Something Differently-Personal Narrative

Waiting for the feeling, something to hit me. It became clear this would not happen until I fell asleep. After being awake for almost 4 hours, my eyes really couldn't stay open any longer. Something began to happen, I couldn't tell what. I was falling, falling again. I landed, right in the middle of reality, and nowhere. The voice came on stronger this time, much louder. It was almost like it began to yell. "Can you hear the rumble that's calling?" The voice said again. Despite the loud volume of the voice, it was assuring. It made me feel comfortable. Even though I was in some sort of weakened state, I always felt better here than I did in the real world. Something was telling me that I just needed to be freed. Whether it was the voice inside my head, or some other voice, I felt it. The voice was so showing so much empathy, it felt inhuman, but at the same time it felt so human. It felt real, I could never describe the way it made me feel, how it moved me. I wanted to yell out, with everything I had. Part of me knew it just wasn't right, I had to wait for it to come to me. I knew that everything I wanted would come soon. I know what you're thinking, how was I not freaked out? It's simple, I didn't have room for that kind of thinking. I was so relieved to feel this way, it was a feeling of release. It's like that feeling when you get into a hot tub. The deeper you get, and the longer you stay, the more your body is at

Growing up with a father in the military, you move around a lot more than you would like to. I was born just east of St. Louis in a city called Shiloh in Illinois. When I was two years old my dad got the assignment to move to Hawaii. We spent seven great years in Hawaii, we had one of the greatest churches I have ever been to name New Hope. New Hope was a lot like Olivet's atmosphere, the people were always friendly and there always something to keep someone busy. I used to dance at church, I did hip-hop and interpretive dance, but you could never tell that from the way I look now.

Everything around me began to blur, including the line between reality and something strange, a place where nothing exists. I could feel myself detaching, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was unplugged and could not find the cord to reconnect myself, my thoughts were screaming over one another and it became impossible to single one out. Everything was fake in that moment, my memories, my feelings, my family, my friends, it was all a hoax that I was stuck in, that I had to be released from. Feeling deceived and unhinged, I remained inert and supine in bed. I covered my face, which was daubed with my tears, and listened to my thoughts all telling me the same thing. I sat up and began to wobble towards the stairs. I heard my sister call out, “I’m leaving Emma!”, and my anxiety intensified. Everything blurred into a combination of panic and tears as my sister tried to calm me down. It took hours to bring me back to

I asked myself what turn of events, what decisions had I made that would have lead to this situation I found myself in? Was I paying off some karmic debt from a previous life? I didn’t remember doing anything so evil that would have caused me to land in this spot.

As I stepped outside, the cold suddenly rushed to me, wrapping me inside of it. The leaves rustled by on the garden path. My first thought was to go back inside, but I decided to be that wonderful father, and make sure that everything is ok. So I kept walking forward, being careful not to trip on the dark, bumpy dirt path. Then I heard the noise again, a faint vooing, like voo voo voo getting louder and softer. I followed the sound, and then all of a sudden, it stopped. I listened really hard, but i couldn’t hear anything anymore. My conscious said to just go back, but my body took another step forward, for what reason, I have no idea. Then my body felt like it was being stretched apart and all i could hear was VOO VOO

I never thought I would be labeled an outsider, a misfit even. As I trudged my way through the halls of my small town high school, I would endure the gazing pairs of eyes, that belonged to my peers, followed by whispering and often times some laughter. I always used zone out during those repetitive speeches and commercials about the effects of gossiping and rumors; never did I imagine that one day I would be on the receiving end of of the everyday potshot. Growing up I was always the center of attention, the one everyone yearned to be friends with, never was I the antisocial child in the corner with nowhere to turn… not until high school. They say high school changes you. They say high school accounts for some of the greatest years of

I’ve always been an outsider, it’s been hard for me to build friendships and relationships. Not too long ago, there I sat in the corner of the room in the way back, trying to hide from the world, and be myself. I didn’t really want to get involved with anything or anyone. I was afraid to open up, talk to others, maybe because I was afraid to get rejected. Until, I met the best people I could ever meet, my best friends Marisa Mendoza, Jessica Contreras and Deseray Reyes, the ones who up to this day have sticked by my side, at my best, and worst moments. They have all been a big part of my life, I can enjoy every minute I spend with them. For me, they aren’t only my friends they are like my sisters.

Ignoring me, he continued, "She broke up up with me because I bought her a simple neclace for her birthday not the diamond bracelet she wanted."

I think i found my destination. Sheer magnitude of energy arose from my body. I felt unreal. Seriously. Have you ever stop and question your existence. Who am i and why am i here? Detachment and utter numbness of “reality”. This anomalous out-of-body experience rush must means this is the end me? “ Mike i have to go to the hospital i think i'm dying.” I said panicking at my inner experience. I was an onlooker of this universe - at least it seemed. “ Brenda please relax, youre not dying. and stop crying!” he said as he walked me to his car. “ come on, I am going to take you to my house.” . From this moment i knew this isn't what i wanted to

It was 5 A.M. and my thoughts were everywhere. I kept tossing and turning, desperately trying to fall asleep, but knowing I couldn't. I finally slipped out of bed, carefully so that I wouldn't wake up Olivia, and proceeded to walk down the stairs. I sat down on the living room couch and exhaled deeply as I stared into the sunroof.

I’d never thought enough had happened in the sixteen and half years I had been alive for much of anything to pass in front of my eyes during a near death experience. I was wrong. You know those nights when you lie awake in bed and replay interactions long forgotten by everyone but you? You wonder what people thought, what you could have done differently. This experience felt much the same. In your head is all of your missteps and slip-ups, the advice you should have taken but were too stubborn to listen to, the people you’ve let down. It all sprawls out in front of you like a sunset stretching across the horizon as you drive over a big hill.

I can still recall that day and its scent; the scent of freshly sharpened wooden pencils, disinfectant, old paper, and dust. The busy hustle and bustle of the halls of chattering kids walking to class and teachers shouting in different directions. All of this appeared to me highly surreal; I might have been there physically, but I was not entirely there psychologically. To me, it was all a moving picture in mute. I could see, feel, smell, and taste, but I could not listen. I was only able to perceive gabble, meaningless sounds that were meant to be words, but, unfortunately, did not make any sense.

There was a bright light and my eyes hurt, I looked at my twin bell alarm clock and it read five a.m. I must have fallen asleep while studying, I guess. But what happened felt so real. I have been really phony lately, it was probably just a subconscious thing. Then I saw it on my desk. A copy of The Catcher in the Rye, I don’t own a copy of The Catcher in the Rye. I opened it open to the front cover and there was a crash of my dopping the book and accidentally knocking over a vase in the process. Inside was inscribed; “Remember what and who you saw, for this could be your eternity. Signed, J.D.

I tried something new. It was almost three years ago. I went to a Dance Academy. It was small but still enough room to dance. I had the choice of tap dancing, ballet, jazz, and hip hop. I chose to do hip hop to dance to.

That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I thought that maybe they were friends and broke into a condemned house, someone got hurt, or this was part of some strange initiation, but they’re from different grades, and polar opposites. They don’t seem to know each other when I mention the other names, but their stories are very similar. Whatever this red door is... it’s terrifying them.