each night as i lay alone in the dark

He crept up to me.

there was nowhere for me to run

nowhere for me to hide

i was all alone.

He held a gleaming knife in his hand,

but He did not strike.

He used His words instead.

night after night He told me i was worthless.

He told me the world would be better without me and I should just leave. no one wanted me.

i asked Him why he didn’t just kill me Himself.

He said it wasn’t His job,

which led me to believe-

it was mine.

can you murder yourself? i wonder.

first degree murder means a carefully planned killing.

and i’ve laid here so many nights and wished to be gone. thought of ways to escape.

on the bright afternoon when i stood with the handful of pills in my fist

i learned that yes,

you can murder yourself.

i did.

i feel that He murdered my soul long before i murdered my body,

but that doesn’t matter now.

He moved on to the souls of my friends and family, the people who cared about me.

He now visits them when they are alone at night

and tells them they should’ve done more for me.

they could’ve stopped this.

how could i have been so selfish to leave them alone with Him?

i hear their sobs muffled in a damp pillow.

i told myself i was doing them a favor by leaving.

i used that to justify my actions.

i simply wanted to escape Him.

selfishly i abandoned them.

what started out as a simple homicide has turned into a slow massacre.

i murdered myself. but with that He was not satisfied.

now He murders the souls of the people who love me.

He murders their happiness, their dreams, their security, their comfort.

He takes it all away, until they are left asking the same questions i was.

i wonder how long this will go on, this circle of murdered souls leading one to the other.

it could have ended with me. but i did not know.

i did not know that it was possible to overcome Him.

if one person had reached out to me, told me that they knew and understood, told me that i could defeat Him, i might still be here.

but no one ever did.

my last saving grace is being able to tell you my story.

i hope it opens your eyes.

He spares no one. He often haunts people we least expect.

it seems that so often the ones who cry the most tears at night have none left for the morning.

they don’t want to bother people with their pain.

i know, because i was the same way.

but now you know. so you have no excuse.

be there for those who hurt. if you are hurt, go to someone who cares.

i promise it will not be in vain.

you’re saving a multitude of murdered souls.

Her blonde hair catches the sunlight just right as she looks up and smiles at me. I have always loved the way her hair turned gold in the sun. It always reminds me that as long as I have her, I’ll have all the riches I’ll ever need.

“Dad,” she says, “will you play with me?”

I smile and put down my research. I am busy, but Ellie’s contagious smile is not something I can easily resist. Besides, playing with my daughter is always far from boring.

When she was young, she was diagnosed with the rare mental disease of Schizophrenia. This causes her to not always be able to distinguish reality from fantasy, and she often has hallucinations. Many of them are ongoing, she has many friends that sit and talk to her when she is lonely. Many times, if I try hard enough, I am able to see them too. It is even rarer for symptoms to occur in children, and she is only 6 years old. Because of this, she will most likely never be able to live on her own. It is my job to protect her and watch over her at all costs. I am the only one who understands her. Most people would mistake her as crazy, but her wild imagination is one of my only joys. I love her more that life itself.

“What are we playing today?” I ask. I sit down on the rug beside her.

She smiles at me and says, “Sese Sleeper and Neo wanted to play tag. But I told them that it wasn’t good to run in the apartment. So they said it would be okay for us to play house. You be the dad. I’ll be the baby. Sese and Neo will be the pets. Ok?”

Sese Sleeper and Neo are some of Ellie’s friends. They always play with her when I am busy. But for the time being, I get to be a part of their game. We play for a few hours until I get a notification on my phone. I have another assignment that is urgent.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I have to go to work,” I tell Ellie.

“That’s ok. I understand,” she says.

“Maybe you can get Grandma to play with you,” I suggest.

My mother lives with us in this apartment. My dad left us when I was very young, and I know that she is still sad about it. She was never the same after he left. I always thought that Ellie would help restore her joy, as I am trying to be the best father possible to her since I know how hard it is to grow up without one. But whenever I talk about Ellie she only seems to get sadder. She never acknowledges that Ellie is there, it’s almost like she doesn’t see her. When she tries, it almost seems unnatural, as if she has to force the words out. I guess it is painful for her. My childhood was hard on her. I was always in and out of doctor’s offices growing up; because my father was convinced something was wrong with me. “That boy is not right in the head,” he would always say. Once my father left, the doctor visits stopped. I try my hardest to keep my mother happy too. I know that her life hasn’t been easy.

Ellie shrugs and goes back to playing.

I sit down at my desk. My job is not one that many people have. I am an agent for one of the government’s most top secret organizations. My job for years has been to stop an evil organization known simply as The Company. No one knows The Company’s whereabouts or who is in charge, but for whatever reason, they want to end the world. I am honored to have been selected for this job, but it is extremely frightening. If The Company ever learned my location or who I was working for, they would most likely kill me and everything I care about. I constantly have to watch my back. More than anything, I fear what will happen to Ellie if The Company ever found out where I am.

Because of this, I have to constantly watch what I say and do. I do not leave the apartment. My mother thinks it would be best for me to get out just once. I tell her that I cannot, but she begs and pleads with me. She thinks it would be good for me to get a change of scenery. I know she wants what is best for me, but she does not understand the danger I would be in if I ever left.

One day I walk into the kitchen to find my mother crying. I hate to watch her cry; it always makes me feel so helpless.

“Mom? What’s wrong?” I ask her.

She says she is worried about me. I ask her why, but she only starts crying harder. I bite my lip and look at the ground. I made a promise to myself to keep her happy.

“Would it help if I run an errand for you?” I ask. I also made a promise to myself to never leave the apartment, but I am tired of seeing my mother in such great pain. I am sure one trip to the grocery store would do no harm. There have been few sightings of The Company recently anyway.

She looks up. “Really?” she asks. I nod my head slowly.

A huge smile lights up her face. “Yes!” she says. “Yes! Oh, Michael, that would be wonderful! I’ll go get my purse right now!” She jumps up and hugs me.

I go into the living room and tell Ellie I am leaving for a few minutes, but that she should stay here in case anything happens. I want her to be safe. “Ok, Daddy,” she says and hugs me. I kiss her forehead. My mother comes over to us.

“Are you ready?” she asks. I nod my head. I am beginning to feel afraid, but I know that if I stopped now my mother would be crushed. She opens the door of our apartment and steps out. I walk to the doorway and stare into the hall. It has been years since I have stepped out of this apartment.

“Are you coming, Michael?” my mom calls to me. I hesitate, but then I see the hopeful look in her eyes. I take a deep, shaky breath and step into the hall. The hairs on the back of my neck begin to rise. I sense danger at every turn.

I walk down the hall, stopping every few steps to make sure no one is behind me. My mother looks at me worriedly. “Michael….?” She says. It is almost a whisper.

Suddenly something above her head catches my eye. My eyes widen in terror. “Mom! Look out!” I scream. “Get down now!”

She looks at me but does not move. “Michael, what’s wrong?” she says.

I point a shaky finger at the black object on the ceiling above her head. “The Company!” I yell. “I knew they were spying on me! I knew they were! They’ve found my location! They have a camera right there! I knew they were spying on me! They’re going to eliminate me! I have to protect Ellie!” I hastily turn to go back to the apartment.

My mom grabs me and looks into my eyes. “Michael,” she says. Her eyes look sad. “Those cameras aren’t from The Company. They’re the security cameras for the apartment complex. No one is spying on you.”

I grab the sides of my head and rock back and forth. Maybe she’s right. Maybe The Company hasn’t learned my location. But who else would put a camera right outside my apartment?

My mom hugs me. “Come on, Michael,” she whispers. “Let’s go downstairs. It’s okay. You’re okay.” She takes my hand and leads me to the stairs.

