When the Night Felt Endless
216 Words
The rain came without warning that evening.
It struck the roof in sharp, angry rhythms, slipping through the small cracks Daniel had tried to seal with old plastic and tape. The house smelled of damp wood and cold air.
Daniel sat beside his mother’s bed, holding a metal bowl filled with warm water and a thin cloth. His mother’s fever had returned.
“Mom… stay with me,” he whispered, pressing the cloth gently against her forehead.
Maria’s breathing was shallow. Her skin burned under his small trembling hands.
Outside, thunder roared.
Daniel looked toward the empty cabinet. No medicine left. No rice left. Only silence.
His stomach twisted painfully. He hadn’t eaten since the small lunch Miss Thompson had given him earlier that day. He had secretly wrapped half of it in tissue and brought it home for his mother.
But tonight, there was nothing.
The storm felt like it was swallowing the world.
For the first time in months, fear began to rise higher than hunger.
What if she didn’t wake up?
What if tomorrow came… and she didn’t?
“Please,” he whispered into the darkness. “I’ll be stronger. I won’t complain. Just don’t take her.”
He didn’t know who he was praying to.
He just knew he couldn’t lose her.
- Writer
