Adelaide Literary Magazine No.7, Volume Two, June 2017

Revista Adelaide

There was a loud cracking noise where he was Her uncle stopped and spun around. Noor saw
lying. Something was falling near him, no, right her mother on the ground, buried under a large
above him, and then- slab of concrete.

Noor shut her eyes. She quickly turned Noor’s field of vision meshed and warped. Her
back around, trembling on the back of her un- uncle tried holding her back, but it was no
cle. The screaming had stopped. use. Noor broke free from his grasp and raced
over to where her mother lay.
They made it to the end of the hallway and start-
ed racing down the stairs with seven floors to “Mom?” Noor asked, tears in her eyes
descend. They went down far into the darkness from confusion. Yet there was no answer. She
hopefully to see the light once more. knelt down beside her mother and saw that her
hair was stained with blood.
There were a few other residents clamber-
ing down the stairs as the explosions conƟnued “Noor!” her uncle yelled.
around the building. The walls shook every so
oŌen, and occasionally some chunks of concrete Noor tried to elicit a response again, but
crashed violently on the steps from the walls and there was nothing. She started to cry once more
ceiling. as she watched her mother lay moƟonless.

At each floor, there was an empty window Her uncle ran over to them and knelt
that Noor looked out. She saw fires flaring and down. He checked for a pulse and then picked up
smoke spiraling far into the sky. It was as if the his sister and held her in his arms.
world was breathing out something terrible, and
she didn’t know why it was. “Get on my back now!” he instructed
Noor, who, shocked momentarily out of her con-
On floor six, Noor saw an explosion in a fusion, hasƟly complied.
nearby building. It was her school, which had
been shut down two months ago. Noor’s uncle raced down unƟl they
reached the lobby. He scanned the room unƟl he
On floor five, she noƟced a man sprinƟng found an exit on the side. He burst through the
out from a ditch, carrying some kind of large door and ran down the street, secluded behind a
weapon. wall. He circumvented fallen debris and avoided
being seen by anyone as much as he could.
On floor four, she saw the same man mov-
ing backwards, firing the weapon. Her uncle Her uncle made it to the edge of their neighbor-
stopped momentarily so that her mother could hood, then their district, and then their city. He
catch up, and Noor kept looking out the window, kept running and didn’t stop unƟl dusk started to
watching the man step back. Three others with fall.
similar weapons soon joined him. He was
shouƟng something to the others, maybe giving He slowed down and asked Noor to get on
orders, but then suddenly started to wave his the ground to help his back.
arms hysterically as his eyes grew wide.
She slid off and brushed the dirt from her
A bomb exploded right near them, and the clothes. The sun was almost touching the horizon
sound crashed through the open window as Noor now, and the stars were starƟng to appear.
saw the four men disappear.
Noor looked over at her mother, whom
She shut her eyes and buried her face into her uncle was sƟll carrying.
her uncle’s back, starƟng to cry. Her mother had
caught up by then, and they conƟnued sprinƟng The bleeding had stopped, yet there was a
down the stairs. huge gash on the side of her head. Noor con-
vulsed and looked away, her eyes bulging out of
On their way to the second floor, Noor’s their sockets and her insides twisƟng together.
mother cried out.
“Noor...,” her uncle began.

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“No, but-,” Noor started. “She’ll wake up soon, As her eyes eventually fluƩered closed, Noor
right uncle?” started to wake up from her nightmare. As she
fell back to sleep, the world faded away into the
“Noor,” her uncle soothed out his voice. darkness of the night.

“She’ll be back with us soon,” Noor In her dream, Noor found herself in her old
said. But then she looked again at her mother, room. Her stuffed animals were grouped neatly
and the realness of death hit with full and unfor- together in her bed. Mr. Snuffles liked being near
giving force. his friend, Mrs. Frog. But Miss Elephant was hav-
ing some issues with Miss Lion lately, so Noor
Noor thought it was incredible how beauƟful her thought it was best to keep them further apart
mother looked even in death and then burst into for the Ɵme being.
tears, falling slowly to the ground.
Light was shining through the open window as
Her uncle went to lay her mother’s body the sun’s rays reflected off her dresser mir-
down on nearby grass. He turned back around ror. There was a slight breeze flowing that moved
and grabbed hold of Noor, wrapping his arms in graceful pools. It was spring.
around her and rocking her back and forth.
Noor walked across the room to look out-
“Can we bury her?” Noor asked. side. It was market day, and customers and shop
owners were bustling along the street not too far
“Of course,” her uncle answered. “I think away. She waited paƟently and hopefully to see
we should.” her father. He worked there as one of the head
officials, of which Noor was so proud. Her dad,
Noor conƟnued crying as the tears flowed such an important person out in the market, do-
onto her uncle’s skin and clothes. She wrapped ing wonderful things, she thought.
her arms Ɵghtly around his neck as he too started
to cry. Noor was about to give up before she
sighted a blue garment. Was that him? Then,
“It’s alright,” he whispered, his voice shak- stepping into full view, she saw it was.
ing. “Everything will be alright.”
He seemed busy, doing important things and
They sat on an empty dirt path, holding all. He signed off a paper and handed it
each other, crying over their lost mother and lost back. Then he looked over in her direcƟon and,
sister. The sun had set, and all the stars in the sky upon realizing his daughter was in the window,
glimmered back to life throughout that endlessly smiled and waved, to which Noor did the same.
magnificent dome of wonder.
“Noor, your lunch is ready!” her mother
Noor’s uncle wiped his eyes with the back called from downstairs.
of his hand. Noor had stopped crying as well.
“Okay, mom!” Noor replied. She ran down
“We should bury her tonight,” he said, to the stairs and jumped onto the Ɵled floor. She
which Noor nodded. sprinted into the other room and saw her mother
standing at the kitchen counter.
At the site, Noor helped her uncle dig out a
grave as best she could with her small Her mother looked up and then knelt
hands. They pulled back the dirt and dug into the down in front of her daughter. She didn’t seem
earth that had brought all of them life. happy.

