I am a block of marble, heavy and stuck as I watch Melinda throw Becky’s extra-large underwear outside. Night swallows them. Melinda jeers. The crowd of girls titters uneasily. I can stop Melinda; she’s my camp bunkmate. It should be me. Why is my heart pounding so hard and fast, as though I am running, though my feet refuse to move? Sweat pools on my back, but my mouth is dry and won’t open. I need to do the right thing. I don’t do the right thing. It looks so easy in the Afterschool Specials. What is wrong with me?
Anna Hallett is a writer of real estate marketing/research. She lives in Borrego Springs, California, writing under the blazing sun and shining stars. Find Anna at www.thewritingparty.com and on Instagram @the_writing_party.