1. Goodbye (Fragment)

The sirens hurt my ears. I didn’t know what to do.

My thoughts got interrupted by a sudden tug on my arm. It was Elsie. And just as I picked her up, Lottie pulled my arm. It hurt more than when Laurie pinched me. Lottie still had a grip on my arm even as she tucked us all under the bed and blankets.

Charlotte must have done the same in her room because she wasn’t with us. Our Anderson shelter was only being built. Not that we would need it after we left anyways.

I sat quietly under the bed that Lottie and I shared. The air felt heavy, and my body was rushed between the bed and the floor. All of my little siblings wriggled uncomfortably. I sighed, thinking how lucky Charlotte was to be alone without Lucy, Laurie, and Elsie.

Honestly, though, now, I take that all back. I never even got to say goodbye.