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https://preview.redd.it/bk39ao8057ra1.jpg?width=1016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7f867f20cdcdf8dadbc7066cd2006c5f2f18bac
在我过往的帖子提到，我后天感知能力被加强后，就开始逐渐接触到外星人了。但是除了外星人之外，有一种高维的生物也是我经常见到的。就是中国神话故事中经常出现的龙，12生肖之一。 I have mentioned in my previous posts that after my psychic ability was strengthened, I gradually started to come into contact with aliens. Besides aliens, I often encounter another high-dimensional creature: the Dragon, one of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. I believe it is not only an extraterrestrial being but also a real being that exists on Earth.
我所见到龙的外观和中国历史中描述的可为一模一样。在2022年初，我去北京的中国国家博物馆，我当时去了B1层的古代馆。其展厅陈列以王朝更替的文物为主线来展现各个朝代的发展特点。古代馆涵盖了从远古约200万年前到明清时期公元1368年-1911年的历史时期。而对龙的记载可以追溯到旧石器时代。除了文字、图腾、雕塑、彩绘、画像，龙的形象一直延续至今，成为了民间习俗。
The dragon I have seen is identical to the one described in Chinese history. In early 2022, I visited the Ancient Gallery at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition hall mainly presents the development features of each dynasty based on the artifacts of dynasties. The Ancient Gallery covers the historical period from the Paleolithic period around 2 million years ago to the Ming and Qing Dynasties from 1368 AD to 1911 AD. The records of the dragon can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. In addition to words, totems, sculptures, paintings, and portraits, the image of the dragon has been passed down to this day and has become a widespread custom.
虽然现代人普遍认为龙是古人丰富想象力创造出来的生物，但是在博物馆中展示的龙的形象记录与我所接触到的实物非常相似。因此，在我看来，这些形象记录并不是古人的想象，而是根据实物进行的写生。
Although modern people generally believe that dragons are creatures of ancient people's rich imaginations, the image records of dragons displayed in the museum are very similar to the real objects I have encountered. Therefore, in my view, these image records are not the imaginations of the ancients, but sketches based on the actual objects.
中国的文字起源于象形文字，而象形文字是指利用图形来表达事物的文字。如果龙只是虚构的生物，那么就不可能存在与其相应的文字形象。因此，由此也可以推断出，龙的形象记录并非纯粹的想象，而是与实物有着紧密的关联。
Chinese characters originated from pictographs, which are symbols used to express things. Since dragons are fictional creatures, there cannot be a corresponding pictograph for them. Therefore, it can be inferred that the image of dragons is not merely imagined, but is closely connected with reality.
据文献记载，龙的形态为“角似鹿、头似驼、眼似兔、项似蛇、腹似蜃、鳞似鱼、爪似鹰、掌似虎、耳似牛”。龙被视为吉祥、正义、兴旺和力量的象征，尤其是对水、降雨、台风和洪水的控制。龙大部分潜藏于海洋和大型湖泊、河流之中。它们可以在水中游动、攫食、射杀和攻击，这些特性也被记录下来，成为龙的象征。
Historical records show that dragons have antlers like deer, heads like camels, eyes like a rabbit, necks like a snake, bellies like a clam, scales like fish, claws like an eagle, palms like a tiger, and ears like a cow. They are associated with auspiciousness, justice, prosperity, and strength, especially in terms of controlling water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. Dragons usually remain hidden in oceans and large lakes and rivers and can swim, seize food, shoot, and attack in the water. These characteristics have been documented and have become symbols of dragons.
在中国民间，四海龙王是备受尊敬的神灵，包括东海龙王、南海龙王、西海龙王和北海龙王等。其形象与人间所记录的相似，均为龙头人身，身穿华丽的汉服。唯独南海龙王只有一个螺旋状的独角，而且南海龙王那一脉的龙都是白色基底的。而西海龙王那一脉都有双翼。
In Chinese folklore, the Four Dragon Kings are greatly revered, including the Dong Hai（East Sea） Dragon King, Nan Hai （South Sea）Dragon King, Xi Hai （West Sea）Dragon King, and Bei Hai（North Sea） Dragon King. Their images are like those recorded on earth, with dragon heads and human bodies wearing splendid Hanfu. The Nan Hai Dragon King alone has a spiral single horn, and the dragons in its lineage are all white-based. In addition, the dragons of the Xi Hai Dragon King's lineage all have double wings.
