I Stand Here

• Alayna Jacob, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2021

I stand here, day after day, year after year. I stand here, idle, as people go by, glancing over at me before continuing on with their lives. I stand here, contemplating my existence. What’s the point of standing here if everyone is going to pretend like I’m not? The answer to that, I may never know. But for now, I spend my days wondering. Wondering why people don’t care? I am here solely for their benefit; yet I am ignored. It’s as if I’m some sort of monster, one too hideous to look at, even for a second. But I still stand here; my warnings silenced by ignorance and neglect. Now I stand here, watching. Watching as people take for granted my warnings. The regret in their eyes when they realised I was right is an image I see, over and over again. One might question why I stand here, rotting away? It’s because I don’t have a choice. I’ve been placed here by someone I don’t even know. In fact, I don’t even remember a life before I was placed here. I even wonder if I did have one, or if I’ll have one after. So many questions yet not a single answer. As for now, I stand here, with nothing but my hope; a hope for a day of change, a day where someone acknowledges me, a day where someone listens. But until that day, I stand here, silent and hopeful.

The months pass on, yet here I am. Things are changing however. Some people come every morning for a week, wearing bright orange jackets and heavy, sand coloured boots. They look around for a while, taking notes on a dirty clipboard. Yet I still stand here, watching on, as silent as ever. These people look over occasionally however. They stare for a while before looking away, just like the others. Although it still gave me hope that maybe these people might realise that I’m here; realise that I’m trying to give a message. Yet this morning, they didn’t come. I felt my heart drop when I realised. I had been standing here for years and these people finally recognised my existence. It was back to life as I knew it.

I’m startled awake as I feel someone lifting me up. It was dark, yet I could see blinding lights aimed at me. I’m surrounded by the very people I had once admired. As I’m lifted into the air, I see someone walking towards me, holding something that looks exactly like me, but just newer. It was then that I realised how old I had gotten; my colours had faded and I had lost my shape. They placed my replica exactly where I had once stood while I’m taken to a storage centre. Hopefully people acknowledge this new sign’s warning. As for me, I stand here with the other old street signs in this dark room; my message and I a forgotten memory in a world of ignorance.