It is cold and dark. I am riding alongside my school crowded in barrels in the back of a truck heading to who knows where. It’s tight but we’re all here. My Mom, Dad, and my nine siblings. It seems like it’s been forever since we’ve all seen the bright place, but I’m not complaining. After what seems like many missed feedings the truck rumbles to a halt. From what I can hear, a man gets out of the vehicle and walks to the back. One by one I hear a scraping sound coming from nearby. It sounds like the barrels are being unloaded from the truck. I shiver in fear as I ponder my fate. Ever since we were taken from the warmth and placed in our new environment, I have been growing weaker by the day. Our barrel tips and plunges over the edge of what I assume to be the truck bed. Luckily, it is caught by one of the people. The rough handling hurts my stomach and I grow sick from the shaky movements. We waited again until we were set on a platform somewhere. I could only see through small slits in the barrel side. I heard a grinding noise and my mother whispered down to me that the lid of the barrel had been removed. A hand plunged into our barrel and dragged out some family that I didn’t know and one of my sisters. The hand disappeared from my view and so did my friends, but a face was left behind. A face belonging to one of the cruel humans that had done this to us. I could hear it before I could feel it. Thwap! Our barrel had tipped over and we spilled out onto a table only to see more people watching us. Some with machines, some with curious eyes, some young, and some old. Their aprons read “Original Jonah Fish Fry”. Someone abruptly picked me up and threw me into a basket with some sort of fine particles. I couldn’t identify the material but it seemed like some sort of bread. I was touched with reluctant hands and flipped over into the fine bread. I cried in glee as I was met by my family on a black platform that had a handle attached. After being joined by a couple of other families in our school, someone with an apron picked us up, turned around, and dipped us into the warmth. Finally! It was so nice and warm, just like home used to be. The newfound warmth fueled me as we were lifted out of the steaming vat of oil. It was cold again at first but then after a little while my protective bread coat kept me nice and warm. I then was transported into a large open room where I was met by friendly, smiling faces that put me into a boat. “New friends!” I exclaimed as I was picked up by a young person with a “Bethany Christian High School 2022 Fish Fry” shirt. I swayed back and forth as I was carried in the boat. I peeked over the edge and saw a sea of hungry faces. Suddenly I heard some commotion over head and was picked up and set down in front of a woman in a bright yellow sweater that was holding out her coffee cup expectantly. After receiving her drink she picked me up and drew nearer to me. “Hi! What’s your name?” I asked. She didn’t respond. It seemed as if she couldn’t even hear me! “Uh hello? Are you alrig-”
-Matthew Dyck