Standing alone in the midnight breeze, everything as silent as a whisper
All I could see were the flickering lights of the street lamp
The frigid Colorado winter trapped in my chest until I could only feel my rapid pulse
Every word spoken induced an echo
Every step, every movement haunted with a shadow
And suddenly, it all came crashing down with a loud shatter

It was deserted this late, what could possibly have caused this shatter??
I was suddenly drowning in whispers
The alley expanded into the unknown, occulted by a shaky shadow
Darkness abruptly fell after the surrender of the street lamp
I ran away and the only noise I could hear were my feet prompting an echo
My hasty paces caused my heart to rapidly pulse

Each heartbeat shaking my fragile pulse
Pieces of glass still cemented on to my feet from the previous shatter
The sound still reverberating in my head like an echo
Still able to perceive the cold breeze like a whisper
Everything still dark excluding the dim light of the street lamp
My outline constructing a steady shadow

I started following the moon’s shadow
Not quite sure where I was heading, all I could focus on was my thumping pulse
I kept running into the same street lamp
Remnants of the glass piercing through my shoe from the shatter
I let out a yelp that surrounded me with an echo
And in the cold breeze I swear I heard another whisper

Somewhere far away I heard an echo
I turned but the only thing in sight was my shadow
Every gust of wind was speaking to me with a whisper
My heart was practically shaking from my pulse
Hearing a shatter,
I glanced behind once more, seeing the broken street lamp

It had to be a sign, why did I keep running into the same street-lamp?
Then, I heard the faintest echo
Another shatter?
Suddenly, I was trapped and in front of me was an eerie, towering shadow
I couldn’t scream, so instead I just let out a silent whisper
Which blended in with my expeditious pulse

The broken street lamp flickering to form one last shadow
I could feel the echo all through my body, shaking my pulse
I heard one final shatter, and tentatively trailed the recurring whisper

Biography

Hi! I’m Viyana Bhagwanani, I’m in 10th grade, and I enjoy staying active and creative. I play tennis and love spending time on the court competing and challenging myself. Outside of sports, I enjoy baking and trying new recipes, especially desserts. I am also passionate about art because it allows me to express my creativity. Whether I’m playing tennis, baking, or creating art – I enjoy learning new things and challenging myself.

What is your main source of inspiration?

My main source of inspiration comes from the feeling of fear itself, especially the kind that builds in quiet, empty moments where everything seems still but your mind isn’t. I’m inspired by how the environment can influence emotions and create tension. I also draw inspiration from my imagination and how it can turn ordinary situations into something unsettling, showing how powerful thoughts and perception can be.

What motivated you to write this piece, and what is its message?

I was motivated to write this piece to explore the feeling of being completely alone and overwhelmed by fear, especially in moments when your surroundings seem to turn against you. I wanted to show how quickly the mind can spiral, turning small sounds into something terrifying and inescapable. Through the repeated images of whispers, echoes, shadows, and a racing pulse, I tried to capture how fear can trap you in a cycle where everything feels distorted, and you lose your sense of reality. Ultimately, the message of my piece is that fear is not always something physical, but something that grows within you, consuming your thoughts until it feels impossible to escape.