I can still smell the gasoline, feel the airbags deploy, and the crushing weight of the metal pinning me down. Outside, distant fireworks crackle—an ironic reminder it’s the Fourth of July. While others celebrate their freedom, I struggle for every breath, desperate for air. Strapped down tightly in the ambulance, with an oxygen mask over my face, I wonder if I’ll live to see another holiday. The freedom they cheer for feels distant, like it belongs to someone else. My faith wavers as I question everything—my life, my choices, my future. The ambulance stops, and so does my heart.
Yolanda Ampomah is a third-year student at Salem State University studying Computer Science. Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, Yolanda enjoys playing the clarinet and creating art.