龙王是管理海洋及人间气候、风雨的龙神。我们现在所处的世界中的降水归东海龙王管辖。东海龙王曾告诉我，如果某个地方的人们在海洋中杀戮过度，那么该地区就会遭遇干旱。而恶念弥漫的地方也会经历更多的天灾。因此，我认为天灾实际上都是由人祸所致。
Dragon Kings are dragon gods in charge of the ocean and the climate of the human world. The Dong Hai Dragon King is responsible for the precipitation in the world we live in. The Dong Hai Dragon King once told me that if people in a certain place over-slaughter in the ocean, that area will suffer drought. Areas filled with evil thoughts will also experience more disasters. Thus, I believe that natural disasters are caused by human misdeeds.
在中国文化中，龙代表吉祥如意、和谐长久，以及风调雨顺。我所见到的龙形态与中国文献中的描述一样，无论东西方。过去两年，我见过的不下50种龙，它们身上都有不同的纹路图案和颜色，非常漂亮，比历史记录中的更为丰富多彩，姿态优美。
In Chinese culture, dragons symbolize auspiciousness, harmony, and peace. The dragon forms I have seen are similar to those described in Chinese literature, both in the East and West. In the past two years, I have seen over 50 kinds of dragons, each with different patterns and colours, very beautiful, more vibrant than those in historical records, and elegant in posture. These special images have been documented and have become symbols of dragons in different cultures.
在人杰地灵的地方，龙的色泽特别好看。有趣的是，负责降温的龙都是蓝白色的纹理和图案，而负责降雪的龙则呈现出透明的冰雕般的状态。在民风较为恶劣的和业障重的地方，当地的龙看起来会有点营养不良的感觉。
In places with remarkable people and spirits, the hue of dragons is particularly beautiful. Interestingly, the dragons responsible for cooling have blue and white textures and patterns, while those responsible for snowfall have a transparent ice-like state. In places with poor customs and heavy karma, the local dragons appear somewhat malnourished.
龙族表示，如果某个地方出现洪水暴雨，那并非是它们所控制的。直到去年我在中国一些持续强降雨的地方，才看到的龙形态不同，丑陋，几乎都是黑色。
Dragon clan said that if there is flood and heavy rain in a certain place, it is not under their control. Until last year, I saw different dragon forms in some places with continuous heavy rainfall in China, which were ugly and almost all black.
龙的出现是因为当地人们正念大，而正念大的地方就会有瑞祥之物，龙的出现。所以说啊，国泰民安不是神决定的，而是人心。自2022年以来，东海龙王的龙族从世界各地逐渐撤离。这表明控制天气的高维生物的减少似乎暗示着极端气候在不久的将来日子会变得更加常见。当我2022年8月回到多伦多时，发现五大湖区域原本五条东海龙王旗下的龙变成了一条白色独角龙，这又是代表着什么呢？
The appearance of dragons is due to the positive thinking of the local people, and positive thoughts will bring auspicious things, such as dragons. So, national peace and prosperity are not decided by gods, but by people's minds. Since 2022, the Dragon Clan of the Dong Hai Dragon King has gradually departed from all over the world. This shows that the decrease in high-dimensional creatures controlling the weather seems to imply that extreme weather will become more common shortly. When I returned to Toronto in August 2022, I noticed that the five dragons from the Dong Hai Dragon King in the Great Lakes area had become a white single-horned dragons, what does this signify?
龙是位于三四维的生物，龙族自称在宇宙中的星体中起到一个“平衡”的作用，能够控制天气，调节震动频率，让大部分人都可以见到，而一些龙甚至可以幻变成梅花鹿和鳄鱼。他们既能变大，也能变小，能上天升天，也能隐藏自己的形态；大则可以引起九天云雾，小则可以隐藏在海水中，升则可以飞腾至宇宙间，隐则可以潜伏在波涛之中，形态大小不一，我见到的龙从几十厘米到数百米不等。
Dragons are beings that exist in three to four dimensions. The dragon clan claims to play a role in "balancing" celestial bodies in the universe by controlling the weather and adjusting vibration frequencies. They can make themselves visible to most people, and some can even transform into animals such as plum deer and crocodiles. Dragons can change their size and form, both growing larger or smaller, ascending to the heavens or hiding their forms. When they are large, they can create clouds and mist in the sky, while when they are small, they can hide in the sea. Dragons can soar to the universe when they ascend, or lurk in the waves when they hide. Their size and form vary greatly, with some dragons being as small as several tens of centimeters, while others are several hundred meters long.

