My Brother Was Believed Dead for Eight Years Until I Found Him Working at a 7-Eleven

the lit windows across the lot.

“Were you followed?” he asked.

I stared at him.

That was the first thing my brother said to me after eight years. Not I’m sorry. Not I missed you. Were you followed.

I pushed past him into the stairwell, because if I stood out there another second I was going to start screaming.

His apartment was one room on the second floor.continue reading …