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Comfy on the couch, this is a picture of me enjoying the Nintendo Switch

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Drawing of “Embrace The Void” (not to be confused with “Dream No More”)

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“Embrace The Void”, an ending to the video game Hollow Knight.

For many months, I could do no other than sit down. The bindings of the pandemic sealed everyone away, locked in our homes for what seemed to be decades. Joy had seemed to be another rarity, among toilet paper and cleaners. My sense of creativity dwindled with the joy, as well. But then, upon scavenging the internet for any trace of entertainment left, my cursor fell upon a video of a game I had never heard of before. Upon opening, the footage revealed to me a trailer for Hollow Knight, an indie game created by a small company; Team Cherry. Immediately I had become fascinated with this, and I needed no hard effort to search for more videos. I fell in love with this game, and for many months, wished it to be my own. The sheer creativity in this game brought about inspiration from the rubble. Hollow Knight became my Lifeblood (a reference to the game), keeping me going ‘till Quarantine’s End.

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Me: Okay, I want to ask you a few questions about your personal experience with the pandemic. First, how did it affect you? Did you find it difficult to adapt to these new situations?

Mom: Well, yeah. It was a lot harder for me to get from place to place, because everywhere I went, I had to bring face masks with me… of course, it was difficult to find things like toilet paper and cleaner in the stores, because everyone had bought them already!

Me: Did it affect you on a personal level?

Mom: Yes, of course. The virus forced us to stay away from everyone. It’s really hard on me, since we couldn’t bring Abuela over like we do every weekend.

Me: Yeah, I know.

Mom: Also, we can’t do those vacations we always do! Don’t you remember how often a year we would take you on cruises and to places like Universal Studios? Now it’s been nearly years since we’ve been to either!

Me: I miss those vacations. Okay, do you want to answer another question?

Mom: Yeah, I’ve got time.

Me: I have one last question: What was it like when you caught the virus?

Mom: Don’t you remember? You caught it, too!

Me: Well, yes… but it didn’t hit me as hard as it hit you.

Mom: I know. It felt as if my lungs were working twice as hard. I kept coughing, and every time I did it felt like I was choking on sandpaper. It’s the most awful feeling. Not to mention, we were on our road trip. Plus, all my work I had to do on my phone. So I was constantly getting nauseous, all the time. And there’s not a lot of places in a car where you can “isolate” yourself from others, so I had to be in the back. But everyone else still got sick.

Me: It’s okay. We pulled through, didn’t we?

Mom: Yeah, you’re right.

Me: Okay. Thanks for answering my questions!

Mom: No problem!

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Drawing of Hornet, a character in Hollow Knight and the main character in the sequel game SilkSong

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My drawing of Hornet, a protagonist is character from the video game Hollow Knight and the main character in its sequel game SilkSong, which I gained interest in during the pandemic

After receiving Hollow Knight, it soon gravitated all of my attention toward itself. This game lurked in every thought of mine, and would absorb much of my time; upon waking up, I would rush to the console to play; During school, I constantly thought of my next move in the game; and upon arriving home, I would come home and play immediately. It was not an addiction, but rather an obsession. Although screen limits would only allow me to play for an hour and a half each day, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the game to its fullest.

Upon hearing that the game would receive a sequel, my excitement only skyrocketed. I scoured the web for more information. Learning that it would be an entirely different game, with new enemies, lands, and opportunities, I could not wait for its release. While many things in this game were different from its predecessor, knowing that there would be a familiar character provided even more anticipatory joy. Of course, although the game’s many delays brought about some disappointment, knowing it would one day come was enough to keep me at peace. Although the game still has not released, it will most certainly bring about nostalgia and that same feeling of excitement I felt during the awful months of the pandemic.

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Drawing of “Dream No More” (not to be confused with “Embrace The Void”)

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“Dream No More”, one ending to the video game Hollow Knight, which I gained interest in during the pandemic

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When it was sixth grade, around February, all students were informed that we would not be coming to school in person for the remainder of the year. We were told this on a Friday, the week before the first day of distance-learning. Upon hearing this, the class had mixed responses; however, most of the class agreed in unison that this was both disappointing and exciting. It impacted me personally, because I had over 150 wow-passes (which are given to you in lower school for good grades, leadership, kindness, and anything that teachers consider to be good) which I had planned to exchange for candy near the end of the year. I could not exchange them due to the lack of time. But on a more serious note, it impacted me because it took me a rather long time to become accustomed to not leaving the house. I liked being able to talk to my friends in person. However, being at home has its benefits; at lunchtime, I never had to pay any money to purchase a meal because I could easily walk twenty steps across the house to the fridge and pull out a pre-made meal that my mom made for me. My parents were not too affected by it; they would go to work, like normal, and me and my sisters would be in our room doing distance learning.

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The End of Summer

After one long year (and an additional two months, counting sixth grade) of Distance Learning, all of seventh grade seemed to pass by in an instant. At summer’s end, I knew that everything would be different, changed. I was not used to being in school, in person, among others. I was not used to sitting in a chair different from my own. And finally, I was not used to having to wear a belt. Truly a change from my place of comfort.

The First Day

The yellow bus rolled past our front gate, preparing to turn back at the loop-around up ahead. Its brakes hissed under its weight, with its engine purring gently. The massive beast laid to rest at our gates, its doors opening slowly. I entered the bus with hesitation, as it felt though I was walking with a chain and ball around my ankle. But upon entering the bus, a familiar face cut through all the tension; it was my previous bus driver, Mrs. McCray! She had driven me to school since fifth grade, and had always been kind to me. Knowing that she was still there relieved me of all my worries. Upon leaving the bus, some remnants of the anxiety still clung to my shoulders, but had worked their way off as the day progressed. I could tell that this was going to be a good year.

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This news article illustrates the dangers of traveling to other countries. It is especially dangerous for journalists.

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Me: Could I bug you with a few questions? I’ll only be a minute.

Friend: Sure!

Me: First, how did the virus affect you?

Friend: Not much, really. I mean, I did like being home during distance learning and all, but other than that, it was really the same. I usually stayed home, and this wasn’t much different.

Me: Okay. Next, uh, did you like going back to in-person school?

Friend: Yes. The thing I always missed was the lunch here.

Me: Anything other than that…?

Friend: No.

Me: Oh.

Friend: Just kidding, of course. I missed hanging out at lunch and the end of every day with my friends. I also missed the sports.

Me: Okay. That’s all I had to ask. Thanks!

Friend: Bye!

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My dog Lolly and I, enjoying a moment together

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At the chiropractor’s office, face mask and all, when this little guy comes in

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North Korea has been testing missiles for a very long time, and has only increased testing in recent years. I have only grown more fearful for our safety, as we have had enough to to deal with, like the pandemic.