I listen, hoping my instincts will kick in, but all that is heard are the imagined judgments whispering from the crowd.

No home, no stability, no belonging, a normal life for a third culture kid.

Silence returns a second time as the speaker and students are abruptly whisked away, and my soul feels again the gentle whisper to execute.

Being chased by my dad in a South German field, my feet gave way and I toppled into the angry red coals of a dying bonfire.

The car noticed my fear starting to build as I began restlessly shifting gears back and forth behind unhurried cars.