Aurora 2026

Tyler Martin

Hide inside your blanket. You quieted yourself. Your wish drowned out every last thing I did.

If I could grant you your wish When none of this mattered anymore Would you be nice to me?

In the toxic-waste blood river We swam into a bubble of air

It rolled with us until we reached the banks. The smell of blood attracted the zombies They ran up to you like pugs And only wanted to lick your face. The Earth was ruined with no hope of escape But the Sun still looked like a banana slice. We ran up the giant Leviathan And fell up into space. Everything went dark and cold You hugged me tightly when you began shivering. Then it got bright and hot. The last thing I felt were your shivering hands. The only words I heard were “Thank you.”

I woke up in my bed, somewhat guilty. Dad was still asleep in his, somewhat peaceful.

I brushed my teeth, got dressed, and grabbed a couple granola bars. When I got to the bus stop, you were sitting with your friends.

You took a glance when you heard my footsteps, And you immediately darted your head back.

Your face gave away that you didn’t understand yourself Truth be told, I couldn’t remember why you did that either. I stood beside the bench, quietly fishing into the bag. You pulled the folds of your coat close to you. “Here,” You said while your friends weren’t looking. 6 tiny, neatly-wrapped, chocolate-frosted donettes. They were the best food I ever ate!

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