I was heading back to the dorm.
A couple of drinks and
smokes at a party.
Music playing the latest hits,
bodies closed in a single room,
hallways full of chatter and
drunk flirtation,
brewing the perfect spirit
of mistakes.
It was fun, freeing.
For once, I felt normal.
My hair was down,
coils in every direction,
clothes loose,
off the shoulder,
mini skirt.
Alcohol stained my breath,
aiding the battle
against the cold.
I felt like a somebody
for once.
It was elevating
to hear my name
rolling off their tongues
without it being attached
to a person or title.
I was walking with my friends,
Emila, Mariano, and Raz,
debating a missing person’s
case…now urban legend.
Moshe Hampdole,
Crystal Rivers University
dime piece disappeared
in 1996.
His ghost is said to appear
in the woods where
he was last seen.
On dark nights,
when the moon is at its highest.
His ghost would appear in
the middle
where the shines the
brightest like a halo.
A strange tingling
sensation began
in the pits of
my stomach.
It felt like
acid was slowly
burning through my
intestines.
I closed my eyes for a moment,
willing for it to go away.
“It jus’ doesn’ make sense. It
has to be a coverup.” Emila
said, chewing on a stick
she got from a partier. “There’s
evidence of him being around
here waaay af’er the missin’
person report.”
We cut through the woods,
a shortcut was found
during our orientation.
Our shoes slowly being
caked with mud.
“Now that I think about it…
you’re onto something Pinkie.”
Raz joked as they stomped ahead.
Emila rolled her eyes, thanking
Mariano for helping her avoid
a tumble.
I stopped,
watching everyone
get further away.
The burning
turned into a sauna
slowly rising in
temperature.
I shrugged off my
black kimono cardigan,
trying to cool off
in the cooling
weather.
My heart began to
pound in my ears,
sweat dripping off
my forehead in
pools,
breathe shallow
as I sunk to my knees.
My forehead laid
against the cold ground
as it became too much.
Hazy vision as everything
spun around me.
I feel sick.
I closed my eyes once
more,
moments ticked by
then nothing.










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