Day

Saturday is a long-awaited day off after a hard week at work. It's the height of summer. All week, you and your friends have been planning a trip to the river. You've been planning the route, preparing your SUP boards, paddles, safety vests, and everything else you need for the rafting trip.

And finally, the big day arrived. You woke up in a wonderful mood until you logged into your group chat. Your friend was urgently called into work, and your friend's girlfriend was throwing a tantrum.

Without thinking twice, you threw your things in the car and drove off alone. Summer is too short to miss precious weekends.

A half-hour drive to the lake, another half-hour to get ready, and you're already on the water. Your favorite SUP board bobs on the waves. You paddle leisurely, enjoying the sun, the cool water, and the wonderful views.

A couple of hours passed. You felt the bottom of your SUP board hit something—a snag from a fallen tree. The pressure in your board began to drop rapidly, and ripples and air bubbles began to form in the water. The shore was still quite a distance away, both ways, and the SUP board quickly began to soften and sag under your weight.

You were about to panic, but then you heard someone’s voice behind you:

• Hey, hold on! You turned around. A tall guy on a SUP board was hurrying toward you, cutting through the water with his paddle. He knelt down and extended his hand. — Grab it, shorty! There's enough room for two!