A friend and I were sitting down at a restaurant, waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. The tables had umbrellas, and ours was the only one not open, so I stood and opened it. The moment I let go, the whole table toppled. As I was righting it, the waiter came out of the kitchen and said, "That's why WE set them up." He came over and started opening the umbrella, same as I had. I suddenly noticed the trailer-hitch-like protrusion on one side of the table and remembered my last visit. "Oh, right, I forgot there's a folding stabilizing peg on this." I started to unfold it so the table wouldn't fall over again. "Leave it alone," the waiter snapped. "I'll take care of it."

I went back to my seat. My friend said, "You're going to sulk all through dinner, aren't you? You always find something to be mad about, and you don't let it go for hours." Just then, the rest of our friends arrived and sat down. One asked me what was wrong. I started to explain, and everyone else got up and went to sit outside to get away from my negativity. So I left. Went out the front door and started to walk home. Less than 30 seconds passed and it started absolutely pouring. I could barely keep my eyes open to see where I was going through the rain. It didn't last long, dropping to a drizzle, and I looked up.

Ahead, there was a massive tornado on the horizon, heading my way. A skinny, shirtless man on a rickety old bicycle was casually riding past me, so I asked for a ride. He pointed at the tornado. "There's no way we're outrunning that thing," he stated calmly, in the same tone of disinterested detachment one might use to comment on an underripe apple at the market. He dismounted and pushed the bike into my hands. "Why have a bike if I'm about to die?" he shrugged, turning and walking away into the field beside the road.

Deciding I should probably warn my "friends" about the tornado, I walked the bike through the gate to the restaurant's outdoor seating area, but they weren't there. I turned to leave just as they walked out the front door of the restaurant, chatting idly. They didn't even seem to care that I wasn't with them. I walked the bike right past them, not even looking at them as I said, "You guys know there's a tornado coming, right? You should probably leave."

"Where were you? You just disappeared," one of them said, but I ignored him, mounting the bike and riding off. I managed to catch a bus fleeing the tornado, abandoning the bike and standing in the aisle just behind the driver, but within a few minutes, the tornado caught up to us. It was starting to die down, but it was still enough to stop the bus in its tracks and lift us off the ground slowly. The driver's voice came over the intercom. "Sorry, folks, we're not making it out of this. From what I've heard, though, you'll never see the moment you die, kind of like a black hole. Just before we hit the ground, time will stop, and you'll just seem to be suspended in mid-air forever." As he said this, the tornado dropped us, the asphalt rushing up to meet us, and time began to decelerate. With the bumper just inches from the ground, everything stopped.

"Nope." My voice broke the silence, though I hadn't meant to speak. The bus suddenly hit the ground on its wheels, jarring everyone aboard. As I gathered my scattered belongings, everyone stared at me. "What did you do?" the driver asked. I shrugged. "Just a little spell. Didn't feel like dying today." One of the passengers pointed at me shakily. "Y-you're a witch." I threw a scathing glance at her. "Gee, what gave it away? You're welcome." I left them to sort themselves out, stepping off the bus just as I woke up.

...the single greatest thing I've ever experienced.

I met so many wonderful people, got hugs left and right, went to all sorts of fun events, and I have never felt more at home. For once in my life, I actually fit in somewhere. I learned a lot about others and myself, had some good conversations, never got in a fight, and the food was spectacular (THANK YOU, FURNANDO!). If I were to die right now, I would die a very happy dragon. I even got a table in Artists' Alley on my first go. I only made one sale, and I missed the Homestuck fan meetup, but my only mistake was taking my table only on Sunday, because no one had any money left for $5 badges. Next year, I'll try to take part of Friday or Saturday.

I've got a few thank-yous to send out:

-To Dark-Dragoncat, for being friendly and forgiving me for being an idiot.
-To my roommates: KevShepherd, Ghimno, Prefectionist, and RailRunner, for making my stay comfortable.
-To Zylana, good company and conversation and for teaching me a few things about myself and dragonkind.
-To Dracallis, for offering me free food (though I chose Zylana's company instead, because I'm just so lonely :c).
-To 2 Gryphon, for chuckles galore, a shotglass, and for taking the time to get a picture with a squeeing fanboy.
-To Splash, for hanging out with me and helping me start an awesome flashmob.
-To all the artists I commissioned for badges and cool stuff. The results are better than I'd hoped. <3 You're all amazing.
-To that badass fur who fixed the Westin escalator using his face right in front of me.
-To Furnando, for some of the best food I've had. I'll be back for lasagna wraps next year. ;3
-To Uncle Kage and the Dorsai, for making sure everything went smoothly and for running the whole deal.
-To Pittsburgh, for being so welcoming.
-To everyfur at the convention, for making the whole thing possible. Anthrocon would be nothing without its attendees.
-To anyone I missed, because it's hard to get everything. XD

I hope I'll be attending again next year. I'll be doing everything I can to save money for AC2013, right after I pay back my mother for this year. >< I completely ran out of money, even though I prepared with several hundred dollars. It wasn't enough. So I'll have more next time!

I love you all. You are my family, and Anthrocon will forever be my home.
See you next year!
~Eltani/Vichama the Dracolynx