William Israel Bethel

My troubles began in the early morning of a Summer night in August. An ordinary day to say the least from the start, until I endured a series of wicked spells that forced mucus from my body. What felt familiar to a head cold, I took a couple Tylenol and drank some extra fluids with lemon. I didn’t show any other visible symptoms. That evening, a foul taste filled my mouth at dinner, bitter and tangy. Disturbed, my appetite ceased and I went to bed early. Around three in the morning, a sudden sharp ache ran through my stomach and awoken me. Before I could grab my stomach, the ache subsided. Inside my mouth was pasty and dry. I grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen. Two glasses of water, a quick empty of my bladder and then it was back to bed.

 It was in the bathroom, where I was plagued by another spell that exhausted me for minutes. This was unlike any of the others I experienced that day. Thrusting the muscles in my esophagus would not manifest what was traveling up my chest. It was dense, and creeping its way up into the back of my throat. I figured the old-fashioned way would help; forced my finger down my wind pipe and gagged to force the strange object nesting in the back of my throat. Its great size clogged my airway as it entered the top of my throat. In a fight to avoid choking, I coughed aggressively and oozed out a black gelatin substance the size of a small balloon, filling the entire space in my mouth. Its mawkish taste and lumpy contents encased in the ball sickened me as I spit it out into the toilet, puking up the water I drank minutes prior. The water clogged my throat like glue. Breathing was a sacrifice to be made as I desperately exercised myself to rid my body of this foreign substance.

 This was not mucus and was coming to a realization this ordeal was turning into something far more sinister than what I was already experiencing. The strange specimen shared the same consistency as mucus but I nearly fainted at the sight of the beady black eyes, webbed feet, shiny skin and wide mouths swimming inside the membrane. I retreated from the bathroom, panic spiking my nerves. My mother awoke from her slumber at the sound of her son bawling hysterically. Overwhelmed, I failed to form logical sentences and relied on gestures to get her to follow me back to the bathroom like a dog alarming its owner. When she entered the bathroom, she found me on the floor sitting against the tub. I pointed at the toilet. When she peeked into the bowl the expression on her face settled for a while. Blank. Fixated. I mustered up the courage to inform her that I produced the contents in the toilet. Uncertain of how to react, stunned by my confession, she stepped out of the bathroom. Gaining control of my sanity felt impossible. What was happening to me? I pressed two fingers against my neck, my pulse was thumping like a kick drum. Moments later, my mother entered the bathroom wearing a glove on one of her hands. She reached into the toilet and picked up the membrane with the hand equipped with the glove.

 As a science professor, she was accustomed to occurrences that rendered no explanation. I had seen my mother angry, sad, joyful, but I had no answer for what she was expressing. For all I knew, she felt just as nauseated as I did. My mother turned to me with a gaunt expression and dropped the membrane in the toilet. She held the wall as she stepped out of the bathroom. I rubbed my stomach as a wave of nausea spiraled through me. With a desperate attempt, I shot up from the floor and put my head over the toilet. My gag reflex forced a thick, black gelatin substance to seep out of my throat. My mother ran back into the bathroom on the phone with my father. My muscles contracted as the black substance unforgivingly took its time to come out.

 My mother held my hand while I fought to breathe. Eventually the substance cleared and I collapsed back onto the floor, weary. Every subtle movement triggered a surge of spasms that gripped my abdomen. I could hear my father over the phone trying to understand what was taking place. My mother checked my body temperature. It was slowly rising. Too exhausted to roll over, my mother anchored her arms under my armpits and helped me to sit back up against the tub. She affirmed that my father was on the way to take me to the hospital. In the meantime, she grabbed a wet cloth and pressed it against my head and chest to keep me cool.

 Not long after, I heard my father come through the front door of the house and made his way into the bathroom to witness a concerning sight. A son sweating profusely and in agony. When my father looked into the toilet, a gasp escaped him. Just before his arrival, the membrane had erupted. An army of tiny black frogs were floating in the water atop each other. The largest in the army sat still as a statue, flexing his vocal sac. In haste, my father helped me up to my feet and carried me out to the car. The agony in my stomach hindered me from walking. My mother helped me to get my shoes on my feet in the backseat while my father peeled out of the driveway. There was an urgency that I’d never seen my dad drive with. The passing cars, lights and buildings faded into a blur as I floated in and out of consciousness. I uttered, “I went to Rehmi’s house for dinner the other night.” My mother’s eyes widened, disdain filled my father’s face. I knew the sudden anguish bloomed at the thought of Rehmi’s father.

