The Vishelle Sterling's Imaginative Collective

INCARCERATION

School
September 24, 2019

Eye to eye we looked at each other. She was everything I am. Beautifully and perfectly cloned but something about her was different. It was evident in her skin, that electrifying glow, like liquid gold underneath. Her smile, like the sun, illuminated the glass. I sat stunned at the undeniable masterpiece.

Suddenly, the smile transitioned into gloom, disappointment and anger. Her eyes became tearful and her face wet but not for long. The second they escaped her eyes, they burned into steam as if on a hot surface. I could not understand. "How long will you take?" she roared, vibrating the glass which we interfaced. Astonished and confused, I sat there.
"How much longer will you hold me in?" she shouted again. Before I could utter, she soared out the mirror as if to hit me. It all happened in a flash. The glass shattered explosively. Then , a powerful force whack me off the chair. I was on my back. My head pounded with pain. She disappeared.

It was then I understood. She was me. She is me. Optimism, potential, confidence, courage, outspokenness and power were the enigmatic radiance of her skin and smile. The greatness within her generated such warmth that there was no capacity or longevity for tears of sadness to flow. All have been yearning to bloom, unleash and outshine the darkness, tired of being stifled, hidden, held back and caged; incarcerated.

How much longer will I wait?

Vishelle Sterling