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Messerschmitt BF-109K Flight 233, a British Airways Boeing 757 from Glasgow to Paris was flying over the North Sea. It was a regional flight at 41,000 feet. The pilots were First Officer Ted Clark and Co-Pilot Mike Tompson. They had flown together for the last three years and were a good team. On this flight something would happen that would change their views of what was ‘normal'. For off their left wing was another aircraft. It was flying in formation. Because of its size it was very small. The pilot spotted it first. “Hey, Mike, we have company. Another aircraft off our left wing. Look...” Pilot Ted pointed. Mike peered over to look out of the left cockpit windows. He had to lean fully forwards to see the other aircraft. “I see him. What the hell? That can't be right...” “I know. A 109. He should have radioed us.” “Must be that restored one on the way to an airshow in Europe.” The pilot tried the radio on three different frequencies; there was no reply. “Nothing. Like he's a ghost.” “Maybe he has radio problems?” the co-pilot added. Suddenly the Messerschmitt changed position and flew right over the cockpit. He was so close they could see the oil stains and rivets and patched bullet holes. A green shoe was painted on the cockpit side and dozens of kill markings on the rudder. The plane's propeller was a whirling almost invisible fan. “What the hell? I'm radioing Paris,” the pilot said and did so. The reply was immediate. “We hear you Flight 233. Our radar only shows you. He has no transponder signal and is too small to pick up. Descend from FL41 to FL 39. Keep us informed. Over.” Pilot Ted acknowledged and descended to 39,000 feet. The 109 remained at 41,000. He stayed there, above them and at the same airspeed, 550 miles per hour. “The tail wind must be adding to his speed. There's no way that a Messerschmitt 109 can keep up with us. And we are too high for him.” The co-pilot peered upwards at the small dot of the German fighter. “We can find out who the pilot is when we land and ask him. Our speed is 550 miles per hour. If he had a speed of 410 and a 140 tail wind he would keep up with us. Not sure on the height though. I don't know much about vintage warbirds.” The pilot went back to flying. All was fine for a few minutes. The German pilot joined them! He appeared in the passenger cabin and passengers and cabin crew started screaming. Co-pilot Mike left his seat. He looked through the spy hole on the armoured door. And rubbed his eyes. “It can't be. It simply cannot be...” he muttered. “He's here. Inside the plane with us.” “What? The German pilot? That's impossible. His 109 is still there above us. Look...” The blue painted 109 still cruised two thousand feet higher. It was impossible for a pilot to leave one aircraft for another while in mid flight. “Open the door Mike. Be ready...” Pilot Ted ordered. Co-pilot Mike unlocked the cabin door and was confronted with a chaotic scene. Passengers and several air hostesses cowered in fright from the German pilot. He was standing in the aisle facing forwards. He was wearing a black leather jacket, pilot's helmet and flight suit. “Who the hell are you? What are you doing on my flight?” the co-pilot demanded. “Who am I? Why I am Hauptman Gunther von Snitzel at your service.” The brave and confident looking German pilot offered his hand and the co-pilot automatically took it. It was ice cold! He took a step back and then noticed the cabin air was freezing. “Who and what are you?” Mike was now scared but wanted answers. “I told you, I am Gunther the pilot. In the Luftwaffe.” “Yes I know that you're a German pilot. But what are you? How can you be here when your plane is two thousand feet above us? How the hell did you get in here?” The co-pilot asked what everybody wanted to know. “Oh... that. I'm a ghost. I was shot down by a late mark Spitfire in the last week of the war. Now I forever fly the skies. It can be quite lonely. So please forgive me...” Gunther looked sad and lost. His earlier confidence left him. “A ghost? You were shot down by a Spitfire in 1945? Oh my God,” from Mike. “I came for a vodka.” Gunther said, perking up and managing a smile. “Give Gunther a vodka!” Mike instructed a shaking air hostess, Emma, to do so. She opened a bottle of vodka and poured some into a glass with ice. The German took it and the open bottle. Gunther drank the ice cold vodka and smiled. “It's been a long time. Thank you. Now I must go.” Then in a puff smoke and flash of lighting he was gone. Passengers shook their heads, some prayed or cried. One or two had taken videos on their phones. Mike ran back to the cockpit in time to see the small blue Messerschmitt bank steeply away from view. Ted was shaking his head. He radioed Paris to say the 109 had gone. He didn't mention the visitation. Nobody would believe this for it was impossible. Video footage was already uploaded online and it was changing the world...