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https://preview.redd.it/8eapzhp257ra1.jpg?width=1016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1453d2382752c7499e79983d26fb03dc1d884ff
在我过往的帖子提到，我后天感知能力被加强后，就开始逐渐接触到外星人了。但是除了外星人之外，有一种高维的生物也是我经常见到的。就是中国神话故事中经常出现的龙，12生肖之一。 I have mentioned in my previous posts that after my psychic ability was strengthened, I gradually started to come into contact with aliens. Besides aliens, I often encounter another high-dimensional creature: the Dragon, one of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. I believe it is not only an extraterrestrial being but also a real being that exists on Earth.
我所见到龙的外观和中国历史中描述的可为一模一样。在2022年初，我去北京的中国国家博物馆，我当时去了B1层的古代馆。其展厅陈列以王朝更替的文物为主线来展现各个朝代的发展特点。古代馆涵盖了从远古约200万年前到明清时期公元1368年-1911年的历史时期。而对龙的记载可以追溯到旧石器时代。除了文字、图腾、雕塑、彩绘、画像，龙的形象一直延续至今，成为了民间习俗。
The dragon I have seen is identical to the one described in Chinese history. In early 2022, I visited the Ancient Gallery at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition hall mainly presents the development features of each dynasty based on the artifacts of dynasties. The Ancient Gallery covers the historical period from the Paleolithic period around 2 million years ago to the Ming and Qing Dynasties from 1368 AD to 1911 AD. The records of the dragon can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. In addition to words, totems, sculptures, paintings, and portraits, the image of the dragon has been passed down to this day and has become a widespread custom.
虽然现代人普遍认为龙是古人丰富想象力创造出来的生物，但是在博物馆中展示的龙的形象记录与我所接触到的实物非常相似。因此，在我看来，这些形象记录并不是古人的想象，而是根据实物进行的写生。
Although modern people generally believe that dragons are creatures of ancient people's rich imaginations, the image records of dragons displayed in the museum are very similar to the real objects I have encountered. Therefore, in my view, these image records are not the imaginations of the ancients, but sketches based on the actual objects.
中国的文字起源于象形文字，而象形文字是指利用图形来表达事物的文字。如果龙只是虚构的生物，那么就不可能存在与其相应的文字形象。因此，由此也可以推断出，龙的形象记录并非纯粹的想象，而是与实物有着紧密的关联。
Chinese characters originated from pictographs, which are symbols used to express things. Since dragons are fictional creatures, there cannot be a corresponding pictograph for them. Therefore, it can be inferred that the image of dragons is not merely imagined, but is closely connected with reality.
据文献记载，龙的形态为“角似鹿、头似驼、眼似兔、项似蛇、腹似蜃、鳞似鱼、爪似鹰、掌似虎、耳似牛”。龙被视为吉祥、正义、兴旺和力量的象征，尤其是对水、降雨、台风和洪水的控制。龙大部分潜藏于海洋和大型湖泊、河流之中。它们可以在水中游动、攫食、射杀和攻击，这些特性也被记录下来，成为龙的象征。
Historical records show that dragons have antlers like deer, heads like camels, eyes like a rabbit, necks like a snake, bellies like a clam, scales like fish, claws like an eagle, palms like a tiger, and ears like a cow. They are associated with auspiciousness, justice, prosperity, and strength, especially in terms of controlling water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. Dragons usually remain hidden in oceans and large lakes and rivers and can swim, seize food, shoot, and attack in the water. These characteristics have been documented and have become symbols of dragons.
在中国民间，四海龙王是备受尊敬的神灵，包括东海龙王、南海龙王、西海龙王和北海龙王等。其形象与人间所记录的相似，均为龙头人身，身穿华丽的汉服。唯独南海龙王只有一个螺旋状的独角，而且南海龙王那一脉的龙都是白色基底的。而西海龙王那一脉都有双翼。
In Chinese folklore, the Four Dragon Kings are greatly revered, including the Dong Hai（East Sea） Dragon King, Nan Hai （South Sea）Dragon King, Xi Hai （West Sea）Dragon King, and Bei Hai（North Sea） Dragon King. Their images are like those recorded on earth, with dragon heads and human bodies wearing splendid Hanfu. The Nan Hai Dragon King alone has a spiral single horn, and the dragons in its lineage are all white-based. In addition, the dragons of the Xi Hai Dragon King's lineage all have double wings.
龙王是管理海洋及人间气候、风雨的龙神。我们现在所处的世界中的降水归东海龙王管辖。东海龙王曾告诉我，如果某个地方的人们在海洋中杀戮过度，那么该地区就会遭遇干旱。而恶念弥漫的地方也会经历更多的天灾。因此，我认为天灾实际上都是由人祸所致。
Dragon Kings are dragon gods in charge of the ocean and the climate of the human world. The Dong Hai Dragon King is responsible for the precipitation in the world we live in. The Dong Hai Dragon King once told me that if people in a certain place over-slaughter in the ocean, that area will suffer drought. Areas filled with evil thoughts will also experience more disasters. Thus, I believe that natural disasters are caused by human misdeeds.
