Emmy’s oldest memory is of James on the swing set, grinning at her like nothing in the world could go wrong. But everything did. Since childhood, Emmy has been haunted by the Numbness—a strange, hollow detachment that leaves her floating above her own life. As she grows up, moving from playgrounds to classrooms to the edges of adolescence, James weaves in and out of her memory like a phantom—sometimes a friend, sometimes something more. When he returns after a long absence, their connection is rekindled with inside jokes, fierce debates, and the kind of moments that feel like they might change everything. For a while, it even feels like the Numbness might be gone for good. But hope is fragile. Told in aching, poetic fragments, this story explores the loneliness of growing up, the ache of unspoken love, and the sharp, invisible pain of dissociation. Emmy is trying to find her way back into her body—and maybe into someone else's heart—before everything slips away again. He was her balloon. And she was the girl who watched it pop.
Literary short story available for free! Winner of Silver Key from Scholastic Art and Writing Awards!