Booger and Booger, Jr.

There once lived a man. He picked his nose and saw a booger. It was so magical. It turned into a boy!

“I’ll call you Booger, Jr.”

They called the father “Booger” for picking his nose. Well, this is weird talking about boogers. But once, they had a fight about whose boogers were better!!!

They said very mean things to each other, like “Your boogers are sloppy! They are so blue because you’re sick, and they’re frozen, so you don’t even have boogers!”

“Well, I’m newer, so my boogers are newer and improved,” said Booger, Jr.

“My boogers gave birth to you, so I should have better boogers!”

Well, let’s say things didn’t go so well after that. They separated from each other. Booger, Jr. tried to find somewhere to live. He stayed in a hotel for a while until he couldn’t pay for it anymore. He took some money from his dad.

His dad was pissed that his son took his money, but he didn’t do anything about it. Booger thought it was reasonable because he kicked his son out of the house. Booger, Jr. was a young man, a little boy. He had nothing.

Booger, Jr. needed to make some money, so he started to pick himself on the street. He did it for an hour and only made five cents to stop doing anything. He tried again, but instead of picking anywhere, he picked in a certain spot. His belly button! Then, he made $100 bucks! He was only going to pay for meals and stay on the street for a little bit longer, so that he could save his money for a home.

Meanwhile, the dad was just a drunk, being a big hunk of funk. He was depressed that he said all those things and that his son left him. He decided to look for him and take him home.

Booger, Jr. was sitting very sadly on the street, regretting all those words he said to his father. Then, his dad came.

“Hi, Dad! I’m sorry I said all those things to you.”

“It’s okay. I was thinking about that too. Now, let’s go home and give our boogers a cup of hot cocoa.”

They walked home, and they had the cocoa.

 

The End

 

A Bottle Flipping Story

“Mmmmm! This is good,” said Olracnaig, as he munched on a Big Mac at McDonalds. He was alone, after school, at one of the tables in the back. He loved bottle flipping, but he sucked at it. He couldn’t even flip a regular bottle on the table. He was so jealous of his friends because they were so good at it and he wasn’t. He just wanted to get a little bit better. Maybe eating some more will help me feel better. He thought. He decided that he should try to flip a bottle that he had in his bag. He took it out and prayed to God. “Please, let me make this bottle flip.” He got ready to flip. Three… two… one… flip! He saw the bottle in the air. THUD. The bottle laid flat on the table.

Olracnaig felt depressed. No matter how much he tried, he could not get better at bottle flipping. After he finished his Big Mac and fries, Olracnaig decided to head home. As he was about to cross the street, he saw something on the huge McDonald’s sign. It looked like the bottle that How Ridiculous used. (How Ridiculous is a group of men that makes bottle flipping videos on YouTube). Sure enough, it was. Before he knew it, he was climbing up the pole to get the bottle. At last, he was on top of it. He was about to grab the bottle when he lost his grip and fell off the sign. But, just as he was falling, his right hand grabbed the ledge of the sign and he was able to hold on. He pulled himself up and grabbed the bottle. “Yes!” He said. He now had the bottle. He climbed down from the sign and got on the bus. At least Olracnaig had the bottle.

When he got home, he took the bottle to his room. He sat down at his desk and flipped it. It landed! He tried again. Again it landed! He kept flipping the bottle and it always landed. The bottle always landed. He decided that he needed to test it out. He took the bottle and decided to flip it on top of his building. It was twenty flights up. He took the bottle and flipped in the air. It landed on top of his building! He decided to do a crazy thing. In the morning, he got dressed and put on his clothes, then took the train to Fulton street. To the One World Trade Center. Once he got in, he took the elevator to the top of the building. He got to the rooftop. He looked down. Man! It was scary being up that high! Olracnaig took the bottle and flipped it over the side of the building. Down and down the bottle went. He saw it descend towards the ground.

Olracgnaig woke up in the morning. Feeling drowsy. He got on his phone and went to YouTube. He looked at the most popular video. He saw somebody, on top of the One World Trade Center, flipping a bottle off of the roof and having it land on the street. He couldn’t believe his eyes! All of a sudden, Olracnaig’s phone was ringing. He picked it up.

“Congratulations.” The voice said. “This is the NBFA calling to let you know that you have been accepted into the the bottle flipping championship for the NBFA. Your video was amazing!”

“What does NBFA stand for?”

“National Bottle Flipping Association.”

“Oh.”

“Do you want to be in the finals or not.”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, then what are you waiting for? Say yes.”

“Yes.”

“Alright. You and How Ridiculous will be competing in the finals.”

“Wait, what?!”

“I said, you and How Ridiculous will be competing together in the finals.”

“Great. I’m in.”

“Great. Do you have anything else to say?”

“No.”

“Then, you’re in.”

“Wait, what do I have to do?”

“You have to stop talking to me and hang up.”

“I mean, what do I have to do in the finals?”

“You have to flip bottles.”

“I mean–”

“Just shut up. You’re in the finals. Be happy now. Got it?”

“But–”

“Got it? Alright. Now I’m going to hang up.”

Jesus! They could have been there all night. Who hired that woman? She was so terrible at her job that she only made one tiyin a year (a tiyin is from the country Uzbekistan. It is the world’s least valuable coin. It would take about 2,546 tiyin to equal just one penny). But, at least he made it to the finals.

Olracnaig woke up in the morning, excited. He had a big day ahead of him. Today was the bottle flipping finals. The finals were in Los Angeles. Wooooooo Hollywood! Here I come! I need to start packing. He packed his clothing and his special bottle. He couldn’t lose it or he would be doomed. His dad drove him to the airport and left him there. Olracnaig looked for his plane and got on it. Shortly after he left the ground, he remembered that he forgot to take his pills, so he might do something crazy.

Sure enough, Olracnaig felt an urge to open the window of the plane and get on one of the wings and flip a bottle on the plane while it was moving. So, he smashed the window with his laptop, and the whole thing crashed into little bits of glass. Luckily, no one heard because they were all on their phones listening to music. He pulled himself out the window. Bam! A gust of wind knocked him off his feet. Olracnaig pulled himself up on the wing of the plane. He grabbed his special bottle and flipped it on the top of the plane, and it landed. Bam! Another gust of wind knocked Olracnaig off of the wing and he flew through the air. He quickly grabbed the edge of the wing just by his pinkie.

But, then the bottle flew off the end of the plane and descended towards the ground. Oh no! Olracnaig couldn’t just let his bottle get away from him like that. So, he pulled himself up and laid down, exhausted on the wing. He climbed back through the window and grabbed some rope from the emergency closet in the plane, climbed out the window, and attached the rope to the wing. To save time, he dove off of the plane, next to the rope, so he could grab the bottle when he neared the end of the rope. As he fell, he thought of his family and how they would be so devastated if he died. They would be so sad. He would let them down. But, he was sure it was not going to happen.

So, Olracnaig quickly grabbed the rope. Phew! That was a close call. He grabbed the very end of the rope. The rope was so long that he was just above one of the Great Lakes! He looked around for the bottle and saw it! It was drifting away in the water! Olracnaig jumped off of the rope and swam towards the bottle. At last, Olracnaig had it. He swam back toward the rope and pulled himself onto it. He didn’t have any more strength to pull himself up to the plane.

“Please, bottle,” Olracnaig prayed. “Help me get to the plane. Don’t let me die. Just let out your magic powers and do something. Help me get to the plane so I can win the finals. Please. Just do something.”

At that moment, the bottle skyrocketed up while he was holding onto it, as if answering his prayers. Olracnaig could see the plane! He wasn’t going to die! But, the bottle stopped shooting up and he started to fall back down towards the water. But, he grabbed the edge of the wing with his pinkie fingernail, while still holding onto the bottle with his other hand. But, after ten seconds of holding on, Olracnaig couldn’t use any more strength and fell toward the ground. Bam! He hit something hard. He looked at what he hit. It was another plane! Some people got out of the plane and climbed on top of the plane, where he was lying. They had AK-47s and M-16s!

They were going to kill him! But, he could see his plane in sight too! He was saved! He kicked the guys in the nuts, and they fell off of the plane and died. But, there was only one more guy left to get rid of. He had a gun in his hand and was about to shoot Olracnaig. He heard the trigger click and he saw the bullet coming his way. It was like they were in a world of slow-mo. He saw his fate coming towards him. Closer and closer and closer. But, Olracnaig wasn’t going to let himself die like that.

Olracnaig quickly did a flip, while the bullet passed him and hit the tail of the plane. All of a sudden, the plane caught on fire and came crashing down to the ground. He saw the flames creeping toward him. He saw his plane hovering above him. But, that plane was falling down, too, since everyone in it was freaking out, and the pilots couldn’t control the chaos. But, it was falling faster because it was a jumbo jet, and the one that he was standing on was lighter. Soon, Olracnaig’s plane was below the plane that he was standing on. He couldn’t stay on this plane any longer, so he flipped over the guy with the gun and landed on his plane that was heading to Los Angeles. Or used to be, anyway.

Once he got into his plane, Olracnaig went to the cockpit and thought about flying, but then he stopped. He had no flight lessons, so he could endanger all of the humans on this plane. But, he needed to get to Hollywood, and so did the people on the plane. So, Olracnaig grabbed the handles and started to fly the plane. He had to admit, he was actually pretty good at it. He flew the plane all the way to Los Angeles. Once he got to the airport, Olracnaig snuck off the plane and took a bus to the hotel that he would be staying at. Once he got to his room, he fell asleep on the bed. He was so stressed. It had been a long day.

Olracnaig woke up feeling pumped. Today was the day of the finals! But, how could he beat How Ridiculous? They were so good at bottle flipping. But, Olracnaig had the bottle. He was safe. For now. Then he heard a knock on his door. It was the people who were taking him to the finals. They took Olracnaig to their bus, and they drove off to the building where the finals would take place. The place was an auditorium with three balconies and posters all over of Olracnaig and How Ridiculous. Everyone was screaming. There were two gigantic TVs on the stage.

This was how the finals went: Both teams went out, to any destination they wanted, to do the craziest bottle flip ever, and they only got one try and if the bottle didn’t land, then all the other people just had to flip and land a bottle to win. The two TVs showed footage, from cameras, that were on the teams everywhere they went to do a bottle flip. Olracnaig decided to watch what How Ridiculous would do and then do something. When he walked out of the building, all three members of How Ridiculous came up to him and said all together, “You’re going down, boy. Ain’t no shrimp boy gonna beat us.”

Right when Olracnaig heard them say that, he felt so scared. But, Olracnaig knew he could win. If he just believed it. He watched on the TV as How Ridiculous flipped a bottle on top of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world). But, then he looked closer and saw that they were using the bottle. And it was no ordinary bottle. It was the magic one! Olracnaig ran as fast as he could to his locker room. He looked in his locker and saw that it wasn’t there. How Ridiculous stole it! What was he going to do? Olracnaig was just going to try. But, how could he beat flipping a bottle onto the Burj Khalifa?

Olracnaig decided to do something crazy. He grabbed a regular bottle and walked just outside the building. Then, he threw the bottle up as high as he could throw. He waited. He walked back in the building and watched on the TV as his bottle soared through the air. Somehow, they had put a camera on the bottle. He saw the bottle going up… up… up. And then, after a couple minutes, they all saw the bottle land on the moon. And then, he won. The best thing was that Olracnaig saw How Ridiculous crying. All of the members cried. He hated that group now. Yeah, that was pretty much it. He won, there was nothing much more to explain. Olracnaig was crowned the greatest bottle flipper of all time. What more could he wish for?

 

Rise of the Dabbing Bottles

San Francisco, CA 12:00 pm

Christian, a 13-year-old boy, was bored at home because his phone was dead and his PS4 wasn’t working correctly. He watched all the episodes of South Park at least five times. All he had was a water bottle filled up to the fourth line. He held the water bottle by the bottom and flipped it into the air. It landed on the cap.

“Oh my God!!!” Christian yelled, loud enough for the windows to shatter and fall on some angry construction workers below. But he was still thinking about bottle flipping. He went to Rite Aid and got more water bottles. As he practiced flipping the bottle, Christian thought this could be his job. Groups like How Ridiculous and Dude Perfect were famous, and he wanted to follow their footsteps. He could even compete with them! Little did he know that this new hobby would later turn against him.

 

Fliptopia, a planet in a galaxy not so far away

Fliptopia was a planet covered in water. Bottles of all kinds lived there. They were clever and smart, skilled in parkour and gymnastics, armed with water guns and knives, and they loved to dab. They moved by hopping around and other types of transportation we have never heard of. The bottles could also float, and eat and drink. They played sports and had skillz like a boss. But, they were vulnerable to fire.

One day, Flippy Sr., the leader of Fliptopia, was looking through a telescope and saw Earth. Instantly, Flippy Sr. wanted to take over Earth. He gathered all the bottles to the water rocket. Since the bottles had high tech stuff, it only took five minutes to get there.

 

Washington D.C. 3:00 pm

When the bottles landed, they headed toward the Washington Monument. Once they got there, they got in the catapult one at a time and launched themselves at the monument. Each time a bottle hit the monument, they would dab. All those hits made the monument unstable, and it started to collapse. The other bottles started attacking, and squirting people, and everything else. The humans were fleeing and structures were being blown up. Washington D.C. was being flooded and destroyed!

“Mr. Trump, what are we gonna do?” asked the news reporter.

“Gather the army,” Donald Trump told the general.

Soon the sky was filled with planes and choppers. There were no tanks, soldiers, or ATVs on the ground because it was flooded. They searched the whole capital for the bottles, but Flippy Sr. spied on the president and knew they were wanted, so he told the bottles to hide in a deli so they would fit in with the regular bottles and look like them. Then one dark and quiet night, Flippy Sr. and the dabbing bottles snuck onto a plane to San Francisco.

 

Austin, TX  2:00 am

About two hours after the plane left D.C., the plane flew into bad weather and had to make a stop at Austin, TX. The news about D.C. was spread around the U.S, and everyone was on the lookout. The general sent troops all around America, so the bottles had to be very careful. They stopped at a bar for some Hennessy. Luckily, the bartender had bad eyesight and didn’t know the bottles were there. The bottles tried to get on a different plane, but this time they were caught by the sheriff.

“Sonny, where th’ heck d’ y’all thank y’all ‘re goin?”

The other cowboys tied the bottles to the horses. Luckily, Flippy Sr. cut through the ropes and escaped.

“Yo boss, should we kill ‘em, or hand ‘em over to the fuzz?” asked cowboy Bob.

“Y’all can’t kill a bottle. How ‘bout we drink ‘em?” the sheriff replied.

The thing was, the water inside the bottles was what made them intelligent and athletic, so the water was like fuel and energy for the bottles. So they are normal, empty bottles without water. The cowboys were about to chug, but Flippy Sr. appeared, behind the cowboys, with the water rocket, and threatened to blast the cowboys if they didn’t let all the bottles go. The bottles tied the cowboys up and left with their horses.

“You-mmph!” The bottles led the horses to the water rocket and then went to California. It only took them thirty seconds to get there.

 

San Francisco, CA 12:00 pm

Christian walked to ELA with his friends.

“I hate ELA.“

When he got there, everyone was already working on the “Do Now.”

“You’re 10 minutes late to class, boys,” said Mr. Pittard.

Everybody hated him because he made class hard and boring. He made the 8th graders write a three  page essay every week and gave so much HW, even on break. Once, he made the 8th graders read 500 pages of The Biographies of the 45 Presidents, a 2000 page book the 8th graders were reading in ELA. When someone was the first to finish the classwork, he just gave them another essay.

If you didn’t finish the classwork, you stayed in after-school detention from 3:00-6:30 P.M. He also asked the principal to have an extra period for ELA instead of PE, because he thought one hour was too short. So now, ELA was two hours of prison. But today, Christian brought his drone to school, and during homeroom (thank god Christian and his friends weren’t in the ELA homeroom with Mr. Pittard), the drone flew to Mr. Pittard’s office and took a video of him watching Deadpool and playing Black Ops 3 and NBA 2K17 with a milkshake and pizza, and a poster that had a picture of the whole school with a big sticker that said R.I.P. on top.

Christian first posted the video on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and it went viral. So many people retweeted and replied to the video with comments that violated, roasted, and put down Mr. Pittard. Then Christian showed the video to the principal and he said he would fire Mr. Pittard after the day ended.

“That’s detention for you boys.”

“I didn’t do nothin’!” Christian and his friends angrily sat at their table.

Later during class, Christian asked, “Can I go to the bathroom?“

“Can you?” replied Mr. Pittard.

“I dunno. Can you get a full time job? You got fired for watching Deadpool and playing Black Ops 3.    

You’re terrible at Call of Duty. You can’t even beat the first level.”

“Ooouuu!” shouted the rest of the class. Mr. Pittard’s face grew red, but then the bell rang.

Aaaaahhhh! When they got outside, everyone was screaming and running all over the place. The bottles were attacking outside!               

Christian didn’t know what to do. He ran home and got some weapons. He got his Nerf Terra scout, RC Car, Drone, and BB and Nerf Guns for his friends. He put on a bandana, snowpants, ski goggles and gloves, a coat, a camo winter hat (it was Friday, December 23rd and it was already snowing), and a leaf blower with some matches. Now he looked like a terrorist. He got all the stuff for him and his friends. He met them at his school and started attacking the bottles.

The bottles were blowing up and water was everywhere! Luckily, Christian brought big buckets and put them under the bottles, but some water didn’t land in the buckets. It seemed like every time a bottle was shot, more kept coming. Christian and his friends couldn’t hold them off much longer. To make matters worse, his BB Gun was jammed, and his friends barely had any ammunition. They had to surrender. Christian looked around for the nearest hiding spot, but then the bottles were closing in. The last thing he saw was bottles inches away from him. Then everything went black.

 

Fliptopia

When Christian woke up, he didn’t know where he was. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn’t move. Neither would the rest of his body. All around him he saw bottles and water. It reminded him of an execution. But, he didn’t know he was right. He was tied tight to the ground and tall gates blocked his exit. Security cameras and bottles, with weapons, were watching his every move. One of them came to him with his whole army. It was Flippy Sr.!

“Bring out the torturer.”

Seconds later, several bottles came back with a dangerous obstacle course. It had swinging blades, axes, daggers, arrows, and every other sharp weapon that kills.

“If you don’t want to die the hard way, you will tell us how to take over Earth, and we will give you anything you want for the rest of your life,” proposed Flippy Sr.

“What about my friends and family, and everyone and everything I know and love?”

“They will not be spared. Only you. We’ll come back in ten minutes. If you haven’t decided then, you will die.”

Luckily for him, Christian had the leaf blower attached to his back and matches in his pocket. But that was his only weapon. He scraped the match across the matchbox and attached the flaming match to the leafblower. By now it was getting dark. All the guards were going to their houses for some sleep. Most of them left their weapons behind. Christian grabbed some and hid in some bushes. When it was all clear, he snuck into       Flippy Sr.’s headquarters. He overheard talking.

“It doesn’t make sense. I sent you to look for that kid ten minutes ago! And you come back with nothing?! Get out of here and gather everyone to look for him!”

Then Christian heard two  guards coming downstairs. He went to the elevator. The doors closed just as the guards reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Phew! Made it. Now what?”

The doors opened to Flippy Sr.’s office. The doors locked behind him.

“I’ve been expecting you, kid,” Flippy Sr. said with an evil grin.

Christian was doomed. Flippy Sr. had an AK-47 in his hands. On the walls were rocket launchers, snipers, uzis, machine guns, shotguns, revolvers, flamethrowers, M9s, M16s, and other guns. Jetpacks, traps, lasers, magazines (the ones you put in machine guns), detonators, and bombs were all over the place. One false move, and Christian would die instantly.

“What did you want me for, your honor?” Christian asked.

“This is the final battle. Your death is coming soon.”

Flippy Sr. loaded his AK-47 and pulled the trigger.

“Ugh!” Christian faked it and dropped to the ground.

“I killed him!” Flippy Sr. said as he walked out of the room.

Then Christian got up and got the flamethrower and started burning up the whole place. “Nooooooooooooo!” Flippy Sr. said. “You haven’t seen the last of me!” Then he disappeared in mid-air.

“You haven’t seen the last of me.”

 

#What Happens When You’re On Your Phone

“O-M-G, O-M-G, O-M-G!!!” I scream. Trey Walker is following me! I am so happy, and I go to sleep. I wake up at 12AM because my boyfriend wants to Facetime me, and I see that I have over 12 million followers on Memed. Memed is basically a social media platform where you make your own memes. I scream softly so I won’t wake up my parents, but then I see that I got featured. Featured is when the Memed company takes one meme once a week and sends it to all of its users!!! I scream softly again.

Then, my phone starts to buzz. It must be my boyfriend, so I pick up.

“Hey girl,” says my boyfriend.

“What’s up,” I say.

He says, “I’m breaking up with you.”

I love the way he talks, I think to myself. But, then I say, “Wait, what?!”

Then, he hangs up. I stuff my face in my soft pillow, and I want to cry all night, but my phone buzzes. It’s a call from Trey Walker.

“O-M-G,” I say. “He can be my new boyfriend!”

I hear a voice in my head saying, “Don’t answer it, don’t answer it!” I answer it, and then I find myself in a black and white dome.

***

“Hello!!!” I scream, and my voice echoes.

“HELLO!” I scream again.

Something is pecking at me.

“Who are you?” I say.

“I’m a heart from Memed.”

“Wait, so you’re a heart?”

“Yep, when you like someone’s meme on Memed, I’m the heart.”

“Do you know where I am?”

“You’re in your phone.”

”My phone! How do I get out?!”

“Well, after the phone runs out of battery, you die! You will die if someone does not charge it. You get out by being on 100 percent.”

“But, my phone is not charging.” Well, I guess my mom will put it in the charger. “What’s that?” I say.

It looks like a rainbow.

“Oh,” says Heart, “that’s Instagram Land.”

“What’s Instagram Land?”

“Instagram Land is a place, where, when you walk into Instagram Land, you’re inside Instagram!”

“That’s so cool!” I say. “What’s that noise?”

“Oh no!” says Heart. “The Glitches and Bugs are coming. They’re trying to destroy your phone! We better hide. Quick, over there!”

I follow him because I don’t really understand what he’s saying.

He says, “Jump in this tube.”

“What tube?”

“The Youtube tube! It leads us to Google, the safest place in your phone.”

“What’s that thing in the air?” I say.

“Those are the Twitter birds. They are fleeing to Google.”

“They’re so cute,” I say.  

I hear a buzz. Where is the noise coming from?

“Is that the bugs?” I say.

“No, that’s the mobile strike army. They protect us.”

“But, I never downloaded that,” I say. “Only my brother has it.”

“Exactly, it’s from the Cloud.”

I look up and see clouds.

“When it rains, stuff drops. For example, your brother’s mobile strike, it knows a secret land in your phone.” Heart says.

“Oh, that makes sense,” I say.

“No more talking,” he says. “Jump into the tube!”

***

I do what he says. When I was in the tube, it went so fast, it only took half a second!

“Whoa!” I say. “Who are these guys?” I ask Heart.

“Oh, those are the googlets.”

“Who are the googlets?” I say.

“They are the people who manage your phone. They are basically your minions,” he says. “Just ask them to give you a bag of chips.”

“Okay,” I say.

I ask one of the googlets, “Can I have a bag of potato chips?”

The googlet says, “Anything for you, Princess Violet.”

Then he says, “Guys, Princess Violet is here! She wants chips!”

A hundred little googlets come running at me, carrying bags of chips. Hundreds of googlets say, “Please, can I have your autograph?”

“Okay, okay,” I say. “I will give you all autographs.”

It must have taken a hour to sign them all. I see one huge googlet walking towards me.

“Hello,” he says in a low voice. “I am your assistant. These are your minion googlets. We just heard some news that the mobile strike army won.”

“YAY!” The googlets scream.

“Oh, by the way, just call me Assistant James,” he says.

“Okay,” I say. “Assistant James, can you give me a tour of Google, please?”

“Of course, Master Violet, follow me. So, we start here at the Youtube tubes, then we come to your minions’ offices, they manage your whole phone, you know. Then, we come to my office. I have computers and everything you could possibly want in an office.”

“Cool,” I say.  

“Here are the bitbots. The bitbots help kill bugs and glitches that are hiding in Google. And finally, here are the emojis. The emojis help manage your texts and emails.”

“Hi, emojis!” I say.

One cute little angel emoji walks up to me. He says, “Should I delete your boyfriend’s contact because he broke up with you?”

“Please, do so.” I say.    

“And that’s the end of the tour,” says my assistant googlet.

“This place is awesome,” I say. “Thanks for the tour!”

“Anytime. You and your heart friend over there should explore your phone some more. There are so many great places in your phone, and if you ever need help, just ask me.”

“Okay, bye,” I say.

Then Heart and I head off to Instagram Land. I ask Heart, “Have you been everywhere in the phone?”

“No, I have only been to Memed land and Google.”

“Well, I guess we’re going to see something new today!”

“We don’t have days here because when you’re asleep, I’m still up.”

***

“Hey, look at the sign. It says Instagram Land is only a megabyte away.”  

“A mega bite?” I ask, “what’s that?”

“Instead of half a mile, we have megabytes. Gigabytes are our miles.”

“Wow. What’s that tall building?” I ask.

“It’s the great battery clock,” he says. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, silly me. There is another way to escape. You have to climb to the top of the battery clock, and once you reach the top, you solve a riddle. After you answer the riddle, you open a door, and then you go into a secret room, which I’ve never been in.”

“Why did you not tell me?!” I yell. “Sorry, I get really mad sometimes.”

“Do you want to go in the tower?”

“Sure,” I say. “Let’s go.”

I walk into the tower. I see a fat googlet, who says in a loud voice,”NO ONE BESIDES THE PRINCESS CAN ENTER.”

“I am the Princess,” I say.

“Oh, Princess, I have heard rumors that you were here. Oh, by the way, I’m Axel, chief of the police.”

“Oh, hi Axel. I’m Violet. I’m trying to escape this phone, but I need to get to the top of this tower.”

“It’s 500 stories, are you sure you can climb up all those stairs?” he asks.

“I’m positive.”

After a lot of walking up the stairs, I’m so tired.

“Are we there yet?” I ask Axel.

He says, “Nope, just 490 more floors to go!”

“Can we take a break?” I say.

“Sure,” says Axel.

After a few minutes of resting, I go back to climbing the stairs. Heart says, “My heart is beating so fast!”

I burst out laughing. “Good one, Heart,” I tell him.

After four hours of walking, I’m finally at the top.

“I feel like I’m gonna faint,” I say.

“Let’s take a break,” says Heart, and we do.

***

A few minutes later, we start the riddle. There is a sign that says the riddle. It reads:

You entered this everyday, everywhere. TW, TW. That is who you love. Dum dum dum dum dum. That is what you sum.

“What do you do everyday?” asks Axel.

“Well, I go on my phone,” I say.

“That’s it,” says Heart. “It’s your phone password!”

“But, what about the sum part?” says Axel.

“I know,” I say. “Maybe it’s the numbers of the password added up!”

This is the smartest I have ever been.

“Wow, that’s a good idea,” says Axel. “But, there is still the TW, TW, who you love.”

Heart says, “It must be Trey Walker. Maybe it’s the numbers added up and Trey Walker!”

“What are the numbers added up?” says Axel.

“Well, it’s 3+4+9+6+2. What does that add up to?” I say.

I am so stupid. Heart does a facepalm.

“It’s 24,” says Heart.

“Look, there is the door to enter the code to get in,” says Axel.

I enter the code “24TreyWalker”. It does not work, so I enter “TreyWalker24”. This time it works. I see an elevator, and it says “To enter the human world”.

“I will miss you guys,” I say. “Tell the googlets I say bye.”

Heart runs up to me and hugs me. After the hug, I step into the elevator. They say bye and I say bye back. I press the button in the elevator, and I end up in my bed.

***

“Wake up, honey,” says Mom. “You have been sleeping for two days!”

My body must have been in the real world, but my mind was in my phone.

“I’m gonna take a break from the phone,” I say.

And for the first time, I turn the power off.

 

The Underworld

Chapter 1: The Underworld

“Where am I?” I said. I wasn’t in the freezing chamber. I was somewhere else. The last thing I remembered was that I was a servant, and the king was mean to me. I got beheaded for trying to escape and wanting to be a king.

I saw people, with green faces, on gray ladders connected to the red floor. They were holding gray hammers and hammering a red ceiling. I saw a green person, with a gray bow tie, walk towards me.

“Welcome to the Underworld, where all dreams are crushed,” he said.

“What?” I said, confused.

“You’re in the Underworld. You’re dead!” the man with the bow tie said.

“I’m dead?!” I said a little too loud. The green people all looked at me.

“Oops,” I said, embarrassed.

“Get to work,” the bow tie man said.

“What?” I said.

“Hammers,” he said and pushed me into a pile of hammers, which would have hurt, but luckily, I stopped myself before hitting the pile. I saw another pile of hammers and thought I could take it. I took a hammer and followed all the other gray people, marching single file.

“Hello, friend!” one of the gray persons said. “I’m Bill. This is Jack, Bob, Simon, Logan, James, Thomas, Alexander, Aaron, John, Philip, George, Charles, Samuel…”

*Two hours later*

“And Noah,” Bill said.

“Okay, let me try. John,” I tried.

“Bob,” Bill corrected me.

*Four  hours later*

“And James,” I guessed.

“Noah,” Bill corrected me.

“Sorry,” I said. “I’ll try again.”

*Two hours later*

“And Noah,” I said.

“You learn fast. Some people take a year before they get all the names right.”

By the time we were finished, it was time to go back, but before we went, Bill told me that I was in workspace 10,000,002,020,000,456,000,700,001,000,445,006,000,002 with Bill, Jack, Bob, Simon, Logan, James, Thomas, Alexander, Aaron, John, Philip, George, Charles, Samuel, and Lucas. I went to the Agdadey Hotel (their catchphrase is “Where all dreams are crushed”). The place was covered in black and skulls. Instead of having classical music in the lobby, they played scary and dark music, the kind that made you fall to the ground. I walked around the lobby, trying to find someone to help me find my room. Then, I shrieked.

“Hello!” a joyful voice said. “I’m Goodandbad. I’ll be your guide through this wonderful adventure of death!” He said death in a horrifying voice. “I’ll show you to your room!”

“Okay,” I said, a little scared.

“This way!” he said. “Your room is 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,034 on floor 67,567,567,480,846,895,067. Yay!” he said.

“Thanks,” I said, and walked into my room and turned the light on.

“Roooar!” a voice said. Then, I got punched in the face by something that fell from the ceiling.

“Ow!” I said to myself. “This is going to be a long Underworld!”

I saw a hammer and a pin on my bed. Then I saw a keyhole. I took the pin and made it like a key, and then put it in the keyhole and twisted it. Then I took the pin out, and a door opened like magic. There was another locked door, but this time there was no slot for a key. I started to feel hopeless. I wondered what was behind the door, but I walked to my bed.

“Oww!” I said. My head hit something. I grabbed it. It was the hammer! I took the hammer, forming an idea in my mind. I slammed the hammer on the door. A little piece broke. I kept slamming it, and soon the door was ruined. I touched it with my finger, and the whole thing went down. I saw a circular switch behind the door. I saw a pointy thing that was pointing to Scary, but there were other things, like Christmas and Amusement Park. I touched the switch and the pointy thing moved a little bit. I touched it again, and it landed on Christmas. Then, the whole room changed to red and green, and a Christmas tree was next to my bed. Under the Christmas tree were lots of presents. I tried to open them, but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I was Santa. I had a white beard and red coat on. I decided to ignore my Santa outfit and open the presents to see if there was anything important. I opened one, and it was a crown.

“Ooh, a crown,” I said to myself.

I tried it on, and it fit perfectly on me. I opened a big present. It was a throne. I sat on the throne, wondering if every hotel room had the same presents. The third and last present was a staff made of gold. I felt like a king, and put the crown and staff on my bed. I moved the throne to right next to my bed. I walked toward the door to see if other switches were like this. I touched the switch in my room, and it changed to Halloween. The lights turned off, and jack-o-lanterns lit up the room. I looked at myself, and I was a skeleton. I saw a pot of candy on my throne, and so I unwrapped it, but instead of having candy behind the wrapper, the candy instantly turned into a crown. Surprised, I unwrapped another one, and it turned into a throne. Another one turned into a staff.

Suddenly the throne, the crown, and the staff, that I had opened in the presents, disappeared. I opened other candy wrappers, but they were just candy. I walked to the door and flicked it to Amusement Parks. The room changed into chaos. There were sounds of people screaming, and in the middle of the room, there was a huge big roller coaster, and there was cotton candy hanging from the wall. I changed this to movie theater, and a big screen on the wall appeared. There were big, red seats in front of the screen. Instead of cotton candy on the wall, there was popcorn. This seemed cool, but I changed it to fancy restaurant, and the room played fancy music. There were candles on each table, and invisible waiters were handing out food. I changed it to the last option, video games. I turned into pixels, and the hotel changed into my course. I ran around the hotel room, but a shell hit me.                             

 

Chapter 2: Day One

“Wake up. Wake up, room 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,034.”

“Wha-wha,” I said, confused, but the sound of a loud trumpet woke me up.

“You’re late for work,” the voice said. I opened the door and saw Goodandbad standing outside in the hall.

“You’re late for work!”

“Okay,” I said. Then, I raced out of the hotel and onto the main grounds. The elevator ride took forever. I looked and saw hundreds of thousands of people working and hammering on the ceiling. The sound almost made me deaf. A person in a tie and suit gave me headphones. When I put them on, I could hear everything, except for the loud annoying sound of the hammering. I walked toward someone I knew: Bill. I asked him where to go, and he said to go on this ladder and start hammering.

“Where’s my hammer?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” Bill said with a wink.

I climbed up the ladder and at the top step, a hammer magically appeared. I started hammering the ceiling. I hammered and hammered and hammered, until my shoulders drooped, and I could barely hold the hammer. (Also, it was time for lunch.) I climbed down the ladder and followed the hundreds of thousands of people going into the enormous cafe. I grabbed a gray tray and waited in line, till I saw food. The food was mushy and wet. It was also gray. The food was not labeled, so I grabbed the first thing and then sat down. I sat down with my workspace people. They were furiously eating their food like it was the best thing in the world. I picked at my food, not wanting to eat it, but I was starving, so I took a very, very small bite. I expected it to taste like poop, but instead, it tasted like s’mores and candy mixed. I ate another bite, and it tasted like it was supposed to, gray and mushy.

“Yuck,” I said.

“What’s wrong?” asked Bill. “Ohh, you have the switcheroo mush.”

“The switcheroo what?”  

“It’s one of the meals where the taste changes every time. Try it again,” Bill said, pointing to my food.

“Okay,” I said, a little bit worried.

Then, I took a bite. It tasted like mashed potatoes.

“Try this one, it’s called the Underworld Heaven.”  

He pointed to his plate. I took a bite, and it tasted exactly like its title, Underworld Heaven. After eating a lot of my friend’s food, it was time to go back to work. But, before we all got back to hammering, we had to do our daily count. We all lined up in a big line. A robot quickly counted all the people and then told the head that one person was missing. Then, after the head person talked a little to his assistant, they told the robot to find the missing person. The robot turned into a smaller robot.

“For disguise,” Bill whispered to me. Then, the robot launched up into the air and, a few seconds later, came back down with a person, who was trying to struggle out of the robot’s tight grip. When the robot landed on the floor, the robot turned into a beheader, and the head of the Underworld pulled the beheader up and let it go. When the beheader thing hit the person’s head, the person disappeared into thin air. I watched like I was in a trance when Bill patted me on my back.

“Get used to it,” he said and then smiled at me.

The next four hours went by like a blur. While I was hammering, some people from the other work were next door.They looked at me and bowed, then they called me majesty. I didn’t know if it was a very weird welcoming gift, or if something was up. Either way, I was gonna find out. While I was hammering, I talked to the other people in my workspace. I figured out that they died a little before I died.

After I was done with work, I headed back to my room. I opened the door and saw that my room was totally trashed. I looked outside and saw all the rooms were trashed too. I followed the people to the elevator. One person told me that we were going to the head of the rooms. We rode the elevator ride down and stormed up to the head of the rooms. When the head of the rooms saw us, he acted surprised and tried to back up, but there wasn’t any room, so he banged his head and ended up on the floor.

“Why were our rooms a mess?!” one person said.

“Yeah, my bed was stolen!” another voice said.

“I-I don’t know,” the head of the rooms said, worried.

“I know,” a person approached. He had a black mustache, buck teeth, and looked very, very suspicious.

“At the bottom of my bed, there was a note. I’m sure all of you had it under your bed too, but you all were too lazy to find it.”

There was mad screaming in the crowd. The note said:

Hello fellow roommates,

I know you are mad

Your room was deserted.

It is very sad.

This is a clue.

To find your luck,

A special person must find you and find you, you’re cluck.

The person is a servant, but only right now, but soon, you’ll see that he is not me.

Your room will be back and so will your bed.

But, if you ignore me, it will be bad. So find the person, take a quiz.

The person is special and that’s no wiz.

The people mumbled to each other and then went back to their rooms. When I opened my door, my room was totally clean! The walls sparkled. Then, I wondered about the mystery person. I told myself not to worry about it and just ignore it. Then, I fell asleep.

 

Chapter 3: Day Two

This time, I made sure that I woke up early, so Goodandbad didn’t wake me up. When Goodandbad was at the door, I swung the door open, and hit him right in the face. Then, I totally ignored him, even though that was a bad idea because I forgot to close the door. At first, I was really worried because I thought my room was in video game or movie mode, but it wasn’t. Instead, it looked like a normal hotel room, with the bed neatly made and had no special surprises.

“Sorry,” I said and closed the door.

Then, I went to the elevator and started working.

“Good morning,” said Bill.

“Good morning,” I said.

“You forgot your headphones,” Bill said.

I was so happy about the day that I totally forgot about the loud, annoying sound. I climbed down the ladder and walked towards the headphone bin. I put on a pair and then adjusted the sound so that I could hear the people, but not the hammering. Then, I started hammering. I hammered until lunch. Then, I got in line. I waited, but not for too long, since there were 100 servers. I read the labels. Switcheroo, heaven, horrible, mashed potatoes, (they really like mashed potatoes)  dessert, old, boring, lunch, breakfast, dinner, brunch, wet red boots, car gas, page, word, book, and wet white boots. Some sounded disgusting! I looked at the special, “you’ll like it!” I decided on dessert and the special (“you’ll like it!”). I sat with my work space.  

“Yuck,” Logan said.

I looked at my food. It sure looked bad, but I knew that it was actually good. I took a bite of the special.

“Yuck,” I said and spit it out.

“You didn’t tell him?” Bill said to the other people.

“Tell me what?” I said.

“Listen, every other day is opposite day, so you have to take the bad food which is actually good.” Bill said.

“Oh, come on!” I said. There were a lot of things that I would have to learn about the Underworld.

“Is there any way I could clear my plate?” I asked.

“Sure,” Bill said, and then snapped his fingers.

My food vanished into thin air.

“Woah!” I said. Then, I snapped my fingers, but it wasn’t the best move since I pointed my snap to the ceiling. Everything in the room (including the room), except the people, vanished. The crowd turned towards me and started walking towards me, looking very angry. I snapped again and again, but it was no use.

“Ugh,” Bill said. “Do I have to do everything here!”  

Then he snapped his fingers, and everything turned back to normal.

“Don’t make me do that again,” Bill said, glaring at me.

My plate was cleared, so I went back and got more food. I got wet red boots. I sat back down at my table, but before I could take a single bite, a loudspeaker screamed into my ears and told us that lunch was over. I walked back over to my working space but before I got there, someone stopped me right in the tracks.

“Wait, are you the King Charles?” said the man.

“Sorry, what?” I replied, confused.

“The King Charles!” He replied. “Ehh, must be someone else, but you look just like the King Charles that I knew about when I was in the real world.”

And then he walked away.

I was getting kind of suspicious about this king thing. A lot of people were calling me king, even though I was the exact opposite of a king!

That night, I was in bed, and my dream was crazy. I was the king and I had lots of servants below me. I was a very mean king and had a servant as my foot rest. I had a servant who was just like me, who had the same job as me. But later, in my dream, it turned out he was a wizard! That was when I woke up.

 

Chapter 4: The Tour

I woke up and went to work. I saw Bill, and he told me he would take me on an Underworld tour. We started on the machine room. There was a big robot who had lots of hands.

“That’s the hammer robot,” Bill said. “It’s supposed to be faster, stronger, and quieter when it’s done.”

A guy with frizzy white hair and wrinkles was working on it.

“Wait, is that Albert Einstein?” I asked.

“No that’s Eibert Alnstien, Albert’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson.” Bill replied.

“Oh, I said.”

We approached a door that had a sign on it. The sign read: DO NOT ENTER. MAGICIANS AT WORK.

Bill ignored the sign and opened the door. When I saw the room, my eyes went crazy, and I thought I would die.

“Hey,” one man shouted. “What are you doing!”

Then, Bill quickly shooed me out of the room.

“W-wha,” I said, confused.

“Sorry about that,” Bill said. “It’s a little crazy in there.”

After two minutes, my eyes were back to normal. We went on to the next room, the hammer room.

“It’s where they make all the hammers,” Bill said. We opened the door. There were billions of hammers.

“Why do we hammer anyway?” I asked.

“So we can break through the Underworld and come alive again!” He said excitedly.

We went to the next room. I was surprised to see the label on the door: The Dream RoomThere was another sign below it that said: Do not come in!

Again, Bill ignored the sign and opened the door a little so I could see. I took a peek inside. There were a few people. There was a big screen in the front of the room. There were thousands of buttons. I closed the door. Then, I thought about my dream about me as a king.

“Do they actually control the dreams?” I asked.

“Yeah, why?” Bill replied.

“Nothing,” I said back.

I didn’t want to tell him about my dream. After that, we went to other rooms, like the aquarium, the zoo, the kitchen, the holiday room, the party room, and more. After the tour, we went to the cafe for lunch. I didn’t know what to get, so I got some good things and some bad.

At the table I ate in silence, thinking about my dream. If the people controlled the dream, they had to know something that I didn’t! I had to talk to them!

