And the Trees Crept In

by Dawn Kurtagich

This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper. —T. S. ELIOT

I rest my heart in anger to keep away my fear.

One, two, three, four will you open up the door? five, six, seven, eight he wants you to feed your hate.

They were sisters three in a house the color of the sky. Anne. Youngest. Most precious. Pamela. The middle sister. Wildest. Catherine. Eldest. Most sensible. The Jewel. The Adventurer. The Protector. Three little girls did a very bad thing.

“Don’t fall in love with me,” I whisper. “I’m…” “Not ready?” “I’m crazy.” He laughs. “Crazy? Silla, that’s crazy.” “I don’t know anymore! I mean—is any of this real? Are you? And if I am crazy, then you can’t fall in love with me. It’s too dangerous.” “Too late.” He says it simply. “I love you.” Stop. Please, stop. “Shut up.” “I love you, Silla.” “You don’t know anything. You don’t even know me.” “And I will love you forever.”

“Three little girls knelt by an alder to summon a man to be their protector. The little girls found their game hard to bear when their protector turned and gave them a scare.…”

Cause: A man beats his wife and his children. Effect: His children want to leave him. Cause: A mother loves her children. Effect: She dies to free them.

We have no right to children if despair is all we bring with us.