I’m still jumpy when we enter the lobby. My mom smiles at the lady at the front desk who looks at me oddly. Something about the way she looks at me sends warning signs through my head. Does she know? Is she an undercover worker for The Company?

I look at her computer and realize that all my suspicions have been confirmed. Another beady, black camera is pointing its lens right at me from the top of her monitor. I feel my face grow pale and my breathing begin to quicken. My eyes dart quickly around the room. Mounted on the ceiling I see another camera. And another. And another. All trained directly at me.

My mom is looking at me again with concern. She grabs my arm. I yank it away. “Don’t touch me!” I scream. “You’re one of them! You knew! You knew this whole time! This is a trap! You led me down here!” I look wildly around me for a way to escape. “Ellie!” I scream. “I have to get back to Ellie!”

I turn around and see the stairs. I sprint towards them. I vaguely hear my mother calling my name, but all I can think of is Ellie. I can’t let The Company get to her. She needs me. She needs me.

I run up the stairs and into the apartment. “Ellie!” I scream. I can’t see her. “ELLIE!”

I go into the living room and see her dolls strewn across the floor. In the middle is a note. I pick it up and read it.

You never should have left. Now you’ll have to come get her.

-The Company

Just then my mom runs into the apartment. “They took Ellie!” I yell at her. “I have to save her! They’re going to eliminate her!” I began sobbing. “This is all my fault,” I said. “I was supposed to protect her.”

I began to run out the door. “I have to go save Ellie! The Company took her!” My mother grabs me before I can make it.

“LET GO OF ME!” I scream. “I have to get to The Company! I have to save Ellie! Get off of me!”

My mother does not let go. Instead she looks at me with tears streaming down her face. “Michael,” she whispers. “You don’t have a daughter.”

I stare at her in silence. “What?” I ask.

“There’s no such thing as The Company. Your don’t have a daughter. You’ve never had a daughter!” She is sobbing now.

I stand there in silence. But I realize she is being completely serious. “LIAR!” I scream. I throw her off of me. I vaguely hear her head crack on the corner of the doorway. “Liar! You knew! You knew the whole time! You were working with them!” She lays motionless on the floor. I jump over her and go tearing through the hallway.

“ELLIE!” I yell. “Ellie! I’m coming! I’m coming!” I frantically pound on the doors. “Let me in! Give me my daughter!” I scream. Suddenly there are hands grabbing me. So many hands, from all directions. I try to fight them off.

“GET OFF OF ME!” I yell frantically. “Let me go! Where have you put my daughter? Where is she? ELLIE!” I twist and turn but the hands are strong. They pin me down.

“Let me go!” I sob. “Please let me go. I have to save my daughter. Please. Please.” But the hands stay put. I sob on the floor until I feel a sharp pain, and then everything goes black.

When I wake up, I am in a small white room strapped to a small white bed. My head feels fuzzy and my thoughts feel slow. People who I assume to be nurses come in and out of my room.

Sometime later a man comes in and talks to me. I learn that my daughter and I had something else in common- we were both Schizophrenics. When I ask about Ellie, he then goes on to tell me that my daughter wasn’t real. She was something made up in my head caused by my disease. So was The Company. I lay there in silence, unable to feel any emotion. Nothing matters anymore. Everything is pointless.

When they think I can’t hear them, the man and the nurses say that I am still convinced that my daughter is real. Every morning, they come in and make me repeat sentences, in order to “preserve my sanity” and to get me to learn how to talk again. “My name is Michael Huff. I am 35 years old. My mother’s name is Deborah Huff. I do not have a daughter. There is no such thing as The Company…”

I repeat these things without resistance, for I do not have the energy to fight. However, saying this does not mean I believe it. The papers say I am crazy, but I see it as more misunderstood. Just because no one can see my daughter does not mean she is there. Whenever I am feeling lonely, I look up at the light shining through my window and can see Ellie’s golden hair catching the light perfectly. If I close my eyes, I can hear her laughter. When I open my eyes again, she is standing over my bed. “Dad, will you play with me?” she asks.

I smile back up at her. “Of course, sweetheart.” I say. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

I am about to tell you a story that has been passed down through generations and generations. This is the story of a very special bear who fouded a very special annual tradition for bears. It all starts a long, long time ago, in the second winter on Earth. That’s right. I’m taking a REALLY long time ago.

Bear had a problem. Actually, Bear had a lot of problems. For starters, he was a bear named Bear. This might have seemed like a good idea at first, but every bear was named Bear. No joke. Nobody knew which Bear was what Bear and who’s Bear liked that Bear and Bear was mad because Bear’s girlfriend went of a date with Bear and Bear forgot about Bear’s birthday and…. well, you get the point.

But the problem Bear was having right now was that it was winter. And what Bear had figured out about winter is that none of the plants he liked to eat decided to stick around during winter. Which left Bear with no food. Which was not good.

So Bear was walking around one day and trying to figure out which Bear had kissed Bear and why Bear would think it was him when he saw this hole in the snow. He leaned over his big head and poked in his big nose, and then he smelled something. Something that smelled good. Something that made him think, whoa, why did I ever eat blueberries? Something that made him think, forget about Bear. I’m going to marry that smell. Something that made him decide, whether it was a good idea or not, I will get to the source of that smell at all costs.

So he waltzed himself right into the that hole where and adorable, fuzzy little creature sat knitting a sock. “Well, hi there, Bear. How may I help you?” he said.

“You look delicious,” Bear said.

“Excuse me?” said the fuzzy little creature. And well, let’s just say that’s the last thing he ever said.

Bear didn’t think it was possible, but the fuzzy little creature had tasted even better than it smelled. So he made himself a promise. He would hunt down every last one of those fuzzy little creatures he could find, and make them his dinner.

By the next September, nobody confused Bear with the other Bears anymore. Everyone knew that Bear. The one who went savage and ate all his neighbors.

Some believed that Bear had been driven crazy by hunger and wasn’t thinking straight. Some belived that that he had only been seeking attention and wanted a way to stand out against the other Bears. Some even believed that he had been possesed by an evil sprit who had forced him to eat the tiny woodland creatures. But mostly they believed that if they wanted to stay alive this winter, they better stay away, and think of something. Fast.

Some of the tiny woodland creatures had decided to host a meeting to discuss ideas about what-on-earth-should-we-do-what-if-Bear-tries-to-eat-us. It was called the what-on-earth-should-we-do-what-if-Bear-tries-to-eat-us meeting. They had been there a long time, and bless their little hearts they were trying to come up with some ideas, but they weren’t very good. Like one…. well, just let me show you.

“Ooh ooh ooh pick me pick me pick me!” a very annoying outgoing hare named Hare said.

“What now, Hare?” said a very tired hedgehog named Hedgehog.

“Okay okay okay so listen to this. What if we just run over to Bear really fast and scream, ‘DON’T EAT US!’ and show him how big and bad we are and be all like, ‘Come at me bro I can handle you!’ and he’ll be like, ‘Whoa, dude, sorry I ever messed with you!’ And he’ll get so scared he’ll pee his pants and won’t come anywhere close to us for the rest of the winter! HAHA! I’m a GENIUS! Come on guys, do you think it’ll work?”

A very sarcastic turtle named Turtle mumbled, “Who invited him?” and looked at Hare and said, “Do you think its gonna work?”

“Well I did, until you gave me that bad attitude, Mr. Grouchypants,” Hare said.”So, let’s hear it. What’s YOUR genius idea? Or are you to SLOW to figure one out? Hmm?”

“Oh, come here, you little-”

“I’ve got an idea,” a very polite mouse named mouse piped up. “Why don’t we try baking him some cookies? Then mabe he’ll realize we’re friendly and aren’t a threat. He also won’t get as hungry, so then he won’t have to-” She shuddered, “-eat us.”

