Enemies of Society What if you were there… “Mother, I can’t get to sleep. I keep having scary dreams. Mother, I’m frightened.” Why won’t she come? I’ve been shouting out for a long time. The doctor gave her medicine out of his black bag. It stopped her crying, but now she can’t hear me. “Please come, Mother.” I wish Mary or Laurie were awake. I can hear them breathing. How can they sleep? It’s so dark. There’s no moon. I can’t see anything but a sprinkle of stars through the window. What’s that noise? There’s something outside my window. My heart’s beating like a drum. Is it one of the Kellys come to get me? I wish Father were here. I wouldn’t be scared if he was here to protect us. My father’s a trooper. He’s got a jacket with gold on the sleeves and he wears a helmet like a big black egg squashed on his head. Some evenings when he comes home, he takes off his helmet and puts it on me. It’s miles too big and comes down over my eyes. That always made him laugh.
