Amaris Gagnon

As I walked up to the cashier, I heard a young boy whisper something inaudible to his mother. I couldn’t hear what he said, but then he repeated it louder.

It was not until I leaned my ear against the wall that I heard the screams. I had moved to Brattleboro, Vermont for a fresh start.

The black mist slowly crept back into the painting. I covered it and called the police.

You are not alone.

It’s not a blessing to not want to settle, because I will live in my car and my life will fall apart. It is hard to tell yourself that you’re doing important things when you’re not doing what you want to do.

For all you dreamers, believers, and doers, home will always be there. Your dreams will not.

As soon as the sickness started, it spread fast. The X Virus, as we began to call it, moved to every city and was present in every state. What was baffling was that not every person became infected.

Lastly, we are the generation who was told we can do anything, because we can. We can do anything we put our minds to, because we are all competent and smart enough. We just have to believe in ourselves more. We need to stop listening to the doubt that is poured onto us like rain.

All storytellers, writers, script interpreters, and directors of all race deserve a chance to fail, but also a chance to succeed.

I heard something again; a deep and guttural moan. I stopped and so did my heart. My face felt frozen as if the blood just stopped moving.