We first met at the beach.  I was playing keep the tide water from reaching my feet.

After a while, I had began to notice how strong the current was. A couple of times I even felt a little dizzy.

Suddenly, I began to get the very strong feeling of how vast and powerful the water, and the world for that

matter, was.  Backing away from from the rapidly climbing, strong pulling tide was becoming more of a struggle,

than a game! I slipped! I hit the wet hard sand on my back! As I struggled to get up, I glimpsed a large bluish-

white mass rushing towards me! It was the largest, most intimadating thing I had ever seen in my life!! I felt

very much drawn to it , physically, and mentally. I could feel my body being lifted, and slowly floating out 

towards the water. After the initial violent pull, and rush of the wind, there was a sense of surrealness.

A feeling of calm, and surrender came over me. As I floated through the air, I passed other items, animals.

and people flying pass me.  As we passed, it seemed as if we all had that glassy-eyed tranced look.

In the faux-stillness, I could hear a loud thunderous laughter! It brought back memories from a time

I wished to forget. The voice sounded very much like a very violent uncle I had, that had done some

very unspeakable things to people, and had been put to death in the gas chamber. I could not

remember his name at that moment, but there was something very familiar about this storm, and my

uncle. Suddenly I felt pain! Pain so excrutiatingly strong, I passed out. When I awoke, I found

myself attached to a bunch of tubes, and monitors. I tried to sit up, and found I could not move!

I passed out again. Later,  it was explained to me what had happened. I had been caught up in a hurricane.

It was a miracle I was alive. I had some major internal damage, and I was paralyzed, but I was alive!

The very violent way in which my uncle had torn his victims apart, and the violent way in which this hurricane

had torn apart it’s victims was so similar, it was scary! But, alas, these are two different situations, and

two different times in my life. I was told I had survived Hurricane Earl, and was a very lucky person because no

one else on the beach had survived! Three days later I awoke in the middle of the night. I was dreaming of the

night

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they came to our house looking for my father’s brother, my uncle, to arrest him. I remember

feeling so ashamed, and embarrassed when they came and got him. They kept describing what he’d

done to so many people. I tried to forget his name, but I couldn’t. I was named after him! My name is Earl.