 Rehmi was one of my closest friends but his father had an obsession with exotic dining, always looking for unusual delicacies. It was uncommon for their household to eat chicken, beef, rice, pork on a more frequent basis, instead, they ate things like crickets, duck bladder, lamb brains, and beaver liver as Rehmi shared with me. I was always invited over for dinner but my parents were serious about where I ate, especially Rehmi’s house. My mother constantly reminded me, “You can’t eat at everybody’s house,” and would proceed to lecture me on the cleanliness of people’s houses and different ways people prepared food. It made sense to an extent but I knew she was more concerned about the food at Rehmi’s than anywhere else.

 A few days ago, Rehmi invited me over to his house for dinner after we bowled a few games at AMF Bowling. He convinced me that his father was cooking sausages made from goose. I figured that was as normal as it was going to get since the last invitation was for dragonfly soup. Allegedly his father was over the roof of how delicious it tasted after spending days catching them in their backyard. As usual, I tried to decline the offer but I was running out of excuses and told him that I was still full from eating fries at the bowling alley, which was the furthest thing from the truth. Rather than be honest, I offended him and he told me forget about it. In the moment, I felt like a terrible friend so I quickly changed my mind and told him I would join his family for a meal.

 When I walked in the house, the first room was the dining room. Four plates were set around a table. The spread consisted of bread rolls in a pan, grilled goose sausages and a dish covered by a metal lid sitting at the end of the table. Rehmi’s father was so thrilled at my attendance that he insisted I try a surprise he had waiting for me before we began the main course. Already aware of his obsession, I felt like I’d made a mistake accepting the invitation but I kept an open mind, maybe a little too open because I wasn’t ready for what Rehmi’s father had in store for me.

 Rehmi’s father stood up from his seat and picked up the small dish that was covered by the shiny metal lid and brought it over to me. I asked what was underneath and he responded with, “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, enjoy.” Reluctant, I removed the lid. A pungent stink filled my nostrils. The odor was absolutely horrible but what sat on the plate nearly tarnished my appetite. Two off-white, bulb-shaped membranes sat in the middle of the plate. I tried to keep my stomach strong but I was having a hard time. At the end of the table, Rehmi’s father gazed with a wicked smile, “Try it.”  I turned to Rehmi, who looked even more like his father as he bared the same sinister grin. I picked up the indistinguishable delicacy. It nearly slipped out of my hand as I plopped it into my mouth.

 With a cautious bite, the mystery meal exploded, filling my mouth with a slimy substance. The tough texture made it impossible to chew. Some things are so horrendous that that’s the only way you can describe them. My eyes swelled with tears as I exercised my jaws to break down the chewy delicacy. This ordeal was enough to make me want to leave but it was too late. Rehmi’s father leaned in, eager to get my opinion. I wanted to fix my mouth and say, You’re a sick individual. What’s wrong with you? But instead, I told him the truth. The real shock came when he revealed that I’d ingested frog ovaries. Rehmi’s father encouraged me to finish the other piece or it would bring bad luck. Ovaries? Goose sausage couldn’t eradicate the taste that coated my taste buds. It was rather odd that Rehmi’s father would go to such extremes to cleanse his family’s digestive system with frog ovaries.

 Ironically the following morning, I had spells of abdominal cramps so intense that I could only find comfort laying in the fetal position. My body temperature fluctuated several times throughout the day. Later in the evening I eventually passed a stool that brought minor relief but little did I know my fate was sealed.

 My father drove up to the emergency room drop off terminal and rushed inside to grab a wheelchair. My mother wheeled me inside asking for immediate assistance. A nurse escorted me to an empty room and began checking my vitals. My mother filled out the forms. My blood pressure was high with a fever and elevated heart rate that was gradually climbing. The nurse stepped out and ordered an I.V.

 At the same time, a doctor entered the room and asked me about what I was experiencing. My explanation made him wonder as he instructed me to turn over onto my back. He pressed his fingers against my stomach and felt a bulge present underneath the surface. It was firm and shifted to the lower portion of my abdomen. I shrieked in pain, clutching his wrist, clinching my teeth. The doctor ordered the nurse to prepare an ultrasound to get a look what was creeping inside my abdomen. In the meantime, my parents bombarded the doctor with a series of questions, anxious to know what was troubling me. He assured them that him and his team of nurses were going to get to the bottom of the situation.

 Within minutes, a nurse rolled in an ultrasound machine. She gently lifted my shirt, as to be cautious not to disrupt what was nesting inside me. The doctor stood close by monitoring the procedure. The nurse took a plastic tube of ultrasound gel and squeezed some out onto my stomach, pressing the transducer on top of it and spreading it around. A wave of spasms gripped my stomach once again, more aggressively this time. The bulge split in two, surging around violently. I pushed the nurse back instinctively trying to curl up and endure the pain. Hollering made no difference as the doctor and other nurses fought to keep me still. The nurse I pushed away proceeded with checking my stomach as an image displayed on the screen of the ultrasound machine.

 Tiny little black pod shaped organisms swimming by the hundreds or thousands. As the nurse scrolled the transducer over my intestines, they made a grave discovery of larger tadpoles slithering around my guts, and back into my stomach cavity. A piercing agony erected through my chest that robbed me of my breathe. Right after, the bulge grew to the size of a basketball and forced its way up my diaphragm, creating a pressure so great that my ribs broke. Frantic from horror, the doctor ordered his team to prep an operating room and rushed me to the O.R.

 Fluorescent white panels glared down on me as I was rushed down the hallway. My vision turned hazy as I caught glimpses of the faces staring at me. Soon as I entered the operating room, the nurses were quick and careful to move me onto the table. Shaking violently, the team fought to hold me down. The bulge in my chest traveled up my throat, clogging my esophagus. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I could no longer breathe. A thick black plasma seeped from every opening in my face. My eyes, mouth, nose, and ears flooded with the black slime. My jaws snapped as thick foot-long tadpoles punctured through my mouth erratically falling out onto the floor squirming around. Nurses screamed as they jumped back at what they were witnessing. Nurses from outside spectated at the gruesome episode taking place before their eyes. Tiny tadpoles escaped through my nose and eyes, sheeting my face in the plasma. A massive bullfrog crawled out of my mouth and hopped onto the floor. Several other species of frogs crawled out of any available opening. My face was stretched and deformed as an army of frogs inhabited the operating room. I lay limp on the gurney as the O.R. staff panicked and locked down the area to prevent the frogs from spreading.

I found myself attracted to the walls, floors, and windows that glistened around me when I touched down in Ekxo Square. It was no wonder why it was nicknamed “The City of Essence.” Every aspect of matter had a subtle radiance to it like the twinkling stars of the cosmos. People who’ve visited this place said it was undoubtedly the most unusual experience they’ve ever had. There was no place on Earth like Ekxo Square. It attracted people from all over the world to witness the phenomena: portals that bridged alternate universes. While I waited for my luggage at baggage claim, I got my first dose of the mysteries that were embedded in this city when a portal spawned. It felt like the world froze as everyone gazed at the spontaneous shimmer of light that emerged into reality, stretching and formulating into a parallelogram-shaped screen. I stood back as the light strobed. The portal emitted no sound as the center of it disintegrated, leaving only an outline of the shape in the middle of the baggage claim. The portal appeared mirror-like. My eyes glanced at all the faces around me; some remained with no reaction and others sat with their mouths agape. Other onlookers walked away while others kept on spectating. A bold few even moved closer to see if what was happening was actually real.

A woman took a camera out of her bag and snapped a picture of her reflection in the portal. She stepped closer until she was directly in front of it. She waved at herself, made faces, and jumped up and down. Then the edges of the portal ignited like a flare. The woman retreated with the other onlookers, bracing for the unexpected. We all watched the portal tilt until it was on a horizontal axis. A pair of socks dropped out of it, then a toothbrush fell out next. The portal hovered towards the ceiling and expanded. Eyes watched cautiously. Suddenly, luggage and clothes spilled out, crashing onto the floor. Everything from toothpaste, lotions, colognes, perfumes, snacks, condoms, cigarettes, diapers, baby powder, medications littered the middle of the baggage claim. Things fell from the portal for a couple minutes before it vanished with no sign that it ever existed.

It looked like a tornado ripped through the room. Myself, along with others, rummaged through the pile in search of our belongings. I found my luggage buried underneath several piles of suitcases. Some of my clothes hung out of it but a lot them were missing. I stuffed what I had left into my carry-on bag and went downstairs to catch a cab. Perplexed by the occurrence back at the baggage claim, it slipped my mind that I was supposed to call my friend Rina. I decided to call her when I got to where I would be staying. When we reached the city, the cab dropped me off on the corner of Durby and Beltonvue, just twenty minutes outside of downtown, and only a ten-minute walk from Essence Park.

I walked the strip that led to my hotel. The sky was clear of any clouds, but parts of it would periodically ripple and morph into a reflective state, just like the portal I saw back at the airport. It mirrored the city below. Shiny, glass and chrome high-rises stretched across downtown. I witnessed as two of the colossal buildings changed to a goldish hue. Above, the sky had made a portal, casting a sheet of golden light over them. This wasn’t like anything I had ever seen in my lifetime, but most people on the strip went about, unfazed by the single spectrum that I gawked at. Halfway through the strip, I arrived at a hotel called Rouge Comforts.

I walked up the stoop and pressed a buzzer. A voice from the intercom on the wall asked for my name. Once I identified myself, a latch clicked from the door. I entered the lobby. A French woman in a velvet scarf greeted me. She said, “Hello William, I’m Ms. Donna Rouge and welcome to my hotel. I’m glad you will be staying here, you’re bound to have a relaxing visit.” Ms. Rouge was quite nice. She showed me to my room on the top floor. It was cozy. A single queen-sized bed rested against the wall with a nightstand next to it. On top of the dresser was a small fridge and a microwave. A small table with two chairs sat in front of the window that had a view of the strip.

Ms. Rouge said, “There’s an extra blanket in the closet, along with towels and a pair of house slippers. Hot breakfast is from seven to nine and lunch is at two. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a ring.” Ms. Rouge handed me the key to my room and went back downstairs. I settled in and looked through the clothes I had left over. My favorite pair of jeans were still good and I had some sweat pants that I could relax in. I also still had a few T-shirts and what I was wearing. I jumped in the shower and freshened up since I still had an hour until lunch. I walked over to my bed and sat down. It was comfortable and had just the kind of firmness I looked for in a good mattress. I laid back and rested my eyes until it was time for lunch.

Downstairs, in the dining area, a table sat in the middle of the room with trays of food, silverware, plates, and drinks. There was steamed broccoli, beef stew, white rice, salad, and bread rolls. I hadn’t eaten since before I left for my flight, so I loaded up my plate and went to town as soon as I sat down. A robust collection of flavors soared through my taste buds. The rice was cooked to perfection and the beef was succulent. I sliced my bread in half and spread some butter onto it. When I bit into the bread, it melted on my tongue like warm sugar. I don’t know who Ms. Rouge got to cook the food but they outdid themselves and I was greatly satisfied to eat something that tasted like a home cooked meal. Lunch hit the spot. As much as my body wanted to get back in the bed after eating, I fought it off and gave Rina a call.

Rina was just getting out of a dance class when I spoke to her. We agreed to me up later that evening around eight o’clock. I caught a cab to a bar called Tiick Tockk on 32nd ST. Clocks in a variety of sizes and designs hung on the walls and from the ceiling. There were so many clocks, that a ticking sound melodied underneath the music playing in the bar. I spotted Rina sitting in a booth. She was fair skinned and had her auburn colored, curly hair tied in a bun. When she spotted me walking towards the table, she shot out of the booth and gave me a warm hug. Rina was my best friend and I was in love with her, but she didn’t know that. We met at a swim camp when we were teenagers and been close ever since.

She said, “I’m glad you finally made it out here. What do you think about what you’ve seen so far?”

I said, “Rina where am I? Because I still can’t believe half of the things I’ve seen already. One moment I’m waiting on my bag to come off the plane and the next moment this mirror just appears out of thin air. It threw up my stuff and everybody else’s all over the floor. I have to get a whole new suitcase now.”

Rina chuckled and said, “It’s not uncommon that portals pop up in public places. They’re unpredictable. You’re lucky you just lost a suitcase. It could have been worse.” “How do people live here with something as strange as this going on?” She said,“Because there’s more beauty in the unknown than what meets the eye. Growing up here gives you something you’ll never be able to get anywhere else. It tests your mind. You ask yourself things like, “What’s on the other side of this physical realm we walk on?” I said, “Do you ever know what’s going to come out of the portals?”

She said, “No. Sometimes nothing comes out and they just stay until they vanish.” “Can you see through them?” She said, “All you can see is a reflection of this world when they manifest. Theirs accounts of people going through portals but they were never heard of again. You have to walk with a heightened sense of awareness here because theirs even been cases of people accidently walking through portals because they weren’t paying attention, so they disappeared.”

I said, “Why don’t they just send a camera into one or something?” “Come on, you don’t think they’ve tried that? I read an article a week ago about one of the research bases that studied the portals was shutting down. They’re running out of money because every piece of equipment they’ve sent into the portals either became disrupted or destroyed seconds after entering. The president of the base said they will no longer, quote on quote, “throw money away into thin air.” I just shook my head and said, “That’s the odd thing, it just popped up. There was no warning or bell, or alarm, it just showed up, did its thing, and vanished.” She assured that what I had saw was very real.