“Surprise, Mrs. Thomas, the test is positive”. “What test?, the young mom begs for an answer. “You're pregnant.” The inspiring peace in his eyes makes you realize you're supposed to be happy about this moment but then you look at your husband. You are both terrified. “Now it's just not a stomach bug, I'm even more sick to my stomach. It's the gut-wrenching realization that you may not live much longer. We had decided four years ago that we couldn't do this again. We barely made it out alive with the first baby. Between being born too early and momma almost dying, it would be too dangerous and selfish to bring another life into this world, but God has another plan. Four months later, everything is going fine, we have a name picked out, bedroom painted pink and a plan to not leave my first baby without a mom. Then karma kicks in and kicks me straight to the ground, literally. While wearing three inch heels in a church parking lot, I loose balance trying to protect one baby from oncoming traffic that I forget, there is a baby in my belly that needs protection too. While I'm on the ground I rip my heel off of my foot and realize that my ankle is obviously broken, deformed and dangling off my leg. I'm rushed to the hospital and doctors have to look at the dusty medical books to see what medication can be given to a pregnant woman. The baby in my belly is still alive but my leg won't be much longer if it's not fixed quickly. The next week is full of terror as I have to make the choice to have a big surgery to save my leg, my lifestyle, my peace. I know it's not good to take pain medication or have x-rays while pregnant but I don't have an option. Either pins, plates and screws, or amputation. I think I make the right decision until the guilt connects the understanding two years later. The baby and I both make it through delivery, learning to walk, learning to eat, learning to pee in the potty but then our world is turned upside down. On a random night, her dad looks at her and asks “why is your nose swollen?” In the few words that she has found over the past two year, she explains; “it's a jewel.” “Like one of these plastic ones?” he asks holding up a shimmery plastic gem. Antibiotics, scans, biopsies and several months later, I get the call no parent can prepare for. “Hi I'm looking for the parents of Birdie?” “Yes I'm her mother”, I say with fear chocking me, stealing my breathe . “Mrs. Thomas, Birdie has cancer” the doctor has tear rearing up in his eyes that you can hear running down his nose through the phone. My mind went blank as soon as I hear the “c-word”, I know he told me more details but I can't hear them. Momma is already in fight mode. I have to fight to save this baby that God gave me when doctors say I couldn't have anymore. I know there is a grand plan for her, but I have to help get her there. “We need to get you in for an immediate PET scan and biopsies,” the oncology team details the treatment plan. A year of chemotherapy, thirty days of radiation and a surgery to remove the entire tumor. Halfway through chemo, it's time to cut the monster out of her face. We know that Rhabdomyosarcoma has little fingers that invade every part of her little face but the doctors are on the same page as us. “We will need to cut it all out, leave a hole in her face and probably take more of her face off until we get clear margins,' the surgeon tells me. “I'm not here to make her look pretty, I'm here to help save her life.” This surgeon is why we chose to get treatment here instead of the world-renowned hospital next door. I know that this is going to be harsh. My little baby has half her face ripped off by a scalpel, in a desperate attempt to save her life. The beeps, lights and constant heart-pounding fear cripples my mind, destroys my faith and paralyzes my understanding. My baby is on life support, I was not prepared for this. I can't protect her from any of this, I'm the one helping the nurses hold her down while she's poked and prodded. The next six months, is a blur. Doctor appointment, infusion day, radiation day and still working a full-time job, somehow doesn't break me. Two years later, my baby is still alive, her face is deformed but the only thing that matter, she does not have cancer anymore. She may not be able to breathe through her nose, may have random aches and pains, my not be able to have adult teeth or a baby of her own, but she's alive. As I try to explain that we're still fighting the effects of the horrific treatment, all of the other kids that started this journey with us, have pass on. “Momma, I'm just lucky” she says through eyes that have seen more than I ever will. “I know baby, everyone has been praying for us” I say with conviction in my heart. We may never know positively if that broken ankle is what did this to her, but I will fight until my dying breath to help her through it. We're paving the way for those that come behind us.

