Sleep Is Death

Entry 10

Date and time unknown

Today, Lou let us out of the basement. I dreamed of this day for so long I feel it's in my head.

I tried grounding myself into reality, but I can't shake the feeling that nothing is real anymore.

This black crayon, my quilt, the hot water burning the dirt off. My hair is still damp so I twisted it into a tight bun above my head.

Anna was holding my hand to comfort me and to help herself walk. When she tore her gown to wrap her leg, I offered to help and she told me, 'You can take your help and shove it.'

She was angry that I sat and watched him break her wrist and ankle. After I told her I worked at a hospital, she let me near her. Obviously, I'm the cleaning lady, but it was either watch her tie it like a tourniquet and potentially lose the foot altogether or lie.

Only she had a bra because her parents sent it in a care package, so with my left arm, I shielded my chest as we walked through the house.

"Oh, my God, Anna!" Sandra threw her arms around her friend and they hugged so tightly that Anna's face turned red. She pulled away to look her over and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Pfft, please, you know how I get down," she said with a smirk. I brought the other arm around myself. I was standing against the banister, practically surrounded by my roommates, hers, and our neighbors. They glared at me and looked me up and down, sizing me up. "You should see the other guy. Right, Helen?"

She nudged me and I quickly turned my gaze to her, forcing a smile.

"I think I'm gonna just take a shower and lay down." Anna nodded and watched me squeeze past the girls blocking my room.

"We ought'a kick her ass," one of them said.

I was walking to the bathroom when I heard Anna say, "Hey! None of that, okay? She's good people."

"She let you take the fall for her," another one chimed in and she sounded even more angry.

"No, I got in trouble because I said what needed to be said. That brooch wasn't stolen, and she knows it." They didn't say anything, so she said, "Besides, she's new to all of this. You can't expect her to play by our rules if she doesn't know the game."

They followed her to her room, listening to her talk about Isaac.

I didn't want to shower, really. I just wanted to sleep.