He brought the broom above his head and swung it down with fierce velocity. Before making contact with myself, I had freed myself in the nick of time. 

The broom smacked the contraction with such force that it sent it flying in the opposite direction. 

I was certain my right arm was injured and rendered useless for the rest of my escape. I was frozen with fear as I looked up at the man. 

The man’s rage only amplified with his near miss. 

I scurried left and right and ducked and dodged across the kitchen floor trying to evade the man’s mighty swings. 

As I moved to go down the main hallway, the man connected the broom with my hind legs, sending me flying into the opaque white wall. 

I could feel the pain emitting throughout my entire body as I picked myself up to continue my escape. I knew that if I stopped now, I wouldn’t survive. My adrenaline flooded and pumped throughout my body in order to keep me going. 

The man screamed as he continued his relentless assault. 

I ran into the nearest bedroom and hid under the bed. The man slid around the corner as he gazed into the room. 

He switched on the light switch, looking for any sign of life. He angrily stuffed the broom into every dark corner, hoping to flush me out. 

For multiple minutes, I stood silent. My right arm and hind legs ached with such intense pain. My heart was beating through my chest. 

After finding nothing, the man dropped to one knee. I knew what he was about to do. He pulled the flashlight from his cell phone and shined it under the bed. 

Once more, our eyes met each other. 

I made one final attempt to escape as I could feel the gust of wind from the broom brush over my body. 

I noticed the lone window in the room was open. I mustered up all the strength in my body to clear the window sill and land in the front yard.

I continued to run as fast as I could as I disappeared into the fields. 

As my surroundings became more unfamiliar to me, I heard the man shout, “And never come back!”

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, my legs gave out. I couldn’t breathe. While I sat there in the middle of nowhere, reality dawned on me. I was all alone. I was never going to be able to go back. That was the only home I had ever known. All of my relatives had already been exterminated, and I was now all on my lonesome. 

Despite my depression, I knew that I couldn’t survive for long in the wilderness on my own. I gathered myself and kept moving.

The bases of the tall grass brushed against my face with each step I took. Eventually, I saw faint lights emitting through the grass. 

The grass came to an end as I stood on the edge of a hill. The view was magnificent. Seemingly endless streetlights and homes filled my eyes as I looked off into the distance. 

“This is a new beginning,” I thought to myself. I felt certain that I was going to find my next habitat somewhere out there. 

“I’ll be more cunning and careful than ever. I’ll establish a life for myself here” I thought. 

Without hesitation, my heart filled with wonder and ambition as I moved down the hill into utopia, with my newfound future and dreams awaiting.

I woke up satisfied with the sleep I had acquired over the night. Rested, satisfied, and yet surprisingly ready to start the next day. 

However, the moonlight still shined through my window the way it did the previous night. My desk wasn’t organized the way I left it, and my t-shirts were lazily draped over my chair when I remember putting them away.

Something felt off. 

I tried to rise from my bed to get a better look at things, but I came to a horrifying realization: I wasn’t able to move my body. 

My arms, legs, and head were locked in place. I started to panic. My breathing quickened. My mind raced, thinking, “What is going on?!” 

Every attempt to free myself from my paralysis was pitiful, useless, and embarrassing. No matter how hard I tried, my body remained trapped in place. 

After what felt like an eternity, my door crept slowly open. “Finally, someone has come to help me!” my mind thought.

It wasn’t until I saw a dark figure of a woman menacingly enter my room that my hopes of being saved were extinguished.

She moved quickly along the foot of my bed, then switched into a slow creep as she reached the side I was laying on. 

I couldn’t move.

I wanted to scream, but no words came out. My lungs pumped ferociously as I tried to free myself. 

She took hold of my face and exerted all her force, shoving me further and further into the depths of my mattress. 

Her face was inches from mine, and I could see her disfigured monster-like appearance as she glared into my petrified eyes. 

I closed my eyes. My mind raced trying to figure out how I could escape this hell. 

Then, suddenly, I could hear breathing. It was my breathing. I honed in on the sound, and quickly I could feel the force of the woman fading away.

As quickly as the episode had started, it ended. 

I woke up and took a massive breath of air. Everything was all right. The lighting, my desk, my t-shirts, everything seemed normal.

“Thank God,” I thought to myself. I lay on my back reflecting upon what had happened and why it took place. “Who was that woman?” I pondered silently.

After some brief thoughts, I went to grab my phone to check the time. I wanted to see how much sleep I could get before I had to get up for school.

“It couldn’t be. That’s not possible,” my mind reasoned as it scurried for answers.

