Late at night my eyes fly open

a sound

catches my breath

He calls out

I am out of my bed

before the thought

is complete

He calls out

I am running

Heart in my throat

She lies on the floor

cold

tile

floor

Call he shouts

and I do

As foam forms

it rings too slowly

He call out

stay

stay

stay with me

don't

leave

me

They answer

I ramble, I rush, I beg

I wait

He still calls out

as she thrashes

As I wait

pacing

It feels like years

I wait, he cries

I am numb, angry

that they take

so

long

Lights finally

emerge in the darkness

Now

I am in the way

As they rush

I wait

Suddenly

I am

alone

The dark room

with the T.V. off

and the fridge

humming

and the couch

so much

less comfortable

than just yesterday

My brother still

asleep upstairs

In three hours

I will go

to school

as if the sound

never woke me up

As if the sound

didn't even happen

Though I will wake

at every small

sound

for the rest

of my

life