在中国文化中，龙代表吉祥如意、和谐长久，以及风调雨顺。我所见到的龙形态与中国文献中的描述一样，无论东西方。过去两年，我见过的不下50种龙，它们身上都有不同的纹路图案和颜色，非常漂亮，比历史记录中的更为丰富多彩，姿态优美。
In Chinese culture, dragons symbolize auspiciousness, harmony, and peace. The dragon forms I have seen are similar to those described in Chinese literature, both in the East and West. In the past two years, I have seen over 50 kinds of dragons, each with different patterns and colours, very beautiful, more vibrant than those in historical records, and elegant in posture. These special images have been documented and have become symbols of dragons in different cultures.
在人杰地灵的地方，龙的色泽特别好看。有趣的是，负责降温的龙都是蓝白色的纹理和图案，而负责降雪的龙则呈现出透明的冰雕般的状态。在民风较为恶劣的和业障重的地方，当地的龙看起来会有点营养不良的感觉。
In places with remarkable people and spirits, the hue of dragons is particularly beautiful. Interestingly, the dragons responsible for cooling have blue and white textures and patterns, while those responsible for snowfall have a transparent ice-like state. In places with poor customs and heavy karma, the local dragons appear somewhat malnourished.
龙族表示，如果某个地方出现洪水暴雨，那并非是它们所控制的。直到去年我在中国一些持续强降雨的地方，才看到的龙形态不同，丑陋，几乎都是黑色。
Dragon clan said that if there is flood and heavy rain in a certain place, it is not under their control. Until last year, I saw different dragon forms in some places with continuous heavy rainfall in China, which were ugly and almost all black.
龙的出现是因为当地人们正念大，而正念大的地方就会有瑞祥之物，龙的出现。所以说啊，国泰民安不是神决定的，而是人心。自2022年以来，东海龙王的龙族从世界各地逐渐撤离。这表明控制天气的高维生物的减少似乎暗示着极端气候在不久的将来日子会变得更加常见。当我2022年8月回到多伦多时，发现五大湖区域原本五条东海龙王旗下的龙变成了一条白色独角龙，这又是代表着什么呢？
The appearance of dragons is due to the positive thinking of the local people, and positive thoughts will bring auspicious things, such as dragons. So, national peace and prosperity are not decided by gods, but by people's minds. Since 2022, the Dragon Clan of the Dong Hai Dragon King has gradually departed from all over the world. This shows that the decrease in high-dimensional creatures controlling the weather seems to imply that extreme weather will become more common shortly. When I returned to Toronto in August 2022, I noticed that the five dragons from the Dong Hai Dragon King in the Great Lakes area had become a white single-horned dragons, what does this signify?
龙是位于三四维的生物，龙族自称在宇宙中的星体中起到一个“平衡”的作用，能够控制天气，调节震动频率，让大部分人都可以见到，而一些龙甚至可以幻变成梅花鹿和鳄鱼。他们既能变大，也能变小，能上天升天，也能隐藏自己的形态；大则可以引起九天云雾，小则可以隐藏在海水中，升则可以飞腾至宇宙间，隐则可以潜伏在波涛之中，形态大小不一，我见到的龙从几十厘米到数百米不等。
Dragons are beings that exist in three to four dimensions. The dragon clan claims to play a role in "balancing" celestial bodies in the universe by controlling the weather and adjusting vibration frequencies. They can make themselves visible to most people, and some can even transform into animals such as plum deer and crocodiles. Dragons can change their size and form, both growing larger or smaller, ascending to the heavens or hiding their forms. When they are large, they can create clouds and mist in the sky, while when they are small, they can hide in the sea. Dragons can soar to the universe when they ascend, or lurk in the waves when they hide. Their size and form vary greatly, with some dragons being as small as several tens of centimeters, while others are several hundred meters long.

No one knows what punctured the rubber, but we all hear it, the unmistakable hiss of salvation seeping into the water: dark water: encompassing water: water of birth and of death, and for us our final hope for a better life.
There are seven of us on the small inflatable boat.
Overloaded.
Huddling together, men and women; children; some of us not even speaking the same language—
Hiss
—but we all know what that means.
The end.
Above, the sun is just beginning its descent, and we need to be across before sunfall.
