I Can’t Only Imagine
The Escapist Having an Episode | Simone Kulinski | Drawing
I Can’t Only Imagine by Allison Trackman
Waking up the next morning,
Could I be next?
Arriving at school,
Will I be next?
Entering my classroom,
What if I am next?
Every morning I watch the clock in each of my classes
Tick, tick
What if these are my remaining seconds?
Tick, tick,
Five, four, three, two…
There is a boom, a scream, a shriek,
Everyone scrambles, hollering,
Silence.
A second bullet slices through the air.
More screams.
I run, and run,
And run,
Faster than I have ever run.
More shots.
Faster, faster,
Shots are coming closer.
The blood in my body curdles.
Chills run down my spine.
I scream.
He is standing right there in front of me,
AR-15 in hand.
I recognize him.
He is a senior.
I remember seeing him in this same hallway, just two days ago when I was walking to third period.
Only for a second does this image flash through my mind.
Our eyes meet and I don’t think twice.
I run straight at him.
I feel a bullet pierce my arm,
The flesh on my arm is now on fire.
Another plunges into my shoulder,
I can’t breathe.
All I need to do is
Pounce.
I kick him and punch,
I am wild.
Blood spewed everywhere.
The final bullet strikes.
And just like that everything ends.
Nothing.
Darkness.
Silence.
If he was Devon Erikson, I was Kendrick Castillo.
If he was John Earnest, I was Lori Kaye.
Whether in Highlands Ranch, or San Diego,
Parkland, or Sandy Hook,
Colorado, or Las Vegas.
A religious building, or a high school.
On the street, or inside of a home.
This is NOT okay.
School is for learning,
For growing, for maturing,
And learning life skills.
Teenage years are for being care-free,
For dating, for throwing parties,
For dancing, for laughing,
For enjoying.
For many teens these moments were cut short,
Their lives were cut off from the world,
All because of the ruthless bullet that killed them.
They will never come back,
All because of the split second when the evil killer’s hand pulled the trigger.
These teens missed becoming an adult,
Earning a driver’s license, having their first kiss,
Graduating from high school, graduating from college,
Getting married, having children,
Being part of their family.
All of the moments they could have had, but they didn’t.
All of the moments their parents could have had with them, but they didn’t.
All of the moments their brothers and sisters could have had with them, but they didn’t.
All of the moments their friends could have had with them, but they didn’t.
We must never forget their bravery and innocence.
Right now, in our schools, nobody is safe.
Right now, in our schools, students are being shot.
Right now, in our schools, this needs to change.
Our fate, as students should not lie in the hands of an automatic rifle.
Cost of Freedom | Liam Zalubas | Photography