Celeste
When everyone is forced to their knees, the room is engulfed in a long, stretched silence. The woman next to me, after being smacked mercilessly across the back of her head for her sobbing, has ceased to make any sudden movements or sounds. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears and my own heavy breaths, but the silence overpowers everything. My heart feels like it's going to explode. The silence is overwhelming, deafening. I'd rather be back in that dark room with all the screaming, whispering women. I wish I could feel the blankets I slept under for years one last time.
I'm sweating profusely. The burlap sack over my head feels like trying to breathe in a sauna. The reality of my situation as a prisoner feels especially acute. I can't bring myself to think of what will happen
