*Olivia*
The sun had kissed the sky goodnight, casting the empty city streets in a dull shade of gray. From the window, everything looked much smaller than it actually was. The car rumbled dully around me as the driver and I sat in complete and utter silence.
I watched the lamps on every corner illuminate as we passed by, a few flickering before falling dead. The path from school to home was a familiar one now. I couldn’t name the streets or the buildings we passed, but I knew the path by heart.
I counted each turn in my head, my mind awfully silent as we passed by the square for the festival. Half-built booths on the edge of the sidewalks and colorful banners thrown haphazardly into the trees were only the beginning.
