-eng- Sleeping Cousin -rj353254- May 2026

My cousin, Lena, was two years older, three inches taller, and infinitely more dangerous than me. She spoke in fragments of French she’d picked up from old movies, wore a silver ring on her thumb, and could hold a cigarette in a way that made the act of burning tobacco look like philosophy. Our families had rented the same lake house for a week, a truce disguised as a vacation, and on the third night, the power went out.

Not waking—just a small, mammalian turn. Her hand slipped from her stomach and fell over the edge of the chaise. Her fingers brushed my knee. -ENG- Sleeping Cousin -RJ353254-

Then she shifted.

Instead, I sat down on the floor. Cross-legged. Two feet from the chaise. My cousin, Lena, was two years older, three

Minutes passed. Or an hour. Time had turned syrupy. A moth bumbled against the screen, frantic and soft. I watched her breathe. In. Out. In. Out. The rhythm began to sync with my own heart. Not waking—just a small, mammalian turn

No lights. No fan. No excuse to stay in my assigned room, a closet-sized box of heat and stale pillows.