To be honest, I started reading the short story “Salt,” a fiction piece by Veronica Thomas,  because of my last name. It was just really bad irony. But it ended up being so much more than I expected it to. Many people are scared of death, even if they don't realize it. However, “Salt” is the complete opposite. Documenting a boy’s fantasies about what would happen if he died, it uses death as a catalyst to reflect on the miscellaneous aspects of life, showing how life and death continue to coexist.
           I was surprised to see a story such as this in Teen Ink because I feel that, especially with teenagers, people like to distance themselves from death. We’re so young, and our dying day just seems so far away. However, I’ve always felt that we should see life and death as codependent, and I saw this reflected in the description of people thinking, talking, laughing, and even singing as a coffin was lowered into the ground. “Salt” was a very thought provoking piece, and it inspired me to contemplate my own death. Like everyone else, I don't know what will happen, but I do hope they play Led Zeppelin at my funeral.