Different People

My toes sank into the warm grass; the golden heat of sunlight baking my bare arms and legs. I giggled as a worm snaked its way from under my foot, tickling my pinky as it went.

As quickly as the breeze wafted across my back, the oak wood of the barn beside me moaned, whining about its age as it always did.

I glanced at it, the bright red color chipping away into a muddied brown. It had been eaten away at by weather and the passage of time, but it didn't seem bothered. Just tired.

It didn't make sense to think about that moment now as the memory of warm soil turned into cool, muddy sludge beneath me. The rain fell like bullets against my skin, the clouds growled down at us, and his grip on my hand was almost weakened enough to let go.

We'd been running for so long through the raging weather that the water began to feel like acid, hitting me with so much force that it burned.

"Hang on! We're almost there! We're almost there, brother!"

He didn't respond. In fact, he slumped his weight into my arm. I was dragging him. He could tell. So could I. Too bad. He would just have to use that last bit of strength.

Once we reached the door of the decrepit, towering building—somehow more menacing than comforting in presence—it welcomed us with creaking doors and more cold. I threw my brother in, watched him crumple into a pile of rotting hay, and attempted to slam the door behind me.

I drew in a few quick breaths and turned to him, his eyes glazed over in pain and defeat as he clutched his side. The blood seeped through his fingers, gushing over his forearm, refusing to ease up. The water he was drenched in must've made sure of it.

"You'll be fine. Keep your arm over it. It'll be alright," I told him.

"O-Okay," he replied softly, his voice trembling.

"I'll get you some clothes from the back."

I rushed towards the corner of the barn where we kept the spare clothes in case of emergency. An old, moss green drawer, slumped over and teeming with termites, waited patiently for me.

The first few pulls were difficult, and though it shook in protest, I eventually forced it open. A t-shirt and some slacks were neatly folded inside, along with a flashlight and canned goods. I ignored the layer of dust blanketing them and returned to my brother, who somehow had less color in his face than before.

I threw it in his lap. "You need to get changed."

His deep, black eyes wandered up to mine, his forehead glistening with sweat, and his breathing ragged, "I...I don't think I can."

I sighed and took the clothes. "Here, give me your arm," I said, reaching out to him.

He lifted his hand to mine, where I gently pulled his sleeve up his arm. He whimpered and flinched, "T-That hurts."

"I know! I just—" I bit my lip and waited for the tears to dry before speaking again, "I just need to get you in dry clothes so the bleeding will stop."

"O-Okay, Big sis." A while passed before I was able to remove the soaked garment from his wound, which had become so sticky and caked with blood that it didn't want to let go of his body.

I pulled the dry t-shirt over his head, dressed him as gently as possible, no longer numbed by adrenaline to ignore his silent cries.

"See? It's all good now," I said, standing back up to examine his condition. His face was bathed in a sickly gray as he looked up to me, his chest weakly rising and falling.

"You'll be okay."

"...B-Big sis?"

"Hm?"

"W-Why did... they wanna k-kill me?"

My face twisted up in rage and pain, and I almost let a tear escape, "Because you're different. They don't like folks who are different."

"Why...why don't they l-like me?" He swallowed hard, "I d-didn't h-hurt nobody."

I scoffed, "They don't like black folks, Karl! I know you retarded, but you know this! You're 18!"

He squinted at the door for a bit, then looked up and searched at the barn roof.

"D-Do the barn like b-black folks?"

"The barn don't care what color you are. It ain't nothin' but a barn."

He leaned back and closed his eyes, "The b-barn don't mind me... the b-barn don't mind..."

"Hey! Keep yo eyes open!"

He forced himself to wake up: Even so, I could see the life draining out of him.

Panic began to rise like bile in my throat, "...Why don't you sing a church song? Don't they make you feel better?"

"...O-Okay."

He was worn, but he was thinking.

A few seconds of silence rested between us. All to be heard was the rain as it pattered on the roof, the smell of aged oak settled comfortably in the air.

"Precious Lord..." he sang, steel blue moonlight cast across his dark face.

"Take my hand, lead me on. Let me stand. I am tired, I'm weak, I am worn..."

When his lip quivered, I could no longer keep my tears at bay. Pain tightened around my heart until I found it hard to keep my misery silent.

"Through the storm, through the night.

"Lead me on to the light.

"Take my hand, Precious Lord. Lead me home.

"When my work is all done..." he released a quiet breath, and the song reached an early end.

I smiled at the worm once more as I watched it bury it's body back into the soil.

"Hey! B-Big sis!"

I whipped around when I heard his familiar, clumsy footsteps growing louder behind me, "What is it, Karl?"

He stomped through the grass, too tall for him to handle, and held it out in front of me, "Look what I found!"

I sighed at his discovery, "Karl, that ain't nothin but a paper box."

"But look! Look w-what's inside!"

I entertained him just enough to peek over the edge of the cardboard, just to be disappointed. "Karl, it's empty!" I shoved the box into his chest and turned back towards the barn.

"N-No! It ain't! L-Look, see?" He dashed in front of me before I could take another step forward, his eyes sparkling in excitement.

I sighed and took another look. Through the bottom burst his hand, propped up to look like a puppet.

"I l-love you, Big sis!"

I scoffed, I rolled my eyes, I giggled, and then I laughed. "Okay, that was cute, I admit..."

His cheeks met his eyes as he hiccoughed with laughter.

"I love you, too, ."

Then I laughed so hard that my sides hurt and I didn't bother to stop. I laughed until water pooled in the bed of my eyes and rushed over like a waterfall.

I howled and cried with such heavy sadness that I didn't allow myself to breathe, as I sat beside him, his body limp and lifeless. As the memory ran cold and slow like mud in my mind. As the song ended.

I cried. And I laughed. And I cried.