I secretly snuck out of the cafe. I went through the hallways, until I got to the Dream Room. I opened the door very carefully and tiptoed inside. No one had noticed me, so I decided to distract the workers. I pretended to be a worker and said that it was lunch break. That seemed to work, and all the dream workers left for lunch. I stayed back and saw my chance to figure out this mystery. I didn’t know how to control the keyboard, but I soon got the hang of it.

I saw thousands of pictures and people. Some were really cool; for example, one dream was with someone flying over everyone and killing zombies. But, other ones were really disturbing, like the one where an old man was taking a bath with his rubber ducky! I saw a button that would lead me to my dreams, and so I pressed it. I had only a few dreams in the Underworld, so it wasn’t hard to find the king one. I pressed it, and I replayed my dream.

After I watched it (twice), I saw a little writing below it. I zoomed in, and I almost fainted when I saw what it said: Charles is royalty, so make dreams about that.

How was I royalty?! I had to figure this mystery out! Then, I heard the door open. I had to hide. But where? I hid under a table and hoped that I wouldn’t be found. Then, I realized that I hadn’t closed the notes!

“Hey! Someone was messing with Charles’ dreams!”

Charles? That’s what the man said to me before, King Charles! Something was up! (Again.)

“Who was here?” asked another man. Then someone saw me.

“Him,” a person shouted and pointed to me.

I started to run out the door, but there were a lot of workers, and they caught up to me. Two people grabbed my shoulders. I squirmed, but the grip was too hard. I tried and tried, but still, I could not get out. They pulled me into a chair and strapped me down. A man walked into the room.

“What did you see?” he asked.

He was so close to my face. I could even smell his bad breath!

“I was only looking for my dreams,” I said, nervously.

“Didn’t you read the sign?” he asked.

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“Who are you?” he asked calmly.

“He’s Charles!” another man said.

“You!” he said, with a look of disgust on his face. “So, you’re that Charles guy.”

A man came forward and whispered something to the man in front of me. The man in front of me turned white as a ghost. He unstrapped me and let me go.  

I couldn’t believe my luck, but when I got back to hammering, everyone was staring at me. Then, they started walking towards me. I think it was because I missed work. I was too scared to move. They came closer and closer.

“Stop,” yelled the man, who was talking to me in the Dream Room. “He is a former king!”

Everyone gasped. Then, they backed up slowly, like they were afraid of me! I walked toward the ladder and started working.  How could I have been king? I thought. I needed to get back to the real world! I hammered with all my might, nothing. I got two hammers and hammered with all my might, nothing.

I hammered till it was time to leave. But, instead of leaving, I snuck out again. I went around the Underworld. Bill had showed me all of the rooms, except for one. I had noticed it when we were walking around. It was labeled Portal Room. I went inside and saw a round, blue thing. I put my hand in it, and it disappeared. I took my hand out and it reappeared again. I took a step back and saw a sign that said: Do Not Enter! Still Testing!

I shivered a little and took a step inside. Then, I took another.

 

To be continued…

 

Jewelry

                

My mom only wears a diamond ring

on her ring finger

and tiny, gold earrings,

spirals like ones that I make in the sand

but more prettier

‘cause it has something shiny

in the middle.

My mom thinks it’s a butterfly

and a flower.

 

But sometimes,

when we go to a restaurant

to celebrate something,

my mom always changes

her earrings to make herself pretty.

Pink and yellow butterfly earrings,

flower earrings,

one petal purple,

one petal pink,

one light blue,

and one light green.

 

They make me feel happy

because I like watching

my mom get dressed up.

 

My mom’s favorite color is red

like rubies,

ruby apples, ruby lights in Chinatown,

and ruby envelopes with gold lanterns

and money inside.

 

They make me feel safe

because my mom makes me feel safe

and my favorite color is ruby red too.

 

The Smart Boy Who Could Write

This story starts with a little boy named Adam. Adam was a boy who lived in Ireland, in 1845, when the potato famine happened. He lived in a poor house because he was not the richest kid in Ireland. His family lived on top of a bakery. It smelled like baguettes when they would make them. The floor would creak, the doors would break, and the windows would shatter because the house was so cheap. Adam found a potato in a church, and it was glowing.

He was bullied at school because of his clothes. His clothes were ragged, and he wore the same outfit every two days. He also was sad because his family was very sick from the famine. He could not go to school because he had to take care of his family. Later that week, his family died. He hated life now that he had to quit school and work to keep the bakery.

One day, he saw a man, the landlord. He did not like the landlord. He was very tall and wore way more clothes than Adam.

The landlord said, “You’re a little under the house rent.”

Adam said, “I am not getting as many customers as I usually do.”

The landlord said, “I am sorry, but I will need to kick you out of this building. Take your stuff.”

When Adam was counting his money, he saw he had enough to go to America. Yes, he thought, I can finally fulfill my dreams and have a life. Why didn’t I think about this before? The next day, Adam went to the station to buy tickets for America, but then he realized he was one dollar short. He thought, I would have to work for a week! Oh no, the bakery is gone. I would have to wait on the streets for people to give me money… Oh God, please help.

The next day, Adam was on the street, and one person gave him 99 cents. He was happy and mad, but the next minute, a man gave him a full dollar.

“Yes!” Adam said.

So, he got his ticket and was the happiest kid on earth, until he got on the boat. It was terrible. I mean, he could not sleep, but with the power of his magical potato, he slept that night. But, the next day, he realized his potato was infected with the blight. He knew because it was turning black.

Adam made a friend named Paul. Paul had a family with a lot a food. Paul shared food with Adam because he was his friend, and he had a lot of food.

In the night, Adam was trying and trying to go to sleep, so Paul woke up and helped him go to sleep. Adam was so happy. Paul taught him how to go to sleep, so Paul and Adam had a great ride. On Ellis Island, he was so scared to be sent back to the streets of Ireland. He got inspected for everything, but he was safe. He could go to America and be safe. Yes! he thought.

Now, where would he work? His only real talent was writing. He learned to write because he went to Writopia in Ireland. His Writopia teacher was Kael. He heard Kael was the best teacher in Writopia. Paul gave Adam some paper to write on, so Adam got started. Paul also let Adam stay with him. Adam started writing about this boy whose family died in the famine. Paul did Adam a lot of favors, but Adam still had to pay half of the rent for their house.

He said to Paul, “I will pay my part of the rent when my book gets published,” but before Adam could get his book published, he had to get a publisher. This was another favor from Paul. Paul got him a publisher.

It took four months for Adam to finish his book. When Adam finished his book, he got it published by his publisher, and in a few days, it became a bestseller. Adam could pay the rent! Adam kept on writing, and he became a famous writer. Adam moved to the Upper West Side and bought a home for Paul too. Life was great for Adam and Paul, and Adam had ten best sellers! But, he missed the smell of those old baguettes.

 

The Revenge of the Future Thanksgiving Turkey

Once upon a Thanksgiving, there was a turkey’s dead friend, who was being eaten on Thanksgiving. The turkey (that was alive) was named Turkusin. He made it his goal to get revenge on the family that ate his friend. He only had one year to do it! So, now, he needed a plan to escape the evil demon cage. The cage was seven feet tall. Turkusin thought and thought, until he came up with a plan!

His plan was to play dead, so when the family came with a refill of turkeys, they would take him out, so that the other turkeys wouldn’t eat him and so the family could eat him.

When the mom took him out, he started to poke her with his beak. Turkusin knocked her out. He grabbed her shirt, and threw her in the basement, and locked the door.

One down, fourteen to go.

If you were thinking that there was no way he could do it, well, you were wrong because I tricked you. So you should be ashamed. It was one down, three to go.

The turkey hid under the porch, sneaked into the house, and hid there until nighttime, and that’s when he attacked. The family (not including the mom) was having dinner. They were talking about the mother and asking where she was. The turkey came out from his hiding place and made the noise that turkeys make.

The dad looked at the turkey and said, ‘’You mother turkey, you killed my wife.”

‘’I locked her in the basement,’’ replied the turkey in English.

‘’Did you just speak English?” asked the dad.

“Yes, I did,” said the turkey in English.

The dad picked up a knife to kill the turkey, but the turkey was too fast and took the dad and the two kids, and locked them up in the basement. He thought that was the end of them.

But the dad still had the knife in his hand, and so, he opened the door and tried to sneak up on the turkey. But the turkey had quick reflexes, and the dad missed him. The turkey took a step back, and the battle began!!!

It was the turkey versus the dad, the mom, the son, and the daughter.

The turkey was surrounded, and when the family attacked all at once, the turkey jumped up in the air, and the family all crashed into each other, and they fell on the floor. When they got back up, they continued to fight. The turkey started to scratch them.

The family went back into the house and locked the door. They packed their bags and ran away with everything they could carry! The turkey took all the turkeys out of the cage, and they kept the house. It was like a mansion for the turkeys! And the day they got it, they threw a gigantic party!

THE END!

 

Gummy Bunnies are Tough

First of all, you think that gummy bunnies are soft and harmless, but what you don’t know is that they have a secret weapon. It’s gummy, and it’s yummy, and you can’t resist it.

Everybody give it up for gummy bunnies’ favorite gummy men! Gummy bunnies!! That is how tough gummy bunnies really are. Gummy bunnies! Gummy bunnies!

Now that’s more like it. You think they’re just harmless, but they can be tough when they want to be tough. We weaklings just can’t see it in action. That’s why gummy bunnies are transparent. They don’t go around giving out presents and eating mint pie and orange juice. Instead, they go and fight the monsters that attack our dreams and turn into nightmares. Gummy bunnies do the best they can to fight off the nightmares, but sometimes, they miss the nightmares because one of us weaklings are walking by, and they can’t be discovered fighting. The reason we can’t see the nightmares go past us is because they’re invisible to the human eye.

 

Lesson 101

Which time did gummy bunnies come from?

They’re timeless and more are coming for the nightmares. More nightmares are coming for you too. If you have a dream catcher, throw it away. The dream catchers are useless. They never do anything good, except decorate your house. Bring gummy bunnies to the house, and they will defend your house, but don’t lock up your bunnies, or else they can’t defend your apartment or house, and the nightmares will come get you and take you to the dream world. The evil part, not the good part.  

There’s nothing funny about gummy bunnies… except that they leave gummies on the floor when they need to do their thing, you know what I mean? When they need to go?

Okay moving on to Lesson 102.

 

Lesson 102

Nightmares

The red gummy bunny means it doesn’t have an owner and is angry that he can’t find one.

The blue one means it’s excited because it thinks it’s almost won its owner. If you have any questions about when I said it’s almost won its owner, don’t ask it because I will teach you about it in Lesson 103.

Anyways, the reason the white ones are white is because uhm… the white one is just reformed out of your butt; it’s white because you sucked up all the color from it.

If there is a bunny that is suffering, it floats, and you eat it. Then, it gets better and is born again, and is also ready to start defending your house. Again.

 

Lesson 103

Winning your owner

There are tons of gummy bunnies out there wanting an owner, so they have a contest about who can fight the most nightmares in one hour. If you cheat, the same judges always goes with them. The bunnies never die unless they start to rot. Then, they have to join a battle in the underworld.

 

Lesson 104

The Battle

In the bunny underworld, there is a war between the daydreams and the nightmares which might never end again.

The gummies are on the daydream side, but when every nightmare dies in the underworld, they get transported back to the living. Then, the same thing happens in the living.

There is a way to defeat them but that’s lesson 106.

 

Lesson 105

Nightmares  

A good girl turns evil when she is possessed by the nightmares. Monn (Moon) is now Nightmare!

Oh, sorry. Let me be more specific. Her first name is Night and last name is Mare.

NM is creating more and more nightmares by the minute! She has been doing this for 10,000 years, and she started when she was only four and then got out of control when she had her nightmare test.

First, it was just a simulation. Then, the nightmare somehow thought that Monn was a good target and opened a portal in the simulation, Monn was so shocked, that she had lost her confidence and strength. So the nightmare went inside her and fought her soul, and since she had no confidence, the nightmare took over easily.

Monn is getting weaker and weaker, and the nightmare is getting stronger. It’s getting harder and harder for Monn to fight the queen and king of nightmares. Her soul is giving us messages, but they are very weak and fuzzy

Hopefully, more and more gummy bunnies are being pooped out and getting ready to fight, even if they don’t have a owner. The resulting color of a ready-to-fight gummy is a blend of red and brown and green. Even if you eat it, it will come back out as the war color.

The dark red stands for the bunny blood that pours out of the melting gummies, but then revives. The brown stands for the underworld and the war. The green stands for the gummies getting squashed, then turning green, and then reforming in the living world as a ghosts. The ghost has to fight a nightmare ghost to become living again. Nightmares are the foulest creatures on the face of the earth, but nobody believes us bunny researchers.

Back to the nightmares. They are called the lords of the dark, the kings of the darkness. Anything you can think of with evil sounding words in it.

In the gummy bunnies nursery, at first, all bunnies are different colors, but when they go through the door of life, they get transported to the human world. They get ready to be put in a bag or a jar. A nature fairy, who has a very close relationship with the lost fairy, takes care of and trains the baby gummies to prepare for the wars or to fight for the wars.

Her. The lost fairy. She can defeat the nightmares, her! She’s weak, alone, and lost, somewhere on the face of the earth. With one flick of the wrist, the nightmares will go away. We don’t know where she is, but she’s hurt.

We almost have enough research to find her and heal her, but we have a contact system. Since we have clear messages, then that means she’s nearby. Her notes are long, so she’s healing by herself, but she needs medicine. We will find her someday, I hope.

 

The Ghost Story

Chapter One

It was a dark and stormy night. I was fast asleep when a big flash of lightning woke me up.

I checked the time. It was midnight. I climbed down from my bunk bed, drank some water, went to the bathroom, and got back in bed. My dad woke me up in what seemed like seconds. It was the last day of school, so I was excited. As usual, my dad had to pry my brother out of bed, while I was getting ready. I changed, brushed my teeth, ate my breakfast, put on my shoes and backpack, and walked out the door with my brother and my mom.

When I went out the door, I immediately noticed something strange. It was really windy and very quiet. There weren’t that many people on the street. When I got to school, everybody had transferred from breakfast to our first subject. It was a half day, so we got picked up at twelve o’clock.

Finally, it was twelve o’clock. My babysitter picked me up from school. I was walking home, when suddenly something came out of the ground (which I thought was a white race car going three hundred miles per hour). And before I could tell everyone, it was gone in one big flash of light. When I got home, I started playing on my phone. I decided to forget what had happened on the street.

 

Chapter Two

When I got home, I immediately started playing on my phone. My baby sister kept tapping on my leg. I asked my dad to bring snacks for the movie that we were going to watch. He said he would. He also said he would get pizza. When my dad came home, we started the movie. When it ended (which was at midnight), we went to bed. I tried to go to sleep. Then, I saw something that made my eyeballs pop out. I knew right away that it was a ghost.

First, it was quiet, and then it said, “I will haunt you.”

And then, in a flash, it was gone. I instantly fell asleep, and in the morning, I washed my face and forgot about what had happened at night. My dad told me that my brother and I had to go to baseball camp tomorrow. I liked baseball, so I immediately got excited. I was not really happy that I had to go to sleep, because the ghost would maybe appear, like it did the other night. But it did not show. I think that meant something, but I did not know.

 

Chapter Three                          

The next day, I woke up early to go to baseball camp. It started at nine o’clock a.m., so I had to be very quick. I got changed, brushed my teeth, put on my clothes and shoes, and waited for my mom and brother to get ready. Once they were ready, we got into a taxi and went to seventy-fourth street.

My coach told us that we had to go to the park to play baseball. We went down to the park and started a game of baseball. My team won. It was finally time to go home. I took the bus home. But when I came home, I saw something that made me faint. My parents were gone.

I was so stunned, I almost jumped out the window. Once I told my brother what happened, he passed out. It took him a long time to recover. I looked in their bedroom, and they were not there. I looked in my bedroom, and they were not there. Then, I went to the kitchen, and I found a note. It said: I have captured your parents. I have taken them all the way to LA.

“Darn it,” I said. “Now I have to get on a plane, and go to LA!!!”

But I did not have enough money. I went to my parents room. Luckily, the ghost did not take my parents’ credit card. I took the credit card and booked a flight for tomorrow, at seven p.m. I didn’t think my parents were ever going to forgive me for stealing their credit card, but I had to for their sake. I put everything I needed for the flight, and the ghost catcher, because I had to catch the ghost. I also helped my brother while he watched the duck song. I went to bed early. When I woke up, it was four o’clock.

“Perfect” I said.

My brother was already awake, which was good since he usually got up late. We got ready and went to the airport. It was 5:59. We got out of our taxi, checked in, and went through security. Then, we went to Shake Shack and got hamburgers. Our plane was at gate B7. We boarded the plane. I had booked a business class seat for me and my brother. So, that meant I would probably be grounded for some time. But I guess it was worth it. I watched a movie, took a nap, and then we were there!

We got into a taxi and went to the building the ghost said to go to. And they were there. I snuck in, past the doorman, and went to the elevator. When we reached the top, we saw our parents. Still alive, thank goodness.

“Hey,” we both said.

“Hey,” my parents said.

I tried to untie the rope they were tied to, when something hard hit me and made me bleed. It was the ghost.

He shook the ground and said, “Wah-Ha-Ha-Haaa.”

“Let them go,” I said.

“Never,” he said. “They did not believe in me, so I captured them.”

Then, I got an idea. I was going to make my parents fake believe that they believed in the ghost, and then I would capture it and free my parents.

I said to the ghost, “My parents believe in you.”

I gave them the stare that said, “Say yes.”

Then my parents said, “Yes, we believe in you.”

So then the ghost let them free, and then I immediately opened the ghost catcher, and captured the ghost! I untied the rope, and my parents and my brother and I went all the way back to the airport, got on the plane, and went back home.

When we got home my dad immediately started the punishments!

“Punishment number one, you are not even touching your electronics for one month!” my dad said. “Punishment number two, no movie night on Fridays for one month. Punishment number three, because of what happened just now, we will not be going anywhere, anytime soon.”

I shrugged and went to my bedroom to play with my puddy. My parents were back, and I was feeling… okay and my brother was playing with my sister. That night when I went to sleep, I tried to forget what happened. I could not wait for the day ahead of me.

 

Bobzilla the Brick!

There was a brick named Bobzilla. He was in a mud pile on a grassy field far away from his wall, where his family was. His dream was to fit in with his family.

His family made fun of him. They were normal, red bricks, but he was pink. His brothers and sisters said that they didn’t want a pig in their family. He was really sad. He was crying and making a sad face. So, he ran away from his family, never looking back.

He ran to a field of grass — nice, pretty green, fresh grass. He felt happy because he was away from his family, and there would be no one to call him a pig.

He met his best friend. His best friend’s name was Bob. Bob was a frog. They both loved doing the same games and eating the same foods. But, Bobzilla didn’t know if he could trust Bob completely, yet, because they had just met a few minutes ago. So, he didn’t tell him why he ran away.

They played a game of truth or dare, and Bob told Bobzilla about a secret that he didn’t tell anyone before. Bob’s secret was that he was originally a person, and an evil sorceress turned him into a frog. He started eating things as a frog and doing the things that a frog would do, and he finally realized that it was kind of fun to be a frog because you get to jump around everywhere. He was still himself.

Bob asked Bobzilla if there was anything wrong.

Bobzilla said, “Yes, there is.”

But, Bobzilla didn’t know if he wanted to tell Bob. So, Bobzilla told Bob if he could play a round of truth or dare to tell a secret.

“Yes,” Bob agreed.

“Truth or dare?”

“Truth,”said Bob.

“Tell me your biggest secret,” Bobzilla asked.

Bob said,  “My biggest secret is that I was once a person, but an evil sorceress turned me into a frog, but I like my frog life too…”

The bridge broke! Oh no!!!

He was then stuck in a big pile of cement for a long time, and he didn’t even know how long he was stuck in there because he wasn’t paying attention. So, he thought about a way to get out of the pile of cement. Eventually, he found a way to get out. He thought he could call Bob the frog to come over and help him get out. But, Bobzilla wasn’t an ordinary brick, although he was pink instead of the actual red. That made him unique, he could do tricks, he could walk, he could talk, he could do anything that an ordinary brick couldn’t do.

Then Bob came, and he was so strong that he was able to pull Bobzilla out of the cement pile!

The End

 

A Trip to Colombia

Landon is a boy who wants to go to Colombia by himself. Colombia is like New York, but with houses instead of apartments and trolleys and a lot of nice trees. It smells good because there’s a lot of Colombian food and restaurants. It sounds loud because there are a lot of people trying to get into restaurants.

Landon is all packed up to go to Colombia, and when Landon wakes up in the morning, his mom and dad say that Landon can’t go to Colombia by himself. And that day, at school, Landon is very mad and sad. Also, Landon gets in trouble because he pushes some kids, because he is mad about his mom and dad’s decision. When Landon gets home, his mom and dad are still not letting him go to Colombia. Landon is holding a cold spoon in cold milk. Landon has tears on his face.

Most of Landon’s family in Colombia are from Bogota, and Landon is from Bogota too. Landon wants to go to Colombia by himself because the last time Landon went with his mom and dad, Landon had a very bad time. They were not paying attention to him. They were mostly talking to family members. So, that’s why Landon wants to go to Colombia by himself.

A year later, Landon asks his mom and dad again if he can go to Colombia. Landon’s parents are more convinced, than a year ago, about Landon going to Colombia. They forgot about what happened last time he asked to go, and he has been better. A week later, Landon’s parents tell Landon that he can go to Colombia by himself. In school, Landon has no problems this year because he can go to Colombia by himself. When he couldn’t go to Colombia last year, bad things happened to him.

Landon goes to Colombia the next day and when he is on the plane, the flight attendant asks Landon where his parents are, and Landon says that his parents let him go to Colombia by himself. So, Landon has to go back to the United States, and when he gets home, his parents say, “Why are you back home, Landon?”

Landon says, “The flight attendant on the plane made me come back home.”

Landon’s parents agree to not be annoying and go with him to Colombia, so he can have a fun time. When Landon gets on the plane, he sees the same flight attendant and the flight attendant tells Landon, “I see you brought your parents along.”

When Landon gets to Colombia, it is very warm and sunny. Landon has a house in Bogota that is very big. Landon has a lot of stuff that not all kids have. Landon has a very big and deep pool, and Landon also has a pretty, nice garden with a lot of plants and flowers. Landon’s favorite meal from Colombia is the bandeja paisa. The bandeja paisa is basically ground meat, beans, arepa, charon, rice, and sausage. And with it, you can drink a soda that’s called mazana or hot chocolate.

One day, Landon’s family says to Landon, ’’Do you want to stay in Colombia?’’

They’re in his aunt’s house. His parents are most likely thinking that he is thinking about staying.

Landon says, “I want to stay in the United States.”

His parents are very surprised. Their eyebrows are lifted, and their mouths are open.

“Why do you want to go back to the United States?” his mom asks.

“I want to go to the United States because I actually like to be with you. When I said to you guys that you ruined my trip, I was trying to hide that I really like to be with you guys.”

His parents are surprised, and they are closer to him now. They semi-hug him.

“Okay, we can leave tomorrow,” his dad says.

“That sounds good.”

“If you would have stayed in Colombia, I would have been sad.”

 

The Star, the Heart, and the Walking Fish (Part Two)

Chapter 2: Kurt

I looked up at the face of a young boy, but he was distorted by some unknown substance. It was evening, so was it just darkness messing up my vision? No, there was some gurgling sound as well. Suddenly, it had hit me. That sound was water! I had never liked the stale biscuits that the boy shoved into my mouth. They tasted like a species of cardboard, and yes, I meant species. They didn’t taste like normal biscuits, they tasted like crap, but delicious crap that I was eternally grateful for. The water flowed across my face, and since my lips were cracked, it gave me brief relief, until I saw the Kaiser’s crest on his shoulder. Wilber! Was he okay? What happened? My mind was prepared to burst with questions.

“Where is Wilber?” I asked with a frantic air.

Was he dead? Wait, wasn’t Wilber evil? Maybe. No. Half? No. Enough to keep an eye on him, I guess. I was delirious. I thought he was my friend, but the real question was: who was this German idiot  who would help soldiers of the Triple Entente? We had the French symbol, and he was definitely German. Something didn’t add up.

“Your friend awake,” said the boy, “vision too fuzzy, but I have pistol to your friend and knife that any moment go into stomach.”

So that was the catch. This German boy was after information. Well, the minute he looked at Wilber, I would take out my knife, and the positions would be flipped. Wilber knew this as well and smiled briefly at me as he slowly edged out of the boy’s vision. When his eyes flicked to Wilber, I sliced his knife hand, and Wilber preemptively jumped out of the way of his instinctive pull of the trigger. The boy screamed and dropped his knife, which was grabbed by me, and the gun was quickly grabbed by Wilber, who stood uneasily with the firearm pointed at the boy, lying in a sort of turtle position with his hands raised in a halfhearted attempt to protect himself.

“Who are you, and why did you come to our camp?” Wilber asked with a now rightly earned air of superiority.

“Don’t have camp,” the boy stuttered out in his broken English. “Have piles of dirt.”

Wilber and I shared another look. He may be German, but insulting your captors tended to yield worse results than complimenting or praising them did.

“You were trying to extract information from us, the least you can do is grovel,” replied Wilber, flecks of spit flying out of his mouth in rage.

Wilber was born in Metz, Germany, a harsh place in a neighborhood where the Germans practiced firing shells. Wilber didn’t really know how to talk to people, a thing that had begun in his childhood when he had lost his home to a stray German test shell when he was eleven. He went to find work, but strayed too far once, and while he was away, his family was accused of being French spies and were put before a firing squad three days before he returned. He finally, after staying in his childhood home for a while, discovered extra money that his father hid. He used it to buy his way to Britain, where he became a newspaper boy until he scraped together just enough money to go to America, where he met me. He was an orphan when I found him in the streets after his immigration from Britain. We had become friends ever since I ran away to France, and we joined the French Army together. The Orphan Duo, as we were known. Our ages had become a carefully guarded secret, and one that we kept with our lives. But this German boy seemed almost fourteen, way too young for an army man even by our standards.

“Grovel? I not bow.” He seemed more confident now. “I never betray Kaiser Vilhelm.”

“Then that will be your own demise,” said Wilber as he leveled the gun towards him.

“Stop!” I shouted as Wilber prepared to shoot the proud German.

Wilber turned to me questioningly.

“Russell, this traitor to the world killed my family.”

I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.

“You know what I mean. Germans. In fact, you do not have a say in this. This is strictly personal between me and the filth he owes his allegiance to. Don’t you know Germans are the filthiest type of organism on the planet? They are lower than scum, not worth the dirt he says our camp is made of. I have every right on the planet and tens of thousands of grieving families to back me up. What do you have? Some foolhardy, chivalrous code that will get you nowhere but death by snakes like this one. You cannot blame this choice on lethargy. You have to capitulate to these instincts, Russell. They are there for a reason,” Wilber said heatedly.

I sighed. Wilber did have a point, but he made a mistake in telling me to capitulate. I didn’t give in to anything, and I wouldn’t start now. I knew Wilber would let down his guard easily with a well placed stroke, and so I began to put on an indifferent and apathetic air.

“Look Wilber-” I began, but Wilber cut me off.

“That was a rhetorical comment. You don’t respond to it. We can either waste time arguing over this and then kill him, or take advantage of the cool night, get back to the Hope Reservoir with his canteen, and be off. Your choice.”

I glared at him. It was hard to argue with someone who wouldn’t let you finish a sentence.

“Wilber, stop and think for a second. If we went from the trenches to the Hope Reservoir, which was parallel to the battle lines, then went in circles, randomly picked a direction, and saw a random German strolling-”

I was interrupted again, but by someone different.

“Then you are in Deutschland, obviously.” The German boy smirked, resembling a gangster from a story, with his word choice and fake accent he put on. I suddenly felt an urge to go with Wilber’s strategy, but I stopped myself quickly.

“As annoying as you are, sadly, we’re going to keep you,” I said to the kneeling teen as he slowly moved forward, now back in his turtle.

Wilber now appeared resigned to the German’s fate, but he still wanted to belittle the German one last time as the boy crawled towards them.

“You know, Napoleon once said that an army moves on its stomach. I’m now sure he was talking about German soldiers.”

I couldn’t help sniggering at that last comment, but I immediately reproached myself as Kurt became flushed, got up, and dusted himself off. I thought that we were somewhere near the French city of Somme, but we could’ve been near Verdun or Switzerland. Anyway, given our predicament, It didn’t really matter.

“So, what’s your name?”

We needed something to pass the time before I could figure out where we were.

“Kurt,” the boy said.

“Where’s your family?” I asked, slightly over eager in my joy at finally making headway.

“They were murdered in cold blood,” he said stonily. “I left them for the army, and when I came back, they were dead. I don’t know how it happened, so I just stayed in the army.”

Okay, that didn’t work, I thought to myself. I was about to try a different angle to get in, but he cut me off.

“What do you plan on doing with me? And your dilemma? How will you handle that?” he said, trying to stop my efforts for enjoyment before anything became of him, his usual strategy.

I was actually now getting very worried about Kurt calling to the Germans, or waving a flag of surrender. It was hard to guard to him from anything white and even harder to have to watch him constantly. It was out of the question, though, to leave Kurt even slightly unattended. Kurt was really getting on my nerves, but he was our only chance out, unless we wanted risk a hit or miss in a random direction and end up in Berlin. The sun was already pretty low on the horizon, and by the time it became too dark to continue, we had laid down in a cluster of rocks, and I went on guard to watch the camp. I turned around and saw Kurt staring at my back. I turned around to look at him.

“What?” I asked, feeling somewhat unnerved.

He kept staring at me until he finally said something.

“Say it again. What you were muttering,” he asked.

“You mean my prayers?”

He nodded.

“If that is what you call them.”

Suddenly, I was struck with a thought. What religion did this boy — sorry, Kurt — identify with? Wilber was an atheist, and I was a Jew, but what did this new member of our crew believe in?

“Are you a Jew?” I asked tentatively.

“No. And no other religion either,” he responded.

Ah, so the boy was an atheist, like Wilber. Darn. I wondered why they hadn’t bonded over the fact yet. Something was wrong. I felt another pair of eyes bore into my back. I turned around, Kurt’s gun in my hand, and prepared to fire as I turned. It turned out to be Wilber angrily staring at me.

“What?” I asked, in a slightly provocative tone.

“He is not an atheist.”

Wilber stared at me with such an unrivaled intensity, it made me flinch.

“How can you be so sure?” I asked him.

I wondered now if there was some kind of aura, a vibe that atheists gave off, or a somewhat secret signal that only other atheists picked up on. I tried to imagine Wilber with a halo or some kind of invisible radio signal that he radiated from his head, or something like that.

“He is too devoted. He fights for something, I can tell. There is something he hides from us, and he better come clean to me.”

A small smile appeared on Wilber’s face, but one devoid of real happiness. It looked more like a grimace or a scowl, but really, it was just a smile with no life. I shriveled away from his smile to make him focus the spotlight on Kurt. His eyes remained so fixated on Kurt, as if he were some kind of grotesque specimen.

Wilber followed his instincts when he ran from the German shell. He followed his heart when he immigrated to Britain from France on his family’s money, and from Britain to America as a stowaway. He followed his heart when he gave up the notion of monotheism and all faith for atheism. Wilber had followed his heart his whole life and would never take orders from anyone or, for that matter, give them. He strongly opposed change, and he had a very clear cut belief system that he would always follow and go by.

But, most of all, Wilber knew people. Wilber knew when people were lying and what they were hiding from him, but his gaping flaw was that he didn’t know himself nearly as well as he knew other people. Wilber could not, for the life of him, decipher himself, and had really only branded himself an atheist out of necessity. He liked to say that he was a powerful disciple and devotee to the heart, and I was fully prepared to see this seemingly innocent conversation go up in flames because of him. Kurt gave him a wolfish grin and stood up, fully prepared to meet the obvious challenge of his loyalty. He stood close to Wilber and paused momentarily.

“I owe my faith to only Germany. Religion is passing thought, no real importance. Loyalty to your nation is what counts. Nations will stand, but atheists are fools. Jews will die out because their numbers are so low, but Germans will always remain the utmost on the egalitarian chain. We are the true heroes of the war, and all who doubt us will fall. Nationality is the only thing that will persist throughout the ages, where beliefs will fail and religion will fall. And yes, my broken English was fake. You, Russell, believed me every moment for your religion, and Wilber here overlooked it, forsaking his true ulterior suspicions for exterior ones. You people are too predictable.”

Wilber and I sat in a stunned silence, too dumbfounded to speak. The wolfish grin still inhabited Kurt’s face, making it look as if he presided over all of this. He then went back to bed using his kingly walk, making him look smugly royal, as if he had just expounded the answer to the meaning of life onto peasants who were struggling to comprehend life at its smallest.
Chapter 3: Rats and Rabbits

After the argument from the night before, I thought that we really needed to watch more attentively while in the camp. We packed our, well, nothing, as our camp was only shrubberies. That day, as we set off to make our way across the French border, a thought suddenly struck me. We had a German prisoner, which we couldn’t take with us across the border. We also couldn’t leave him stranded here without proper provisions, although the minute I told this to Wilber, he raised his eyebrows and muttered “Why not?” under his breath.

It had a certain paradoxical element, not only within itself, but also the fact that it did kind of help me get through the days, weighing pros and cons of both. We covered Kurt’s mouth with my torn jacket and tied it so that he wouldn’t call out to the Germans, but we were still worried about him somehow being like a beacon to German troops, that his mere presence, unless somehow guarded by some kind of shrubbery, would alert them. Hunger now began to gnaw at me, like a feral animal trying to escape the prison that was my stomach. We kept on going, wearily trudging through the landscape that had become all too familiar to me and my companions throughout these past days. Finally, our weary sights turned to the abundance of game that seemed to surround us.

Kurt was almost to the point of trying to shoot the both of us, and to the casual observer, he would have no premise to shoot us besides the fact that we had captured him. But, crazily enough, that was not the case with him. When I had first brought up the irony that we had had nothing to eat since Kurt had exhausted his rations nursing us to health, and yet we were surrounded by game, he looked at me, with a somewhat destabilized look of insanity, and started to yell.

“Why are you complaining about hunger when we have my gun and bullets for the rabbits and rats all around us? You are swimming in a freshwater lake, and you are complaining that there is no water to go around.”

He shook his head half in disgust and half, truthfully, in shock. Where he came from, utilizing nature was a part of life, an accepted fact that everyone seemed to understand and did so without hesitation or thought. He was appalled by the fact that we didn’t immediately understand his perspective and that we struggled to kill the rats and rabbits around us for one simple reason: we held respect for the life around us, and as I had thought earlier, we couldn’t kill with the same intensity of the bullets in our gun. It was different in the haze of the battlefield, when you were shooting at a somewhat unidentified foe, just randomly shooting your gun at what might as well be some kind of deformed beast. It was much different when the eyes of the creature looked at you hard beneath the fur, or scuttled to hide childishly under some remarkably insufficient barrier like a fallen leaf. What person could bring themselves to kill a living, breathing creature that you would then proceed to eat?

In this matter, I was somewhat influenced by Judaism, not a huge amount but somewhat, in my wariness against killing and eating another living creature in cold blood. It seemed much more innocent to eat meat that somebody else killed, knowing in some form or another that it wasn’t my fault, that it would be eaten anyway. Now pictures of the rabbit frolicking in a field harassed my mind. When I turned around, Wilber and Kurt were arguing loudly. I wonder why I hadn’t heard them in my reverie.

“You have no respect for any life!” Kurt screamed.

“I’m not the one who wants to kill your precious life, you are!” Wilber returned with fury.

“I mean life that COUNTS ME!”

“Well, at least I’m not killing my own kind!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re lower than a rat. I thought he had some authority over you! Frankly, I’d rather you have the mind of a rat, it’d be such an improvement.”

Wilber’s tension from the other day had boiled into today. Wilber’s grimace-smile resurfaced again, this time in a more sarcastic form.

Suddenly, a bang rocked the ground around us. We were being shot at! Then, I saw that Kurt, in a quick maneuver, had grabbed the gun and shot the rabbit, leaving the rat to run away. Wilber stared at him with such an anger that I had never seen solicited from him before, and charged the few paces between them. He punched Kurt in the jaw, and I watched Kurt crumble before Wilber’s stocky form. Then, Wilber let out a cry of pain. Kurt had used a rock to hit him in the shins. Wilber jumped on Kurt, elbow forward, and jabbed him straight in the nose, hearing a crack. He got on top of Kurt and was immediately toppled off by Kurt’s hit to his right shoulder. He fell over and as he tried to get up, Kurt slugged him in the stomach.

But Kurt didn’t notice that Wilber’s left hand had moved behind him and only realized the fact when he received a crushing uppercut that almost sent him towards Wilber, but he fell backwards. Kurt then hooked Wilber’s leg and began to pull him downwards, all the while raining punches on his stomach, his mouth, and his cheeks. I suddenly realized that I had just been standing here the whole time, and I moved to intervene. I tried to break them up and received my fair share of punches in the process, but I finally succeeded in stopping them.

“What’s the matter with you?!” I asked heatedly, although I knew both their answers and the real one.

“Here’s the matter,” Kurt said,”You people are-”

“Would you shut up for just one damn second?” I said. Then, regaining my composure, I continued on. “Here’s the reason that you two are squabbling like this: You don’t have any food.”

Kurt started to get the gun, but Wilber stiff-armed him.

“Not yet, Kurt. If I know my friend,” he paused to slam in the emphasis, “he’ll have more to say on the matter, won’t you, Russell?”

He stared at me so hard that I flinched, for the second time in the last seventy-two hours.

“No, Wilber, I hate to concur with Kurt, but he’s right. We need the food.”

The dancing rabbit in my head began to seep blood from the numerous bullet holes I now imagined him with.

“The rats will destroy the rabbit then.” He turned to me.”I thought it was the other way around.”

It seemed like a very vague statement to anyone else, but it made perfect sense to me, and it hurt me to my core. Wilber sat down on one of the rocks in our den in disgust and went to sulk in a corner. Whenever I came near him, he would show his front teeth, chitter, and shy away from me angrily to prove his point. What he meant was that he thought that us, as white, pure, good creatures, were rabbits to Kurt’s alter-ego of a rat. When I had allegedly joined with Kurt in their disagreement, I had betrayed him and became a rat alongside Kurt, allied against the rabbit that was still and would always be Wilber.

Another crack rang through the air. I turned to Kurt, prepared to punch him nearly as hard as Wilber did, when I saw that the gun was lying on the floor near Wilber. We were being shot at! I got a glimpse of grey fabric as I glanced upwards to a tree grove we were planning to avoid for that very reason. During Wilber and Kurt’s fight, we had apparently moved our positions from our previous ones, throwing off our plans to go in one direction and hope for the best of luck. And now, we had to scratch our course because of Wilber’s rabbit drama and Kurt’s obstinacy.

Why was I the one who was caught between these two idiots all the time? Why did I have to suffer for their ridiculous qualms with eating or not eating? Really, I didn’t have to put up with it, I could just shoot the rabbits, shoot Kurt, and start walking, leaving the gun with Wilber. But, that was a crazy thought, especially when we were being shot at. I ran for cover near Wilber under an overhang, and Kurt was seeking shelter in a smaller alcove. Our two hideouts were now under machine gun fire, and there was no real cover. Wilber was too frightened to chitter at me again as bullets rained down on us.

“Damn it!” I whispered to no one in particular.

I picked the gun up off the ground, advanced towards Kurt, and crouched. I had just realized that he was left unattended, no less than 60 feet from the enemy. Kurt reached into his pants and gave me a hard stare. What was he doing? I kept moving. He pulled a bit of his underwear out. What was he threatening me with? He grimly smiled and mouthed the word “white” to me. Oh, his underwear was white. He wanted to surrender with it, show his Eagle. Then we would be killed as Allies. Brilliant. I stayed in my position as rain began to come down. That was actually a blessing in disguise, as rain would hopefully distort the sniper and the machine gunner’s accuracy. Now our only hope was that they would think we were a whole brigade, so they wouldn’t advance. I was only twenty feet away from Kurt, and I was seriously debating shooting him. We crouched there for a while, each eyeing the other, trying to predict their opponent’s next move, a deadly standstill.

After a few minutes, Kurt spoke. “Get the hell away from me now,” Kurt said, “And you know why you better do it fast.”

He held up his underwear. No! I hadn’t realized that he couldn’t get it off in sixteen paces, the distance I’d have to go to get to him, but he could if I stared at him for five minutes looking like a dumb cow. Now I had no advantages, and no Wilber, because any more movement would have the sniper’s gun on me. Then, a body fell out of the tree. More gunshots were heard, and shouts of pain and the enraged buffalo shrieks I knew filled the air. Destruction seemed to reign in this terrible landscape, without even some semblance of authority. I saw that all the Germans actually seemed to be dying and falling out of the tree. There were people in gray-green cloaks, more practical, but apparently no side either. Rogue Germans? Green Berets gone wild? Who knows? But I would soon find out. They were all coming down the trees in droves and looked to be swarming us.

“Leon.”

I heard Kurt muttering a few unintelligible words in German.

“Hello, fellow soldiers!” The man in the front of the leading group of five looked at us and smiled. “Little young to be in a war now, aren’t you?”

Then he looked in surprise at Kurt’s Eagle.

“And a German? One confusing group, I’ll tell you that much, little sirrahs, huh?”

He seemed to quite a merry, jubilant man, but I was still suspicious.

“Who are you?” I asked, a now ingrained distrust of nice people bearing the Kaiser’s Crest.

“His name’s Leon,” Kurt said darkly again.

I turned around to stare at him in surprise. I then became very conscious of everyone else staring at my back. But when I turned around, I realised that they were all staring at Kurt like I was, only they were behind me. I turned awkwardly back to Kurt, and then, ironically, all eyes shifted to me. I decided to break the silence.

“How do you know?” I asked quickly, before anyone could comment on my strange turning.

I knew it was worthless to try to explain, so I made it look like they were the ones being weird, what with their not answering. The rain was pouring down outside our little outcrop, and it almost made me reminiscent of the old days back home. The constant patter had almost lulled me to sleep when I finally got an answer.