“BEAR DOES NOT DESERVE ANY COOKIES!” Screamed Hare. “HE ATE ALL THE TINY WOODLAND CREATURES. HE-”

“Hare!” said Hedgehog.

“ALMOST ATE ME AND NOW I-”

“HARE!” screamed Hedgehog.

“Sorry,” said Hare.

“And I suppose you have a better idea?” Asked Turtle.

“Well, since when do yu listen to my ideas?” he responded. “I’ve only got one left- to try and trick him somehow.”

“Oh, Hare!” said Mouse. “That’s a really good idea!”

“It is?” said Hare. He wasn’t used to having good ideas.

“Yes! Alright. So here’s what we’ll do. Go out and dig a hole and make it look like someone’s staying there for the winter. Bear will find these holes and think one of us is in there, but really, we’ll be safe somewhere else in another hole. We can cover it up with leaves to make it look like nothing’s there. He won’t find us, only our fake holes,” Mouse finished and looked around at the circle of staring faces. She turned red and stared at the ground. She was normally very shy and didn’t like all the attention.

“Wow,” Turtle finally said. “That’s and really good idea, Mouse.”

“Yeah,” everyone else said.

“Well, come on then, you guys!” Hare said

“He’s right,” Hedgehog said. “Those holes won’t dig themselves.”

By the first snowfall, everyone had gone safely into their hidden holes and settled all nice and cozy in for the winter. Bear, on the other hand, was hungry. And he hadn’t quite forgotten the delicious taste of a squirrell or the unique fluffyness of a rabbit. So he decided to go on a little hunt.

The first hole he came to was marked HARE. Mmmmm, thought Bear. He remembered hares from last year. So, excitedly, he stuck his big head inside the hole and looked around. But no one was in there.

Probably just went for a little walk, Bear thought. He’ll be back soon.

But no one was in the next hole either. Or the next. Or the next. All winter Bear stumbled around, calling, “Food! Food, where are you?” Until one day he just fell with a thunk! into the snow and never got back up again.

So that is why, every winter, to this day, every bear around the world curls up in shame and sadly thinks about their foolish ancestor.

The End!

Ella Murray was having a bad day. No, not just a bad day, she decided. It had been a bad week. Of a terrible month. Of a long year. Of a dreadful existence.

She had spent most of her wonderfully dreadful seventeen years in Los Angeles, California. Ah yes, the City of Angels. It seemed to Ella that for a city with such a holy nickname, its appearance sure wasn’t living up to it. She hated the dirty streets, crammed with dirty people, all living their dirty lives- with not a care in the world for anyone but themselves.

So she had basically figured out over the years that if all anyone cared about was themselves, there was no one to care about her but herself. So that was all she cared about. If she felt like skipping school? She did it. If she felt like punching somebody? Who was there to stop her? She had no reason to be nice to anyone or even remotely presentable, because who was there to care?

The one person in Ella’s life that she knew cared for her was her younger sister, Paige. Ella resented Paige, with her golden blond curls and big blue eyes that could charm just about anyone she came across. Everyone loved Paige, and Ella had always been jealous of her easygoing ways and the way everyone seemed to fall in love with her at first glance. But for whatever reason, Paige had always loved Ella, admired her even, from the day she was born. Even now that Paige was 15 to Ella’s 17, she still seemed to admire Ella with the same fascination she always had.

Now they sat at the Shanghai Buffet, the family favorite for the best Chinese in town. Ella sat fuming, furious at being dragged there on a Friday night, while Paige was happily smiling and chatting with the waitress and causing stares from several of the boys around her.

“And what would we have for you this evening, Miss Ella? Would you like the usual?”

Ella looked up to find the beaming Chinese waitress staring down at her.

“I don’t see why it would matter. It’s all horse meet anyway.” Ella shot back.

“Ella.” Her mother said sternly.

The waitress chuckled nervously. “Okay, I will get you your usual."

Ella rolled her eyes and sighed. “Whatever.”

After they had eaten and the table had cleared away, the waitress came back with the tab and a pile of fortune cookies. She smiled at Ella. “Fortune cookie?” She asked, holding one out in her palm.

“If you insist,” Ella said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. She opened it up. It read:

“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.”

She rolled her eyes and sighed again. What a piece of junk. She looked up to find the waitress beaming down at her again. What was her problem?

“There is much wisdom in those words,” she said. “Learn from them.”

“Whatever you say,” Ella replied.

“Okay. You all have a good evening. Come back soon, okay?” The still beaming waitress waved cheerfully at the family as they left.

Once they were home and Ella had sealed herself in the privacy of her room, Paige came barging in, just like she always did. It drove Ella insane.

“Ever heard of the concept of knocking?” She glared at Paige. She was dressed in a flowing blouse and had curled her already perfect blond hair into little ringlets.

Paige giggled. “Sorry.”

“What occasion are you so dressed up for?” She asked scornfully.

“Oh- I have a date. That’s why I was in here. Is this blouse to casual? We’re just going to the movies. Do you think I should change or-”

“I don’t see why it would matter. They would date you if you wore nothing but a trash bag.” Ella grumbled.

“Really?” Paige beamed. She looked down at her blouse and blushed. “I guess this is ok then.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Ella said without much interest.

Paige walked over and sat next to her on the bed, uninvited as usual. “You know, you can come if you want. He has a brother. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind bringing him too.”

Ella didn’t even look up from her phone. “Yeah, that would go great. Just great. He wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off of you either, and I would be a third wheel. No, worse. A fourth wheel, standing in the middle of a love triangle or something.”

Paige gave her a confused look. “What do you mean? His brother is much older than me. You’re gorgeous, and much closer to his age. It would be fun. Like a double date.”

Ella looked up long enough to give her sister a piercing glare. “Yeah, I’m sure someone thinks the electric chair might be fun too. You go. Just leave me alone.”

Paige sighed, standing up from the bed. “Okay. It’s just that sometimes, I really miss doing stuff together. We used to do everything together, remember? We were best friends,” She smiled. “Remember how we used to dress up as movie stars and walk around the block and asking people if they wanted our autograph?”

“Don’t remind me,” Ella grumbled.

Paige’s smile faded. “I just miss you, Ella.” She bit her lip and stared at the ground. They heard the doorbell ring.

She looked up. “That’s Thomas,” she said. “I better go.”

She paused on the way out of the doorway and turned around and looked back at Ella. “Bye, Ella. I love you,” was all she said. And then she was gone.

Hours later Ella was still hiding away in her room when she heard the phone ring. Then her mother screamed. Her dad came running down the hall.

A few minutes later Ella’s mom burst into her room. “Ella, we have to go. Now.”

“What? What are you talking about? What happ-“

“ELLA! We need to leave NOW!”

She put on her shoes and ran out to the garage. She climbed into the car where her dad was already waiting behind the driving wheel. “Dad? What’s going on? Where are we going?”

Her father took a deep breath. “The hospital.”

“What? What happened? Is Paige-“

Her father took another shaky breath. “You are aware that your sister went out tonight, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but-“

“Apparently the boy she went out with had been drinking, and on the way, the car swerved into a ditch, and-“

“Oh my gosh. Dad, what happened? Is she okay? What happened?” She was surprised at the tear that trickled down her cheek. She couldn’t remember the last time she cried.

He turned around and looked at back at her. “Your sister has been admitted into the hospital. She is in critical condition. There is still a chance that she might live, but she’s in a coma, and hasn’t woken up yet…” Ella was surprised to see her dad crying as well. Just then her mom ran out to the car. Her face was a sickly shade of white.

“Let’s go,” she said in a raspy voice.

Puling up to the hospital, Ella couldn’t help noticing the feeling of dread and panic in the pit of her stomach. When was the last time she felt anything but self-pity?

Neither of her parents spoke as they checked in to the hospital. A nurse led them to the elevator and into the Intensive Care Unit.

