By Sam Gumprecht
There was nothing to worry about. In my ears was the noise cancelling sound of good music. Around me, thoughts floated out and flitted away into the night air through the open windows. On my warm, sun kissed skin the twilight breathe swirled around me and pushed on my freckled cheeks. In my eyes was the image of peeking shy stars, a fading ombre of colors and a slivered, silver moon.
Every curve and weave made my stomach jump and fall. We cruised through the night to the beat of the music along the parallel lemon lines.
At least once or twice the frame of the car faded away and left us flying through the hazy tones of the setting sun. In the sky clouds hung like buffers between the twilight dark and vibrant neons. In my soul I felt the careless freedom of being young and wild.
By the time all the stars peeked out, I am filled to the brim with adventure. It has gone from day time obligations to whirring through the quite towns, concentrating on the pulse of the music. My only thoughts are what plays next and which star looks the farthest off.
The neighborhoods always look more peaceful covered in a blanket of dusk. The people seem happier in the warm sunnier environment. But the roads are always longer and the songs last longer in the daytime.
Suddenly the car is off and the air is silent. The rush has faded away like the fleeting sunset earlier. The night has ended.
This essay is my favorite narrative piece I have written for Ms. Waterman this year by far. It is my favorite because I can literally transport myself back into the moment whenever I read it and I hope that is what it does for the readers. The difficult part about writing this was the imitation of the Gatsby section. I think it was hard because I couldn’t just let myself write whatever I wanted I had to write by using specific directions. But for having the restrictions on my piece to write it like someone else I still think it came out as my product.