Her uncle placed their mother and sister “Noor, what did I tell you about running in the
into the grave. He closed his eyes, and Noor did house?”
likewise. It was only once she felt a tap on the
shoulder and heard the dirt being put back into Noor stumbled, feeling a nervous fluƩer in her
the grave that she opened her eyes again and chest. “But I thought it was okay.”
helped.
“Is it?” her mother countered, eyebrows raised.
Her uncle started a fire further away, and
the two tried to sleep.

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They looked into each other’s eyes, her mother “Mom!” Noor pleaded.
sternly and Noor with worry. But then, a smile
slid across her mother’s lips. She quickly tried to But she didn’t move. She remained mo-
recover and return to a serious expression, but Ɵonless, her head bowed with her arms sƟll
the damage was already done. wrapped around her body from when she held
her daughter. Her skin had become pale with a
Noor starƟng giggling, and then her mother’s bluish hue.
smile returned. They played off each other’s hap-
piness unƟl they were both laughing from deep “Mom, please!”
within.
Noor started to sob, confused and terrified
Her mother picked Noor up and held her close in that her mother might never wake up.
her arms.
The walls started collapsing while her
“You know why I don’t want you to run so mother stood perfectly sƟll. Noor tried to call out
much?” she asked. one more Ɵme, but someone grabbed her arm
and pulled her out of the dream.
“Because daddy’s coming home later, and we’re
all going to walk in the park together.” Noor opened her eyes. She saw her uncle
shaking her gently.
“That’s right. And can you go for a walk when
you’re too Ɵred?” her mother asked before “We have to leave, Noor.”
starƟng to Ɵckle Noor, who then lost all control of
her excitement. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, squinƟng
at the rising sun.

“No! You can’t!” “Where are we going?”

Noor’s mother pulled her closer, holding He paused. “I don’t know yet. But we
her as if nothing would ever make her let can’t stay here.”
go. Noor’s laughter eased as she folded into her
mother’s arms and felt the warmth radiate. He held out his hand and helped her stand
up. Together, they walked over to where their
“I love you, mommy,” Noor said, her eyes mother and sister was buried and said one last
closed and her breathing calmed. goodbye. They gazed over in the distance at
where they had grown up and where they had
“I love you too, sweeƟe,” her mother replied. “I loved and laughed and cried and sang. With
won’t ever let anything happen to you. I prom- nothing but each other and the clothes on their
ise. You’re my liƩle girl and always will be.” backs, they turned around and started leaving
from where they called home.
And Noor believed her with all her heart.

AŌer a span of Ɵme, Noor realized that her About the Author:
mother’s body was becoming cold to the
touch. The warmth was fading with each passing
moment.

“Mom?” Noor said, looking up. Michael Neary is currently a junior seeking a de-

Noor climbed out of her mother’s arms gree in English at Georgetown University in Wash-
and stood on the floor, looking up at her mother ington, D.C. He was born in New Jersey and has
who was frozen in Ɵme. lived there his whole life, and along with his par-
ents and two older sisters, he has been deeply
“Mom, what’s wrong?” grateful for all the friends and extended family

The walls started shaking and the floor members that have been a part of his life. For
began trembling in a terrifying symphony of cha- wriƟng, he constantly used to create stories and
os. worlds in his head when he was younger, and
then as Ɵme passed, he started puƫng them on
Noor stepped backwards, glancing franƟ- the page.
cally around the room. Pieces of plaster started

detaching from the walls.

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Adelaide Magazine

UNREST

By Vicki J. Bell

Every family has its’ own bag of crazy. Some only “Home, where they’ll be no more…”
have quirks, like the teenage son who sleeps with
a stuffed walrus or the daughter born without a “Dammit, Laney.”
leŌ ear lobe. In a crowd, they wink at each other,
leƫng the rest of us know we’re not privy to their Click. I slammed my phone into the sofa. Laney
inner circle. was reliving that night at Rachel’s, the night of the
accident. I knew what she’d be saying next, and I
But there’s another category. Those who live couldn’t endure it.
where the lines are blurred, where the truth isn’t
black or white; and where you pray no one knows The muscles in my neck Ɵghtened to steel posts. I
what goes on behind closed doors. This is my jerked opened the pantry door and rummaged for
family – the 2nd one. And these are the things something to eat. I found a bag of popcorn ker-
that keep me up at night. nels. Seriously Shea? No microwave? I pulled
out a pan and poured in oil. Enough with this
Pacing is overrated. Instead of calming my organic shit.
nerves, I carry them with me from the oven to the
sink and back again. God, it’s hot. Even for Mem- Laney’s voice kept running through my
phis. head. She’d come so far, but I knew why the cir-
cumstances of that night were consuming her
The first Ɵme the phone rang around 8 pm, my again. Two weeks ago, I’d stopped by my par-
heart jumped in my throat. Without looking at ents’ house and found her slightly slumped over,
the screen, I grabbed it. rocking in our mother’s chair. She was stroking
her hair, as if trying to smooth the waves into
“Shea?” I said. Silence. long string. Our mother loved Laney’s auburn
hair. Labeled Ginger by the rest of the family, my
When I heard Laney’s voice, my heart sank. She mother made her believe that sunset colored hair
spoke in flat, monotone phrases, but she wasn’t was a rare treasure.
speaking to me.
I stood in the doorway, watching her sway back
“Laney, you called me, Alex. Remember?” and forth while gazing out the window.

“Don’t cry Rachel,” she said. “Everything will be “What’s up, Sis?” I said.
okay.”
She picked up the flyer off her lap and handed it
“Laney, you’re not at Rachel’s. You’re home.” to me.

“Home? I want to go home,” she said, growing “Save the Date: 5 Year High School Reunion -
anxious. “Rachel, call my mother. Tell her to Homecoming Weekend’
come get me – I want to go home.”
The words sent cold water rushing through
“La-ney. Snap out of it.” my veins. Above all, Laney doesn’t need a high

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Revista Adelaide

school reunion. In fact, the last thing she needs is My knees were so weak I was afraid I’d col-
to reunite with anything remotely connected to lapse. A few other kids laughed. I forced a fake
high school. laugh, acƟng as though that quesƟon was ludi-
crous. I wanted to say the perfect thing to put
R-r-ring! I lunged for the phone, praying it was her in her place, or say anything at all. But I did-
Shea. It wasn’t, and I just stared at the n’t trust my voice not to crack.
screen. Shit Laney, stop it. The popcorn burned
to charcoal, aƩaching a smoky film and putrid I walked over and got another drink. When Ra-
smell to the air. The odor stuck in my throat. chel went back to dancing, I slipped out of the
house. I slammed on the brakes to avoid a pass-
I fell into bed, trying to force the knots in my mus- ing car.
cles to unwind. But my limbs are inching up and
back. It’s too quiet in here. When I get sƟll, there At home, I kicked my duffle bag across the room
are no sounds to refute that inner voice, shouƟng and slammed my fist into the kitchen table. The
at me – exposing me for who I am. image of Rachel laughing at me played over and
over in my head, magnifying louder each Ɵme.
Rachel never told the police I was there the night Something inside of me snapped.
of the accident. I’d leŌ earlier, and she’d already
forgoƩen about me….obviously. If I weren’t so Later that night, I went to Rachel’s house and sat
relieved, I’d be pissed. I can’t have Laney rehash- across the street in my car unƟl the lights went
ing details with Rachel. I can’t risk anyone con- out.
necƟng the dots.
What I didn’t know was that Laney decided to
None of us have been the same since the night of sleep over. I had no idea that when I climbed the
Laney’s 16th birthday. Rachel gave her a party, back stairs to the balcony and opened the bonus
and invited me, hinƟng I bring something to spike room window, both girls were in that room. And
the punch. I jumped at the chance. what I prayed no one would discover about that
night was the truth, the secret that belongs to me
It was embarrassing to have been infatuated with alone.
my sister’s best friend, especially when she was a
sophomore and I was a senior. But I’d been It was 1:47 am when Laney woke up at Rachel’s,
crushing on Rachel Walker since the first Ɵme she terrified and sobbing. At her insistence, Rachel
fliƩed in the door with Laney. She was peculiar called our mother to come pick her up. She never
and unpredictable, accented by an out-of-control made it. She died at 3:08 am aŌer being hit by a
main of wavy blond hair and God, those blue drunk driver.
eyes.
Our mother had been the stabilizing force in the
Her parents let her have the house for a few family, but for Laney, she was the plumb line that
hours. The music was loud, and Rachel guzzled kept her centered. They had an inseparable
the punch. I nudged her to the center of the bond, united by reasons both understood but
room with several others and we got lost in the neither voiced out loud. When my father was in
music. By the Ɵme Unchained Melody loomed one of his moods, Laney took refuge at our moth-
over the room, Rachel was swaying with her eyes er’s side. My mother gave her the giŌ that sus-
closed. I pulled her close, pulling her face close to tained her own life – her faith.
my neck. Half way through the song, I kissed her
hard on the lips. “God is right here with you, Honey,” she’d say,
“don’t be afraid.” Laney would look dazed, trying
Rachel jerked away, shoving me backwards into to grasp what she’d heard. But when Mom spoke
another couple. about the future - another Ɵme, another place,
where there’d be no more tears; Laney inhaled
I was stunned, blinking and struggling to regain the words. They revived her like a blood transfu-
my balance. The music pounded in my ears. sion.

“Are you insane?” Rachel said. She pointed at I grabbed a couple of antacids off the end table
me, laughing. “You don’t think I have a thing- and popped them in my mouth, then rolled over
for you, do you?”

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Adelaide Magazine

and put a pillow over my head. It didn’t “Of course she thinks it’s a good idea,” I said, rais-
work. Even in the silence, mysister’s voice confis- ing my voice. “Because he’s Laney all over again –
cated any aƩempt at sleep. And now, she’s the Learning problems, hiding behind other kids,
reason my marriage is falling apart. slower….”

I hate it when Shea’s gone. Even worse, knowing “Yes, he is, and just like Laney, Ben has a father
it’s my fault that she took the kids and went to who’s eager to criƟque his every move,” she said.
her parents is eaƟng the lining out of my stom-
ach. I wish I’d opened the mail this aŌernoon and “Well, somebody has to. Look at my sister. Do
had a chance to digest it before she dropped it on you want our son to turn out like her?
me.
“What I want – is to get our kids out from under a
“What’s this?” I said, taking the leƩer she gave father like you.”
me when I got home from work.”
Ten minutes later, Shea marched to the door with
“Just read it, and then we’ll talk,” she said. both kids and a duffle bag full of clothes.

“Let’s see.” We’re recommending Ben for a spe- “We’re going to stay with your grandparents,”
cial reading program… My face turned blood she said to the kids.
red. I glanced up at Shea.
“It’s because I’m dumb,” Ben said, lowering his
“Keep reading,” she said. eyes and walking out the door. We were horri-
fied to realize he’d heard every word. I ran aŌer
The 6 for 6 program … 6 kids for 6 weeks… him, and hugged him with all my might.
reinforcing basic reading skills that other kids
in first grade have already mastered… “I want Daddy,” Samantha cried. Shea hugged
her 5 yr. old daughter, then took her hand and
“This is Bullshit,” I said, waving the leƩer at pulled her out the door.
her. “No incompetent, test obsessed elementary
school is going to put a label on my son.” They’ve been gone 3 days. I call, leave a message,
and then call again. No answer.
Shea put her hand on my arm, but I shoved it
away. Her eyes hardened. It’s 3:45 in the morning. An elephant sits on my
chest. When I try closing my eyes, sinking, releas-
“Look at this - deficiencies in processing…needs ing… I’m bolted awake with that panic-stricken
feeling that cuts off my air supply. Laying here in
further tesƟng… symptomaƟc of the darkness, a message is becoming very clear.

worse problems. I’ve seen it all before, Shea, and God has pronounced judgment on me. Those
family traits, the ones I detested, hid from and
I won’t have it – not with my son.” wouldn’t face – those have been rebirthed in my
loved ones. Some people call it heredity.
The color drained out of my wife’s face. I knew
Shea read with Ben every night, working with him I call it penance.
on vocabulary and comprehension. She didn’t
deserve this tongue lashing, but my pent-up feel- I know this to be true. The first evidence is me.
ings took on a life of their own. She clenched her
jaw, and locked her eyes on mine. I entered into the office at 8:00 am. The break
room offered a box of glazed donuts, so I piled
“Look, he could use the experƟse, and boƩom two on top of my big-gulp sized coffee mug.
line – it’s what the school thinks he should do,”
she said, speaking in sƟlted tones. “And also… ‘You look like hell,’ a co-worker said.
Laney thinks it’s a great idea.”
“That’s beƩer than I feel,” I said, and walked out
“You told Laney about this?” with my calories and caffeine. At least the sugar
was coaƟng the taste of smoky popcorn fumes
“She stopped by this aŌernoon to see the sƟll lodged in my throat.
kids. They adore her. She said she wished she’d
had something like this,” Shea said.

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