“You’ll have to be careful,” the nurse said. “She’s alive, but she may not be able to handle anything to stressful. She is scheduled for emergency brain surgery as soon as the next doctors become available. We are still checking for excess damage and anything that might be the cause of her coma. It is most likely a head injury. I’m under strict orders not to let you see her until the surgery has been preformed.”

“Thank you,” Ella’s mother said. She looked as if her mind was somewhere else.

“You may wait in the lobby. We will keep you posted,” The nurse smiled and led them into the lobby.

It was a long night for the Murray family. As Ella’s parents called their family and friends to inform them of the accident, all she could think about was her guilt. Paige had always been so sweet to her, had always loved her and asked nothing in return. And what had Ella given her in return? Nothing but bitterness and hate. She was only envious of her sister, but she now realized how selfish she had been. What if Paige died thinking that her own sister didn’t love her? What if Ella never got the chance to make it right?

First thing the next morning Paige went in for her surgery. Ella’s mom was a nervous wreck, wringing her hands and sobbing into the phone, while her dad was nothing more than a shadow, sitting in the chair with a hollow look and staring at the floor. Some of Paige’s family and friends came in to visit, but there wasn’t much they could do but just sit and wait. And sit and wait. Ella’s dad went to get something for them to eat, though none of them were hungry for it.

6 hours later the doctor came into the lobby. “Mr. and Mrs. Murray?” he called.

Ella’s parents both stood up immediately. “Right here.”

He walked over. “The surgery appeared to go well. She had some minor tissue damage, and we seemed to have cleared that up. There should be no permanent damage. However, she hasn’t woken up from her coma yet, and it may be several days before we determine the extent of the damage and where it is located. It is not necessarily in the brain, but we do not have a way of determining that just yet. It may take several more days.”

“Can we go see her?” Mrs. Murray asked.

“You are allowed to visit. However, I would not recommend anyone other than close immediate family going in, and no more than 2 or 3 at a time. She may not be able to handle much stress,” the doctor said.

“Thank you,” Mr. Murray said.

The doctor led Ella and her parents down the hall and to the room where Paige was located. He paused before opening the door. “You may go in, but I strongly recommend no loud noises. No sudden movements. Paige is in a very unstable condition and even though she isn’t awake, we don’t want to risk anything that could prevent her from ever waking up. Do you understand?”

“Yes, doctor. Thank you,” Ella’s mother replied timidly.

“I must also warn you that she may not look the same as the last time you saw her. She had some pretty serious bruises on her face and arms, but none of it should be permanent. She is pretty swollen up around her head and face area. It should clear up in a few weeks if she lives.”

If she lives?

“Thank you,” Mr. Murray said. He had turned pretty pale himself.

The doctor pushed open the door and led them into Paige’s room. Ella slowly walked over to the bed. Paige had tubes and wires coming out of every part of her body and was hooked up to more machines than Ella even knew existed. She looked down at Paige’s swollen, bruised face. Both of her eyes were black and Ella could hardly even make out the rest of her once stunning features. Her still perfect blond curls were spread across the pillow.

“My baby,” Ella watched as her mom’s eyes filled with tears once again.

Her dad walked over and put an arm around her mom’s shoulders. Ella was surprised to find that he, too, was crying.

The doctor said, “I’ll give you guys some privacy. You must remember to be careful though.”

No one in Ella’s family spoke. Only her mom nodded, more and more tears streaming down her face.

The doctor walked out and gently shut the door. Ella’s mom stared at what remained of Paige lying in the bed. “How could I let this happen?” she whispered. “How could I have been so careless?”

Mr. Murray rubbed his wife’s shoulders. “None of this is your fault,” he said.

The three of them stood there for a long time and stared in silence. Then the doctor came back in. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave for a little while,” he said. “We need to do some check up work on her and try to determine anything else that is wrong.”

The wisp of what was left of her mother nodded. She turned around and walked out of the room, and seemed to wilt into her chair in the lobby, her head in her hands.

The next couple of days followed pretty much the same pattern. Doctors came and spoke to them, and none of them seemed to be able to tell what was wrong. Tests were run, surgery was performed, and still Paige remained in her coma.

Ella went in to visit several times. Paige never seemed to look better, she only looked like a shadow of the happy go-lucky girl she has once been. She walked over to her bed, cringing at the bruises and scrapes covering her body.

As she stared down at what was left of her once beautiful sister, Ella was surprised to find tears slipping down her cheeks. She was even more surprised when she grasped her sister’s hand.

“Hey, Paige,” she whispered. The tears were falling more steadily now. “Remember when we were younger and we used to do everything together? I miss those days sometimes- I always loved when we would dress up as movie stars and walk down our street together. We thought we were hot stuff, straight out of Hollywood or something.” Ella smiled in spite of the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You were so cute. You could’ve been a real baby model or something.” Still Paige just laid there.

“You’re still cute,” Ella said, looking down at the ground. “Much cuter than me. That’s why I was always so rude to you.” Ella spoke fast, the tears coming down at a downpour now. “I was always jealous of the way everyone seemed to love you no matter what you did. I always hated the way everyone was so nice to you and treated you like you were something so special. But you are something special, Paige, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t see that before. You loved everyone, you were so nice to everyone, and that’s why everyone loved you. You even loved me, even though I was nothing but rude in return.” Ella was sobbing now.

She looked at her sister’s ruined face. “I never did anything to deserve a sister as good as you. And if you wake up- when you wake up, I promise I will try to be the best sister you could ever have. I’ll be there whenever you need me, because I haven’t been, not lately.” Still Paige only laid there.

“Please wake up,” Ella sobbed. “Please. I don’t know where I would be without you, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I need you, Paige. We’re best friends, remember? Please wake up. You can’t leave me.” The sobs racked Ella’s body. “Please come back to me, Paige. I love you.”

Ella couldn’t remember the last time she had told Paige she loved her. She couldn’t remember the last time she told anyone that she loved them. And now the thing she loved most was slipping away from her, and she would never have a chance to make it right. How could she have been so selfish?

As she was still standing there and sobbing over her ruined sister, a nurse came in and told her that they had to run some more tests. She walked back to the lobby and prepared for the long wait she had almost grown used too, and prayed to God that He would heal her sister.

That afternoon they finally got some good news. The doctor came and spoke with her parents. “We have some good news. It appears that Paige should be able to wake up from her coma, probably in the next few days or so. However, she also had major kidney damage from the trauma she has experienced over the past few days and will need a kidney transplant. She is first on the waiting list for the next one that comes available. However, if one is not available in the next few days, before she wakes up, there is a chance that she might not live.”

“How likely is it that there will be one available?” Ella’s father asked.

“There is a very good chance she should be able to get one. There are a lot of kidney donors here at this hospital, and there is a good chance one will become available in the next few days.”

Ella’s mother sighed with relief. “Thank you,” she said.

But when the next day had passed and no kidneys had become available, and none seemed to be coming the next day, Ella’s family began to panic. If Paige couldn’t get a kidney transplant in the next 48 hours, it was likely she wouldn’t live.

More and more people began to pour into the hospital to visit. Friends, neighbors, and family they hadn’t seen in ages all came bearing cards and flowers in every shape, color and size imaginable. Even their waitress from the Shanghai Buffet paid a visit to the family. She pulled Ella aside.

Ella gave her a puzzled look. “The fortune,” the waitress asked. “Do you still have it? The one from the other night?”

The fortune? Ella thought. How could she even think of something like that in a time like this? “Um, I’m not sure, I guess I could’ve left it at home….” Ella responded.

“Of course you would have, I should’ve thought of that,” the waitress said apologetically. “Do you remember what it said?”

Ella thought for a minute. Surprisingly enough, she did.

“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is,” They recited together.

“Love heals,” the waitress said. “Remember that.” And then she hurried out the door.

