It ran down my back and soaked my underwear. I jumped when the motor roared to life. It made the entire trailer growl. Mama’s face pinched. It was hard to be courageous after all the events of the day. The truck smelled funny, even with all of the mangoes. It reminded me of a wet, dirty dog. The doors closed and I reached for Mama. “La luz…” I whimpered. My body couldn’t keep my fears locked in anymore. But the doors clanked shut. A lock jingled. We were trapped. “No, mija, there are no lights.” “Can’t…breathe…” My chest ached with worry. I had never been afraid of the dark before. Mama held me and rocked me back and forth. “Calmate, calmate.” This dark scared me in such a primal way. I wanted to scream, to run home to Grandma. In this nightmare, soon I would be falling, falling, falling. The truck lurched forward, and the pallets slid closer. Curling into a small ball next to Mama, I said, “I want to go home.” The tears sprang from my eyes, crushing my throat.
