Rayanna Guzman

Everybody is a storyteller. I grew up listening to the adults tell stories about the taotaomo'na, duendes, Sånta Marian Kamalen, and funny family histories of how si Uncle So-and-so forgot to ask permission to pee in the jungle then got pokpuk (swollen) on his hands. Or how, one night at a family bbq, they heard 2 big taotaomo’na fighting nearby. It sounded like an earthquake rumbling yet the ground never shook.

I've also been told that I had "friends" when I was little. I don't recall having the "friends" but I do remember always feeling a presence around me. On occasion I would get "bothered."

Most times it was fine. Nothing really hurt me besides getting bruises out of nowhere, that weren't sore to the touch. Only once was I ever terrified of one such instance of being "bothered."

At my old apartment, an intense presence made itself known to me in my bedroom. When I found myself huddled fetal position at the furthest point from my room, I remembered the stories my family told. Remembered the advice on how to deal with this situation. Luckily I was holding my phone, so I called my parents to give them a heads up, and for extra advice. They gave me back my courage to move.

Using all I remembered from the stories, I was able to quickly get back into my room, grab my keys, and flee.

All stories, even fictional ones, have truth living in them. Movies, shows, and other stories have given many examples of how storytelling can change your life. Just listen.