Love heals? Ella thought. What could she mean by that?

Hours later, when they still had no sign of a kidney becoming available, Ella had an idea. “Mom,” Ella said, walking over to her mother. “What if I donated a kidney to Paige? You only need one to live, right? I could give her one of mine.”

“Oh, honey, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea….” Ella’s mother said.

“Why not? If Paige doesn’t get a kidney in the next few hours, she won’t make it. I love her, and I’m willing to do this.” She suddenly understood what the waitress had been trying to tell her. “This can heal her, mom. I need to do this.”

To her surprise, she found her mother actually smiling up at her. “You are one brave girl, Ella,” she said. “We can talk to the doctor about it, I suppose.”

Just then the doctor walked over. Ella’s mother told him Ella’s idea.

“That could work,” he said. “If nothing else becomes available in the next 12 hours and if you are truly wiling, we may be able to do that.”

Ella smiled for the first time in days. “Thank you, doctor,” she said.

At 6 o’clock the next morning, Ella was wheeled out on a stretcher into the operating room. She was giving up one of her kidneys to her sister so that her sister could live. The operation had to go fast, because Paige didn’t have much time left. Paige was scheduled for the surgery right after Ella’s to replace her destroyed kidney with her sister’s.

Hours later, as the anesthesia was wearing off, Ella heard a soft voice. “Ella?”

Ella’s thoughts were foggy. Who was that?

She heard it again. “Ella?”

Paige?

Ella opened her eyes. She looked around. She was in the recovery room. She watched the nurses scurry around her.

“Ella?” She heard it again. She looked at the bed next to her. The most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen stared back at her. “Ella? Is that you?”

“Paige?” Ella said. “Paige?” The tears welled up in her eyes again.

“Hey, Ella,” Paige gave her a soft smile.

“Paige!” Ella reached for her sister’s hand. The tears began flowing down her face. “I love you, Paige.”

Paige smiled again. “I love you, too”

The ringing phone filled Evelyn with a sense of dread. She stared at the picture in her hand. She knew she shouldn’t be here; and she knew she definitely shouldn’t be seeing what she was looking at right now. The phone rang again. She had to answer it. She defiantly didn’t want Mr. Ericson to think anything was wrong. Especially not with what she had just found. She shoved the photo into her pocket and ran to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Evelyn. How are things going?”

“Pretty good. I put the girls to bed a few minutes ago.”

“Great. Mrs. Ericson and I have just left, so we should be home in about fifteen minutes.”

“Okay. I’ll be here.” Evelyn tried to let out a laugh.

“Thanks, Evelyn”

“Anytime.”

She hung up the phone and leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief. She thought about what had just happened and tried to make sense of it all. She tried to think of a plan. Whatever she was going to do, she had fifteen minutes.

In Evelyn Harper’s sixteen years, she had lived in a total of eight different places. She was in a ‘military family’- her dad was a marine- and wherever they went, they didn’t stay long. They had moved to Richmond the past summer, and had spent the last few months trying to get adjusted. Her mom got a job at the elementary school, as a media specialist, and that is where she had met Mrs. Ericson. The two of them immediately hit it off, and by the time Evelyn was introduced to Mrs. Ericson, she was already hired babysitter. Mr. and Mrs. Ericson had two twin girls, Scarlett and Charlotte, who were eight.

Evelyn wasn’t sure what Mr. Ericson did, she just knew that he worked for the government. He was a very nice guy and she really enjoyed babysitting for him and his wife. She loved their girls, Scarlett and Charlotte, and always had a nice time while she was there. They lived in a beautiful house, originally built on a plantation in the 1840’s. Whatever it was Mr. Ericson did, it paid well.

She was babysitting for the girls that night while Mr. and Mrs. Ericson went on a date. They did that about once a week, now that they had a babysitter. She had played games with the girls, painted their fingernails, watched TV- all the normal things she usually does with them. She put them to bed around 8:00 and then she had time to herself. Something about the old, giant house had always fascinated her. So, against her better judgment, she decided to go exploring.

She wandered upstairs, looked at rooms and rooms full of portraits of old southern gentleman riding into battle, past walls covered top to bottom in Mr. Ericson’s medals and awards. She wondered again what it was that he did.

She came across a room with the door tightly shut. She wondered vaguely what was inside, but knew she shouldn’t snoop. Suddenly a bright flash coming from inside the closed room caught her eye, followed by a strange voice.

“Michael Ericson, please report for duty in sector 9674. There has been an unusual sighting of an unidentified object in this area. Code blue-5774. Repeat: Please report to duty in sector 9674. Thank you.”

Evelyn stared. What was that flash of light? Who was talking? She knew she shouldn’t, but she found herself walking closer to the door…..

Closer….

She turned the knob. It opened.

She walked into the room and was shocked at what she saw. Graphs and charts of stars and planets covered the walls and ceilings. On a giant desk in the middle of the room sat piles and piles of papers and documents. She walked inside.

Walking over to the desk, she noticed what had been playing the message. A tiny pager sat on the top of the papers with its red light blinking. She looked at the paper underneath.

January 17, 1953

Mr. President,

We have had another sighting of them. This is the third one in two weeks. Our scientists figure it best to keep it hidden from the public. We now ask your permission to create a group of people with hidden identities to control this ongoing problem. Our group will be kept secret from everyone, including our wives and families. Anyone who should come upon this organization or the things in it shall be dealt with on a higher level.

Thank you for your consideration.

Richard L.. Ericson

Another sighting of “them”? Who was this man talking about? What ‘group’ was being formed? Then she looked at a photograph on the desk next to the stack of papers. It was an old picture. She couldn’t tell what was in it, but it looked like a photograph of two men. One was much taller than the other, and had strange proportions, almost like his arms were coming out of his head. She stared at it a while longer, trying to make sense of it. That was when the phone had rang.

Now, leaning against the wall, she wondered what it could all mean. She heard Mr. and Mrs. Ericson pull into the driveway. Wiping the sweat of her palms, she greeted them, chatted for a while, said goodnight, and drove back home, a mysterious picture in her pocket.

Michael Ericson was standing at the top of the stairs. He stared at the open door. The door should not have been open.

Walking inside, he surveyed the surroundings. He noticed the red light on his pager, notifying he had a message. He read it. He had been needed for duty, but since he had not responded, someone else had been sent out. That was good. It meant he could get some sleep tonight.

But why was the door open? He never left the door open. Could he have forgotten to close it…? No. He couldn’t have. Scarlett and Charlotte knew better than to come in here, and Evelyn, well, she just didn’t seem the type to snoop.

He looked around the office. Everything seemed to be in place, nothing broken or stolen or even out of order. He kept searching, seeing nothing wrong. He had almost come to the conclusion that he had simply left the door open when he noticed the photograph missing.

“Hi, Evelyn. Thanks for coming over on such short notice.”

“No problem.” Evelyn had been a little nervous coming over after what had happened last time, but the Ericsons were nice people and she hated to disappoint them, and besides, she needed the money. She had tried to figure out the photograph once she got home, but she couldn’t seem to make anything out. That was the other reason she had agreed to come back. She wanted to sneak back into the office and figure this thing out.

“Great. Hey, do you mind coming downstairs with me first and having me show you a few things? You know, for emergency situations.” Mr. Ericson smiled at her.

“Sure,” she said. This was a little strange. But she followed him downstairs, a little suspicious despite herself.

He showed her into a tiny room and had her sit down into a chair. Only when he locked the door did she start to get worried.

“Evelyn, did you go in my office yesterday?”

She figured it was best to tell the truth. “Yes, sir.”

“What did you see?”

“Not much. Just some old papers.”

“Okay. Well, I work for a part of the government that no one knows about but the people who work in it. It is highly classified, and none of the ordinary citizens know it exists. It is extremely important that it is kept secret. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir. But, why are you telling me this?”

