DEC AY

Jordan Howard

Josephine Mo

A dim glow sur rounded town. It was nothing compared to the fabled glor y of the city of gold: El never wither and the sun casts a br illiant shimmer on ever ything that touches its land. It’s the creation of a fever dream. Children are taught of its glor ies ever yday in hushed whisper s. It is the center of society’s off with you and a small crew People called us cr azy, said we were making a mistake Whether it was the r ight or wrong choice didn’t change our desire for a better wor ld The sky was our roof Ever y night, we pointed towards the heavens as the star s above dr ipped like diamonds.

“Soon, we will live in a house that even they will be jealous of,” we laughed.

We wandered without a set route We tossed our lives like wishing coins, living in the moment The thr ill of adventure- slowly disappeared as the days dr agged on. The hazy sky blocked my view. Without a map to show me the way, I was dr iven by nothing but passion and distor ted dreams half shrouded in smoke . My eyes were blinded with the illusion of progress.

“Where is the end of our long jour ney? What kind of a leader are you?” were the only words that came out of the crew’s mouths as they abandoned us.

You said that you would follow me until the end but you too, let go of my hand eventually. As you hear t twisted as it grew. A cor set of thor ns that felt like poison wr apped my hear t and never faded. I

“Open your eyes,” my dream whispered.

I shouted pr aises to myself inside my head. Stepping onto glistening roads, I roamed the city for year s that belonged solely to me . It shimmered in the sunlight, br ight, almost painful- Something was not r ight. The city was so br ight… but why was my hear t so cold? Ah- There was no war mth. I reached out, seeking your hand that was no longer there . Gold walls melted into br icks of lead, while beautiful marble halls dar kened to cr umbling br ick and paint I str uggled to breathe standing alone

“Take responsibility for your results Why are you in despair? This is the future you r uined your self ”