Breathless
03.30.2020 On my knees. My breath was heavy but frantic. I hear cries around me. I tried to cover my ears, but I couldn't move. Not an inch... I kept saying to myself to not cry like the others. To stay quiet. To breathe deeper, slower, but silence. To close my eyes and think of where I wanted to be; away. This intense panic brushed me. I opened my eyes and the shoes were in front of me. Towards me. I kept my glance on the shoes and my tears started to roll down. My breath; steady. My chest feels like it's suffocating. My mind raced to questions. Why is this happening? Is this how I grow? I felt my shoulders drop and my breath slow down, my eyes still drolling. I took my last inhale. The body; paralyzed. Knees locked in place. Hands together. I look up and the right side of my face feels nothing but pain. I saw the buckle of the belt and I saw blood drip on the rug. The foot moved on to the next one and I immediately got...