“He’s a filthy traitor and a liar!” Kurt screamed.

Leon appeared unfazed by the vocal assault. He, however, was fazed when Kurt ran and got the gun.

“You damn murderer! You coward! You scum!”

Kurt had worked himself into such a rage that he was visibly sweating, even during the rain.

“Crook! Vandal! You have no honor! You are not German, nor are you human!” Kurt shot at Leon, just missing his arm.

He turned to me. He looked at me hard. We had both just realized that he had the gun. In my pity for him, I had allowed him passage to the gun, and as a defense, I reached into my pocket for a lighter. I found it. Then I reached for my extra gunpowder in my army jacket. Kurt was still focused on Leon. I pressed myself against the wall and tossed some powder behind Kurt, and fumbled to light the lighter for a second. It wouldn’t light. Kurt stared at me for a second when he heard scratching. One of Leon’s four men tried to jump on him. That turned out to be a bad move. Kurt shot grimly, and the man slumped mid-jump, staring into the ether that surrounded us, staring into nothing.

I sprang into motion, throwing the powder in his face along with the lighter. An acrid smell filled the air, and the air around Kurt turned into a whirlwind of fire, flaring up around him. He screamed, not in pain but in surprise, more of a yelp than a yell. I ran into the fire, knowing that it only lasted for a few seconds, and grabbed the gun from the ground where Kurt had dropped it. I held it to the back of his head. It felt a little weird to hold something as unwieldy as a rifle to someone’s head. I suddenly wished I had a pistol, which would also look much cooler. Kurt trembled and slowly walked forward, away from me.

Quickly, he pivoted and leaped on Leon before anyone could get a word out, and put his hands around Leon’s throat, his eyes burning with cold fury. Leon delivered a crushing punch to Kurt’s rib cage, and Kurt flew off of him with a loud crunch. Kurt gritted his teeth, and when Leon’s remaining three bodyguards tried to apprehend him, he outmaneuvered them and rammed into Leon’s slightly stout frame, head first.

“DIE, you thief! You damn murderer! You ingrate!”

Kurt shoved his elbow into the outside of Leon’s throat.

“Gurk!” Leon said, in a slightly strangled voice. He again bashed Kurt, now on the side of the neck, forcing him into two of the bodyguard’s arms. His jaw was taut, and eyes wild, thrashing at the bodyguards.

I watched in wonder at Kurt’s outburst, and I wondered exactly what had happened between the two men. I would soon get my answer.

“You lied to me!” Kurt’s left side was sagging, and he was bleeding hard from his dislocated nose. “We trusted you, and you betrayed us!”

I was staring at Kurt in a very new light, a light of determination and ferocity. He turned to me, a smart move on his part, isolating himself from the physical conflict that he actually started. He began to tell what had happened, with sporadic spasms of pain and screaming peppering his speech.

“This vagrant– aaaah!– my family had pity on him — graah! — he destroyed our house — gracch! — stole everything we owned.” He began to sob. “He tried to kill us all, and thank God, that in his blunderous rage, he stepped on some of the nail’s that pocketed our floor.”

“AGH!!” Kurt was obviously in a lot of pain, but I was, in a morbid sense, riveted by his tale. It also seemed to have some truth to it. Leon seemed appalled by the story, like he didn’t believe it. Kurt sat with his jacket to his ribs but immediately threw it away, now a damp cloth full of blood. Leon’s three remaining men began to set up camp near us, driving the stakes through the fabric and into the ground.

Kurt was a wreck, shivering in the corner. I almost made a move to help his pathetic form but a stern glance from Wilber told me not to. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, with Kurt in the corner, Leon’s men and Wilber bonding and setting up the camp, and Leon calling in the rest of his meager force in with a horn. I elected to go and talk to Leon.

“Well hello, mister!” He said jovially “I’m really sorry that your friend, Kurt, feels that way, but I think that he’s just trying to cope with what-”

He pronounced ‘what’ in a weird way, with the ‘wh’ in who, and the ‘at’ like the end of cot.

“-happened in the past. I used to be a beggar, but his house burned down, and he blamed me for it. I didn’t try to kill his parents either. I’m actually from the West, ya know, if you couldn’t tell already, but my parents moved to Germany when I was a young kid. I ran ‘way though, and that’s how I became a beggar. But now I’m just boring ya. What are you doin’ with the little murderer? You know, by the way, the man he shot isn’t actually dead. So I guess he’s not really a murderer, more of a coma-creator.”

He chuckled at his morbid joke.

“Now I’m really prattling, tell me about yourself.”

I was enthralled by the way that he could talk, winding me into his yarn without me noticing anything. I liked him immediately, but I was also wary of it, knowing full well how dangerous a person is when they could do that. But he was very comforting to listen to, and it almost made me want to ask him to just keep going. But, my addled mind went on. He won’t think the same if you keep staring at him like this with your mouth open.

“I-I-”

I couldn’t get through anything, and I didn’t want to either. My past was something that I’d rather not delve into, especially when I could be listening to him.

“I don’t know what to tell you” I said, “I’m a Jew, and we picked Kurt up when he tried to get information from me and my friend, Wilber.”

When I said the word ‘Jew’, his nose wrinkled a little bit, and his warm and friendly face got a little colder. I didn’t really expect that kind of a reaction from this kind of a man, but I was getting used to it. I excused myself and started back to the camp, happy with my discovery of a new friend in our merry band. I settled down on some moss, glad that the overhang protected me from the rain. I looked over at Kurt, who seemed to be doing something to his face. I shook my head in capitulation and laid my head down on the leaves that Leon’s men had gathered for us. I heard another bang and a scream of pain. Kurt had knocked his nose back in place.

 

Lucy the Pegasus (Part One)

Once upon a time, in Horselandia, there was a very poor horse. This horse’s name was Lucy, and she loved to collect stamps from lands far away from Horselandia. Lucy’s parents were famous explorers back in the day. Now, these days, no one cared about the treasures the explorers found. So the family was poor because the parents had searched a lot of lands for jobs, and on the way, the parents collected stamps, just for Lucy. The parents loved Lucy with all their heart.

In addition, Lucy had an interest in education. No one had taught her how to write, so Lucy made up her own language, and she wrote entries about her lifestyle. Lucy wanted to read entries even more than she wanted to write her own. Except other entries weren’t legible to Lucy because she wasn’t able to read the actual language in Horselandia, which was Horsish. The thing was, Lucy’s parents were poor, so they couldn’t afford to get a teacher, even though they loved Lucy so, so, much.

Throughout all the years, Lucy never stopped her love of reading and writing. For reading, Lucy wrote random silly stories that she didn’t revise or edit so that she could get a nice giggle out of her work. Lucy started from writing three sentences to elaborate essays, just in a matter of years, without any kind of teacher! Lucy was destined to do something amazing one day, and Lucy’s parents had faith in her.

When Lucy was 13, something very tragic happened. Lucy’s dad passed away of an unknown disease. There was yet to be a cure, and Lucy was determined to write a story about this in her own language, if someone could inform Lucy about what the disease was. This inspired Lucy to do something that was quite drastic in the measures. Lucy then set her dreams on something totally different. She wanted to become a pegasus. Lucy had no clue what she was going to face, but Lucy was determined to become a pegasus. She would do anything to become a pegasus.

A pegasus was a type of mythical hybrid that either you had to be born as one or you had to become one. To become a pegasus, you had to do something groundbreaking and impress the mythical judges. These mythical judges were a phoenix, griffin, alicorn, dragon, fairy, leprechaun, gnome, mermaid, elf, and unicorn. Of course, all these creatures were amiable and human sized or else everything would get out of hand and crazy. To add on, these judges were very stern and strict, and were very hard to convince, persuade, coax, and, last but not least, impress. Very few horses became pegasuses. The only reason why very few horses became pegasuses was because they were super famous for amusing people. These judges were very lazy. They just liked sitting and watching TV.

That was sort of the problem Lucy faced. She had no idea how to go on TV and contact these judges. First of all, Lucy didn’t have anything that she could contact them  with. Second of all, Lucy had no idea how to schedule a meeting with the judges because she had no idea where to meet and how to get there! Last, but the most important, Lucy had no clue how she was going to do all this planning herself. After all, Lucy was just 13 years old, and her mother was still searching for a job. Lucy most definitely did not see how she could achieve this now, but she still set her mind to it knowing she would, at least, be able to when she was older.

 

3 years later…

Chapter 1

“Are we there yet?!” Lucy asked impatiently.

“Hold on sweetie, just wait for one more hour, and I promise we will finally be there.” Lucy’s mom answered.

Over the last three years, Lucy’s mother managed to get a new job very close by. The job was like a meet-and-greet kind of thing but with used-to-be-famous horses. Who knew there were a lot of horses that were so interested in exploring?

Anyways, Lucy’s mother had been doing so well with her job that the family managed to get a decent house and a tiny car. To top that off, Lucy’s mother had a secret someone for a while! Lucy was still living in an alley, though, with her mom. Her mom had a car, but the house was very far away. The twist was that Lucy’s mom was working way too much, and she never had the time to move. But now, Lucy’s mother got her big break, so the first thing they did was leave the gross alley and go on a road trip to the new city!

“Screeech!” went the car Lucy’s mother bought.

“Lucy, time to wake up!” said Lucy’s mom in a sing-songy voice.

“Why do I have to wake up? It’s not like we’re here or anything.” Lucy replied very sourly.

She opened her eyes suddenly, saw a mansion, and pinched herself to see if she was dreaming.

“O-M-G! Is this our new house, Mom? If it is, you are really the best mom ever!!! I love you so much. Thank you, Mom.” Lucy squealed very loudly.

“Congratulations, sweetie! We finally got our dream house. It was an awesome deal. Anyways, get your bum up, and let’s get moving and see this place,” Lucy’s mom answered.

Lucy and Lucy’s mom made only two trips back and forth to get the bags, and drop them off by the door, because the family used to be poor, so the family didn’t really have that many things an average horse would have.

“That took forever!” Lucy complained. “But… I guess we can’t really afford movers at the moment. So I shouldn’t really be complaining.”

“Sweetie, time to get our feet on the ground and get to know every nook and cranny of this place that will be ours for the next few years.” Lucy’s mother told Lucy.

“Coming, Mom. I’ll just be there in a minute.” Lucy responded.

Lucy noticed the neighborhood. She felt her heart being completed. The neighborhood looked so average, like the life Lucy dreamed of but thought she would never have. She took a big breath, to take this all in, and put her hand on her heart. Lucy could feel it thumping, full with bliss.

 

Chapter 2

Lucy ran around the lawn once and felt the breeze sway past her, and the grass skid on her thighs. She then quickly rushed to the porch and rang the doorbell so that her mother would be informed that she was okay.

Ever since Lucy’s father had passed away, Lucy’s mother had been very paranoid about Lucy and what she was doing. Lucy’s mother did all of this because she didn’t want to lose someone else she cherished. Who knows what Lucy’s mother would act like if something happened to Lucy. Lucy had noticed this, so she was trying to do her best at helping her mom with this situation.

Lucy walked in the house.

“Hey, Mom, what are you doing?”

“I’m up here, sweetie. Look at the view! It’s awesome! You get to see the beach and the ocean on one side and the green forest on the other! Come on, sweetie. Come up!” Lucy’s mother yelled.

“Okay, I’m coming, Mom!” Lucy said and walked up the grand staircase of her mansion.

After Lucy was out of sight, a mysterious horse appeared. He was wearing all black and a face mask. He then grabbed his phone and called another mysterious horse.

“Hey, code blue, target acquired. We have gotten our subjects in the spot just like we wanted to. Now, phase two.”

 

Chapter 3

“Wow, Mom, you were right! This view is awesome! I can’t believe you managed to get this place!” Lucy squealed.

“What can I say, sweetie, it was an amazing deal.” Lucy’s mother replied. “Let’s start unpacking though. Try not to get too caught up with such a great deal. After all, last thing we need is for it to rain so all our stuff, that couldn’t fit on the porch, would get wet.”

Lucy topped off like a cherry on top of a sundae. All of a sudden, Lucy jinxed it and it started raining, but it had to happen sometime. After all, that was a disadvantage of living near a beach in the cold.

“Great, just my luck. And now I predict that it will be very cold and humid.” Lucy said in a magician-like voice.

“Come on, sweetie, just because we live near the beach doesn’t mean that it is the end of the world. So maybe it will rain a lot and it will be super cold in the winter, but in the summer, this beach is usually deserted, so lucky us! We get to play in the sand and run in the waters!” Lucy’s mother sassed back at Lucy.

“Okay. Fine. Maybe you are right. But once this rain is gone and we are done unpacking, I will try to make some new friends, and I will ask them why the beach is lonely. If they say something like, ‘if you go in the water, the Lochness Monster will eat you up’, I will not let you or me go one step near the beach. Okay? But if they say something like, ‘all the neighbors go on vacation there’ I will let you and me go. Is that clear? Just because I am your daughter doesn’t mean that you get to boss me around all the time. I should have a say in some things also. Okay?” Lucy said while thumping a box of clothes near the drawer.

“Sure thing, sweetie. And also, we are done unpacking so you can start getting your instincts around this place. Run free my child!” Lucy’s mom said.

“Got it.” Lucy replied.

Lucy wanted to go layer by layer, so she went up another staircase, looked at the ceiling to see if there was any attic vault, and there was. Lucy kicked the entrance and a ladder fell down. She climbed the ladder and went up.  

 

To Be Continued….

Toilets

LAFAYETTE pulls into the parking center in a dirty, floppy car.

He walks into a store, rings the bell on the door.

 

LAFAYETTE

Hi, I’m applying for a job here at Dingle Burger.

 

MULIGAN

Young man, come here. We need you for a job, plus you’re handsome with a muscular body. I follow you on Instagram!

 

LAFAYETTE

I’m glad, you stalker?

(goes into back)

 

MULIGAN

Okay. Come here.

 

LAFAYETTE

Okay.

 

MULIGAN

We need help with the toilets. They are nasty. There are code browns.

(walks to door)

 

LAFAYETTE

POOOOOP! Oh, I’m leaving.

(follows MULIGAN to door)

 

MULIGAN

We need you.

 

LAFAYETTE

NO.

 

MULIGAN

How about I add 20 bucks to your paycheck?

 

LAFAYETTE turns towards MULIGAN with a cheeky smile.

 

LAFAYETTE

Seriously?

 

MULIGAN whispers to himself.

 

MULIGAN

That fool. I pick-pocketed that money right from his pocket. I learned that from France.

 

LAFAYETTE

What’s the pay?

 

MULIGAN

Twenty-one dollars of mulah.

 

LAFAYETTE

Kay.

(walks to toilet)

 

MULIGAN

Shall we get started? Put this mask on.

 

LAFAYETTE

Kay.

(puts on mask)

 

MULIGAN

Get in.

 

LAFAYETTE walks into restroom.

 

LAFAYETTE
Anyone in here?

 

 

FRINDY

(sitting on the toilet)

Aaah I’m reading here.

 

LAFAYETTE

Okay. What book?

 

FRINDY
How Toilets Work in Junk Stores.

 

LAFAYETTE

Cool? Well then, please get out.

 

FRINDY

(still sitting on toilet)

I’m using the restroom.

 

LAFAYETTE

I thought you were reading.

 

FRINDY

I’m doing both.

 

LAFAYETTE walks towards to stall with FRINDY in it.

 

LAFAYETTE

Are you finished soon?

(opens door)

 

FRINDY

Yeah.

 

LAFAYETTE walks in front of the door. FRINDY and LAFAYETTE’S eyes see each other.

 

LAFAYETTE

Oh, hey tiger.

 

FRINDY

Oh, hey you.

 

FRINDY and LAFAYETTE walk out of the bathroom together.

 

LAFAYETTE

Want to go out tonight?

 

FRINDY

Sure???

 

LAFAYETTE

Let me clean the code browns first.

 

FRINDY

‘Kay, sexy. Clean them good.

 

LAFAYETTE

I will, bae.

 

Happy Birthday Suzy Walter!

Suzy Walter was a little girl who wore glasses. She was eight and a half, and her birthday was going to be in two days. She was going to invite a few people to Six Flags. She was super excited for her party.

She invited Sarah and Molly, twins who fought all day long. Suzy sort of liked them because they had lots of cute clothes and awesome toys. But they were annoying. They thought Suzy was their best friend. Her mom told her to invite them because she liked their mom.

And Suzy was inviting a really, really annoying boy named Theodore. Any time someone said something to him, he mimicked them.

The only reason she was inviting him was because her dad told her to invite him. Theodore’s dad was friends with Suzy’s dad.

And she was inviting one more person: Jackie, her real friend. Jackie was always nice to her. She was never mean to her! They always sat together at lunch and talked and laughed. They laughed all day long, for no reason sometimes. Even when somebody else laughed, they started laughing too. Her favorite color was purple, and Jackie’s favorite color was pink.

***

One day later…

Suzy woke up her parents and said, “My birthday’s one day away!”

Her dad was sleeping, and Suzy saw her dad’s tongue bleeding. He was biting it because he thought it was food in his dream!

Suzy said, “Wake up!”

Then, he grumbled grumpily, “I’m up, I’m up,” but he was still sleeping. Then, Suzy tried waking up her mom.

Suzy’s mom said in her dream, “Grandma, I thought you were dead.”

“Wake up, Mom!”

“Okay. Go ahead and make yourself breakfast now.”

Then, Suzy said, “I’m just going to go to Jackie’s house next door. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

***

Suzy reached Jackie’s door.

Knock knock.

Jackie opened the door.  “Hi, Suzy,” said Jackie.

Then Suzy walked into Jackie’s house.

“Did you come to visit me, or did you come to chat?” asked Jackie.

“Actually, I came here for you to help me plan for my birthday party, which is tomorrow, and by plan… I mean a sneaky idea,” said Suzy.

“Tell me what the plan is,” said Jackie.

“The plan is to tell my mom and dad that I called the twins and Theodore, but they were sick, so they can’t come to Six Flags. Isn’t that a perfect plan?”

“I don’t think that’s a good plan. You might get in trouble.”

“I won’t get in trouble. They won’t know a thing about it.”

Then, Suzy and Jackie went to the cake shop. It was one block away from Jackie’s house.

When they walked in, they saw a whole bunch of cakes. They had all different types of frosting and different flavors. It took a long time to pick a cake because all of them looked good. They saw a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting inside of it and rainbow frosting on the outside. They thought it looked the best, so they picked that one.

The person who worked at the cake shop said, “That will be 67 dollars.”

Suzy and Jackie didn’t have enough money. So they asked if 27 dollars was enough.

“No, 27 dollars isn’t enough.”

They looked at her nametag, and it said “Ms. Grumps.” Suzy and Jackie already knew why her name was Ms. Grumps.

Suzy said, “But it’s my birthday.”

Ms. Grumps said, “I’ll let you pay me 27 dollars, but tomorrow you’ll have to pay the rest.”

“Okay, I promise that I will pay tomorrow,” said Suzy.

***

The next day, Suzy woke up excited.

“Yay! I can’t wait to go to Six Flags and stuff cake in my mouth. Also, I can’t wait for my evil plan. Wah ha ha ha ha,” Suzy laughed loudly.

“Keep it down, Suzy. It’s four in the morning,” Suzy’s mom yelled.

“Yeah, Suzy, whatever your mom said,” Suzy’s dad yelled.

“Stop it, John,” said Suzy’s mom.

“Okay, Michelle, you need to chill out!” said Suzy’s dad.

“What did you just say?” asked Suzy’s mom.

“I-I-I didn’t say anything at all,” said Suzy’s father, John.

“Good, I thought so,” said Suzy’s mom.

Suzy stuck her head in the door and said, “It’s actually 12 in the afternoon!”

After Suzy told her parents, she walked away. She held the phone in her hand and called Theodore and said, “I am so sorry. The birthday is cancelled.”

She hung the phone up and called up the twins. Then she told them the same thing. She hung up the phone again and said, “I can’t believe my plan worked.”

“What did you say, sweetie? I didn’t hear you,” said Suzy’s mom.

“Nothing,” Suzy replied. “When is it time to go, Mom? I’ve been waiting for hours.”

“We will go in 30 minutes, and you were actually only waiting for 45 minutes,” replied Suzy’s mom.

***

30 minutes later…

“Mom! Is it time to go yet?!” yelled Suzy.

“Yes! It’s time to go. we are just getting the cake out of the fridge!”

“Okay, I’ll meet you in the car!”

“Okay, see you in the car.”

Suzy walked across the street and knocked on Jackie’s door first.

Knock. Knock.

“Who is at the door?” Jackie asked.

“It’s me, Suzy! Meet me at the car in two minutes!”

“Okay, I will.”

“I had an exhausting day, but it isn’t over,” said Suzy to herself.

Suzy quickly ran to her mother’s car. She leaned on the car as she waited. Finally, Suzy saw her mom and dad holding all the things for the birthday. Jackie walked towards Suzy from her house.

“Suzy, please open the door for us, this stuff is really heavy,” said Suzy’s mom. Then she asked, “Aren’t the twins and Theodore coming?”

“Uhhhh. I- I called Theodore and he said he had, uhhhh, a stomach ache,” stuttered Suzy.

“You know, Suzy? You didn’t have to invite Theodore and the twins since it’s your birthday.

Then Jackie said, “Suzy and I just wanted some time alone.”

Suzy’s mom said, “What?”

Jackie quickly answered, “Oh, wait, nevermind.”

Suzy elbowed Jackie and whispered, “Jaaackie!”

“Girls, are you up to something?” asked Suzy’s mom.

“No, not at all,” replied Jackie and Suzy simultaneously.

***

2 hours later…
“We are here, everyone!!!” yelled Suzy’s father.

As Suzy’s parents unpacked the cake and treats, Suzy and Jackie quickly ran to the rollercoaster.

“Wow! This is the first time I’m going on a rollercoaster, I am feeling nervous and excited,” said Suzy.

“This is going to be my second time on a rollercoaster,” said Jackie.

“Oh, that’s good for you. Anyway, it’s our turn to go on the rollercoaster!” said Suzy.

“Don’t be jealous, Suzy,” said Jackie.

“I am totally not jealous, Jackie,” replied Suzy.

Meanwhile, when Suzy and Jackie were on the rollercoaster, there was a phone call for Suzy’s mother…Theodore’s parents and the twins’ parents called Suzy’s mom.

Ring! Ring!

“Hello, who is it?” said Suzy’s mom.

“It’s the twins’ mom, Carol. Theodore’s mom, Elizabeth, is here in my house.”

“Weren’t you supposed to come to Suzy’s birthday?” asked Suzy’s mom.

“Suzy told our children that her birthday was cancelled.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You should ask your daughter if you really want to know.”

Beep.

“I wonder what all that was about. Maybe I should ask Suzy?” said Suzy’s mom.

As Suzy’s mom saw Suzy coming from the rollercoaster, she hollered out, “Suzy, get over here now!”

“Oh no, Suzy, this is not going to be good,” said Jackie.

Suzy walked over to her mom while she was looking down at her feet. She bit her fingernails.

Her mom said in a mad voice, “Did you tell Theodore and the twins’ mom that the party was cancelled?”

“No,” said Suzy.

Then Suzy’s mom asked Jackie, and Jackie didn’t respond until Suzy’s mom asked the question again.

“Yes,” said Jackie in a quiet voice.

Suzy’s face turned red and steam started coming out of her face, nose, and ears. Her eyes started to turn really watery.

Then, Suzy’s mom gave the phone to Suzy and yelled in a mad voice, “Apologize to Theodore and the twins now!”

“Okay,” said Suzy.

Then Jackie tried to walk away, but Suzy’s mom said, “Come over here, Jackie. You’re part of it too!”

“No, I’m not!” said Jackie.

“Then how did you know Suzy was coming up with her plan and told me yes?” Suzy’s mom said. “You have to apologize too.”

Jackie stomped her feet and put her hands on her hips and said, “No, I can’t. I didn’t do anything.”

Then Suzy’s mom said, “Yes, you did.”

Jackie still refused to apologize, so then Suzy’s mom said, “If you don’t, I’ll call your parents to pick you up now.”

Then Jackie said, “Fine,” because her parents were mean to her, and she was scared of them.

Suzy said into the phone, “I’m sorry, Theodore. And Sarah. And Molly. For telling you that my party was cancelled.”

Sarah and Molly said, “It’s okay,” but Theodore said, “It is not okay,” at the same time.

Suzy just ignored him.

After Suzy was finished with the phone, she gave it to Jackie, and Jackie said, “I’m sorry,” and gave the phone back.

Then, Suzy’s mom gave it back to Jackie and said, “You have to explain why you’re sorry.”

“Fine. I’m sorry for helping Suzy with her dumb plan!” said Jackie.

Then, Suzy’s mom took the phone back and said, “After we’re done eating the cake, we’re going straight back home!”

Jackie and Suzy didn’t respond. In Suzy’s head, she was thinking that she felt a little bad for telling Theodore and the twins that the party was cancelled. Suzy was mad at Jackie because she got her in trouble. In Jackie’s head, she felt a little bad, just for helping Suzy, and mad at Suzy because Suzy wasn’t talking to her. Jackie knew Suzy was mad because she rolled her eyes at Jackie.

While Suzy’s mom was carrying the vanilla cake to eat, she slipped on a banana peel, and it just fell out of her hands. But then, her husband came out of nowhere, and before she fell on her head, he held her. But the cake still fell on the ground.

Then, Suzy’s mom said, “I guess it’s time to go home since there’s no cake to eat.”

Suzy and Jackie were sad because there was no cake. Then Suzy and Jackie looked at each other and smiled.

“I’m so sorry,” Suzy and Jackie said simultaneously.

“Okay, let’s go home and have your birthday there,” said Suzy’s mom.

“Are the twins and Theodore coming?” asked Suzy.

“No, it’s only us, your dad, and Jackie,” replied Suzy’s mom.

“Good,” said Suzy and Jackie at the same time.

 

The End!

 

Super Mouse and the Diamond Thief

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

“Hello, this is Super Mouse talking,” said Super Mouse into an old-fashioned phone.

He was a white mouse that never took off his superman costume. He was sitting in his brown living room and calling himself on the phone because he never had anything to do.

Today was a special day because today, he could convert his weapons into cheese. This happened two days every year. Whenever he put a bullet into his weapon today, it would turn into cheese. He just remembered all of this and put his phone down. He had to find all of his weapons. He was hungry, so he took a cheese block with him to his cheese cave, which was where he hid all of his vehicles and weapons.

The walls were made of stone and painted to look like cheese. Sometimes he forgot that the walls weren’t actually cheese, and he tried to eat them, just like in a cartoon. Everything, including the vehicles, looked like cheese.

Super Mouse’s phone began to ring in the cave. He was confused. Who’s calling me? he wondered. He hadn’t gotten a call in over a month. He then remembered that he was Super Mouse, not an ordinary mouse. Someone was probably calling him because they needed help.

“Hello?”

“Quick, Super Mouse! A robber is stealing diamonds from the diamond store,” said a screaming little boy with a mouse voice.

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

So he flew to the crime. But it was foggy, so none of the cops or Super Mouse could see the robber.

He flew back to his cave and got one of his weapons that cleared away fog. So then he flew back to the city, where the robbery happened, and the fog was still there. So he cleared back the fog, and the cops took the robber away.

“Thank you so much!” the mouse who owned the diamond store said.

And he gave Super Mouse a billion dollars because diamonds were very expensive. Super Mouse took the money and just flew away.

The next day, Super Mouse spent the money, that he got from the mouse who owned the diamond store, on a billion cheese blocks! Each cheese block was just one dollar, and he loved cheese.

Super Mouse suddenly heard screaming coming out of the diamond store.

A mean rat came flying on a jet pack and took the diamonds from the diamond store again. So Super Mouse flew to the rat and talked to him instead of fighting. But the rat just shot him with a sleeping ray.

Super Mouse dodged it, slapped the sleeping ray out of the rat’s hands, shot the ray at the rat, and took the diamonds. So, the rat just fell on the stone floor of Mouseville.

Then, Super Mouse flew to the diamond store and gave the diamonds back to the mouse who owned the diamond store again! Then, the mouse who owned the diamond store gave Super Mouse two billion dollars. And Super Mouse spent the money on two billion blocks of cheese again. He felt rich and excited to eat the cheese blocks!  

But… what happened to the rat who fell on the stone floor? Find out what happens to the rat in Super Mouse Two!

 

The End… for now.

Dun. Dun. DUNNN.

 

Cutie, Harry, & Friends

There once was a chipmunk. Her name was Cutie. She was a light fawn with white and black stripes. Her feet were pink. One day she went to go have lunch with the squirrels. They were going to have lunch in an oak tree. When Cutie arrived, she found out that her friends weren’t there yet. She waited about five minutes. When her friends got there, she discovered that they had a little baby sister squirrel.

During the picnic, a black crow with a hoarse voice flew in. He sat down next to them.

“Can I have some food too?” he asked.

Everyone screamed and ran away except for Cutie and the baby squirrel, Sarah.

“Everybody ran away because they’re still afraid of the birds. After the war, land animals don’t like them. I don’t mind birds that much, and little Sarah here was born after the war. She doesn’t know anything about it,” said Cutie.

The crow had a yellow beak, and red eyes, and black wings.

“I’m always trying to get the land animals to at least talk to me, but they always run away,” he said.

“I know,” said Cutie. ”At the very mention of birds, all the land animals run away.”

“Well, I’d better be going then,” said the crow.

“No, come back to my tree, please,” said Cutie. “Or there’s a very nice one near mine that you could have if you want it. It would be nice to have someone near or in my tree.”

“You live by yourself?” the crow asked.

“No. I have some pets.”

“Well, if we’re going to be friends, we should know each other’s names. I’m Harry.”

“And I’m Cutie.”

Then, Cutie said, “Can I fly home on your back?”

“Sure,” said Harry.

So they flew back to Cutie’s tree. As they flew, Cutie pointed out the tree where Harry might want to live.

Harry said, “That looks like a very nice, roomy tree.”

“Would you like to live in it?” Cutie asked.

“Yes, especially since it’s near you, Cutie.”

“This tree is my tree,” said Cutie.

“Landing!”

Cutie showed him around her tree, and said, “If you would like to live in my tree with me, this would be your room,” and she led him into a large, empty room. “You can take your bed and stuff and put it in here. There’s a bathroom off to the side too, just like there is in mine, and I can teach you how to weave a grass blanket if you like.”

“That would be nice,” said the crow.

“So you really are going to move in?” said Cutie, feeling very excited.

“I didn’t say that,” said the crow, “but now that you mention it, I think I will.”

“Great,” said Cutie, feeling more excited by the minute.

This was heading towards the best day ever! Then she thought, What about my friends? How will they like learning that there’s a crow living in my tree? But I don’t want Harry to feel left out. But I don’t want my friends to scream when they find all his bird stuff. But he wants to live here, and I don’t want to let him down.

Meanwhile, Harry was thinking, She’s so nice, and she’s not afraid of me, too. I’ve never met a land animal since the war ended. I would love to live with her.

Then there was a knock on the door. Cutie answered it. It was a little mouse. It was white.

“Hello. My name’s Amelia, but you can call me Milly. Are you Cutie?”

“How did you know about me?” Cutie asked.

“We both aren’t afraid of the birds,” said Milly.

“I thought that I was the only land animal who wasn’t afraid of the birds. Wow.”

Then she thought, Maybe Harry, Milly, and I can change a few other animals’ minds. Then we can get a few birds and go all over. When she told this to Harry and Milly, she thought they would explode with excitement.

They both gushed, “Wow, that is a great idea!!!”

“I’m glad you like it. Still, though, if you want,” (this part was directed to Milly), “you can get a few animals to come to me. And you,” she said, turning towards Harry, “can get some birds.”

Then there was another knock on the door.

“Another animal? We’ve two already.” Cutie said.

“Another?” Harry and Milly echoed.

“Mm-hm. Another,” Cutie answered. She went to the door. “It’s a gerbil.”

“Hello. Is this where Cutie the chipmunk lives?” It spoke so quietly that Cutie had to strain to hear it.

“I’m she. How did you know about me? Wait, don’t answer that. I think I know. We both aren’t afraid of the birds?”

“Yup. My name is Dora.”

Then the tree started to shake and groan.

“What’s happening?!” Dora shouted.

“I don’t know! Maybe an earthquake?! This has never happened before!” Cutie shouted back.

The tree became a mess of shouting as the animals conversed with each other. The tree slowly started to topple over a little bit.

“Everyone get out,” shouted Cutie, “and try to push the tree back up!”

The tree slowly started to lean to the other side.

“We did it,” cheered the animals.

“Now to convince the land animals and birds to live in harmony,” Cutie said to her friends.

They cheered again and clambered onto Harry’s back. Harry took off, and they soared over Cutie’s tree.

Cutie reached into her pocket and pulled out a bunch of brightly colored lollipops.

“I always leave home with a snack,” she said, and handed them each one.

“Yum,” the animals said. “Thanks, Cutie!”

“You’re welcome,” said Cutie. “Now let’s review our plan. First, we get a few birds. Second, we split up and go all over. Third, we convince the land and air animals to live in harmony!!”

They first went to Bird Land. Harry pointed out his former tree.

 

A Few Years Later…

Cutie was making a speech to the crowd.

She was saying, “And the only way we can truly be strong is when we work together, share our amazing ideas, and combine them into one, truly amazing idea. Do you agree?”

“Yes!” the crowd roared.

Cutie and her friends had been traveling around the forest and making speeches wherever they stopped. They had been a humongous success. All of the animals had agreed.

 

The End

 

Octopus

Once there was an octopus who only had five tentacles. His name was Fin. He wanted three more tentacles, but his parents said he just had to live with having only five.

He felt embarrassed because all his other octopus friends had eight tentacles, and he even asked his parents if he could get the other three for his birthday. His parents thought he could be unique with only five. Fin did not like that idea.

His birthday was in three weeks, and he thought his best friends forgot about his birthday because he didn’t know about any party. He spent all his time in his cave because he felt embarrassed that he was missing three tentacles. He had one best friend named Bianca the Catfish, who was missing half of her tail.

But then he overheard Bianca the Catfish say, “I can’t wait for Fin to find out about his surprise party!”

It must be for Finny, Fin thought. Finny was an angelfish who had a lot of friends. I’m not having a birthday party this year, my friends haven’t planned it yet. I’m going to ask Mom and Dad about a birthday party.

“No, honey, you can’t have a birthday party this year because we’re going on vacation,” his mom and dad said.

Come on! Fin thought to himself.

“I don’t want to go on a vacation. I want a party.”

Just then, his mermaid friend, Ariel, came to his house cave.

She said, “Come to the coral reef with me.”

Fin and Ariel swam to the coral reef, and all his friends were there.

They yelled, “SURPRISE! Happy birthday!”

“Is this for me?” Finn asked.

There were seaweed and sea plants everywhere. There was all of his favorite food, like clams and slugs. There was a coral cake.

“Yes!” they all said.

“Thank you, thank you. I wasn’t expecting a party. But why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it was a surprise, and we know you like surprises!”

“I still wanted to know about it in the first place, but thank you.”

“Also, look at your present,” said Bianca the Catfish.

He opened his present. It was three foam tentacles. Finn realized that he liked the way he was before, and that he didn’t need any foam tentacles.

“Thank you! But I don’t want foam tentacles anymore. I like the way I am!”

“Me too!” they all agreed.

They all had a dance party and put lights on the tentacles and made them glow, and they all had a nice evening!

 

THE END

 

Finley’s First Day of School

It was Finley’s first day of preschool. Finley was very scared because she had never actually been to school before. She was three years old. She was feeling very scared because she was worried that everybody wouldn’t like her and they wouldn’t be her friends.

It was time to go to school, so Finley packed her apple for her snack, packed her pencil, packed Lunchables for her lunch, and packed her books. Then, she went off to school. It was very close, so she could walk alone.

When she got to school, everybody looked at her, and she said, confused, “What are you all looking at?”

Then everybody, including the teacher, said, “You, of course!”

Then, Finley thought in her head, Well, I’ll just go to my desk. She went to a desk that said her name at the top, and she learned something new! She learned that the long hand on the clock was the minute hand, and that the short hand on the clock was the hour hand.

And then, the teacher, whose name was Ms. Shelly, said, “Next week, we’re going to have a test! It’s going to be about numbers.”

Finley was very scared because she was worried. What if she got a bad grade? What if the teacher was upset at her?

Then it was time for writing.

The teacher said, “You are all going to write the scariest thing that has ever happened to you.”

Then the teacher said, “Get your pencils from your backpack.”

And everybody got their pencils from their backpacks, including Finley.

Finley tried to write the best she could, “The scariest thing that ever happened to me was when I was on the beach, and I was in the water, and then a big wave came, and then it brought me down on the wet sand in the water, and I didn’t even plug my nose. And I rolled on the beach, and I felt very tired.”

And then, when the teacher stopped at her desk to look at her paper, the teacher put a four on it, which meant that she did a great job.

And then, at the end of writing, the teacher said, “The best one that I put a four on was Finley’s!”

And Finley was so surprised and proud of herself. And then, it was time for snack. So she went to her backpack and got out her apple, and the people next to her were asking Finley questions on what she wrote for the scariest thing that happened.

Then, Finley took a bite and said, “I wrote that I was on the beach in the water, and this big wave came to me and brought me down on the sand in the water, and then I rolled on the sand without even plugging my nose.”

Everybody gasped and was like “Oh!” because they were so scared she rolled on the sand without even plugging her nose. They looked at her like that was an interesting story, and she became popular!

At recess, a girl named Mila was alone and had no one to play with, so Finley asked Mila, “Do you want to play with me?”

Finley thought it was a great idea that instead of them making friends with her, she’d make friends with them.

Mila said yes in a very quiet voice.

And then they played with blocks. They made a stage that wasn’t really one, just for accessories like people.

Then it was time to leave recess and go to the classroom, so they did.

They went straight to the rug, and Ms. Shelly said, “We’re going to sleep. We have blankets for you.”

But instead of sleeping, Mila and Finley talked to each other without Ms. Shelly noticing, because she was also sleeping!

And then, Finley said, “Did you bring your toothpaste and toothbrush?”

Mila said, “Yes.”

And Finley said, laughing, “Me too! Let’s brush our teeth in the bathroom!”

They tiptoed to their backpacks and opened their zippers slowly, so that they wouldn’t make any noise. They got out their toothbrushes and toothpaste, and then they snuck into the bathroom. Then they switched toothpastes and brushed their teeth with the toothpaste they switched. After they brushed their teeth, they went back to their beds, and then in one second, the teacher, Ms. Shelly, woke up and said, “Sleep time is over!”

Everybody woke up except Mila and Finley because they were already awake. So everybody stood up and took off their covers and blankets, and the teacher put the beds back where they belonged. Then it was time for play time, but they couldn’t go outside because, unfortunately, it just started raining.

The next day was Friday, the day before Finley’s birthday! She wanted everyone to be at her birthday, but uh-oh. She thought of something. She wanted to keep it a secret, but then nobody would come to her birthday party except Mila! Oh no!!! How am I going to invite everybody without ruining the surprise!!!

Then she had an idea. She was going to tell everybody to give her their phone numbers. So then, she packed her pencils again, she packed her apple again, and she packed her toothbrush again. And then, she was ready to go to school alone again!

At school, she told everybody in her class to give her their phone numbers, so the teacher said, “Oh, that’s a good idea for a class project! We’re each going to put our phone numbers on a piece of paper, and then we can call each other!”

So everybody did the project without even learning anything. Her classmates, including Mila, gave their papers to Finley. Finley put them in her backpack, and then it was time to go home, so Finley went home alone. She read the phone numbers and called everybody to tell them, “Come to 169th Street tomorrow at 11:00 AM.”

And then, she went to sleep… she didn’t hear her parents coming in. Her parents had all this stuff for her birthday: purple and pink streamers, blue and yellow balloons, a number four candle, and water for water balloons! The colors of the water balloons were all the colors in the rainbow. They were feeling super excited because they were so happy their own daughter would be happy! They started hanging all the decorations up in the backyard.

Then, the next day, when Finley woke up, she called everyone again and said, “Remember to come to my house on 169th Street at 11:00 AM.”

And then, she saw a little bit of streamers and water balloons in her bedroom. Her parents left that for her as a surprise! And then Finley went to the backyard, and she put up the streamers and put the water balloons in a basket, but before that, she saw everything hung up! She thought it was some sort of trick people were playing on her because she didn’t know her parents had come home for her birthday!

Then, for her surprise, her parents popped out of a bush and yelled really loudly, “Happy birthday, Finley!!!”

Finley’s mouth opened, and her cheeks turned as pink as tulips. She yelled back, “You came back!!!”

She was feeling very, very, very surprised.

Then, everybody in her class came out of the backyard door, and Mila was there too! Now, Finley’s parents were surprised because they didn’t know she had called all of these people to invite them to her birthday. They didn’t know she made so many friends on her first day of preschool!

They all said, “Happy Birthday, Finley!!!”

Lesson learned. Finley learned not to be scared to make a new friend… or twenty friends! And everybody ate cake and had a happy birthday party.

 

All the Wrong Questions

Chapter 1: The Incredible Sight

It was so big. Then it exploded. All over everyone. Everyone except me. So, technically, I was an outcast, again. Oh, hello, I’m Jake. You could kinda say I have special powers, but nobody notices when I use them, so I guess that was an upside to my plan.

It all started one day when Aunt Marge was babysitting me. I had just come home from school when she asked me if I wanted to go for a drive. It was my stupidness that made me say yes. We got in her old Jeep and drove off. The ride wasn’t comfortable. She wasn’t a good driver. Once she got on the road, she really stepped on it. We started to come to an area I didn’t recognize.

She said, “Welcome to Circus Mirandus.”

I started to get nervous. I saw the sign, and she wasn’t lying. I had heard of Circus Mirandus in stories Grandpa told me. I was always his favorite grandson ‘cause I was his only grandson. My older sister, Lise, died in World War ll. Lise was such a great sister. But anyways, Aunt Marge had parked the Jeep in a vacant parking lot, right next to Circus Mirandus. She told me to get out and stop daydreaming, as she always did. We walked inside the biggest tent and saw a pig the size of the sun.

