Police Pull Casket Out of Swamp | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Police Pull Casket Out of Swamp

The story of Ashaunti Butler, Laniya Miller and Dominique Battle.

Sierra Perdue
Feb 01, 2017
Notre Dame of Maryland University
29
Police Pull Casket Out of Swamp
Tampa Bay Times

Dominique, Aushanti, and Laniya climb inside of me

They are not supposed to be here but Dominique caresses my gas

And suddenly I am awake

We ride through lights

Red like drops of blood in the night sky

Ignore stop signs and laugh about it


The road turns

sharp and suddenly

red and blue lights are behind us

Siren screaming cutting through the purr of my engine

Dominique slams my gas again but suddenly I don’t want to be out anymore

The steering wheel jerks and the road is missing from underneath of me.

My bumper careens down and I feel the swamp flood into me

Grass invading my vents and mud making my headlights unusable


I hear their screams

Aushanti yells

“Panicking just wastes oxygen and y’all know y’all always panic”

I feel Laniya grab ahold of my seat and wish I could smooth her hair down

Breathe her life into her as it exits

I feel them yank on my seat belts and try to take them off

They’re stuck


We see more lights around the swamp and realize there is help here

My girls start screaming asking for salvation

A deputy grabs his radio

Speaks into it

Explains the situation but it’s the last words he says that makes me realize

We are on our own


“The call for help is not urgent”

Why isn’t the call for help urgent

“Of course they’re black”

Can’t they see my babies dying

Skin begging for gills to sprout.

The womengirlsthugsgirlsdanger never get to greet the sun.


The kick and I will my glass to shatter.

Pray

Beg

For a crack

Anything

Please

Let these babies out, none of them are even over 16


Holding your breath will kill you

Breathing out will kill you

And trying to remember how to turn water to air will kill you too


I want to let them out

I never meant for this iron womb to become cage, to become trap, to become tomb

I want to let them out

My doors wont open, the water is rising

I want to let them out

The water is displacing them inside me

I want to let them out

It is their last breath

I want to let them out

It is their last--

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

AI music threatens creativity

The Soul of Sound: How AI Challenges Human Expression in Music

227912
Humans and robots face off in a rock band battle with guitars and drums, under dynamic lighting.
StableDiffusion

In an age where artificial intelligence can mimic the voice of Freddie Mercury or reimagine pop hits as synthwave ballads, a new frontier has emerged — one that blurs the line between innovation and erosion. While AI offers undeniable benefits in technical domains, its intrusion into creative arts, especially music, raises urgent questions. Not just about copyright, but about culture, education, and the very soul of artistic expression.


Keep Reading...Show less
ai generated music
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

Miami University
557346
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
music
Entertainment

Why Your Astrological Sign May Not Match Your Personality

We are all more than just one sign.

SUNY Plattsburgh
470222
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
astrology
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

UNC Greensboro
443125
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
spring
Relationships

The Importance Of Being A Good Person

An open letter to the good-hearted people.

Sacred Heart University
705325
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
good person

Trending Topics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments