“This is NOT crossable!” Aldo says turning his back on the bridge. “Well, it is just about the only way without hiking through a canyon full of Iret Spiders.” I said looking downwards, though the ravine was shrouded in its usual mist I knew that deadly creatures lurked down in it. Aldo turned and looked down too, his eyebrows scrunched together in his worry face. “Well let’s cross.” I say gesturing my hand to the sad exception of a bridge. It’s railings long since fallen to the world below and countless steps missing, Aldo might as well be right about it being uncrossable. My eyes wandered farther and I saw a glimpse of the shimmering palace shrouded behind a cloud and I set myself at the start of the bridge determined to cross the stretch. I extended my leg to place it on the first plank that was strapped to the bridge ropes on either side, weathering and overuse and it’s unkempt state made it creak warily under my weight. Aldo watched me with wide eyes and it made me think too, that any second the entire bridge would snap. I continued, I knew it was perilous and it was likely I would not make it across without something breaking. Another step, creak. Another. And another. SNAP. My left foot plummets but the sharp edges of the wood catches me at the knee and I quickly pull myself up. I look back my breath panting in gasps, my adrenaline peaked. I realize the bridge is now shrouded in mist, I call out.
“ALDO!” I hear nothing in return and I think of turning back. I continue onward thinking Aldo would surely follow after me.
“KIRA!” I yell, she’s so far gone that the now very thick fog smothers any trace of the bridge, I step tentatively towards the first handholds of the bridge but when I reach I grasp nothing but air. I wave my hand around reaching farther over the edge. Still nothing there.
“What….where’s the bridge.” I ask trying to peer through the fog, a large gust of wind came blowing my hair into my eyes. When my vision is cleared I have to blink again to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, the entire bridge was gone. I looked over into the ravine below but it was replace with a happy creek burbling some 20 feet down. I looked across, the distance seemed infinitely smaller now and there wasn’t any shimmering palace peeking out from the clouds, it was just more mountain ranges. Everything was gone.
It was late at night, just me and Xander walking down East Widdleford Street when we hear a awful, retched scream erupt from nearby. Xander was startled and looked around wildly for the source, I followed suit doing exactly as he did, searching for the creator of the noise. It came again, that horrible sound.
“Joey, it’s coming from the graveyard over there.” Xander whispered to me. I looked where he was pointing and sure enough, about a block away there was a graveyard.
“Alright, let’s head home.” I said, Xander nodded in agreement and we both shuffled quickly away to our car, we slept soundly that night.
My hands reach up to the unforgiving sun,
My palms meet forming and arrow that I point at the water.
A sound resonates in my ears, my legs and feet act;
Pushing me off the platform, I fly through the air…weightless.
First my hands then the rest meet the water, it flows through my fingers like sand as I pull forward,
My legs power through, vigorously kicking in sync movements.
Breathe in.
Out.
I continue, my body skimming the water.
My hands dive into the water pulling me forward.
In.
Out.
The approaches, I reach out my hand and just like that I’m in and out of the water.
In.
Out.
We say coolly;
“I. Don’t. Care.”
But really, in the deepest crevices of our mind.
The ravines of our heart,
The cracks in our words, they wobble on our tongue.
Unsure.
Do we care?
Just act natural.
They won’t notice, our sleepless nights.
Our aching bones, and our shaking hands.
Just. Act. Natural.
It was straight out of a Hallmark film. I was just off the beach of Puerto Rico when I stumbled upon this abandoned hotel. It gave me the creeps at first but my curiosity got the best of me and I ventured to the doorway, or…what was once a doorway. The building had mini dunes of the pale gray sand with cigars poking out, this was clearly a place for squatters or other people looking for a place not to be found but to my surprise not a soul lingered nearby. “Hello?” I asked stupidly, I was reminded of a horror movie scene that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. I took a step inside, the sand hissing beneath my feet like snakes, the calm breeze picked up suddenly and I heard something slam upstairs. “That was definitely a window, not a murder or a monster.” I said quietly backing up quickly, my back slammed into a wall and I turned to my horror that the opening that had been there only seconds before had disappeared into thin air. BANG! Another slam resounded through the building coming from the floor I was on. Adrenaline was pulsing through my veins as my head swiveled and I realized that the sounds were windows closing just as I thought. “This isn’t funny! I will call the authorities!” My voice sounded weak and raspy. BANG! BANG! Each sound made me jump as I thought what to do. Darkness was closing in due to all the sunlight being closed off, without thinking I was running around the floor looking for exits. Three more bangs came and it was nearly pitch black, hence the darkness, I ran smack into a concrete wall. I toppled backwards onto the soft sand, I rubbed my scuffed chin and luckily there was no blood, or at least I couldn’t see any. The once bright, sunlit filled building was now blanketed in a deafening silence of darkness. I dare not my a muscle still lying on the ground, I felt the temperature drop and my teeth started chattering. I attempted to silence my shivering body but I began shaking uncontrollably. At first I thought I might be having a seizure but people don’t have clear access to their mind when they have seizures, right? Well I guess I couldn’t control myself but I knew what was happening. Scratch that, I have no idea what the hell is going on. Finally my limbs stopped flailing and my body stilled, but my breath still came out in shuddering puffs. I lay there again still as a stone, and I realized I’m gonna die here if I don’t get up and look for an exit. And by look I mean feeling the walls for anything. I began getting up and to my finding I could not move any muscle in my body, I reached out for the nerves and nothing came. I couldn’t even move my fingers. “You cannot move, you are in a state of sleep paralysis. Your body is no longer in control.” Said a voice. I couldn’t see them, not that my eyes would have been in any use anyway, I couldn’t look around. I began freaking out, also known as my mind racing with thought like; I never fell asleep! If I’m not in control who is!?! How long does this last!?! I’m gonna die! “Oh shut up human, your thoughts aren’t necessary.” And that is all I heard until everything went pitch dark….again.