That brings us back into the present. Suddenly, it exploded! The pig’s body split in half, and all the goop came flying out. That’s where my powers came in. Everyone got covered in the goop, except me. Aunt Marge had some old shrimp hanging off her T-shirt. Everyone looked at me, and I ran out of the tent and headed to the Jeep with Aunt Marge stumbling behind. I knew I couldn’t drive. I didn’t know what came over me. I opened the door and put my foot as hard as I could on the breaks. An angry mob, followed by Aunt Marge, was right behind me. I went as fast as I could and crashed into some trees not far from the mob. I hid behind the tree, and the mob ran past it, thinking that the car was just a decoy. I stumbled into the woods. My head was spinning, and I fell down on the ground and fainted.

 

Chapter 2: The Family of Beavers

I woke up in a lodge with a shadowed figure looming over me. I screamed. A hairy paw was put over my mouth. I screamed even more, but it turned into a muffled moan. Some sort of strange elixir was tossed into my mouth. It made me cringe.

I woke up again. There were needles all over my body. I got up and pulled all of the needles out of my body. They tried to give me something that looked like grilled worms. I didn’t want to eat it, so they stuck a needle between my eyes, and then I fainted. They put the worms in my mouth, then pulled the needle back out, and then I was back.

I asked them, “Why did you bring me into your lodge?”

“To save you,” they said.

They were furry. I hadn’t really noticed that, considering they were beavers. Their tails looked like spatulas as they slapped them against the floor. Seven children ran around the lodge, screaming. The mom tried to settle them down. The dad grunted. I thought I saw a grandma beaver. Her fur was all gray. The mom rushed over to me. I was lying in a bed made of leaves. My back ached, and I could feel my butt vibrating.

I can’t believe I’ve been rescued by beavers, I thought.

The mother came over to my bed and said, “Welcome to the lodge. I know you were chased by a mob, so we rushed out to save you. We put you in our boat and traveled down the river to our lodge. Eventually you started to move. We came over to you, but it was just the kids messing around. But when you actually did move, we tried to concoct a potion that would make you spontaneously combust, but we realized that wasn’t right. We searched all over the house to find the life potion. We found it in the the life potion bureau. So convenient!”

At this point, I started to get nervous and afraid. Talking beavers. I must have been mad!

 

Chapter 3: Three Questions

After a night’s rest, I woke up in the lodge and silently yelled at myself for thinking all this was a dream. The beavers started flocking me with questions about Aunt Marge and my powers that allowed me not to get spilled on by any substance. I know, I know, it was an extremely lame power, but it was given to me by the god, Stains the Magnificent.

The god of stains said, “JAKE, YOU ARE SPECIAL! YOU WILL HAVE THE POWER TO NOT GET ANYTHING SPILLED ON YOU!”

I was scared after that night when the god came. I didn’t eat for a week! Eventually, I tried his gift, and it worked! The beavers gawked at me like I was crazy! I bet I asked like a gazillion questions, but sadly, they allowed me three. So I said okay. It was my only way to really question them.

My first question was, of course, “Why did you save me?”

And they just said, “We saw someone worth saving.”

 

Chapter 4: Inquiry With The Beavers

I just stared at them. What did that mean, We saw someone worth saving? I was confused. My questions were running out, even though I had two more. And that was enough. But I still couldn’t figure out what made me worth saving. Then, I used my second question.

“Why was I worth saving?”

And they said, “You’re the one in the prophecy, Jake. You’ll restore the moonstone to the heart of the forest.”

“What’s the moonstone?” I said.

“Looks like you’re all out of questions after this one. But, since you asked, I can tell you,” said Granny Beaver from behind me.

“Once, long ago, the moonstone made the forest flourish. But one day, an evil man dressed in a black cloak came and stole it. He took it to his palace high above the clouds, where four evil dragons guarded it. They guard the moonstone to this day. But one day, a voice rang out from the clouds. ‘THE ONE WHO CANNOT BE SPILLED ON WILL COME AND STEAL THE MOONSTONE FROM YOUR CLUTCHES, ISAYA.’ Then the man in the cloak went into hiding and took the moonstone with him. On the eighth of September, 2017, the forest will die, and everything living inside will, too. That is why you, Jake, must go to the palace and find him.”

I want to help them, I thought, but I was too scared.

Granny said, “Even if you are scared, you must do it.”

I was scared, she could read my mind! But I wanted to help my furry friends.

So I said, “How do I get to the palace on the clouds?”

“I’m afraid you’re all out of questions, young man,” said Mother Beaver. ”But I guess we could make an exception, given that you’re going to save the forest and all.” “Thank you,” I said.

“To start,” said Grandma Beaver, “You need to go to the end of the world to find the lighthouse that reaches to the top of the world, and travel across the Bridge of Grace, and then you will reach the palace. But, there is a twist. You must answer a riddle that will open the doors to the palace. The answer is a river. Good luck.”

 

Chapter 5: The End of the World

The next day, I went to the docks and looked for port 45 ½, like Grandma Beaver told me, and waited the 17 minutes until the ferry arrived. When the ferry arrived, I got on, and the porter took my bag filled with food and supplies. I was directed to my seat and watched the ferry leave the docks, and when I looked to my left, I saw we were heading straight for a wall! The ferry started to speed up, and it went right through the wall. When we came out on the other side, we seemed to be heading down a river towards a lighthouse, the one that would take me to the top of the world. Suddenly, it looked like we had hit the rapids. The boat bounced up and down, and I flew across the room. I fell on the floor, and that was even worse! My body flew up and hit the floor. I felt like I could’ve thrown up. It felt like the end of the world.

 

Chapter 6: The Lighthouse

Eventually, the rapids stopped and night fell. I went into my bunk and fell asleep to the sound of waves. When I woke up, I saw that we were getting closer to the lighthouse! I felt the boat stop, and I rushed outside. I saw the lighthouse in all of its red and white glory. The porter handed me my bag, and I ran to the door. I handed my ticket to the person in the booth that was in front of the lighthouse. He asked me my purpose, why I was visiting the lighthouse. I told him I was meeting a friend. I lied. I couldn’t believe it. Every time I lied my cheeks turned red, so the guy at the booth became suspicious. But since I was a kid, he let me through.

I tried to rush up to the top floor, but on the 20th floor, I threw up all over the stairs. When did I have pizza? I thought. I tried to get to the top and made it, thankfully. The light flashed around the circular room. I rushed to the door and bolted it open. I saw a gate, but there was no bridge. I tried my luck. I opened the gate, took a good running start, and jumped right off the edge of the lighthouse.

I opened my eyes. I was flying! I flew over the edge of the world and saw the waterfall that took all the unfortunate boats off the cliff. My wings were a striking green. I flew above the clouds and spotted the Bridge of Grace and tried to maneuver my way over to the bridge. The maneuver was successful, but my landing wasn’t very graceful, and I crashed into the bridge. I managed to get up, and I noticed my wings were gone, and so I started my journey across the bridge.

 

Chapter 7: The Bridge of Grace

As I walked across the bridge, I felt the gentle ocean breeze, and it reminded me of the trips my family and I took to the beach every summer vacation. Lise and I would build sandcastles so big, crabs could come inside and live like kings! We would always have PB&J sandwiches and bask in sunlight, but those vacations were in easy times. After Lise’s death, we never went on any family vacations. After my long stretch of daydreaming, I realized that I was almost at the end of the bridge. I looked up and saw the dark pillars of a castle with angry gargoyles looking down at me like I had done them wrong. I knocked on the door, and it opened with a slam.

 

Chapter 8: The Castle

The doors opened, and I walked through them. There was a long corridor with a red carpet streaming through it. I started to walk down it, and I saw paintings of kings that had come before Isaya. I entered a throne room, and there was a golden throne plopped right in the center. A figure in a dark cloak sat there with his fingers together, in an almost scheming way. He stood up. His face was covered by his hood. He was a lanky sort of man, his skin was dark gray, and his eyes were a deep red. He lifted up his hood, and I saw his face. I gasped and fell down. Right smack down in the middle of his face was a scar the size of a watermelon.

He said, “Welcome, Jake Conboy. To your death! Muwahahaha! Here in this castle, you may find secret passages and death chambers, but I know why you are here. Not to be accommodated by me, but to steal my precious moonstone.”

Wow, he’s reading my mind just like the granny beaver did, I thought.

He said, “Try your best, Conboy, but you can never steal my moonstone.”

 

Chapter 9: The Dragons of the Earth

Isaya dropped through a hole in his throne. Water started to fill up the throne room. The clear liquid fell out through the gargoyles’ mouths and pooled onto the floor. I was scared. I didn’t know how to swim! I spotted a trap door in the floor, and I rushed to it. I opened it and dropped down the dark hole. When I got down, I noticed that there was a glass case with some sort of glowing orb inside it.

It looked like the moonstone! I reached out to get it, and then I heard a roar! Something moved in the corner, and a dark shadow rose, then three more. I gazed up at the dark shadows and screamed, but not just any scream. It was the loudest scream I could possibly generate. The dragons did not seem intimidated, so they roared back at me. Then, one of them spoke.

“I’m the Dragon of Water! My three siblings and I have guarded the moonstone for a million years. Now we shall destroy you because you have touched the moonstone!”

At this point, I was trembling. I grabbed the moonstone, and I ran up the ladder. They flew after me, their snake-like bodies slinking around the ladder. I ran through the corridor. The king saw me, and now all five of them were on my tail. I rushed out of the palace.

Then I heard the king shout, “Retract the drawbridge!”

Right then and there, I took the biggest risk of my life. I ran up the drawbridge and jumped right off the edge and landed on the platform that was on the other side. The drawbridge closed just before they could get there, and I could hear curses from the king. I ran across the Bridge of Grace, and came back to the lighthouse with the moonstone still in my clutches. I ran down the 30 flights of stairs, and I saw the ferry pulling out of the docks. I took another risk and jumped right onto the end of the ferry. The wind was almost knocked out of me. The moonstone rolled onto the floor and was so close to falling off the edge. I grabbed onto it just as it started to go over the edge. I looked back at the lighthouse, then I looked up. The bridge started to disappear. The forest was safe for another year.

 

Chapter 10: September 8, 2017           

The ferry got back to port 45 ½ by morning. I got off the ferry and walked towards the forest with the moonstone in my bag. I checked my watch. The date was September 8, 2017. I gasped! If I didn’t get the moonstone to the Grand Tree today, the forest would perish and everything in it too! I must have lost track of time when I was inside the palace!

I ran into the forest and hurried to the lodge where the beavers lived. I pushed the door open, and I held the moonstone to the ceiling so they could see it. But they weren’t there. Books were scattered all over the floor, the bed sheets had been ripped, and there was blood all over the walls. I ran upstairs and saw them huddling in a corner.

I asked them, “What’s going on, what happened?”

Granny Beaver said, “The dragons came. They attacked the lodge. They asked us where you were, and if we didn’t tell them, they would’ve kill us.”

“You told the dragons? They want to kill me!”

“Did you get the moonstone?” said Granny Beaver. “That’s the only thing that matters now.”

I showed it to them. They seemed to smile, even in this time of worry.

“Go to the middle of the forest,” said Granny Beaver. “There you will find the Grand Tree.”

“Okay,” I nodded.

I ran out of the lodge, took one last look, and ran into the dark forest. I started to see a glow of light in the distance. It must’ve been the Grand Tree! But, when I got closer, I saw it was four snake-like bodies around a dead-looking tree.

“No!” I screamed.

“Welcome, Jake Conboy,” said one of the dragons. “To your doom! Muwahahaha-ughughughugh. Sorry, got a little dust in my throat.”

They stood on their hind legs and blew fire out of their mouths. Then a thought struck me. If the tree is dead, how am I supposed to restore the moonstone? The tree has to be alive and well! I checked my watch. It was 10:59. I had one more hour. Then I asked a question.

“How did you get here? I thought I saw the bridge disappear.”

Then, a grainy voice said from behind, “You are asking all the wrong questions, Jake Conboy.” A hooded figure emerged. “I think we’ve met. My name is Isaya, king of the skies. I hope you like goobly-goo, because I have plenty in store for you.”

“Ah, but you have forgotten! Or, I just haven’t told you, I cannot be spilled on!”

I felt proud. I had stood up to a bully like Isaya.

“Ah, but you have forgotten, again,” said Isaya, “I am a god. Ruler of the skies. You might have heard of me in the life or death prophecy,” he cackled.

I was definitely afraid. Then I thought of something, but for it to work, I needed to ask another question.

“Why do you hate the forest?’

“Because,” he started to say, “When we were given the chance to pick who was to rule the earth, we fought over who would get it. So, we had a competition, and we rolled a dice, and whoever got the bigger number would get the Earth, and as you can see, I lost…”

He kept talking and didn’t notice me slide past his dragons, who were also listening. I gently pushed the moonstone into the hole that was in the tree’s roots, and a golden dust seeped through the tree, and it started to come to life. The sky king turned around and immediately went into a rage.

He shouted, “Idiots!” to the dragons as midnight struck. I felt triumphant for my achievement, but Isaya was still raging.

“Ahhh,” he shouted, and a blast of fire set the tree on fire! I was so scared as the flames blazed around the outside of the tree. Eventually, the flames died out, and all that was left was a smoldering shell of what was once the Grand Tree.

 

Chapter 11: The Grand Tree

I gasped. The tree was dead! I started to see the ground disintegrate around it. Isaya laughed and took to the skies, to his palace on the clouds. I ran back to the lodge, but I stopped in my tracks. I turned, ran back to the tree, grabbed the moonstone, and headed back. I opened the door to the lodge and went upstairs. The beavers were frightened by me and thought that I was a dragon. As I walked towards them, the wooden floorboards creaked, and my foot fell through the ceiling of the first floor. I pulled it up as quickly as I could, my heart racing.

I came closer to them and said, “The tree is dead. Pack your bags. We’re leaving.”

I slept there that night, and the next morning, I took them to my house. Suddenly, we heard a crash! A tree had fallen right onto the lodge! I saw a tear come out of Mommy Beaver’s eyes, so I tried to speed them up. I took them home and told them that they would stay in the tree house until I had enough guts to go back and defeat the evil sky king.

 

Chapter 12: Defiant Declarations

Three days later, I traveled back to the lighthouse, flew to the bridge, and walked across the drawbridge. I walked down the same corridor and put a decoy moonstone in the glass case. I went back and then went down the hole that the king had dropped through when he had disappeared the first time. It led to his room. Thankfully, he wasn’t there, so my plan sprung into action! I put death poison in the king’s soap and left without a trace. When the king got home, he thought he needed a nice, warm, eeeevil bath, so he poured the soap into the watery tub, and the water immediately turned black.

Hmmm, poison, he thought. He had been tricked! He went to the case and checked if the moonstone had been returned. He was surprised to see it had been returned! He thought he was back in power and took to the tree to have the power restored through his darkness!

Back at my house, I was getting ready for his return so that I could defeat the evil king.

 

Chapter 13: The Moonstone’s Triumph

The king traveled down into mortal territory, as he called it, to bloom the moonstone in the presence of the dying tree. He floated on a cloud to the middle of the forest and dropped the moonstone into the hole in the center of the tree, then watched the black dust flow throughout the dead tree.

I was getting ready to leave. I slid down my pole from the treehouse and started to run to the docks. I stopped in my tracks and looked at the forest, only to see a black glow coming from the center of the forest. I rushed toward the glow and was horrified to see the king raising the moonstone up to the clouds as the black dust came and was absorbed into the moonstone.

I rushed towards the king and slid down on the ground and tripped the king! The moonstone now had turned completely black, fell out of the king’s clutches, and was taken into the Grand Tree. The tree came back from its dead form into a black, live tree. The leaves withered away, and the bark started to peel off.

“Muwahahaha,” said the king. “I have defeated you, Jake Conboy!”

“Aha,” I said, “But what you don’t know is that was a fake moonstone all along! I have the real one right here!”

And I pulled it out of my messenger bag and lifted it up so that the lanky king could see it.

“Why, thank you, Jake,” said the king. He took the moonstone out of my clutches and lifted it up to the clouds.

“No, thank you!” I said.

I jumped up and grabbed it.

“No!! Thank you!!” said the king, and he grabbed it once again.

“Oh, for goodness sake!” said Granny Beaver, who came out of the treehouse. “I am going to end this madness once and for all!”

She slapped the sky king’s butt with her tail, and the moonstone slipped out of his hand and dropped into the dirty roots of the grand tree. The golden dust started to flow through the tree, once again bringing life to the forest around it. The tree that had fallen onto the beaver’s lodge came up and resumed its place as a sturdy elm.

The forest sprung back to life, and everything was back to normal!

“Nooo!!!” shouted the evil sky king as the positive, gold dust blasted him far, far away.

“Well, that’s the last we’ll be seeing of him,” said Granny Beaver, with a grainy voice. “Come! We must celebrate in the lodge!” she said.

After all the beavers had moved back into the lodge, they celebrated with a cup of hot cocoa. Dad Beaver banged a wooden drum as they danced in circles.

“Uggghh,” I said.

I spit out my cocoa when I found it was just water and dirt. We danced around the fire.

To this day, you can still hear the faint cries of the evil sky king if you listen very closely. His palace made of clouds is still there, and the dragons still fly around the sky, guarding the palace, and the Grand Tree guards the forest of Hobblenob every day.

 

THE END

 

Nothing But Different (Part Two)

Chapter 2

Opening my eyes, I feel fire swarming my small form. Normal. Then, a jet of magic blasts out of my hand.

“What?” I say simply.

This is my forbidden power coming out. I forgot about this. Well, at least it’s still normal. Walking outside of my small treehouse with the fire-fox that I named Flame, I go over my powers by testing each one.

“Invisibility.”

I look at a hand mirror to see that I completely disappear.

“Shapeshifting.”

I turn into a fire-fox, like Flame, then back into a human (Flame’s eyes are wide open with awe).

“Frost.”

I go over to the lake by my house and freeze the water.

“Psychics.”

I lift Flame and place her on my head (where she curls up, on top of my head, to take a nap).   

“Fire.”

I unfreeze the lake and take a drink.

“And water control.”  

I lift up the water and make it spin above my head. I frown, wondering if I should test my unforbidden power.

“Why not,” I say to myself. “But only for a second.”

Taking Flame off my head, I place her 20 feet in front of me. Then, I unleash my inner demon.

 

Chapter 3

A fire swarms around me as a white, blinding form comes out of me. This is what I call my inner demon. The first time it ever came out was a nightmare.

We were in the hut, not too far away from town, but far enough so I would have space to roam around freely, which was important to my mom and dad. As I was playing outside with a magic ball, I suddenly stopped. Before my parents could even move to see what was wrong, my eyes started to glow a bright red and my hair shot up like I just got shocked by lightning.

Fire and water chased itself around my head, opening a vortex-like element, where a black demon started to crawl slowly out of the vortex. My mom had the power to create force fields, or “bubbles,” as I used to call them. Wrapping me in a bubble, she carried me into the house while Dad (who controlled the element of fire) burned the demon. When the vortex was gone, I didn’t remember a thing. I just asked why we had gone inside and why I was in a bubble. Mom and Dad told me what had happened and told me that it was just a new power.

As I grew older, the new power happened a bit more often. Mom and Dad told me to only think good thoughts, and that bad thoughts were feeding the demon inside me. That is why I became so optimistic. I’m always scared that the demon inside me will one day come out and never go back into its weak state.

When the flashback is over, and the demon goes back inside my form, I see Flame standing up on the rock I had put her on less than five minutes ago. Now she looks tense, and she’s getting ready to pounce. Taking slow steps toward her, I whisper a calm lullaby.

She grows less tense as I stroke her soft, orange fur. I cuddle up next to her as I realize that I have school tomorrow. Looking up at the sun, I see that it’s starting to set. How long have I been out here? Well, whatever. Flying upwards, I go into my hut and start to fall asleep when the realization sets in. I am starting senior year of high school! Well, sleep comes first. Falling asleep with Flame curled up next to me, I wait for the torture to begin.

 

One Hundred Years Ago

                   

Sometimes I sit and wonder what it will be like in one hundred years

Will there be flying cars?

Will the earth be pink and yellow?

Well you could guess but it was one hundred years ago

Will giant crickets rule the earth?

Will each house be pink and yellow?

I don’t know and I will never know the story of one hundred years ago

 

Sign Language

“Why do I have to go to a Jewish school? I don’t even know any Hebrew!!!” Emma complained to her mom.

“It will be good for you,” her mom said.

Her older sister, Ruth, was listening in on the conversation.

“You’re going to need to learn Hebrew before next week. You know that we’re gonna be in Israel visiting relatives for a month,” Ruth said, seeming rather calm.

“You really expect me to learn Hebrew at my first week in a brand new school?!” Emma replied.

“Emma, Ruth!” their dad called, “It’s time for breakfast!”

Emma got up and ran to the kitchen. She sat in her chair and started to eat. Her dad had made waffles and syrup. It was delicious, but she hardly paid any attention. She was too nervous because on Monday, she would be going to a small school where she would know no one. A school with a different, unfamiliar environment. A school where she would be thought of as stupid because she didn’t know Hebrew, and it was a Jewish school.

***

Emma’s first day at her new school was a total disaster. Just kidding. All the kids were welcoming, along with the teachers, and no one, I repeat, no one, seemed to think of her as stupid. At one point, Emma forgot the name of the school, but because of how the rest of the day went, she wasn’t afraid to ask. It turned out that the name of the school was Beit Rabban. She made a few new friends. The names of her friends were Rose, Batya, and Isabelle. She even learned a few words in Hebrew. Yes is ken (כן), no is lo (לו), maybe is ooliy (אולי), and thank you is todah (תודה).

When Emma got home, she decided to watch a show. She walked over to the TV room. When she opened the door, she saw her sister watching a fashion show that she hated, so instead of watching TV, she had to do her stupid homework. Emma did her literacy and math homework easily, but when it came to Hebrew, she was stumped. She decided to just tell the teacher it was too hard. Then, she thought about Israel. What would she do?! She couldn’t spend a month with no way to talk to anyone!!

***

The day finally arrived. They were going to Israel for a whole month, and Emma still knew only a few words in Hebrew. After lunch, they went to the airport and did all of the boring things that people do in airports. Many adults call these things “important,” and “a good use of time,” but one thinks otherwise when they’re a child with no computer to play games on. The reason for this should be pretty obvious. If you don’t have your own computer, you are stuck watching all of the adults use their computers.

The plane was no better. All Emma did was sit around, eat, and sleep. Then, as soon as they got out of the airport in Israel, Emma’s life became a lot more interesting. She had heard that Israel was a little bit smaller than New Jersey, but because of all the stuff packed into it, it looked much bigger. They had rented a house in Tel Aviv (תל אביב) next to a bunch of playgrounds (which looked awesome!) While Emma’s dad and sister went to the house, Emma and her mother went to one of the playgrounds. Immediately, Emma saw a lonely looking girl sitting alone on one of the benches that circled the playground. Emma wanted to go up to her and cheer her up, but she knew that the girl wouldn’t be able to understand her, so she and her mother started towards the house to join the rest of the family.

On the way home, Emma and her mother passed a woman, who looked a little confused.

“Aypho hasifria?” she asked.

Emma’s mom pointed at a building not too far away, and the woman nodded, smiled, and said, “Todah.”

All this happened while Emma stood there completely dumbfounded.

Emma went to the playground again and again, only to find herself staring at the girl, who seemed to always be sitting on the same bench. Only once did she see someone talk to the girl. It was a woman, probably the girl’s mom. It sounded like the woman called the girl Tamar. Tamar always had that same look on her face, a look of loneliness, like she never had anyone to talk to. That was one of the main, and most important reasons, why Emma wanted to know Hebrew. If she knew Hebrew, she would be able to cheer Tamar up.

One day, the girl waved to Emma. Emma was shocked, but she tried not to show it, and just waved back. Then the next day, Emma decided to make a move. She walked up to the girl and motioned for her to come. The girl came, and they played together silently, but they constantly made hand motions to tell each other what they wanted to say.  Every day, when they were both at the playground, they would do it again and again and again. Slowly, day by day, they made up a whole language, and they called it Sign Language. A new and original name. When it was finally time for Emma to leave, instead of being happy to get home to her friends, she was sad to leave Tamar. But it didn’t matter. After all, they’d be coming back next year.

 

Lucy and Her Friends

 

3/12/11

Dear Diary,                                                                                                                     

My name is Lucy. I am twelve years old, and I live in Liverpool, England.  I love to write. I wrote seventeen chapter books and five picture books. I like to write fantasy stories. In school, I have no friends. No one likes me, I guess. Whenever they see me, they walk past me like I’m a ghost. The only friend I have is Kaitlyn. She lives in Manchester, England. I go to see her once a month. It takes my family and I one hour and ten minutes to drive there. I’m just quiet.  A lot of girls at school get detention or suspension. These girls’ names are Amelia, Ella, Ashley, Allison, Isabella, and Lily. They’re all in, like, a “gang,” I guess. They are loud, rude, and just mean! I really want to see Kaitlyn more, and I want the girls at school to be nice to me.

From,

Lucy

 

3/24/11

Dear Diary,                                                                                                                   

Today, in recess, I was sitting down and knitting, when Ella and Alison came over to me and said, “Knitting is stupid, do something else with your life!” Then they took off sixteen stitches and threw what I was knitting onto the ground.

Everyone was playing, but since Kaitlyn didn’t go to my school, I couldn’t play with anyone. The girls from the “gang” were on the slide, the boys were on the monkey bars, and I was sitting on the steps with the teacher. I thought about the time when the “gang” was telling secrets about me.

Lily stood up and said, “Stop making fun of her, she’s kinder than you think!”

So, that day, I asked Lily if she wanted to be my friend, and she said, “I guess so.”

I know that you are probably like, Why did you ask a girl from the “gang” to be be your friend? But she’s nicer than the other girls and quiet like me. Maybe she still makes fun of me though.

From,

Lucy

 

4/12/11

Dear Diary,                                                                                                                

So it turns out that Kaitlyn is moving. So that’s great. Now we live seven hours and fifteen minutes away, and I have to take a plane there! Well, on the bright side, Lily’s my friend. But the rest of the “gang” are not my friends. Today I’m going to see Kaitlyn, and my family and I are in the car now. We are going to help her pack. I am going to miss her sooo much. We grew up together.

Lily doesn’t know that I’m going to visit Kaitlyn. She doesn’t even know about her, and Kaitlyn doesn’t know about Lily. Well, I mean I don’t want Kaitlyn to leave, but I sort of want to see what happens between me and Lily. Wow, I just saw a family of European rabbits and a pool frog! Well, I better go, I’m so excited! Bye!

From,

Lucy

 

Emy’s Jazz Club

It was only the second week that Emy’s Jazz Club was open when I broke the rule. I played the piano. I had longed to use it since opening day of the restaurant, but it was prohibited by all the people working there. The only person allowed to play it was my father. When he went on break, I played a short song. It was nothing really. It had just been torture for the past two weeks. Seeing everyone play it, I felt it was mine. And I didn’t want anybody touching what I thought was mine. It just didn’t feel right. But, when my father came back from the break room, I was just midway through the song. The crowd was sinking into it.

“Rene!” he screamed and yanked my hands off of the keys.

He brought me to my room and threw a box of crackers on my bed.

“Goodnight Rene,” he said. “If we wanted you to play, we would have said so.”

And with that, he slammed the door and left me with nothing but a bed and a box of stale saltines.

***

I woke up the next morning to screams and gasps. I ran down the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me. The jazz club was somewhat empty. Not because of the people, but because of something else… the piano!

“I’m sorry,” my father said. “I forgot to lock up the club. Someone must have noticed and stolen it.”

There were more gasps and screams.

“Without the piano, we could go out of business,” another cook exclaimed.

My father gave me a glare and told me, “If you go out and find the piano, you can take over and play it when you come back.”

For the first time, I stared into his eyes.

“I’ll go,” I said like a hero. “Anything for Emy’s.”

“That’s the spirit,” Christina, the barista, said.

Pretty soon, everyone was cheering for me. I walked out of the club with a reassuring “Be back soon!” so that everyone could feel comfortable with me walking around New Orleans by myself. I took a deep breath and set out to find my piano.

I started walking towards Port Trade & Exchange. Mr. Port loved music and would give up anything in his store for something so valuable. I have known him since I was born. He opened his store the day I was born. He was 60, but, hey, who’s counting?

“Good Morning, Mr. Port. How ya doing?” I asked the man.

“Very well, Rene,” he said very casually. “What brings you here, gal?”

“Well, is there any chance that you got a piano yesterday or early this morning?” I asked hopefully.

“No, no, no. What makes you think that? But I did see two men walking with a piano at four.” He sipped his coffee. A couple of minutes passed by. “Hurry along now. Go, go. This isn’t school, this is the proud store of Port Trade & Exchange.” He hurried me out the door.

I had collected some information. The people who stole the piano did so at four o’clock. They were men, two men. I scribbled down all the information I had collected on a Post-it. I headed back to the jazz club. The door swung open.

I walked in and had a seat at the bar. Christina was making me cheese and crackers.

“How was it, honey?” she said.

I ate a cracker. “Good. I found out some information about who stole it and when they stole the piano.”

“Really?” said Cristina, wide-eyed. “Tell me.”

“Ok. Well, they were two men. They stole the piano at four.”

I explained the story to her, telling her what I heard from Mr. Port. Then the band (without the piano) started practicing. The drums and trumpet sounded empty without the piano. I saw Father standing backstage. He was probably thinking about Mom. She worked for NASA and always left early in the morning and came home late at night, if she came home at all. When she was home, she baked cookies and left us enough to last until she came back later. I watched as Father started clapping to the music. When they finished, they took a bow like there were people watching them. In total, they did a good job. They were louder than usual. They weren’t as into the music as they were when they had my dad leading with the piano.

The person playing the trumpet was named Greg, and the person playing the drums was named Stewart. Sometimes, Stewart would let me hit the cymbals after a performance, but I didn’t ask. His band had enough to deal with without me getting cracker crumbs over his new instrument. All of a sudden, I had a thought. Could Mr. Port have stolen the piano? How could he know for sure that two men stole it at four o’clock? Maybe he was hiding the piano in the back closet! That was why he rushed me out of the shop so quickly!

I ran to his shop, and as I got closer, I got stealthier. When I finally got there, I snuck through the back entrance, where the storage room was. It was the only place he could hide a piano. He lived on the second floor of the large warehouse. I walked into the storage room. Things were piled up everywhere. There were statues and rocking chairs of all different kinds. Scarves and photographs with frames were put on any spare space in the stifling room. I wobbled my way over to the back space of the room. I saw a tarp covering something in the back of the room. Could it be?! I uncovered the tarp to find… a Pac Man Arcade Machine? So Mr. Port didn’t steal the piano after all. I felt kinda guilty for suspecting my closest family member (other than Christina) of stealing my father’s most prized possession. He would never want Emy’s to close. I walked slowly back to the club. I took out my cellphone and texted my friend, Nella.

Me: Can u help me with a mystery?

Nella: Sure. Is it about ur dad’s piano?

Me: Howda u know about it?

Nella: GOTTA NEWS projected it.

Me: Ohh

Nella: Am I coming or not?!

Me: Come.

As fast as I could turn off my cell, Nella was standing at the club stoop. Her hair was blowing in the wind as if she were a supermodel. I walked up to her. She was eating a blueberry scone.

“Hey, Nella.”

“Hey, Rene,” she said, giggling.

I guess she thought it was funny that Rene rhymed with hey.

“Let’s go, Nella.” I said.

She handed me a walkie talkie.

“We should spread out. You go in the club, I’ll go to Port Trade and-”

“Already checked there,” I said, not making eye contact with her.

“Okay, then I’ll go to the Instrument Shop instead.”

“Let’s go,” I said.  

I hooked up my walkie talkie to my pants and sprinted into the restaurant. I heard talking in my walkie-talkie.

“If you find anything, moo like a cow!”

Nella can be so weird sometimes. As I walked towards the storage closet, I heard something.

“If you tell Syd, we’re in big trouble.”

Syd was my dad’s name. That was Stewart’s voice.

“Yeah. If Syd finds out that we stole his piano, we’re both dead.”

That was Greg’s voice! They stole the piano! I mooed into the walkie talkie and barged into the closet.

“Ahhh!” they screamed.

The police came and, pretty soon, both of them were put in prison. Later, we found out that they stole the piano because they thought that they were not getting attention from the crowd, so they stole the main instrument. My father later came and put his shoulder around mine.

“Nice job, Rene. You ready for tonight?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mama’s coming, and you are playing the piano for everyone.”

“Oh, I forgot.”

That night, I put on my dark green dress with lace sleeves and my white flats. They were like ballet slippers. I thought it would be best to wear my flat shoes, because if I was going to be pushing the pedals, I needed flats. My hair was in one braid all the way down my back. Soon, I found myself on the stage with my hands on the keys again. I saw my mama, and my heart raced. I also saw all of my friends, Mr. Port, Christina, and people who came to watch. It was just like the night I last played. Except, instead of my hands being yanked off the keys, the spotlights went on. Click.

 

The Scary Puppets

Once upon a time, there lived a puppet named Trump. The girl that owned Trump loved him, but she grew old, and she wanted to be queen. She took the puppet to the graveyard and buried him there.

One day, on a full moon, he came out of the grave and said, “I will get my revenge on Georgegina.”

The day after, he was looking for some kind of weapon to kill her, but someone found him, picked him up, and took him to the store. But, good thing he did not move when the man found him. He was at the store, and the guy put him for sale. Someone bought him, and he got shipped to the home of the buyer.

At night, he found a knife and went to the parents’ bedroom and woke them up and said, “Here is Trump,” and stabbed them in the face and ran away.

Then, he saw into another house, and it looked like her, Georgegina, and went to the house and stabbed her in the face. But, it wasn’t Georgegina. It just looked like her. One day later, he found a newspaper, and it said,  “Georgegina, our new queen.”

So, then he said, “She probably has an army by now, so I probably need an army too.”

He went to a library and found a wizard book. He looked in the wizard book, and it said, “If you say ‘hogen blogen,’ then all of the puppets, that had been tortured, will come to life.”

So, he went to the graveyard and said ”hogen blogen.”

They got summoned, and he said, “Yes, Georgegina will die.”

And, by the way,  Georgegina threw all the puppets in the world out because she hated puppets and buried all the puppets in the graveyard! So, he had his army, and they were different. Some had glasses, and some puppets had robotic eyes. But, then he saw a kano puppet, and he knew that the kano puppet was strong because he saw him on TV once, and he was killing everything, so he made him co-captain.

So, he said, “Kano, take 60 puppets and try to find Georgegina.”

Then, he said to the other puppets, “We are going to make a plan to kill Georgegina”.

So, they went to Georgegina’s castle, and they saw the guards and split up and tried to find the room that Georgegina was in. But, the guards were in the way. Georgegina was on the top floor.

They did not know what room she was in. The guards saw them, but the puppets had a plan. They came in from different sides, right and left, and they sliced the guards in half with their knives, and they got past. They were on the first floor, so they found an elevator and went up. They were there, and they saw Georgegina, and then all the other puppets came.

And Trump said to Georgegina,  “You son of a Bush, why would you do this? Now, you’re going to die.”

She said, “What the hell are you guys doing here? Anyways, smell my butthole, suckers.”

So, they killed her, and each of them took turns stabbing her with a knife, and now it is an old wive’s tale, and it happened on January the 13th.

 

The End

 

A Stick Figure’s Life

Hi, I’m End. I obviously have the worst spot in a book… the last page.

I mean, who likes a thumb pressing on their face all the time? It’s horrible! I JUST WANT PEACE AND QUIET!!! Prisoners are bad people, and they still get good spots. When I mean good, I mean the reader doesn’t put their thumb on your face. It’s not like I can move in the comic while a person is reading. Then, they would freak out, they would know our secret, and all that stuff. Plus, it’s really annoying when I walk through the book. I always hit my head on the speech bubbles.

This is what I look like: I have a big, round head, pretty long arms, and, I guess, short legs. My house is made out of sticks. My whole world is made out of sticks. I mean, who likes their world being plain black-and-white and sticks? Especially in the worst part of the book.

I really want to find another place.

Recently, the author of this book, Gary L. Henderson, passed away. When the reader closed the book, obviously a bunch of us cried. But me, eh, I didn’t cry a lot. The reason I didn’t cry a lot is because number one, the author put me in the worst place, and number two, I have long arms, but short feet and a big head. Most people call me “Balloon Head,” but whatever.  When I mean whatever, I really mean whatever. I totally don’t care.

When the book is closed, I walk to the very back of the book and sit there. It’s the place that fits me the most in the book. It’s plain, it has no people in it, and when no one’s reading the book, it’s peaceful and quiet.

The president of stick figures, Bob Blob, declared that we should each trace a piece of Gary L. Henderson’s toenail so they could make a really small funeral at the end of the book, where the book cover is. Obviously, that really shocked me.

I climb up the cover. I get a little tired, so I go to the bottom of the book and sleep.

I end up outside. Being outside feels weird because when I come outside, I rip out a piece of paper that will keep me alive. Now, I just have to figure out a way to go back. Well, I actually don’t want to go back. Maybe I should have just figured out a way to hide.

So I wait and wait, until a cleaning lady sucks me up into the vacuum. Inside, there are gross stuff, like hair, dust, spider legs, and flies. It’s disgusting, but it’s okay because I find a piece of paper I can walk onto. A little bigger, but not a full piece of paper. I wait days, and those days turn into weeks.

Finally on the 11th week, the cleaning lady empties the vacuum. She drops a little on the floor, but gladly, I don’t fall on the floor. I find a paper shopping bag in the garbage. I go onto the bag and climb outside the trashcan. That’s when I get worried. I figure Gary L. Henderson has six hamsters. If only I could figure out a way to be a 3D object. Wait, I know, a 3D printer.

I waited another few weeks to go to the 3D printer. I’m an inch away from the 3D printer, but gladly, there’s a bunch of paper. I try to push my paper. It doesn’t work. So, I wait one hour, and the cleaning lady opens the window. A little wind pushes me onto the paper. I walk on the paper. Now, all I have to do is figure out a way to get into that 3D printer. I sadly waste 24 hours and six minutes printing myself when I can’t go into 3D printed-self.

I wake up. What actually happens is:

When I am at the end of the book, I start a huge ink-fire, and set a bone on fire, and go around town setting pretty much everything on fire. I know it’s a crazy thing. I mean, all I have to do is set fireworks all around the town without lighting them, so in my opinion, it is a great idea. Gladly, nobody is around because they are all huddled around the grave. I should burn the toenail too, but then they would kill me, so whatever.

But, I mean, who cares. Once I burn down all the stuff, it is still sticks, and plus, this is a stick figure comic book. I mean, the book’s called Ink City. They can just rebuild the stick city, but it’ll take a long time. But, who cares. All I have to do is, before they come, grab some sticks, and make a small hut by the end of the book.

 

Two years later…

Finally, they build the Stick Figure State Building. All the sticks do what you do in life. Mostly working, playing, and chilling. Isn’t that obvious?

Well, you see, for the last two years, I’ve been at the end of the book. Readers have not read this book in a while, so I made a creepy forest at the end of the book, so no readers would see me move around. Gladly, there are no speech bubbles that hit my head when I move around. I mean,  that’s the most annoying part about comic books.

The best part, yet, is that nobody dares to come in the woods that people now call, the Stickifying Woods. So, in the end, I don’t get what I want, but at least it’s much better than I thought it would be.

 

The End

 

… Or maybe. Or it might be the end if the hamsters attack.

 

The Adventures of Bub (Book 1)

Once, there was a guy named Bub. He made pizza for a living. He loved pizza. He worked on weekends. One time, he went skiing. He was skiing a lot.

Then, one day, there was a giant snowstorm. He needed to go into his house in the resort. He ran into the resort. He couldn’t get to sleep because there was snow and ice pounding on the window like a bear. He thought, I hope nothing breaks.

Then, all the electricity for the hotel went off.  He went under his covers and stayed there for a long time, thinking, This is horrible service.

He made a little hole for air, so it smelled like his room — his room smelled pretty good.

Then, a lot of ice hit the hotel, and the wall collapsed like sand. Bub took an air mattress and a blanket, and he went to the first floor and he under the hotel’s desk.  When the storm finally stopped a few days later, there was nobody else to be seen.

There were a few dead bodies and others he didn’t see.  He was really scared. He was lucky.

He went outside, praying that there would be something useful.

“I hope there’s some way to get out of here and get back home.”

He thought of his friend Bob, who made pizza too.  He wanted to be with him, because he was his friend. Then, he tried to clear his mind because he needed to think about what to do.

Then, he remembered the parking lot. He went and found his car! His car was not working well! Then, when he was near a Ferrari store, his car stopped working! So he got the Enzo Ferrari! He paid with his credit card, and what should have been a seven hour trip was only one.

Then, he watched the Super Bowl on TV. He also invited his best friend, Bob. Then, they they watched the Super Bowl. They watched the Broncos win, there was a big celebration and they were really happy cause they were rooting for the Broncos.

Bub and Bob screamed, “Yes!!” at the same time.

They both made pizza, just as a contest to see who could make the best pizza when they are tired.

Bob almost fell asleep, and Bub smacked him across the face to wake him up. In the end, Bub won. It takes a lot to get Bob mad, but if you manage to, he loses control of himself.

When Bub won, he said, “You look really tired, but I feel more tired.”

Bob said, “Thank God you woke me up, or else my head would have been on the stove.”

Bub said, “What happened? You actually fell asleep standing up? I could never do that. And I’m a very good sleeper.”

Bub felt happy because he won the contest.

Bob was happy for this friend, and he wasn’t such a sore loser, especially since they had many contests and each of them won a lot.

They ate their mini pizzas.  Now it was time for Bob to leave, ‘cause it was late.

When they both went outside, there was a huge thunderstorm. Lightning struck, and one just missed Bob. They went for cover under a tree, but then the tree got struck and it was a flaming torch.  Bob and Bub just jumped out of the way.

Bub said, “Holy cow, that was close!”

Bob said, ‘Run towards the house!”

When they got to Bob’s house, the door was locked, but no one had keys. There was a window that was slightly open, and they crawled through it.