Hiss
We can feel the boat shrinking beneath us.
No one dares stir.
It's impossible to tell how much distance we've already covered. The water surrounds us. But it's clear some of us won't make it by swimming.
The old man.
The two children. Siblings maybe.
Hiss
The old man sticks a pill between his teeth and takes out a gun. He's prepared. "Jebać mokrych zmartwychwstańców," he says, before pushing off the boat, into the black water.
We watch him: floating through the murk.
A few shots—
Then the myriad hands of the waterrisen overpower him; pull him under.
One of the women covers the children's eyes.
They'll likely be next.
The waterrisen prowl the sea: reanimated corpse-agglomerations of ones like us: people who hoped to get across but failed. Some are individuals, or parts of individuals, while others have fused together into fleshy globes of once-human matter and tentacles.
Hiss
Not long now.
The boat is almost deflated. We wait until the last possible moment—
And slide into dark water.
The surface is deceptively calm. The sun sinks ever lower.
I swim.
Behind me I hear splashing, followed by screaming, but I don't look back.
I kick my legs.
Something grabs my foot.
"Please."
Such tiny hands.
I force myself to believe that it's a waterrisen. I must. "Please—" it repeats, but gargled now.
I kick until I don't feel anything anymore.
There are no more voices.
Just breathing.
Heartbeat.
One of the women swims alongside me, and together we flail our arms toward freedom, trying to catch a rhythm that will propel us forward.
We should be taking turns swimming in each other's wake, but neither of us wants to trail behind. In the boat, we were together; here, we are competitors. I close my eyes and pray that in her death she will distract the waterrisen.
I imagine our deflated boat floating peacefully on the surface.
I imagine the waterrisen ripping still-living, drowning people to shreds in underwater clouds of blood.
I kick.
When finally I open my eyes—
The woman is gone.
The sun is almost touching the horizon.
The horizon:
I see it bobbing before me:
A silhouette of trees and small buildings, almost within reach.
Almost—
Feeling sand underneath my feet—
Half-running now—
Body emerging into a gradient of dry air—
Salvation—
I turn. And as the sun begins to melt into the horizon, it sets the sea afire.

I live in a townhome across the street from a cemetery. It’s a small-town cemetery, with a little over a thousand tombstones. There is one looping road that circles the perimeter. To get to the gravesite, most people have to park, and walk. It seems to me that there’s not much room left for any more burials. The lot is dense with corpses. Sitting at my desk, I can see the entire cemetery from my bedroom window. There are five streetlamps spread out along the road. Four of them are sodium orange lights, but one, in the very distant corner, next to the sharpest curve in the road, is an old green streetlamp, shorter than the others. At night, before bed, I open up my window, turn out the lights and just stare. Sometimes I listen to a little music, but normally I like to listen to the silence emanating from the cemetery. That sort of silence can both relaxing and unnerving.
There are times when I will watch a burial, but I don’t make a regular habit of it, simply because most of those are during the day, when I’m either in school or if its Saturday, hanging out with my friends. There was one particular burial I didn’t want to miss though. Shannon Taylor, a cheerleader, had died in a car accident. It took them three weeks, with volunteers and cadaver dogs to find her body. Her prick boyfriend had been drinking and lost control of the car, skidding off of Devil’s Elbow and into the Cumberland River. Devil’s Elbow is a treacherous narrow winding road, with a steep embankment. Kevin Williams had convinced her that he was alright to drive. He was a piece of shit, so I didn’t really care much if he died. With his passing, a good number of people at that school had their lives exponentially improved. I mean he was a sadistic bully, not just your ordinary run-of-the mill bully looking to release a little stress. No, this guy loved causing other people pain. He loved causing misery. Shannon, on the other hand, was the nicest person I had ever encountered, and she was gorgeous. I had a serious crush on her. I loved everything about her, her style, her looks, even something as simple as her mannerisms, or her walk. How could someone so perfect love such a douchebag? I couldn’t understand it.
I didn’t know Shannon that well. I was too shy to ever approach her. I hated myself for being such a coward, but I’d rather not know for sure if I had a chance or not. I’d rather live in an unsure fantasy than a certain sad reality. I heard she was buried in her cheerleading outfit, which offended me, because I thought to summarize her whole life as nothing but a cheerleader was to trivialize who was she was as a person, plus I just thought it was dumb as shit.
All the popular kids were there, feigning sincerity at her passing. I couldn’t see the coffin, but I could tell when she had been lowered into the ground, buried under the earth. There was a visible wave of grief as those who truly loved her realized that she was gone forever. There’s something about packing down that last batch of dirt that evokes weeping.
