I remember all the times we spent in the sun,

In the snow, and in the rain.

I remember those days, so full of fun,

How will it ever be the same?

You were a boy, and I was your friend,

Together no matter what.

And then that moment when my life would bend,

And the doors would eventually shut.

I don’t know what it was,

What had taken me away.

What made me leave, what was the cause,

That ended our joyous days?

I remember nothing, not even a bit,

Of why you could not see me.

I was here, but we were split,

You could not hear my plea.

I was there, but you were sad,

I never saw your grin.

Seeing that face made me feel bad,

And I wished this had not been.

I watched as you grew,

Until you turned old and frail.

You never saw me, I felt so blue,

I remained. . .until your body was stale.

Your scent was gone,

And so I’d leave for good.

To the light I was drawn,

But I knew I would see you, I would.

At the golden gates I wait,

Until I see you appear.

I wagged and danced with delight, so great,

And I greeted you with cheer.

Now we spend time together,

Where there’s sun and it’s always warm.

We can now remain forever,

Forever, and even more. . .

The music still echoed in my ears as I walked on the shimmering sidewalk. A light rain sprinkled on my bare arms and legs, which was irritating. I looked to the sky, which was dark with swirling, black clouds. Looking up made me a little dizzy, so I kept walking. Or slightly stumbling, as some would see it.

No, I was not drunk. Maybe a little tipsy. But the party was so much fun.

I kept walking down the same route I always took when I came home. Until I got lost. Did I take a wrong turn? No, I was sure I kept going straight. I always kept going straight. But now I’m somewhere else. I followed the new path and turned left. But I found the same alley again. How was that possible? I looked back behind me, but there was nothing there. Just a brick wall. Now things were weird.

I kept following the path and turned right. The same path reappeared, and so did the wall behind me. I did it again, and again, and again, but I always met the same alley. I leaned against the brick wall, exhausted. How do I get out?

I stood there for a moment longer. Then I heard a commotion. At the end of the alley. I walked toward the increasingly loud noise and realized there were voices.

“Hey!” I ran to the very end of the alley. I looked left, then right, and saw two people. They were fighting. I only stared as one, a young man in ordinary clothes, struggled to keep up against a hooded figure. I could not see the face of this figure, but he was much stronger than the man. As I stare, openmouthed, the figure throws the man to the ground, pulls out a gun. . .

I gasped as the gunshot pierced the air, and the man slumped to the wet pavement. Afterward, it was intensely quiet, except for my rapid heartbeat and the ringing in my ears. The hooded figure shot his head up. His face, covered by black shadows, stared directly at me as the figure pointed something at me. I didn’t see it, but as I began to run back, something sharp struck my waist. Cold filled my body like the snap of fingers, and I fell on something hard. My body ached, and I saw flashes of red and black. I thought I saw someone put something in my drink. . . My eyes felt heavy, and I lost all of my thoughts before they shut completely.

. . .

I was falling. Falling. Forever.

. . .

Light burned my eyes when I woke up. I rubbed at them vigorously until they were sore. Then I let them adjust to the light. Everything I saw was brighter, more colorful. I had a new energy, my mind was sharper. I looked at my hand and touched each of my fingers. I stroked my hair. Was it really this blonde? I stood up, a little bit too quick. My head was pounding. I leaned against a door. A door? I reached for the handle, which was strangely warm. Locked.

I pulled at the door once, twice, then I searched the room for a key. In the center of the room was a table. Was that there? I began walking toward it. Abruptly, the room shrunk and the table was suddenly further away. I took another step and the room shrunk another inch more. The table, however, was many feet away. I ran.

The room shrunk faster every time my foot touched the floor. I sped up, and the table slowly grew closer. I got on my knees and crawled with all my strength as the room became so small I couldn’t stand. Finally, I was so close I could just touch the table, but I was practically rolled into a ball. The room still shrunk, slowly. I was losing air then, and I reached for the table. I willed my arm to get closer. Just one more inch.

I grasped the table with my hand and the room whooshed back to normal. I stood up. On the table was a key. I snatched the key up and raced to the door before anything else weird happened. I stuck the key into the keyhole of the door and - success! - it unlocked and opened. When I pulled the key out, I found a single white hair on the doorknob.

. . .

Once I stepped out the door, I immediately felt like normal. No tingling feeling, and everything looked normal again. Everything was normal. Except for the flowers. They were ginormous! The roses were as big as two-story houses. The sunflowers were just a bit smaller. The lilies were as big as cars. It felt like a dream. I began following a dirt path under the flowers.

As I neared a huge red rose, it shook itself out and leaned over me. I was at first shocked, but when I stared at the huge flower, my vision grew blurry and I became entranced by the details of each petal and the crinkle of its leaves. The rose moved closer. It began engulfing me, trapping me in its bud. I closed my eyes, ready to be taken, when the rose all of a sudden screeched and dropped me to the ground, headfirst.

I held my head and looked around, distraught. The rose was gone; all that remained was its stem, which drooped to the dirt. I looked down the path, and there stood a cat. I blinked a few times, thinking I wasn’t really seeing it, but it was there. And it stood on two legs.

The cat walked toward me, and by the time it reached me, its legs had faded away into the air. “What do we have here? Not a mouse, not a rabbit, not a worm. . .” the cat drifted off slowly.

“I’m a girl!” I said as I stood. The cat crossed its arms.

