Strolls in months latter holding a ferret. "I can explain…"

"Come one, you two need to row together!" Niki complained as Max and Neil caused the canoe to spin in place.

"Why don't you do it if you're so great," Max complained.

"Because I'm the look out. Look out!" The canoe rocked dangerously as Erid's canoe t-boned theirs.

"What the fuck magic kids!" Max yelled at Nerris and Harrison.

"Don't yell at me!" Nerris complained. "I have plus three water proficiency. Harrison is the one throwing me off."

"I could make this canoe row itself if I wanted to," Harrison countered. David and Gwen's canoe glided past them.

"Put your life jacket on Max," David requested.

"Never. That thing is stupid," Max declared. David looked helplessly at Gwen who just shrugged. Carefully, David separated the two crashed canoes and went to check on the other campers.

Things went smoothly for a while, until Nikki suddenly threw off her life jacket and dove into the water.

"Where's she going?" Max asked unconcerned.

"Eh, probably saw something shiny," Neil said, equally non disturbed.

Half a minute latter, Nikki popped back up holding a huge thrashing fish in her arms.

"Help me get this baby on board!" Nikki said.

"Woah, that's awesome sis," Neil said, as he grabbed this fish by the gills and hauled it up. The fish flopped violently as Neil pulled his stepsister into the boat, Max scooted away from it.

"Mama's gonna eat good tonight," Nikki declared, putting a foot on the fish to hold it down. Then, the magic kids' canoe crashed into theirs again. In a desperate attempt not to lose the fish as the canoe tipped, Nikki lunged for it. Max threw himself against the side to get out of her way, and the canoe flipped.

Across the lake, David saw the canoe flip. Knowing the trouble those three could get into, he quickly pointed it out to Gwen and they rowed as fast as they could. When they arrived, Neil, the only one of the three who had been wearing his life vest, had hauled himself into the magic kids and Erids canoe. Nikki was wrestling a fish, but David knew she was a strong swimmer and thus wasn't concerned.

"Where's Max?" David asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"Uhhh," Nikki and Neil said in unison. David's pupils dilated as he threw off his life vest and dove into the water. It was murky down there, but he hoped that Max was just under the canoe, stuck in the bubble that it created.

No such luck, there was no one under the boat. David surfaced next to Nikki.

"Can Max swim?" he asked.

"Oh shit," Nikki said, releasing her fish and diving under the water. David dove down after her. Nikki seemed to be able to see underwater better than he could, so David followed her down. Near the bottom, David saw a flash of blue and snatched it. Kicking off the bottom, he and Nikki swam for the surface, hauling a limp Max with them.

When they broke the surface, the canoes had drifted away, and the closest thing the was spooky island. David swam for it, making sure to keep Max's head above water, but he still wasn't moving.

Nikki helped haul the unconscious boy onto the beach, and David pressed his ear to his chest.

"He's not breathing," he said softly. He checked his airway, but it wasn't blocked. Quickly, he held the boy's nose and breathed into his mouth, before starting on chest compressions.

"Come on Max," Nikki begged, squeezing his hand. David breathed into his mouth a second time and as he was doing his compressions, Max convulsed and started coughing.

Gently, David helped Max turn over so he could spit the water out of his lungs. Before he was even done coughing, Nikki pulled him into her arms.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again. We are teaching you how to swim tomorrow!" She declared.

"No more water," Max said weakly when she released him. David then scooped him up and held him close. He whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry Max; this is my fault."

"Shut up," Max said, but without a hint of sincerity. Gwen had managed to get the canoe over to the island, and together, they headed back for camp.