Part 1
Water sloshed over the chipmunk's head, pushing him further under the water. He inhaled deeply when his head surfaced, sputtering. Silt and leaves and all manner of debris filled the swollen stream, muddying the water and creating a network of hazards just waiting to trap an unsuspecting victim.
His body folded sideways as his right haunch slammed into a submerged branch, plunging him beneath the surface once more. The force of the current pinned him against the branch, and for several brief moments he thought this was the end of all things. But with a great thrash, he jerked away from the branch and was swept downstream.
The chipmunk kicked his way to the surface--a jolt of pain ripping through his injured leg--and gulped air before he was forced under again. He bobbed along in the frigid water, gasping for air every chance he could.
His paws reached out to grab hold of anything solid, but all they found were leaves and broken twigs tumbling along. The water abruptly smoothed out and widened, though it still moved swiftly. He managed to keep his head above water long enough to hear a roar ahead. A leafy branch tipped up in the air and then disappeared from view not too far downstream. Oh, stars! It was a waterfall!
Kicking with all his strength, he tried desperately to break free of the current and cross the great expanse of water. But it was no use. The current was too strong, and the roar of the waterfall grew louder as he was dragged toward it with no hope of escape.
Twigs vanished over the edge. The body of a drowned mouse floated some distance away. He scowled as it got sucked over the edge along with everything else. In moments, his own fate would be sealed.
The raging sound grew deafening as he neared the falls. Feeling the magnetic pull of the current, he accepted his impending death and fought no more.
In a flash, he was over the edge and falling in a curtain of raining water.
Then darkness...
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