“Are you really? Or are you mad?” The cat linked its paws together, as though it were linking fingers. “We are all mad here.”

“Mad?”

“Of course. . .nothing here is really real, is it? It’s all just in your head. Or is it?”

“I. . .I don’t know. Is it?”

“That is the question that you yourself must answer now is it? Figure it out ‘girl’. Is this reality or just what you’re seeing from your little head?”

“Who are you?”

“Strange creature you are. You aren’t sure what you are, but certainly you are not Cheshire Cat are you?”

“Is that your name?”

“Is it? Who am I to you? Who am I and who are you?”

“You are Cheshire Cat, and I’m Alice.” Cheshire’s eyes widened fearfully.

“Not a mouse, not a cat. Not a flower, not a worm, and certainly not the Alice.”

“But I am Alice”, I protested. Cheshire put a paw to my lips. His other disappeared. “If Alice admits to being Alice, Alice will be sent to the red and black”, Cheshire whispered. He backed away, though he was floating. “The ‘girl’ would like to go home, yes?”

“Of course! Do you know the way?”

“Which way do you refer to?”

“The way back home!”

“There is no way back, but there is left and right, up and down, criss and cross. . .” Cheshire disappeared, his little song fading away as he listed off impossible directions to me. And just faintly, almost in my head, I heard, “And do not trust the Rabbit.”

. . .

“Late, late, so very late. Come now, come now, for we are late.” The same words had repeated in the air for what seemed like hours. Each time the strange voice said it, a clock seemed to tick in my ears. I had followed the dirt path until I came to a wooden pole with multiple arrows attached to it. The signs were exactly as Cheshire had sang. Left and right, up and down, criss and cross. . .

That’s when the voice began to speak the words. They were faint, but loud enough that I could hear which way they came from. Since then I have been following the voice, wondering what I could be late for.

Finally, I came across a small house. Outside was a long table with a white tablecloth and chairs all around it. Once it was in view, the voice stopped. I froze, but I could not hear the words anymore. The only sound was a man coming out of the house.

I took a few steps closer to see what he was doing. All up his arms were plates with teacups. He carried two teapots in his hands. But he did not walk cautiously to the table. He almost pranced, his heading bobbing to a tune he hummed to himself. He set the table, looked right at me, and waved for me to come forward in delight. I was stumped, but complied.

“Good evening. . .wait, let me try again, good morning, right?”

“Right?”

“No, left!” The man chuckled. He frowned when he realized I didn’t respond and motioned for me to sit. “Now you are Alice.”

“Yes, I am! How did you know?” But the man pressed two fingers to his lips and made a small shhh.

“It is pretty obvious, or I’m mad! You really are too bad at hiding yourself. Do you want to be hunted?”

“Hunted? What do you mean?”

“Exactly as I said. Tea?” A cup sat in front of me and the man held a teapot, waiting for an answer. I looked at the other cups set out, and they were already filled. Something was put in my drink. Then I was. . .

“Um, no thank you”, I said. The man frowned. I then noticed his eyes were bloodshot.

“Are you sure? It’s really good tea. Makes you feel fluttery.” Fluttery. “Makes you feel light as a feather.” Light.

“No, I’m good.”

“I insist!”

“I said no!” I smacked the teapot away from me and the man lost his grip. He dropped the teapot and it shattered. His hands shook. The cups on the table then cracked where they stood, nothing touching them. Only my empty cup remained unscathed.

“Exactly as I said. Exactly as I said. Or I am not the Hatter.”

“Your name is Hatter?”

“Why yes, how did you know?” Hatter stared at me blankly. Then his eyes widened, as if he just noticed me. “Alice! Do you want to be hunted? You must leave, leave, if you value your sanity, if you value your life. You must quit, quit. Escape this trap. Exactly as I say, or I am not the Hatter.” Hatter began stomping toward the house. “No trust to them, no trust to them.” He slammed the door to the small house, and a new path appeared under my feet.

“Late, late. Hurry now”, the strange voice started again. I stared at the house for a moment, then I decided to follow the voice again. I ran down the path. No trust to them. . .to whom?

. . .

And I’m lost. I was lost before, too. But I wasn’t here, was I? The voice was lost too. I hadn’t heard it for an hour. I sat in the grass, wishing to just disappear from all of this. Whatever this is. How did I get here? How did I get here? Something was put in my drink. Something was injected in my side. As the thought came to me, my waist throbbed faintly.

“My are you late? Now she will be mad. Oh, dear”, the voice, much stronger now, sighed. I looked up and right in front of me stood a white rabbit. He also stood on two legs, but he held a pocket watch. He did, too.

“Late for what? Who is ‘she’? Who are you?” I said.

“For a clever girl you sure do ask a lot of questions”, the rabbit said.

“You think I’m clever?” But my question was ignored.

“You are late to meet with the Queen. She will be mad if you are any more late. And I am the White Rabbit, if it please you”, the rabbit said, and bowed to me. Do not trust the Rabbit.

“Alice”, I said, and tipped my head. The rabbit drew back.

“Maybe you are not so clever after all, if you wish to reveal yourself. But you definitely are late. We need to go now”, the White Rabbit said and grasped my hand, pulling me up. He pushed me a few feet away and a new path appeared. This path was checkered black and red. The black and red. “Go that way now, and be swift. Late you are, yes.” Rabbit pushed me forward once more, then whispered, “And do not trust the Cat.”

