Wildfires

Ana snatches the letter from me
As I hide under the blankets
Because it is
so
fucking
cold.

Mia looks over her shoulder and reads it too,
Their expressions matching grimaces
With revulsion evident on their faces.

I am too tired to care,
I am too tired to listen,
I am too tired to eat.

I’m nearly asleep when Ana and Mia
Pull the warm, soft covers off my body
And tell me to wake up and get ready
For a mile run and conditioning.

I exercise a few times a week
But it’s only a jog around the park
And maybe fifty to sixty sit ups
So I am reluctant to even try
This new routine.

Ana doesn’t care if I’m tired,
Ana doesn’t care if I listen,
Ana doesn’t care if I’m hungry.

Is that the best you can do?
scoffs Mia as a layer of sweat covers my skin.

She’s been a lazy pig ever since Autumn died,
Ana says, rolling her eyes.

I don’t want to think about Autumn;
Autumn doesn’t exist anymore.
She’s just a lifeless corpse that’s going to be
Six feet underground in a few days.

I finally beat her at her own game.

My lips curl into a satisfactory grin.

Those who are weak never make it out alive.