November 13, 2018
E1
Poetry Corner
“I went on a run today” Megan Geilsinger Guest Writer
Billboard Top 10 1. Girls Like You - Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B
6. ZEZE - Kodak Black feat. Travis Scott & Offset
2. Sicko Mode - Travis Scott feat. Drake
7. Youngblood - 5 Seconds of Summer
3. Happier - Marshmello & Bastille
8. Drip Too Hard - Lil Baby & Gunna
4. Lucid Dreams - Juice WRLD
9. Without Me - Halsey
5. Better Now - Post Malone
10. Mo Bamba - Sheck Wes
Movie Showtimes Showtimes for Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 13 and 14 at AMC Classic 7 in Chambersburg
Show
Times
1. Bohemian Rhapsody
7:00 p.m.
2. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
6:50 p.m.
3. The Grinch
7:15 p.m.
4. Overlord
7:30 p.m.
5. The Girl in the Spider’s Web
7:20 p.m.
6. Halloween
7:40 p.m.
7. A Star is Born
7:10 p.m.
I went on a run today, With my dog, Just like any other day. Except today, I had a weird feeling In the pit of my stomach. Still, I went on a run. The rubber soles of my shoes smacked the pavement, wet with fresh rain, To the rhythm of a new song; That I had downloaded the previous night, After hearing it out at the bar with my friends from class. On my pot hole-filled road, That is more of a “travel if you live on it” road, Rather than a “travel to get from point A to point B” road, I ran up the hill. I noticed A silver Chevy SUV coming toward my direction. The vehicle (almost as if it were watching me), Slowed to almost a complete stop. It seemed like an eternity Before the vehicle and I Were finally side by side. My heart began to race And dropped to the pit of my stomach. A male- Caucasian, Short hair- brown, Freshly-shaven facial hair- brown, Slim face, About early to mid- forties, Craned his neck Toward the window Not taking his eyes off of me. Me, not taking my eyes off of him. I had heard enough about human trafficking, To know what it was about, In movies, On the News, On crime TV, In the newspaper, On Facebook, In magazine articles, Blog posts, Books, Textbooks, Scholarly articles, I see it everywhere. I live near Interstate 81, Which is the route That human traffickers Have been known to take. I’ve watched enough Law and Orderz: SVU To know that human trafficking and sexual assault IS NO JOKE. I am a woman. I always have to be on guard from predators of the male gender. Keep alert. “Beware of your surroundings at all times, Megan!” My mom would drill into my head, At an early age. Why wouldn’t she? She loved her daughter. She was also the warden of a prison. I’ve always been a very cautious and alert person because of this. But in that very moment, A moment that my life could potentially change forever, My mind went blank. I couldn’t think. I could only look at the SUV stopped at the top of the hill, While I ran down it. “What would I do if he came after me?” I asked myself. “What should I do now?” Trying to think of some defense tactic,
Mad at myself because I couldn’t. A.Pull 911 up on your phone. B. Run into someone’s driveway. C.Hop over the fence and run into the field right next to you. D.Keep running and hope for the best E. Call Dad I went with option d and e. Only dad didn’t pick up, He was in town with my grandmother. So I texted him instead, While still running away from the SUV. “There’s a silver Chevy SUV that drove by me and is stopped at the top of the hill.” A feeling of panic evident in my use of language. While running off of my road down to the nearest one lane bridge, I then turned around and headed back. I almost got to the bottom of the hill, When I noticed that the SUV wasn’t in sight. I wanted to feel a sense of relief, But I didn’t. Then I saw it. The SUV pulled off from alongside the road, And stopped at the top of the hill. Again. Only this time he was on the other side of the road. The same side that I was on. “Come on,” I commanded to Ellie (my dog), As I turned around And headed toward the opposite direction. Away from the man in the silver SUV I turned my music completely off, Listening to see if I could hear the vehicle. I felt frightened, confused and slightly angry. Thoughts of terror consumed my mind. “Why did this man think that he could do this?” “Cause me to feel this way.” “Was I overreaccting?” “Am I actually in danger?” “Could something potentially dangerous happen to me at this exact moment?” Yes. I called my dad. “Dad!” I screamed when he picked up, Still listening to see if the SUV was behind me. I looked back to see him still parked at the top of the hill. “I’m not kidding, this is serious.” I began, to get his attention, A quiver wavering in my voice. “This SUV is parked at the top of the hill again.” I said, choking back tears. “Where are you now?” He questioned. “Run in someone’s driveway. He demanded of me, realizing that this isn’t to be taken lightly. I heard the SUV driving behind me. Too scared to look back, I ran into the nearest field, Behind my neighbor’s house. He then turned off of my roadI didn’t see in which direction. I stayed on the phone until I got back home. I ran inside, immediately locked the door, and looked out the window. I opened my laptop. My hands are shaking as I write this. My heart beating in my stomach. I am a womanI’m reminded. I am proud to be a woman, But I am also fearful to be a woman. I find joy in running. I will not stop running. I will never let a man, or anyone else, take that bittersweet pleasure away from me. This isn’t how life should be lived. This societyThis worldNeeds a WAKE UP CALL. Be. The. Change.