My head spun as I followed the checkered path. The red and black. Do not trust. The Cat. The Rabbit. No one. Trust no one. But who is there to trust? Why are they afraid to hear “Alice”? Why am I being hunted? And by who? The questions boiled in my mind, and I grew dizzy again. Again. Something in the drink. Something in the needle. Something in the tea. Someone was shot. Why?

“The Alice who asks herself questions must learn the truth to find the answers she seek”, Hatter’s voice whispered in her head.

“Alright Hatter. What is the truth?”

“Why was the girl indisposed? She saw a murder. Who can she trust here? A trick of her own mind. Why is she here? Why are you here?”

“Why am I hunted?”

“Who else?”

“What?” Hatter didn’t reply.

. . .

I made it to the end of the path. And I was led to a huge castle. A white castle with red. I walked to the castle doors and stopped. I didn’t have to see him to know he was there, leaning on the wall.

“A ‘girl’ is not smart, nor bright. Enter and the ‘girl’ will not escape”, Cheshire whispered in a silky voice.

“I will get out of this trap, Cheshire”, I said. “I am not smart, but I am not mad. I was put into this somehow, and I’m breaking out.” Cheshire appeared and smiled a huge smile. His arms were completely gone, as well as his tail.

“A girl is getting closer to being Alice. But not the bad Alice. A girl is learning to be the good, the smart Alice.” I did not look at Cheshire. I did not admit to him my confusion. Cheshire then frowned. “But if a girl fails. . .must we start again, Alice?”

I turned to look at him, but he was gone.

I faced the doors again. Before I could knock, two guards appeared from either side of me, grabbed me by the arms, and carried me inside. They carried me down the long hallway, which led to the throne room. Once inside, they released me and I looked up at the throne. There sat a short, chubby woman. She wore a dress that looked as though it were made of cards. As I gawked at her, she smiled with a toothy grin.

“Oh, how late you are, Alice”, the woman remarked. Bow to her, the White Rabbit’s voice echoed in my ear. I bowed.

“My apologies, um, what am I so late for?” The woman huffed.

“You will address me as Your Highness. Don’t you know who I am? I should have your head!” The woman stood from the throne.

“No, please! Um, Your Highness!”

“That’s better,” the woman - the queen - said. She sat back down. “I hate those who choose to be late. Especially at a time like this!”

“May I ask, Your Highness, what am I late for?” I ducked my head in case she yelled again.

“Why, for your trial, Alice”, the queen smiled with her toothy grin. She stared at me with daggers in her eyes.

“Trial? What for?”

“Must you be so stupid?! Must I explain it? You murdered my own you wench!” As she ranted on, I could hear guards singing from behind the doors. Their song was not cheerful, but I couldn’t make out the words. . .

Paint the roses red with. . .paint the roses red with. . .

“Go now! To the courtroom! We’ll solve this now and I’ll have your head!” The two guards seized me at once and carried me out the room. They continued down another long hallway, but I could still hear the song outside.

Paint the roses red with. . .paint the roses red with bud.

The closer we came to the door at the end of the hall, the faster same words repeated.

Paint the roses red with bud, paint the roses red with bud.

The guards halted at the door, which opened and revealed a courtroom full of animals. On the Judge’s Podium sat Cheshire Cat. He grinned when he saw me.

Paint the roses red with blood.

“Court is now in session”, Cheshire hissed. All that remained of him was his head, which floated in midair. The animals in the stands quieted down. “The defendant here is being accused of murder by the Queen of Hearts. Here we shall prove whether she is guilty or innocent.”

“She did it! She did it! I swear to you. Who else?” The Queen cried. She sat on the opposite side of the room from me, to my right. Who else? Cheshire shrugged.

“All who agree with the Queen of Hearts, raise your paw!” Everyone in the courtroom raised their hands. “Then Alice is hereby guilty of murder of the Queen’s son!”

“Wait! That’s not fair! I didn’t do it!” I pleaded. Cheshire stopped and looked down at me.

“Then, Alice, who did it?” Cheshire smiled evilly. “Come now. You have three chances.” Panic spread over my body. I didn’t know who did it. I couldn’t think.

“Um. . .The Queen did it herself!” Gasps filled the air behind me. Cheshire’s grin grew wider.

“Strike one! Try again.” Think, think. I thought so hard my brain felt like mush. Remember. . .white hair. . .pocket watch. . . I looked around at the animals in the stands and spotted the White Rabbit among them. I raised a finger at him.

“He did it. The murderer had a pocket watch. He was small and left a white hair behind when I came here. The Rabbit did it.” I looked at Cheshire and he slowly shook his head again.

“Strike two, Alice. My heart beat fast and loud in my chest.

“Off with her head! Murderer!” The queen stomped her feet.

“Wait, no! It wasn’t me. It was. . .” I looked all around the room. All the animals leaned in their seats to hear my answer. I stared a moment longer, thinking. I looked back at the podium and stared in Cheshire’s eyes. “You.”

“Off with her head! Off with her head!” The queen still ranted beside me, not listening. Cheshire’s grin grew even wider, impossibly wide. From the thin air around him, a gun appeared.

. . .

All the animals screeched and ran around the room in a frenzy, trying to get out. Guards surrounded the queen, pushing their way to the doors. But invisible chains kept me glued to my seat. Cheshire still stared at me, waving the gun.

