Derne Manor IV

      We returned upstairs. “The bed's yours,” I said, shutting the door behind me.

      “It's... mine?”

      “All yours. Sleep well.”

      Saoirse slid into the bed and sighed. She struggled with the blanket for a moment before curling into a ball and falling asleep. I drew the curtains closed and sat against the side of my bed. My eyes closed.

–

      “Anthony!” whispered a voice.

      I mumbled unintelligibly and looked around in a daze. My room was dark, except for a dim red light on my nightstand: my alarm clock. It read 10:43.

      “Anthony!” I heard again. I craned my neck around to see Saoirse, wide-eyed and pale in the red glow of the clock.

      “What's wrong?”

      “I heard a sound.”

     I cupped an ear and heard footsteps. They grew louder, but were still fairly quiet. Light seeped under the door with the click! of a switch. The light went out again after a short while. “It's just my mother.” Saoirse let out a sigh of relief and laid back on the bed.

      “We have a long night to go,” I said. There was no response. I twisted around again and saw that, like the light outside my room, she had returned to her rest in short order. I nearly reached over to wake her, until I saw a light smile on her face. She was more peaceful than silence itself – I couldn't bring myself to disturb that.

      Instead, I recruited a deck of cards and a flashlight to wait out the night with me.

–

      After several games of solitaire, houses of cards, and what could only have been a miracle, the clock turned to 8:00. I heard the door open and shut as my mother left for work. The car started and faded off into the distance. Saoirse was still sleeping soundly, but I figured I would wake her.

      I knelt at the side of the bed and whispered her name. She stirred a bit, but didn't open her eyes. I reached a hand onto her shoulder. “Saoirse, wake up.”

      Her eyes opened now. “Oh, it was adream.” She sounded disappointed.

      “What happened in your dream?”

     “I saw my parents. I was little again. We were in our old home.”
 

     “Why don't you live with them?”

     With a regretful expression, Saoirse prepared to answer.