~Dory~ It's always so loud. Even when no one speaks, I can still hear them. I can hear the voices. But it was never this loud. It feels like the entire city is screaming. I can't see. I can't move. I can't breathe. I'm trapped. Again. But a wise man once told me that it's always darkest before the dawn. After a very long time, light comes flooding in. "I have a survivor!" I am pulled out of the debris by strangers. I breathe in the fresh air. But the city still screams. I hear questions, "Who is she?" "How is she uninjured?" "Why did only she survive?" But no one asks them. It's the voices. They're so loud... A woman steps forward. She leans down, and puts a hand on my shoulder. "What's your name?" she asks. "Little Dormouse," I say. She blinks. "What?" "Little Dormouse," I say again. "How old are you?" she asks. "Eight." The faces of the strangers become sad. I hear the voices saying, "Poor kid. Probably lost her family during the attack." I don't tell them the truth. Because if I did, I would be trapped again. "My name is Soli," the woman says. "I'm a doctor. We're going to take care of you." I know what they're expecting me to do: cry, ask where my mommy is, behave like a little kid. I'm sorry to disappoint them, but that's not going to happen. I quietly go with Soli. No fuss. She's here to help. I can hear the voices telling me she's good. But she can never know why I was in the hospital. Because if she did, I would be trapped again.
Photo by Greyerbaby Story by me!