“You see, Alice, irresponsibility can lead you into a danger as great as your mistake. Not only did you let yourself get trapped in this haze of your mind, but you got caught up as a witness to a great crime. And when you did, you saw nothing real. The poison to your brain allowed you to create a whole world that shields your eyes from reality. No, Alice, we are not actually here, but you are. And you will remain this way forever now. While you are here,” Cheshire pointed to his head with the gun, “Your actual body is out there, lifeless, in a coma you can say. And all because you discovered irresponsibility and continued to feed it into your head. You knew that you were taking the poison.”

“No, I didn’t know it was in my drink. I didn’t know---”

“You did know”, Cheshire pointed the gun at me. His voice was darker, deeper. “And you continued to take it anyway. Just because everyone else was and it was ‘cool’. And now you have taken too much. Still, I wonder how you yourself was still conscious enough to witness a murder and remember it. Of course, when I did it and you witnessed it, I had to end you, too. I tried to give you another dose, one more just to get you to break for good, but here you are, simply in a coma, only just on the verge of death. I’ve failed. But now I can finish it.”

“But why kill the Queen’s son? What did he do?”

“A simple cat like me, who is against the ways of such a kingdom had to get rid of his source of misery. Of course, the Queen herself was to hard to get to, but if I could ruin her precious heir, I’d be free. He didn’t really do anything to me but exist. And of course, there had to be someone else who ‘did it’, so why not the Rabbit who so dealt with that whole family for years?” I stared at Cheshire in horror. “See, Alice? Even that tale came from your teeny head.” He frowned then. “Oh, Alice, you were so close. I resisted the temptation to reveal myself. I tore myself apart, literally, trying to let you fall into this trap on your own. And I’ve succeeded! Goodbye, Alice.”

Paint the roses red with blood. . .

The familiar sound of a gunshot split the air. I jerked as a force knocked me backward. I felt dizzy. I looked at my chest. A hole was there. . . it blossomed with thick, red blood. Where did that come from? Everything was blurry. . . then there was only black. . .

. . .

Falling. . .falling. . .

. . .

I woke up. I felt nauseous, and my body ached. I tried to sit up, but my hands and waist were strapped to something. A bed. Where am I?

“She’s awake”, a woman said. I look up and see the back of a nurse in the doorway of the room, talking to someone. She then turns to look at me, and I see her toothy grin. . .

“Ah, you’re up. You’ve been out for a while. Now we’ve got to give you this”, a man said. A man in a white coat held up a needle with an odd colored liquid. He looked familiar. . .with those bloodshot eyes. . .

Panic greeted me once again, and I struggled against my restraints. I screamed and shook furiously. The nurse tried to hold me down while the doctor called out, “We need a sedative!” The nurse’s face melted, revealing that of the the queen’s. The doctor turned back to me and started to help the nurse, and his faced changed too.

“No! Stay away from me! Get away, Hatter!” The doctor looked at me in confusion. Another doctor then entered the room. My arms were tired, but I ignored their burning and continued my struggle.

“Now, this may hurt just a little bit”, the second doctor said. I looked up at him. He looked just like Cheshire. I screeched. “Now, now.” He pressed a needle into my arm. I quit kicking. I felt relaxed, sleepy. My eyes shut once more.

Must we start again, Alice?

. . .

Light burned my eyes when I woke up. . . 

I only stared at the concrete floors of the jailhouse as I walked. Staring at each little crack that goes by under my feet. I felt the hard, cold cuffs around my wrists, rubbing against my skin. The two gruff white men push me to turn, and I heard the screeching of metal bars as a cell opens. The cuffs are suddenly gone, and I am pushed forward lightly. I trudged into the cell. The door closed behind me, and a long shrill sound echoes in the hall. Now how did I get here?

I close my eyes, and I see red. Blood. It oozes out from underneath the man. A white man. I don't hear the gunshot, I only hear the echoes it created in the alley. I see the gun drop to the ground and hear footsteps. Running. They slowly fade. Then I see flashes of light and my eyes open again. 

That's right. I watched as a man shot another and ran. So why am I here? I grasped two of the cell bars and called out, "Hello? Hello? Can someone please tell me why I'm here? Please?" No answer. I let go of the bars and sit on the bed. The bed feels hard, like wood. The single pillow is also hard. I put my head into my hands. 

The cell door opens again. I looked up and found a familiar pale face. Malynn. She smiled at me sadly. 

Malynn and I grew up together, my mother working as a housekeeper for her mother. She came from a somewhat poor white family, but no white family was as poor as any black family. Malynn and I were playmates as children and friends ever since. It was odd, really. Other girls didn't like Malynn as well because she stuck around with me, but she never cared. We always stayed by each other's sides, and Malynn treated me with the same respect as she gave to any other white person. 

"Oh, Coleen", Malynn said. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I...I don't know. What happened? Why am I here? The man-" 

"Is dead and you were at the scene of the crime. The only one there. With a revolver at your feet. Don't you remember?" 

"I did not kill that man if that's what you're asking, Malynn", I looked directly into her ice blue eyes, their gaze leaving goose pimples along my arms. 

"I know you wouldn't have, Coleen. But you were found next to the body of a white man. And they think you killed him." 

"But I didn't!" 