He was happy he survived, and his house was okay. He couldn’t say that was the luckiest he had ever gotten.

Afterwards, Bub decided to get a few lottery tickets. If you won the lottery, you would get 200 million dollars. Bub was just thinking that there was a one in a thousand chance he would get it, so why not go for it.

I have been really lucky, he thought, why don’t I test my luck in the lottery. He’d never done the lottery before, and he purchased a ticket, two for himself and two for Bob just to increase his chances. Just two more dollars for more lottery tickets wouldn’t be bad for increasing their chances for getting two hundred million dollars.

He had no idea what to do with that money.

Bob also had no idea.

Bub scratched off his first lottery ticket. And so did Bob. Then, he let Bob do the second one first, Bob got nothing. There was one ticket left. Bub was scratching off the ticket, and he was really scared and his hand was shaking. It took him a few minutes to take off the ticket. He was right to scratch off the bottom 3. He scratched off two, and there was nothing. One more thing. He was doubting he was going to win, he was still shaking and he was sweating. He scratched off the last one and held up the ticket.  

Bob and him started celebrating when it said on the corner, “Jackpot!”

They were parading around the house, and he ran to the lottery store. When he handed it over to the manger, the manager couldn’t believe his eyes.  

“Okay,” said the manager, “We’ll send it to you in the mail next week, okay?”

Bub said, “Okay.”

Next week, he was standing at the mailbox, and he was waiting for mail. Then, Bub finally got a giant package from the lottery. He knew it could only be one thing. He took it home. He was looking for something to spend it on.  

Bub found a really nice yacht called “Okto” and told Bob about it. He bought it, and he realized that it was even better than it looked in the picture. It looked great in the picture, and standing right in front of it, he felt great owning it.  

Bub went inside. It was such a nice place. As he walked up the steps, he thought, I’m so glad I bought it. He had money left over. What should I spend that on? he thought.

He took it out and set sail a few days later. It was really nice. When he came back, he was thinking of doing something else. He was thinking of sailing around the world. There was a challenge to offer five million dollars to go around the world. He did it with his yacht. He was at sea for many days, stopped in some places, and went through the Panama Canal. There were some nice views, but he got bored of seeing water all the time.

There was a TV, a swimming pool, a hot tub, and anything else you could imagine.  When he got back, he thought, I still got a lot left over.

He thought, There are so many more things I could spend this on. And on top of it all, there’s still so much left. There’s still so many things I could do.

He started looking at Youtube videos, thinking that he’dl find something. Then, he looked at his wallet. His pilot license that he won a while ago was still there. Then, he got a great idea.

I could get a private jet — then, I’d still have a lot of money left over!

He found a really, really good looking, futuristic jet, and he had enough money to buy it from a jet show. He had no idea who the owner was. He got the first one in stock. He needed to find a car that could tow it. The company didn’t have service to do it, so Bub’s private jet was thirty miles away, and his house was five miles away from that. They gave the plane a full gas tank. So he took the plane out.

The plane looked like it could be easily maneuvered and was really fast. Bub had no trouble taking off, but then, a storm approached! The clouds were black. Bub took a weird approach. He went high speed towards the storm. Then, he started getting pushed around by the wind a bit. He was landing the plane, but at dangerous speed.  Then, he shifted to the side of the runway. The wind pushed him a bit, and then, he was completely lined up. He landed, but then, he started to slip around. The ground was so slippery, that his plane wouldn’t stop. He pulled on the breaks. It slowed down, and he still headed towards the edge of the runway.  He was going towards the grass, not at such a high speed because his plane was slowing down. The ground was slowing down. When he was about to miss, he turned the plane, escaped to the side of it, and ended up making the turn off the runway.

Then, another plane was landing after him. That plane landed, and it was going straight at Bub’s plane. Without thinking, Bub put the throttle forward — not too much — it wasn’t going as fast as it was supposed to as there was so much water. The other plane landed and missed Bub’s plane by an inch. He went to his hangar.  

Then, he took a ride home by taxi. It was still pouring, and by the time he got home, the water was up to his ankles. He called Bob to come over. He came over, and together, they just watched a football game. He liked just talking while watching a football game with the rain pounding on the door.

After the football game, Bob and Bub made pizza together.  He and Bob were talking while they were making pizza.

Bub was talking about his adventures, and Bob told him about what happened while he was gone.

Bub was having a good time with his best friend, and he was glad to be home. Bob slept over at Bub’s house just because the water was really high, and he didn’t want to go home in that weather.

By morning, the rain had stopped, but they had to stay inside because there was so much water. So the next day, there were floods in a lot of places. And then, out of nowhere, the water pressure on the door made the door fall over, and water spread all over the house.

Bub was walking from the kitchen to the couch to talk with Bob.

Bub ran and jumped onto the couch with Bob. Then, the couch started to float!

After the flood, they found themselves in an abandoned building. Bub thought it was a nice building, but it needed some fixing. Then, Bub said he liked the building.

Bob said, “Why not call the Mayor to see whose this is?”

They called the Mayor (Bob had his phone,) and it ended up being nobody’s. It was really close to Bub’s house. So, since it was nobody’s, Bub and Bob were allowed to have it.  

Bub had the idea for “Bub’s hotel.” Since their names were so close, Bob agreed.  They renovated the building, which surprisingly cost a lot, but Bub could afford it.  After a lot of planning and hard work, the hotel was finally ready and established. It was the nicest hotel in the area and the only hotel in the area, but it was a nice hotel.

They earned a lot of money on the first day or two, which was pretty surprising. They had so many guests since it was a tall building. The hotel was full for a week, and Bub was really happy because he was making a lot of money from it.

Bub decided the hotel should go worldwide. They established another hotel in New York City, and that was even more successful. Bub was about the happiest man on earth at that point.  He was thinking of maybe even another hotel.

He established one in Hollywood, which took a lot of traveling, which was pretty nice.  That one got even more people, even a few celebrities.

He thought, “I thought this would be hard.”

Bub had a few problems with the hotel, like one time, when somebody brought a pig into the hotel. The pig swallowed the soap bar and ate all of the snacks in the snack bar, including the wrappers. The pig was sick, and they tried to sue the hotel. And then, Bub pointed to the sign that said, “Only dogs, cats, or regular pets allowed.” Then, the people who sued the hotel actually had to pay fines for all of that damage. Bub knew there’d be obstacles. But he was also focusing on a new hotel in Florida that would be perfect. There were always lots of people in Florida, and he would get a lot of natives there.

The hotel opened in Florida, and Bub went there a few times, just to look at the hotel, and to see how it was going before it went out in public. Finally, it opened on the first day, and it was fully booked. It was crazy. Now, Bub was opening one up in every place in Europe.  In Greece, he opened one up near the Parthenon and in Crete. In Athens, he walked on the Parthenon, and in Crete, he was on the beaches. He also drove through twisty roads in the mountains. He felt really nice, especially since he rented a black Camaro convertible.  

He passed by a town every few minutes. They were all old. Then, he went back to the airport. He found a direct flight back to Albany. He got first class tickets. He’d never flown first class before, and he liked it. It was so comfy. They had a bumpy landing, but the plane landed decently. He had a private jet, but he didn’t bring it to Europe. He didn’t think it could fly so far. He wanted to see how business was going in New York City. He took off with his private jet.

He also knew that Bob was staying in New York City for a bit. He meant mostly to bring Bob back from New York to his hometown. It was a lot of work because New York had a lot of airplanes in the air. He was circling around the airport for one hour when he finally got clearance to land. He landed perfectly. He started looking for Bob at the hotel where he found him. He asked the people at the front desk if they knew where Bob was.

“How do you know Bob?” one of the people asked.

“I am Bob’s best friend and owner of this hotel.”

“Oh, you’re the owner? Sorry, sir.”

“It’s fine,” Bub said.

He knocked on the door, and Bob answered.

“Oh, hello,” Bob said.

“Hey, I think we need to go back home. You told me you wanted to go home.”

“Okay.”

Then, he found Bob. So he took off. He did pretty well with the take off. He was always changing where he had to go because there were so many planes. He saw many cool airplanes.

They were headed home because some people were doing bad stuff in New York, and Bob didn’t feel so comfortable. They went to Awesome Town in Ohio.

They went to Bub’s house and made some pizza. Bob and Bub felt happy to be home. No crime, nobody mean, nothing bad. Then, Bub went on a flight. Then, there was a weird sound. Bub checked the controls. The left engine was failing.

He started to descend very quickly. He went from 25,000 feet to 1,000 feet in 20 seconds. Then, he realized he had to turn on the failing engine. It turned on at 100 feet, and then at 10 feet, when he was about to die, it exploded. The explosion boosted it up a bit, and the plane wasn’t in good shape, but was alive. Bub couldn’t believe, it but he didn’t know where he was. He climbed to the top of a tree and saw the airport around a mile away. So he started to walk. It was hard finding his way, but after one hour, he finally stumbled into the airport. And then, they found him right before they were about to launch a search.

Bub thought of something that he never thought of before. He could make his own plane! He got a lot of scrap metal for free and started building up. He made a perfect airplane with two engines in the back that used electricity. He tested it out, and it flew perfectly. He was having a perfect time, and on landing, he realized that the landing gear wasn’t that good. He flew right back up and asked air-traffic control to make a straight path for him. He got onto the wing and attached himself to the door that he closed. He dropped down and started fixing it. There was only a small flaw: he accidentally forgot to make the thing split in half to make an opening for the wheel. He got his pocket knife and slashed through the middle of it. He could be forgetful. After he landed, he made some adjustments with his airplane.

It took him months. He slept at home, and he had a little workshop. It was electric and supersonic. He named it the “Bubflyer II.” He took it for a test flight, and it flew perfectly the whole time. It could do some spins too. The plane was very light, so it did get pushed around by the wind. Afterall, it was considered “ultra-light.” With his new plane, he could go anywhere. When he landed at the airport, he was very happy it worked. Then, he showed Bob. Bob thought it was awesome.

After a week, when Bub was away presenting his idea to the government, Bob got mad. Why does Bub get all the money? he thought, And he names everything after himself. Then, Bob knew what to do…

He went to New York City and found Bub’s hotel easily. He secretly had a bomb. Before he had made arrangements with ISIS, so he had a big bomb. Then, he went into Bub’s hotel and exploded it. The building crumbled down, but Bob didn’t know that Bub was in it. Bub jumped out and seconds later, medics appeared. They didn’t know if Bub was alive or not. They took him to the hospital, and they found out that he was barely alive. The heart rate monitor was barely moving.

National Security wanted to see why this massacre happened. Hundreds of people died. Some survived. One survivor who was on the first floor recalled hearing Allahu Akbar. National Security found out that it was Bob, and Bob was sentenced to death.

Bub went to visit Bob in prison. He was wheeled there in a wheelchair and told Bob, “I never knew you would do this to me, old friend.”

“Sorry,” Bob said.

Then, Bob went to court and explained the whole situation about why he did it. “It was both of our money,” Bob said.

Then, Bub went to court. And he was sentenced for 100 years because the money was supposed to be both of theirs.

Then, Bub argued that he was the one who bought all of the lottery tickets, and that the one who had gotten the jackpot was him.

After that, Bob was found guilty.  

So two days after, Bob was being executed. At the moment when he was about to be executed, Bub went into the court.

“Why is he being executed,” said Bub. “I thought he was going to jail.”

And then Bub started arguing with the people who were executing Bob. In that time, Bob escaped. Bub knew that Bob was going to escape, and he had wanted that to happen.

“Okay, bye,” said Bub.

“That was easy,” the executioners said. And they went to execute Bob only to find that he wasn’t there.

On the street, Bob and Bub saw each other. They were pretty stunned.

“Hello, old friend,” said Bub.

“Hi,” said Bob.  

 

Why You Should Never Be King

                                       

Now thou shall wake up,

And thou shall wake up at the time thou is supposed to wake.

Thou shall eat thy cereal,

For thou cannot and will not run the kingdom

Without thy corn flakes.

 

Now thou shall listen to thy subjects.

Thou hates this part,

For thy subjects are insolent.

 

Now thou shall eat lunch in thy royal palace,

And thy lunch shall be a turkey egg and a small omelet,

From thy local peasants’ market.

 

Now thou shall oversee the construction of the new tower.

Thy tower is over thy budget,

And is three weeks behind thy schedule.

That is what thou shall change.

When thou shall tosseth thy foreman into thy dungeon,

For thy foreman plays miniature golf on thy job.

 

Now thou shall have dinner,

For thou is hungry after thy foreman incident.

Thy father says he should have lost his head.

Thy father is an imbecile, but he is a beloved member of thy royal council,

So his head is secure on his neck.

 

Now thou is going to sleep,

For thou is very, very tired.

And thou knows this shall happen tomorrow,

And thou will hate it all again.

 

The Break

“One hundred and ten! One hundred and eleven! What! Are you weak! Another one! Now!” screamed Nate’s so-called workout coach, Jacup. He was actually just a muscular guy who Nate paid to help him work out.

The cold sweat dripped off Nate’s face, staining his already sweat-logged orange jumpsuit, but he forced in another push-up. His body was screaming in discomfort. The yellow sand of the prison’s workout yard came up to meet him as his arms finally gave out. Rolling on his back, he looked up at the blindingly hot sun, then pushed himself to his feet.

“Pathetic,” murmured Jacup, pacing back and forth next to Nate. He let out a long sigh.

“Nate, m’boy, how do you expect to win the push-up competition if you can hardly manage 100! See Bill Cask over there.” Jacup pointed to a short-but-sturdy, extremely muscular and tattooed guy Nate had never seen before. “See him? He can do 300 easily. Even your friend Mitchell is better than you!”

Staring at Nate sadly, Jacup turned and walked away, shaking his head. “Go take a water break, son”

Nate stood there silently for a moment, then muttered “Goddamn it.”  He repeated the phrase with growing volume, “Goddamn it! Goddamn it! He can do three hundred goddamn push-ups! And what can I do! Nothing! Zip, zero, nada! Might as well be worth crap.”

Other prisoners had begun staring at him, but he didn’t care. Muttering a few well-placed curses, he gulped his entire water bottle in one sip, and slammed it back down on the bench so hard, a dent appeared.

He looked at the dent approvingly. It expressed his anger well enough. He was about to go do a set of pull-ups when the final bell rang. This symbolized that workout period was over, and that it was time to go back to your cell for bed.

Nate shared his cell with his best — and only — friend, Mitchell. They were both in for the same reason: robbery. But Nate still found himself the righteous one, which he had tried to prove in court (As you can see by his situation, that did not work.)

What had happened was Nate had seen a man being stabbed by another man. Nate had rushed over just as the man with the knife fled, leaving his knife at the scene. Nate grabbed the knife out of instinct, but set it down immediately afterwards. For several hours, he stayed next to the bleeding man. When the cops arrived, Nate was the only one who could have murdered the man, and he had even put his fingerprints on the knife. The deal was set.

Mitchell had done something like that, or so he said.

As Nate walked back to is cell, he heard shouting across the yard. He sighed. Another fight?! he thought to himself. It was the third one this week. With the Push-up Competition coming up next week there had been a lot of betting, and from that betting, more and more fights. He looked towards the commotion with little interest. He didn’t have much patience for the loud-mouthed, big-muscled, little-brained nimrods that usually got into fights.

But the moment he saw who was fighting, his whole perspective changed. Mitchell stood in a fighting stance, circling Samuel Campanelli, one of the most popular and most feared men in the prison. The two stood circling, eyes locked, looking for an open opportunity to strike. It was Mitchell who found one first.

Mitchell flung out a fist, slipping between Samuel’s guard, and getting solid impact on his ribcage. A fight-winning blow to a lesser opponent, but Samuel hardly flinched at the strike. Fear flashed in Mitchell’s eyes.

Nate dashed towards the pair, sure that no matter how hard he tried, Mitchell would lose. That would not only be painful, but after Samuel’s success, his cronies would become braver assuming that they could also beat Mitchell. This would be extremely dangerous, and it could put Mitchell at risk of being thrown in solitary, which would be bad for both of them. All of these thoughts whirled around in Nate’s head as he rushed to Mitchell’s aid.

Nate shouldered Samuel Blubb, the prison scapegoat, into the dirt as he dashed through the circular crowd that had gathered around the pair of fighters. He didn’t even have time to apologize.

I’ll do it later, he thought and continued to try to peek his head over the shoulder of Billy L. Jackson, Samuel’s main man, but Jackson kept on pushing Nate back persistently. Jackson finally turned around angrily and pushed Nate to the floor.

“Stoppit, dammit! Stoppit! Do you wanna fight Sam ‘long with Mitch, cause if yeah, I’ll grab you by yer damn, skinny neck and toss yee in there, damn bastard fool. I’ll smack yee so hard yer damned gramma‘ll feel it!” Billy muttered a few unintelligible curses before going back into his rant. “So yee wanna go in there? Issa yes er no, not maybe! C’mon Natey boy, yee damn bastard, whadda ya think, shorty?”

The two fell silent, Billy silently fuming, his phony question dangling in front of Nate like bait for a fish. Billy was asking Nate to go in there, but it wasn’t a question. Nate was going in there whether he wanted to or not. He half opened his mouth, but before any sounds could come out, Billy’s massive hands had picked up Nate by the back of his orange jumpsuit and pushed him into the circle.

“LOOK OUT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” Billy bellowed, making sure everyone in a ten-mile-radius could hear him. “A NEW FIGHTER HAS ENTERED THE RING!” he blasted, as if no one had noticed him pick-up Nate and practically throw him into the ring.

The crowd howled louder, the thought of even more people getting beaten to a bloody pulp whipping them into a bloodthirsty frenzy. People screamed Samuel’s name, booed, and chanted. It was like standing in a sound box. Too much to process. The sand rough against Nate’s hands as he lay on his knees where Billy had dropped him. Mitchell tugging on the back of his shirt, telling Nate he had to get up, that they had to fight together.

“C’mon, get up!” Mitchell was practically shouting, glancing nervously at the approaching Samuel. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Don’t go into one of your modes now! Why now?”

But Nate couldn’t hear a word Mitchell was saying. He was in his mode. The mode was… the mode. In the mode, the world is an observatory. You don’t move, you don’t hear, you just watch. Watch the world go by, like a lazy drifting river. There were many rules of the mode. Don’t talk, don’t move, don’t think, don’t blink, don’t listen. Only watch. Only watch.

As Samuel moved closer, Nate could only watch. Watch as Sam turned back his head and laughed, spitting out an insult Nate couldn’t hear. Watch him raise his foot back, and swinging it forward as if on a pivot. The solid connection of Sam’s foot on Nate’s temple. Pain lancing through Nate’s body. All Nate could do was watch. He landed back down on the ground from the force of the impact, and Nate’s vision slowly grew dark.

 

***

It was way too late when Nate opened his eyes. He still lay in the prison yard. Judging from his estimate, it was around 9:30. Not late enough for Nate to be in huge trouble, but he would be in trouble nonetheless. He dashed through the deserted halls, thankful that he didn’t run into any guard, and swung into his cell.

He checked his appearance. Nate had never been that good-looking, but never that bad-looking either. He was German, and had long dirty blonde, hair, which framed steel-gray eyes and sharp cheekbones on pale-ish skin. He was the complete opposite of Mitchell, who was Hispanic, with short, black hair and olive skin.

He sighed and leaned back onto his bed, sore and tired from the rough day he’d had. Taking off his boots and closing his eyes, he sunk into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 

***

A soft creak woke him from his sleep. He grunted, annoyed at being woken. There was another one, slightly louder this time. Suddenly, there was a crash, a shout, a bang, a curse. Nate jumped from his sleep.

“Did you hear that, Mitchell? Did you? Mitch?” Nate flicked on a light, and his heart stopped. Mitchell’s bunk stood empty, and the cell door wide open, creaking back and forth.

“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no! Mitchell.”

The name came out hardly a whisper. A ghost of a sound that could be. A word that should exist, but can’t. He backed away until his back was pressed against the wall, and even then, kept on backing up. This couldn’t be real. He was already going into his mode, he couldn’t stop it.

He sunk to his knees, tears dripping from his eyes, muttering the name “Mitchell” until it had no meaning, and was just a sound. Just another sound in the midst of the dark night. Like the sirens that were wailing, the people that were shouting, the footsteps, rushing through the halls. The endless noise. That whole night seemed a dream. Nonexistent.

And through the whole night, he wished to be deaf. To end the noise. The endless horror of noise. He stared at the open cell door, but felt no inclination to go through it. To be with Mitchell. As far as Nate knew, or cared, Mitchell was gone.

Not a person, but a name. Like Bob. Or John. Or Gary. But not a person. Never a person. Never a friend. A friend would take his friend with him. At least say goodbye. And the horrible, bloodthirsty, mad part of Nate, the part we all have but choose to hide away deep within our consciousness pushed its way into his main stream of thoughts. And within Nate’s mind, he secretly hoped Mitchell had died.

He wished that Mitchell had died while escaping. But what did Nate know. If his only friend left him, without a “goodbye,” or even a “see you on the other side,” what was left of him?

He sat there the whole night, crying, letting his emotions disappear in the form of tears till he was nothing but an empty husk, dry and emotionless.

 

***

He woke up the next morning without ever remembering going to sleep. He stared in the mirror and tried to smile, but all that came out was a strange, open-mouthed, flat expression. Nate dunked his head under the pool of water that had been building up at the bottom of the sink. He combed his hair, brushed his teeth, put on some clean clothes, and took 50 deep, slow breaths.

Nate stepped out of his cell, steeling himself for the day to come. Sure enough, he had hardly taken ten steps when a prisoner rushed up to him. Surprisingly, it was the guy from yesterday, Bill Cask.

“Hey, there’s rumors going around that someone was trying to escape last night. And guess what? They’re saying he made it!” Nate stood there, unsure how he was supposed to feel about this. Happy? Disappointed? Amazed? So he just stood there with a blank expression on his face. Clearly this was not the reaction Bill wanted, so he went on.

“Aaaaand, they’re saying the person who escaped was your cellmate!” Clearly, Bill expected him to go absolutely insane, like he was on some game show.

He did not expect for Nate to turn around, and as he was walking away and say, “Well the rumors are true. Tell everyone: Mitchell A. Warren, cellmate of Nate J. Roosevelt, has escaped from Prison No. 61.”

 

Decisions

 

After a long day of being harassed by people who wanted to know what happened the night before, Nate’s bed seemed his only saviour. The day had seemed an endless punishment of questions. Like, “How’d it happen?” Or, “Did you see it?” Once he was even asked, “Who escaped?”

It seemed fruitless to even pretend he knew what happened, so he mostly responded in a grunt or a rough “I dunno.” But the one thing that irked him the most, out of all the things that were occurring at the prison, was that they had cancelled the push-up competition, though he seemed the only one annoyed by this.

Then, one day, seven days after the escape, as he was heading across the rough gravel of the abandoned basketball court, the loudspeaker blared its static message across the prison:

WILL NATE ROOSEVELT PLEASE REPORT TO THE MAIN OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.”

The loudspeaker flicked off and left the yard unusually quiet, all eyes on him. He walked across the yard, aware that the whole prison had their eyes on him, like guns tracking a target. The moment he left the yard and walked into the prison, he could hear the entire place erupting in conversation behind him, literally talking behind his back.

He made his way through the halls of pale blue marble, covered in stains of who-knows-what. Opening the dark green door to the office, he took his seat at the polished, wood table at the center of the office just as the warden walked in.

Two guards stood by the door, which seemed normal. But other than that, the office was strange, with trinkets perched all about the room; the assorted potted plants tossed about the area and scattered on various desks, stacks of papers which seemed to appear infinitely and placed precariously close to falling off of the edge, seemed to be a degree that certified he was, in fact, a warden.

The warden eyed Nate, scrutinizing every detail about him.

“Hello, Nate. I am not here to share pleasantries with you, and I can assume you are the same,” stated the warden. With his dark eyes, straight brown hair, and square features, he was clearly not one to be messed with. He even gave a cold demeanor, as if an aura of strictness surrounded him.

“I am here to talk to you about what happened the night of June 6th, seven days ago.”

There was a long silence. Nate wanted to speak, but words wouldn’t leave his mouth. Should he tell him? Rat out his only friend? But a true friend wouldn’t have left him alone? A true friend would have taken Nate with him. But should he?

All these thoughts whirled around in his head as the horrible disease that is indecision crept through his body. He took a long, deep breath.

“You want to know what happened on the night of June 6? Fine. But honestly? I think I know less than you do.”

And with that, he told him everything he knew (which wasn’t much.)

***

Many weeks had passed without Mitchell, and soon, the everlasting hunger of loneliness started clawing at his belly. He still had two years left in his sentence, so waiting to get out to find Mitchell was no option. Though there was still the nagging voice at the back of his head, saying “Escape! Go with him! Get out of this bottomless hell-hole!”

Of course, he ignored that voice and focused on his daily routine. (Heh, heh, heh. I make myself laugh sometimes. Yeah, I lied. I lied hard.)

The voice pestered him 24/7, digging its way into his thoughts, dreams, and subconsciousness. Every day, he wanted to do it more and more. He became obsessive, anxious, jumping at the slightest of sounds. Voices pierced his dreams, screaming at him to follow Mitchell. Every night, he watched the scene, the escape, and every morning, he awoke with a cold sweat. His heart beat out of rhythm, and instead, his fingers tapped at a fast pace. He could not stop the beat, whether the tap of the foot or finger; it seemed endless. His mind could not think. All he saw was Mitchell’s face laughing at Nate, endlessly. He was officially insane.

He needed to escape. He needed to escape! He needed to escape!

But how?

The question of “But how?” is one of the biggest and most challenging questions the Earth has ever faced. We wanted to make a teleporter. But how? We wanted to build a time-travel machine. But how? We wanted to build a super awesome deathray. But how? How? If we knew the answer to the question of “But how?” the world would be a very different place. And Nate was just about to find that out.

***

Nate sat on the small, wooden chair his cell came with, leaning back on it very precariously. He had given up his tapping habit, and was now completely focused on finding a way out. As simple as it seemed, it proved exceedingly difficult. It was not that hard coming up with ideas on breaking out. It was just that every time he did, he immediately thought up a reason why it wouldn’t work.

Cursing his own pessimistic personality, he got up and walked over to his bed for an evening nap. He had never before taken naps, but he found being well rested helped him think. He glanced over at Mitchell’s bed. He had not touched it since the day of the escape, and dust sheeted the unmade blankets.

Just as Nate started to get comfortable, a sudden thought struck him like a hammer blow to the temple. Leaping to his feet, he shot across the room and began rummaging through Mitchell’s blankets.

If Mitchell escaped with a tool of some kind, he might have left it on his bed!  Nate thought, his heart racing.

But as he continued his search, his hope slowly left, leaving him dead inside. There was nothing there! Nate’s eyes began to narrowed and his teeth clenched together.

Wait! Nate thought Maybe it’s under the bed! He searched relentlessly, trying to find anything, but all he found was a stupid comb. Fury built up inside of him. He threw the comb down so hard it shot halfway across the room, but he didn’t care.

“AAARRRGGGG!” Nate shouted. Disappointment seeped into his veins. He knew it wouldn’t happen, that of course Mitchell wouldn’t have left his tool there. But it had been his only hope, and getting your hope crushed makes you mad. And Nate was no exception. Every inch of his body was on fire with with hot rage. He stared at the wall, and then and there, punched the wall. Blood spurted from his knuckles, and his anger was now seconded by pain. But this only made him angrier.

He punched the wall, both fists drilling against it, blood splattering everywhere, until it looked like murder scene. Tears fells from his eyes, and time had no meaning. He could have been there for minutes, seconds, hours, years. But he would never know. All he remembered was passing out. His limp body falling to the floor.

Then, the darkness consumed him.

 

Escape

Nate woke up, the cold stone floor pressed against his cheek. Dried blood crusted his knuckles, and dried tears crusted his eyelashes. He was too tired to even yawn. He forced himself to his feet and began stumbling over to the sink.

Suddenly, before his slow feet had time to react, he felt something slide out from beneath him. He was unceremoniously tossed forward, his forehead bashing on the sink in front of him. Landing flat on his face, he struggled to roll over.

Reaching up, he felt his forehead. A large, goose-egg-sized bump was planted smack at the center. Cold blood slid down his face from a heavy nosebleed he’d gotten. Nate let out some words even he didn’t understand. He just wanted to say something offensive to whatever god did this to him.

He cleaned himself up, then bent down and started examining the floor where he tripped. He wanted to find the thing that had made him fall and make it pay. He knew he couldn’t make an inanimate object pay, but he didn’t care.

It was probably the comb I threw away earlier! Nate cursed.

He reached under the sink and let his fingers run wild over the surface of the floor, searching for anything that might cause him to trip. His fingers ran over something unusually cold, and he grabbed it and pulled the object into a better light.

He stared at it with wonder, his eyes glowing. A polished, silver key laid in his palm, sparkling in the warm light that the small window in his cell provided. It was small with a smooth edge. There was a little, round hole located in the corner, as if it was once attached to a ring of keys.

Rolling the key around in a closed fist, he realized the ingenuity of where the key was placed. It had been located between two pipes that formed almost a box around it. It was also smartly balanced against a wall, to block off one place in which it could be seen. Nate had found it out of sheer luck.

He glanced at the barred cell door, tilting his head. Cautiously, he got to two feet, approaching the cell door the same way you might approach a wild bear. Holding the key pinched between two fingers, he slid it into the lock. He took a deep breath, and turned the key. A soft click echoed through the prison.

Excitement built up in his chest. He gave the door a soft push, and it creaked open. Nate wanted to scream, dance, and sing at the same time. He had found a way to escape! But he needed to think. If he left now, he would be caught and the key confiscated.  

He needed a plan.

***

Locking the door so he wouldn’t arouse suspicion, he walked over to his bed, then to his sink, then to the door again. He repeated the walk for over 3 hours, but couldn’t think of a strategy. It was clear that he had to do it at night, to limit the guards’ vision, but he didn’t know anything else.

At last, he decided to make a map of the prison, so he could sneak out. Nate already knew his way around the prison, but he had to know more: where the security cameras were, where the entrance and exit to air vents were, what the guards’ shifts were. He had to know the prison inside and out.

***

For weeks onward, he made it his mission to map out the prison. He used paper and a pencil that were supposed to be used for writing letters to your family. Nate laughed at their stupidity. He had no family. He was an only child, he never met his father, his mother had died at birth, his mom had gotten into a fight with his uncle so he had never met his uncle, and his grandparents had died before he was born. It was fine though. You couldn’t miss something you never had.

Soon, he had a large and detailed map of the prison. Nate unfolded the map and laid it on the miniscule desk in the corner of his cell. Hunching over it, he began to devise a plan.

On the night of December 24, six months after the escape of Mitchell A. Warren, and the day before Christmas, Nate J. Roosevelt planned to escape from Prison No. 61. Nate had chosen this day specifically, because 1) No one expected it, and 2) The guards would also be partying and getting drunk.

Picking up the key from under his bed where he hid it, Nate scanned the area. On his left, a guard stood, although he was facing the other way and leaning on the railing of the second floor stairway. The man’s head lolled to the side, and he seemed pretty relaxed.

To his right, stood nothing but a dead end.

Unlocking the cell door, he slid out of his room and silently crept toward the guard. Nate had a plan, though he wasn’t sure it would work. At the guard’s side, a gun hung loosely in a holster, not strapped down by anything. It was probably just a mistake of the guards ignorance, but it proved greatly helpful to Nate.

Standing right behind the guard, Nate realized how easy it was to sneak up on him. Then, he realized the guard was asleep! He pulled the gun from the man’s holster, then suddenly put the officer in a chokehold. Weaponless and half asleep, the guard easily submitted and fell unconscious.

Stripping the guard of his uniform, Nate put on the officer’s outfit and gave the officer a prisoner’s outfit. In the dim light, Nate looked no different than the guard he had just knocked out. Checking his badge, he was now Officer Jasper H. Parkins.

Not a bad name, Nate thought.

He reached into the outfit’s pocket and found a large ring of keys. Putting them back, he moved the body to the bottom of the stairway. He had to play this off right.

Suddenly, Nate started shouting “Dear God! What happened! There-There’s a body on the stairwell! Oh Lord!” and stuff like that. Of course, Nate knew exactly what happened. He just needed needed to make at least one guard came over.

Sure enough, Nate soon heard footsteps rushing towards him. A group of three guards came rushing over and stopped in front of the body.

“Dear God, what happened! I see now why you were screaming…” the shortest of the guards assembled said.

Trying to sound as shocked as possible, Nate responded “I was just s-standing there, doing my job, when I heard a-a thump at the bottom of th-the stairwell. I go down to investigate, and this i-is what I find,” all the while shaking his head back and forth.

“Damn.”

“I’ll go tell the warden,” one of the guards volunteered.

“Not yet!” the short guard interrupted, “We need more details! Who is this prisoner anyway?” He said crouching over Jasper’s body. “He looks kinda familiar.”

Nate, sensing danger, immediately stepped in. “That’s because this fellow is Bill Cask!” The small group assembled all turned to look at Nate, blank expressions on their faces. “Oh, you probably don’t know that that’s his name, but you’ve definitely seen him before. He’s not too smart, not too funny, not too buff, but he’s just there.”

The other guards seemed to be okay with this explanation, but the short guard wasn’t having it.

“What’s his number?” Shortie inquired.

“212!” Nate blurted out.

“Isn’t that the number of that Mitchell kid?”

An erie silence seemed to spread almost cancerously about the area, until Nate finally broke it with a nervousness-filled word of, “No.”

No one bought it.

“No, I think that that is the escapee’s number. We’ve only been hearing it for the past 10 months!” This time, it was a taller, pale-as-the-moon guard who was talking. “I would know that damn number in my sleep.”

The small group laughed uneasily, but it only grew the tension, the guards becoming more sure that something was off.

Suddenly, Nate burst out laughing.

“Oh, you idiots!” he let loose another burst of giggles. “Once Mitchell got out, they switched around the numbers. Now a random kid, Nick, I think his name is, no Nate, is number 212!”

This explanation made absolutely no sense. Shortie was the only guard who seemed to have picked up what a BS answer it was, but the other guards were already laughing along, saying it was their bad, that they should have known.

“Go to the warden and ‘report the incident’ man,” the tallest guard said, as if it was a joke they had shared before. But Nate just laughed along, even though he had no idea what was so funny about that sentence. Nate just smiled, waving over his shoulder to say goodbye.

He walked through the prison at a measured and calm pace, walked to the exit, searched through the ring of keys till he found one labeled Exit Key, fit it into the lock, opened the door, and walked out.

He kept on walking away from the prison, shocked at what had happened. He had escaped so easily. It wasn’t mission impossible. But now, he had nothing to do. What was he supposed to accomplish with his life?

The answer came to him like a wave crashing onto the beach: Find Mitchell.

Mitchell had once told Nate his address: Brooklyn, NY 4th Street 1123. After asking a slightly rushed man out getting late Christmas gifts for directions, Nate was off.

After several hours of walking through the dark streets of Brooklyn, he was there. Standing in front of the house, Nate took a deep breath.

“Mitchell.”

The word echoed across the night, shooting about the universe. And then and there, Nate knew, that somewhere, on some alien planet, a far away alien just heard the word “Mitchell.”

 

The Mysteries of the Magic Pencil

Hello, my name is Elias, and today, I will tell you about a story that changed my life.

It starts with me going to my grandparents’ house. I was standing outside their house and rang the doorbell. They opened the door, and I went in their house. First, I chatted with them. Then, I asked them if I could look in their attic. My grandpa said yes.

So I went up in their attic, and I looked in their attic. I looked everywhere I could. I looked sideways, up, down, everywhere. Then, at the back of the attic, I found a pencil. In gold writing, it said “magic pencil.”

“This is exactly what I wanted,” I said.

I had read in a book that there was a magic pencil in an attic somewhere that had special powers, so I checked in my grandparents’ attic just in case he had a magic pencil. But let us resume the story.

So I ran down to my grandparents and said, “I found a very special pencil. I know it is a magic pencil because I found out there is a magic pencil in a book, and the book’s description matches the pencil.”

My grandparents reacted like I never told the truth. They said that could not be true. Then, I took out a piece of paper, and I wrote, “Make a red rose appear.” And a red rose appeared right in front of them, lying on the table.

My grandparents said, “That is really true, wow!” They acted very surprised. Their faces looked very shocked, and their mouths were wide open.

I thought, How come my grandparents can open their mouths so wide? Because in science class, we learned old people can’t open their mouths very wide.

Then, I told them that we could become very rich, and they looked even more shocked. I wrote, “Add 100 dollars to my grandparents bank account.” I asked my grandparents what the password was to their bank account.

My grandparents asked me, “Are you sure that’s safe?”

And I said, “Yes, because I’m writing it on a piece of paper that nobody can read.”

So my grandparents gave me the password to their bank account, and I wrote it down. And then, they checked their bank account, and it said, “One hundred dollars has been added to your bank account.”

My grandparents looked the most surprised they’d ever been (which is very suprised). And then, they said, “We really could become very rich with this.”

I asked my grandparents if I could keep this pencil, and my grandparents said yes, since they were so old, they wouldn’t need it and I had a long life ahead, so I could keep it.

They also said, “You should be careful with the pencil.”

I was as happy as I’d ever been. I grabbed my pencil and said, “Sorry, grandparents. I can’t stay with you any longer.”

And they said, “Okay.” I was supposed to be with my grandparents for another hour, but they thought that was very short for me to be with them.

 

Then, I ran home as fast as I could. It took me about ten minutes; it usually takes me, like, thirty minutes. When I reached home, I was very tired, but I still told my mom, whose name is Ederick, that I had found a magic pencil. My parents had already read the book. They looked at it and inspected it and saw that it matched the description perfectly.

They said, “It really does look like the magic pencil.” They looked surprised.

And then, I wrote down, “Make one hundred dollars appear in front of me.” And one hundred dollars appeared in front of me. I told my parents that we should also be careful because the government might find out, and they would think we stole money from the bank, and we could never convince the government about the pencil. So we would have to keep it very secretive, and we would have to hide it, so no one saw the magic pencil, even our friends.

My parents said, “Yes, we do need to keep it very secretive.” The next day, I woke up, and with the magic pencil, I wrote, “Make breakfast appear.” Then, scrambled eggs with liver pate appeared right in front of me.

After that, my dad came over and said, “That magic pencil is cool.”

My dad’s name is Josh, and he is always worried about me. My dad took the magic pencil and wrote, “Make coffe apper.”

“Nothing appeared. you spelled it wrong,” I said. (My dad is a very bad speller.)

“Oh no, I spelled it wrong,” my dad said.

“Yes, you did,” I said. At school, I knew I could not tell anyone about the magic pencil. It was tempting to tell one of my best friends, but luckily, I did not tell any of my friends about the magic pencil.

When school was over, I walked home with my dad, and we argued about animal extinction and the magic pencil. (Of course.) As we were walking, I noticed many more kids were walking behind us than usual. Then, I stopped to think for a moment. l thought that if all those kids were following us, they must have wanted something. But what did they want?

Then, I said, “The magic pencil! They must have heard about it.”

I told my dad to run to our house. Once we ran to our house, I locked the door, and kids were starting to pile up around our house. I told my dad that kids from my school heard about the magic pencil.

My dad yelled, “Why did you tell them about the magic pencil?!” (My dad gets angry very easily.)

“It was not my fault,” I said.

“Fine,” my dad said.

“They just learned that I had it,” I said after a long lecture.

My dad said “Alright, I forgive you.”

Then, when they left, I wrote with the magic pencil, “Make a guardian appear to defend our house.” Then, a tiger appeared right in front of our house.

The next morning, people were standing outside our house, protesting. My parents were contemplating leaving our house because of the protesters. Luckily, the protest was only thirty minutes long, but my mom still was about to throw away the magic pencil. I could not let that happen, so I convinced my mom to not throw it away.

My mom told me, “I am putting the magic pencil away because if you have protesters outside your house, it is very stressful.”

“Fine,” I said.

Then, I woke up, and it was the weekend. I was so happy because of the magic pencil until I remembered my mom had put away the magic pencil. I always hated my mom, but this time, I hated her so much, I made a plan. I would convince my parents to leave me at home because I am a very good convincer. I could take a ladder and reach for the magic pencil, and then, I would hide the magic pencil.

So I put my plan into action. I started by convincing my mom, and it took a very long time. It went like this:

“Mom, I am in fifth grade. So can I stay at home by myself?”

Mom asked, “Why?”

“I told you, I am in fifth grade. Every kid in my class stays by themselves.”

Mom said, ”Fine. On one condition: you do not do anything silly.”

“Okay.”

When I was at home alone, I decided to kick my plan into action. I first got a ladder. Then, I walked to the closet and opened the door. I took the magic pencil, and I hid it in my lockable drawer and locked the drawer.

Then, I waited until my mom and dad came home. Once they came home, I said nothing at all.

My mom said, “How are you?”

I said ‘I am fine.” I also said, “Can I go to the bedroom?”

My mom said, “Alright.”

So I went to the bedroom, and I wrote with the magic pencil, “Make paper appear,” and paper appeared out of the air. The reason I wanted paper to appear is because I love to draw, so I also wrote, “Make the most beautiful markers appear,” and markers that were so beautiful appeared.

The next morning, I woke up and went to the dining table.

My mom said, “How are –”

I cut her off and said, “Mom, I am going to make breakfast today, alright?”

My mom said, “Alright.”

I was appalled by my mom’s response.

So I went to my bedroom to get my magic pencil, and I wrote, “Make a very good breakfast appear,” and a very good breakfast appeared right in front of me. Then, I went to the table.

My mom said, “You must be a very good cook,” but I just went to another topic.

Then, my dad switched on the TV. There was news about Nepal having a war with China.

I thought, My grandparents live in Nepal. I ran to my bedroom, and with the magic pencil, I wrote, “Stop the war between Nepal and China.”

After that, my magic pencil said, “Out of power.”

I felt very unhappy that the magic pencil only lasted for less than a month. So then, I ran to the living room where my parents were chatting and guessing whether the war would end.

But then, the newscaster said, “We have new news in — the war has stopped.”

My parents said, “That was a very quick war.”

