One plus one equals two, two plus two equals four, and four plus four equals eight.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O-

BANG!

My little brother sits in his class counting down the days ‘til his favorite holiday.

Picks his nose and plays tic-tac-toe

Without a worry in the world:

Laughing and singing,

Anxious only for recess.

A brand new world awaits him with his friends

Hopscotch and dodgeball and the exchange of a rare specialty called Hubba Bubba Max

It would all be his

The moment the bell-

BANG!

Three minus one equals two.

“Repeat after me, boys and girls.

C-A-T. D-O-G.”

R-U-N. R-U-N?

G-U-N?

“Everyone get down, get down!”

BANG!

He’s stumbling; he’s falling.

Stampede of screams swallowing stupefied students

Too much noise,

He smacks the ground and screams,

“Help!”

A sour metal aroma tunnels through his lungs.

Smoke around him smoke within him smoke in front of him smoke below him.

He whirls in the chaos-

BANG!

He hears The Boogeyman stomping down the stairwell

Locked and loaded

So the kid crawls to a door out

Shaking and desperate

To escape this nightmare

He’s so close so close so close

My little brother can taste the freedom

Sweeter than any piece of coveted gum.

“Mommy, Daddy,” he’s whispering, “Don’t let him get me!”

One

            More

                         Step

Until

He-                  BANG!

 

 

Row, row, row your boat

quickly down the stream

Scarily, scarily, scarily, scarily

Life’s fucked at the seams