Rina knew a lot about the portals but she didn’t let their mysterious nature clog her conscious. I was still trying to wrap my mind around all of it. I said, “What about the marathon? Are there going to be any portals that interfere with it?” She took a sip of her drink, and with a smile on her face said, “Anything is possible but you should stop worrying about it so much. Whatever happens is meant to happen, until then, enjoy the greatest city in the world. Live it up, you’re in Ekxo Square. Its already introduced itself to you at the airport, now it wants you to enjoy all of its unique spectacles that it’s known for.” That’s one thing I admired about Rina, she never stressed over things that she knew she had no control over, even if it meant vanishing into something you could easily miss. We had a couple more drinks before we took a stroll through downtown.

At night, Ekxo Square was very lively. Meteor showers raced across the sky, buildings pulsated and strobed like neon, portals of various shapes and sizes dashed through the air into other portals, and glaring beams of light would briefly illuminate the sky like lightning. The atmosphere made me feel like I was at the climax of a fireworks show. On the corner, a duo played djembes. People danced to the pumping rhythms. Rina grooved her way to the center of the small gathering and began to shake her hips. She rolled her neck and wrists as she vogued. Rina snatched the spotlight as people cheered her on. She glanced at me and waved for me to come and dance with her. I dipped through the crowd and danced with Rina.

Our hips moved in sync as we grinded and two stepped. Another couple joined the center of the circle and showed off their flavorful salsa skills. Things heated up as Rina and I found

ourselves in the middle of a dance battle. I shuffled across the sidewalk with some prime footwork. The crowd cheered and clapped their hands. Rina followed with a rapid flare of pirouettes, then dived back onto the pavement into a death drop. The crowd erupted. Our spontaneous competition busted out a series of complex twists, turns, and dips that made my head spin. The guy threw his counterpart over his head and caught her with one had. Then he let go as she dropped, cradling her by her waist and leg before she could hit the ground, which allowed her to finish the routine in a phenomenal pose.

Residents in the surrounding buildings spectated from their windows and balconies, cheering as he helped his partner to her feet. Impressed by each other’s talents, we shook hands and hugged in good spirits. At the end of the night, I walked Rina to her place. To save some money, I decided to take in the immaculate scenery that Ekxo Square had to offer as I walked back to the hotel. When I was buzzed in, I found my Ms. Rouge sitting in the lobby working on a crossword puzzle.

I tried to remain quiet while I walked to the elevator but she called me over to sit with her. She said, “How did you enjoy your first night out in the town?” I told her that it was an eventful evening. Ms. Rouge closed her crossword puzzle and leaned forward. “This is a spectacular place, but you must be careful. There’s something that’s going to happen and you must take care of yourself at all cost.” I sat puzzled, unclear of what she was getting at.

I said, “Could you elaborate? What’s going to happen?” She sat quietly for a moment before saying “I’ve lived here my whole life and have seen Ekxo Square change over the years.” She told me about how the portals showed up spontaneously, and how all the other antics that went on with them wasn’t as bad back when she was younger. It was just a rare phenomenon that only a few people witnessed, but overtime, portals started to occur more. She recalled taking the train one morning on her way back from visiting her family, that she looked out the window and saw a portion of the forest missing. As the train turned through the valley, she could see the reflection of the train and the forest, and realized a portal had formed in the midst of the trees.

Ms. Rouge went on tell me that she didn’t have a timetable on what was allegedly going to happen but she reminded me to keep a watchful eye when venturing around the city. I went back to my room with Ms. Rouge’s words on my mind. I sat by the window looking up at the sky. Then the most remarkable thing happened. I left my room and headed outside. I stood on the stoop and gazed up at the portals that were flaring up. They burned in different colors, then merged together, casting a reflection over the entire sky. The mass phenomena stretched miles over the city. Everyone on the strip stared up at the sky watching tiny versions of themselves above. Seconds later, the reflection in the sky turned hazy, and faded away, returning the sky back to normal. I returned to my room and got some rest.

Rina and I grabbed breakfast the following morning at a place called Wake-Up Cafe. I had a breakfast melt with some orange juice and she had Eggs Benedict. Over our meal, I asked her if she had seen the portal in the sky last night. At that time, she was already asleep but she mentioned that it was the first thing she heard about when she woke up because it went viral hours after. The spectacle from last night was the biggest to occur in the metropolitan area of

Ekxo Square. I also told her about the strange conversation I had with Ms. Rouge and the prophecy she declared to me.