They called my grandparents in Nepal. The conversation went like this:

Parents: ”How are you? Is the war ok?”

Grandparents: ”Yes, it disappeared like magic.”

Parents: “Ok, I will call you later.”

(By the way, my grandparents in Nepal are different from the ones in the beginning of this story)

I was happy, even though I did not have the magic pencil, because the war ended, and I was happy for my grandparents who lived in Nepal.

 

Once Upon a Time

It’s crazy that every single fairy tale begins with those four tiny words: Once Upon A Time…

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She lived in a land called Yaoi. Her name was Lin. She had three siblings: Soa, Tao-pay and Yerin.

One summer day, Yerin wandered off into the wind waters. There were rumors going around that a ghost was haunting the lake. The large, silver body of liquid was surrounded by a sakura blossom forest. Tiny, pinkish-red petals with a white inner circle fell upon the unusual water. Tao-pay had gone with the little girl, but when he came home with the moonlight covering his already pale face, Yerin was not there with him. Tao-pay claimed that a glowing iridescent spirit had pulled the defenseless girl under, and she sank below the swaying waves.                                                                                          

As Soa was the oldest, she didn’t believe poor Tao. So, after the night passed, she left the house with a shivering Tao-pay. Lin insisted that she stay home and keep watch for anything out of the ordinary. Just as Yerin had, when the jet black blanket of twilight fell, Soa returned without Tao-pay. She told the exact same story that she herself had not believed was true. But, unlike her siblings, Lin was clever. Even though she was overwhelmed with the pain of losing two of her siblings, she created a plan that she prayed would bring them back.                                                      

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Soa and Lin walked down to the wind waters. But instead of letting herself be seen, Lin hid nearby behind a sakura tree. Soa swam in the silver currents, singing and swimming innocently, acting utterly oblivious.

When the beautiful moon came, after hours of waiting, a glowing spirit shaped like a woman emerged from the lake. Soa screamed. Lin wanted to yell at her. This was not part of the plan! The spirit reached out a glowing hand to grab Soa, but Lin jumped out of her hiding place armed with… A-a-a flashlight!

With it, Lin shone the white light at her sibling’s captor, and the spirit let out a gut-wrenching scream and dissolved into tiny droplets. Suddenly, Yerin and Tao-pay surfaced near the sand. They both coughed up decent amounts of water and then launched themselves into Soa and Lin’s arms.

“You saved us!” Yerin cried.

“How did you know to use the flashlight?” Soa asked Lin.

“Because she only came out of the lake at night.” Lin replied. Then, all four of the siblings walked home, together.

                                              

Seasons

      

Summer comes with heat.

It comes with a promise for games,

It comes with playing in the sun,

Free from care, for passing grades in school’s over,

But you wonder

whose class will I be in?

What will being in 6th grade be like?

The roses and tulips fill the air with their calm scent.

You stay up later just to watch the sun fall below the trees

And when it’s over, there’s always Fall.

 

Fall comes with a cool breeze.

It comes with a wish for sweaters/

It comes with more school, and more work,

And more candy.

You have to rake the leaves and when you’re all done, you jump.

Woosh!

Leaves flutter around you, coating the sky in colors of red, yellow, and brown.

On the colder days, your mother makes you dress in scarves and mittens and hats.

On the warmer days, you simply dress in a simple sweater.

 

Winter comes with snow days and below 30 degrees.

You try to catch as many snowflakes on your tongue,

Sledding down the hill you try to hold on.

After, your gloves become soaked.

You’ve almost lost your hat in the glistening snow.

You come inside to a warm and cozy fire,

Holding a cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows, you lie down with your favorite book.

You read

And read

And read.

Then, you get more hot chocolate.

 

Spring comes with melting snow and warmer weather.

It comes in rain and rain boots.

After a while, it’s back to shorts and T-shirts

And icees flavoured with guava and Cookies & Cream,

Jumping into the pool or the lake with friends.

Summer’s nearly here and summer camp will start.

Then, summer comes.

 

Summer comes with heat.

It comes with a promise for games.

It comes with playing in the sun.

 

The Screen

    

We are superior beings

We are commendable

Yet we kill

We maim

We destroy

We are brilliant

We are creative beings

Yet why do we succumb

To a moving picture?

So why are we entranced

By dancing pixels?

By flashing lights

That make us stare

Open-mouthed pushing thoughts aside focused only on

The Screen.

Our end will come.

Be it when the sun

Flames out?

Be it when the air

Grows dark?

But a new contender

Steps into the ring

This new fighter is the brainchild

Of our superior

Commendable minds

It is death,

Not by us

But of our devices.

A robotic voice telling us

The battery is low

Our machine will die soon.

And,

Too terrible to even whisper of,

What if all of our devices told us calmly,

The battery is low

What if all our helpful aides

Went and died

And could never be revived.

What would happen then?

The final cataclysm

Would be bestowed upon us

By our own creation

By the friend

that promised its everlasting help.

The Screen.

 

Girl and Squirrel (Part I)

“Okay, okay! I’m awake!” I shout. My brother is shaking me.

“It’s time for school,” Calvin says.

I jump out of bed. “I slept that late?!”

I yank my clothes on and run downstairs, grabbing my backpack and the piece of toast that my mom holds out to me as I speed out the door 100 miles per hour.

The bus shoots fumes into my face as it pulls away from the curb. I scream, then trudge back inside.

”Mooom, I need a ride to schoool,” I call.   

“Ride your bike, honey.”  

“Do I have to?”  

“Yes. I’m about to leave for work, and I can’t drive you.”  

I hate my bike. It’s three sizes too small for me and covered in Dora the Explorer stickers from when I was five, I gripe to myself as I roll my bicycle out the door and off the curb. I hop on, but my knees are almost up to my chest.

When I finally get to school, I toss my bike into a hedge. I don’t want anyone to see it. I run as fast I can into school, hoping I’m not late. In the main hall, I check the clock on the wall, but it is already 8:30. I am 20 minutes late. I walk into the main office to get a late pass. As soon as the lady behind the desk hands me the doom-promising slip of yellow paper, I walk back out. As the damage is already done, I take my time making my way up the three flights of stairs to my classroom. Although I go as slow as a sloth, I still pant for breath outside my classroom door.

***

I’m sitting at my tan desk in the classroom. The teacher, Mrs. O’Hara, is talking, talking, and talking about math strategies. I hate math strategies. I’m staring out the window, looking at the clouds changing when something big, brown, and feathery with a wingspan bigger than Mrs. O’Hara’s afro flaps against the window.

It’s an owl! I almost say it out loud, but then realize where I am. Suddenly, the owl flies up and perches on the edge of the window where it’s open. Nobody else seems to notice it. All of the sudden, it shakes its wing and out falls an envelope. I jump up and run over to the window. The owl flies away, but I pick up the creamy white envelope off the floor.

Mrs. O’Hara calls over, “Isabella! What are you doing?” I shove the letter into my pocket.

“I… I was just picking up some garbage that I saw on the ground.”

I dig in my pocket for something, anything that can stand in as trash. Finally, in the bottom of one of my jeans pockets, I find an old piece of ABC (already been chewed) gum. It’s nearly bursting out of the wrapper, and it’s stuck to the bottom of my pocket. I yank and I yank, and then finally, it pops out. I hold it up to show Mrs. O’Hara.  She looks disgusted.  

“Alright… come throw it away. But I’ve got my eye on you.”

I hurry to the trash can. Once I’m back at my desk, I try to focus on Mrs. O’Hara and her boring math lesson until I can’t stand the suspense of the mysterious letter anymore. I slip the envelope out of my pocket and carefully rip open the seal inside my desk. I slide out the letter and unfold it. It is written in fancy cursive.

 

Dear Isabella,

Come to the largest oak in Acorn Wood  

Someone will meet you there.

You are destined to become friends

and do great things together.

The two of you are so different, yet, the same.

The Wise Owl

“Oh. My. Gosh.”  I murmur.

 

Locked Out (Part I)

The light was blinding as Athena stepped out of her small, cramped tent of a home into the sun. It was time to try again.

“Dad, let me back in. Please. Think of Mom and what she would do!”

Those were the words she repeated every single day ever since her mom died and her dad kicked her out of the house.

Athena knew it would be the same. Her dad would just slam the door in her face and walk away. She ran across the street to her friend Lily’s house. Lily’s dad would drive them to school.

“How did it go this time?” she asked.

“Same as usual,” Athena replied.

Lily was the only person who knew her story and understood Athena’s problem.

***

The afternoon light peeked out over the high-rises as Athena and Lily approached the hill where they resided.

“Wanna crash at my house?” Lily said.

“Sure. Beats having to go back home,” Athena said back.

As if I have one, she thought.

Lily’s house was always very inviting, and every time she came in, Athena felt like she was in a fancy hotel.

The next day was basically the same. Except for one thing. Her dad didn’t slam the door, he closed it gently and gave her a sad look.

Maybe he’s had the slightest change of heart, Athena thought, He just needed some time to himself.

But that idea was quickly vanquished because her dad had all the time in the world to himself. He had been alone for 2 years.

When Athena tried the next day, her dad spoke to her for the first time in a long time. His voice was dry and raspy.

“I’m not your father,” he said.

***

Athena stormed into her house and sat down.

“You owe me a very long explanation,” she said angrily.

Her “dad” started to say, “You probably won’t — fine, I’ll tell you. Your mother was a doctor. Emmeline Carenlater. She was working late one night when a call came for a patient going into cardiac arrest. Emme got into her car and started driving, but a drunk guy slammed into her car. Then — well, you know the rest. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how she died. You were only eight then.”

Silence.

“But if you’re not my dad, then who are you?” Athena said quietly.

“I’m your… your uncle.”

“You were hesitating. Tell me the truth!”

“Fine. I’m not your relative. Your mother, in her will, she entrusted me to you.”

Athena was slow to answer, “But who is my father?”

“You didn’t have one.”

The shock was too much for Athena, and she ran out the door, tears streaming down her face.

 

The Sleepover That Changed My Life

Hi, my name is Emma, and my life isn’t the same as others. You see, my mom won’t let me go to certain things without protection. So here is how one very special sleepover actually changed my life.

 

Chapter 1: My Life

Ever since I was in second grade, I’ve gotten invited to many sleepovers. This is what happened every single time I asked:

“Mom? I got invited to another sleepover. Can I go?”

“You know what our answer is. NO.”

Ugh, my parents are so overly strict. This had been happening every single time I asked. Until now: fourth grade.

 

Chapter 2: What Happens Every Single Time

“Mom! I got invited to another sleepover! Another tally mark to add to my notebook of how many sleepovers I can’t go to!” I screamed.

“I’m sorry, honey. You know that I have changed my mind, but your father doesn’t understand!”

“Alex, honey. Emma got invited to another sleepover,” my mom said to my dad while walking into their room.

“Oh great, I’m on the last page of the notebook!” I said as I drew the tally mark. I took out my diary and wrote:

Dear diary,

I got another invitation to another sleepover. I don’t understand why I never get to sleep over at my friends’ houses. Although I did have a sleepover with my cousins. But my mom, dad, and brother were there with me. I also have sleepovers at my grandparent’s house, but they don’t count at all. An actual sleepover is when you sleep over at someone else’s home by yourself without your family there with you. I just hate it when they say no! It’s like the only word that they say. No, no, no! I’m just so sick of it.

“Emma, dinner’s ready,” my mom said.

“Coming Mom,” I replied.

 

Chapter 3: Breakfast Talk

Beep, beep, beep. My alarm from my phone rang at 5:49. As I got out of my pig P.J.s and mask, my younger brother Evan came rushing in.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Emma, happy birthday to you!” he sang.

“O-M-G!”

I can’t believe that I forgot my own birthday! As soon as I got out of bed, I got dressed and called my friends. Sniff, sniff. I smelled bagel.

“Breakfast!” I screamed while heading downstairs to the dining room.

“So Emma, you are now ten years old. What would you like as your birthday present?”my mom asked as I sat down in the lumpy seat with the scent of roses in the air.

I replied, “Do you want to know what I want? I want you to stop saying no and start saying yes!”

I screamed. There was a long silence…

  

Chapter 4: Shopping

An hour later at Andy’s Shoe Shop with Jojo…

“Happy Birthday!” Jojo said.

“Thanks,” I replied, “Now let’s do what we came here to do.”  “SHOPPING!” we said at the same time.

***

“That was awesome,” Jojo said.

“I can’t believe that almost every single thing that we bought was the exact same thing,” I said.

“Today was fun. I have to get to play rehearsals. See you on Monday,” Jojo said.

“See you on Monday,” I replied as we walked our separate ways.

      

Chapter 5: The Information

When I got home, this is what happened. It was dark. The only light that was on was the light above the dining table. When I heard my brother snoring, I realized that my mom and dad had to talk to me, so I walked to the dining table and sat down.

“We have news,” my mom said.

”We talked to your aunt, and she said that you could sleep over at her place on Friday with Anna,” my dad added.

Once he finished his statement, the main lights turned on. I looked at where the light switch was located, and there was my brother standing there. He agreed to this only because he would get our room for one day.

I went upstairs to my room and sat down on my bed with my diary in my hands. I wrote….

Dear diary,

My parents actually let me have a sleepover at my cousin’s. Now that I’m hearing that word ‘cousin,’ I realize that’s family. It’s at least a step closer with my friends. What are my chances. I just hope my first sleepover will be a great sleepover.

 

Chapter 6: The Sleepover

I sat in the car with my mom, dad, and brother, going to my cousin’s home to play for a little bit. After that, my parents and brother were going to leave me alone to have an actual sleepover. Just then, I realized that I had a lot planned out and needed a lot of energy. So I decided to take a nap until we got there so I could play and stay up all night.

***

I woke up to the sound of our car coming to an abrupt stop. I was still feeling a little drowsy; I looked up and realized that we were there.

“Finally,” I said as I yawned, “Time to get this party started.”

When we got there, there was already food prepped for us. About one hour later, my parents and brother finally left.

The first thing that we did was make a lot of musicals, games, and other internet stuff. While we were playing downstairs, dinner was being prepped.

Sizzle, sizzle went the pan.

As soon as we came upstairs, diner was ready. We had delicious chicken nuggets with mac and cheese on the side.

“Yummm!” I said, “This food is super good.”

“I agree” replied Anna.

***

“Do you want to make up a dance with me?” I asked.

“Sure” she replied.

So we worked on our dance till 10:02, bedtime. Before we went to bed, we had a pillow fight.

 

Chapter 7: In The Night

“Psst, Emma,” Anna said.

“What, Anna?” I replied in a sleepy voice. Yawn.

“Let’s go downstairs and get some candy,” she whispered, “We got a bowl full of candy.”

So we tiptoed down without making a sound. We opened the dark brown cabinet and saw the bowl full of candy. Anna took a Kitkat, and I took a Reese’s peanut butter cup and ate it without leaving a piece of evidence behind. After finishing our candy, we went back to bed.

 

Chapter 8: In The Morning

“Good morning, Emma,” Anna said.

“Good morning,” I replied.

We walked to the dining table where there was breakfast already prepared for us.

“Good morning, girls,” my aunt said in a pleasing voice.

We had donuts and ice cream for breakfast.

 

Chapter 9: Pickup

During the middle of the day, my parents came to pick me up.

“Mom!!! I don’t want to go!!!” I said.

“I’ll give you twenty bucks,” my mom said.

Right away, I changed my mind.

I actually couldn’t believe that I had an actual sleepover at my cousins by myself without my parents or brother. When I got home, I wrote

Dear diary,

Last night, I had an actual sleepover at my cousins, without my mom, dad or brother! I just can not believe that the sleepover actually happened. Maybe this is the next step to friends sleepover. What are my chances?

 

Harmony’s Destiny

Chapter One: Harmony

Ugh, today is off to a bad start.

First, my BFF Wilma has been kidnapped by the evil (in my words) Jade, who is “BBF” (Booty, Butts, and Fabulousness. In her words not mine.) E.J. (Evil Jade!!!) has cursed Wilma to think that I’m the mean girl, and that she’s the one who should stand up to me to protect everyone.

So I am going to tell the headmistress. She looks like a woman with long, flowing hair that’s golden blonde, and a dress made of water and plants.

She’s really good at magic, and she’s also one of the few fairies who can breathe underwater. We have to try to see if we can breathe underwater, and I’m #1837402, but there’s only two more people in front of me. Wilma’s behind me and the thing is that we already know we can breathe underwater so I tell her.

“How do you know?” she sneers at me.  

I say, “Because before Jade cursed you, we were playing by the river. Then, you fell in. Without thinking, I jumped in after you and didn’t take a breath, and we could breathe and talk underwater!”

She’s surprised, so I tell her the truth about E.J. and she remembers me being her real friend. Poof. The spell is broken.

                      

Chapter Two: Harmony & Jade

“It’s such a wonderful day! Ouch! Who did that… Jade!”

“What? You don’t have to scream to get me here, like, that’s so rude, and like, what do you want from me, because like, you always torture me. You took away my only BFF who liked me, and you are so mean, and everyone but you is like, nice to me. Like, you’re trying to take my prince away now!!!” she sneers.

“No, I’m not, Jade! First of all, I only have a crush on Jake, and maybe I do really like him, but that’s none of your business! Second of all, he didn’t like you anyway, and third of all, I never stole Jake from you!!!”

Then, Jade stiffens.

“You scared or what?”

I’m surprised that she doesn’t react. She seems to be staring at something behind me, so I turn around to see Jake!

He is blushing, and he says, “Hey Harmony, can we talk please?”

                 

Chapter Three: Jake & Harmony

“Um, hi Jake. Sure, we can talk. What time? Or now?”

“Uhm, after school, I guess. Is that an okay time Harmony? Is it okay if we meet at the fairy fountain?”

“Yeah, sure Jake. I just have to tell my mom where I’m going. I’ll give her a tweet.”

“See ya later.”

OMR (Oh my ra) I am going to talk to Jake, but it looks like Jade is fuming. You should see her. It’s hilarious. Even my club members are snickering. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I have a group that follows me around, and the great part about that is that they used to be a part of E.J.s group. They dropped it because E.J. was like, so cruel to them.

 

After school, I go to the fairy fountain, and you know what I see? I see Jake and E.J. kissing. Yes, I am serious. Let me spell it out for you: K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

I was about to run away with tears in my eyes when Jake caught a glimpse of me and said, “This isn’t what it looks like, Harmony! I can explain!”

“No, you don’t have to explain. I can see the whole truth right here. All you have been doing is using me! I never want to see you again or talk to you again!”

                 

Chapter Four: Harmony’s Rage

I can’t believe it. Jake told me to talk to him, but what he really wanted me to see is that. He has been dreading me ever since I arrived at school. You know what, I’m going to ignore him in the halls whenever he tries to talk to me.

***

Grrrr!!! I hate everything and my whole life!!! (Except for Wilma and my group.) Jake, that no good ex-best boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, keeps on bothering me about how he’s really telling the truth, and how Jade was forcing him, and he didn’t want to k-i-s-s  E.J.

You know what I said in return?

I just wish I could be the girls in my favorite song, Black Magic by the Little Mix. I’m just gonna practice my magic for the rest of the afternoon. But first, I have to get my books.

 

Chapter Five: Jade’s Evil Plan

Mwa ha ha ha!! Finally, something unexpected happens! See here, you pile of dirty trash! I took Jake’s letter for Harmony about making out in the fairy bakery! Now I’ll go instead and spy on Jake!

(Little does Jade know she is being watched by someone named Wilma.)

                 

Chapter Six: How Harmony’s Going to Deal with this Mess

I’m just sitting here and letting everyone spoil my life, but now I’m not going to, and I’m going to make a spell to make me a person who will not be who I was before, and I think I might have found it…

           

Chapter Seven: Wilma’s Plan

“Where’s Harmony, Jake?” I say nervously with a tone of anger in my voice.  

“I…I… I don’t kn-kn-know,” Jake says, his voice sounding shaky.

“What happened to you? Also, I want to know why my best friend just ran past me saying you’re a big, fat, lying, flying toad-rat!!!”

But Jake just sits there mumbling something I can’t hear, but it kind of sounds like, “I never ever want to love anyone but Harmony. Where’s her reply?”

As I leave, I think, Didn’t I see Jade holding a letter that had the initials H.D.? Wait a second, those are Harmony’s initials. Gasp! Jade took harmony’s letter from Jake!!! It’s time for payback, slime time!

                 

Chapter Eight: Jade’s Rage

“Like, I need to change form and turn into stupid Harmony. So Jakey poo will think I am her, and then when he proposes to me (which he will in the future,) I will reveal myself. I bet he won’t even notice it was me the whole time!” I say cruelly to her magic mirror.

While I am learning how to change in my dorm, Willow, or whatever her name is, is spying on me, and I don’t even know, and what happens next is unbelievable. I open my closet to find the perfect dress to match my form, and then all of a sudden, almost permanent squishy slime comes pouring down on top of my beautiful hair.

The headmistress comes in and says, “ Why, uhm…Jade!! What are you doing in that slime? It will take forever to wash off. Your punishment is that you must clean yourself up, and since you’re already dirty, clean and plant new plants in the garden because this sort of slime is good for plants.”

When I finally see Wilma, she is slyly slipping out of my room, giggling. I will get revenge tomorrow!

“Jade, since you seem so excited, let’s have you do it until you’re done with your learning here,” said the headmistress.

 

Chapter Nine: Restoring Harmony Back To Normal (With the Headmistress)

“Harmony! Harmony! I got Jade, now you can have some time with Jake without getting interrupted!”

“Hey Wilma, who’s Jake?”

I am so shocked when I hear that!

“Harmony, don’t you remember Jake? He’s your crush!”

“Wilma, what are you talking about?”

Then, I see it. Her spell books are all open. The floor is a mess, and on the spell book table, is the forgetting spell. Almost irreversible! I have to get her to the headmistress right away!

“Headmistress! Harmony did the forgetting spell on herself!”

“Wilma I’m glad you told me as fast as you can. Please step out of my room, I will restore Harmony back to normal as fast as I can. Before this is permanent.”   

 

Chapter Ten: Harmony’s Back

“Wilma, I am so sorry!”

“Harmony, are you okay! What were you thinking!”

“I am so sorry. I just thought that if I forget some things, then life would feel better! But I just felt like a puzzle with the pieces of my picture missing.”

Then, all of a sudden, in comes a boy who has black hair with sky blue highlights and a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt that says “Jake.”

“Harmony! You’re okay! Jade is gone from our life now, and we can all live in peace and Harmony!”

“I am so glad Jake, but why were you kissing Jade at the Fountain?”

“I was under a spell she cast on me, and I couldn’t stop following her orders, like “Love me forever.” But what she didn’t know is that if the person under the spell sees their true love, then the spell will be broken.”

“Now that’s the whole truth. We don’t have to worry any more!”  

 

The Green Place

Andy woke up one morning. He saw the stars over his head. For the first time in his life, they weren’t animated. His family had been on the camp’s waiting list for exactly 12 years: his entire life. The day had finally come, and he was camping. This was the only place left on Earth with greenery. The rest of Earth, besides anything historical, was either a factory, hover lane, or skyscraper.

There was no need for water, since the great reservoir had been put on the moon in 2159. His great-grandpa had actually worked on it too. It was something he had always bragged about to his friends, but now, he was regretting that he did. Because of that reservoir, all the farms were put on Mercury so that there could be more space on Earth. There was no need for plants on Earth, with water coming to Earth from the Moon and oxygen generators which were invented in 2239. But some botany activists worked their butts off for years trying to save this old piece of land, or as it was known as a few hundred years ago: the Amazon rainforest.

Andy lived on what was known as Halley’s Comet about 200 years back, but now it was a huge city, or one huge, glass building surrounding the comet completely. His house was newly connected to Earth by the flexible spaceway from the comet. His dad took the hover car to work every day. He was always really busy, especially now with his new invention of teleportation. This was known as teleX and was now in beta testing.

But Andy was here now, and he had two more nights left here at this camp, which didn’t even have a name. Well, it did, but the makers wanted it to be be as peaceful as possible, and they thought a name would hurt that in some way. Andy did not understand any of that. But really, he did not care. However, from the second he got there, he just called it “The Green Place.” A spinoff of the oldest ever recorded history of what historians called television. Anyway, the show was called “The Good Place” and he loved it. All 17 seasons.

Andy was depressed because he was going to go back to the comet early. Something had gone wrong with beta testing on teleX. They had to cut their trip short by one day. Something had gone wrong with the dark matter core on the planet x-38stv, a deserted planet where if the core exploded, there would not be that many problems. It had a direct tap of hot water from the moon’s reservoir to star in x-38stv’s solar system. This was because if the dark matter exploded, it would freeze the star, as his dad had told him as a joke, “That might not be that good.” But Andy had a feeling that he might not be kidding.

Later, he asked his science teacher about it, and she said that it could possibly cause a black hole only 1,934 million miles away from humans’ only intelligent life form connection. That could suck a planet into a black hole. This planet was inhabited by the alien species Qatari from the planet Quart. There were thousands of discovered life forms, but the most intelligent one resembled the Earth’s ape species and had shelter in trees. The Qatari had a highly advanced society, but was on shaky terms with Earth and were highly superior in technology. If the star froze and the Quart was destroyed, it could spark a war with the remaining colonies of the Qatari.

Andy had tried to talk his dad out of this invention, and even got his older sister Steff, short for Steffany, on board. Steff almost always disagreed with Andy. But his father assured both of them that there was nothing to worry about. However, his eye twitched, and Andy knew that his father’s eye twitched whenever he was lying.

Andy knew he had to get some information, and he had to act fast. The next day was a weekend, but his dad still had to work. Andy hid in the trunk of his dad’s hover car and flew down the spaceway to Earth. At Interstellar Labs, there were two soldiers guarding the entrance to the garage. They were going to check the car. He heard footsteps slowly advancing closer… and closer… and closer.

His dad was very high ranking at the company, so he had just gotten out when the guard opened the trunk. But they found nothing. He slammed the door of the trunk. The valet worker drove the car to the garage, parked it, and stepped out and walk away. As soon as he heard the worker leave, Andy crashed to the bottom of the trunk with a loud thump. He had managed  to cling to the top of the trunk and hold the position for five minutes. He lay down and dozed off for a short nap. He woke up in the trunk at 2:54. His holo watch informed him that he had been asleep for almost five hours.

Andy hopped out of the car and crawled out of the garage. He ran into the elevator and went to the 284th floor. This was in the middle of the lab building. He ran into his dad’s lab, hid in a closet, and looked through a crack in the door. It was 17 minutes before his dad came back with two astronomers in bright white coats and three military escorts with what looked like the chief of the Earth’s military behind them. Andy took out his new recorder download he got from his dad for his birthday. How ironic, he thought, with a smug look on his face. He then pressed the button and started recording.

The two astronomers were telling, fact after fact, about the location of the possible black hole and how in 1.263 seconds the planet Quart would be sucked into it. They also said that there was a 89.35% chance of teleX freezing the star, which the General heard and grinned at. After all the information had been spoken, his father simplified it and told it to the General. The General nodded and asked how quickly could they get teleX operational. He said they had new intel that the Quart we’re planning on attacking Earth in 17 days, and the Earth’s military, he said, would lose that battle.

Then, the General asked if they could plant an explosive in teleX to make a 100% chance that the star would freeze. One astronomer said that would be impossible. An explosion would cause the star to overheat and explode, creating larger damage, but in a smaller radius that would not affect Quart at all. The general nodded and said to start operation IAA in 15 days and come up with a plan B if it failed. With that, he stormed out with two of the three guards, leaving one to secure the area. His father then yelled over the loudspeaker that there were 12 hours till launch.

Suddenly, the guard pulled open the door and grabbed Andy by the shirt.

“Andy!” his father yelled.

His father was up against the glass opening in the door.

His father yelled, “You are not going to tell anybody. Do you understand?”

“Of course I am!” Andy angrily yelled back.

“You are not leaving this room until you realize what you’re doing,” he yelled and the lock clicked shut.

He stormed off and a guard walked in to take his place.

 

There were four minutes left until TeleX was turned on. After that, the army would release them to tell the public what had happened. But they were not there to say the truth. Instead, they were to lie to the world, say that they had no idea of the possible outcome of teleX, and that they would like to deeply apologize to the Quarti and blah, blah, blah. The speech was already written, and his father was probably memorizing it.

Andy suddenly hated his dad. He did not care about any of the good his dad had done. Rage slowly filled his body, engulfing him in a fire fueled by the hate for his father. It had been hours since that door was opened, and he was shoved inside. He knew he had to escape, and he set his mind to it.

He quickly assessed his surroundings. There was an air vent on the ceiling and a table in the corner. That was it. A plan had started to form in his mind. Inch by inch, he quietly moved the table to the spot right below the air vent. He then climbed on the table and took his lightweight, metal wallet out of his pocket. He got it for last Christmas. He threw it as hard as he could at the grate, and eventually, the grate fell into his arms. He hopped up and climbed through the grate system. Then, after what felt like hours of climbing downwards, the ground suddenly fell out under him. He fell out. He was falling for what felt like eternity, but he actually hit the ground in less than just two seconds. The grate exit was on the first floor.

He got up and could feel the deaths of millions of innocent Qarti; it shook him to his core. He knew that the best thing he could do to avenge them was to let the truth be told to the world. With that, he ran with his head held high to the news building.

As he reached to the news building, a reporter had his holoscreen on and was typing while walking home. He ran up to him and caught a glimpse of what the reporter was typing. The reporter had almost nothing written down, but the title was standing out to all willing to read it.

“Planet Destroyed,” it read.

This reporter was desperate for information. Andy could see it on his face.

Andy said, “I know what happened to planet Quart.” The reporter’s ears perked up. And with that, Andy told his story.

 

Three Long Reasons Why Sahara Should Have a Puppy

Sahara should have a puppy. Deal with it. There are many reasons a dog will be good for her. Dogs are fun, but that’s not the only reason she wants one. Dogs teach maturity and devotion. And your daughter, Sahara, really, really wants one. Sahara deserves a dog because dogs are good for kids. She has a plan to help pay for the dog, and a dog will help her be responsible.

Dogs are awesome because they are good for kids. It is a scientific fact that when you touch a dog, a chemical comes and makes you happy. If you want Sahara to jog, she has to jog with a dog. It’s common rhyming. She will be outside all the time. She will take it to the park every day after school. Sahara will do more swimming with a dog. And she’ll ride her bike with her dog in her mom’s basket. You will not have to do any work because Sahara knows that it is her responsibility. Sahara promises to pay the dog sitter if she is going on vacation. Or if she is going to Virginia or Philadelphia, etc., she will pay to take it with her. She will care for it until it dies.

Even though dogs are expensive, Sahara has a plan to get money. Okay, yes, she knows that puppies are not necessarily cheap. Don’t worry. She has a plan. She already has Xavier paying $20. She has been saving her money for about a month now, so that is about $10. Her mom owes her $30. She is trading her $20 Target gift card with her mom for $20 in cash or on her card. Altogether, that’s $80, and she is trying to raise $20 before her Christmas deadline.

Uncle Carl will give Sahara tips on managing the dog, since he has done so successfully for five years, and he will donate $50 for the upkeep/maintenance of the dog. So now, that is $130, not including the $20 she wants to earn. As you can see, Sahara has a plan for paying for the puppy.

There are daily things she will have to do, and that will help her be more responsible. As soon as she gets home with the puppy, it is going to have a look around, and then she is going to teach it to sit. Over the next few weeks, she is going to potty train it and teach it to come when called. She is also going to have it learn how to walk properly on a leash. She will teach it that when it is alone, it should just play in its playpen and not break anything. Sahara would have to walk Bella/Blue — the name will be Bella if it’s a girl, and Blue if it’s a boy — the maltipoo every day. She would have to feed Bella/Blue every day. She would brush Bella’s/Blue’s teeth every day. And every week, she would have to wash him/her. It would help her do her chores daily. She will have to take care of a dog, and when she’s older, it will help her take care of her children.  

So now you know a few things. One: Sahara has plans for a puppy. Two: a puppy teaches responsibility. And there are many daily jobs to do and lots of things for her to clean. But she will do them everyday.

Bonus:

The reason chores are not always done every day is because they aren’t living things that would make any noise or move on their own. But she also has a plan for that. She is going to make a sign that says, “Do your chores!” and put it somewhere that she will see it every day.

 

The Chronicles of Lincoln Middle School

Penny, September 9th

Beep! Beep! Beep! I rolled over and threw my pillow under my bed at the alarm clock. As usual, I missed. Groaning, I got up and crawled under my bed where I kept my alarm clock. I felt around in the dark trying to find it. I found more than few long-lost library books and then my shrieking alarm. I whacked it.

Then, I stood up and started for the door, bumping my head and getting a giant bruise in the process. My tangled, brown hair was covered with dust bunnies. I went down the stairs walking almost zombie-like. I sat at the still brand new table and started on the bowl of Cheerios.

“So!” my mom said while spreading jelly on her eggs (She’s a horrible multi tasker.) “Are you excited for your first day at Lincoln?”

I shrugged. In August, my family had moved to this small town in Pennsylvania. Today was the first day of my new middle school.

After breakfast, I grabbed my stuffed (and really heavy) backpack and ran out the door. The bus was just leaving. I ran after it, waving my arms up and down. The driver looked at his mirror and suddenly stopped the bus with a screech. The doors opened, and I stumbled inside.

As I walked towards the back of the bus, I noticed a pair of striking blue eyes staring at me. I put my head down and walked to the nearest empty seat. I sat down and opened my book.

“Hi!” said a perky voice.

I jumped. Next to me was a girl with short, red hair and green eyes.

She looks like a talking Christmas card! I thought.

“My name’s Lila! It’s really nice to meet you. Are you nervous? I’m not. If I was nervous, I would be talking fast. Oh no! I’m talking fast, aren’t I?” She paused. “Hi! My name is Lila! It’s really nice to meet you. Are you–”

“I actually am sort of nervous. My name is Penny. I’m new here,” I interrupted.

“Oh cool! What grade are you in?”

“Sixth.”

“I am too!”

Nice! I thought. Maybe this school won’t be so bad after all!

***

I had managed to find my way through the crowded hallways and found a seat next to my new friend Lila. We were in the same homeroom! (Room 305)

“Okay, class! My name is Ms. Hicks. Today we will be reviewing some four-digit long division.”

The class groaned.

“But first, we have a surprise for you!”

Everyone exchanged glances. What was the surprise?

“We are going to have ballroom dancing lessons!” Ms. Hicks said.

This was followed by more groans.

“Allow me to introduce you to Miss Willow, your ballroom dancing teacher.”

Miss Willow? I thought. Ballroom dancing? What century is this?

A woman wearing a bright yellow skirt that blended into the classroom walls and a cherry-colored shirt walked into the room.

“Okay, everyone,” Miss Willow said. “Let’s move these desks.”  

Once the screeching had ended, Miss Willow began to speak.

“Today, we will learn the first few steps of the merengue,” Miss. Willow said. “But before that, I am wondering if anyone has any questions.”

“I do!” The same pair of blue eyes glanced at me. “Uhm, I was–I was wondering if we would have uh, uhm, partners.”

Some girls started to giggle. Miss Willow raised her hands for quiet.

She looked at a piece of paper in her hand.

“Yes, Timothy.” So that’s his name! I thought. “We will have partners but they will not be permanent. We will choose your real partners later. Any more questions? No? Okay. Let’s get started!”

After everyone stopped giggling and screaming whenever they were told to dance with someone, the class actually went pretty well! Miss Willow was a kind and silly teacher. (The best kind!) In the class, she made sort of half-jokes to help us learn.

Once, when she was teaching us the positions, she said, ”Never touch the lady’s hips. Her father will come and get you!”

Of course, that set the gigglers off again. A lot of partners made faces at each other. Lila stuck her tongue out at me. I waved.

My partner, Timothy didn’t do any of these things. He just smiled and chuckled instead. I tried to say something cool or interesting. In fact, I wished that I could have just said anything! Even just a “Hi!” would have been nice. But no. My throat was so dry that my “Hi!” turned into a coughing fit. Great first impression, Penny, great.

***

After the class, I went to English. There was no teacher in sight. On the whiteboard in big, bold letters were the words: “Read independently. I will back soon. – Mrs. Brown”

I happily plopped down in a chair. I looked around. Lila wasn’t in the class. Timothy was. I saw him and moved over a desk so he could sit next to me. He saw and sat down in it. He smiled at me. He had very white teeth. I giggled. He heard and smiled again. I blushed, then stuffed my nose into my book.  

We sixth graders have the earliest lunch in the school. It’s third period. In fifth grade, I had a sixth period lunch. Weird, right? Today, we had an even earlier lunch because at third period, an electrician was coming to fix the lights in the cafeteria. Anyway, I had just ran from English class to here. (The situation with Timothy had gotten worse.)

“Hey Penny!” called Lila, “Over here!”

I plopped down in the seat that Lila had saved me.

“What happened to you? Your face is as red as my hair!”

Chocolate milk spurted out of my mouth.

“Oh, uhm. Nothing,” I laughed nervously.

“What do you mean nothing? You can tell me. Come on.”

“Well, I–”

Luckily, my sentence was interrupted by–well, guess who?

“Hi, Penny! I, uhm, I was wondering if you wanted to come to my party on Sunday,” Timothy said.

I felt my face go red.

“Uhm, okay, uh, sure!”

I took his invitation with shaking hands and stuffed it into my pocket. He smiled, then went back to his table of loud boys. I turned around to Lila making kissing noises.

“Hey!” I said.

“What?” Lila said, “You can’t deny it.”

 

Penny, September 15th

I looked at the blue dress, then the red one. Then the blue one, then the red one. I had just woken up  and was trying on different outfits to wear to Timothy’s party. (It’s today!) I sighed then reread my invitation.

Come to My 12th Birthday Party!

Where: 233 Oak Street

When: 8:00 to 10:00

Activities: Dancing! Games! Fun Stuff!

-Timothy

Even though I was super excited to go to the party, I needed major help. Then, I remembered. Lila had given me her phone number! I picked up the phone and dialed the number. Ugh. Voicemail. I tried again. Nothing.

That was strange. I thought. Lila always answers my calls. Maybe she was abducted by aliens! Or was attacked by a creature with seven legs! Or–

Then, I remembered that she was on a plane to California to visit her Uncle Joe. Oops! It was going to be a long morning.

***

Once I had decided on a dress (the blue one) and brushed and curled my hair and ate breakfast and brushed my teeth about five times and ate about a thousand breath mints that smelled like cherry soda,  I was ready to go. I bought a present for Timothy, then climbed into the car with my dad.

“So Penny!” my dad said. “Is this Timothy a friend of yours or maybe a boy–”

“Dad! Shut up! I–”

“Hi, Penny!” Timothy was outside the car window waving at me.

“Bye Dad!”

I ran out of the car and followed Timothy into his house.

***

Timothy’s house had velvet chairs and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It did not seem like a place where loud music and flashing lights would be, but there they were. I joined in the the dancing. Timothy came over.

“Uh, hey Penny,” Timothy said.

“Hi,” I said.

“Uhm, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Uh, no–nothing. Why?”

“Well, I was wondering if–”

Timothy was interrupted by a weird looking boy with long, red hair and dozens of freckles.

“Hey Timothy! Is that your girlfriend?” he said.

My face turned beet red.

“Shut up, Frank,” Timothy muttered.

“Is she? She better not be. She’s a total dork. And her friend Lila, don’t even get me started.”

Frank!!!” Timothy screamed.

He turned around towards me, but I was already out the door.

***

I ran through the now pouring rain with rivers of tears streaming down my face and questions running through my brain.

What was Timothy trying to ask me?  What if I really was as dorky as that boy said? Why had Timothy stood up for me like that?

I turned the corner and found what I had been looking for. A huge, brick building towered above me. The library. I climbed up the moss-covered stairs and slipped through the door. The inside was musty, and the chairs were breaking, but it was the safest place I could think of. Soaked and panting, I collapsed into a chair.

“Hello, Penelope!” a nearby librarian chirped.

“Hi, Beth,” I said quietly.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?’

“It’s nothing,” I replied.

“Well, all right. If you need me, I’m always willing to listen.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Beth smiled, then went back to stocking books.  

 

Penny, September 16th

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

“Fire drill!” yelled Ms. Hicks, “Everyone make your way to the door!”

A horde of kids began to push their way to the door. I tried to walk forward while being jolted around, but it was almost impossible. I sighed, then made my way back to my desk. After the rest of the class had filed out of the classroom, I peeked around the doorway. The coast was clear. I finally ran out of the classroom to reunite with my class.

I tumbled down the stairs, then across the hall to the main door. I yanked at the door but it didn’t budge. I pulled it again. Nothing happened. Starting to panic, I ran across the hall to the other door. It didn’t open. Desperate, I ran over to the windows and try to pull one open. It didn’t move. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. Clearly there was no way out. I’d just have to wait until my class came back and explain then.

As I sat in front of the door waiting for the drill to end, something strange happened. I began to smell smoke.

 

Timothy, September 16th

I watched Ms. Hicks as our worried looking history teacher whispered something to her.

“Oh my god!” Ms. Hicks exclaimed. “Uhm, okay everyone, I uh, need to take care of something. I’ll be right back.”

I looked around for Penny. I wanted to talk to her about last night. She wasn’t there.

That’s strange. I thought. Where’s Penny?  

I tried to remember when I last saw her. Well, I remembered seeing her in the corner of the room standing there when I left…OH! Why am I so stupid? While Penny patiently waited for all of us to get out of the building so she could leave, Mr. John (our principal) locked the door behind us. I sighed. Now she will never talk to me.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I saw a cloud of smoke rising from the school.

“Penny!” I screamed.

Everyone looked up, then began to scream and cry. It was chaos. Teachers started to herd kids away from the school. I ran to our science teacher, Mr. Ross.

“Penny’s in there!”

His eyes grew wide, then he raced towards the fire, pushing though students and teachers. He unlocked the door, then cautiously pulled open the door.

“Stand back,” he warned.

As the door creaked open, an ash-covered hand poked out. I grabbed it, then gave a mighty pull. Out came Penny, covered in dirt and ash, but fine. She looked at me gratefully, then began to cough up tons of ash. Stunned, I stumbled backwards. Soft but strong hands catched me, then turned me around.