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I was utterly shocked after reading the report that I had received then, and suddenly fear engulfed me; my hands started shaking, I began to shiver, and the World around me froze.Initially, my mind stopped me from opening it; I waited for my wife to open it for me instead. Yes, I was tested Covid Positive on August 20, 2020. I was not ready for the mental harassment and faced the ugly society. Many thoughts started to enter into my mind, and with little space to think precisely, I have already thought of misery, pain, suffering that was about to come. There were zero cases in our locality, and I was the first person to be reported as Covid positive at my branch as well. I used to work for a reputed bank. I rechecked our financials and discussed the same with my wife if I do not live to see another day. Also, the society we are part of didn't sympathize with a Covid Positive patient. I tried to consult a doctor who was not ready to see me or even talk to me over the phone. I requested him, but he asked me to call Municipal Corporation authorities and no further suggestions. While returning home after the humiliation from the doctor, I received a call from my office to join a con call; they were aware that I was unwell, and as I was on leave from August 17, 2020, they could have skipped my name, but I was asked to be in the call, adding more misery, my head was distressing, and I was feeling breathless. After reaching home, I called up the concerned authorities; they suggested self-quarantine and asked me to continue taking the medicines I was already taking and disconnected the call. I was surprised and shocked by the answer. Also, to our surprise, they showed after 9 days, and a wave of fear spread in the locality. People started to think that it was my 1st day of quarantine; however, it was the 9th day. The moment to remember was my son's monthly birthday that I celebrate every month, so I asked my parents and sister to celebrate this moment with him. Even while in pain, we all made him feel special on the day. He was happy, he asked me why we all were crying, and no one had the answer for his sweet little question. So we did it, and I got little motivation. I am happy to celebrate his 40th month birthday this month. Sometimes, a reason to smile is more significant in Life to live it with happiness. I wanted to live with the moment. I was stepping into the unknown, and it was not easy. Sometimes we need to be reminded of what we already have and trust that it is worth fighting for; I have amazing people around, and that's what is enough to fight to live another day. My wife served me the food, tasted delicious, and enjoyed every bite as if it were my last. The minister of Yama was already on his way to fetch me to the heavens. I said to my wife, "I don't want to die." Hearing this, she hugged me and said, "Don't worry we are in this together, and nothing will happen to you, I will not let anything happen to you, just stay calm." We both were crying and trying to be strong. We had a big reason to worry as there was a substantial single-day spike in the positive cases on that day. That night I couldn't sleep, it was 1.30 am, and I started to suffocate in my own thoughts. I imagined my death, and every time it was different. I started to search out for memories with my parents, siblings, friends, wife, and most of all, my son. I wanted him to hold my hand and take me along somewhere. I was crying for hours, and the ocean of tears in me was not empty. I am weeping now while mentioning it here as I remember every single bit of it. My wife was sleeping in the other room. I wanted to hug her for the last time, but I could not do so and kept staring at her from a distance with the hope that it is not the last time. I wanted to tell her that I loved her a lot, kiss her feel the warmth for the last time. She was looking breathtakingly startling while in sleep—the hair strands on her luminous face were something. I wished that if ever I had a time machine to go back one day—so many wishes to fulfill, so many people to meet up and celebrate life with. I lingered in the small World of four walls that were created by my mind and heart. I tried to write a simple letter on the roof to the mind, "Dear Mind, Please Stop Thinking, Stop Thinking of Death." I realized that day, "Life has its ways of turning things upside down, hit you hard when you least expect it. It will test your resolve to the last bit of spirit in you. It makes you question everything around you and take you for granted. But sometimes it's a good thing, it's the best way to move onwards and upwards." Today we live in a society that is always ready to play the blame game. Pandemic adds more spice to it, and people neglect the facts and accept the myths. Life is pleasant, and we should live it with the correct mindset. We all need to embrace Life's primary purpose: living, as Life is full of surprises and unpredictability.

