Dear Matthew,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I need someone to talk to. Last night, August 29th, 2024, there was an active shooter scare at Disney's Magic Kingdom. A fight broke out, and the sound of a balloon popping called widespread panic and a stampede. I have DCP friends down at Disney, Matthew, and I hate that they experienced that, not me.
What has the world come to? With the amount of gun violence in the USA, it's no surprise that a popping sound would cause panic. I can't imagine what those poor people, guests, and my friends went through.
When I first started college at Greenville Tech, there was a bomb threat, so the school sent all of us home. I never thought about it again until last night because it was terrifying. Mom and Dad believe I have unresolved anger, and I know why now: I'm angry at the world, I'm still angry at you, and I hate that compared to other people, I'm lucky. I feel guilt, Matthew, and I know I shouldn't, but I do. I kept quiet about my concerns today because it's Mom's birthday, and I didn't want to ruin it. I emailed her about the active shooter scare instead of texting. I don't know if she'll read it, but we'll see.
Because of that Disney incident, I've been a nervous wreck today. I haven't eaten much, and I'm trying to contact my friends to ensure they're okay. I won't sleep until I know they are. I didn't perform my best at work today, but luckily, my supervisor gave me time to process everything. What if that was a real gun, Matthew? What if I lost all my DCP friends last night? What about next time? Nevertheless, what can I do about gun violence? Rally, sure, but with how things are in the US, I don't believe that will help too much.
Thank you for listening to me, Matthew. I feel a little better now that I got that off my chest. Dad and Tee are coming for the day tomorrow, so I'll ensure to keep a straight face. I must be brave, let the incident go, and move on. Nothing happened, but I can't imagine the psychological trauma those people have now. Who wants a memory of running from an active shooter at Disney World? No one, that's who.
- Your little sister,
Vika
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Non-Fiction|5X FEATURED · SPOTLIGHT STORY| Learning to cope with death is one of the most challenging obstacles any of us have to face, especially if that death is unexpected. When your whole world has changed, what do you do to overcome grief and keep your l...
