| abstract | - “God damn it!” I muttered as I sped down the Hawaiian interstate. Why wasn’t it possible for my family to have one vacation without any drama? Angry thoughts raced through my head as I thought about the fight that had broken out between my family during dinner. I had managed to get out of there before it escalated, choosing to go to bed earlier. Later that night, however, I found myself unable to sleep, troubled with thoughts of frustration and disappointment. Now I was on the road, in search for a place where I could seek refuge and empty my head of any negativity. As I glanced at the dashboard my thoughts were interrupted. The speedometer had reached 85. My anger had taken over the steering wheel once again. “Thank God this road is deserted”, I thought to myself as I eased my foot off the gas pedal. I peered over the steering wheel, taking in my surroundings for the first time. A ray of silver moonlight dimly lit the road before me, bathing it in a pale glow. To each side of me was black igneous rock, the hardened remains of a once active volcano. I rolled down the windows and listened closely. Sure enough, I heard the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore. Bingo. I knew there was a beach somewhere around here, now all I had to do was find it. I drove on in silence for what seemed like an hour. Strange… I thought. I hadn’t passed one car since I exited the resort. You're just used to the fast paced environment of city life, I reasoned to myself. Island life is much more laid back. Most of the island is probably asleep by now. I glanced at the clock, it was already 1:15. A few minutes later I saw a sign ahead of me. It read Makapu’u Beach Park. I turned into the side road that led to the beach, without hesitating to flick the turning signal on. My tires crunched on the gravel; the only sound in the dark, narrow tunnel that the encroaching foliage formed around the path. Finally, I approached a clearing. Before me lay a beautifully desolate beach. The perfect refuge. I parked the car and hopped out. Kicking my shoes off, I began to pace along the white sand, my feet sinking in with each step. I searched the ground before me, looking for smooth stones to skip along the ocean’s surface. I found one and with a flick of my wrist I skidded it across the water. One, two, three skips. Not bad. I repeated this about three or four times until I noticed an abnormality in one of the rocks. As I ran my fingers along the flat stone, I noticed what felt like a series of grooves along its exterior. Curious, I flipped it over and squinted at it in the dim moonlight. Etched deeply into the stone was the simple outline of a man’s body with what appeared to be a dog’s face. “Neat!” I exclaimed aloud. I pocketed the stone and headed back to the car. On the way back to the resort, the roads were empty once again. I turned on the radio in order to drown out the silence of the Hawaiian interstate. Suddenly I saw a large figure sprint across the road ahead of me. I slammed on the brakes and the car screeched to a halt. Illuminated in my headlights, was a large Hawaiian mutt. It stared at me unblinkingly and then as suddenly as it appeared, it bolted into the darkness. "Strange" I thought, as I fingered the stone in my pocket. I shook my head and continued towards the resort. When I got back everyone was sleeping. I plopped down on my bed, placing the stone on my nightstand. Shortly before drifting to sleep, I heard the distinct howl of a dog. The Next Day: The day passed slowly and easily. I decided to spend most of it sunbathing by the pool. I asked my sister to put sun lotion on my back. As she lifted my hair up, she suddenly exclaimed “What is that on your shoulder?” “What are you talking about?” I asked, craning my head back to look. “Did I manage to get sun burnt already?” “No” she said. “This definitely is not a burn." As I managed to get a proper look at my shoulder, I saw that there were four deep indentions. My sister pressed them with her fingers. “Ow!” I cried. “Will you cut it out. That hurts!” “Sorry", she said. "If it hurts that much maybe you should get it checked out.” “I’m fine” I grumbled. Lying down so that I could sunbathe. That Night: I awoke that night drenched in sweat. I had dreamt that I was being chased by a large dog… similar to the one I had seen on the road. Why did I always let my imagination run away with me? I went to the bathroom to wet my face. When I glanced in the mirror, I was alarmed to see that the marks on my shoulder had bled through my shirt. After applying a band-aid, I went back to bed. This time before drifting to sleep, I thought I heard whimpering accompanied by a soft scratching at the door.
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