This is my story as a 20 year old boy fighting depression and my choices. It all started when I was forced to migrate to Nellore from Chennai as my parents were in search of better educational standards in the school I study. But what they were really interested in, was to replace all of my extra-curricular activities with books, so I'd turn out to be a total geek and start the same old man-machine cycle. The cycle involves getting a high-paying job, serving as the ATM for a family for several decades, leading another descendant to starting this whole thing again and of course die a seemingly meaningful death. Ever since I reached Nellore, I felt my sub-conscious telling me all the time that it was not the right place for me. We landed in a creepy house, home to lizards, mosquitos, frogs, cockroaches, moths and what not. I got diarrhoea within a few days of staying but somehow my parents seemed to like the place. The school I got admitted into had a cemetery right behind it. All of these were definitely not good signs. I left the school within a year of joining after pleading my father. The next house we moved into was comparatively expensive but that's much better than a house of horrors, isn't it? I got admitted into a much smaller school but that's better than a big school with a bad omen, isn't it? Although I was satisfied that I could keep the past aside and move on, I always felt incomplete. Ever since I watched Dhoni hit the six and thus win the world cup for India, I kind of became a daydreamer. I either used to imagine myself hitting the six or taking the last wicket of my opponent team and winning the world cup in the end. I always used to request my father to help me join one of those cricketing academies. In reply to that, he would either hang up the phone or divert the topic. A few years passed and my high school was done. My parents immediately suggested on preparing for the JEE-Advanced test and joining a secondary school that'd coach me for that. I had to say yes and had to regret saying it for the following two years of my life. The secondary school had nearly 11 hours of classes a day and I used to feel hungry everyday on my way home. I performed extremely underrated and my parents used to yell at me at will, reminding me about the amount of money they paid so I could study and the problems they faced as kids. None of that got into my brain as it was already pre-occupied with un-fulfilled dreams. I didn't even come close to qualifying JEE-Advanced and that very thought made me feel worthless. In the end my mother developed anxiety issues whereas my dad developed short-temper issues, all of this as a price for migrating from Chennai to Nellore. I was heartbroken of the fact that while many other teens of my age were out there preparing for their U-19 trails and some of whom were playing the U-19 world cup and thus the IPL, I was aging really fast into probably a helpless old man. I joined a small under-ranked university and my parents were not too amused with that. Everyday they used to lecture me on how their relatives and my fellow-mates made it to prestigious institutes while I had to settle for something small. From that moment on, I got addicted to the pokemon anime which I was watching back then. After I saw the main protagonist Ash Ketchum loose one pokemon league after another, a spark got lit deep inside me. I wouldn't say it was much but It reminded me of myself and my failures. I felt like I was watching my story. So I kept watching of the hope that someday he'd win and that would change my fate as well. In the meantime I was able to convince my father into joining me in a cricket academy. Although I felt like things were slowly going in my way and I was going to do something extraordinary, I eventually realized that I was too late. My age criteria for the U-19 trails confirmed that. It tore me apart. In 2019, the spark that had lit itself in my mind years ago became much brighter as I watched my favorite protagonist Ash win his first championship after loosing six. A dream that lasted nearly 2 decades, reality! That gave me hope that maybe, success is nearing. This gave me a bit of confidence preparing for my do or die U-23 trails. But just as I was so anxiously waiting for my trails, the lockdown came as a party-pooper. Finally, I realized what my second chance was. I realized that my dream of playing for India was already done and had to be replaced by a new one. I decided that even if it means that I'm going to play for a different nation, I'll not give up on my dream. I planned and I executed. I got the highest package ever offered in my university but didn't settle for temporary satisfaction. I passed the IELTS test with flying colors, developed a really high profile on my CV, pleased my parents and am looking for my next country to land on.

