By: Alex Echols
Growing up, me and my brother always had this game: Bang Bang. It was a game of the streets that was supposed to teach me how to be a man, hold my own and protect myself. The rules were simple, start off with two knives on opposite ends kinda like the game Halo. You may encounter each other early, but the goal is to get a gun and defeat your opponent.
The day came when the games had begun and my brother was becoming too comfortable and too familiar with winning. Rule number one: never let your guard down. That day, another brother joined in on the action and I stayed back, peering from outside the fence, wondering how I could win the game just once. My adrenaline was pumping. A kid came by and I thought he was about to let a few slugs loose into me, but luckily he kept walking. A few minutes passed, he returned and cocked the gun. With much rhythm, my heart beats began to take over my mind and then it happened. He handed it to me.
The gun also had a long, sharp blade on the opposite end that cut into my flesh several times. I said to the young, dark-skinned boy, "Weapons are not toys," as he walked away with a smile. Through the fences, I began walking towards my brothers, blade in hand. Adrenaline pumping like never before. Smiles and grins on their faces. In there eyes, I had lost once again. Bang Bang.
After much thought, I decided to share this small creation with everyone. There is a lot of beauty in dreams, but there is also a lot of terror and sadness. From time to time, I am stricken by dreams that not only tell great stories, but also unfortunate endings. Nevertheless, I still see beauty in this story.
Let's stop the violence within our communities.
