#chase

It was a dark, foggy night, as it really should be whenever something eerie happens. I was walking from my dad’s house over to my mom’s. I’d had a fight with my dad about something, the topic of which I’ve since forgotten, and realized at 17 years old that I was old enough and capable enough to walk alone back to my mom’s house, instead of stewing in my room at dad’s. Besides, both of my sisters were asleep already, so I wasn’t worried about them not getting their homework done or needing help…

I’ve been an avid hiker for well over 10 years now and an outdoorsy person for my whole life. Nature has always been a place that makes me feel free. My parents always encouraged me to explore and get my hands and feet dirty outside when I was growing up. Me and my brother were always known as the barefoot kids that walked around our neighborhood and through the woods that surrounded it. As an adult, I still enjoy the feeling of walking through nature (all be it with shoes now). I’ve hiked many…

I used to think grown-ups always knew what was right. They seemed to have all the answers, like they were in control of everything. Back then, I thought there were rules for how things worked, even in little moments—like the way someone should look at you, or how a touch was supposed to feel. But nobody ever explained what it meant when something felt… different. When a look lingered too long, or a hand stayed where it shouldn’t.

Tick… tick… tick… tick… tick. The slow rhythm of the clock pulled me out of my sleep webs as it grew stronger by the second. Then I felt an unpleasant pressure on my right ear and wetness under my hand, which came from a small pool of saliva flowing onto the wooden bench.