I couldn’t move. I opened my mouth to scream, but no words came out. I screamed and screamed and screamed in silence praying for someone in my family to hear me and save me. But it was useless.

As my eyes snapped onto the door, my heart fluttered. The door creaked open and a figure walked into the room. 

The exact same events took place. Only this time with a new face. I was trapped in the same situation. 

Again. And again. And again. Over and over and over. I was tormented by these demons. 

It had gotten to a point where I had a queue in my mind for when the next person would walk in. 

Night after night. Face after face. Scream after scream. Nothing worked. After waking up for what seemed like an eternity, my mind cursed the world for what it did to me. “Why me?!” I cried at the universe. “I never did anything to these people!” I justified. 

“What had I done to deserve this punishment?” I bellowed to myself. “There couldn’t be anything I had done to deserve this.” 

Then suddenly, I felt a nudge on my right shoulder. I was caught off guard.

“Wake up! Hey, wake up!” I heard faintly in the distance. The sound echoed and became stronger with each expression.

I felt my consciousness ascending back to the light. The dark became gradually brighter and brighter. 

My eyes opened. I gasped for air as I sat up immediately. I could turn my head, and as I groaned after enduring my constant torment, I was amazed to notice that I could speak

“Hey! I’ve been trying to wake you up for five minutes! Are you ready?” asked my friend. “Ready for what?” I countered. “What’s going on?” 

“What do you mean what’s going on?!” he yelled. “We are moving out. We have them on the run. Let’s go, come on!” 

The barracks looked exactly as they did before I took my 30-minute nap. That’s all I could afford these days.

As I moved the drape to go outside, everything hit me. I wasn’t back home in my room. This was war. Helicopters soared up above, moving deeper into the forest. Troops raced across the base ready to push on the offensive. I could hear the screams of the wounded and those giving orders preparing the men for what they were about to do. 

I felt a wave of darkness wash over my soul. I remembered the people I encountered. The people I saw in my dreams. Those people I killed. “I am in hell,” I concluded as I raced after my friend to the armory to pursue victory. 

The clock read 9:27 p.m. I put my jeans and shoes on, slipped my phone and wallet into my pockets, and walked out of the front door. I had the desire to go to Safeway to buy some gum. 

I am experienced walking around and navigating the city by myself, but the night gave me a mystifying mood. I typically take my earbuds with me whenever I go out for walks, but this night I had opted to leave them.

As I walked down the hill to the store, I gazed at the stars and constellations. I felt the cool wind flow across my skin and through my hair. I could hear the sounds of cars zooming by just some two blocks away. As I continued my descent, I tilted my head back, and I observed the night sky. I inhaled and exhaled deeply. The warmth of my breath crept from my mouth to meet the cool San Francisco air. As I neared Taraval, I could smell the plethora of restaurants closing up for the night. 

I took a left to the store. Some people were closing up their restaurant and a homeless man slept outside on the sidewalk. “This is home,” I thought to myself as I arrived at the market. I moved through the aisles, picked up two packs of Mentos, and made my purchase at self-checkout. I then made my way back to 19th Avenue. This time around I decided to walk the bustling road back home. The cars zoomed by, and the gum shook in the pocket of my hoodie. 

I took it all in. At some point, I decided to cut back to my original route. I continued my ascent all the way back home, cyphering between the trash and recycling bins put out for trash day. 

Alas, I arrived back at my house. I had lost track of time and did not realize how long I was gone. I wished that I could have enjoyed my newfound reality a little bit longer, but I had other responsibilities to tend to. As I scaled the stairs, I gave one final look back at the sky above me. “This is my home,” I thought to myself, and I proceeded to unlock my gate and walk into my house.

It was 11 pm. It was already dark. I could hear the typical buzzing of the city around me. However, as I focused more on the pitch-black forever endless void we call space, the sounds of San Francisco started to disappear. My stresses and worries about school work and the typical inconveniences of life all but vanished. It was just me and the night sky. I could feel the cool sub-50° weather on my skin. The crisp air flowed gently through my hair. I pondered ideas--many ideas. Moreover, my brain couldn’t handle the idea of something being boundless. Thoughts of what other kinds of life exist in this universe flooded my brain. “Maybe they look like us,” I thought. “Maybe they look like nothing we could have ever imagined.” The only thing that mattered while I was outside was the night sky and myself. I continued to let myself be consumed by this entity we call the night sky and space. It was like a drug. The longer I continued to look and ponder, the more I was lost in my trance. While the weather was considerably “cold” outside, I felt a great sense of warmth. The night sky offered me a sense of peace and serenity that a friend would. As I eventually stepped back inside, after realizing how much time I had spent outside, I gave one final glance to my newfound friend. I knew I would be back the next chance I had. 

