-Lost and found-                                                                                          by Gabriella Mestas 

Panting, running, panting.

His shoes hit the pavement.

Huff, puff, wheeze.

He whips his head to look behind him. 

He cradles his open stomach and his ripped shirt

Why here? Why now? Why me?

Like a fawn who strayed too far from its mother

He dashes in zigzags across the forest

She stares him down, her hand gripping firm metal 

Her laugh drips with sinister intentions 

Her breath reeks of sin

The color red apparent on her figure 

he grows weaker, she grows closer. 

he huffs out air, she sucks in a laugh of air

He screams for help to no avail 

Who could hear when in the middle of nowhere?

He screams until his throat rots 

He runs until his bones snap 

She stalks until he can’t walk

She pursues until he can’t scream

She grins through a mask 

A mask with a long ugly beak 

A mask that is darker than the lowest pits of purgatory

He darts into a small cabin, rushes to lock the door 

slams his body against the rough wooden wall,

slides against the door, softly sits on the cold floor 

fatigue and exhaustion grip his body like an angry parent 

Blood loss has caught up to him

God in heaven, save my soul 

her laughs fades 

He notices a window while catching his breath

a beautiful snap-shot of the moon 

How could nature look so peaceful 

while despair and sin 

clouds the atmosphere?

Give me a chance,

Give me a chance to live

He closes his eyes as he prays 

Consciousness slips from his fingertips

Police sirens in the distance… 

Bottles of alcohol litter the wooden floor 

His father sips, drinks, sips 

He paces the house

It's been one week 

One week since he reported his son as “missing”

One week since search parties were sent out 

One week since his father has slept

Knock, knock 

He slowly lifts his heavy head 

He stares at the door

Could it be his son?

Did they find him? 

He drops the bottle of wine onto the floor 

it shatters behind him 

he darts toward the door 

movements are filled with excitement and anticipation 

hand grips the knob as he flings the door open 

A police officer stands holding some papers 

His father beams, “Have you found my son!?” 

The officer pauses 

“Yes we have located your son here”

The officer opens a folded map of the town

pulls out his pen from his shirt pocket 

draws a circle on the map of where he was found

The father is joyful 

They found him 

The found his baby boy

His pride and joy

He could finally rest at night 

But his face slowly distorts into one of terror and dread

The officer proceeds do draw another circle 

And another..

And another..

And another…