It’s a dark, chilly evening. As you make your way up to an old shack that was once someone’s home, your vision is limited by a fog that seems to have crept up around you. Besides the swirling tendrils of moisture in the air, everything is unusually still. You are alone, but you can’t help but quicken your pace as the feeling of being watched lifts the hairs on your back. Suddenly, you hear a rustling in the bushes just as a bat glides by right in front of you. Startled, you squeal and sprint toward the house. Of all places, why did your friends decide to have the Halloween party here? You and a couple others expressed indifference in the group chat, and the haunted house won 6-4. Now, you regret abstaining from the vote for fear of looking like a wimp for picking Sam’s garage instead.
You make it to the house and quickly climb the steps onto the front porch. When you’re inside, you slam the door shut, the disturbance kicking up dust from the floor and making you sneeze. As you catch your breath and look around, you notice it’s too quiet for your friends to be setting things up for the party. You cautiously wander toward the kitchen, calling out for your friends but get no answer. Your phone dings and you jump, losing your balance when you land and falling onto a sofa blanketed in dust. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you discover several unread messages from half an hour ago. It turns out that a tree fell on Sam’s parked SUV full of party supplies as he was about to head out. You curse the spotty cell service and make your way back to the front door. You’re reaching for the knob when your foot plunges through the rotting floorboards, the rest of your body following as you desperately reach out into the darkness for something to stop your fall. This proves to be in vain as you soon find yourself sitting in a muddy puddle of sludge under the house. As wild rats scamper around at the periphery, you wrap your arms around your knees and begin trying to contact someone, anyone, with your phone. If only you had voted for a different venue. If only your friends could hear you.
You’ll never be heard if you never speak up. Be sure to vote in the upcoming election; make sure your voice is heard!