Event Horizon

Event Horizon
(n.) the boundary of a black hole beyond which nothing can escape from within it.

     I think of this as the point of no return. This is it. I'm going to keep on observing.

     I've been noticing a lot of "traces" of either animals or possibly other people in the park. The animals or humans just leave tracks and sometimes they even leave a piece of themselves. What I found were some animal tracks of some type of bird or small mammal.

     These prints are scattered all throughout the dirt in between the park. They seem to be abundant because in every corner of the park there they are. It fills me with wonder to think what thing left these footprints. How could I have possibly missed it? I have this minuscule idea that the animal that I think matches the prints is the White tailed jackrabbit. Hopefully I am correct.

     As I look around the south end of the park close to the memorial I spot a feather. Lucky sees it as well and proceeds to sniff it. After he's done I go and pick it off the grass. It was kind of embedded in the moist ground but it didn't blend in very well with the grass since it was gray with black edges. I think that feather is from a Canadian goose. I remember, some days past prier to this day of observation, seeing a small flock of geese moving south. Maybe they landed here to rest a little before continuing their journey. I bet they have many miles still to go.

     Trees leave tracks behind too. It may not be very obvious but I now can see these tracks. They're found all around the premises of the park. Mostly all you will see are some yellow and orange leaves that sort of stick to the edges of the park, like flies stuck to fly paper, but if you look closely you can see that there are seeds among them as well. 

     They are actually seed pods that have fallen off the branches of the trees. I think they look similar to the green bean pods but these are much thinner and they are brownish. The outside texture feels so fuzzy like a dandelion. And when I shake it a little I can hear the seeds inside rattle and rumble. Inside the seeds are smooth and extremely hard. They have the same color as the pod yet the seeds look shiny. I doubt that these little seeds will become saplings. I guess it's too late for them now since they look and feel dead.

     Trash. That is what humans can leave behind. I found a plastic wrapping of some sort and a paper plate that was torn apart into two halves. Then a tiny foam football with one of the ends chewed off. Lastly a water bottle cap. This proves to me that people visit the park on a regular basis. I think that's remarkable but I just don't like how they leave their presence here. Why would someone just throw away their shit here? I will never understand but it is what it is and I shall interfere with the balance of nature.

     The day soon turned to night as the sunset dissolved into the mountains and the moon slowly began crawling up the sky. With the moon also came my shadow. I noticed it in the midst of the park. Lucky then stands next to me and we can both see our shadows. We see it, ever so slowly, grow bigger and bigger. I find it mysterious. "That's him and me. That's us but it isn't somehow."

     Looking at my tall figure gave me chills up my spine. I feel like I will look at a horrific sight like if I was in a horror movie. That as soon as I stop and pay attention to my shadow that it will begin to move by itself. Then it'll come out of the ground and I'll stay completely still. Mesmerized by the unbelievable entity. I was more than sure that this was going to happen so in fear of it actually becoming true I ran home. Sure, I can't get that thought out of my head anymore every time I go but it intrigues me. Maybe it's the thrill that it gives me. The hope that builds up inside of me hoping that it'll actually happen and I live to tell the tale. This is the point of no return. 

Start

     An odd encounter happened on September nineteenth around 7:09 pm. People were at the park. For the first time in like five years I saw people in the park. As I walk towards the gate and slowly open it they look at me with serious eyes. They were probably just as surprised to see me as I was to see them. This uneasy feeling then hit me and I knew Lucky would take the chance to bite them because he doesn't know them. "Dude, chill please, I don't want to have to pry your mouth open off the kid's arm," I told Lucky as he took a quick glance at me and then at them.

     Lucky sees anything as a threat to me or himself. When he sees something of interest, whether a threat or just something that caught his attention, he stands still and all he does is move his ears. Usually he stands like that for about a minute or two at the most. Absorbing every detail he can get in his small, curious mind.