"Coleen. You know they won't believe you. You're-" 

"A negro, I know. There's no point. They may as well kill me now. They got the whites' word that I did it, and that's all they need", I looked back down to my hands, which were covered in little cuts from picking cotton. I heard Malynn step forward and bend down in front of me. She takes my dark hands into her pale ones. 

"You can have a trial", she said softly, hopefully. 

"Why? So I can convince them to let me live a few more weeks?" 

"I'll get a good lawyer for you, and we'll demand a trial. Maybe they'll see you did not kill that man." I only shrugged in response. Then the cell opened again. 

"I'll see you later, Coleen", and Malynn was gone. 

                                                                  . . .

A few days later, Malynn visited again with a tall man. He wore a suit and glasses and carried a suitcase. He was white, of course. 

"Coleen, this is Mr. Adams. He's taking your case", Malynn said cheerfully. We exchanged the niceties, and I sat on the floor while Mr. Adams and Malynn sat on the hard bed. 

"The, uh, trial will be on Wednesday", Mr. Adams said. 

"Two days? Why so soon?" I asked. Malynn and Mr. Adams exchanged glances.

"They figured that they'd get the trial over with quickly", Malynn said. 

"'Get it over with'?" Malynn only nodded. "Fine. Let's 'get it over with'."

                                                                   . . .

Two days went by slowly as I sat in my cold cell. I counted every minute on Wednesday morning for the guards to cuff me and escort me to my seat at the Court. Hours went by before that moment finally arrived. But first, I was stripped in front of the men and dressed into the usual orange suit. We walked down the hall, and with each step, my heart grew more nervous. Finally, I was put into a chair next to Mr. Adams in the Courtroom. 

"All rise for Judge Robinson", a voice boomed in the air. As I stood, I looked around at the audience behind me. White men and women stood directly behind me in the seats on the ground. Malynn stood in the front. Above them, black men and women stood in the balcony seats. 

I turned back as Judge Robinson, a fat and bald white man, sat down. With a loud and deep voice he said, "Court is now in session." Everyone sat. 

As the session went on, I hardly listened to the witnesses after the first few. They all repeated the same things such as, "I saw her shoot him", and they'd point at me. I began to stare off, knowing there was no hope. I tuned in again when Mr. Adams began speaking, but even he couldn't provide enough to save my skin. But the session dragged on. 

Then, I heard someone behind me call out. "Why don't ya just end it now, eh? We all know that she's just property, a machine. It won't matter none if she's gone. Just serve justice already!" I turned quickly, seeking the voice with my eyes. I turned back when no sound was made. Judge Robinson stared off into the crowd as well, looking as though he may consider it. I stood. 

"May I say something?" I stared up at the Judge. He looked at me when I spoke. 

"Why not? It's gonna end here anyway", Robinson waved his hand at me. Irritation grew inside me then. I turned to the crowd of people. And I breathed, anger radiation off my body.

“You, who said that thing about me earlier. You say that the black people are nothing but living machines on the plantations. That we are a property and not a being. We are only used for your profit. You teach your fellow man to disrespect us, and you demand us to respect you in return. You look at us in horror when we speak the way we have learned to growing up, yet you will not let us receive proper education. You expect our children to learn from ragged books that cling from single threads on the seam and have faded words on the torn pages. You expect us to come at your beck-and-call, yet we are treated with malice and ill will. We are allowed no excuses from work if we are hurt in any way. We go to our families covered in bruises and cuts on our fingers with no way to treat them", I held out my shaking hands and raised my voice. "We are beaten on the streets just for being alive, for having a different skin. We are looked upon as ants in the dirt, our only purpose is to work or be squashed under the white man’s foot. And the only people who have an inch of respect for any of us are your children and the very few who believe we are humans as well!" I pointed at Malynn, who sat to my left. Tears burned in my eyes. I began to yell. 

“Black people are humans just like you, and they always will be. None of you who think for a moment that you are superior and can change that. So go ahead. Execute me for the crime I did not commit. None of you would ever believe a black person even if they weren’t there. If a black man was accused for raping a white woman, you all would just assume from the start that that man did it. You don’t think of proof or evidence. You do not give the man a fair trial and off he goes to the chair or wherever else to die. So go on. Cuff me and take me to my death. It won’t make no difference to you and you know it. But just remember that whenever you decide to kill off another negro, think of the fact that each and every negro all around is a human being. We are human, and no law can change that.” I turned to Judge Robinson, who's eyes were wide. I turned to Malynn, who was crying. A few of the other white women cried. And every black person above me cried. And they clapped. 

"Quiet!" Judge Robinson snapped once the applause from above echoed in the Courtroom. He stared down at me. "Ms. Coleen. You will be taken to your cell." 

Before I could speak, the guards were on me, carrying me by the arms back to the cell. 

A whole day passed after the trial. I sat in the corner, knees to my chest. I still wore the orange suit. The cell door opened again, the screech pounding in my ears. 

"Coleen", Malynn's sweet voice said. I shot my head up and stood. She walked over and took my hands. "Coleen, we're getting you out of here." 

"What?" The tears came back to the edges of my eyes, and Malynn became blurry. 

"We've convinced Judge Robinson, Mr. Adams and I. We split the bail money to get you out. I'm going to take care of you", Malynn smiled and brought my head to her shoulder. She stroked my hair. 

