Crying, distressed faces flash across the television. Traces
of pure agony lace every heart-wrenching word spewing from their dry, ash-caked
lips. They count their accumulating losses and tally them up among their
families.
Shuffling in line, they beg for their necessities because
they’ve lost it all. They try to contemplate the bright side of their horrid
situation by rejoicing for their loved ones surrounding them because they no
longer want to think of what’s been burned.
Drought rages the land, fueling the thirsty fire. Consuming
all of many people’s earthly possessions, the blaze leaves most without hope.
As a backdrop to my everyday life, the billowing smoke
stains a far-away part of the sky. Small worries crawl across my mind in wonder
if the expansion of the devouring flames will reach me, but I quickly silence
those selfish thoughts and remember those who have nothing to call home.
Humbled by this disaster, I pray for those who have lost so
much and for an end to this senseless destruction.
Conspiring brainstorming flowed
around her as her mind drifted to another time. Melancholy feelings cascaded
through her in crashing waves and she desired nothing more that to turn back
the clock.
Blankly staring at the passing
scenery around her, she relived the few memories she could recall. All the
times she was ostracized for her young age and the too-few days she had
childishly played with her friends swarmed her mind.
Wishing time-travel existed, she
pitied her missed opportunities and fading memories. These emotions, so thick
she could swim in them, were her undoing and she realized they were just wounding
her.
Morning what she couldn’t change one
last time, she began tucking her thoughts away in their designated compartment
in her brain and she drifted back to the present. The conversation around her
surged in a mighty wave of words to envelope her.
Smiling to herself because of the
friendly faces nearby, she decided to enjoy the current days rather that rehash
what was out of her reach.
The fraying edges of wiry yarn frizz
in the damp air as the faded blue threads continue to unravel. Collecting
particles of nearby dust, each separate strand hanging limp from the torn edges
proceed to ripen and emit a rancid perfume. Further towards the center, puslike
mold grows on a long-forgotten stain as the sprouting white hairs peek through
the oozing fungus in the search for fresh air. Underneath, withering threads
slowly decay to nonexistence and the worn surrounding strings disintegrate into
a pale blue powder. Housing tiny insects, the piles of blue soot gather
droppings and begin to smell like rotten eggs. Altogether, the diminishing blue
forgotten treasure remains for the sole purpose to gradually dwindle away.
I can feel their penetrating stares, daring me to fall.
Their glares jealously beg me to misstep on my stilt-like heels to fall flat on
my face. They intentionally watch for the one wobble in my ankles to be able to
condemn me as imperfect.
Every step I take in the crowded,
suffocating halls, I feel the pin-pricks of the flying swords being projected
from their eyes. Tingling pressure encases me as I futilely try to brush off
their fierce looks.
Stumbling from focusing so hard on not
trying to trip, I see the slight smiles brighten their hateful faces and I have
to remind myself to recover. Deep breath and I lift my head high to display to
them that they can’t have the power over me any longer.
Their bitter stares go unnoticed by
me, for I have begun to ignore their judgments. With a smile gracefully
embracing my face, I strut the halls with unburdened poise to make them gape.
She froze, mid-step, at the sight of
the muscular black bear and his yellowed set of jagged teeth that glistened in
the fading sunlight. Eyes widening, a string of incoherent thoughts buzzed in
her mind. Droplets of sweat leaked from her pores as the sunlight, peeking
through the branches of the imposing trees near by, continued to raise her body
temperature. Spasms of shaking began to course through her body and she stood
paralyzed by the bear’s gaze.
As is in slow motion, the bear trekked towards her. She
felt her eyelids slide closed to block out the image of the approaching animal.
With tears flooding her eyes, she caught a whiff of the bear’s rancid breath
and strings of tingling pain ran along her ridged spine at his throaty growl.
Wanting this nightmare to end, she allowed the blissful blackness to take hold
of her.
Dressed in a crisp expensive-looking
suit and dark opaque sunglasses, Carmen finally glimpsed the man on the other
end of the phone. Tightly cropped, almost jet-black, hair covered his head in a
sophisticated style that reflected his illegally gotten wealth. As he removed
his sunglasses from his face, Carmen regarded his eyes that were a piercing
blue shade which commanded attention with a single glance. Between his slightly
too close eyes protruded a long slender nose to contrast against his clean
shaven face. A diamond and gold encrusted watch embraced his wrist, peeking
from under the long sleeve of his suit jacket. Overall tall and lean, he
stepped up to the door of the house where Carmen was patiently waiting.
“Let’s get this over with.” He
grumbled.
Leading him to the safe, Carmen
thought back to the warning in her father’s letter: Make sure you never input the wrong code into the safe. If you ever
accidentally do, the room will automatically lock you in and start extracting
the oxygen from the air. To stop this process, there is an override switch
under the panel with the numerical dial, which requires your finger print…
“Show me the detonators.” Carmen
commanded.
Unenthusiastically, he pulled them
out of his pin-stripped suit’s pocket. “Smash them.” Carmen coerced forcefully.
Hearing the glorious crunch under his feet, relief rushed through her. Grieving
her decision one last time, Carmen sluggishly spun to face the safe. She raised
her hand and started to turn the dial: 22-76-36-56-84
Immediately, the door slammed shut
startling the pair now trapped. A high pitched whistle resounded throughout the
small space. Dismayed, Carmen’s enemy accused, “What did you do?!”
“I must have inputted the code
wrong.” She innocently spit out.
“You idiot! You’re going to kill
us!” He panicked.
“Yes, I know. There is no way I am letting you get your filthy hands on
those blueprints!” Carmen vehemently retorted.
Shock at being bested froze him as
the color drained from his face.
Moments past and Carmen started gasping
for breath, feeling her lungs close up. Black spots dotted her vision and
everything blurred. Sliding down the wall, she closed her eyes and felt herself
drifting from conscientiousness. She gulped for one last breath before the
darkness consumed her.
Walking out of her father’s office,
Carmen went to hug Maryellen one last time and Carmen thanked her once again
for all her love and help throughout the years. “Good-bye, Maryellen.” Carmen
somberly whispered. Before Maryellen could say anything, Carmen instructed her,
“Go watch the news to make sure nothing tragic happens at the parade.”
Maryellen hesitated, opening her mouth to inquire Carmen’s reasons but instead
she just did as instructed.
After Maryellen had left, Carmen
made her way back into the secret room to lock away the blueprints. Walking to
the parlor in the front of her father’s house, she remembered one last thing
from her childhood…
Young Carmen cuddled in her father’s
arms, feeling safe and protected. Her father leaned down to whisper in her ear,
“I love you, Carmen. I’m so proud of you.”
A tear slipped down Carmen’s face as
she regretted all the times she had hated her father. For the first time in
years, she understood her father wasn’t as wretched as she had been convincing
herself.
Resolved in her decision to continue
with her plan, Carmen waited for the psycho to pull up to her father’s house.