Rina said, “That’s nonsense. Remember what I said the other night that if anything happens, then it’s meant to? Meteorologist predict when it’s going to rain but they can’t tell you when and where the next portal is going to pop up, so I wouldn’t even listen to anything she has to say. How would she know anyway?”

I said, “What if she knows what she’s talking about Rina? You didn’t see how she looked at me.” Rina zoned out, eyes stuck to my plate.

“What?” I uttered. She pointed and said, “You going to eat that toast?” I said, “Nah, take it.” She bit into the dry, crumby bread. “You don’t want any butter or anything? I have some jelly right here.” Rina shook her head and went on munching. All I could do was laugh. Eating dry toast was Rina in a nutshell. Random, spontaneous, plain, exciting, all in one person. I said, “How could you eat plain toast?” She said, “Well it’s edible, there’s nutritional value, I like bread.” She shrugged. I said, “Valid point.” We both started laughing. Rina looked at me seductively and bit off a corner of the toast. She was so silly but I admired everything about her. We paid our bills when we finished eating and went to the shore.

Ekxo Square’s shore was a unique spot, not only for its scenic quality, but for the landmark that erected from the middle of the ocean, a 118-foot concrete tusk that was partially eroded at its base. I put some money in the tower viewer to get a closer look at the piece. Rina and I rented a tandem bike and rode down to the carnival at the end of the pier. A carny waved a flag, attracting people to an apple bobbing stand. Rina ran over and paid a couple dollars. “You up for a little friendly competition?” said Rina. I accepted her challenge and watched her go first. The carny set the timer for one minute. Rina dunked her head into the plastic tub and bobbed for the apples. She came up with four and bragged about it. I stepped up to the other tub and prepared myself. She winked at me and said, “Good luck!” “Winners don’t need luck.”, I said jokingly. The carny started the timer and I started fishing for the apples. I came up with six and gloated right back to her. The carny gave me the choice to pick a prize off the wall behind him. I took an Ekxo Square T-shirt. Rina was a good sport and congratulated me. Once it started to get late, we sat on the beach and watched the waves. In the midst of the ocean, a portal illuminated a few feet in front of us. We watched our reflection.

Rina got up and approached it. She looked at me in the reflection and told me to come over. Reluctant, I made my way over and stood next to her. I wrapped my arm around her. She leaned her head on my shoulder. I looked at her eyes in the reflection. I kissed her on her forehead. She said, “I still think about the day we first met. No one ever stood up for me like the way you did.” I said, “I know what it feels like to be bullied. It sucks, you know?” She said, “It’s sad how people pick at you, judge you, and bring you down without knowing a single thing about you, just hurt you because you look different from how they look.” “Kids can be cruel.” I said.

“You weren’t though. Thank you for being nice to me.” said Rina. Suddenly, the edges of the portal ignited blue and widened. We stood back as we watched the portal morph into a spherical shape, drifting upward above the shore. The spherical portal rippled and burst into a down pour of precipitation, drenching us. We spent the rest of our time on the shore and watched the sunset before heading back into the city.

Runners waited in line outside the entrance of Essence Park to pick up their numbers for the marathon. I stood by the lake stretching and getting focused for the distance that awaited me. Rina picked up her number and headed over to the starting line. Other runners did the same in bunches. I wished Rina good luck before the race started. “I’ll see you at the finish line.” I said once Rina glanced at me. “See you when you get there.” she said with a smile.

The announcer spoke over the microphone, instructing all the runners to move to the starting line. I shortly found myself surrounded by a swarm of runners, all keeping their bodies loose. I kicked my legs around, rolled my neck and shook out my hands. The nerves settled a bit but I was ready to get the show on the road. I took one last look at Rina, and gave her a thumbs- up. The moment finally arrived. “Alright everyone, take your positions. On your mark…get set…POW!” At the sound of gun, everyone took off like the running of the bulls in Spain. I jogged with a steady pace, one foot in front of the other, eyes glued to the back of the heads in front of me. Running long distances was therapeutic in a way. It was a way for me to meditate. I took control of my breathing and pushed my way pass other runners. And when it got tough, I brought my mind to other things to keep me motivated, like my best friend, who was a few strides behind me.