The car jolted to a halt. A sudden hand tapped my knee. “Malachai, wake up! We are here!” said Mom. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. My sister was loudly fidgeting with one of her toys in her car seat. 

“Why did we have to travel to this part of the Central Valley?” I asked. 

“Mal, we said we came for the corn maze. C’mon, give it a chance. It’ll be fun,” said Dad. 

“Whatever,” I thought. 

I stepped out of the car to be greeted with the sun’s blinding glare. I squinted my eyes. “Corn. Corn. Corn. Nothing but corn as far as I can see,” I thought. My mom tapped my shoulder and pointed in the direction of the fair. The closer we got, the more I could hear the sounds of chaos. Kids running rampant. Fair rides spinning in circles. Adults laughing hysterically with a beer in hand. “Why?,” I muttered to myself. 

Just as I finished my thought, my Dad placed his hand on my back and whispered, “I know that you had plans to be with your friends this weekend, but please try to enjoy yourself for your Mom’s sake. She wants to have this memory with your sister, just like we did with you. Okay?” I gave a slight nod. My eyes wandered. 

“There!” shouted my Mom. She pointed to the ticket booth to buy tickets for the maze. She picked up my sister and placed her on her shoulders. She quickly ran full sprint towards the booth. My Dad still walked beside me, with a grin on his face. 

Once we bought our tickets, my Dad suggested getting food before starting the maze. I didn’t want to waste time. I asked, “Can I get a head start?” 

“What?! You don’t want to do the maze with us, Mal?” replied my Mom. 

My Dad optimistically suggested we eat real quick and then take a look at it. I agreed but immediately asked if I could look for the bathroom. “Sure,” my parents said. “We will be right here.” 

Although I asked to go to the bathroom, I had zero intentions of actually using it. I walked towards the entrance of the maze. The sounds all around me faded off in the distance. I glanced down at the ticket stub in my hand. And, for some odd reason, I had a bad gut feeling about entering the maze. “Why am I feeling this way all of a sudden?” I asked myself. 

“Hey, Kid! You gonna hand me your ticket?” asked the man at the maze entrance. 

“Oh, my bad, dude. Here you go,” I replied. “Be safe,” said the man. I turned around to face the man and ask what he meant, but he was gone. 

It was just the maze and myself. The chaotic sounds of the fair died down in the background. The wind rustled the corn. It was as if it was calling to me. Despite my self-doubts about entering the maze, I felt my left foot step forward. It was as if I was in a trance and wasn’t in control of my body. “What is this?” I frantically asked myself. I walked. I took many turns and twists. My body led me to the center of the maze. At the center, a scarecrow had been propped up on a wooden pole to oversee the entire field. “What do you want?!” I yelled. Suddenly, I heard a crunching of leaves. I turned around. Nothing. I turned back towards the scarecrow, but it was no longer there. 

“What is this?” I asked myself again. I was scared. I had tried to maintain a tough guy persona, but now I was really scared. I heard rustling all around me. Then, I saw its face. Through the corn, we made eye contact. I locked eyes with a demon. Its black eyes pierced my soul. 

I did what I could. I ran for my life. I frantically panted and yelled for help at the top of my lungs, but nothing. I ran through the corn. I could feel the leaves slapping my face. I could hear the crunching of my steps as I ran. Behind me, I could see it sprinting after me. The corn seemed to go on forever. Then, I remembered how my Dad told me this was the largest cornfield in all of California. 

I could see the fair lights off in the distance. Then, I felt something grab my ankle. It was the scarecrow! I was so focused on the lights that I didn’t realize it was catching up to me. I fell to the ground. It stood up and proceeded to grab my ankle and try to drag me back. “NO!” I screamed. I kicked and turned and eventually, it lost its grip. I got up and sprinted as fast as I could.

“Almost there,” I thought to myself. I was 20 feet from the end of the maze. 15 feet. 10 feet. I could feel it catching up to me again. I took three huge strides and leaped through the last wall of corn. I turned around and saw it staring at me. Its black eyes stared down upon me with a sense of dissatisfaction. Then, I heard my parents in the distance. “Mal, we are about to start the maze! Where are you!” The scarecrow smiled a great, evil smile and quickly ran back into the corn. 

I rose to my feet and sprinted towards the entrance. I could see it running towards the start. It was a foot race. I could see them off in the distance. I waved my hands and finally met them before they stepped foot in the maze. 

