…Susanna peered over the side of the boat, imagining all sorts of creatures looking up from beneath the pitch-black water. No doubt Amanda was staring back at her as well, laughing at the goose pimples forming on her flesh. Well, let her laugh. When Amanda came up for air, she'd give her sister a piece of her mind.

A full minute passed. Just how long could Amanda hold her breath? Shouldn't she have surfaced by now? Frowning, Susanna made an attempt to stand and nearly lost her balance. She grabbed for the side of the boat, her nails sinking into the aging boards. A fragment of wood stabbed her finger and she swore. More angry than afraid now, she scanned the water for signs of a ripple or a head bobbing in the distance. All was still.

"If this is your idea of a joke, Amanda, it isn't funny. Get back in this boat right now or I'm squealing to Mom and Dad about your midnight excursions."

No answer came.

"I mean it, Amanda."

Still no answer. Her alarm intensified.

"Amanda!" Minutes passed and Susanna's mind raced to the basic life support class she'd taken with her first year of nursing school. Brain cells began to die after five minutes. If the body lacked oxygen for fifteen minutes, the damage was irreparable. Just how long has Amanda been under water?

"Amanda!" she screamed, her fists forming tight balls at her sides. "Help! Please, someone, help!" Susanna pulled her sneakers from her feet and tossed them onto the floor of the boat.