River

Curiosity makes me abandon the main road and slip into the dirt roads where the houses get smaller and smaller and farther and farther apart.

I reach the river. The landscape changes and I find that everywhere I look is the river. I float, I row, I navigate around it. It starts to get dark.

I reach a house on stilts. It starts to rain. I pull the shades down but it's still so cold, so wet. Around me the storm, the river, the unknowable land.

Moving In

One

I find myself in a corn field. I can see the house I have to get to. I try to walk towards it but the wind keeps wanting to carry me off.

Two

The indoor pools are empty. They fill up, the people explain, when the tide comes. I step into one and wait.

Three

It will take me a while to get used to my new house. The indoor balcony looks down into the bathroom. It shames me to have people walk by and watch me stand in one of the indoor pools. The ones that fill up when the tide rises.

Four

The room is mine but the clothes are not. I try them on.

Sea Bed

The barge we are on takes us to an underground city. The water is so clear. I can see the words etched on the sea bed.

my legs

refuse to move. i am engulfed by my panic, and by the flames.

Sexy

I walk into class late. As I pass him he tells me he's never seen me so pretty. I don't bother to hide my kilig. I find a seat in front -- seats away from him. But when I look back, he's still looking at me and he's still mesmerized. I take out my notebook and twirl my pen in a way I know he will find sexy.

Even Steps

Paolo, Forest and I love the house at first but we get nervous when we notice the first signs that it is haunted.

A woman calls me on my cell phone telling me that she can see me, that we have to get out. This angers me and I listen to her rantings carefully and see if I can recognize the voice. Meanwhile, to save my family from panic, I slowly make a move to leave. I pick up Forest's leash and he comes running to me. I motion to Paolo to pack our things. With even steps, I walk to the car.