This story is about a little girl whose life is about to change. She spends her days running in the sun, playing with friends, and doesn't have a care in the world. No one could have guessed what came next. How so much could lie behind a simple smile. The guitar had always been her only friend. Lyrics, her only language. The only way to communcate with such a broken and lonley world. However, nothing would prepare her for the future. It was day like any other. She got up, got dressed, had cinnamon cheerios for breakfast. (Her absolute favorite.) She got on the bus, which seemed to act as a portal. As she entered the school building, something felt off. An eerie calm lay over the halls. No singing, no skipping, no voices. Just silence. As she walked to class, she imagined there must be some big party. That's the only reason for a building of 1st through 5th graders to be quiet. But when she opened the door, there was no party and no light. Only darkness as she felt something penetrate her skin. Suddenly, the world became a lot scarier, lonelier, and more desolate than ever before. The media only showed what audiences wanted. A brief flicker of hope in such a horrible scenerio. "It will never happen again!" They promise. "We will make changes!" They chant. But after 31 days, their voices fade into nothing but a trance. "A sad reality of life" they begin to say. " "Such a shame." The auhtorites claim. But somewhere, sitting in a dark coridor, lies a child. Shaking, lonely, lost. She gives a smile to those around, but the only voice inside her head is screaming: "Will I be next?"
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"Could I be Next?"
PoetryTW: This is a short story/poem about a school shooting. No gory details were included. It is more of a broad overlook of the impact and lasting affects on people of all ages after either experiencing a shooting, or hearing of one. I felt this was an...