He gave her a dismissing wave of his hand. “We will get to that. What I need you to do now is describe to me what it is that you saw in the photograph.”

Evelyn’s heart was seized with terror. Her voice shaking, she said, “How do you know about that?”

“Please answer the question.”

“Well, to me it just looked like two men, only one was much taller than the other. The taller one had funny things sticking out of his head- almost…. almost like…. antenna or something.”

“You are correct. The taller man was not in fact a man, nor did he really resemble one.” Mr. Ericson began to sort through various bottles of liquid in the cabinet above as he spoke. “That was Poshuk, one of the first aliens to come and actually communicate with us humans. He was a large reason that this program became possible.”

“Aliens?”

“Yes. This is the whole reason for this program. To keep the aliens away from contact with the human race, because, believe it or not, I don’t think they would handle it very well.”

“Oh. But why are you telling me this?”

“Well, it can’t hurt now. You won’t be able to tell anyone.”

“What do you mean?”

He turned from the cabinet, holding a syringe filled with a strange liquid. “I am going to have to ask you to hold out your arm.”

“What? I don’t-”

“Please, Evelyn. It won’t hurt.”

“Okay.” She reluctantly held out her arm. She watched as the syringe went into her vein, and then everything went black.

Once, in a land far away, across vast oceans and spacious deserts, there was a kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by a good and fair king who loved his people dearly, though the people were not always so loyal to love the king back. They often strayed and disobeyed the king’s laws, which broke his heart. He sent nobles down to the people to tell them the best ways to live and honor the king’s laws, but still many refused to listen.

The reason for all of this disobedience was because of the influence of a dragon named Apollyon. Apollyon had once been a man, friends with the king, but had been forced to leave the castle due to his evil ways. The king cast him out, trapped in the form of a dragon. Ever since, Apollyon had wanted revenge. He went after what the king loved most, which were his people. Apollyon manipulated and persuaded the king’s people to turn from the king’s ways and satisfy themselves. This resulted in many wars and quarrels between the people. Many great scribes and fortune tellers of the kingdom had foretold prophesies of a great warrior coming to defeat the horrible dragon. He was to be a savior and deliver the people from Apollyon’s evil influence. The people patiently waited for this day, but many took matters into their own hands and tried to defeat the dragon themselves. All of them had been defeated and killed.

The king watched over his nation with sadness in his heart. This was not the way he intended for his people to live. He prepared many knights to go and fight the dragon, but he knew that it would be of no use, for Apollyon was too powerful. The king knew he had to do something, or else his people would be in peril forever. He went to Apollyon. “What is it you require of me to leave my people alone?” he asked.

Apollyon grinned. He slid his forked tongue between his teeth. “A sacrificccee,” he hissed.

The king squared his shoulders. “What is it you require?” he asked. “I shall give you anything you desire- gold, silver, jewels- what do you wish?”

The dragon gave a slow chuckle. “Oh no,” he said. “Richessss ssshall not do. I require sssomething much more…..valuable,”

“What is it you want?!” The frustrated king cried.

Apollyon gave him a scaly grin. “An heir to the kingdom. Something to assure me that when you are gone, there will be no one to take your place. Nothing stopping me from being the ruler,” he smirked. “A son,” he said. “Your son.”

The king grew very pale. “My son is a great warrior,” he said. “You surely shall be defeated.”

“Maybe sssssso,” he hissed. “Either way, whether he defeats me or I defeat him, your people shall be free of my influence. Is that what you desire?”

“More than anything,” The noble king replied.

“Excccccellent,” the dragon hissed. “When shall I expect him?”

“Give me a few days,” replied the king. “I’ll have him in a week’s time.

The dragon smiled a scaly grin. “I’ll be waiting,” he replied.

The king’s son, Sir Thomas Daniels, was a pure and noble prince and a well trained knight who loved his father and his father’s people dearly. The people adored him, as he had never in his life done anything to wrong the king or the people. He was too was deeply saddened by the people’s straying ways and wanted desperately to help them. So when his heartbroken father returned to the castle and told him what Apollyon had said, he readily agreed.

“Are you sure, my son?” his father asked. “Apollyon is very powerful. I fear you shall not return.”

“It is the only way to free our people from his evil ways,” he answered, “It must be done.”

“It saddens me, but you are right,” he said. “I believe you are to be the one the prophesies have spoken of, all these years. Honor me, my son. Your story will surely be remembered for generations to come. I have told Apollyon that you will go to him in one week’s time. I will begin making preparations for you.”

One week later, the king sent his brave knight on horseback to meet the great Apollyon, wearing his armor and holding his trusted sword and shield. It was a sad parting, for the king knew his son would be in extreme peril, whether he survived or not.

Sir Thomas Daniels rode deep into the forest and called out for Apollyon to show himself. “Where are you?” he cried. “Appear to me so I may fight you.”

Apollyon slithered out of the darkness. “Ah, so you are the little brat that the prophesies spoke of? The one that is to defeat me? Son of the great king?”

“I am,” the prince answered.

“What is it that is said? I will strike your heel, but you shall crush my head?”

“It is as you say,” Sir Thomas replied.

“Blassssphemy!” The dragon hissed. “I believe it is not so,” he said. “But we shall see if the prophesies ssshall be fulfilled. “And with that, he lunged at the prince.

They battled for many days. Back at the palace, the king could not find rest. He neither ate nor slept for two days. On the third day, as the sun rose, he looked out over his balcony and saw his valiant knight riding back, still brandishing his sword.

The king ran out to greet his prince. “My son!” he cried. “You have defeated the great dragon?”

Sir Thomas Daniels smiled. “I have, father,” he said.

The king studied the wounds that would surely leave scars covering his son’s body. “Let these wounds be a reminder to the people of what you have done for them,” he said.

So the people lived in harmony with the king and his son, free from the influence of Apollyon. Fear, strife, and war no longer haunted the kingdom, but instead the people were joyful and sang praises to the loving king and his son. They told the story of how Sir Thomas had so bravely defeated the horrible dragon, and those stories were passed down throughout the generations as the king had foretold. And though the people still strayed, the prince always welcomed their apologies. So king and his son lived happily ever after with their people in the kingdom. And the best part of this story is, it never ends.

Once, in a land far away, across vast oceans and spacious deserts, there was a kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by a good and fair king who loved his people dearly, though the people were not always so loyal to love the king back. They often strayed and disobeyed the king’s laws, which broke his heart. He sent nobles down to the people to tell them the best ways to live and honor the king’s laws, but still many refused to listen.

The reason for all of this disobedience was because of the influence of a dragon named Apollyon. Apollyon had once been a man, friends with the king, but had been forced to leave the castle due to his evil ways. The king cast him out, trapped in the form of a dragon. Ever since, Apollyon had wanted revenge. He went after what the king loved most, which were his people. Apollyon manipulated and persuaded the king’s people to turn from the king’s ways and satisfy themselves. This resulted in many wars and quarrels between the people. Many great scribes and fortune tellers of the kingdom had foretold prophesies of a great warrior coming to defeat the horrible dragon. He was to be a savior and deliver the people from Apollyon’s evil influence. The people patiently waited for this day, but many took matters into their own hands and tried to defeat the dragon themselves. All of them had been defeated and killed.

The king watched over his nation with sadness in his heart. This was not the way he intended for his people to live. He prepared many knights to go and fight the dragon, but he knew that it would be of no use, for Apollyon was too powerful. The king knew he had to do something, or else his people would be in peril forever. He went to Apollyon. “What is it you require of me to leave my people alone?” he asked.

Apollyon grinned. He slid his forked tongue between his teeth. “A sacrificccee,” he hissed.

The king squared his shoulders. “What is it you require?” he asked. “I shall give you anything you desire- gold, silver, jewels- what do you wish?”

