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.