Time is our big asset. Time is our big asset and we should use it properly. I got the idea of the time spent on something great, even though it requires small steps, is better than the time spent for nothing. And the word "nothing" here can indicate different meanings to different people. If you watched a TV for 2 hours and did not get any useful insight then you spent it on nothing. If students spend their days watching youtube videos just for fun rather than studying and exploring more on their fields, their career will go for nothing. People work in different jobs from the cashier in McDonald's to being CEO of one of the big companies in Silicon Valley. Surprisingly most people tend to settle down and stick to one low paid job not trying their best and evolve. The reason is we have a proclivity not to change anything too quickly but be in our safe zones or as they say "Comfort Zones". We have dreams, ideas, and plans inside, that could change the world. But, we have to delay it because we were busy working 24/7. We work every day at the same job from paycheck to paycheck just to keep our lives stable. We always waited for the best condition and time to accomplish what we actually like to do and change. It is the year 2020. The year brought us many surprises along with deep emotional and practical lessons. The COVID-19 caused a pandemic in the whole world. We as a nation started fighting back the virus by taking care of each other and quarantine ourselves. Scientists throughout the world are experimenting to find the best vaccine that could finish the virus once for all. All the doctors of the world are giving their precious time (24/7), and dedicating their lives to save the human from this virus. They could also spend their time around family and friends but they chose to save lives instead. Doctors are the heroes of the world. Quarantine has lasted 4-5 months in different countries. The time in these months we had for ourselves was enormous. We had 5 months to spend with our thoughts and ideas, to learn something new, to self-develop, finally do the thing we always were prolonging for a better time. My daily healthy routine. I wake up early at around 4:30 to 5:00 am. The first thing I do is washing my face and drinking water, water helps our organisms to stay hydrated. Then I go outside to train. I run every day and try to overcome my own achievements in the distance. I think I grow faster when I compare myself with my past. Then, I take the first hot then cold shower, it trains my body to stay healthy and immune. Next is making breakfast for my family. We have breakfast at 7 a.m. After that, I check my phone for news updates for different topics and make a plan for the day. Finally, I will be ready for my studies and work at 8:00 am. A good healthy routine will help a person to get their targets in life faster than the ones which are mixed up. The story below is how I came to the decision of following a healthy routine. When I first came home after studies were overdue to quarantine, I did not have any routine at all. I finally was feeling free of waking up early and preparing for school, I was binge-watching my favorite series of "How I Met Your Mother". At first, I kind of felt good but then my days and time started passing so fast that I did not care about morning and night. At some point, I started realizing that I was just slacking off my time. My studies continued and became online. I became so lazy at that time, that I was not clearly focusing my attention on my studies. I had clutter in my thoughts. Sometimes, the things we want in life are not useful and healthy for us. We just do not realize it until we experience it. So, thinking about the outcomes of our actions at the current moment would make a huge difference to faster accomplish life challenges and targeted achievements. One morning, I just thought about life and what my intentions were towards it. How to make a change and influence the world, make it a better place to live. All that stuff comes from our wants and interests. If we find what we love to do and it is useful for the environment. We should not have the second thoughts but try as hard as we can, to make at least a small influence that could be helpful to the communities, societies, and the world. So, I also set my own goals and promised myself that I would never give up. And set up my routine and trying to keep it every day. Study hard and work on yourself to get the best future you could possibly have. Because this COVID-19 gave millions of people a great opportunity to spend some time for themselves and think about life and their actual wants. It also gave a chance to accomplish those interests we have inside but could not actually do because of our usual jobs and stereotypical everyday issues. Do not lose a chance and be the best version of yourself now. Because later you may not get this "sales ticket" again.

