The first story in the collection is presented as a series of letters written between two anonymous lovers. In his letters, the young man describes the horrific conditions onboard his refugee ship from Haiti to Miami, Florida. He is one of 36 refugees on board, including a pregnant 15-year-old girl. The boat is old and full of leaks, which the refugees attempt to repair using tar. The group sings songs and tells stories in order to pass time and distract themselves from the smells of the boat and the unrelenting heat of the sun. His letters become gradually more abstract, as the young man comes to terms with dying far from his lover and Haiti. After a few days, the pregnant girl, Célianne, gives birth; the baby does not cry. As the boat takes on more damage, the passengers begin to throw off unnecessary weight, including dead passengers and clothes. The male narrator realizes that the baby is dead, and wonders why Célianne has not thrown it overboard. He learns that she became pregnant when Tonton Macoute officers entered her house and sexually assaulted her. As the situation grows more desperate, Célianne throws her dead child and herself off the boat.