Opening the balcony’s window, I let the chilling air fill my senses. The first droplets of rain hit my nose, and I close my eyes, tipping my head back to let it rinse me.
Cleanse me.
My nostrils fill with the scent of the earth after the rain and I inhale it in.
When I open my eyes, the black car is still there.
My lips tremble as I abandon the rain and crawl back into my bed.
* * *
Whimpers come from the basement.
My little feet follow the sound. I’m whimpering myself, but them whimpers from the basement are louder and more in pain.
Mmmmm.
Mmmm…
Mmmm —
I dart my eyes back expecting the boogieman to follow me down here. Ma says I should never be here because them monsters hide in places like these.
Ma looks like a monster sometimes when she’s talking about him. The one who shall not be named.
Her eyes look black like them Da’s friends.
Sometimes, she hugs and squeezes me till I think I’m joining the one who shall not be named.
“Elsa?”
Oh. No.
If Ma finds me, she’ll squeeze me to death again. I don’t like them monsters in her eyes because Da won’t stop hitting her when she has them monsters.
Then his monsters and her monsters become the same.
Them whimpers turn into moans. I stop at the basement’s door and peek through the opening of the key.
Them monsters took another person like the one who shall not be named.
This time, I have to help them. I have to stop them monsters in Ma and Da’s eyes.
“Elsa!!” A blow smacks my back.
My head hits the door and something warm and red trickles down my temple.
I look back and see them monsters.
They’re black.
They’re murky.
They have hole eyes.
My lips tremble as I’m struck again.
Blow.