Summer Randolph

12 September 2019

Zero Draft

Try Not to Turn Your Head

Try not to turn your head when you finally decide it is the day. Don’t turn around as you

pack up your things while they aren’t home. Try not to look at the walls with all the pictures

hanging that remind you of what you are leaving. Keep picking up your things one-by-one as

you toss them into garbage bags because you know that is the only way you can get all your

things in one trip. You’re going to feel sick all day because you know how much it will hurt

when your mom sees your things are gone. It is going to make you want to stop packing, but you

must remember why you are doing this. Remember all the long nights you stayed awake because

your dad was mad again for a reason only he would understand. Remember all the battles you

fought trying to keep yourself from going back before curfew. It’s not like you to run, especially

with out talking to your mom first, but you had to do it on your own. You’re going to be upset as

you leave, and you’ll need to talk to someone, but remember that your fiancé is waiting for you

when you get there. You try to pack your things without thinking. Each piece of clothing feels

like it is taking ten years. You throw your suitcase into the trunk, but you aren’t finished. You

keep telling yourself that it will be okay, they will all forgive you in a few weeks, but you can’t

stop thinking it over in your head. You grab all of your books that you have spent so much time

keeping in the best condition and throw them loose into the backseat knowing very well they

might fall around in drive. You’re almost out of space, but even worse, you’re almost out of

time. They will be home soon and you’ll be forced to turn back and look them in the eyes. You’ll

be forced to let them know what you are doing and where you are going. If they get home before
you leave, you’ll be forced to turn back and see the tears roll down her face as she begs you not

to go. Your vision will be blurred as you struggle to fight through this war. A war between your

heart and your brain that’ll decide your fate. If your brain wins, you’ll stay and ease the crying

for your mom, but not for you. If you turn back, you’ll be disappointing yourself and your fiancé.

As the warm summer sun hits your back, you tell yourself all these things because you turned

back today before you ever made it out of bed.

“Start in media res, which is Latin for “in the middle of things.” Don’t get hung up on finding a
perfect lead, but jump in anywhere. Write a piece of description, a chunk of dialogue or even the
conclusion to your story. Develop an idea for the middle of the piece, or select one image or
concept you know you can write about comfortably and start with that” (Murray 193).