
"There she is," said one teacher to another.
"She's the one with that curl that gets in her eyes."
Miss Another says, "Her mother needs to pin that, so it doesn't flop!"
"Yes, but I heard she can barely get herself out of bed nowadays."
"Well, it's understandable after what she's gone through."
"True. Crazy how she told everyone he'd died from an airborne illness."
"Yes, but it was clear that there were rope burns around his neck"
"They had an autopsy done because he was found at home, as law requires"
Only minutes before, the little girl with the curl had a fit of crying...
so much so that her friends ran to get adult attention.
And all they had asked her (before she seemingly fell apart)
Was if she wanted to play jump-rope with them...
About the Creator
Shirley Belk
Mother, Nana, Sister, Cousin, & Aunt who recently retired. RN (Nursing Instructor) who loves to write stories to heal herself and reflect on all the silver linings she has been blessed with :)


Comments (16)
WOW! Amazing work!!
Oh, very touching story! Excellent!
tres bien contenue excellent travail ma chere
Smooth and Clean... Read my African stories...Thanks
My heart went out for the little girl...
This is utterly heartbreaking😭😭 I don't even know how to describe just how masterfully you created this. I have no words, I just want to cry now🥲
Those triggers, can send a person off in mad rampages...be careful what you say...and to whom you say it.
Oh no you didn't.... Wow. That was not what I expected. Loved your take on the challenge. Tragic. Great PoV choice.
Oh my that ending hits hard. Excellent job.
Excellent but sad poem… Poor ‘little girl with the curl’!🥺
That poor little girl. I wish I could give her a hug 🥺
The playground is a dangerous place!
Oh no! the rope.....ohhhhhhhh
Nice writing keep it up!!!
Very interesting twist, Shirley. Great job!!!
Trauma all through.