scream

one

i jolt awake as a child's screaming echoes through the room. i get up quickly, silently, and lay down next to callie, a girl of six. she curls her small arms around my body and snuggles into my chest.

i sigh silently and close my eyes, trying to fall asleep even though i know i probably won't. i never get much sleep anymore; usually only around three or four hours a night.

i must've fallen asleep, because it isn't long before the hag comes to wake us for chores.

"useless children! get up! up, up, up! you need to make me breakfast before im late to work!" she screeches at us. she slams the door behind her, waking whoever else wasn't already.

i, being the oldest, push lightly on the younger kids' backs to hurry them up and get dressed before the wicked witch of the west comes back.

finally, they're all ready to go, and i lead them into the kitchen where all four of us work to make breakfast. out of my peripheral vision, i watch to make sure the others don't burn anything. callie puts bread in the toaster, sam cracks eggs into a bowl and then wisks them, ryan mans the coffee maker, while i fry bacon.

within about ten minutes, all the food is set out on the kitchen table and the four of us stand in a row, with our hands behind our backs. the hag hobbles her way in and sits down.

her plate of food is made, as always, with the exact amounts that she always eats. we're never allowed to eat until she's gone to work.

"so, seventeen, cat's still got your tongue, huh?"