Words: Renée Dumenil
Penultimate She can hear it each night. A whirring that splutters, building like an illness, coughs becoming choking. In lamplight, Edme watches her brother’s sleeping form. Alexander’s skin has barely felt real sun, only artificial UV, yet he still has freckles. She counts them, mumbling under her breath. The words are barely a whisper, brush of lips. The quietness lets her hear when the ventilation shaft gives its final gasp. Tears slip in the vacuum of sound. … “What are you doing?” Sleep mars Alexander’s speech as water smears ink. Edme focuses on buckling her boots, back to him. Keeps her voice soft, it uses less oxygen. “The ventilation shaft is blocked.” She can hear his frown, “but the cleaning mechanism –“ “That broke weeks ago.” Edme forces herself to look his way. “I didn’t tell you because there’s nothing you could do. I’ve tried repairing it, but the damage is up top. Try to keep your breathing under control, don’t waste what’s left.” Alexander’s fists curl on the bedsheets. He makes no effort to lessen his increasingly staccato breaths. “When? Why couldn’t I have tried fixing it?”
Creative Writing
“While you were sleeping.” Edme hefts on a mothballed windbreaker. “And I told you, there’s nothing you could do. The system needs someone from above… so I’m going up.” “No. No you can’t.” “Someone needs to fix it. I’ll try to build a new protective barrier too – if I have time.” “No.” He rushes to her. Hands about her back. He’s so tall these days. “Please Ed, no.” “Alex…” Edme doesn’t know if this is better or worse. Weeks spent listening, hoping it would simply never fail. She wrote a letter for him; thought she could leave it by his sleeping form. Now it will be hugs and tears. “You can’t leave.” “I can’t see you die.” Anger tenses his grip. “I’ll die anyway, eventually. I’ll die alone.” “You don’t know that, not for sure –” “Yeah? How many times have you sent out those radio signals? There’s no one out there!” “There must be someone. Government bunker, preppers – space! There will be someone – you will find them. I know you will.”
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