"But...you can't even pay half. Malynn, it's too much", I whimpered. She only hushed me and hugged me tighter. 

"I'll find a way. I'm doing a payment plan", Malynn said. I looked up at her and promised to help. 

"They still don't believe me though?" 

"I don't know. That speech you gave shocked everyone in the crowd. Judge Robinson couldn't even decide what to do. We decided for him." 

"Thank you, Malynn." 

"No, Coleen. You don't have to thank me. And you won't have to ask or beg for anything from anyone ever again." 

The universe had been dull. Empty. Non-existent. It lasted for generations before my father created a single star and told me, "Do whatever you like with this single star. You have the power to generate anything you can imagine. You were born with the most treasured gift of all the gods."

With the birth of that tiny star, I had finally found a light in the darkness. Something to create and explore. And eventually, more stars formed in the bleakness. Stars which connected together and created new worlds and images in a black sky. These special stars were so entrancing, that darkness almost struck again immediately when my twin brother tried to take them.

My brother was my opposite. He took when I gave. He hated the light, and I the dark. He wanted to steal the new worlds for himself, a tyrant to the new realms. He brought chaos to my creation. While it saddened me, I was given no other choice but to condemn my brother to the world formed from his own hatred. The underworld.

While my calamitous brother was locked away, I practiced my gift, creating new textures, new sights, and scents for the world. I then practiced giving life to advanced figures known as animals. I set them free in the world and provided them with environments and resource to live and grow. Then onto my next challenge, to construct entities like no other.

I spent eternities perfecting humanity. There had been many failures, including the Cyclops, born with one eye, and the Giant, born much too tall not to destroy their surroundings. However, I could not dispose of them without a heavy heart, so they were sent to inhabit a different world, away from the world I was still constructing.

Finally, humanity was born. Each new person looked the same, yet my imagination would gift them different features from slender fingers to thick legs. The males often had more muscular bodies than the females, a fair distinction of dominance that my father had told me about. The females, however, were given more wisdom from my own mind than the males were. However, both were mortal. At last, my children roamed the new earth, giving plenty of refuge and resource, building their civilizations and discovering what they can accomplish, so long as they did not destroy their home.

I was finally at peace, joyous of the result, that I was capable of making such life. And I knew it all must be protected. So, I sent down guardians for the animals and humans alike. Gods and Goddesses who would watch over the welfare of all life, each with specific tasks. And for many generations, the world glowed with tranquility.

Little had I known what my brother was up to. Every new day he gained a dark power, his wish to have everything I did growing stronger. Once he had learned of humanity, he desired to take it for himself, and to change the living hearts of my children. While we rejoiced, he taught himself to create evil that could not be avoided. He created demons, shadows of people, born with the same darkness as his own heart and gifted them with dark tasks. He named them the Seven Deadly Sins, the seven of the most horrific behaviors and habits of the mortal. Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Envy, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath. The brought discord and destruction in their wake, compelling the entire human race. My brother also reigned as leader to the Giants and Cyclops, convincing them that I was evil for locking them away from the peaceful realms forever, like he had been. The war was uneven.

With the life of the humans resting in my hands, I birthed angels to help the guardians fight off the Sins and restore the world from the everlasting darkness. These angels I named the Seven Virtues, born to cure victims of possessing the Sins in their hearts. Kindness, Temperance, Charity, Chastity, Humility, Diligence, and Patience. With the Virtues and the guardians, the war was now fair. While we fought, I entrusted special nymphs to hide and guard the animals and humans from danger for a short time. The war, however, was long and cold.

All our lives were hanging by a thread by the time both sides grew tired. The earth which I had formed was chipping away, piece by piece. With the last of my strength, I finished it all with a blinding explosion which knocked my brother and his minions back to the underworld, where I placed chains that would last for eternity to keep them trapped. The Sins were placed in a cursed box and hidden far from ever being discovered. At last, life could come out of hiding.

The Virtues and I inhabited the skies above. I watched from afar to keep them safe, and the Virtues watched for any sign of the Sins' return. The guardians were charged to keep watch of the world and its people by living closer to them.

And so, as the world advances each day with new discoveries and technology, I am always there to watch, to protect. To keep the darkness locked away and let the integrity and unity of all men, women, and children grow strong and spread across the good earth.

“I’m sorry.”

As I sit in the church, a few rows behind you,

I can hear as your sobs grew.

Looking at the bed of flowers in front of the room,

I see the picture of the boy who met his doom.

As I study the picture I realize,

That boy is me.

The room has darkened,

I only see you,

Standing and placing a single flower by the picture,

Then leaving, your expression blue.

Tears burned in my eyes,

I couldn’t speak, I could only sigh.

I followed you, and I tried to reach you,

I tried to get your attention.

However, you walked right past me,

And I couldn’t say a word.

Days passed, and then weeks,

Everyday I watched you pass me by.

I watched pleasant aura grow dark and sad,

But all I could do was silently cry.

Forever you were sad,

But your heart was also mad.

I didn’t know what to do to fix it,

I wanted to make you happy again.

I tried to tell you, “I’m here!”

But you only felt a slight breeze.

You did turn once, looking right at me,

But I knew you didn’t see me,

Then I began to fade. . .

The years grew on,

And I watched you age.

And the older you grew, the more I’d fade.

I watched you get married, in a beautiful gown of white,

And I saw you cry when you couldn’t bear a child, one winter’s night.