The dragon gave a slow chuckle. “Oh no,” he said. “Richessss ssshall not do. I require sssomething much more…..valuable,”

“What is it you want?!” The frustrated king cried.

Apollyon gave him a scaly grin. “An heir to the kingdom. Something to assure me that when you are gone, there will be no one to take your place. Nothing stopping me from being the ruler,” he smirked. “A son,” he said. “Your son.”

The king grew very pale. “My son is a great warrior,” he said. “You surely shall be defeated.”

“Maybe sssssso,” he hissed. “Either way, whether he defeats me or I defeat him, your people shall be free of my influence. Is that what you desire?”

“More than anything,” The noble king replied.

“Excccccellent,” the dragon hissed. “When shall I expect him?”

“Give me a few days,” replied the king. “I’ll have him in a week’s time.

The dragon smiled a scaly grin. “I’ll be waiting,” he replied.

The king’s son, Sir Thomas Daniels, was a pure and noble prince and a well trained knight who loved his father and his father’s people dearly. The people adored him, as he had never in his life done anything to wrong the king or the people. He was too was deeply saddened by the people’s straying ways and wanted desperately to help them. So when his heartbroken father returned to the castle and told him what Apollyon had said, he readily agreed.

“Are you sure, my son?” his father asked. “Apollyon is very powerful. I fear you shall not return.”

“It is the only way to free our people from his evil ways,” he answered, “It must be done.”

“It saddens me, but you are right,” he said. “I believe you are to be the one the prophesies have spoken of, all these years. Honor me, my son. Your story will surely be remembered for generations to come. I have told Apollyon that you will go to him in one week’s time. I will begin making preparations for you.”

One week later, the king sent his brave knight on horseback to meet the great Apollyon, wearing his armor and holding his trusted sword and shield. It was a sad parting, for the king knew his son would be in extreme peril, whether he survived or not.

Sir Thomas Daniels rode deep into the forest and called out for Apollyon to show himself. “Where are you?” he cried. “Appear to me so I may fight you.”

Apollyon slithered out of the darkness. “Ah, so you are the little brat that the prophesies spoke of? The one that is to defeat me? Son of the great king?”

“I am,” the prince answered.

“What is it that is said? I will strike your heel, but you shall crush my head?”

“It is as you say,” Sir Thomas replied.

“Blassssphemy!” The dragon hissed. “I believe it is not so,” he said. “But we shall see if the prophesies ssshall be fulfilled. “And with that, he lunged at the prince.

They battled for many days. Back at the palace, the king could not find rest. He neither ate nor slept for two days. On the third day, as the sun rose, he looked out over his balcony and saw his valiant knight riding back, still brandishing his sword.

The king ran out to greet his prince. “My son!” he cried. “You have defeated the great dragon?”

Sir Thomas Daniels smiled. “I have, father,” he said.

The king studied the wounds that would surely leave scars covering his son’s body. “Let these wounds be a reminder to the people of what you have done for them,” he said.

So the people lived in harmony with the king and his son, free from the influence of Apollyon. Fear, strife, and war no longer haunted the kingdom, but instead the people were joyful and sang praises to the loving king and his son. They told the story of how Sir Thomas had so bravely defeated the horrible dragon, and those stories were passed down throughout the generations as the king had foretold. And though the people still strayed, the prince always welcomed their apologies. So king and his son lived happily ever after with their people in the kingdom. And the best part of this story is, it never ends.

At the beginning of time, land and sea ruled together peacefully and in harmony. But there came a time which they got into quarrels, and thus resulted in destruction and panic among the people. This is the story of one such event that caused a difficulty between the land and sea:

It came about that the sea god, Takaroa, found favor in the eyes of the supreme god, Kāne. Kāne approached Takaroa one day saying, “You have done well as ruler of the sea, and I have decided to reward you. You may choose one gift, whatever it is you desire, and I shall give it to you.”

Takaroa considered this carefully. Finally, he said, “I am grateful for your generous gift, O master. I choose my gift as this: whenever I wish for something, it must be granted to me.”

Kāne said, “It shall be. Whatever you should wish for, and wish for it with all your heart, it shall be granted to you. There is only one condition: Whatever you wish for, it cannot be undone. Make sure to heed this warning.” Kāne blessed Takaroa with his gift, and then went on his way.

Many days later, Takaroa was sitting in his realm and watching the waves lap along the shore when he saw Mele, the most beautiful woman in all of Hawaii, walking along the sand.

“I wish with all my heart to have the love of that woman!” he exclaimed. He was overcome by her beauty.

He went up to meet her on the shore, and the two immediately fell in love. He courted her with the most flattering words and extravagant gifts, and she loved him with what seemed like an endless and powerful love. And for a while, the two became inseparable.

He told Mele tales of his underwater realm, and promised to take her there if they wed. “When we are married, I shall take you to my palace,” he told her. “You shall rule with me as queen of the sea, the most beautiful queen the waters have ever seen.”

But alas, it could not be so. Mele was given her name because of her wild and rebellious spirit, and her heart could not be tamed. As she was the most beautiful girl on the island, she had many men trying to win over her favor. As Takaroa became more and more concerned with his duties out at sea, and visited her less and less, she began to get lonely. She warded the men off as long as she could, thinking of her loyalty to Takaroa and how heartbroken he would be, but eventually she could do it any longer. She began to welcome their gifts and praise without pushing them away. She almost began to forget her once unbreakable love with Takaroa.

Once Takaroa found out, he was furious and heartbroken. Mele sobbed and begged for his forgiveness, for she truly was sorry, but Takaroa would not hear it. In his grief, he cried out, “This woman has caused me nothing but trouble and heartache! I gave her everything she could have possibly wanted. What could a mortal man have to offer that was better than what I promised her?”

As he fumed and raged, he did not realize the love he still had for Mele. He only knew the breaking feeling of his heart. Still Mele begged forgiveness, but still Takaroa pushed her away. He began to think of how much better off he would be without her. “This woman was a curse to me!” he exclaimed. “She caused me pain beyond repair. I should never have given her my love, for she just threw it away as if it meant nothing! I want nothing to do with her- I only wish she were dead!”

As soon as the words crossed his lips, he realized his mistake. He looked up at the shore just in time to see his beautiful Mele collapse dead upon the sand. He cried out, with a tremor that shook the ocean floor.

He went up to the shore to gather his beautiful Mele into his arms. He called upon the great god Kāne, pleading with him to bring his beloved back. Kāne soon appeared on the shore next to Takaroa. “Please!” Takaroa cried. “Bring her back! I wish for it with all my heart!”

“Alas, my son, but this cannot be,” Kāne answered. “When you wished her dead, in that moment, the wish was from your heart. And though by now you have had a change of heart, the wish of her death cannot be undone. You must live with the consequences of it.”

“But I love her!” the stricken Takaroa pleaded. “I’ll do anything to bring her back, anything at all. Just say what is required of me. It shall be done!”

Kāne, saddened by the sea god’s heartbroken pleas, looked woefully down at Takaroa. “There is nothing to be done but what is already done,” he said. “I am sorry, my friend. You must be careful what you wish for.”

So the grief stricken Takaroa carried Mele out to sea and buried her under the ocean floor. “Now you shall rule with me as queen, the most beautiful queen the waters have ever seen,” he sobbed over his dead lover.

He turned his eyes back to the land. It was springtime, the flowers were all blooming, and new life was everywhere. The beauty hurt Takaroa’s eyes. “Nothing on Hawaii can be beautiful without Mele,” he said to himself.

So he gathered all the nearby waters in the sea, held them back, and with a loud heartbroken cry that shook the ocean floor, threw all the waters of the sea up onto the land, washing away everything in its path. The towns and homes near the shore were destroyed. The people were devastated, shocked at the horrible event. “Surely, something must have angered the sea god,” they said. They called the massive wave tsunami, or “harbor wave”.

