Fireworks

“Josie…Joooosie…”

I feel myself slowly floating back into wake as my little brother tugs on my satin pajama sleeve.

“Hmmm?” I manage to grumble out, my voice still asleep, desperate for the rest I have needed for about 28 hours.

“The fireworks. You said they were doing fireworks again tonight but I don’t see ’em. I hear ’em but I don’t see ’em.” His voice is fragile, as a 5 year old’s tends to be.

I sighed. The “fireworks”.

“Colton, maybe it’s just cloudy outside tonight and the only people who can see them are the aliens on Mars.” I whisper, desperate to get back to sleep, but also wanting nothing more than Colton to feel safe.

“No, JoJo. It’s not cloudy. Look. I can see all the planets ever. Look!” Colton whispers while rolling over me to point out the window.

“You’re right. Maybe they are using invisible fireworks. You have heard of those, right?”

“What?”

“Invisible fireworks. The only people who can see invisible fireworks are people who have been to the moon. That explains why we can’t see them.” I say softly, hoping this explanation will suffice.

“Oh. Okay. Josie? When will we go to the moon?” Colton asks, per usual.

“Soon, C. Soon.” I laugh softly.

“When will the fireworks stop?”

I pause. I don’t know when the violence of this town will end, or if it ever will. I just want to get Colton out of this town before he ever realizes fireworks are not the sounds that shake the house and our bones each night.

“Soon.” I say while wrapping my arm around his teeny frame.