Black Cat
I awake to the cool air brushing over my skin.
A bright glow illuminates the clearing around me,
Making my inky black fur shine.
I sit up and stretch before panic surges through me.
Where am I?
What am I?
I look down at my hands to see if I’m trembling.
Soft black paws stare up at me.
I jump and hiss, unsheathing my claws and scratching myself.
Ouch!
This is real.
Darkness lurks at the edge of the moonlit clearing,
Making the hair on my back raise in fear and confusion.
I feel small and alone under the gaze of the moon.
My head tells me to run but my heart tells me to stay.
So I sit.
My head turns up to the moon.
I breathe in deep, closing my eyes.
And become one with the night.
I hear the wind softly whistle.
It brushes against the trees and kisses my midnight fur.
I hear small creatures scurrying around in the dark.
I inhale deeply once again, tasting the cool air as it fills my lungs.
Suddenly, a yowl pierces the night.
A loud sharp yowl that drains all the fear and worry,
From my new shadowy form.
And then,
Stillness once again.
My soul sings with an inner peace I haven’t felt,
In so long.
My heart is an ensemble of light.
Each beat making it shine brighter than the moon.
Illuminating all the space inside me,
With a newfound hope.
All the stress.
All the worry.
All the fear.
Gone.
Finally.
I am free.
-Bailey Reece, freshman
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