“Are you okay?” asked my Mom. 

“What happened?” asked my Dad. 

I told them the maze was off-limits. I could tell that my Mom was upset. My sister cried as we went back to the car. My Dad followed behind and asked me quietly, “What happened?” I told him I would explain it all later. I just wanted to get out of that hellhole. As we drove down the road, endless fields of corn were around us. 

Then, our car made a strange sound. Smoke started emitting from the engine. My Dad pulled the car over and popped the hood. “I don’t know how, but the radiator is damaged. Someone messed with our car.” I feared the worst. My Dad and Mom checked their phones--no cell service. We were 15 miles from the nearest town, but the fair was just on the other side of the corn maze. 

“I’m gonna go get help. Stay here.” I saw my Dad exit the car and start toward the field. I could feel my body freeze. It was him again--that scarecrow. He was the one who did this. My Mom held my sister and rested in the passenger seat. I leaped out of the car and yelled after him. My Dad entered the field and vanished. 

My muscles throbbed. My hands were red, from strain. I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. The sun’s mighty rays beating down on my skin. The constant flip and slap of my hair. I had a big one on the line. 

As I looked over the railing, I could see the majestic creature. Deep down in the emerald green waters, there it was. It twisted and turned and went every which way to escape capture. “Heave-ho,” I told myself. I couldn’t let this one get away. Not this time.

As I hoisted and cranked, I felt my victory edging closer and closer. “Another one for the books,” I thought to myself. It was tiring out. Then, my line came loose. No bites, no fresh filets. That day was nothing more than a loss with no such luck. 

As I lay on my bed, I reminisced about those memories. The grand Pacific. The perfect San Diego weather. The cool summer breeze that traveled through my hair. The smell of the water. Even the smell of the chum that rested beside me. My memories were interrupted by my dad knocking on my door and telling me, “It’s time to get going.”

I remember leaving for Palo Alto that day at about 4:30 in the morning. We busted out the door and were in the car immediately. It didn’t feel like much time had passed, but we were already in Palo Alto before I knew it. 

I remember standing on the dock. The sky was dark grey. The wind sent a chill down my spine. I remember pulling up my hood to make myself feel warmer. A couple of minutes had passed, then the captain and crew let us on the boat. 

Once out at sea, the dark grey sky started to turn a few shades lighter. The wind had picked up. The waves crashed against the side of the boat. I remember the seagulls chasing after us, looking for whatever meal they could find. 

We got to our destination about an hour later, and I dropped my line with an eager heart. The thought of pulling in the “first fish” was on my mind. I waited. The water slowly splashed on the boat. I felt myself rocking back and forth along the starboard side. I was ready and focused. I pinched my fingers on the line, and felt for any subtle vibrations and pulls. Soon, it happened. I felt a tense pull, and I made sure to set my line. I pulled. I heaved and I hoed. My fresh muscles worked to pull in the fish. My hands, nearly numb from the coldness, made sure not to let go. The water was dark and murky, but then, I saw it. I continued to reel it in, I could feel it squirming and tugging. It was trying to get away. What felt like an eternity later, I finally had it. It was at the surface, tired, and exhausted, like me. The fish was an above-average salmon. It was a nice pick. 

I remember the people on the boat looking over, still not having a bite. I got the first one. It felt amazing to have one of the members of the crew tag my fish and place it in the cooler. 

That was a good day. I caught a handful more  good-sized fish. My dad and brother also had a good day. That day was a success.

I haven’t gone fishing in almost two years. I haven’t been back on the water since before the pandemic. It never mattered to me whether I scored “big,” or caught a bunch of fish. To me, it’s just about being on the open ocean. I miss the smell of the water. The wind in my hair. I miss the Pacific, and part of me hopes it misses me too. I miss it all. 

Something about fishing is just primal. It’s something our ancestors have been doing for thousands of years. It’s a way I can connect with those before me and become one with the earth. During this long absence from the sea, it feels like I’ve been detached from a part of my soul.  I've realized that in some way I need to get out on the water.  It's more than something I like to do.  I hadn't realized it until it was taken away from me, but it became a part of who I am - a man of the sea.

“How are you feeling,” James’ dad asked. “I feel like my head is on fire. My throat is burning. I can’t smell a thing. I don’t even think I’ll be hungry for dinner” he responded. It was Christmas day and it looked like James had himself a case of COVID-19. “The best thing we can do right now is quarantine,” his dad said. 

“Christmas day in my room. What a horrible way to spend the holiday. This is the worst Christmas ever,” James said aloud. 

