Chapter 5
I woke up in the mouth of a fast-flowing river, struggling to breathe as I fell under the black water. The rapid current dragged me forward and I kicked my legs to fight against it and bobbed to the surface again. All around me, thousands of bodies struggled against the will of the water, gasping and choking.
“Help!” I shouted. Bilge from the murky water poured into my mouth. “Help!”
I slapped my hands against the cold water’s surface again and again in my attempt to get to shore, but the bodies in the river fought me, preventing me from doing anything but following the raging watercourse.
I could not go quietly; I would not succumb to the waters. Placing my hand over top of the nearest body, I heaved myself over top of it. Hands grasped at me as I splashed down into the rive
