“Because I’m weak.”
“But Daddy said you are strong.”
He goes silent, then asks after a long time, “Were you crying?”
I blink my eyes.
“Why did you come into my room when I was sleeping?”
He had told me not to come into his room while he slept in the evening. But if I don’t, he’ll cry in his sleep alone. He’ll have no one to hold him when he gets scared.
“You were crying in your sleep.” My eyes start hurting.
“I won’t cry.”
I smile and hug him again, closing my eyes.
I sleep in his room every night, but I always wake up in mine. Zoan does this. He nodded when I asked him, but he never told me why.
Zloban (9 years old)
After making her lie down on her bed, I cover her with her blanket and walk out of her room.
I put the pillow back on the bed and return to my corner. I sit down, leaning my back against the wall.
My sleep breaks when I hear the sound of the door opening. I sit up on the floor.
Mom comes inside, smiling. She sits beside me on the floor. “You slept on the floor again.”
I nod.
She caresses my head. “Did you see nightmares again?”
I shake my head.
I see nightmares every night, but I won’t tell these people that. I don’t want to fall deeper into their care. Because one day they will throw me out of their lives. I don’t want to get attached to them.
She smiles and runs her warm hand across my face. “That’s good.”
She gets up. “Now it’s time to get ready for school. Tell me what you want to wear today.”
I only started going to school last month. Since I never went to any school before, I had to begin from the Base class here, which is Avira’s class.
“Black.”
Black keeps the focus away from me.
“You don’t even touch the other colors in your wardrobe.” She picks out a black shirt and pants and lays them on the bed.
She comes back to me and pat on my head. “Now freshen up and get ready.”
I nod.
After getting ready for school, I walk into the dining room. Dad is already sitting there, but Mom and Avira haven’t come yet. I sit down on my chair, one seat away from Dad’s.
Dad looks up from his tablet.
“Good morning, Zloban.”
