inkling teen magazine 2021 - Flipbook - Page 19
IN THE END
by Chrysoula S.
During my childhood there was always
something to be afraid of: spiders, the
dark, even clowns once brought me
unease. Although, one fear that I was
never able to shake was the fear of dying.
It was a primitive feeling, the fear of
something unknown, an impending doom
that everyone was subject to. There
seemed to be a million ways to succumb to
death, yet I would have never expected
that things would end like this; little time
left until our fated apocalypse would be
upon us. My stomach sank, my mind still
trying to grasp the concept as something
familiar nudged against my hand.
The feeling of his skin was something I had
grown to depend on over the many years;
his rough palms and his calloused fingers
gently laced together with my own. His grip
was strong and comforting, easily making
me forget where we were. His touch
calmed my nerves like a cup of hot tea
soothes a sore throat.
Dense forest stood in front of us,
mosquitoes buzzing and looking for young
blood to suckle on. At any another time,
the forest would frighten me, especially at
night, though tonight was different; there
were greater things to fear.
The soft summer breeze was pushing us
forward, leading the way. I’d been too
captivated by the bittersweet moment,
even the tears that slowly pooled in my
eyes seemed to have evaded my mind.