Still residing in his ocean realm, the great sea god Takaroa mourns over his lost love. Every now and then, he will fall asleep dreaming of his days with the beautiful Mele. Once he wakes and realizes that his beautiful lover is still gone, he cries out with a terrible, pain-filled cry that shakes the ocean floor around him, and then looks at the beautiful island of Hawaii. He again gathers up all the waters in the sea and thrusts them at the island, reminding the people to be careful what they wish for.

My father told me that a wise Chinese philosopher once said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

I suppose now he was preparing me for the time of his death. He must’ve known it was coming. He was old and fat, with failing health and some days where he was too weak to even get out of bed. My father was a wise man, an excellent scholar and even better teacher. He was a good man too, full of good values. When I was born, all of his friends and family advised him to give me up for adoption so that he could try for another boy. But he would not have it. Be content with what you have; he told them. Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

I guess I should’ve known it was coming, his death, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the changes that were to follow. Within the next month, my grandparents had scraped up all the money they could spare and sent me and my mother on the next boat to America. My brother was to say in China to finish his studies.

America. I had heard only tales of that place. How there were endless fields of waiving grain and oranges the size of grapefruits. Endless apple orchards, fresh, country air and infinite fields of grass under the bright blue sky. Gold discovered in people’s backyards. It seemed like a fairy tale land, like something that couldn’t exist. I was all too eager to get there.

So in the spring of 1905, I left behind the only place I had ever known and set sail for a land whose people, culture, and language were completely foreign to me. It was a long six weeks on the American built Pacific Mail Steamship that was to deliver me and my mother to our new home.

We arrived in America in early June. As we got off the boat, all I could see was people. People everywhere. Pushing and shoving and shouting in different tongues I couldn’t begin to understand. I saw no waiving fields of grain, no apples and definitely no gold. Just people crowding everywhere, framed against a foggy gray sky. And it was hot, the air so thick it was hard to breathe. As my mother and I shuffled along with the crowd, I saw a sign that said Welcome to the Beautiful San Francisco, California. It would be a long time before I was able to read it.

We shuffled over to a tiny crowded building filled with lines of people who seemed to be waiting for something. What were they waiting for? I never got the chance to ponder the question because the next thing I knew a fat white lady who was pushing around people in front of us approached me and my mother.

“Chinese?” She said with an annoyed tone. My mother nodded quickly, looking scared as if she did not want to anger the lady.

“Over here,” the lady grunted, and grabbed us by our shoulders and shoved us into one of the lines. It was impossibly long; so long I could not see what it led to. I recognized some of the people in line with us who had come over on the same boat as us. But the rest were all strangers. I had never felt so small and alone.

Many hours later we made it to the front of the line. A bored looking lady sat at a desk and stared at us. “Name, please,” she said.

I did not understand. I knew no English at all and I did not know how to respond. I stared at her blankly. She rolled her eyes. “Ming dan,” She said. The Chinese word for name. Oh.

“Bao Lang,” I said. The lady rolled her eyes and muttered something I could not understand. She wrote something on a piece of paper at her desk. I would realize much later that she was writing my name for the records and that she spelled it Bow Lang.

I felt my eyes began to well up with tears. My name was my most prized possession. It means priceless jewel. My father used to call me his Jen, or treasure. And this lady dishonoring my name was also dishonoring my father. I had never felt so alone.

My mother had arranged to meet a Chinese lady who had lived in San Francisco’s “Chinatown” for many years, and had work for my mother and a place for us to sleep. She showed us our tenement home we were to stay in. It was tiny, narrow and crowded, and reeked like old sewers and trash cans. I had never seen so many people cramped into one space. But nonetheless, it was a roof over our heads. We shared an apartment with two other single ladies who worked mending clothes when they could get them. That is what my mother did too, and within a week we were all settled in.

My mother spent most of her waking hours sewing, so instead of being stuck in our tiny tenement home, I decided to go exploring. I was surprised how much Chinatown was like China, complete with the markets and culture.

And the people. It was a relief after the first day to discover that there were so many people there who shared the same background and stories. I no longer felt alone, I even made some friends.

I started school that fall. And while it was still much, much different than the school I was used to, it was a relief to have some regularity back in my life. The school taught us English, and I began to be able to read some of the signs around town. I began to be able to communicate with some of the Americans, although most wanted nothing to do with us. It was like they thought of Chinese as a disease, much like chicken pox and measles. They seemed to want to avoid us as much as possible, and to those with whom we did cross paths, they fixed us with a mean and scornful stare. How dare you enter this country, their eyes seemed to be saying. We were perfectly well off without you. No one asked you to come here; all you are is a trouble and a nuisance. The only thing you are good for is cheap labor. Filthy scums. Get out.

And while their cold eyes and stony expressions offended me, I knew in my heart they were wrong. America was a land of freedom; I wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t. Instead I had pity on them, because it was they who were missing out on the freedom, not me. They were too captured in their own lives, and in their own harsh judgment and criticism, that it was hard for them to see that inside we really were all the same.

As the months passed, I became more and more accustomed to my American life and felt more and more at home in our little tenement. Winter passed, spring came, and I began to be able to feel the muggy warmth that seemed to settle over the city in the summer months. But early one morning in April, everything changed.

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the fires that came after were known as one of the worst natural disasters in American history. 80% of the city was destroyed. Nearly 8000 people died, and my mother was one of them. She might’ve made it out alive if it weren’t for the fires, or maybe she was crushed and killed on impact. I will probably never know. All I remember is waking up to the earth shaking so violently I thought surely that the world must be ending, and then feeling the building collapse around me.

I don’t remember crawling out, though I suppose now that I must have. I woke up days later on the side of the road in a horrible pile of ruins that once was my home. I looked around me and saw no one, at least alive. I am sure that if people came looking though here they would’ve thought I was dead too. I managed to pull myself up and stumble around the streets until I found a refuge center.

It was then that I realized my mother was dead. That I would never see her again. That I was an orphan in a land that was still strange and foreign to me. I waited several days for the fires to die down, and tried to figure out how I was to survive on my own. I knew I could take up sewing, like my mother had, but I knew that I would never be satisfied with a life like that. I could cook for the rich ladies on the other side of town, but many of them were cruel and paid unfairly. I could go work on the railroad like many of the Chinese men were doing, but that was man’s work and as good as a death sentence for a woman, especially a young girl such as myself.

Many of the girls I knew from school who had also been orphaned decided to drop out of school and take up sewing like their mothers had. But I remembered how often my father had talked of the importance of education, and how my mother had scraped up everything she earned to send me to school. How hard my brother worked at his studies. Would their efforts go to nothing? I decided then to continue to go to school. To get my full education, and become a successful citizen. I would not be a poor drop out, good for nothing but mending clothes and living on whatever others could spare. I wanted more out of life.

So I went to school in the mornings, walked the streets in the afternoons looking for anyone who might need sewing done. I mended their clothes best I could under a small bridge where I had found refuge. Eventually, after school was out for the summer, I had enough money saved to move into a tenement home of my own.

I graduated two years later. I got a job sewing in a store that made manufactured clothes, and in my free time I studied English. As I learned to speak it, I also learned to write it. I wrote stories, all kinds of stories, whatever that came to mind. One day I decided to write my story.

I started it in China, and told the tale of my father, my brother, and leaving to come to America. I told of the extreme hopes of coming to the land of freedom and the horrible disappointment at the reality of extreme poverty. About having my mother die in an earthquake and becoming an orphan at 16. But I wrote still, of the glimmer of hope that still shone on the horizon. That I knew that one day I would be able to make it. I wanted the people who shared my same story to realize there was still hope. I published it anonymously, and titled it: My Father’s Treasure.