Comic Story
Panel 1
The clock ticks, each second a hammer blow against my resolve. Another day, another battle against apathy.
Panel 2
"Mr. Davies, care to join us from your… interstellar travels?" I ask, my voice laced with forced patience.
Panel 3
Mark doesn't respond, his gaze fixed on something beyond the glass. He's a ghost in my class, a silent question mark.
Panel 4
After class, I find him lingering by his locker. "Mark, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Panel 5
"About what? I didn't do anything wrong," he mumbles, avoiding eye contact. His voice is barely a whisper, laced with defensiveness.
Panel 6
"It's not about blame, Mark. It's about understanding," I reply softly, trying to bridge the gap between us. "You seem… disconnected."
Panel 7
"Disconnected? Maybe I just don't see the point," he retorts, pulling away. "This… this whole thing."
Panel 8
His words strike a chord within me, echoing a sentiment I once held. A darkness I fought to overcome.
Panel 9
"There's always a point, Mark. Even when it's hidden," I say, remembering my own struggles. "Sometimes, you just need someone to help you find it."
Panel 10
He looks at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, a connection is forming.
Panel 11
Weeks turn into months. Mark starts attending my after-school poetry club. Small steps, but steps nonetheless.
Panel 12
One evening, Mark reads aloud a poem filled with raw emotion and hidden pain. He's found his voice, his point.
Panel 13
I watch him, and I see not just a student, but a survivor. And in that moment, I see a reflection of my own healing.