For: Contest
Theme: Fireworks
She used to enjoy fireworks displays.
Truly.
She glanced around her at the gathering crowd, eager faces and laughter signaling their enjoyment, their expectation. And before the first explosion, she found herself almost caught up in their excitement—almost.
But as the first colorful blossom filled the night sky with light, she remembered—and silently turned her back on the display.
Instead, she fixed her attention on the crowd, trying to remember how it felt, how beautiful she once thought a sky filled with fireworks had seemed. She tried to remember how it felt to see a sky blooming with color and not feel the guilt, the terrible anger. She tried not to count the number of lives ruined by a lavender fountain of color so much like those roaring to life above her.
And though the shadow of that light-filled reflection could still be seen in their eyes, she took comfort in the awe with which her fellow watchers viewed the display. Even if she couldn't see the beauty, she could still find the briefest ray of hope in their upturned faces—their expressions of wonder. There was beauty in hope shared.
And she needed hope.