My mum pops into my head. Since she passed away, I’ve only ever been able to picture her dead. That one image overrides all the other memories I have of her. But now, as I find myself sinking into the deep, I see her as she was when she was alive. She’s calling my name, urging me to swim, telling me that I need to fight. And I don’t want to disappoint her, so I do. I grit my teeth against the cold and ignore the terrible drag of those hungry hands pulling me down. Resisting the lure of just giving up and letting myself sink, I kick with every ounce of strength I have, struggling my way towards the sky.

I break through the water again and this time I’m yanked upwards. Liam has me by the collar of my shirt. He’s leaning over the edge of the boat, which is in danger of tipping and throwing him out as well, and he’s trying to pull me back in. I cough and splutter, still kicking intensely.

Liam’s grip on me tightens. I can hear him yelling my name and the desperation in his voice. Then there’s a splash and his grip on me is gone. The boat has flipped, tossing Liam out. He surfaces, gasping, beside me. I dip beneath the waves again, but the fight has been ignited in me now, and I emerge a moment later, thrashing my arms to stay afloat.

Liam is screaming my name as he treads water a few feet away. He grabs for me when I come up beside him.

‘Swim,’ he splutters.

I can see the boat, floating upside down, drifting away from us, and I realise that we too are drifting further from the island. The choice is either to swim or drown.

I smash my arms into the waves, clumsily. I feel so heavy but force myself to keep going, though I don’t seem to be making any progress and I’m growing drowsier with each passing second.

I keep my eyes on the island and even though I’m so exhausted that sinking under the waves starts to feel like a good choice, I force myself to keep going. I don’t focus on how far away land is, just on keeping my legs kicking.

Just when I think I can’t possibly go any further, and I’m ready to start accepting my fate, my feet scrape the bottom. I can stand. Triumphant, I paddle a little further, before stumbling forward, wading on shaking legs towards the shore, and then all at once Liam is there, catching my arm, dragging me up out of the water and up onto a beach.