Cigarette

“Man, I’m sick of this shit. I’m so done with high school.”

The lid opens. Here we sit, twelve identically rolled sticks of tobacco, tense as we await our doom.

“Oh God, here he comes.” Soft mutters of dread flood the carton. I feel two fingers pinching me slightly, and there is a collective sigh with relief.

“Just…everything. Everything about school is just a load of crap. The homework and the tests and the mindless sex or the lack thereof. I just wanna get to the real thing. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah.”

The sudden light blinds me. The smell of dirt wafts on the breeze. The world swirls with color, the voices are no longer stifled, and the fresh burst of air temporarily drains my sorrow.

“And now what’s all this about college?”

My tip grazes a black sweater sleeve, which smells faintly of gasoline.

“You have a light?”

“Yeah, sure. Just a second.”

What a marvelous place this is! I look around, taking in the world around me before meeting my fate. A small girl in a pink dress walks her dog along the paved road, sucking on a cherry lollipop, flicking her crimson tongue. A man and a woman walk into the distance with their hands intertwined. The dewdrops on the grass glisten under a blanket of stars, the lamppost gleans moths with all its luminescence, and the trees sway, carried away by the sweet zephyr.

A lighter flickers. I am lit aflame.

“I ordered the tickets for the concert last night, by the way.”

“Awesome.”

I glow red as he sucks me into his cavernous mouth, releasing me in fumes into the night sky. Already, I can feel myself diminishing.

“Have you done your math homework yet?”

“Jesus, don’t bring that up. The thought of school gives me a headache.” Another drag. “Life is too short,” he blows the smoke out in a steady stream. “Far too short to be spent rotting away in school. In the dark, like packaged drones.”

“But what would you do if you weren’t in school?”

“I dunno. Start a band.” Another generous drag, completely inconsiderate of my ephemeral existence. “Something fun. Like I said, life is too short. You’re born into the world and just when you actually start to appreciate it, it’s your time to leave. I don’t wanna waste it away.” He taps me with his finger, flinging sparks. I feel faint. “Do you?” He inhales deeply and everything spins and fades.

“I dunno. I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Exactly,” Yet another drag, and the world blinks around me. The lights, the soft wind, the smell, the chirps of crickets, the moon, all meld into one. “You’ve been brainwashed.” He takes me out of his mouth. “Just keep wasting away, watching the world revolve around you without doing a thing, and before you know it, you’ll be out like this cigarette butt. Just like that – ”