Darkness

• Josie Sulman, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2013

Darkness. The first thing you saw was darkness. Your childhood. Darkness. Your parents had left you when you were a child and you had never seen them. Not once. At school you were teased because you were tall. You seemed to have a black shadow over your head all the time. You were never happy as a child.
You never had nice clothes, never had nice shoes. You were beautiful. You knew you were beautiful. Everyone else knew you were beautiful. They didn’t want to admit it, never even wanted to speak to you except for teasing you. You were beautiful, kind and caring. But no one would listen. You had grand stories to tell, still not one would listen. You began to give up. Give in to life and its dark side. That shadow followed you wherever you went.

Once, when you were older, finished school. You loved. You were loved. Your life was happy for a while. You laughed. You cried. You sung and, he sung. Then, he was taken. The soldier came to your door and gave him a uniform. Gave him a hat. A weapon. He was taken from you. You said goodbye. You cried. He cried. You were together for the last time. You kept your ring. You never let it go. You still wear it.

Even though he is gone. The shadow haunts you yet again.