**Chapter 9: Condone & Control**
**Nadia**
*Nadia climbs on top of her desk while the water rises, filling her office. Everywhere she looks, everywhere, there is water. She looks up in panic, and everyone else in the office works as though nothing is happening. Her mother and father type away mindlessly on a keyboard, smiling at each other occasionally as the water covers their knees. Her sister works on a drawing, humming a song, while the water kisses her waist. Her principal is disciplining a student, one of Nadia’s favorite ones, while the water rises around them. She watches in horror as the water reaches the student’s neck, but the principal does nothing.*
*Nadia opens her mouth to scream but nothing happens. Her vocal cords don’t tighten or vibrate. Her lips don’t widen. They open barely, and then to do even that is a tremendous effort. She watches on silently, opening and closing her mouth like a dumb fish. She is the only one who sees, who understands. They are all going to drown. The water pours in from under the doors, from cracks in the ceiling, from the windows. They will drown and no one can save them but themselves.*