Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 Carmen desperately kicked her legs and spun her arms. She stretched out her neck to try to get her head back above the goo. But the molasses was like quicksand. The more she flailed, the deeper she sank. Beneath the surface, claws of metal raked into her leg, splitting open her flesh. She felt her blood spill out, gushing into the swirling river that was carrying her away.

It was no use struggling, she realized. The molasses was too strong, too powerful. How did she think she could fight back? The force of the flood pushed her forward. She somersaulted in the muck. She gagged and coughed, struggling to breathe through her molasses-clogged nose and mouth. No, she couldn't fight this. It was impossible. Soon there was only darkness and pain. And then a voice in her mind, just a whisper at first. Hold on. It got louder. Hold on! Papa? Was he here with her? No. It was just his voice, calling to her. He was telling her what she needed to do. But this time Carmen was all alone in the raging flood. It would be up to her to keep herself afloat. And she would not give up. Not without a fight.

She somehow managed to straighten her body. She let herself sink down until her feet touched the solid ground. Then she pushed off, propelling herself up through the goo. Her head broke through the surface. She managed to take a breath before she sank down again. Hold on. Down and up, down and up she went, over and over again. The fourth time she came up, she managed to open her burning eyes for just a few seconds. Long enough to see an empty wooden crate floating by her. Long enough to reach out for it. To get her arms around it. She held on. Like she had before. Like Papa had taught her. Blood spilled from her leg. Her heart slowed. The world became blurred. Sounds faded. But she didn't let go.

Not until the men found her washed up next to a smashed house, and pried her arms away. They wiped the molasses from her nose and lifted her up. Sirens wailed. Voices called to her. But Carmen felt very far away from the North End. In Carmen's mind, she was with Papa. And she didn't want to leave him.

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