I stayed in my room watching the scene unfold, until the last person was gone. I remember looking at that fresh mound of dirt and feeling a deep sense of loneliness. I walked down to her plot and said a little prayer. There were wreaths and flowers littered about her grave. I saw one with a picture of her and Kevin at a waterfall. I took the picture and put it in my pants pocket. Her plot was right under one of the orange lights. I thought how gawdy to have her grave under a streetlamp. I wish she would have been under a tree, maybe a beautiful oak, anything but a streetlamp. She deserved a peaceful, serene setting.
After some time, I walked back home. I cut Kevin out of the picture and threw that half away. I gazed at the photo of Shannon for a good while and then placed the picture in my sock drawer. The guys and I were going to a throw-back arcade, with pinball machines and retro video games. I get lost in that place. It’s like meditation without effort and the uncomfortable stillness. I don’t have to chase thoughts away. The ringing and the lights put me in another mental state, a peaceful nothingness, separated from the anxiety of life, but that night I couldn’t enjoy it. Shannon had intruded upon my Nirvana.
When I got home that night I went straight upstairs to my room, got her picture out of the sock drawer, and sat at my desk. Her grave was illuminated under the orange light. There was a weird anticipation on my part, like I expected something ghastly to happen. I couldn’t move my eyes from the plot but to my surprise something did happen, not where I expected, but under the green lamp. I saw passing under the light a girl dressed in what seemed to me a cheerleading outfit. She was pacing back and forth. I could only she her when she was under the light, but when she ventured outside the light, she was invisible. This went on for about five minutes and then she was gone for good. I reasoned that I was sleepy and probably hallucinating, that there was nothing there. I waited for a few more minutes but nothing else happened. I went to sleep and thought nothing else of it until the next night.
The next night I was too curious not to look. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and sat at my desk, moving the curtain aside to get a clear view of the green light in the cemetery. Nothing at first but after some time elapsed, she appeared. This time she wasn’t pacing but looking in my direction. She motioned for me to come to her. It had to be Shannon. I just knew it. I closed the curtain and crawled back into bed, but again, I couldn’t sleep. I got up and got dressed. I looked out the window, but she wasn’t there.
I quietly made my way downstairs, doing my best not to wake up my mom. I got through the creaking front door without any trouble. The hinges on that front door sing like hysterical banshees. There was no way anyone would ever be able to break in through the front door without alerting me to their presence. My mom on the other was a deep sleeper. The house could burn down, and she would never notice. I walked through the front lawn and across the road. It was a clear night and there was a full moon. It had been a sweltering hot day with no rain, but when I stepped into the cemetery the ground was saturated with water, pools of dark murky water scattered throughout, reflecting the moon’s light. I sloshed through the mud to the back end of the lot, near the green streetlamp. I looked up at the sky and it seemed like it was undulating. I felt as if I was looking up at the surface of a river, while trapped on the bottom. My chest was throbbing, and I started to choke for air. I moved toward the green light. It was all I could see now, my vision clouded, the light scattered by an ever-thickening fog.
From the light I could see a hand reaching out towards me. The skin hung loose, wrinkled, and pale, the last two fingers broken and bent upward. The hand grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into the light. I immediately gasped for air. I could feel my lungs working, the blood moving throughout my body with much needed oxygen. I fell to the ground and gazed upward. It was Shannon but she wasn’t beautiful. What was left of her blond hair was thin and matted, exposing much of her bald head. One eye was missing, and the other eye was bulging, skin and eyelid eaten away by some unknown scavenger. Her skin was a pale blue, with deep bloody gashes in her face, arms, and legs. She was dressed in her cheerleading outfit. She began to speak. It was difficult for her to enunciate through her mangled mouth, upper lip missing, broken and missing teeth, an eternal damnable smile.
“Kill him.”
I was shoved out of the light and back into the darkness of the cemetery. The ground was dry, and I could breathe. There were no pools of water, no movement in the sky other than the few wispy clouds that skirted in front of the moon. I made my way back home, with the thought of being trapped in a car underwater lodged in my head. It made me anxious. I felt I couldn’t move. My muscles were atrophied. It took all my energy to get back home and into bed.
The next morning, I woke up late to the sound of activity in the cemetery. I got up and looked out the window. The scene looked familiar. I watched as family and friends gathered around the grave of a loved one, exactly where Shannon had been buried. I was confused. I got dressed and rushed down to the grave. I noticed Shannon’s parents wailing and some of the people from school listening to the preacher. There in front was the wreath, attached in the middle, a picture of Shannon and Kevin with a waterfall in the background.
