Crrrunch! Crackk! The twigs snapped under my feet as I slowly made my way down to the bank. “Grab a paddle!” Phoebe yelled up to me.

Phoebe, Mein, Addison, and I were all in Maine on vacation. Our parents were all out for a fancy dinner. We decided we wanted to kayak out to a little beach in the middle of the lake. “I don’t think this is the best idea” my brother, Addison, grumbled. “You’re just grumpy!” I responded. “Hmph!” he grumbled back a me.

I continued running down the hill until I reached the water, PLOP! I dropped the paddle into the wet grassy bank. I felt the water splash on my arms. I suddenly felt very worried about going out in the kayaks, after all we only had two life jackets, two kayaks, the water was freezing cold, and nobody was there to help if we got in trouble. “Come on Addison” Phoebe sighed as she and Addison carried the little blue kayak down the steep hill.

“I feel like this is not going to go well” Addison said nervously. I kind of agreed with him now, so many things could go wrong. Phoebe and Addison then slid the kayak into the water. Now two little kayaks were swaying along with the current. “Mein! Hurry up!” I screamed up to the house. Mein the slowly started to walk down the hill, “We want to get there before the sun goes down completely!”

Mein then picked up her pace and finally reached the bank. Addison the pulled on a life jacket and climbed into the bigger kayak, then phoebe climbed in. I handed them a paddle and pushed the off the bank into the freezing salty water. “Ill get in first” Mein said as she pulled on the life jacket and hopped into the tiny boat. I then put one foot into the kayak while trying to hold the shore. Slowly I began to place my other foot into the small space left for me, “Ahhhhhh!” The kayak rolled onto its side. The frigged water soaked my feet. What happened? I wondered nervously.

“Are you guys okay!?” Addison yelled. “Yeah, we’re going to try again!” Mein shouted, I then stood up and moved away from the kayak. “How about you get in first this time.” Mein said as she continued to giggle about the mishap. Slowly I made my way back over all the cold, barnacle covered, slimy rocks. Behind me water was trickling down the rocky stream. As I walked the water splash around my feet as Mein had slipped and almost fell entirely into the water. When I reached the kayak I picked up the picnic basket as water dripped of it as I placed it behind the seat. Then i placed my foot into the kayak, it shook unsteadily while i sat down. “Mein, don’t tip us!” But it was too late.

The kayak rolled into the ocean, so did I. I tried to grab the barnacle covered rocks as we tipped. The sharp barnacle slit open my hand as I continued slipping. My hand was stinging, it felt like my hand was bursting into flames.

“Oh my gosh! Are you alright!?” Phoebe shouted to us, “Yeah everything is wet though!” Mein shouted back. I was not okay, my hand was throbbing and stinging. Tears began streaming down my face as I got up out of the water. “Anna, what’s wrong!?” Mein said to me. I just held up my hand. A bloody gash stretched across my palm. “Go wash your hand!” Mein said “Just run up to the house and wash it!” As I started running up the hill I declared one thing, I would never going kayaking in the dark again.