Sally Martin

Asleep

You know that feeling when everything is going great and you’re seemingly on a cloud of bliss but like a knife a part of you cuts in reminding you not to get too attached or warning you something bad is probably around the corner? It was like that. My entire family had been taken away in the night. I awoke from my dream in the refugee camp to the smell of smoke and fires and they were all gone from their beds, only crumpled blankets remained. They must not have seen me. I did always sleep with my face covered; I could not stand the sound of mosquitos buzzing in my ears.