I swing my arms frantically attempting to propel myself. “Told you, it doesn’t work on monkey bars.” “Whatever I can do this.” I say, a blistering headache had bloomed and blood pounded in my head, It felt like my eyes were bulging. I swung down hitting the soggy mulch with a thump. “How about you try, Hazel.” “Maybe I will.” Hazel swung easily to he middle bar before hooking on her legs to it. She propelled her arms forward flipping midair and landing in the mulch next to me. She smiled triumphantly. I gawked before my vision swam with darkness. “Whoa, I can’t see.” I say, I think I’m stumbling back. I see things but it doesn’t register in my brain. When my vision comes back Hazel is staring at me strangely. “What?” “You just started stumbling and I tried to tell you to sit down but you kept shaking your head.” “Weird.” “Yah, your weird.” Then she laughed before running back homeward. I followed her.
We called ourselves the Trinity, but then Kevin came into the group and we debated calling it ‘the Council’ or ‘The Squad’. We bickered impossibly, never agreeing to anything. Anyway,I’m Taida. And that’s Shade over there, he’s got spiky black that he never lets us touch. And the blonde girl over there is Sara, she’s super pretty and she snorts when she laughs. And, Kevin is blonde too with a mopey hair and buck-teeth that stick out over his bottom lip. I have straight brown hair that I cut on 4th of July now Sara says I have a bob, but it’s much too short for that. Right now we are debating how Giraffes fall asleep as we walk in a line on Wildwood trail.
“Maybe they hook onto trees and sleep upside down like bats,” said Sara looking wearily at the trees around as if she’d see one hanging from a pine near us. “No you dummy they don’t hang upside down!” Said Kevin. “Your stupid.” “I am not! Your stupid!” “Your stupid ‘cus you stole my jell-o at lunch!” Said Kevin, he was in the middle of the line between Shade and Sara. I took up the front. “It was delicious Jello-O, and it was payback for killing my goldfish!” Sara yelped poking the back of Kevin’s messy hair. “I DIDNT KILL YOUR GOLD-“ Started Kevin but he was interrupted by Shade. “Giraffes sleep on the ground, their head is curled onto their back.” Kevin shrugged and said, “I told you were stupid, Sara.” Sara fumed. “Look! It’s the Misty path!” I yelped stopping. Kevin ran into me and Sara bonked into Kevin’s head. “Ow, you idiots watch where your going.” I said shoving them off. “Sorry, also why are we here again?” Said Kevin rubbing his head shooting glares at Sara. “Shade said he saw a ghost.” I said in awe staring at the mist. “A phantom, and it was real I promise.” Said Shade. We all stood in silence for a few moments examining the shifting mist. “Well, Taida, ladies first.” Said Kevin smirking. I stuck my tongue out at him and walked a few paces into the cloud. The protection of the forest was gone, replace by a ghoulish wall of surrounding mist. “You guys coming?” I yelled. “Yup right behind you.” Said Sara. I turned on my heels, seeing nothing in the shroud. “Where?” I called again. “Taida we’re right here.” This time it was Shades voice coming from the right of me. “Guys, let’s head back to the forest.” I said stumbling backwards. Two strong hands grabbed my shoulders and I screamed turning around, the hands were gone. “Taida, come on. My mums calling for dinner!” Kevin’s voice rang out somewhere far away. “Help! Guys! I can’t see! Where am I!?!” I screamed. I saw Shade’s spiky hair and his silhouette. Then a black blur rushed by me, it’s finger brushing my check. I reached and up to touch my face, my hand came back bloody. I screamed before falling to the ground everything turning black.
Disappearing books. Knew-deep in a clutter indescribable. Detrimental objects undefinable. A haven to my mind; A comfort to my soul; But to others. It’s a room in desperate need of spring cleaning. Deep-Preening. Satisfied Meaning. A messy room means more or less; A cluttered mind but not a cluttered life. A room describes your person; Your mind; it’s clockwork. Strewn clothes. Messed sheets. It’s time to be cleaned.
