What if a single word could change the way you see yourself — and the world around you?
Seventeen-year-old Darius King has always moved through life the way everyone around him does: laughing with his friends, hooping after school, and using a word that feels as common as air. A word he never questioned. A word he never understood.
Until the dreams begin.
Night after night, Darius is pulled into vivid, haunting visions of the past — from the fields of the Deep South to the streets of 1967 Detroit, from Harlem’s jazz-soaked nights to the quiet room of his own childhood. Guided by figures who carry the weight of history in their eyes, he is forced to confront the truth behind the word he once used so casually.
What he discovers will change him. What he chooses will define him.
As tensions rise at school and friendships fracture, Darius must decide whether he will continue repeating the language he inherited… or break the cycle and forge a new path. But letting go of a word means letting go of who he used to be — and stepping into the unknown of who he is becoming.
THE WORD WE CARRY is a powerful, intimate coming‑of‑age novelette about identity, history, and awakening. Through dreamlike storytelling and emotional clarity, Sylvester Murray delivers a moving exploration of language, legacy, and the courage it takes to choose your own voice.
For readers of short, impactful fiction that lingers long after the final page.
