This was not the first time she was in despair. But this was probably her worst experience.
Hitting the surface from a hundred feet up wasn't like diving into a pool; it was like slamming into a slab of concrete.
The impact knocked the air from Roxy's lungs in a violent, explosive cough. Pain radiated through her ribs, a jagged bolt of lightning that shattered her focus. For a second, everything was white, blinding, agonizing white.
Then, she felt cold.
It stole the heat from her skin instantly, piercing through her clothes and paralyzing her muscles. Before she could even try to orient herself, the current grabbed her.
The river at the base of the cliffs was a churning, chaotic beast. It tossed her like a ragdoll, spinning her around, slamming her shoulder against a submerged rock, and dragging her down.
Roxy opened her eyes.
Darkness. swirling, murky, terrifying darkness.
