Destruction

I hear laughter from across the room.

Music plays behind me.

The scent of the delicacies before me is intoxicating.

Suddenly, joking and laughing turn to screaming and shouting.

Shouts of urgency are being thrown in my direction.

The taste of distress and fear fills the room.

“Look up!” they say.

“Run!”

I look up in awe at the glassy bits of light falling overhead.

Why am I not running? I think to myself.

Every part of my body is screaming at me to run, but my feet are firmly planted.

Someone grabs my hand and starts to pull me away.

I lose my footing and it’s all I can do to cover my face with my arms as glass and light alike come crashing down around me.

My arms burn.

After I am certain that it’s over, I take my arms away from my face and open my eyes.

The only light now comes from the few windows in the room.

Stray fragments of glass lay around me, away from the massive heap of wires, light and
more glass that lies only a few feet away from me.

They are no longer a threat.

I look around at the people who had been so joyful before.

And that’s when I realize that fear has an aftertaste.