     7:20 pm, the people there are actually kids, three of them. They all seem like they are in eighth grade or they're either freshmen. Then two of them leave.

     As I was thinking about the events that happened in school today, which were quite traumatizing since I was really nervous and was about to have an emotional breakdown, the boy who stayed was playing with a soccer ball by himself. It looked like he was a good soccer player. Or at least he makes it look like he is good by balancing the ball on his foot and head. Kicking the ball at the gate was usually all he did after he got tired of balancing. I assume it was his routine since I've never seen kids, especially him, play here. Ever since they took down the playground I thought kids would never visit this place, I mean there's nothing "fun" about a cemetery. If I was the cemetery I wouldn't expect people, especially kids, to come and visit me often. But surprisingly enough there I was and so was the soccer kid.
     As I was sitting down on the grass on the north end of the park and writing my observations in my book I felt a somewhat hard bump that knocked my book and pen out of my hands. He kicked the ball and it ricochet off the gate and hit my hands. Lucky was about ready to bite the kid's face off but luckily I had his leash in my hand. I gave him back his ball and calmed Lucky down. Then the boy sat next to me but he didn't say a word. He changed his soccer cleats for some sandals and then he just sat there. A couple of minutes past and he took a glance at what I'm doing. Basically I was just writing down details about him and how he looked and what he was doing but I wasn't going to tell him because I thought that would be a little too weird. He broke the ice and asked me if I went to Wooster. If the sweater that I was wearing wasn't obvious enough I told him,"yeah I go to Wooster."
"Oh cool! I'm going to Wooster soon but right now I'm going to Vaughn," he said with a surprised voice.
I asked him with a curious tone in my voice, "Really? Are you in eighth grade or something?"
"No, I'm in seventh grade but I'll be going to Wooster hopefully."
"Nice, maybe I'll see you over there or something."
He left after that last remark. And I knew that I wasn't going to see him at Wooster.

Genesis

     I always knew this place existed. I already knew where it is, what's in it, and what to expect from that place. I'm calling it spirit because I feel like the park itself has a soul of it's own. Memories, Experiences, and Thoughts have all been apart of this park. At least that's how I've always felt about this park. I've witnessed the changes of seasons in that park. I remember playing on the playground and tripping on my shoelaces and getting a bloody nose and almost breaking my face on the solid dirt. Countless birthdays I've celebrated here, it's almost like every time I come back I'm there at my sixth birthday seeing myself. "Was I really that happy?" I probably was and now it's all coming back to me to give gratitude. The playground didn't last long. Or maybe it did but I didn't realize how I'd never see the park the same again. So, it's become a deserted cemetery with an unknown, uncanny, and dark feeling. With names that knew no one and no one knew them. It's good that the City of Sparks made a memorial for all those people but does anyone really know about this? Or are there people, kids, anyone like me who still visit this place and acknowledge this new perspective of the park? Revisiting this place made me ask myself a lot of possibly unanswerable questions. And all for what?

     Now that my English teacher assigned us with this so-called "Observation Project" I think I'll be able to answer some questions of my own. He's prepared us and expects some very excellent, interesting, and creative works from all his students and including me. I thought to myself, "What the hell am I going to observe?" And then it hit me: the park. Of course I've already been there but maybe I could really put my senses to use for once and maybe even thank this place for what it used to be and what it'll become in the future.

     I composed an idea of how I want to carry out this project. I'm going to observe the park and my dog Lucky because he is my companion and I felt like he is also a part of this park as well. Most of these observations will take place late in the afternoon or during sunset. I've already heard some birds chirp within the treetops and seen cars parked around the park but I doubt people even go to the park. Honestly, there are many things I don't about this park. Damn, I don't even know the name of the park! Other than the few details I've already said I know there's more to come. Listening, Smelling, Seeing, and everything else I'll be doing in that space and report for what I experienced or learned during that time in no specific chronicle. I'll become one with the spirit.