As your life went by, I would fade,

I realized you were forgetting me, and I prayed.

My heart filled with sadness when you grew ill,

Slowly, you were giving up, sealing Death’s deal.

Your eyes lost their spark,

And I was fading in the dark.

Your lay on your deathbed, and I saw you dying,

I couldn’t reach you, or stop myself from crying.

Then as you passed, I disappeared,

Would I never see you again as I feared?

I turned around, and there you were,

Happy tears filled my eyes, my vision a blur.

And when you spotted me, tears fell and your face was aglow,

Then I smiled and waved and said:

“Hello”

In a world of despair and sorrow, the many sins wandered the streets, controlling every living thing that stepped foot into the open. These evil sins, released from Pandora’s Box by the greed and hate from humans, gave birth to demons to keep order and imprison every person in the world. The demons fed on the dark thoughts of the humans. They deprived everyone of their ideas and imagination and happiness, until all the people could think of was the melancholy of the universe. And they disposed of anyone or anything that tried to stop them.

The world slowly began to die, the trees decaying and the rivers drying up. All sunshine, and even the rain, disappeared. Animals grew scarce. And the people, influenced by their hate for the world, lost everything they once knew. All the wealth of the rich and the simple hope of the poor was lost for good.

All the children of the world lost their innocent belief that dreams came true and in everything that was not gloom and dejection. They no longer played or laughed. Fun didn’t exist in their minds. Friends disbanded. Adults fought over every little thing, such as scraps of food or money they found, if they managed to find any. They no longer had decency or respect for each other. Families were split apart, and love in every community was destroyed. Hope was lost forever. That was until the girl who could not speak was born.

Although the darkness brought death to everything in the world, one special sanctuary remained. This sanctuary held simply the biggest willow tree in the world. This tree, raised with joy and love in its roots, was strong enough to resist the woe and murkiness of the world as it was. However, the tree was weak from the sins’ attempts to destroy it many times before. Using the last of the goodness it held, the tree birthed a little seed. The seed, so small as it was, was never noticed by the sins as they attempted to destroy the sacred tree once and for all. And they did so successfully. In the end, nothing remained of the beautiful willow that once sat in the sanctuary, not even its roots.

The seed, however, grew. It grew shining a light so bright the world was blinded for a moment. From the seed, a girl was born. A girl who had hair as white as snow and skin as soft as lavender. The most interesting and mesmerizing thing about her was her eyes. Eyes with no actual specific color, for her eyes changed colors all the time. They also shimmered when she blinked. The tree gifted her with everything. But there was one fault. The one thing the tree could not give her was a voice. It wasn’t strong enough, perhaps.

The girl could who could not speak could not spread imagination and glee through words. She could not understand why this was so. All she knew was a world of her own creation, of things that are unreal. And she was destined to bring the world back to light.

The girl began her journey to reach the heart of the deep darkness. She touched all the dead things around her, and they all grew again. She faced off against anything evil in her path, and showed them the light of the world. She befriended them. The sky began turning bright blue, and clouds white. Any shade of gray was drowned in color. The girl trekked to the city of grief, where all the people inhabited. She could sense the people dissolving under despair, forming stronger demons of their own that were released and roamed the streets. The girl reached out for every person. It was a difficult task. If only she had a voice, so she could convince them. But she did not give up. She made them look, made them listen. Anyone who saw the girl and looked into her colorful eyes saw things they could not comprehend. They would see boats flying in the sky with giant whales who groaned with content. They saw bats with galaxies in their wings and fish with stars in their scales. It was outrageous at first, but soon they felt warm again. Imagination flooded the minds of the people, and happiness returned to them. And they spread the happiness all around the city, washing away all the dimness.

The people followed the girl. The things they all could imagine defeated the demon henchmen as they marched to the heart of the city. When they reached the heart of the city, the sins immediately attacked. But they could not touch any of the people. The girl shielded her friends and pushed the sins away from them. She approached the sins, whose fear radiated off of them and could not hide. They dreaded what she would do. The girl calmly walked right up to the sins. . .

And sang to each of them.

No, the girl could not talk. But she had found her voice when she saw how helpless the sins really were, only powered by the dark evil that everyone fueled. The sins all filled with warmth. The girl then smiled. They all saw at once the beauty in happiness and disappeared, back into the Box that was once opened. The city and everyone in it rejoiced. All goodness was returned and the world grew strong again. The people learned how all the evil they influence would lead to all of their demises. From then on, they thought before turning selfish, they helped one another, and families came together. This kind of world was absolutely alluring. Any evil who tried to take it failed every time, for it was well protected by the people themselves. And the girl who could not speak went to sleep and turned back into a seed, hidden, and ready to bloom and defend her home if evil ever struck the world once again.

A realm of buoyancy and delight. An untroubled realm, grown strong from the tender people that inhabit the lands and fjords. A realm of serenity and equality; a realm of goodwill. 

And then the tyrant arrived.

His lightest word was law. He was imperious and austere. He was violent. The realm decayed in his wake. The people were met with piercing shackles or disposed of. The realm was polluted with corruption. Everything became abysmal, and the world began to die with the murkiness the tyrant brought with him. The people were left with nothing but lament. 

There was no hope. 

It started with the news. Then panic spread. All because the scientists who knew so much about our world suddenly knew nothing at all. All because they decided to play around with the one thing that would destroy humanity. 

