Breaking Out

         Burning sun beams busted through the Earth’s atmosphere, leading straight to a blackened pavement. Waves of heat sizzled upwards, meeting the beams with open arms. The pavement craved more heat. In the center of it all, I kneeled, chained by the wrists to this hell hole. Made of steel, they began to burn my skin, but I did my best to hold back the pain. I’ve come this far, and I can’t give up now.



         Besides it wasn’t always like this. Beautiful flowers use to cover every corner. They were as colorful as a sixty-four crayon box and attracted nothing but happiness. Green grass covered the pavement, providing the best spot to lie down at night and watch the stars.



         But all of that was completely gone now. There were glimpses of one day where it would return to that place, but they vanish just as completely as they appear. Sweat began to roll down the sides of my face, letting my hair build a barricade to make me feel even hotter. Then, suddenly, the sun’s round circle was hidden behind that of a boy’s head. A smile was placed upon his face, but something felt wrong. His smile had twisted into something I no longer recognized. Lifting his hands into the air, he turned something over my head, and I became drenched in freezing cold water. It was a relief from the burning sun, but the shakes from the shock was something I could do without. “You disgust me. I don’t even know why we began this in the first place.” His voice was a snarl, and that made something in me snap.



         I tried to stand, but could barely lift my hands from the ground. “Pathetic.” He spat with a wink. My eyes began to look him over, he looked the same, but something in him was different. Or maybe, I was realizing something I had missed at first glance. My lungs filled with air, taking in as much air as possible. Once again, I tried to stand. My wrists began to feel as if the weights had broken off, making me look down. They were free. I stood to my feet and gazed at the boy I used to adore. I had no words. How could something so good go so bad? I was wrong. This wasn’t giving up; this was breaking free. I stood next to him and felt nothing. Everything had been a lie, and there was no point in saving it.



         I could feel him staring at me as if I had committed a horrific crime. For the first time in months, a smile crept onto my face. “You’ll regret this.” My voice sounded strong, never wavering. I gave him a quick wink and walked away from the pavement. Whether he watched me walk away or not, I’ll never know. I just know that the blackened pavement is there to stay and that wonderful garden will never come again.