“Let’s go,” Mom said.

Nodding, I let her lead me back to our car and put me in my seat. I stared out the window looking at the familiar buildings that we drove by, but only thinking of the beautiful, brown eyes, covered in dirt, but shining like diamonds.

 

Mr. MacaroonVoh

Once upon a time, there lived Mr. MacaroonVoh. Mr. MacaroonVoh kept walking through lots of snow. Mr. MacaroonVoh had never had a place to live before, so he always carried plates with him, just in case he found food somewhere.

He didn’t want someone to say, “Where are your plates? You need plates to eat.”

Mr. MacaroonVoh was walking with his plates through the snow and thought maybe he would land there. Mr. MacaroonVoh liked snow because it was cold. Mr. MacaroonVoh was pretty much like a snowman, but he never melted. His body was all white, so everybody always mixed him up with a snowman. His name used to be called Lila Moon, but people called him Mr. MacaroonVoh because he looked like a white macaroon.

When Mr. MacaroonVoh was a kid named Lila Moon, he never listened. When his parents would tell him to go to the grocery store, he would go to the candy store instead and buy ten thousand candies. When his parents would tell him to write a story all about himself, he would sneak out the door and go to his backyard. He would swim in the pool in the backyard for ten minutes. When his parents were cooking in the kitchen, they heard the pool noises. Lila Moon  would only swim when the wind was blowing, because his parents would think it was the wind and not him swimming. Lila Moon’s parents hit him for misbehaving. If he sang out, “Blah blah you can’t hit me!” his parents would lock him in his bedroom.

One day, Lila Moon’s parents said, “You know what, Mr. Lila Moon? You have been troubling us for too long. If you trouble us one more time, you will have to go away.”

Lila Moon knew he wasn’t supposed to use washable markers on the chalkboard, but he took it down anyway and got some Expo markers. He used green, red, black, and blue markers and scribble-scrabbled all over the board. He erased it so the color would get all blurry all over the chalkboard.

When his parents saw what he had done, they said, “Sorry, Mr. Lila Moon. You have made too many mistakes. You are ten years old and will have to find a new place to live.”

“You cannot make me leave!” said Lila Moon.

“Fine, then you can go play in the pool in the backyard,” said Lila Moon’s parents.

As soon as he went outside to play in the pool, Lila Moon’s parents locked the door and said, “Nah, nah, nah, you cannot get back inside! You have troubled us too much.”

***

Lila Moon walked and walked and walked. He walked through snow and coldness. He hated the snow and cold. But then, he saw a snowman. Lila Moon had never seen a snowman before. At first, he thought it was a blind girl, but then everybody said, “Hi, Mr. MacaroonVoh.”

He said, “That’s not my name! My name is Lila Moon.”

Everybody said, “Well, sorry, this is Neverending Snow Land. And you have to be named something white. Everybody has to like vanilla, so we named you Mr. MacaroonVoh.”

Mr. MacaroonVoh said, “Okay. I would love to live here. Can I?”

Everybody said, “Yes!”

Mr. MacaroonVoh had already made a friend. Her name was Lighty Light. Lighty Light had asked Mr. MacaroonVoh where he came from. Mr. MacaroonVoh was not sure what to say because he wasn’t sure where he had come from; he had forgotten. He had already had so much fun in Neverending Snow Land that it was hard to remember what it was like to not have a home.

“I’ve never had a home, so I’ve just been walking. I thought it would maybe be fun to live here,” said Mr. MacaroonVoh.  

“That’s very sad! Are you very hungry? Because I could ask you what vanilla thing you’d like to eat,” said Lighty Light.

“I would like a chocolate cupcake!” said Mr. MacaroonVoh. “Where is my chocolate cupcake?!” he yelled. “I’ve been asking for it for hours!!”

“We are not going to give you a chocolate cupcake! Remember what we told you? You just got here! You must eat something vanilla! It is compulsory,” everyone yelled back.

Lighty Light looked at everyone from Neverending Snow Land. “Stop! If you don’t stop yelling at my friend, I will go to another home with him!”

“Okay, go to another home! We don’t care!”

Lighty Light was surprised that everyone was acting so mean.

“You haven’t been like this all year. You haven’t been like this since I arrived here. Why are you acting this way?” asked Lighty Light.

Someone pushed through the crowd.

She said, “I am Fantastic Paper. My old name used to be Virey Moon.”

“Virey Moon,” said Mr. MacaroonVoh. “I think I know you.”

“How can you know me? I don’t know anybody named Mr. MacaroonVoh,” said Fantastic Paper.

“Well, my name used to be Lila Moon.”

Fantastic Paper paused. “Wait a second,” she said. “Let me think.”

Mr. MacaroonVoh stared at her to try and figure out what she was thinking.

“We are cousins!” yelled Fantastic Paper.

“Oh yeah! Woohoo!” Mr. MacaroonVoh and Fantastic Paper danced.

“Now all we have to do is find a few more friends and we can go home.”

“Do I have a home?” asked Mr. MacaroonVoh. “Wait. I need time to think, like you needed time.”

Mr. MacaroonVoh sat down on some snow and crossed his legs.

“Wait!” he shouted. “I did have a home! I used to be a bad boy, and my parents said for me to leave. That’s all I know.”

“Okay now, Mr. MacaroonVoh. If you weren’t behaving back then, have you learned your lesson now?” asked Fantastic Paper.

“Yes,” said Mr. MacaroonVoh.

“Well, what did you learn?” asked Fantastic Paper.

“I learned that if I do not listen, I won’t have a home,” said Mr. MacaroonVoh.

Meanwhile, Lighty Light was listening to the conversation from behind. She wanted to know about this new person in Neverending Snow Land. Right after their conversation, Fantastic Paper and Mr. MacaroonVoh left.

“I’m coming with you!” shouted Lighty Light.

The three walked out of the snow garage of Neverending Snow Land. It had old snow cars and broken, old things inside. They walked and walked and walked until they were almost out of the land.

They found ten kids. Their names were Tulip, Romina, Charlit, Rarity, Lina, Charlie, Rosie, Rasly, Laurie, and Jordan.

Lighty Light asked everyone, “Do you think it would be good to make a clubhouse?”

“Yes indeed!”

Fantastic Paper, Mr. MacaroonVoh, and Lighty Light started asking the ten people questions about themselves so they could know more about them. They wanted to focus more on building later.

Lighty Light asked Rasly, “What is your favorite color?”

Rasly said, “Purple!”

Mr. MacaroonVoh asked Tulip, “What is your favorite place to go for vacation?”

Tulip said, “Poconos.”

Fantastic Paper asked Lina, “How many years have you been in Neverending Snow Land?”

“I have been there for at least ten years,” said Lina.

Fantastic Paper, Mr. MacaroonVoh, and Lighty Light said, “Wow! You guys have a lot of details about yourselves. Very good. That’s exactly what we wanted to know about you.”

They started looking for an empty block with no snow so they could build their clubhouse. Soon, they found the perfect block. It had a lot of grass, so everybody said, “Let’s cut this! Let’s cut this!”

“Yes!” said Lighty Light, Mr. MacaroonVoh, and Fantastic Paper.

Then, they started cutting the grass with scissors. It took them one day to cut the grass because of their teamwork. They put the grass in the garbage bag. Now, they were all done. All they had to do was get some wood and some tools. They started walking more. They asked a long-haired man for some tools.

He said, “I am a building guy, and I build a lot.”

“Do you have any wood?” they asked.

The man said, “No, I ran out of wood.”

They said, “No problem. We’re just going to have to go get it from a tree.”

Virey Moon said, “You know what? Oh my gosh! My old house is just two blocks away. We could go there and get some wood. I have a station of wood. I could just ask my parents if we could take some.”

Tulip said, “Do you live here?”

Virey Moon said, “Nope, not at all. One day, a long time ago, my parents said, ‘We found this cold place you would like living in.’ Then, they told me not to worry, and they would always live in this exact spot.”

Soon, they got some wood and started to go to the grassy place.

“Let’s start building,” everyone said.

They put some more wood up until they had made a big square. They made a triangle on top and a chimney too! Now, they started to paint pink, blue, and red. All they needed to do now is let the paint dry. And then they needed to make some windows, some doors, and start using the club house! They cut some squares from the clubhouse and used glass for windows.                

And then, they put a little rectangle over a little hole to make a door. Then, they put a doorknob, and they saw and made sure that the door could open. As soon as it was done, they said, “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Mr. MacaroonVoh.  Happy birthday to you.”

And Mr. MacaroonVoh said, “It’s my birthday today, it’s my birthday today,” dancing, shaking his waist, pushing down, and kicking out the ground.  

And everybody sang this song: “Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go. Over the river and through the woods, oh, how the wind does blow. It stings the toes and bites the nose as over the ground we go. Over the river and through the woods, trust fast my dapple gray. Spring over the ground like a hunting hound for this Thanksgiving day. Over the river and through the woods, grandmother’s cap I spy. Hooray for the fun, it couldn’t be done, hooray for the pumpkin pie!”  

Mr. MacaroonVoh said, “It is finally a day to relax. It’s my birthday today. It’s my birthday today. It’s finally my birthday today, it’s finally my birthday today. Let’s start going in the clubhouse today!”  

They said, “Oh, my gosh, this clubhouse is the best house!”

“Wait a second,” Mr. MarcaroonVoh said, “Today is our day to go back home!  And we have our phones!  We can still give each other our phone numbers!  But wait a second, I need to go home now!  With Lighty Light and Fantastic Paper!  Let’s start going!  Bye, guys!  We’ll miss you!  It’s our time to go back home but soon we’ll meet up together in the clubhouse. It will be our secret clubhouse.”

***

When Mr. MacaroonVoh, Lighty Light, and Fantastic Paper reached home, Mr. MacaroonVoh’s family wasn’t there!  

So then, they said, “Let’s go look out.  Maybe they’re in the garden!”  

They went in the garden–they found Mr. MacaroonVoh’s family! Mr. MacaroonVoh started introducing his family to his cousin and his friend.  

First, he said, “Family, this is my friend Lighty Light!  She saved me!  And so did Fantastic Paper, my cousin!”

“Mr. MacaroonVoh, we’re sorry we told you to leave the house. We realized that it was the wrong thing to do. We would never want to leave you again.”

Mr. MacaroonVoh said, “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen. And I would never want to leave you either.”

 

Blue Dragon, Red Warrior, Young Boy

The Toy:

I was made in Japan. My name is Red Warrior, and I live in the middle of Japan. The store is a very big store called Toys in Japan. I am the only Red Warrior left in stock because no one wanted to buy me. It is mostly yellow everywhere in the store. My life is boring because nobody likes me because my head was supposed to light up, but instead, my toy maker made a very big mistake when he connected the wires to the batteries. He connected them in the wrong place and lost all his right-hand fingers, and caused parts of me to look droopy (some plastic, of course, melted.) And of course, I can’t light up now. I am tall for a toy, about a foot tall. My armor is red, and I have plastic samurai armor on my shoulders. I am wearing an oversized samurai helmet, and I have two long plastic swords in each hand. My swords are bent and twisted, and my horns on my helmet look like dripping wax on a candle.

 

The Toymaker:

My name I have forgotten a long, long time ago. I forgot it around the time I lost my left hand fingers due to a fire because of a bomb explosion down my street. The thing is, I can’t remember when I lost my left hand fingers either. I’m only sixty years old, so it’s strange. I have a bad memory already, especially for things a simple as my name. It might have been connected to working for all those hours in the sweatshop that I began to lose my memory. I only make a dollar an hour, and my mom and dad died when I was a baby because of working in unsanitary conditions which led to them getting diseases. Ever since then, I’ve lived with my grandparents. But my grandma and grandpa died two years ago because of a violent gunfight at store during a bombing raid.

 

The Boy:

I sat in the speeding, blue, old, dented car my uncle owns. I turned around and looked out the back of the car.

“Ahh!” I screamed.

“What!?” My uncle yelled back, then turned around.

“Oh my god!” he said, then asked me if I had recently been to KFC.

I was like, what is wrong with you (of course, I didn’t say that out loud. If I had, he’d have tried to throw me out the car). I replied that yes, I had been to KFC.

“Did you get the new Diet Diet .3701547382425 fifteen Letter Coke Bottle?” he asked me again.

Did his beer finally get to his head? I thought to myself.

“Of course uncle, that’s what everyone drinks.”

“Then, did you, by any chance, graffiti M. Feeny’s dog again?”

“C’mon uncle, I stopped doing that last Halloween.”

“Uhh, last Halloween was last night?!” he replied.

“Oh right, forgot. Really, I swear I didn’t do it,” I said back.

“Boy, one thing. After you go to KFC and get the new Diet Diet .3701547382425 fifteen Letter Coke Bottle, note that you are not yourself. So I would not blame you for painting Ms. Feeney’s dog bright orange.”

“Hey, the dog sunbathes in the middle of the road, I was just trying to help the dog survive by making him visible to the drivers. I swear, once that dog fell asleep on the top of Ms. Feeney’s speeding car, she didn’t even notice until the animal abuse truck pulled up next to her. Really, I swear I didn’t paint her dog.”

“Then, why is she playing ‘Thriller’ in her car and chasing us two hundred miles per hour — I really hope that’s not a machine gun she’s aiming at us right now,” my uncle replied.

“Hey! It might just be a really long, black can with small, golden chicken nuggets shooting out.”

“Son! You think way too much about chicken. By the way, don’t interrupt me. I’m in the middle of dialing the asylum so that they can pick her up.”

This is going to be a long drive to that toy store, I thought to myself.

I decided not to go with my parents to Egypt because right now I was  in my toy Warrior obsession phase. I had all the Warrior colors except for red.

 

The Boy and the Toy:

It was a bright, cold morning, but it wasn’t just any morning. It was the first morning a customer had come in three weeks! An old looking, blue car screeched into the paved drive, and a man and a small kid wearing a baseball hat that covered his eyes walked into the store, the adult hanging behind as the kid rushed to the aisle where all the plastic warriors were.

His eyes scanned the plastic, dimly-lit shelves for a Red Warrior. When he found it, he didn’t know what to say. His eyes opened wide, and a thin smile spread across his face.

I wonder why nobody wanted this? he thought to himself. He may be a little melted and scratched up, he doesn’t light up, but it doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s good; it shows this warrior has been through a lot. He has. It shows this guy has actually been through battle. Unlike any of the other guys I have, this one is a real, brave warrior.

He picked up the warrior from the aisle and showed it to his uncle to see if he could buy it. His uncle looked at him as if it was some sort of hilarious joke.

“Why, would you want a broken piece of junk like that?” he asked.

The boy scowled and responded, “It’s not a piece of junk.”

“Fine,” his uncle replied and handed him five dollars.

The boy went to the counter, beaming, gave the tired looking man at the counter $5.00, and walked out the store to his uncle’s car in the parking lot, his uncle trailing behind him. This was one of the happiest moments for both of them, the boy and the toy. The toy would be loved, and the boy would be happy. The hour long drive back to the boys house went by in a flash because the boy was having so much fun with the toy, flying it, making it battle imaginary dragons, and finally bringing it home. The car scraped into the drive, little stones grating under its wheels. The uncle rang the doorbell, and an elderly lady with a white apron opened the door into the two-story wooden house.

As soon as they got home, the boy picked the toy up and rushed with it up to his room so the toy would be able to meet all its brethren and have its first battle against the Blue Dragon, the boy’s favorite toy monster.

 

The Boy And The Battle:

I set up all of the seven Warriors. There were two rows of three, and in the front, there was the leader: The Red Warrior. And facing them all, was a clear blue, snarling dragon (their enemy.) This dragon had the power to freeze people.

Five years ago,the nuclear bomb fell on Hiroshima, killing most of my friends and family. Even if you survived the explosion, there was a good chance you would die of radiation poison before the doctor could make it through the glowing rubble to your house. The only reason I didn’t die was because I was living in Hawaii, where I grew up.

I remember my Japanese mother and father came out of a P.O.W. (Prisoner of War camp) after the bombing of Pearl Harbor which happened when I was two years old. As soon as he came out, he said, “Our Warriors will always fight strong, but this time the Dragon won.”

We spent a month living frightened in Hawaii. After that, my parents booked  themselves, me, and my baby sister, who is now in Egypt with my parents, a plane trip to Tokyo so that we could check on our relatives who had survived the bomb on Hiroshima in the hospital. I still remember the sound of young and old people crying, and faded, acrid smoke. I remember the sad, corrupt faces of my grandparents and uncle lying, shaking in blood-stained, white hospital cots within a plain, grey, brick building in the middle of a confused, screaming city which was more like an asylum for people gone shell-shocked and crazy than a physical hospital. The chipped, grey walls reminded of a prison.

 Since then, I had been living in Tokyo. I always thought the Dragon was America, but Japan also killed many people at Pearl Harbor. What America did to Japan was one of the worst things they could do.

So there was no Dragon. Each side thought they were the Warriors.

 

I Would Rather be Crushed by a Bowling Ball Than go to School

“Hello class,” says Ms. Johnson.

Oh hello, I’m James. I’m at school now. Usually, people hate this school. You will know why.

“Everyone, say hello to Mr. Petey,” says Ms. Johnson.

“Guess who’s back!” says Mr. Petey in a thundering voice. “So today, we have a bit of light classwork. You have 1,000 pounds of classwork and 100,000 pounds of homework, so this should be an easy day for you.”

“Wow, you are loud,” says a kid.

“Ten hours of after-school detention for you!” yells Mr. Petey. “What are you waiting for? Work!”

Soon, another kid asks, “Mr. Petey, may I please go to the bathroom?”

“No bathroom talk in class. Five hours of detention for a whole month!” says Mr.Petey.  

After the agonising class, I go to lunch. In the hallway, the principal barks, “No colorful lunchboxes! Three hours of detention for you, and no more home lunch for you for three months!”

Then, the principal snatches my lunch box and walks away.

I walk into the lunchroom. Good thing the lunch lady is serving really bad food instead of terrible food.

“Here is your vomit-colored trash soup,” thunders the lunch lady as she dumps the slop on my tray.

Now it is time to go into my secret stash. As I take my candy bar out of my pocket, the lunch lady barks, “No more food for you for ten months.”

Well, now you know why this school is the worst school ever. We tried to stop the principal from making the school worse, but the principal found out before we ever started it.

BRRRING! Oh, that was the bell that just rang. Oh great, it is time for recess. It is the second worst period today.

As soon as I walk outside and step on the doormat, I hear the recess counselor yell, “You just broke rule number 3,749,446. This means one month detention! Oh, now you broke another rule! Another month of detention!”

***

Finally, after the agonizing day, I start to head home. You are probably wondering why I don’t tell my parents. Well, apparently, my parents signed a contract that I have to stay in this school until I finish 12th grade and that the school is the “best school in the world.” And my parents don’t know because whenever they come, the teachers act like this is the “best school in the world.”

The next day, as I am walking to school, I see a kid walk next to me. I ask, “What school do you go to?”

The kid replies, “Dinkleburg school.”

I tell the kid, “That school is horrible. The nicest teacher gave a kid ten hours of detention.”

The kid replied, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. My name is Donald. Also, I know how to get the teachers afraid of the students, but it will take a week.”

***

Finally, our plan is ready.  

“Hey scums, get to worhey who pulled my pants down? You’re going to pay for this,” says Mr. Petey as he walks to me. But Mr. Petey is so surprised that he does not see a string, so he trips over the wire and his face plants into a pie.

“I am going to the bathroom,” announces Mr. Petey.

A video of what is in the boys’ bathroom appears on the board. “Hey, I got ketchup on my underwear!” yells Mr. Petey.

Then, when Mr. Petey walks back into the room, nobody is there. Mr. Petey reports it to the principal. When the principal comes in the room, everyone is back in the room.

“You’re fired, bub,” yells the principal.

“Bu-bu-but they were not here a minute ago,” says Mr. Petey.

The whole class laughs out loud. Everyone knows in less than ten seconds. Soon, it is time for second period. It is Mr. Peter Peterburg’s class. Everyone usually calls him Mr. PP.

Mr. PP yells at the very top of his lungs, “Everyone, you are going to run 100 miles in ten seconds. If you don’t, you will have detention for ten hours every day for ten years. Okay, so what are you waiting foAhhh, oh my god! Not again! Now, everybody knows I pee my pants. Oh no! Class is cancelled, and everyone, don’t tell anybody I have a pacifieroh, come on.”

It goes on like that for the rest of the day. Soon, the principal fires everyone, including himself.

 

NARRATOR: Well, as you can see, that school was not amazing experience for James. Then the school shut down, and everyone lived happily ever after.              

The end

Well, everybody except the the teachers of the school lived happily ever after…

 

Epilogue

We are sorry to tell you that there is no epilogue because the writer quit and sang the “Frozen” song for the rest of his life.  

 

Warren’s Welfare (Part One)

Fine, fine. But I don’t have a lot of time. Well, anyway, here it is: my life story. Oh, and don’t expect me to include all the sappy details. Can’t believe I’m doing this. Sigh! Well, here it is: WARREN’S WELFARE! Yeah, yeah, it sounds epic, but don’t set the bar too high. Just sayin’.

It all started when I was born. My parents being the king and queen of the Utopians, I was automatically the prince. Also, I was naturally my parents’ prized possession (and that’s saying a lot.) Well, anyway, being the prince, everybody had high expectations of me. The bar was so high, that my chubby, little, baby hands could barely reach it. And soon, the bar slipped out of my grasp, and I began my slow descent. My parents were disappointed. They expected more from me. Also, they felt as if I (that’s right, I) was giving them a bad reputation (and again, that’s saying a lot.) While all the nobles looked majestic in their fancy clothes, I looked like a slob in stained T-shirts and khakis.

Right when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the war started. First, we ran out of fresh water while our nemesis city, Dystopia, thrived and had extra fresh water. (I wonder how that happened.) Then, we hit them back. We took all their fishing supplies. I know, I know, that might not sound so bad. But when you live on an island in the middle of an ocean, fishing is pretty much your only way to get food.

Now that we had both struck, we went into all out war. There were many casualties, including (collective gasp) my parents. But there were also great casualties for the Dystopians. The casualties were so great, that they surrendered and went into hiding. I felt like I only had one choice: to kill everyone that was responsible for my parents’ death.  

First, I had to acquire the Zyzerath blade. It was my only hope if I wanted to get revenge. I heard of a wizard who lived in Dystopia, and that she was also a Utopian. The reason I needed to find the Zyzerath blade was because it was the only blade strong enough to break through the five-foot thick metal surrounding the Dystopian society (otherwise, I would just nuke it, but meh.) Then, once I had the Zyzerath blade, I’d cut a small hole in the back of the fortress. After that, I would have to find the Utopian wizard who was feeding us information. Finally, the wizard and I would kill them all.

Let’s go back to reality for a second. Right now, the only thing I knew was where the Zyzerath blade was located. Drum roll please! The cavern of despair. Kazaa! Poof! Magic dust! Okay, well, let’s cut the drama now.

I began my journey by looking for wisdom on the island of 1000 souls. Even in the noon-day sun, it was still dark and gloomy. That’s kind of a bummer, but meh. On the bright side, giving people advice gives them a purpose in life. I was pretty much covered. I still remember my first step on the island. The temperature must have dropped 30 degrees. I could feel the life trying to escape out of me to join its companions.

You would not believe what happened. Well, I guess they have to rename the island “the Island of 1002 Souls,” because apparently, my mom and dad qualify to be one of the oh-so super important souls that get to spend the rest of their days in mindless despair. So great, I know. As I was walking through the paved, bone roads, that’s when I saw them.

I looked into their eyes, and they said to me, “You are a disgrace! How could you let this happen?”

I was too shocked for words, so they just carried on.

“Let me guess, you’re looking for Zyzerath blade so you can get revenge for us.”

My mouth gaped open. I started to say, “How di–”

My mom said, “Well there’s something I gotta tell ya about the Dystopians. We are the Dystopians, and they are the Utopians. I know, right. Gasp. We are just as bad as they are.”

With that, they walked away, with me still trying to process everything they told me. Then, I noticed a glimmering, metal object peeking through the dead grass. When I picked it up, I instantly knew what it was. THE ZYZERATH BLADE! Well, I guessed all I needed to do is break in and see if they were good. Luckily, it wasn’t that far from our island to theirs, so I just rowed over there in a canoe.

Once I got to the dome, I quickly sliced away some of the metal, so I could have a peephole. As I did, the sword felt one with my hand, and I could feel its voice entering my mind. The legends were true! The sword really could talk to you!

“Ay! What’s up my homie? Thanks for waking me from my deep slumber.”

“Good.”

Once that was all cleared up, I put my eye right next to the little hole. I almost jumped back and fell off the island when I saw that a little eye was staring back at me. Then, the alarm sounded. I quickly tried to jump back and run away, but then they were on me. They knocked me out, and next thing I knew, I was in their prison cell.

“No, no, no, no!!! How could this have happened?!”

“Shhh! Do you want them to come back?”

“Er, no.”

“Good”

“What is your name?”

“Mine’s Samantha, what’s yours?”

“My name is Warren. So, what did you do to get here?”

“Long story short, I worked for the Utopians, they found out, and yeah, I’m here. ”

“Where are you?”

“Er, are you blind? I’m literally right next to you.”

Warren turned his head to his left. Nothing. Then, he turned to the right. Two large eyes stared right back at him. He jumped and stumbled backwards. But then, he noticed something peculiar. She was floating in the air and had a ball of fire in her lap. Warren gasped. He just realized who he just met. This was the wizard. The myth. The legend. Samantha Odd.

“O-M-G, it’s you, Samantha Odd!!!”

“Yes, Warren, I’ve been waiting for you a long, long time!!!”

 

Atlantic (Excerpt)

Chapter 1:

“Lilie, are you sure that this is safe?”’ I asked.

“You can trust me, Rose.”

Lilie was my best friend, but I still thought her idea was a little sketchy.

“Look, Rose, I am a full two minutes older than you. Believe me. This is completely safe.”

Getting on a canoe illegally, sailing to a random place, and setting up camp for the week was a good idea?! You see, Lilie and I went to camp together, but it was awful! Like totally awful. Really bad, awful. Well, anyway, the camp stunk, so Lilie and I decided to run away. Because it stunk. And I know you are thinking that I’ve made myself clear about the whole camp-stinking thing, but I am making it clearer. So there.

So, we ran away from the terrible camp and stole a canoe. Did I mention that the camp stunk? Of course we had to rob much more than a single canoe. After packing, we had to rob the kitchen of the awful camp, but we didn’t take much, because the food stunk, too. I told you the camp really stunk. So, when most of the old counselors were asleep, we got up and ran to the lake and past the boundaries into a sandy beach, packed with dry seaweed at the top.

And that brings us to where we are now.

I took out the flip phone my mom got me as a gift for camp.

I texted her, “Hi, Mom! About camp… one word. It stinks! And so, maybe me and my twin ran away from camp and stole a canoe and food, so maybe you have to come pick us up past the boundaries of camp…We send out love! Lilie and Rose, your loving daughters that you never get mad at.”

Of course she immediately wrote back, “Hey Lilie. From Mom. You are so grounded when you get home!!!”

Lilie laughed out loud. “She always says that.”

A bell rang in the distance. Rising Bell! It was 4:30 p.m. already?!

“Lilie, into the boat now. With the stuff. Where’s the plastic bag??”

“Woah, Rose, slow down! It”s only 2:00 p.m..”

“No!!” I screamed. “It’s 4:30!!! We have to get out of here!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll take the luggage, and you take the food. God, dont freak out like that.”

Once we were loaded, I jumped out of the boat and pushed it in the water. Go go go! I was swimming by now. Go go go! Now, we were deep in the lake. I got back in the canoe, took off the muddy, wet clothes and changed into pajamas.

I hadn’t slept for the past week because I was planning. Not that I would get any sleep anyway. After some servant work (serving and cooking) for our counselors that lasted until one, they threw you into your “Child Home” (awful name!) AKA your counselor’s musty cellar full of moth-holed blankets. How did they make it look so cool on the website?! I took out a graphic novel. I was gonna make shelter out of the tent that I was required to bring for overnights, also known as mortal peril. I’ll get to that later. Lilie handed me her bow. Mom had bought them for us before we left for camp. Mine was a Rose and Lilie’s was a Lily (duh.) I put in my bag. I took mine out too. We never wore them while we were sleeping. I guess we both were gonna sleep for awhile. An island appeared in the distance. We were leaving camp for good! And then, nothing.

 

Chapter Two:

I opened my eyes. Looking around, it looked like an aquarium. But no. I was in the aquarium. No. I was in the water. It can’t be. I was breathing. What the…?

“Lilie!!!!” I screamed. “Where the heck are we?!”

I heard a gurgle from somewhere near by. I swam to some shreds of a canoe.

“Lilie?”

“Rose,” came a voice. Lilie’s voice.

“Lilie!” I giggled.

She was using a dying voice, almost as if she was sick. I pulled her limp body from the scraps of the canoe.

“Rose.”

“Stop it, Lilie. It’s not funny anymore.”

“Rose.”

“Stop it! You’re not going to die. I know that you are faking it.”

But deep down, I knew it was real. Suddenly, Lilie’s eyes glowed. She spoke again, but it was not Lilie’s voice.

“To cure your friend, you must bring the one into the cave. The one your sister loves.  And sometimes, love means sacrifice.” Her eyes dimmed. Her body sunk to the ocean floor. For once, I was glad to be under the water. No one was there to see the tears running from my eyes. Because I knew what I had to do.

I took the bows from my bags. I stared at Lilie’s bow. Then, I noticed something. There was a note on one of the petals. It read: Give it to Rose. What? What did she want to give to me? Or, what did she need me to have?

I turned the bow over and saw a little red flap. Strange. Mine didn’t have anything like this. I pulled the flap and something giant appeared in front of me. It was enormous and seemed as if the inside was made of–air? I screamed and swam. I never noticed how beautiful the ocean was. Soon, I forgot all about being chased by a giant water monster and stopped to look at some fish hiding in some coral. Look at that bright color! Pinks and blues and greens and yellows surrounded me. And blacks. Blacks? Oh no.

Once fresh water was revealed to my eyes, I tried to swim. But something held me back. I looked behind me and saw the monster again! Why did Lily want me to have this thing? But suddenly, the vicious creature transformed into a small blob. It curled up into a small spear.

God, I wish I had a cage to put this thing in. What if it transforms again? I thought.

But then, there it was. Instead of a small, air-ish looking ball, there was a cage. What the?

“I realIyyy waaanntttttt aaaa saaaaanndddwiiiiiiicchhhhhhh,” I said, very carefully and slowly. And there was an airy looking sandwich. I bit it, but it tasted like one thing. Air.

“I wish I had a bag.”

An airy bag appeared in front of me. It was time to have some fun.

“Make that a pocketbook with unlimited space for any object.”

The airy bag changed into a pocketbook with sparkles. Now to test it. I swam to an enormous chunk of coral with the pocketbook and opened it. I jammed the opening of the pocketbook on top of the coral and it fit! I put the pocketbook on and set off in the direction of Lilie. My twin. My only sibling. Who I wasn’t going to lose.

 

Chapter Three:

The body of my sister still lied at the bottom of the pool. I felt so alone without her. Seeing her, I was reminded of that voice. I knew the voice. And I realized. It was Dad’s voice. But Dad was gone. Or so we thought. Five years ago, Dad left for a trip at a lake. This lake. He went camping each year with his friends. I remember it all,

 “Dad, don’t leave!” I screamed.

“Yeah Dadda. Can’t you just skip one year?” said Lillie.

“Sorry Lilliekins. Daddy’s gotta go. It’s only for six days.”

“But Dadda. Six days is almost eleven monfs! Dat’s a lot!” I said.

“No, it’s not, Rosie. It’s almos free years! You were way off,” said Lillie.

“Rosie, it seems like nothing,” said Dad.

“Fine,” I whined. “But you have to bring back the crackers and chocolate with sticky sweet stuff. Peas, peas, peas?”

“Okay. One for Rosie, one for Lil-lil, none for Mom. And twelve for Daddy,” he said.

“Twelve! Add two more and its a million gazillion a hundred a million seventy-two!” I said.

“Yeah! That’s almost as old as Mommy!”

“I gotta go, girls. Benjamin is here to pick me up!”

“Bye, Dad!”

He hugged Mom and Lillie. Then, he hugged me.

I was only five when it happened, but I remember it so clearly. Maybe it was because I haven’t seen him since? Three days later–or seven million days–Benjamin called. Five-year-old me didn’t know what was wrong, until Mom started sobbing. Then, she broke the news to us. The boat had sank while they were fishing. And Dad had sunk with it. But what if Dad was here? Under the water, in this lake? I tripped on something and fell on my face. The thing I tripped on was cold, not like the coral in the reefs. I looked at it. It was a body. A dead body.

This is what will happen to Lillie if I don’t save her soon, I told myself. The body shook. And suddenly, it swam up. Millions of bodies, old and young, flew up with it.

“Rose Wentell.” they said in unison, “Goodbye, Rose Wentell.”

Before I was covered in dead, cold bodies, I saw a sign. Sea of the Dead.

 

To be Continued…

Bensy and His Quest

It was a breezy day in Alaska, and a group of puffins were playing by the snow. The king puffin was demanding more fish.

“Give me fish! I can’t do it! My beak just got polished!” he said.

Now, the main character came waddling along.

“Yes sir,” said a puffin named Bensy, “Salmon — I think? — for you!”

“Salmon! I hate! I despise! Salmon!” he shouted.

“Ok, I’ll get you a different fish,” said Bensy.

As he waddled across the snow, he looked at the city. And then, he saw his destiny behind a window.

“Oh my gosh!” said Bensy.

And you must be wondering what it was… and it was fried chicken!!

“Yaaaaaaaa!” shouted Bensy’s friend Amelia.

“Ow!” said Bensy.

“King Puffin wants his fish,” said Amelia.

“Ohh, you civil, boring, fish-eating puffins, there’s better food in life, you know,” said Bensy.

“But you’re a puffin,” said Amelia.

“Yeah, but I’m better,” said Bensy.

“You’re so full of yourself,” said Amelia.                                                                                                                                      

“Look, fried chicken,” said Bensy dreamily.

“That’s cannibalism,”said Amelia.

It was night in the puffin village. Everyone was inside because Gwen the fox was on the prowl.

“Everyone inside! Gwen is going to climb the gates!” said the speaker.

Bensy ran out of his house and to the gates at the front of the cave.

“Hey, I need your help!” he said shaking and waddling with fear.

He ran back home

“I was wrong!!’ screamed Bensy.

“I told you so!!’ Amelia said.

“Hello, tiny puffin! What do you want?” said Gwen the snow fox.

“I need your help,” said Bensy.  

“What do you want?” said Gwen.

“Uh, I want … fried chicken,” said Bensy.

“Uh, that’s cannibalis-”

“I know!!!’ interrupted Bensy.

Gwen rolled her eyes and said, “Tomorrow. Gates. Morning.”

***

It was early morning. Bensy was waiting.

“Foxes always lie,” he said.

“Uh, no. I’m here at the gates,” she said.

“Okay, let’s go,” Bensy said.

“Uh, remember you split fried chicken, or you will be chicken,” said Gwen.

They were walking to KFC, and they stopped at a sign.

“No pets! Technically, we’re not pets,” Gwen said.

 

Try 1:

Roz never smiled.

“Why did I have to work the 24/7 hour shift,” Roz said.

“Uh, hi, can I have some fried chicken?” said a lady.

“Sure, it’s made with the opposite things we say in the ad,” said Roz.

“Oh, um, ok, here is the money, crazy lady. Goodbye,” she said.

“Now!” said Bensy.

BOOM!

“Ah! Get off of me!!” she said as she stormed away.

“Aw, no fried chicken,” said Bensy.

“Yeah, next time, don’t tackle. It’s just sad,” said Gwen.

They were in front of KFC looking into the window at all the fried chicken.

 

TRY 2

“Ok, let’s just walk through the door,” said Bensy.

“Wait, uh no, don’t, nooo-’ said Gwen.

“Ding” went the doorbell.

“Hi, welco– Hey! No pets or animals allowed!!” said Roz with so much rage that she could blow a fuse.

“Wenk wenk weeeenk!!!” he said. [Can I have some fried chicken?]

“No!” screamed Roz.

Bam! Bensy flew out the door and onto the snow-covered street.

“Uh, let’s try again!” said Bensy dizzily

 

TRY 3

It was scary being a puffin because of trees, blizzards, and snow foxes (except Gwen). But this was the scariest. Bensy was in a cage in the dark, and it was moving. Scary!

“Bensy! Where are you! Did ya get it! Uh Bensy?” said Gwen nervously.

Then, she saw the worst thing ever, an animal truck which you don’t see much, so this meant that Bensy was in there! Padding against the fresh snow, Gwen was too slow.

“No, Bensy!” said Gwen sadly.

As Gwen was walking home, she had an idea. Maybe the person who understands me the most! thought Gwen.

“Dorothy!” said Gwen happily. So she sped to Dorothy’s house.

DING! went the doorbell.

“Oh, hi, Gwen. What are you doing here?” said Dorothy.

Now I know this was kind of far, but just go with it.

Ruff, grr, grr, barked Gwen.

‘Your friend’s in an animal control truck!’ said Dorothy understandingly.

“Yeah, that’s the crazy thing” said Gwen.

So Dorothy got a backpack that had a bunch of jangly things. They saw the animal control truck at the gas station near the ferry.

“Come on. The truck’s back door is open!” said Dorothy.

Slam! went the door just as they got in the back of the truck. And they were off!

But the ferry ride was short, so in a wink, the truck was on the road again.

All tries over!

Quickly, they drove the car into the ditch and climbed out.

“Okay the ferry dock is right there, so all we have to do is get on — Oh! That ferry,” said Dorothy.

They ran to the ferry dock and clambered on the ferry.

“Uh, are you sure they won’t get on?” said Gwen nervously.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” said Dorothy.

And as soon as that, they were off!

“Uh, this is kind of strange?” said Dorothy.

“Whats strange?” said Gwen.

“This ship! It’s, well, strange and shady!” said Dorothy nervously.

She was right; it was strange. The walls were rusty. It had graffiti all over the windows and only some of them because the rest of the windows were broken!

“Where, uh, am I?” said Bensy.

“Bensy! You’re awake! After being unconscious!” said Gwen.

“Yes, I am. Now seriously, where are we?” said Bensy.

They explained what happened, which in my opinion, took too long to write and so my fingers would get tired. Go figure.

“Oh, okay thanks for explaining, but I need that fried chicken!!” said Bensy.

“Yes I know, but right now, we have bigger problems!” said Dorothy.

“Yeah, Dorothy’s right, but I have a feeling someone’s watching us! But anyway, let’s go to bed.”

***

It was night on the mysterious boat, and everyone was sleeping. (Ha! It sounded like a nursery rhyme when I said it like that!) Mumbling was coming from the deck of the ship.

“Do you think they’re on the boat?” said Maxwell.

“Of course they’re on the ship. Otherwise, they wouldn’t exist!” said Pete, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, and I don’t want Boss to be mad!” said Maxwell.

Now everyone knows that snow foxes have extraordinary hearing.

“What’s that noise?” said Gwen. “And whose boss? Guys?”

“What? I’m sleeping!” said Dorothy.

“The henchman are on the ship!” said Gwen.

“Uh oh! I was right!” said Dorothy.

“How will we escape!” said Bensy.

“Uh, I obviously don’t know!” said Dorothy.

“How can you not knoooooo– I see them!!” screamed Bensy.

“Run!” said Gwen.

So obviously, this was one of those cool scenes where everybody runs. Yeah, this story had to have one.

“I never run in gym class!” screamed Dorothy.

The only thing they could do was jump.

“Lets jump!” said Bensy.

So obviously, they disagreed..

“That’s crazy — okay, let’s do that. They’re coming!” screamed Dorothy.

So they jumped, yeah. Under the water, they pumped their legs as the water pushed them down. But then, a shadow stretched across the water.

“Uh, what’s that!” said Gwen.

Then, a wing stretched into the water and grabbed Bensy’s wing.

“Ahhhh!” said Bensy.

Then, he saw an amazing sight.

“Well hello, Bensy!” said KING PUFFIN!  

“The annoying girl puffin told me you were missing!” said King Puffin.

But then, Bensy remembered about his friends.

“Wait! My friends!” said Bensy.

So he dove into the water and grabbed Gwen and Dorothy.

“Uh, Amelia, King Puffin, meet Gwen and Dorothy,” said Bensy.

They all shook wings, hands, and paws. But they realized they were only on a wooden canoe.

“Uh, will this sink?” said Gwen.

“Bah! No, it’s made in my palace, so it’s the best!” said King Puffin.

He was back to his selfish self. But then, they saw Alaska!

“We’re home!” said Bensy.

As they got to the snowy beach, they relaxed, and Amelia said “Uh, Bensy, you know I have something for you.”

Bensy tilted his head.

“What is it?” he said.

Then, Amelia held out… fried chicken!!! Bensy passed out. Just kidding! Bensy screamed like he was on High School Musical!

Then, he asked, “How’d you get it?”  

‘“Dude, you literally just have to jump on a person who’s eating fried chicken and they’ll drop it on the ground!” said Amelia.

There was a moment of silence. Then, Bensy screamed like he was on High School Musical (again!) Then, Bensy said something

“Uh, can I live with you?” asked Bensy.

“Uh, why?” said King Puffin.

“Pwease Kwing Pwuffin!” said Bensy like a baby.  

“Fine,” said King Puffin.

But first, they ate the fried chicken that Bensy always wanted.

 

Christmas is Here

‘Twas two days before Christmas, and Tommy was grumpy and definitely bumby. Tommy didn’t get a present because he didn’t have much money. But he wasn’t grumpy or bumpy by Christmas Eve… Here is the story of how it happened:

“December by the fire, what a stupid month that has bloody Christmas with the New Year. It’s all stupid in its own way and wasting money on presents… It’s all wasted money, disappointment, and all things cheery!!! Mom, I finished my homework! It’s all incorrect. I don’t have the bloody time to do it again, baa humba,” Tommy said.

“Tommy, come help decorate the Christmas tree!!!”

“No!!!”

