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Eyes open, I see the white gown of the girl, billowing out under the water. I swim after her, catch hold of her and pull her backwards.
We surface together. I'm relieved to hear her screaming and yelling. We ride the rising water up to the top of the stairs. I plant a foot on the step and drag the girl out onto the deck. A fire blazes towards the bow. The floor leans at a forty degree angle. I climb up the slope, pushing the girl on. I look over the edge: Clarke and Morales stand at a safe distance with the other girls and those dock workers.
Squad cars and fire engines rush wailing onto the scene.
I scoop the girl up in one arm, not giving her any say. The stairs are out as they no longer reach the dock wall. The port-side hull leans away from shore.
I swing my legs over the edge
