She took the kaleidoscope in her hand and put her eye to its head. And it all was spinning,

but still colored and bright and maybe glittering a bit,

and that’s all that mattered, right? She thought.

Her family, her school, her friends, her things, everyone and everything.

It all was spinning.

 

And she was confused, and it stole her mind, and it was too hypnotizing.

It was too bright and too blurry and she didn’t know why it was there.

But she didn’t care; she just kept looking,

And she couldn’t break the spinning spell,

And a tear rolled down the side of her face as she stared into the whirling shapes.

 

She saw her brother who kept talking and talking and didn’t say what he wanted

Because then she would do what he asked and go back to doing whatever she was doing.

 

And her bright-eyed sister who didn’t know what to wear

 because she didn’t want to disappoint her.

 

And her jet black dog that would wait for her each day

 and come inside only for her.

 

And there was the blonde-haired girl three doors down

who would knock lightly and ask if she was too busy to play

And she always said no, even though she was.

 

And the images were too bright, shining into her eyes, causing crashing tears that just couldn’t stop.

And she thought that leaving it all behind was scary, but staying was terrifying.

So she walked out into the frosty street

And kept on walking and walking, as the thin ice cracked beneath her feet.