Nobody was exactly sure how the virus spread across the world. Or how the people who discovered it managed to release it with no knowledge of how it'd affect us all. 

And now my family is gone. The people I went to school with are gone. And if I run into any of them, it's likely I'd have to kill them. 

The wagon slid dangerously across the icy cobblestone road. Clara's mother held her tightly to her chest, while her father yelled obscenities to the driver and struggled to keep upright. The wagon tilted as the driver made a sharp turn. Clara's mother knocked her head against the window with a noisy smack. The tiny child could only look around the inside of the wagon, eyes wide, fear piercing her heart. The wagon tipped once more on the curb of the road, and down, down went them all.

Clara could hear nothing but the faint screams of her parents as the wagon crashed. She could see nothing. She couldn't open her eyes. She felt nothing at first. For a while, it seemed like she was flying until she landed on a hard surface suddenly. Then she was cold.

Clara tried to open her eyes as much as she could. The blistering winds she felt buffeted her face. Her legs and fingers were numb; she could hardly bend them. Finally she pried her eyes open. All around her she saw the pure white snow, casting an opalescent glow. She tried to sit up, but felt a shooting pain in her back, and could only lift her head. About fifty feet in front of her on the side of the road was the wagon. The horses were gone, but she could hear them neighing in the distance. She saw no sign of her parents outside the wagon. She did see the driver lying, unmoving, his legs under the front of the wagon.

The small girl lay back in the snow and awaited death. She shivered rapidly. She stared into the dark sky, watching the snowflakes fall. Then she heard soft footsteps in the thick pillow of snow. And then she saw a stranger, leaning over her. She couldn't scream, she could only stare up at them. Then her eyes closed automatically and there was only darkness.

. . .

When she awoke, it was to her body calling to the warmth she felt. She opened her eyes and sat up, her hands and face no longer numb. Her back still hurt, but the pain was bearable. She observed her surroundings and found a fire a few feet away from her. She crawled toward the fire and placed her hands, which she found now had ragged gloves on them, over the flame. Beside the fire was a pot of canned soup with a wooden spoon. The girl reached for it eagerly, shoving spoonfuls of the hot soup into her mouth. Someone grunted from beside her.

Clara spun her head in the direction of the noise and saw the shape of the stranger. She couldn't make out their face in the dark, but she gasped, dropping the spoon and pot back onto the ground. The stranger looked at her and stood up. Clara scooted back as the stranger walked around the fire toward her. She squeezed her eyes closed.

The stranger bent down in front of her and touched Clara's shoulder. Clara slowly opened her eyes and stared into the stranger's face. The stranger smiled a sad smile. His face was soft, and his eyes were also sad. He was an old man, his clothes ragged like the gloves she wore. His jacket and hat had patches, his jeans had holes, and his shoes were falling apart.

"Hello", Clara said, her voice small. The man's smile grew even softer.

"Hello", the man's voice was scratchy, as if he were sick. He turned his head and coughed.

"Where am I?" The man looked around after the question.

"My home", the man said sadly.

"Where's your house? Don't you have a house?"

"No."

"Then this can't be your home."

"It's as good a home as any", the man offered Clara a blanket.

"My home has a bed. Do you have a bed?" Clara wrapped the blanket around herself and nuzzled her face on her shoulder.

"No."

"Oh."

"Get some sleep", the man said. He pointed toward the spot where Clara woke, which was underneath a large box. Clara crawled back over and lay down. She watched the old man wrap himself with a thin, torn up blanket.

"What's your name?" Clara sat her head up.

"Charlie", the man said gruffly. "Now go to sleep."

"Okay", Clara lied back down. "I'm Clara."

. . .

Three Years Later. . .

"Clara." Clara rolled over in the opposite direction of the voice. "Clara." A hand shook her shoulder. She heard Charlie cough. Clara got up.

"Are you okay?" Clara observed Charlie. He looked a lot paler than usual. She placed her hand on his cheek. He was cold.

"I'm fine", Charlie took Clara's hand in his.

"No, you're not. You're sick", Clara said. "You need a doctor."

"Clara", Charlie said sadly. "We do not have any money. We are homeless." Clara looked down.

"Tell me why you took me again."

"You were lying in the snow in the middle of a blizzard. I saw the wagon nearby, and I saw your parents. I took you so that you would not freeze. Some people probably wouldn't have cared as much."

"Why did you care?"

"Because sometimes a simple kindness is all a person needs."

Clara reminded herself every day what Charlie had told her.

. . .

Charlie passed away the next day. He brought Clara to an orphanage and told the head about Clara. The head of the orphanage found that Clara had an older sister in the next state. Clara could not remember her sister, but after contacting her, the memories slowly came back. When she went back to offer Charlie to come with her, she found his body wrapped in a blanket on the corner of the street where they lived for three years. The fire had been put out not that long ago. Clara fell on her knees and sat beside Charlie for awhile before the head of the orphanage found her.

Clara rode in a wagon with her sister, who traveled to pick her up and take her to her new home. They talked for a while about many things, about what happened to their parents and Clara. Clara's sister thought she was dead as well.

"I'm so sorry I didn't know where you were."

"It's fine. You wouldn't have known. But I'm grateful."

Clara was grateful. She was grateful that three years ago, a stranger showed her kindness and saved her.