Photo: SC Martinez
Published in The Dribble Drabble Review, June 19, 2026
Mom makes me drag my little sister everywhere. When we play Stretch, she screams, even though the penknife isn’t close. She watches us climb onto the railing and pull ourselves up before jumping off the porch roof. We spin before touching the grass and roll down the hill. Then we play Freeze, ignoring her until she yells and jumps off the porch. She thumps onto the grass. She doesn’t spin. She is motionless. We frantically rub her arms and legs. We long to hear her cry and do all the things we hate. Finally, she sucks in an enormous breath.
Suzanne C Martinez 