No Survivors by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page B

head.
    Kicked harder.
    I don’t want to finish last.
    But another wave sent her sailing backward.
    Then another.
    She felt a powerful current pulling her…pulling her back, back toward the rocks.
    â€œNo!” A cry escaped her throat.
    She saw the other kids swimming easily. Pam and Kendra were approaching the finish line at the dock.
    April kicked with all her strength. She tried to power herself forward. But the current pushed her back.
    Her body hit the rocks hard.
    She gasped in pain. Then she forced herself forward, diving beneath the rush of the waves.
    She swam underwater for as long as she could hold her breath. When she surfaced, April could see the dock. Her throat burned. Her chest ached. But she was almost halfway there.
    Then the current grabbed her again. It pulled her down to the sandy ocean floor. April swallowed a mouthful of briny water. She fought her way back to the surface.
    Wave after wave battered her. She couldn’t keep her head above the water. She couldn’t get enough air.
    She was being swept back toward the rocks.
    Turning, she saw a flash of blue at the top of the rocks. Was someone up there? Was it the woman in the blue cloak?
    Was she watching April?
    A powerful, roaring wave lifted April into the air. Out of the water.
    Then the wave slammed her hard, back under the water.
    April knew she couldn’t fight much longer. But she pushed her way to the surface once more. With the last of her breath, she called out. “Help—somebody! Help!”
    But the others were far away now too far to hear her frantic cries.
    Too far to see her tossed again and again by the pounding waves.

17
    â€œNo sssssurvivors!”
    The whispered words seemed to be carried on the tossing waves.
    A tall wave crashed over April—and she heard the words again. “No sssssurvivors.”
    Were the whispers in the wind? Or did April hear them in her mind?
    She didn’t have time to think about it.
    Her muscles locked.
    Terror froze her body.
    I’m going to drown.
    Another wave battered her. It felt like a brick wall as it smacked her hard.
    Stunned, April fell against the rocks.
    This time, though, she wasn’t pulled back into the water. She felt a hard, solid surface beneath her.
    The waves have pushed me onto shore, she realized.
    Gasping, choking, she turned. She was on the bluerocks. She could feel the cold shimmering off them.
    â€œNo sssssurvivors!” Another whisper, so close to her ear.
    And then April heard shouts.
    And saw Kristen running across the beach to her. Pam was behind her.
    Was the race over already? Had Pam won it?
    â€œApril—are you okay?” Kristen called.
    April tried to answer but choked up water. She sputtered and coughed. She felt as if she’d never get all the water out of her lungs.
    Then Kristen was kneeling on the rocks, helping her up and off the rocks. April’s legs felt shaky as she stepped onto the soft sand.
    â€œApril, what happened?” Kristen asked. “Everyone else finished the race.”
    â€œYeah, where were you?” Pam demanded.
    â€œI—I don’t know.” April dropped to her knees, shivering, dazed. “I guess I got caught in some kind of weird current. I—I couldn’t swim out of it.”
    She raised her eyes to Pam.
    Here she is again. Whenever something strange happens, she’s always right there.
    She turned and saw other kids running toward them along the shore. “April—are you okay?” Ronni called.
    â€œYes, I’m fine—now!” April shouted back.
    â€œKendra and I tied,” Pam said, frowning.
    April stared at her. “You didn’t win?”
    Pam shook her head unhappily. “You know how much I hate ties,” she muttered. She glared at Kendra, who was running across the rocks to them.
    April felt a chill.
    Pam was staring at Kendra as if seeing her worst enemy. But all Kendra did was keep Pam from winning the swim race.
    I