Just pass the six-mile mark, a portal emerged in the sky. The path fed into a grove which gave some much needed shade for a mile. At the end of the stretch of oak trees, the portal had grown, covering a quarter of the park, and steadily expanded towards downtown. It was similar to the massive portal that grew over the city last night. The conversation I had with Ms. Rouge creeped into my thoughts. I looked back and Rina had fallen behind in the now scattered pool of runners. Those who had slowed down started to trickle away from the head of the pack. At the checkpoint up ahead volunteers handed out water. A guy in a “THE GAME” shirt handed me a cone-shaped cup of water. I discarded my cup in the designated garbage can. Another portal swallowed another region of the sky as it generated over the other end of the park. It grew like cells before it finally merged with the portal that was covering downtown. Concerned I stopped running and waited for Rina to catch up. A few minutes later, she showed up to the water stand, gulping down her cone-shaped cup in a swig. She jogged past me and said, “Tired already?” I matched her pace and said, “Do you see the sky?” She looked at it with no serious reaction to follow and said, “I see it, focus on the race. Come on.” As much as I was on the verge of losing my cool, I tried to keep my mind centered on my breathing. After all, the portal in the sky last night was huge but it disappeared soon after. When I glanced at the sky, I could see the surface looking down on me. Every traffic light, airplane, bird, building, and civilian within a 12-mile radius was mirrored above. Rina looked up and said, “How much you wanna bet I could spot us up there?” I knew Rina knew there was no way she could see that far and was just trying to get me to realize that nothing had happened. I said, “If

you find us, I’ll give you twenty bucks. We crossed a rickety wooden bridge that sat over a pond and then a scream fired out from the other side of the park. Some runners stopped, wondering what might have caused such a horrific cry. Across the park was a blue diamond-shaped portal floating in the middle of a field. It rotated in a centrifuge type motion. A yellow eyeball appeared in the center of the diamond, looking around aimlessly, like it was peeking into our world. Even Rina could not discern what was going on and looked baffled. The blue diamond portal drifted across the field and duplicated into three other diamond-shaped portals alike. Copies of the portals spawned eyes with different colors. Suddenly, the enormous portal in the sky regurgitated a barrage of portals in a myriad of shapes and sizes. Some remained stationary, other ones drifted down towards the city. One of the portals expanded above the park and became intensely blinding to the eye, radiating like the sun. The air became dry and hot. My body was already overwhelmed from running for miles and I felt like I was about to faint from the sudden heat. Sweat flooded from my pores profusely. I ran for the pond to try and cool off. It was so hot the pond water had warmed.

Some people fainted around the park. The portal transformed into a black pit and the temperature became frigid. I ran over to Rina. She was light headed. I helped her over to a bench. “We need to go.” I said. She looked at me and then her eyes widened, focused on the sky. Behind me a cluster of boulder-sized comets fell out of the portal in the sky. Boulders crashed into the streets, buildings, and cars. Rina and I took off running as fast as we could for two massive comets were headed for us. I heard screams, car alarms, and the echo of the damage that just took place. Then the worst happened. The two boulders slammed into the park. Dirt and debris surged through the park like a tsunami. I couldn’t see where I was running and Rina and I became separated. I didn’t stop running even though my vision was nearly invisible.

Then out of nowhere, a force threw me from my feet, projecting me through the air. I flew with a speed that I couldn’t measure. I slammed hard against the ground, flopping like a rag doll. Ringing breached my ears. I opened my eyes and there was dust everywhere. The ringing slowly started to dampen as the sounds of screams in agony took over. Everything was a blur and I couldn’t figure out where I was. I succumbed to the smell of burning foliage and wood. Flesh too. A sheet of black smoke reigned over several blocks. My left leg felt like I had an anvil tied to it and had no feeling in it. Screams faded in and out of my ears. With the little strength I had, I sat myself up on my forearms that were battered and scraped. I screamed out for Rina but all I could hear were the agonizing pleads for help.

A man ran to my aid and told me not to move. Disoriented, I tried fighting him off as he tried to get me to stay still, which took all the energy out of me. My head fell back, weak. I passed out moments later. In the darkness of my subconscious, I heard someone yelling “Stay with me!” over and over again but I couldn’t come to. My mind became filled with periodic muffles of sirens, flames crackling, alarms and horns. Then I heard something that I was all too familiar to me. In the midst of all the chaos that was unveiling, I heard someone scream my name. My name faded in and out between other people demanding to stay away from me. Someone out there was calling for me but I was too distraught to figure it out.

