merina shahi | d8 cb fin

The few cicadas of 8 are clustered near her apartment, chirping miserably in the wilted branches and dried up leaves. Moonlight drifting into her window, she squints. Her fingers, thin and nimble, finish the touches on her latest project. Blinking twice, she smiles at the embroidered bee before she closes up the loops, her thumb getting caught on the needle's edge. She doesn't shout - shouting would wake up her mother, snoring in the bed next to her. Instead she soaks the droplets into her dark cotton shirt, eyebrows furrowed as the sharp pain fades away. She sneaks away to the bathroom, softly humming to herself as she brushes her teeth before crawling into bed, charcoal skies enveloping her in haze.

When morning breaks with soft goldenrod in her eyes, she squints again, slowly pulling herself out of bed. Not a half hour later she's waiting at the door of a large house, embroidered garment in tow. Silently money is exchanged, and she walks off to school. The bags under her eyes feel like bricks. Her voice is silent as classmates drone on, her body shrinking into invisibility. Her hands however, are nimble as her teacher goes over pearl stitching for the umpteenth time, as the factory conveyor belts hum as she sorts through errors in peacekeeper uniforms, as she spends another night with her eyes half closed, a rose forming from thread and a small needle. She finishes off the remainder of her meal, bought from the family pool.

Her mother kisses her on the forehead before she heads to bed. Merina hums in response. With a simple knot she finishes the flower before curling up under her sheets, the apartment above her creaking and the apartment below shouting. She snores loudly.