Stories After Sundown: The First Story!

This is the first story in the series, stories after sundown. It's about the declaration of American independence day. I did some research on it as part of some school work so i thought that I would write a short story about it. Tell me if it's good in the comments!!

It’s hard to imagine how life was before the 4th of July—both mentally and physically hard. My family owned a tiny store behind the police station. The repugnant smell of blood would always linger in the air. My mother would try to mask it with cloves and incense, but no amount of it was ever enough to make me forget.            

The days blurred together. People walked in and out of the store, only ever exchanging words in hushed voices. Night after night, the screaming and weeping from the station seeped through the paper-thin walls and filled my ears with agony. The single dim fluorescent lamp flickered and buzzed like an insect at night. Layers of paint peeled away as cracks spread across the walls. The police station had a life of its own—the striking of bullets, the slamming of metal doors, and the pleading of family men were all that could be heard.

As time went on, the air inside the store thickened, pressing against our lungs. It was as if the air had absorbed the deadly memories that would become part of our fate.

But after the 4th of July, my whole world changed. The ringing of bells filled my ears, announcing the freedom of millions of people. The streets, once filled with stray dogs rummaging through bins, were now filled with proud voices. Songs rose in the town like smoke from thousands of fires. In that moment, I realized that history was not something taught in a classroom or written in a book—it was this. History was unfolding before my eyes, and the bells were calling me to believe it.

That's it for today! If you have any suggestion on what I should post about next, then don't forget to drop it in the comments.