I step forward
And take ahold
Of the doorknob
Turning it slowly
Trying so hard
Not to draw
Attention
To myself.
As I pulled in
The door
Each creaking
Sound echoing
And vibrating
Off the foundation
Of my mind.
Clenching
My heart
Harder and harder
Till it bursts.
I glance down
The hallway,
My eyes
Sliding up
And down
Mirroring the outline
Of the walls
And doors.
Being as vigilant
As an eagle
With binoculars.
I stepped out,
Slowly making
My way
Around the
School;
Hoping not
To run
Into Mr. Jones
Who is roaming
The halls
Every hour
In case anyone
Leaves the
Detention room.
And as that
Thought
Came to mind,
A dark figure
Appeared.
Entering each
And every
Classroom,
As if already
Aware that
I left.
He opened
Another door,
Quickly turning
His head
Left then right
And then again.
Almost like a routine.
Panicking
I doubled
Back to the
Classroom
That held more than
15 kids hostage.
Quickly but carefully
Making sure
Mr. Jones
Doesn’t
Somehow flank me.
As I ran,
In the very
Outermost corner
Of my eye
I caught a
Glimpse of something
In the supply closet.
I turned around
And
Peeked in
The open doorway.
And what
Was inside
Shocked me to
My very core…
There sat
A girl.
Blood violently
Spilling from
Her wrists
And a pocket
Knife directly
In front of her.
Ignoring my fear
And confusion,
I entered
The supply closet,
Closed the door,
And treated her
Wounds to the
Best of my
Ability as a
Former Boy Scout.
After closing her
Wound,
I sat across
From her.
Suddenly without
Any sort of
Warning
She began to cry.
And
As I saw
Her tears
I too
Began to cry.
She lifted
Her head,
Her black hair
Falling into her
Face.
She marveled
Over my
Inexplicable
Tears.
“Why are you crying?”
She asked.
I replied,
“The only way
To understand
Someone who’s
Crying
Is to cry
Yourself.”
I then
Pulled her in
And pressed
Her against
My chest.
Whispering
Into her ear:
“Let’s cry together.”
As the last
Syllable and vowel
Left my lips,
She continued
To cry
And I too
Continued to cry.

Many tears
Fell till
Our eyes
Suffered from
All the tears.
She spent
All those
Tear-jerking moments
In my arms
And for some reason
Each and every
Breath she took
Calmed not only
My heart but
Also my
Very soul.