By Nataliya Dovhopol Translated from Ukrainian by Vee Voytovych Dedicated to the defenders of Snake Island, who became a symbol of heroism and fortitude in the face of Russian aggression when they refused to surrender to the invaders on February 24, 2022. The taste of seawater clung to my tongue, stiffened from the salt, but at least my lungs no longer burned as the water violently spewed from my nose and mouth. I lay on the ground, my right cheek pressed against a rock. I shifted, the slight movement taking an incredible amount of effort. My clothes were still somewhat in one piece, but covered in streaks of blood, already stiffened in the blazing sun. My cheek turned out to be completely scraped up, there was a gaping wound at the nape of my neck, and my right elbow was completely s...