Strange Memories | ONC 2024

Chapter 1: The Unexpected

It shouldn't have been logically or scientifically possible, yet it occurred right before my very eyes. How?

The rain pelted Mia, drenching her raincoat as she ran along the sidewalk illuminated by the street lamps. 'Slosh' went her ankle boots as she stepped into a puddle on the street. She still couldn't comprehend what she had witnessed a moment ago.

With darkness already fallen, Mia was late getting home from her afterschool job at the public library downtown. Mother's going to kill me when I get home. Mia was meant to be home by sunset, but here she was heading home after nightfall. I've missed curfew.

Mia's heart was pounding against her chest, the sound resonating noticeably in her ears. She felt nauseous, but not from being late to get home. It was the event she had witnessed a moment ago in the entrance of an alleyway. She could still hear the high pitched scream of the person. There is no way anyone is going to believe me, yet I need to tell someone. I saw the impossible tonight.

Mia recalled the event, minute by minute. Each frame played in her mind like a movie. She was running down the downtown sidewalk in a hurry from the local public library, having stupidly forgotten to bring her bicycle from home. As she rushed, she noticed a lady at the entrance of an alleyway up ahead. Careful not to bump into her, Mia started to reduce her running speed. Noticing static in the air behind the lady, Mia came to a complete halt. Abruptly, a circular portal swung open behind the lady, swiftly expanding in size.

Mia gasped, rubbing her eyes, scarcely believing what she saw before her. I'm hallucinating. It's not there. Mia grappled with the surreal scene unfolding.

Mia watched as the lady turned around and stared straight at the thing. The lady also saw the object, implying that it was truly there. It was black like a void or an endless pit with no bottom in sight. As the lady slowly stepped backward, Mia noticed an expression of fear on her face. Without warning, the lady was drawn forward towards the void. She grabbed onto a nearby lamp post, holding on for dear life, but the force from the void was strong, akin to the wind from a cyclone. The lady let out a high pitched scream as her grip on the lamp post loosened. She was flung right into the void, being devoured by gravity. The void closed once she was completely consumed.

Mia stood on the sidewalk, unable to move due to the shock of what she had just witnessed before her. A void in the middle of town? A black hole? How? Where did it come from? Nothing made sense. Every fibre in her body told her that this didn't occur.

Mia pinched herself. "Ouch." She wasn't dreaming at all.

Terrified, Mia looked around, finding herself the sole witness of this eerie experience. She needed to get away from here before anything else mysterious occurred. At least it can't get any worse. Before she could start running, she felt her hair get wet from cold water droplets. Obviously, it can. Looking upwards, she saw dark black clouds overhead, draining away the little amount of light present that night. The heavens had opened, and a steady drizzle of rain began to descend from the blackened clouds. The world became a shade darker than it currently was. The drizzle soon turned into a downpour as Mia found herself racing against the rain and the wind. The wind picked up, roaring like an enormous lion, blowing harder and growing more furious with each howl. Mia felt that at any moment she would be swept off her feet and carried away by the wind.

This is not how I die. Not tonight.

It wasn't meant to rain tonight; I checked the weather forecast app this morning. It was supposed to be a clear night. The app has never been wrong. Why did I decide to leave my umbrella at home? Maybe it was for the best. It would have caught the wind by now, carrying me along with it.