“Just because you’ll be in your room doesn’t mean we can’t have a fun holiday,” his dad said reassuringly. Despite what his dad said, James’ was feeling lonely. The thought of being in his room all day and being the only one sick was already taking a toll on James.

James’ dad immediately sensed James’ feelings, so he ran out of the room to grab all of James’ presents he hadn’t opened since the morning. James’ dad immediately came running back up the stairs with a truckload of gifts for his son. James started to become excited, however, doing so internally.  To maintain self-quarantining as much as possible, James’ dad opted for James to open his presents in his room by himself with his dad and brother on FaceTime. 

James’ dad and older brother got to see his reaction as he opened up the brand new PS5. James was ecstatic as he got the one major thing he’s been wanting all year. “I never thought I would have gotten this,” said James. He immediately started to laugh and smile from ear to ear. 

Once James was all done with his presents, the pizzas James’ dad ordered had arrived. Because of COVID-19, James’ family wasn’t doing any large gatherings, so having a traditional Christmas dinner would just be too much for three people. James’ dad brought a box of pizza for James to his room. The pizza was so mesmerizing, James could smell the fresh mozzarella cheese, the charred cornbread crust, and the secret sauce as it was floating up the stairs. James immediately thought to himself,” I can smell! I can’t wait to eat! Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.” They again FaceTimed and watched movies from different parts of the house. Despite how James felt earlier, he really began to appreciate what his dad and brother had done for him. 

James’ family stayed up all night. Eventually, when it was three in the morning, everyone decided to call it a night. Before going to bed, James’ dad and brother while wearing their masks checked on James to say goodnight. 

Before slipping back into the dark hallway, James thanked his dad and brother for everything.  

As James was beginning to lose consciousness, he quickly thought to himself, “That wasn’t such a bad Christmas after all.” 

Jebediah was home alone. His dad and brother told him they would be right back from the store. It just so happened it was a cool Halloween night. He was on his PS4 gaming with some friends, just having a fun night with the boys. 

While Jebediah was having fun, he heard a glass break downstairs in his house. At first, he thought maybe his dad or brother bumped into something, but then he came to that harsh conclusion that he was home alone. Jebediah immediately--but at the same time hesitantly--got out of his seat and whispered into his mic to his friends, “Guys, I think someone broke into my house.” His friends immediately asked if he was joking, but he remained dead serious. 

Jeb texted his brother, “Are you guys home yet?” To which his brother soon replied, “No.” 

Jeb was losing it. His friends told him to remain calm and to go check it out.  Jebediah did, in fact, have a dog that proved to be troublesome at times. He composed himself, taking a few deep breaths, and then decided to go check out the noise. He slowly creaked his door open, checking each and every corner for any possible intruder. Jebediah checked his dad’s room. Lo and behold, his dog was sound asleep in his bed. He slowly proceeded down the dark hallway, towards the stairs, making sure to not make a creaking noise. As he went down the stairs towards his brother’s room, he saw a dark figure lingering in the shadows down the hall, who soon retreated towards his brother’s room. 

Saying Jebediah was spooked was an understatement--he was terrified. He paused for a second to think to himself, “Isn’t this how people die in the movies?” He soon came to the conclusion that this was not the movies, this was real life. He decided he was not going to be a wimp but to face whatever it was he just saw down the hallway. He slowly inched towards the corner before his brother’s room, slowly peeking his head around the edge, just revealing his two eyeballs. 

Mid glance, Jeb felt a cold hand touch his shoulder. “Oh my god, this is the movies,” he thought to himself. Before finishing his thought, he quickly did a 360° turn to face whoever was there. He was greeted with ... a quick hug from who turned out to be his grandma, who was upstairs in the kitchen the entire time?!? Jeb’s grandpa soon came down the stairs to do the same. 

Jeb blurted, “I didn’t know you guys were coming for a visit. You scared the life out of me!” Jeb’s grandparents quickly laughed it off, saying they had talked to his dad and decided to come for a visit. It turns out it was just a huge misunderstanding. 

About 20 minutes later, Jeb’s dad and brother returned and immediately greeted his grandparents. It turns out that everyone knew about the visit except Jeb. While everyone was having a fun laugh about it, Jeb asked, “What about the broken glass and the dark figure I saw down the hall?” 

Jeb’s grandparents responded, “What glass? What figure?” 

Jeb then went to check out his brother’s room and found the broken glass. At that point, everyone was spooked. They quickly searched the house for any intruders and any possible sign of a robbery, but to no avail. No signs were found. 

To this day, Jeb is still spooked about that incident. Whomever or whatever Jeb saw has never been found.