all directions. there seemed to be a clearing off to the left, so i headed that way. a minute into my search, kat’s far-off screams started. shot straight through the smoke. i shifted toward them with nothing to lose, praying they’d offer some safety.