“What are you doing here?” I heard an angry whisper. It was Melissa, another cheerleader, but one with a nasty disposition. I just ignored her and started walking back towards my home. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed someone in the woods behind the cemetery. Someone watching, waiting, looking for an opportunity to say goodbye.
I changed my course and started walking towards the woods. I got closer than I imagined I would have without being noticed. The spying person looked up. We looked each other in the eyes. It was Kevin, alive and well, perfectly fine. He was teary eyed, and his face expressed a tangible fear. He turned and ran deeper into the woods. I didn't want to follow him. I didn't want a confrontation. I was pondering whether or not I should report him to the police. I hated him but I also feared him.
That night, whatever damn night it was, as I lay sleeping in bed, I heard the front door open. The hinges screaming in ecstasy, piercing my ears, and shocking me out of sleep. I laid there for a while, working up the courage to check and see who was in our house. I finally made my way out of bed and went to the landing. Downstairs the door was wide open. A trail of wet footprints went from the living room hardwood floor to the kitchen, and back through the living room and up the carpeted stairs. They went past my room and to my mom’s room. I saw that her door was open. This was odd and out of character for my mom. She always locked her bedroom door for fear of intruders. I walked over to the door and peered inside. Standing over my mother was a water drenched witch, in a cheerleading outfit, with a knife in hand, ready to stab my mother in her sleep. Shannon turned her gaze in my direction and lowered the knife.
“Kill him.” Shannon backed into the dark corner and was gone. I turned on the bedroom light. No one was in the room, the only evidence being the wet footprints.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Nothing mom. Go back to sleep. I just thought I heard something.” I shut off the lights and closed the door.
The next morning, I woke up early. I went to the woods behind the cemetery and waited. The line of cars meandered through the road and in front of the gravesite. People slammed their car doors. There was muffled conversation. I hid in a patch of brush, knowing exactly where Kevin would be. I could hear the preacher start the ceremony. I had brought a hammer with me. In the distance, amidst the trees, I saw Kevin sneaking up the trail. He positioned himself so that he could watch without being noticed, bent down and out of sight. I waited and kept my focus on Kevin. After the burial he watched everyone leave and then waited what seemed to be an hour more. He stood up and jogged over to the gravesite. He just stood there, looking and weeping. I felt sorry for him. I didn’t know exactly what had happened. I imagined several different scenarios, but the most reasonable to me was that he felt guilty. I didn’t see him as a killer, just a dumb drunk teen who wasn’t able to save his girlfriend. Then again, I really didn't know. He grabbed the photo off of the wreath and started to leave. As he came to the trail, I let him get a little in front of me. I wrestled myself free from the brush and snuck up behind him. I stepped on a stick, it snapped, he turned, and I reflexively hit him in the forehead above his left eye. He fell to the ground unconscious. I knew he wasn’t dead; I could see his chest moving up and down.
I dropped the hammer to the ground. I couldn’t believe I had done it. I had changed my mind but at the last second, I had swung without thinking, only reacting to the situation. I had no time to panic or feel sorry for myself. My one chance was to dump him unconscious into the river near Devil’s Elbow. Let the authorities find him where they had expected him to be. I ran back home and got the car. I drove on the cemetery road all the way around to where the woods were. I had to pull off the road and into the grass to get the car as close to Kevin as possible. I popped the trunk. Kevin was heavy, but I could feel the adrenaline pumping. I dragged him by the ankles to the back of the car. I picked him up like a fairytale maiden and dumped him in the trunk. I went back and retrieved the hammer.
When I got to Devil’s Elbow, I had to drive down past it to the bottom of the hill and closer to the river. I parked the car on the shoulder of the road. A couple of cars passed. I waited until it was clear and made haste, opening the trunk and dragging Kevin out onto the road. I could hear another car coming, tires rubbing against the road, atop of Devil’s Elbow. I wouldn’t make it in time so I dragged him as fast as I could to the other side of the car, out of sight. I quickly popped the hood and acted like I was broken down.
The car passed without even slowing down. I left the hood up, thinking that another car would be approaching, and it would be best to keep the charade going. I went and started the arduous task of getting Kevin’s body into the river. I grabbed his ankles and heard him moan. I couldn’t do it. I thought about grabbing a rock and crushing in his skull, but he would suffer. I closed the hood and the trunk, started the car and drove off.
