Contortion

This silence is smotheringly thick,
Like the tension buzzing between us.
Everything is a monotonous green,
And I just stare at the wall forever.

We can hear our heart beats racing
And silently will them to calm.
We fear that our captors will hear
The adrenaline coursing through us.

We know not to talk to each other,
But soon we're whispering softly.
We hear loud steps drawing close
And panic quickly seizes us.

Each of us glances at the others
Before bolting into new hiding spots.
I had just ducked behind a curtain
When the door was kicked wide open.

Three nameless, faceless, men entered
Holding machine guns and shouting for us.
They found my sister, Julie, first
And threatened her until we came out.

They marched us down a long corridor
Side-by-side and with the guns at our backs.
A large room opened in front of us
That contained no more than hot stagnant air.

There were rows of shackles lining the walls
And a large circle in the center of the floor.
They herded us into the circle
And separated my sister from us.

One gun-man stayed with my brother and I
While the other two took Julie to a wall.
We watched them as they secured her there
And then returned to where we stood.

The guard beside me pressed a button
And my sister began to violently shake.
Her eyes rolled back into her head
And her tongue hit the floor.

When everything finally stopped
The stench of her death hung in the air.
My face was contorted in anguish
But it was merely reflecting my brother's.