Kaitlin MacLean

I Hear Them

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Clearly, they have never met me. I hear it relentlessly. The cries of scared children, the woeful lamentation of lives cut short, and the wail of those left behind to mourn. Some days the weight of their grief is too much to handle, and I’m left bedridden. It’s gotten worse as we’ve come closer. The screeching bleeds into my dreams, enveloping my fondest memories in a macabre shadow. I can’t help but wonder how long it’ll be before my screams become part of the cacophony.