“It reminds me of what the trees looked like the last time I went camping. I had been

sitting in the water with my clothes on, wondering about the life of Mcphillius II, the

fascinating rock that had entertained me for over 2 hours, all while Elliott implored for

the 80th time, "just say yes!" "Yes!" I responded without hesitation. He would laugh and

give me that look that reminded me it was a rhetorical question. Yes to life, I guess; yes to

feeling again; yes to taking risks. Lying next to the river, with the tree branches framing

the bright blue sky, and Mcphillius II by my side, he told me he had not been awake. That

it had been months since the last time he genuinely felt something. Tears were coming

down the river, tears were coming down his cheeks, and I did not have the heart to tell

him we were both still sleeping.”

A Memoir: Working Title
Ana Cecilia Gutierrez Torreseptien