Breath Without Me
Pain radiates through my face as it connects with my locker.
Richard's annoying voice is above me as I fall to the floor. His foot draws back, and I squeeze my eyes closed, bracing for the impact that always comes.
I gasped as I bolted upright, sucking much-needed air into my lungs like I had been holding my breath for hours. My chest rises high with each deep lungful of air I gulp in, and my eyes dart around into the darkness that surrounds me. It takes a moment to realize my father isn’t here, and neither are the bullies from school. In fact, no one is here. I'm all alone, and I'm cold in the darkness of the cornfield where I sought shelter last night.