Claws of Unity

"Am i alone?..."

The chaos that ensued after the transformation was surreal. The school was quickly evacuated, and we stood out on the field as ambulances, police officers, and police cars surrounded us. Reporters swarmed the scene, asking questions and flashing their cameras. Students' parents showed up one by one, frantic expressions on their faces as they searched for their children.

I scanned the crowd anxiously, my heart sinking with each passing moment. But as the minutes ticked by, my mom was nowhere to be found. Panic started to rise within me, a lump forming in my throat as the fear of being abandoned crept in. I tried to push back the tears threatening to spill over, telling myself she must be stuck in traffic or dealing with the chaos outside the school gates.

But as more and more parents arrived, my hope began to dwindle. The knot in my stomach tightened with each passing second, the worry becoming unbearable. Where was she? Why hadn't she come for me? The fear and anxiety clawed at me, a sense of abandonment gnawing at my core. All I could do was stand amidst the chaos, praying for her to show up, desperate for the comfort of her presence. My phone ranged and It was my mom! I answered immediately. "Mom, where are you?" I said anxiously into the phone as I looked around, searching for her familiar face in the crowd of parents. The background noisy from the screaming crowd and reporters as officers yelled for them to get back.

I plugged my right ear to hear through the speaker of the phone.

"I picked up your sister, they blocked the road to your school. I have to make sure your little sister's safe! You know the way home, take the bus!" she answered, her voice hurried and concerned.

Inside, a mix of anger and sadness swirled within me. Why didn't she come for me like the other parents did for their children? The knot in my stomach tightened as I realized I would have to find my own way home amidst the chaos surrounding me. I was scared I will catch the disease believing my mom stupid that she'd want me to catch a bus packed with people. As I stepped onto the bus, my heart heavy with a sense of abandonment, I gazed out the window as the familiar sights of my neighborhood passed by.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow over the streets as the bus drove on towards my stop.

Finally, i arrived at 2025 Kettney Street, and I stepped off the bus, my steps heavy with the weight of my emotions. The feeling of being left behind by my own mother made me develop an emotional detachment from her, a wall building up between us with each passing moment. The empathy I once had for her had dwindled, replaced by a sense of resentment and hurt.

As I walked towards my house, the anger and sadness simmered within me, a bitter taste of disappointment lingering in my mouth. The sense of loneliness and abandonment lingered in the air around me, casting a shadow over what used to be a familiar and comforting place. And as I turned the key in the door, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disconnect from the person who was supposed to be my rock and my source of comfort. I feel jealous of my little sister being the first option but it's understandable. But it sucks. So.. much. I enter the apartment my sister on the couch happily swinging her feet with headphones on, attached to her tablet watching videos. I walk to my room ignoring the presence of my mom in the kitchen and closing the door locking it behind me before throwing my things on the floor. As I lay in bed, the glow of my phone's screen casting a soft light on my face, I couldn't shake the events of the day from my mind. The chaos of the school evacuation still echoed in my ears, the fear and confusion etched on the faces of my classmates haunting me.

I had seen things today that I never thought possible - the panicked rush to leave the school, the blocked roads, the worry in my mom's voice as she tried to ensure my sister's safety. It was like a nightmare come to life, and the reality of it all weighed heavily on my heart.

As I scrolled mindlessly through the game on my phone, trying to distract myself from the memories that threatened to overwhelm me, a sense of sadness settled over me like a heavy blanket. It was hard to shake the feeling of vulnerability and uncertainty that had taken hold of me since the evacuation.

And as I lay there, lost in my own thoughts and the glow of the screen, I couldn't help but wish for a sense of normalcy to return, for the events of the day to fade into the background and for everything to go back to how it was before. But deep down, I knew that things would never be the same again.

My emotional state would build has the clock would hit midnight. I didn't eat anything that day and I lost my appetite.