Voice Mail
Author’s Note: In lieu of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas along with all of the other tragedies plaguing this nation since the passage of the Second Amendment, I wrote this voice mail in the voice of a young child, stuck in that school classroom in lockdown. No child should ever experience this again. We need gun control. Act now.
Hey Mom?
I know you’re busy right now but I really need you to pick up. I’m at school and I have to talk really quietly, otherwise, he might hear me. I’m in the janitor’s closet because Ms. Lisa told me it was safest but I’m really scared. It’s really dark. I don’t like the dark. The dark scares me.
Ms. Lisa told me that he won’t come find me in the closet. She hid the other kids inside the bins and behind desks but I’m in the closet. She told me not to speak at all but the kids next to me are whispering and I’m calling you to let you know that I’m in the closet. Okay?
I am still in the closet. It is still really, really dark. I’m scared that a monster might pull my foot or a ghost might pop out but it’s okay. Oh!
Something touched my foot.
It's just the mop. It’s a mop. I can hear my heart pounding really fast, like it might fall out at any moment. Of course it won’t fall out, Ms. Lisa taught us that during science.
I hear footsteps in the hallway. Pounding fast like maybe they’re running. The pounding is louder now. I don’t know if it’s my heart or someone’s running towards me. Maybe both. Mom, I’m scared.
The pounding is so loud my ears are going to fall off. The door to my closet is jingling. The metal rattles against the darkness. I don’t know who’s coming in. But, I’m going to stop the call now because it’s making noise. I think this way he won’t notice me as much. I hope he doesn’t notice me. I hope it’s not him. Oh!
The door’s opening! I’m so sorry Mom, I can’t talk any more,
Bye Mom, I’ll see you at home.
I think.
I love you.
