I woke up to bleak walls of concrete surrounding me on all sides. With haze clouding my brain, I tried to stand up, only to find myself immobile. I was sitting on a creaky metal chair, and my hands, feet, and body were all bound to the piece of furnature with duct tape.

How orignial.

As my eyes slowly adjusted to the flickering lights above my, I was able to make out for of my surroundings. The muscular poles supporting the ceiling and the cracked and fading lines painted on the ground led me to believe that this place I was in was the basement level of a parking garage. It looked deserted, however-- completely absent of cars or other vehicles.

"Hello?" I asked. I didn't think that anyone would hear that and try to rescue my, but I thought that I could at least meet my captors. "He--"

The clicking of shoes cut me off as I strained to listen. They had a brisk step, and I strained my neck as I tried to twist my head around to catch a glimpse of them. Finally, a man wearing a mask stepped into view.

"So, you're awake," he said, his voice low and gravelly. I stared ahead, silent, searching him for any clues to his identity.

Aside from the mask, his attire was casual-- something that you'd expect one to wear on a nice trip to the mall. With dark blue jeans and a hoody, I would never have expected him to be the kind of man to abduct an innocent person like me. His mask was simple, like something you'd see in a cheesy movie. Two small holes were cut for his eyes, which were a bright green.

"Who are you?" I asked, getting straight to the point. On second thought-- "Why am I here?" Yes, both very important questions. I needed answers.

"That first answer is not important," he said, not surprising me at all. After all, if you abduct somebody, the last thing you do is tell them your name. "As for your second question, isn't it obvious?"

I sighed. He was right, it was obvious. It was stupid of me to even ask such a dumb question. Feeling down, I answered my own question for myself.

"Money."

After all, that had been the reason for my capture the last few times.

Once a year,

At night they come,

Against the sky,

Bordering the void.

I never know how many,

Or how long the onslaught will last.

In groups they raid my house

With their hideous faces,

Laughing all the while.

Yes, one night,

Just once a year,

I fear for my life,

Cowering from the strangers that stalk my every move.

In the black of my house

My chest constricts,

My legs seize up,

My blood turns to ice in terror.

For just once a year,

On Halloween night,

The Trick-or-Treaters scare.

While many people may be infatuated with screens and social media instead of the traditional book, in the end we all seek stories. Sure, different forms of writing tell different stories, for example a fictional novel is very different than a Snap or a Tweet. However, isn't good writing characterized not by the medium through which it's told, but by the enjoyment a story brings others? The hunger we have for stories, and the urge that keeps us coming back to books, means that this thirst for creativity and words will not go away, and we will remain as intelligent humans, intent on filling our voids with sentences and stories.

My legs, two spindly limbs that hadn't been used in over 60 years, wobbled as I made my way down what used to be my street. I tried to tell myself that the disuse was all that caused the problem, but I couldn't lie to myself.

The truth was, I was terrified.

At having lived through 35 years, I shouldn't be as freaked out as I was. I had, after all, lived through the uncertainty of the Depression, and viewed first-hand the horrors of the Second Great War. The blaring lights, screaming sounds, and all-around sensory-overload shouldn't have been bothing me as much as they were.

The lights hitting my corneas were cold, mechanical. They blinded me, forcing my eyes to squint shut against the glare. It was like waking up, only to find yourself staring directly into the sun on a cloudless day. The pain was fierce, and I could only hope that the feeling would go away in time.

A gentle hand on my back steadied me as I stumbled. I nodded determinedly at the voice that gently asked, "Are you alright?" I was okay. I was fine.

While I had put up a fight earlier, inside I was greatful that the scientists and doctors that woke me decided that I needed someone to come spot me on my first day in the new world. I had already tripped twice, and facing reality was easier knowing I had somebody standing next to me, ready to help at a moment's notice.

Vehicles that I could only assume were current-model versions of the automoblie zipped past, flying with such vigor and verocity that there were more than a couple times that I was sure I was going to be hit-- reborn into a new life, only to be yanked right out of it. There were so, so many. Back before the experiment, I would have been surprised had the total number of people in the world came close to the immense amount of these automobiles on this road alone.

People glared at me as I walked past, giving me lingering looks of angry curiousity, though no one outright asked the questions hidden in their gazes. They brushed past me as my speed was not matching their's, treating me as an obstacle they had to go around.

"Why is he walking so slow?" they said silently. "Why can't he speed up?" The truth was, I didn't know. Even if my legs were responding with their normal accuracy, would I move as fast as these people? Or would I lean against the cool brick of a building, taking in the sights around me?

My breath was coming out in sharp, harsh gasps by then, so the nurse next to me gently nudged me out of the flow of people and lowered onto an old wooden bench.

"That's it," she said, calming voice cutting through my thoughts. "Just breathe. You're lucky you had the strength to make it this far so soon, so just relax."

I heeded her advice, sucking in breath after breath. I'd take just a moment to gather myself, but no longer. I couldn't relax as she said. The world had waited 67 years for my return, and now that I was back, I certainly wouldn't wait for it.