My sister always screams in the middle of the night. Horrible, blood-curdling screams. And I cannot get her to stop.
I lie in my bed, away from the earth, dreaming in mist, and her screams penetrate them. She cries for me, she cries for someone.
I cannot help her, nothing I do will make her stop.
I bring her some fresh lavender, one day. I hope the scent can calm her.
My eyes shut and I drift away.
But she screams.
What can I do, Sister? Why do you scream? What scares you? You will not tell me, I can't help.
One night, when the screams are too much, I get up. I will stop her screams.
I make my way to her bed, and kneel down right on top of her.
Stop screaming. STOP SCREAMING.
I look down at her, but I cannot see her. It is dark, and there's distance between us.
STOP SCREAMING.
She stops, but only because she knows someone is there.
She is quiet, she doesn't want them to know she's there.
My mother, telling me to go back to my bed. I need to stop coming to see my sister at night.
But don't you hear the screams, Mother?
But she doesn't. It is only me.
My sister pretends to be asleep.
I get up.
I am dirty from the ground where I knelt over my sister's grave.
She rests in her coffin. Dead but she still screams.
