by Kara Barkovich, 04/16/2020, Traverse City, MI

Middle School 6-8 Category

It’s 2020, what time is it you may ask? I’m not sure, three days in and I’d lost all concept of time. Day of the week? Who knows. I’m stuck inside of the place that was once my comfort, where I was most carefree; where I felt was a place to be myself; but now? It’s my safe space where the outside world is my worst enemy. I’m now scared for the sake of my life and many others, I don’t feel safe yet I am safe.
Does that make sense? No of course not, nothing make sense, it use to. I am in fear for my future, for your future, for our future. I’m in fear for the sake of our children, adults, and elders. I’m in fear for humanity.
The news? I’d rather not talk about it. The death rates climb up faster than a race horse. The media panics for what’s next. “Stay in your house,” they say. “Six feet apart,” they warn. Watching TV used to be rewarding but now, I’ll stay in hiding.
Inside I’m delusional to reality. I’m clueless to my own thoughts. Where are all the people? I use to hear the children laughing outside my window, running around. I use to hear the cars going by with the roar of their loud engines. I use to be able to look forward to seeing my friends and fooling around through the long, endless nights. Until now, inside all I hear is silence. Maybe a leaf brushing against my window every so often.
Remember when home was the best place to be? Remember when coming home from a long day at work or school was a relief? “There’s no place like home,” we all use to quote. Now we want to be anywhere but home, to get a grip on reality.
It’s 2020 we’re stuck inside. We’re living through a pandemic and we are scared. It’s 2020 and we’re Inside, a safe space.