Capsize

• Phillis Chen, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2021

I never slept well on the first night of every school camp I attended: Mapleton Camp was no different. Stifling a yawn, I was only half-listening to our instructor. A chilly breeze swept past the twenty of us as we stood at the shore and I shivered despite the relatively warm sunshine. After what seemed like an eternity, the instructor finally retrieved the canoes from the old shed.
Savannah and I stumbled into the tight two-seater boat- immediately rewarded with wet bottoms- and a bouncy rubber ball was tossed our way. Clumsily, I caught it with numb and freezing hands.
“Alright folks listen up! This is our first activity: Air Ball!” The instructor, Zac, yelled from across the lake.
Interpreting from the game name, I tossed the neon ball to Enzo, who passed it on without hesitation. Beneath us, the icy water lapped and swirled, gently rocking the small canoe. Before long, we were all engaged, game after game.
Our session was almost over before we knew it. Apparently, our behaviour impressed the instructor, so he called us all back to shore fifteen minutes before the session ended. I had to admit, I didn’t want to leave the canoe, not when we were all so hyped up. Curious and excited, we shuffled up the sandy bank.
“We have a bit of time left,” Zac began, “so, who wants to capsize?”
Excitement pulsed through the crowd like lightning. The exhilaration could be felt down in Victoria. The thought of being dumped into the lake after an incredibly pleasurable day swept me off my feet. Zac pulled out a slightly larger kayak and called for the girls to join. A few girls stayed seated; most of the ladies stood and raced to the shore. With a grunt, Zac shoved the miniature boat into the tender forces of the current, leaving us wading into the freezing water to attempt to climb onto the canoe.
I was shivering; my lips were purple, my fingers were numb, my teeth were chattering. But I stood my ground. Or rather, floated in chest-deep water as I clung onto one side of the canoe, balancing the weight as a dozen girls crammed into space designed for two people. I swung one leg clumsily over the edge and rolled the rest of my body in. Before I could settle into a comfortable position, the boat was already tilting, and the murky water swept up to meet my face.
Darkness caved me in. My lungs were bags full of water, burning. I should’ve had more sleep; I was so tired. My senses were failing. I needed air. Clueless of my surroundings, I let my body float upwards. At first the light was dim. I broke the surface and gulped fresh, clean air. Clearing my eyes, I spun around and spotted the rest of my group; some girls had already swum back to shore. Moving swiftly through the dark water, I headed to join my friends, coughing all the way.