I was looking in the rear-view mirror as I drove away. I knew this was the end for me. I was going to jail. I saw Kevin get up and stagger out into the road, not realizing where he was. Coming down the hill was a motorcycle, doing about a hundred miles an hour. People loved taking motorcycles down Devil’s Elbow. It was a game, a thrill to brag about. This guy just happened to choose a day when a zombie pedestrian had been unwillingly installed into the course. The motorcyclist didn’t see Kevin until the last second. He swerved trying to miss Kevin, but instead the bike wobbled and blasted right into him, tossing Kevin and the cyclist into the air and over the side of the embankment. I stopped and pulled off to the side of the road. I could see both their bodies being swept down the river, neither appearing to be alive. There was no effort to swim back to shore. They were faced down in the water, looking into the void of the deep moving river.
I drove home, parked the car, and went to bed early. Later on in the night, I heard my mom watching television downstairs.
“Devil’s Elbow got another one. Some motorcycle lost control and went into the river. Oh, and they found that boy Kevin. He wasn’t too far from where the motorcycle went in. Weird, isn’t it?”
I walked upstairs and sat at my desk. I pulled the curtain back. There under the green cemetery light, stood a cheerleader, with what was probably her boyfriend. She had her back turned toward me, but the guy was looking in my direction, motioning to me, inviting me to come into the green light. I looked down into the waste basket and saw a picture of Shannon and Kevin, standing in front of a waterfall.

Episode 64: Sakura and the Snowy Ski Class

MAL Anilist Kitsu AniDB ANN
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Today's Illustrations: OP Sakura
 
Question of the Day:
Even more progress! Which of today's reveals did you like the most?
 
Comments of the Day:
ToastyMozart pointed out the obvious problems with this park:

A part of me feels sorry that this fledgling business has to deal with a PR disaster like the wave pool going haywire and almost drowning a kid because they wound up in the crossfire of some wizard's shenanigans. But on the other hand they apparently didn't even issue their lifeguards with basic rescue floats (not to mention the waitstaff having to pick up their slack) so honestly it's for the best that they had a controlled crisis as a wakeup call for them to get their shit together before someone died in a real incident.

baboon_bassoon gave everyone important advice:

I'm kind of annoyed I wasnt reading the CR descriptions. They seem to be from Tomoyo's perspective
"We went to the new water park in Tomoeda! It was so wonderful to have a chance to fim Sakura in her swimsuit, even in the winter! Sakura made Kero stay behind because we were with our friends and there were s many people nearby. After Sakura finished giving Rika a swimming lesson, we got some cream soda, and Kero showed up! I knew Sakura couldn't keep Kero away from such tasty treats. All of a sudden, the wave pool started going crazy and Rika got trapped in it! Sakura couldn't use her magic because there were so many people, but I noticed there was a waterslide that she could hide in. On her way down it, she and used Watery to stop the waves and save Rika."
They make for cute little recaps!

 
On an important note, no unmarked spoilers! No jokes about events yet to come, and no references to future episodes!
Clow Card Fortune Book
Today's subject: Clow Card Amulets (Part 2)

1. When you want a new romantic relationship...
   • Put [THE SLEEP] underneath your pillow before going to sleep.
2. When it seems that you and a new friend’s paces don’t match...
   • Tap [THE SONG] twice before going out.
3. When making an important decision...
   • Place [THE LIBRA] on your chest and close your eyes. In 30 seconds, all your options will be organized in your mind.

 
The Clow Cards (and home equivalents):

Card	Equivalent
The Cloud	A♠
The Create	2♠
The Dark	3♠
The Firey	4♠
The Light	5♠
The Mist	6♠
The Rain	7♠
The Snow	8♠
The Storm	9♠
The Thunder	10♠
The Watery	J♠
The Wave	Q♠
The Windy	K♠
The Big	A♥
The Dream	2♥
The Glow	3♥
The Illusion	4♥
The Little	5♥
The Maze	6♥
The Power	7♥
The Silent	8♥
The Song	9♥
The Sweet	10♥
The Time	J♥
The Twin	Q♥
The Voice	K♥
The Change	A♣
The Dash	2♣
The Erase	3♣
The Fight	4♣
The Float	5♣
The Fly	6♣
The Freeze	7♣
The Jump	8♣
The Move	9♣
The Return	10♣
The Shot	J♣
The Sleep	Q♣
The Through	K♣
The Arrow	A♦
The Bubbles	2♦
The Earthy	3♦
The Flower	4♦
The Libra	5♦
The Lock	6♦
The Loop	7♦
The Mirror	8♦
The Sand	9♦
The Shadow	10♦
The Shield	J♦
The Sword	Q♦
The Wood	K♦