Linda Papanicolaou: LOCKDOWN

The excitement of sitting under the desks has begun to wane. "Quit shoving," someone complains.

Muffled giggles.

"Can I get a drink of water?"

Shh!

The floor is cold and there's a crick in my neck. How long till the all-clear signal? It's a drill, I remind myself: Inhale, exhale—try not to think of that training video with the S.W.A.T team sweeping a school.

beyond
the barricade
—silence

by Linda Papanicolaou
Palo Alto, California