Divided We Fall

It was late August in Kentucky, still hot all day, but the nights were starting to get cool. I was stretched out on my bed listening to the breeze in the trees just outside. I wasn’t awake, but not quite asleep either. School would be starting soon. The warm days were getting shorter and instead of staying up my brother, Andy, and I were forced to go to bed early so we could be ready when school started, but that didn’t mean we could fall asleep.

The white walls of my room slanted up toward the ceiling. They glowed in the never-ending twilight. I pulled out my iPod that I snuck up with me and typed a message to my brother. “You awake?” No answer. I flipped in the bed and sighed. “Sleep,” I commanded myself, but sleep would not come. So, I stared out my window and watched the blowing of the wind through the trees. What seemed like hours passed and my eyes finally drew heavy as the darkness swept over the hillside. I closed my eyes with the image of an unfamiliar shadow creeping through the field and across the street. What was it? I vaguely wondered, a coyote? a mountain lion? I dismissed it as my sleepy drooping eyes slowly closed. Then, there was nothing, darkness, sleep.

Funny how time stands still when you sleep. In one instant you are calmly in bed with the normal world surrounding you, same old walls, same old ceiling, same old bed embracing you. There is a quiet comfort in familiarity. You know when you open your eyes there will be the same comfortable house and rooms there to welcome you. So, when something is different you seem to feel it. That’s the only way I could have possibly woke up, a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. My eyes opened, and I saw before me a figure in the door. It came closer. I blinked to focus. Fear was building and my eyes darted around my still, dark room. “Is this a dream?” I asked myself. Surely the fear inside me would have woke me by now if it were. The figure now towered over my bed directly between me and my hunting knife. It sat at the bed’s edge. It’s long arms reaching toward me, closer now, closer.

“Luke!“ It said in a hushed voice as it shook my shoulder.

I exhaled, “Mom, don’t do that to me!” I sat up angry now.

“Shhh!” She whispered. “Get your brother. Get to the backdoor. Grab your bags and go. Luke, don’t look back. Get to my mom’s. She’ll know what to do.”

“What?” I grabbed her arm as she started to get up. “Mom! What are you talking about?” “It’s started.” She said. She leaned in and hugged me with a crushing strength that took my breath away. “Take care of your brother.” She whispered. Then, she was gone. The figure disappeared, blended with the darkness and was gone.

“Mom?” I whispered, but I knew there would be no answer. I lingered only a moment listening, but not even a sound came to comfort me. “Mom,” I thought, “don’t go.”