My conscious drifted to the memory of Rina and I at the shore. I re-experienced the moment of us sitting on the beach accept that a swell engulfed us. Submerged under the deep

blue, I witnessed a flickering shimmer of light peeking through the surface. I swam towards it and discovered that I came out of a wall of water. Rina stood there on the sand. She looked as beautiful as ever. I walked up to her and we hugged. She said, “You worry too much, you know?” with a big smile on her face. I said, “I only worry because I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She didn’t say anything. We stood in a whirlpool of haze with our arms wrapped around one another. I said, “Rina, I know we said we would always be upfront with each other but there’s something I have to tell you.” Her eyes locked on mine with a glow, curious of what it was I had to say. “I am in love with you and I always have been. If the world ended tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to let go if I didn’t have you there next to me. But I know that time has come.” Rina’s eyes flooded with tears as she held on to me. “Don’t go. I told you what’s meant to happen will happen but this is not it. You can’t do this to me.” I wrapped my arms around her like a vice. I didn’t say anything because my fate was sealed but I was ready to let go because the one thing I needed to get off my chest was out. All of a sudden, a portal opened up behind Rina. She stepped backwards to stand in front it and put out her hand. I took it. She stepped backwards into the portal and I went with her.

As we stepped through the other side, we found ourselves in a world where a giant canyon stretched on for what seemed like forever. A constant breeze blew at us. Occasionally ominous hums would echo through the atmosphere at various pitches and tempos. The ground was soft and powdery like grinded chalk; soft enough that I couldn’t feel my foot pressing against the surface. There was no sun or moon, just glimmers of the nebulas that surrounded us. Rina made her way over to the edge of the canyon. I trailed behind her. Inside the canyon were clusters of raw diamonds embedded into the walls. Rina and I walked along the canyon. A river of crystal clear water flowed through the bottom of the canyon. Rina jumped and floated down into the canyon as lightly as a feather. I jumped down next to her and we walked along the stream to get a closer look at the diamonds. I felt like a mouse compared to the canyon. We ventured further and heard a loud whistling sound echo through the air. A winged creature with bright blue wings that looked like blossoms soared over us.

  January 28, 2015.

It worries me sometimes. That feeling of sitting for hours trying to figure out what it is I'm trying to figure out. When I woke up this morning, my phone read "11:20" a.m. I forced myself up so I could start my day. What I really wish the situation was, was me actually getting up to start my day to direct a film that I wrote. At this very moment, I feel like a piece of me is missing and I don't know where it is. I spend a lot of time worrying about the wrong things sometimes. I won't follow that sentence up with an excuse like "I'm human" because that is not honest.  I have found myself at times putting more effort in a mindset of worrying about "who is she?" and not worrying about where I'm going. Some of the habits are bullshit. Indulging in alcoholic beverages is fun and smoking is meditative but it won't get me anywhere right now. It's the truth. I should stop indulging. I have MORE than what most people will ever have. I see it, I know it but I'm failing to fully understand it. I'm able to PAINT PICTURES WITH WORDS, even when I don't feel. The feeling of being numb is ironic when you're aware of it. It's easy to move past that awareness when you can dig up enough discipline to focus on the gift embedded within you...

And like that, the spark goes off...

The lyrics that flicker in my ears from my taste in melodies oils up the gears in my mind. Now I can share with you what I see through the eye. Now I can open up my memory box and realize all the things people in my generation worry about. I'm no JUDGE nor am I my Creator. So I say, I hope someday those who have yet to find, will find their Third Eye. Looking through it can save their lives, hopefully help their lives. Hopefully it can help them to realize all the people they look at as DIFFERENT are actually significant people. Those who they see as inferior due to the lack of consistent purchases with numbers holding 3 digits, will be seen and understood as someone who is superior to that. I don't question those of the female gender on the amount of skin they choose to flaunt or how many times a day they flaunt on their various social medias. That's none of my business. But may they find their Third Eye amongst all the isms that exist among us. May I pray for all the things they will be blinded with when they find their Third Eye. Let them be able to sustain themselves through all the images, ideas and fears the people who make up our backyard and their social circles ever had about them. I say, if you are one of those people, BRACE YOURSELF for the aftermath because you will change. I hope for the better. And don't fear change, it's a part of human nature. Accepting change moves us forward, fighting it holds us back. I'm aware of this too. I still have avenues that I walk down but I'm not opposed to things that will change in my life. I welcome them and I believe you should too. Sometimes I feel sorry for my generation and the direction it's already going in but I commend those who are not like me but just as DIFFERENT. I try to learn as much as I can gradually. And it's those with the THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH EYE'S who I enjoy meeting, talking to, getting to know and most importantly learning from.