I learned something new today. My therapist thinks that I have BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder). The definition on the internet states “BDD is a body-image disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or slight defect in one's appearance. People with BDD can dislike any part of their body, although they often find fault with their hair, skin, nose, chest, or stomach.” I was blown away by this definition because it described me perfectly. I always knew I had anxiety but I didn't know there was such a specific form of it. Knowing this really opened my eyes because I was never able to fully relate to others that had anxiety. Sure, they knew all about the heart racing, panic attacks, lack of appetite and insomnia but their obsessiveness with their image was never their trigger. In some ways, I feel better knowing that there is a disroder that fits me exactly because it means that I'm not crazy; I'm not alone. If doctors labeled this obessiveness as BDD then it must mean a whole lot of other people must be suffering from it. This comforts me somewhat. Maybe since I am now armed with this knowledge I can soothe myself easier knowing that what I'm fixating on is either an illusion or an overexaggeration of my imagination. I have a long road to recovery but I am grateful to God every day that I am slowly making progress. I know I will always have my bad days but my hope is that they will start to be less frequent. No matter how difficult things get for me in the future, I want to remember that I have already overcame a lot and I will continue to overcome. I am a fighter. And I deserve happiness.

Do you see a sunset everyday? It's really amazing, right? Imagine how beautiful it is to see that kind of beauty everyday. I love how sunset perfectly fits to the edge of the world, creating a very wonderful color in the sky and giving us a reason to think about how beautiful the world is. Imagine how lucky are we to witness this beauty every single day. I'm beyond grateful that I see this everyday and I'm so glad to share with all of you, my readers, how deeply in love I am with the sunset. Truly it is a gift -- a great present from the One who made us all. Not only a gift that we can see but also a gift and an everyday reminder to think that there's always a beauty in every end. It's been five weeks and our city is still under quarantine. No outdoor activities, all companies are closed, transactions are postponed, everything is limited. Though our government is handling the situation well, it's still a little hard to swallow the reality of what is happening not only in our country, but also in almost every part of the world. This virus that caused the mess in every part of the world, a thing that brought us fear, a problem that made us think of how should we solve it, and a trauma that will remain forever in our heads. Some blame certain people, some think that this is just a challenge that the world is now facing, some thinks that this is our "karma". For two weeks of being a house person, I saw a lot of opinions, theories and other statements regarding this problem that we're facing right now. For the past few days, I think a lot about this virus issue. There's a lot of "what ifs" going inside my mind. But one thing is standing out from the rest - "What if the world is doing its way to heal?". It may be weird, right? But I find this thing interesting. Well, honestly I'm a fan of conspiracy theories but I'm also pretty sure that there's always an explanation for everything -- bizarre or weird or real, there's always an explanation. After I gathered almost all of the opinions, sides, and views, reading some articles and news, I ended having only one thing on my mind and my conclusion list. I respect everyone's opinions and beliefs. But this is for me, my personal opinion. I think we need to pray and help one another. I know that there's a scientific reasons why is this happening to us. All of this will come to an end because we will make it. As you can see, everything in this world is like a day in our lives. Just like sunset, all things will come to an end -- but before the end, we have to realize how important it is to survive in a day. Remind yourself of all the things that made you realized how blessed you are that you're still here, fighting and living your life. The problem that we are facing right now will soon come to an end. This virus that killed a lot of people. Brought us fear and made us stay in our homes for a while. This thing that made us realized that it's not too late to help one another, to show love to each other, to give care and show our concern to everyone, the caused of all the problems but gave us a reason to be with our family, to appreciate little things and the reason why we are now unified.

