Dandelions had always been a symbol of joy in my family's life. Those pesky plants never failed to show up in our lawn, much to my dad’s disappointment. However, my sister loved them and their vibrant bright color. Like clockwork, they had appeared again with the arrival of spring and my sister was eager to go out and pick them. 

The glow from the sun's rays created a picture-perfect day for a picnic with the fresh smell of spring in the air. After the long school year, my siblings and I couldn’t wait to relax. Unfortunately, relaxing would turn out to be the last thing on my mind.

I had been fast enough to hide but the others… well they weren’t as lucky. My head was pounding as loud thuds flooded my ears, an immediate reminder of the dreadful scenery around me. My brother had come close to my hiding place but in a mere moment, he had turned away and now laid cold on the blood-tainted grass.

The voices I had heard right before the sharp, deafening blasts grew faint as guilt and panic swelled in my mind.

Why? How could someone do this? Why was I the lucky one?

After dozens of blasts and ear-piercing screams, my senses had been thrown off. My ears and eyes forgot their true task as they began attempting to smell and touch. My darting eyes peered through the bush, searching for any signs of life until they stopped. 

My eyes fell upon a young girl. Woefully, my line of eyesight was not the only thing pointed at her. She was picking up dandelions, most likely with the intention of giving them to her parents, but, unbeknownst to her, that was no longer possible. She had a bright pink set of headphones on and the music from her favorite movies had shielded her from the horrors that had occurred 30 feet away at the seemingly innocent company picnic.

I shifted my focus back to the uninvited guests as my brain drew back from its calm daydream. My eyes darted to them just as one made the fatal choice to pull the trigger. As I watched the young girl fall to the ground; the panic from before quickly evaded my mind. My hearing finally came back as I realized who the little girl was. 

My sister let out one last scream as her head sank to its final resting place. The dandelions that she had picked were no longer as bright and colorful. Instead, they were dark, now stained in a deep red. May 31st, the day all of the dandelions grew dark.