Amelia stared out her bedroom window overlooking the neighbors' lawn - wondering whether other children her age had families like hers. Were they also sent to their bedrooms so the grown folk would yell at each other and fight? Did they ever have to hide under the bed just so they could feel safe? Were their lives full of horror and misery like hers? She adored her parents, like most kids her age but never spoke of them with the enthusiasm other kids did theirs. Whenever anyone asked about her parents, Amelia would hang her head low with sadness. And if they insisted, she would get furious. “I don't want to talk about it!” She was often quick to end the conversation. Most kids at school despised her. If your parents did not drop you off in the morning or pick you up after school, you didn't have any friends. Most of the other kids assumed she had no parents. Whenever her parents were summoned she would go all the way to Aunt Flora's place across town and ask the bulky noisy woman to fill in. Aunt Flora had no children of her own and had given up trying a long time ago. Now she simply stayed home tending her garden, looking after Molly, Jolly and Polly, her three cats, and yelling at whoever appeared on TV. For Aunt Flora, people on TV either dressed badly, spoke poorly or just looked bad. Having been kicked out of a convent a few years back, Aunt Flora had dedicated her life to being a noisy loner. Not long after she was kicked out of the Convent she had met Patrick with whom she tried to have children. The news of her bareness came as a heartbreak to Patrick who eventually died – possibly of disappointment. Now all Aunt Flora had was her garden to tend, her trio of nonchalant cats to keep her company, her TV to yell at, and the occasional visit from her little niece, Amelia. Amelia noticed the lights go out from the neighbors living room window. Around this time of the night, they would all be seated in the living room playing Scrabble, Monopoly, or charades and laughing the night away. But tonight, they were turning in early – either because of the storm or the noise from Amelia's house. “Please stop it, Nathan! You're hurting me!” she heard her mother plead from downstairs. “I will do as I please," her father retorted. "And you will do nothing." “You're hurting me, Nathan. Stop!" Her mother began to scream. Then for a whole ten seconds, everything went silent. But Amelia knew what was coming. This was not the silence she was hoping for. Something horrible was about to happen downstairs - it always did. Her mother was about to let out a loud painful scream. Without warning, the sky let out a thunderous roar drowning out every other sound, including the noise from downstairs. Amelia dove right under her bed. The loud thunderstorm outside seemed to offer her a bit of reprieve, albeit scary reprieve. Perhaps the universe had listened to her silent prayer for the noise in the house to be drowned out because, for a few seconds, she could not hear anything more than muffled sounds of fighting and screaming coming from downstairs. Her mother was pleading for her life but Amelia was momentarily glad she could not hear it. Just as quickly as the thunderstorm clapped and roared, it went silent and heavy rainfall replaced it. A steady pouring of tears from the sky replaced the noisy thunderstorm and the sky became one with her emotions. As Amelia became teary, the sky wailed and sobbed, letting out its own steady flow of tears with the occasional cough or sneeze marked by a bit of thunder here and lightning there. From under the bed, she could see shadows floating around the room. And she held tight onto Dory, her only friend. Dory was a plush little blue fish with large eyes and a little yellowtail. She wore a constant smile and always reminded Amelia that everything was going to be all right. She pulled herself from under the bed and quickly jumped into it, clutching Dory close to her. “Dory, I am scared,” she whispered to her inanimate blue friend, hoping for reassurance. Then she pressed Dory close to her chest and waited for the magical words. “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming.” Dory responded. And that is what she always did - swim. Through the tides of noise and fear, through the waves of sadness and pain, she was going to keep swimming. Most fifteen-year-olds had big fluffy bears and large stuffed animals. She only had Dory, and that was all she needed. Most teenagers worried about how they looked, who their friends were, what dresses they wore and what toys they had. She worried about the constant arguments and fights between her parents. She held Dory close to her chest, folded herself into a tiny little bundle of fear and drifted off to her safe place - dreamland - a place where there was no noise and no one could hurt her.