At that instant, Tommy fell asleep. Three spirits appeared before him: one of past, one of future, and one of present. This was actually reality, though Tommy thought it was a dream. The one of past stepped forward with a suspicious smile. She introduced herself. She was also wise and kind.

She said, “Come with me and see the past Christmases.”

Tommy was freaking out. He thought he was seeing things, and he was shocked. The spirit took him.

When he was five, he jumped on the Christmas tree and made it fall. When he was seven, he ripped up everyone’s presents, spoiling the whole holiday. When he was ten, he threw everything Christmas-like away.

The spirit said, “Fix your attitude, or the Ghost of Christmas Present will not approve of you.”

Then, the Ghost of Christmas Past disappeared. Tommy was pretty creeped out at this time.

The Ghost of Christmas Present was literally dressed as a present, and she whacked Tommy with a huge candy cane, saying what would happen on Christmas morning. His family would be disappointed in him, and he would be kicked to the curb. Literally. Kicked to the curb. Ghost of Christmas Present disappeared quickly.

The Ghost of Christmas Future stepped forward. Honestly, she looked like she had black and blue hair, a black robe, and a giant candy cane.

She said, “In the future, we’re in the world with big candy canes and we mind-text. Oh, you thought I was gonna hit you with the candy cane? The Ghost of Christmas Present plays cleanup on our softball team. About two years from now, you will be living in a box with no tree, no decorations, and no job. You must learn from the lessons that the other ghosts have taught you. Fix your attitude before Christmas eve or else, as Christmas Present told you, you will be kicked to the curb.”

He had been asleep the whole time until now.

Tommy changed his attitude, he bought a present for his sister with all the money he had, and laughed down the street. He thought he was doing the right thing, and he liked it.

”I love Christmas! It’s fantastic and marvelous.”

And so, Tommy fixed his attitude with Christmas and he had a merry, merry, merry Christmas.

Author’s note:

The lesson of the story is that you feel happiness when you do things for others, like when Tommy bought a gift for his sister.

 

The Cyclone and the Beach

Hi! My name is Bob. I love roller coasters (especially scary ones.) I live at Columbus Circle.

My mom came into the room.

“Bob,” she said. “We are going to Coney Island.”

“Yes!!!” I said.

We went to the 59th Street Columbus Circle station and got on the D train.

We passed 7th Ave/53rd Street. We passed 47th-50th Streets Rockefeller Center. We passed 42nd Street Bryant Park and 34th Street Herald Square. We passed West 4th Street, Broadway Lafayette Street, Grand Street, Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street, and 36th Street.

Finally, we were there.

We headed towards the beach.

My dad asked, “Do you want to go into the waves?”

“No,” I said.

When my mom and dad went into the waves, I escaped and went towards the amusement park.

I bought a Luna card and headed towards the Cyclone.

I got on the Cyclone. This was the best day of my life!

The Cyclone went very fast, but then suddenly, it stopped.

The Cyclone had broken down.

I jumped off the Cyclone and ran. I did not know where.

Then, I saw it! A roller coaster with a vertical drop! It said “THUNDERBOLT” on the side. I watched a car for the thunderbolt go down the side of the track. I got onto a car for the Thunderbolt, and off it went.

Up the vertical drop.

Down the vertical drop.

Over the loop.

Then, the ride was over.

By that time, my mom and dad had come looking for me.

Finally, they found me.

“Why did you run away from us, Bob?”

I just grinned.

They rolled their eyes at me.

We went to Nathan’s. I could tell my mom was mad at me. But inside, I was happy. I was happy because I knew I had ridden the Thunderbolt.

 

Car Accident

Once there was a guy named Paul.

He had a Maserati.

Paul was driving the Maserati so fast, that he couldn’t stop the brakes.

Then, there was a robbery at the bank, and the guy jumped up on Paul’s Maserati. His face was almost falling apart, and his skin was going turbo.

The Maserati was going too fast, and there was a big ramp.

The robber, who was robbing the bank, fell on the ground. The police were chasing after Paul, and the police were chasing after the robber.

While Paul was driving the Maserati, he had to go to the gas station, but the Maserati was going too fast. So Paul lowered the window down, and he took the gas station pump, and he climbed out of the window. He went to the gas filler, and he took the gas, and he put it in for 100 hours.

Then, the police were ambushing. There were 1,000 police people. The chief called a meeting with all of the policemen. The policemen surrounded Paul, but the Maserati drove right through them and there was blood all over them. The policemen were going to taser Paul, but that did not work so they just left Paul, and he went to Hawaii.

But, he felt guilty. So he went to the police station.

“I was the person who killed the 1,000 policemen.You can take me to  jail.”

So the policemen did.

 

THE END

 

Birdie and the Great Days

 

Chapter 1

A bird flies over buildings, brushing against the smooth and bumpy trees. It flies up and pecks on a leaf, and then, it soars off. It flies into the sun, its feathers shining. It pecks on the leaf again. The bird sees bees collecting pollen and people getting up. Then, the bird looks up and sees the sun rising, with yellow and pink colors.

Then, he studies the sparkling sun. He tilts his head and flies off. He flies more and then stops. He sees the most beautiful building ever as he flies up and up. Then, he goes to the very top, and he sees flowers and his friends. He flies down and tells them what he saw that day.

The birds play in the vines, jump, fly, eat leaves, and find worms. They throw the worms down and forget about them. They keep on playing for the rest of the day.

Then, they go back to the nest. Just then, they see a bat. They fly into the nest as fast as they can!! The bat sees them, but they curl up, and ten minutes later, they fall asleep. But the bat is still there.

“But, you guys! I’m your friend, remember?” says the bat, “Remember? My name is Blackie.”

But the two birds are fast asleep. The birds dream of going to see their old friend, but they don’t remember what their old friend looks like and what animal he is.

Meanwhile, the bat finds a spot to go to sleep. The next morning, the pigeons wake up. They go to examine the bat. They don’t remember anything they saw or dreamed about, but they decide to think, and think, and think. But still, they can’t remember. Just then, the bat wakes up.

The birds jump back, but the bat says, “Remember me? I’m Blackie.”

Then, they remember that it was Blackie, their friend.

“Oh, hi! We didn’t know it was you. Sorry, yesterday we couldn’t see you, and it was dark.”

“It’s okay, I came here to see you guys.”

Just then, the sun rises up.

Birdie says, “Let’s go look. I want to show you what we did yesterday, and then, we can do it again today too!”

“Okay,” says Blackie.

So they fly off. First, they stop and sit on the windowsill of a building. They see a cat, so they fly to another ledge. They see their friend Rattie.

“Rattie, wanna come play with us today?” they say.  

“Sorry, maybe tomorrow. I have to go and get to the grocery store.”

“Okay, it’s fine. We will go tomorrow.”

So, they fly off and go to the vine building.

“What’s this?” asks Rattie and Blackie.

“It’s a building with vines!” says Birdie and his other bird friend, Pinnie.

Blackie starts to fly up to the top. Rattie climbs and climbs to the top. Then, Birdie flies up and then Pinnie. They play hide and go seek. Then, they play tag.

“Tag, you’re it.”

Blackie is it. Rattie runs, and runs, and then, he tags Pinnie. Pinnie flies and tags Rattie. Rattie is very, very fast, but Birdie and the others can fly. But Rattie can jump too! He jumps into the air to Birdie, and now Birdie is it. Birdie flies and gets Blackie and Pinnie. They do rock paper scissors. Pinnie wins.

 

Chapter 2

They play hide and go seek. Pinnie is it, while the others go and hide.  First, he checks for Rattie because Rattie loves hiding in small corners. He looks in the top corner, and the bottom corner, the other top corner, and the other bottom corner. He finds Rattie in the other bottom corner. Rattie and Pinnie start looking for Blackie. Blackie loves hiding in the bushes. They look in parts of the building, for little parts that are small, that Blackie can hide behind. They find one, but he isn’t there. They find the second one, but he isn’t there. The third one is really big. They look and there is Blackie.

Then, they look for Birdie. Birdie isn’t particular to where he hides. They look under the building, on top the building, and around the building, but they still can’’t find him. They look at the side of window, but they still can’t find him. They go back to the nest, thinking he is right behind them. They look behind them, but he isn’t there. They keep walking, and he still isn’t there. Then suddenly, Birdie pops out of the nest.

“Boo!” he says.

They all jump back, and Rattie almost falls out of the tree, but Pinnie catches him and pulls him up. That night, they make another nest. Rattie sleeps in one nest and Pinnie and Birdie sleep in the other. And Blackie sleeps right above them. It is a full moon, so they don’t fall asleep for a while.

Finally, at 8 o’clock p.m., they fall asleep.

The next morning, they watch the sunrise. The colors are pink, purple, orange, and yellow. It is really fun. After that, they go into the train station. They find some tickets on the ground. They have one, two, three, but one was missing. They search the ground..

“Rattie, look at this! There’s two more tickets. What should we do?”

“Maybe we can print out more tickets and give them to the others.”

“Okay!”

So Rattie goes to print them, and Pinnie goes to tell the others. She calls Blackie and Birdie. They go to the printer all together. Rattie types it in, Blackie presses the button, puts the paper in, and Birdie takes the papers out. They have eight tickets now. They can go on two trips!

Birdie is looking at the tickets. Pinnie is walking over, and Rattie is jumping off the printer. He lands next to Pinnie, and he almost knocks his beak off.

Just then, Birdie screams, “These are tickets to India! And even better, plane tickets!”

One time, when Birdie was a baby pigeon, he wandered off and he snuck onto a plane. He didn’t know where it was, he didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know how to fly. He got lost on the plane. He found his way into the cargo. He saw this little puppy.

He said, “Hi.”

The dog didn’t understand him, so he read his name tag and read, “Fluffy.” He knew a little English, so he said, “Hi, little puppy.”

The dog said, “Woof, woof, woof.”

“Maybe I should switch to dog,” he said. “Hello, little dog. What is your name?”

The dog said back, “My name’s Fluffy. I’m from India. My owner’s on the plane. I want some food. I’m really hungry. One second.”

He went back. He started walking down the aisle and saw some food. He picked it up and brought it back to the cargo.

“Thank you,” said Fluffy. “Can we be friends?”

“I’ll give you my phone number.”

And that is how they became friends.

Birdie is so happy that he is going to India because he is going to see his friend, Fluffy.

“Before I met Fluffy, I was afraid of dogs.”

“Cool!” say Pinnie and Rattie.

So, they put the tickets on top of the counter where the flight attendant checks them. They grab them down, and go onto the airplane. They sneak onto the plane, with snacks like gum, crackers, ice cream, and donuts. They drop their backpacks and give each other a piece of gum.

They sleep for a while. Then, they hear that dinner is coming around, and Birdie says, “Wake up, everyone! Dinner is here!”                         

Rattie goes up and gets two juices from the juice bar and two bowls of spaghetti with meatballs. Rattie runs across the bar, gets two juices and runs back. Then, he goes to the food bar and gets two plates of spaghetti and meatballs and scampers back.

“I wonder where we are going,” says Birdie.

“I will check,” says Rattie.

He runs down the aisle, reads the sign, and then he goes back to his friends.

He says, “We’re going to India!”

“Cool,” says Blackie.

 

Chapter 3

“I’m hungry for dinner,” says Birdie, “I’m going to go up to the dinner bar.”

So Birdie starts walking. He walks down the aisle like a person. But just then, a flight attendant walks down the aisle. She isn’t watching, and she steps on Birdie’s tail. He screeches. The flight attendant starts chasing after him. He runs into the food bar. He doesn’t get anything because he just starts running back down the aisle. He goes under the chair where all of his friends are.

He says, “There’s a flight attendant coming to get us! Quick, hold onto the top of the chair, so they don’t see us.”

But Blackie is too late. They see him. They take them all to the cargo and put them in a cage. They are so sad because they want to see what the view is like. But they can’t now. Now, they have to wait until they come out of the airplane. Just then, Birdie is reading the ticket because he still has it in his wing.

And he says, “Oh no, we don’t know if we are getting off on the right thing. We’re stopping in London, and we might not know when to get off.”

Blackie says, “I could try and gnaw off these bars.”

“No,” says Birdie. “That would hurt your teeth and you might break them.”

Rattie starts running around the cage like a maniac. Birdie has to calm him down and puts him on the little blanket that they put in the cages for animals. Just then, they hear a beeping sound from outside.

“Oh no! This might be India, or it could be London,” says Rattie.

“Quick!” says Birdie. “Gnaw off the lock for us! It won’t hurt your teeth because it’s only a lil bit of metal.”

Rattie starts gnawing off the metal, and there is a little hole that they can fit in. They squeeze out and push the button to open the door of the cargo. They walk against the wall.

“There’s the door,” says Birdie. “Come on! Go quick!”

They run down the aisle and out the door.

“Whew!” they say.

Birdie notices that it is much colder than in India at the airport. Then, he sees the plane leaving.

“Oh no! This is London! It’s not India!”

All of them start running toward the door to get to the plane, but it is leaving. Now, they have to sneak onto another plane and make sure it is going to India.

 

Chapter 4

“Now what are we going to do?” says Rattie in his annoying voice.

“Don’t worry,” says Birdie, “We will find a plane that’s somewhere close to India.”

“First of all, we need to find a place to sleep,” Pinnie says.  

“Look, we can go under that chair in the corner,” says Blackie.

They walk over to the chair and find a comfy space behind the leg of the chair.

“Perfect, and now we can see when the airplane’s coming, and we can hear if it’s for India.”

For the next two days, they play and steal food like birds and animals do. Then, they hear the announcer say, “The plane for India is leaving now. Please get in line if you are going to India.”

They get up as soon as they hear the word “India” and they run as fast as their little legs can carry them.

Birdie thinks for a second, Oh no! We’re going to get seen.

Just then, he sees another little bird in there flying around.

He says to the others, “You know how birds get stuck in airports sometimes? We should act like one of them.”

So, they start flying around like they are birds that just got stuck there. Then, they see the door opening. They swoop down. Rattie is holding onto Blackie’s back into the door.  

“Phew” says Blackie, “We got on! Now let’s find a place to sit where they won’t find us.

“Maybe behind the curtain,” says Rattie.

“Okay,” says Birdie.

They run over to the curtain. They get settled, and they stay there for the whole time. It is really hot in the curtain, so Birdie takes a walk under a seat.

Then, he notices a flight attendant coming. He runs back as fast as he can to the curtain.

“Phew! Don’t go out there, and be quiet,” he said to the others.

They all stay still for a few minutes. Then, Birdie peeks his eye out of the curtain. The flight attendant is gone. They are safe.

They look at the time. It was ten o’clock at night.

Birdie says, “I think we should all go to bed now.” So they all fall asleep.

The next morning, they hear that breakfast is coming. So, they sneak a little pretzel bag. They all share it.

Just then, they hear an announcement that says they are almost in India.

“Yay, we’re almost there!” says Birdie.

So, they spend the rest of the time enjoying the plane. Then, they see on the board that they are landing in two minutes! They count down.

“59, 58, 57…”

They are so excited!

Then, the flight attendant says, “Everyone who wants to get to India, get off.”

They run as fast as they can off the plane. They run through security, and they run through the door of the airport.

They say, “We’re finally here!!”

They sneak onto a taxi and ride all the way to the gate of India. There are a lot of people there! They walk around and look for dogs that look like Fluffy. Just then, they see a beautiful design on the gate of India. They walk around one more time, and they hear a barking noise! There is a dog jumping on someone!

Birdie looks over and says, “That’s my friend!!!”

But just then, Birdie walks up to Fluffy. He pauses. He is nervous. His wings start shaking. Then, he remembers Fluffy is his friend. He is not going to eat him.

Finally, he says, “Hello” to Fluffy.

But Fluffy doesn’t hear Birdie. Birdie runs over, but just then, Fluffy starts walking away!

“Don’t you remember me?” says Birdie.

Just then, they see each other. “You’re my friend that I met on the plane!” says the dog named Fluffy.

“Yeah,” says Birdie, “I came to see you!”

They laugh and play for the rest of the day, and Birdie ends up staying there for a whole month with this friends! Fluffy gets to know his friends, too. They eat a lot of dosas, flat pancakes that you can eat for any meal, and they’re not sweet. They also eat idli’s, rice shaped into balls.

Soon, they plan a date where Fluffy can come to New York! They are so happy. And they live happily ever after, for now.

 

The End!

(Birdie says goodbye!)

 

Calling All Teachers

Dear teachers and administrators,

Thank you all for being gathered here. My name is Emily Birman, and I’m a 6th grader in M.S. 54. Throughout my seven years in public school, I have written quite a few essays and also quite a few creative writing stories. I’ve written persuasive essays, reading responses formed like essays, and at the same time, a few stories just based on what I think about a topic that I made up.

I think that essay writing may be pushing kids, and that’s why a lot of students prefer just writing their own stories instead of listening to a teacher give them a certain point that they have to write about.

In 4th grade, I remember having to write an essay about what I think about zoos: should we keep zoos or shut them down? Even though in this essay that I had to write, I was able to choose what side I wanted, there was still something that I needed to write about. Yes or no, but I couldn’t choose the topic. I had to write about zoos. I learned about the advantages and disadvantage of zoos. I could have done the same thing by writing creatively. Kids could have researched about it, but interpreted it with their own creativity instead of being forced by their teacher to write about a topic that they might not want to. While writing a creative story, I enjoy spilling out all of the ideas, and I can’t stop, or else I find myself in the situation of being stuck, not knowing what to write next.

But when I, or other students, hear the word “essay,” we all groan. We know that right now, we are going to get a prompt that we have to answer, and we don’t have a choice how we want to structure or form it.

This reaches to another point. In creative writing, there isn’t any certain structure that you  must follow, unlike essays where there is a formula that you have to follow. A type of paragraph in a essay, as many of you may know, is “RACER.” My class just learned this, and for the past couple weeks, that is the only type of paragraphs we have been writing. “R” is restate, “A” is answer, “C” is cite, “E” is explain, and “R” is revise. We can’t write freely in whatever kind of way we want. We can only do so much with this format. We only have a limited amount of sentences within a paragraph.

I remember one time in class, a girl brought in a paragraph that was about ten sentences long, and there were four sentences that didn’t exactly follow the RACER structure. My teacher said to delete those sentences. They were not “needed.” This way, people will start limiting themselves, and soon, I predict that people will start writing just a few sentences instead of a paragraph, which is five to seven sentences. Another way that people could be limiting themselves is in creativity. As soon as the structure gets stuck, it will be hard to add their creativity in while still using the form or structure. This doesn’t only go with the RACER structure, but with every structure, and it may also be hard for students learning it while they want to be creative and to include creativity.

Some of you may not agree with me though. Using help from a few friends, I came up with a few counter arguments. One thing that some of you may be thinking is, “But we need more structures, not less, because then, it won’t be organized.” But that’s not true because it really matters what you’re writing. In creative writing, there’s really no certain structure or structures that you have to follow, so there’s really no way that it can sound unorganized or messy.  

There can obviously be multiple more reasons why any of you might disagree, but one reason is because then it might seem as if the teacher is teaching different structures to everyone. But even people who haven’t learned the structure can see how the structure is the same for each person, so it would be boring reading it for them. In creative writing, there isn’t any form that you must follow, so that way, it wouldn’t sound repetitive.

What I really want to improve in classes when it comes to writing is to have as many essays as creative stories. In each grade, we always wrote more essays than stories. I don’t see why. Creative writing also helps. All of my teachers said that creativity and imagination are very important, so why don’t we use it? I hope all of you take this in mind and hopefully make a change. Thank you.

 

U.T.S.

“Jake! Jake! Come on, you have to go to school,” my mom called from the kitchen.

“I’m not going. No one is going to be friends with me. I’m going to be…” I moaned.

Mom came into the room and opened up the window shades. I moaned and covered my eyes.

“Close the windows,” I said.

“But wait, isn’t Kyle going to be going to the same school as you?” she asked me, as I got up from bed.

“Nah Mom, he went with the rest of the bunch to Madeline Niles school,” I said, trying to act cool.

“Please treat me with respect,” she scolded, “I am your mother after all.”

“But Mom, I don’t know if anybody will like me.” I said.

“Honey, you know that will never happen,” she said.  “You are going to be completely okay.”

“Mom, I told you to knock before you come in.”

“Okay, I will be downstairs when you’re done.”

I took a quick shower and walked to the closet where I took out my burgundy uniform that had a touch of navy blue on it.

“Honey, don’t forget to brush your hair,” she said.

I paid no attention to it for once.

Hopefully the school does not have any bullies, I thought, just as I started to go down stairs.

I went downstairs to eat the breakfast that Mom had prepared for me. I took my oatmeal and sat on my orange Lazy-Boy couch in the living room.

“This oatmeal is rotten,” I told Mom.

“Jake, if you go to school looking that depressed, you’re going to start to look like you’re suicidal,” my mom called from the kitchen in a voice so annoying that I couldn’t stop myself from saying what I did.

“Can you stop nagging? You’re going to drive me insane. This is probably why David and Dad left us,” I yelled.  

“If you mention them in that way again, you’ll wish that you could not talk at all.”

She was absolutely pissed. She’s not normally like that. The mom I knew was kind and never yelled like that.

“Okay. Okay, just don’t hit me.”

I was worried, because when I said their names before she didn’t yell at me like she did now. I knew that I should not have mentioned Dad. She was super emotional when someone said their names in disrespect.

“Well Mom, I’m off to school,” I called, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and leaving in a rush before she could drag me back into the kitchen to scold me.

Even though I always say this, I really do wonder where he, no, they, might be. I thought to myself. Mom and I almost never get into arguments. It’s only only us in this world and nobody else. They all…

“Woof-woof”

I turned around to see what the racket was about, only to see a pitbull right behind me. As I saw this wild beast called a dog, I started to run all the way to school, because it was eating a pair of overgrown legs.

As I ran, the huge dog chased me.

* * *

Pant pant! That dog really got me working. As I walked through the archway, I was stunned.

“It is beautiful,” I barely managed to slip the words out of my mouth.

I looked around to see what else this school had in store for me. There it was, a brilliant red carpet that led to the entrance. The entrance was huge with a set of castle doors. There were a set of towers, which looked like they were used to defend the place. There was an archway of Sakura trees outlining the carpet into it.

Excalibur. I liked that name, I thought as I walked in.

As I looked around, I saw all of the school’s dignified students, walking elegantly into the school.

The interior design of this place seemed to be meant for the kings.

“Ding Dong Ding Dong,” the bell went for a moment.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no, I got to go!” I said, as I made a break for the entrance.

What class do I have to go? I thought, as I started to search for my schedule. It’s not there, why is it not there. It must of fell out of my pocket when I ran out of the house. Oh man, I’m totally going to get in trouble. This had to happen on the first day, this obviously means that I’m going to have a bad rest of the year.

I ran through the velvet hallways with a multitude of boards decorated with posters on it, to tell the First Years to join their clubs. I stopped in front of the board. I frantically searched the board to see if they would have a place for someone to go if they lost their schedule. Then, this one poster caught my eye.

“Thank God!”

I should have checked if I had the thing before I left the house.

Just as I was about to start looking, I saw a man walking through the hallway. I went to go talk to him, to ask if I was going the right way to the library.

“I suggest you don’t go that way if you truly value your life,” he said in an intriguing way.

When he said that, I glanced over to the area where he was walking towards, but all I saw was the burning glare of the sun coming down on the dazzling carpet. It was as if he just vanished in thin air.

I put my hand on the wall for a second to rest, for I felt dizzy but, only to see the most dazzling girl I ever seen. The sparkle in her light blue eyes suddenly made me get up and start walking to her unconsciously.

That man’s advice echoed in my mind as I kept on walking towards her.

“Ahhh,” I pinched myself to see if I would lose myself of this trance that was abruptly placed upon me.  

As soon as I did that, the girl turned around, and I made eye contact with her. Her eyes were opaque. Kind of like someone who had just died. The sparkle in her eyes was gone and was replaced with something more sinister. She started to come closer.

What are you doing here, leave now, I thought. Maybe it’s not too late, to turn around before she can come any closer.

But, it was too late, she had come too close.

“Help,” I shrieked, as she knocked me down and slowly took shards of my flesh with her.  


Game Over

 

The Diary Adventure

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Dear Diary,

Today after workshop, I’m going to a birthday party. I’m not supposed to go dressed in a costume, but I want to. I don’t think anybody’s going to notice me in my costume, so I’m not worried about it. This birthday party doesn’t have any theme. I want it to, though.

I’m going as a vampire.

This morning, I woke up at 1:00 in the morning. I don’t know why, but maybe you do. Maybe because my eczema was itching me. I kept having to wake up and put my cream on the back of my knees, but I’m not 100% sure that was the reason why I woke up early.

I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. in the morning, and then, I fell back asleep. I woke up at 8:30 AM, because I was really tired. But I didn’t feel tired. I felt like I normally do every morning, which is fine. Rested. Every morning, I feel–

”Come down, I need you to drink your water!” yelled my mom.

“Okay!”

–like an early bird. Finally, I walked down the stairs to the living room and started gulping down my water. And I forgot something I needed to add in my diary.

I said, “Mom, can I just be excused for a minute?”

“Why?” she wondered.

“Just because I forgot to add something in my diary.”

“You can do it later.”

But she didn’t know that my diary was quite emotional and real. I begged to go back upstairs, and finally she said yes, counting to ten. I heard her counting, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,” and I came panting downstairs and leaped onto the sofa just as she was about to say, “10.”

My twin screamed, “TV! TV!”

I covered my ears to stop the noise, but he was too loud.

My mom said, “No, you watched too much TV already.”

I wondered, “When?”

She said, “While you were writing in your diary.”

“Oh,” I said.

Just then, I finished my water, and at that exact same moment, my dad came striding in from his changing room, as he always does.

He looked everywhere and said, “Oh, there’s my breakfast. I’m starving.”

My mom said, “As a matter of fact–oh no! We’re very late. It’s already 9 o’clock!”

I asked, “Where do we have to go?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” my mom replied very cautiously and worried.

I said, “Can I just go get something from my room?”

She replied even more cautiously, “Hurry up.”

I ran upstairs, as quick as a flash, and came rushing down faster than I have ever gone, but slower than a flash because I was exhausted from running up.

I collapsed into the car, and my intention was to start writing in my diary, but I was too tired from running upstairs, so I started snoring louder than my brother was yelling “TV.”

I woke up fifteen minutes later, and as soon as the diary thought came across my mind, I sprang up from lying down, and started scribbling every word of what happened in my diary.

The car jerked, and what I saw next was a something big, but I didn’t know what it was. The shape of it had glass, colorful windows. I’m not sure if it was the sun’s rays shining on a raindrop, or if it was just meant to be that way. I scribbled all of this in my journal.

I hopped out of the car, and my mom said, “Stop writing in that journal, so you can enjoy the party.”

I grumbled to myself, “I want to keep writing, but I feel as if I’m a bandit from my home.”

She said, “Don’t have such a sad face. Enjoy the birthday, and stop writing in that diary, or you won’t have a birthday party this year.”

She looked at me as if she wouldn’t give me any presents for my birthday, and I heard her just snort to herself. I hurried inside and started scribbling again.

I saw a little corner where lots of children were reading and writing, and as soon as I saw them, I hurried over, but not as quick as a flash. I jogged over there and somebody had just left, so I tumbled onto that cushion. Just as I was about to put down the first word, I heard a loud voice say, “Game time!”

“Noooo!” I grumbled. I felt as if it were an autocracy.

They said, “The first game is… the rock climbing jump!”

As soon as I heard rock climbing, I couldn’t stop jumping up and running towards the wall, because I love rock climbing. I was in such a hurry, that I forgot to bring my diary with me. When the game was over, I said, “Ugh, let me start writing now.”

Just at that moment, I realized that I had lost it. I was startled. I hurried over to the corner in which I had been writing. I lifted up the cushions, but it was nowhere to be found. I started sobbing, but then, I said to myself, “I will find it. I’d rather miss the activities than lose my diary.”

I started asking everyone, “Have you seen a brown, leather-covered diary/journal?”

They said, “What are you talking about?”

Just as I left, I saw them grin at each other and heard, “Let’s look at the diary!”

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

They started opening the cover, and I leaped up and snatched it, landing in the cake. There was a big gasp, but the positive news was that I got my diary. The next negative news was that my diary was dirty! I hurried out of the cake and walked with icing dripping out of my hair. My parents scolded me, and my dad took me home and locked me in my room. I was half delighted and half sad. I was sad because I wanted to enjoy the birthday, but ended up not enjoying the birthday party at all. I’m happy because I have my diary, and I can clean it up here. As soon as the door closed, I grabbed a cloth that was always in my drawer and water from the water jug. I started cleaning it up. I was finished in about ten minutes and started scribbling again in my diary.

My family came home, and I heard my twin laughing and saying, “Ha! He didn’t get to come! I finally had an outing without him!”

I ground my teeth, just to show how angry I was. I opened my door and screamed, “Mom! Dad! Can you put him in another separate room and let me come out, please?”

The next thing I heard was wailing and crying, saying, “Don’t put me in! I’ll say sorry.”

I quickly scribbled all this in my diary.

Finally, I heard footsteps coming towards my room. Creak. I heard my front door being unlocked.

“Thank you!” I said in a relieved way, and I ran downstairs to the basement and found a comfy spot where I wasn’t too cold or too hot. It was just perfect. I started writing.

When I finished writing, which I thought was only five minutes, but was actually an hour, my mom shouted, “Come down for dinner.”

I grunted and started walking up the stairs gloomily. I sat down and started sobbing when I saw what was for dinner, which was cold, fried peas. My brother had already gulped all of the peas down his throat.

My mom said, “You have to eat it all.”

When I had finished my dinner, I went up to my room and wrote everything that had happened recently.

I felt really ashamed when I went to sleep, because I could’ve fought through eating the disgusting peas, just like my brother did.

Before I went to bed, my brother came into my room to apologize.

I said, “It’s okay, I’m sorry as well.”

I went back to sleep and thought in my head, Tomorrow is going to be a great day, because today was the worst day!

 

Adventurous Kids

             

The Mom Was Spooky

Horrible Disgusting And

Did Not Do Her Job

 

She Was An Awful

Person Who Did Not Like Her

Kids They Hated Her

 

She Made Them Do All

Her Work And Chores And They Were

Like Maids They Spooked Her

 

They Used Their Brooms And

Flew Away Their Mom Was Scared

Perplexed And More Scared

 

She Called The Police

And Said Her Horrible Kids

Flew Broomsticks Away

 

They Said She Was Quite

Insane And Was Arrested

In Jail She Cursed

 

Then The Children Fell

But Luckily Fell Into

A Tree, And They Lived   

 

They Were Hurt And Called

The Ambulance, They Were Fine

But Were Really Hurt

 

The Children Needed To

Find Shelter, And Get Someone

Like A Guardian

 

This Guardian Treated

The Children Like A Father

Was Supposed To Act

 

But Then Something Weird

Happened Wizards Barged Into

The House And Said “You

 

Children Are Wizards

You Can Do Magic So You

Have To Come With Us”

 

“But Why We’re Just Kids”

They All Said In Unison

“Yes But If You Want

 

To Save The World

Join Us” The Wizards

Said To The Children

 

“Cool We Get To Save

The World” Then The Wizards Said

Something That Might Change

 

Their Mind “The Thing Is

You Have To Leave Everything You

Love Behind” Uh-Oh

 

“Then I Think We Will

Pass We Already Had Some

Horrible Things Hit

 

Us In Our Child

Years Our Mom Hated Us

She Thought We Were Maids

 

So We Need Our Friends

And Family So

They Did Not Become Wizards

 

And Went On With Their

Daily Lives And Were Happy

They Didn’t Become

Wizards

 

Mr. Maniac

Mr. Maniac has white hair. He is about five feet tall, he has glasses, he has a small army, he has enemies, and he has a power that can stop time with the small clock that he keeps inside his jacket.

Mr. Maniac likes to freeze time, steal money, and spill people’s coffee. His army has a watch too, so they don’t freeze when he clicks the watch.

Mr. Maniac wants to control the world.

He has no real reason, he just wants too. So he can have everything. He wants money and gold. He wants to be rich.

When he’s trying to control the world, he sends his army to defeat the people who are against him, but they steal the armies watches, and so when Mr. Maniac stops time, they don’t freeze.

In one of the big battles, Mr. Maniac is there, and only a few people in his army are left. People try to break his watch. Someone manages to find and break his watch.

Then, they take him to prison for life. His army also goes to prison, but not for life.

Mr. Maniac is lonely. He only sees the police.

In prison, he plays some games with his army friends. The police gives him food. The police don’t want him to die.

 

The Meteor

Once upon a time, a ten-year-old girl tossed and turned in her bed, whipping the lavender-detergent-scented, ironed-to-a-fare-thee-well bed sheets into a sweaty, tangled web. She had a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she’d swallowed an iceberg. She didn’t know why.

Ashley Viva Stella, that was her name, although she hated to be called Ashley. She liked Ash better. When she looked at her clock, it was 1:33 a.m. Ash sighed. She had a long way till morning.

Ash switched on the lamp on her bedside table, casting a warm, yellow glow across the room. She picked up the book she had been reading, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Ash passed about six or seven pages without retaining any information at all — literally, if you had walked into the room and asked Ash what she just read, she would not be able to answer that. Ash soon realized that she would not get anywhere by reading, so she switched off the light and stared at her ceiling. Soon, out of pure exhaustion, she fell into a restless sleep.

Ash was in a dark cavern, with the only illumination being her headlight on her uncomfortable plastic hat. Bats silently fluttered between the stalactites and stalagmites — the ones that were on the cavern ceiling, though Ash could never remember which was which. Ash was looking for something… something… something…

Ash sat up in bed, panting. She read her clock. It was 7:06 a.m. Ash had to read the clock twice, once to just read it and the second time, because she could barely believe her eyes. Even though her mom got up at six, there was no light from beneath the bedroom door, and the delectable smell of Saturday pancakes had not made its way up to her bedroom.

In fact, when she yelled, “Mom!” her voice had an echo to it that is only heard in particularly empty houses.

Frantic, Ash yanked the ruffled lace curtains away from the window so hard that she almost ripped one clean off. When she peered out the window, she thought she was hallucinating.

The neighbors across the street, the Goldmans, were stuffy, old grandparents. They lived in a great, big house, a Victorian-style beauty, as her mother always called it. Personally, Ash hated it. It made her feel cramped and claustrophobic, and Mrs. Goldman had a mania for cleanliness, so the Goldman place was always unnaturally clean. It made no sense, her claustrophobia — the Goldman house was huge! But she felt claustrophobic, all the same.

The Goldman house, the ‘Victorian-style beauty,’ was half-crushed by an enormous rock! It looked like a meteor, not that Ash had ever seen a meteor before. It’s not like meteors come crashing randomly down all over the place, but when you see one, you just kinda know it.    

As you’d expect, there was a huge crowd around the Goldman house. It looked like the whole neighborhood had come. Mrs. Goldman was being carried out of the rubble on a stretcher. Mr. Goldman was kneeling on the rough gravel beside her.

Ash was so shocked, that for a moment, she did nothing at all. Then, she finally came to her senses and stuffed her feet into a dirty pair of too-small yellow sneakers. Well, the sneakers used to be yellow. Now, they, like all the other well-used items in her wardrobe, were sort of an indeterminate gray, and her pajamas, which she was still wearing, were striped other shades of indeterminate gray. She ran down the stairs so fast, she seemed to be flying — her sneakers seemed hardly to be touching the wooden stairs at all.

Ash pushed open the door and slammed it behind her. She pushed through the huge crowd surrounding the Goldmans’ house, yelling to the annoyed people in her wake, “Sorry! Sorry! I have to find my mom!”  

Ash was so desperate to find her mom, that when she pushed through the crowd, she pushed away her mom and kept searching. But when she yelled, “Sorry! Sorry! I have to find my mom!” to her mom, Ash’s mom stepped in front of her and said quietly, “Ash, I’m your mom.”

Ash threw her arms around her mom, Jasmine Violet Stella. (Yeah, I know, Ash’s grandma was obsessed with flowers.) Ash’s mom smelled like salty sea air, the same way she always smelled, but after being so scared of losing her mom, Ash loved the smell more than ever.

“Ash, I’m so, so, sorry,” Ash’s mom breathed. She pulled Ash away from her and looked at her, mother to daughter, blue eye into deep, deep, brown eye. “When I looked outside the window and saw the meteor, I ran outside to help the Goldmans without a second thought.”

“So it is a meteor,” Ash remarked.

“Well, that’s another conversation we have to have later, isn’t it,” Ash’s mom said, sheepishly. Ash agreed.    

Ash twisted her head around to see the damage done to other houses. But it was weird — the other houses seemed to have gotten off easily, without a mark or a scratch. While Ash was inspecting the surrounding houses, she spotted, out of the corner of her eye, a greyish-white figure disappearing into the trees.

The town Ash lived in was densely wooded all around. This cut Ash off a little bit from the rest of the world. In fact, there was very bad cell phone connection, and Ash had only been outside of her town once, to visit her grandmother.

The town was self-contained, though. And that is why, just three months ago, a colony of aliens decided on that place as their landing place on Earth.

***

Earth was a prime spot. The aliens had decided on that long ago. It was virtually free of pollution. (Believe me, all the other inhabited planets had had organisms that were able to think and pollute billions of years longer, and were much, much, worse.) The organisms that lived on Earth were simple-minded and easy to manipulate, and overall, Earth was much younger than the aliens’ former planet, Planet 89k in the Andromeda Galaxy. To the aliens, Earth was a blank sheet of paper, a fresh start, with only a few faint marks.

Ash’s hometown was almost a little world in itself. Oh, sure, there were a few roads and paths through the woods, but they were far from the interconnected highways that generously decorated the rest of Earth. So in all ways, Ash’s hometown was the perfect landing spot.

Three months later, by catching onto a passing meteor and altering its course, the alien colony had arrived.

***

When Ash saw the greyish-white figure, she passed it off as nothing, just a trick of the eyes. But whatever had planted the iceberg in her stomach refused to allow Ash’s brain to think about anything else, or at least not for a long period of time. For the rest of the day, Ash thought about the greyish-white figure. She pushed it to the back of her brain. But the thought did not go away. Instead, Ash’s thought waited patiently at the back of her brain, and whenever there was nothing better to do, the thought waddled over to the front of her brain.

Ash lay in her bed. The thought about the greyish-white figure prevented her from sleeping. As soon as Ash began to close her eyes and think about puppies at the beach and other cute, comforting things, the greyish-white figure thought waddled over, and Ash opened her eyes in shock. This choppy, interrupted sleep got her some rest, but Ash was still grumpy and irritable the next morning from insomnia two nights in a row.

***

“Hi, sweetie!” Ash’s mom greeted her cheerily, “I made cinnamon toast!”

“I don’t want cinnamon toast, okay?” Ash snapped back.

“Ash…” her mom said, in a tone that warned Ash that her mom was not going to put up with that behavior. “I want to start this morning out in a good way. I don’t want to go there, Ash.”

“You don’t realize that the house across the street was just destroyed? By a meteor? How do you not expect me to be paranoid after that!” Ash shouted at her mom. She surprised herself by her tone.

I’m going to be in such big trouble… Ash thought nervously.

But instead of escalating the war, Ash’s mom took a deep breath and sighed. “I know what happened yesterday was scary, but I’m trying to keep my cool, okay?” Ash’s mom replied softly.

Ash was not comforted at all. Instead, this made her angrier.

“You don’t understand!” Ash yelled, “You may be trying to ‘keep your cool,’ but I am actually having a normal reaction to this enormous disaster! I am freaking out!”

“Are you overreacting?” Ash’s mom asked.

Ash considered what she was doing. Yelling and shouting was not going to stop the fact that life had to go on, despite this disaster.

“Uhm, sort of, not really… yeah,” Ash answered sheepishly.

“C’mere, sweetie,” Ash’s mom said, opening her arms.

Ash charged headfirst at her mom’s stomach, playfully. “Oof,” her mom grunted, as Ash knocked her over. “You’re getting strong!”

Mother and daughter wrestled on the floor, and all was forgotten for a couple minutes. But the looming threat of the meteor returned soon, when…

***

Ash’s mom switched on the kitchen TV.

“Scientists are still trying to figure out what is the meaning of this meteor…” the reporter droned on.

There was a photo of the destroyed Goldman house on Eyewitness News. Ash and her mom looked at each other. Without talking, each knew what the other wanted: Turn off the TV.

So Ash clicked the remote, and the screen went black. But once Ash and her mom had started thinking about the meteor, they couldn’t stop — it was like a magnet.

“Mom,” Ash started nervously. “Did you see any small, greyish-white figure?”

“When?” Ash’s mom replied wearily.

She was 99% sure that Ash was just being funny, or making some invisible joke, but she always tried to give Ash a fair chance to speak.  

“Uhm, yesterday?” Ash said.

“No, sweetie,” Ash’s mom answered.

The irrational part of Ash’s mom’s brain then considered a new possibility: Ash needed to go to the mental hospital, but that was so unlikely, that the one hundred times bigger, more rational part of her brain deleted the thought.

“Sweetie, is this some kind of joke? Because I’m really not in the mood.”  

“Ah, no,” Ash muttered softly, and that was it, conversation over, end of story. But this was only the beginning of her asking those questions.  

It was Sunday, and there was no school, though Ash wanted to have school. Anything, anything, to get away from this thought in the back of her mind, this growing thought that was slowly, painfully, taking over her mind.

Because Ash was just denying the truth–aliens were taking over the planet.

***

“Did you see a greyish-white figure? Two days ago?” Ash asked around.

It was Monday. Ash had thought that having school would help take her mind off the greyish-white figure, but here she was, asking about the very thing she didn’t want to think about. The front of her brain told her that she didn’t know why, but the always-more-truthful, sometimes-painful back, told her that she really just wanted to have people who knew that what she saw was real.

But to no avail — everybody looked at her as if she was crazy, or with worry, and said, “No, I haven’t, not at all.”

Well, almost everybody. The class clown, Robert Grimley, said, “D’you mean Mrs. Goldman? She looked pretty greyish-white, though more from her shock that her beautiful house was destroyed than from the pain of having the painting frame fall on her foot.”

When he said beautiful, he made his voice high and old-lady like. It was an uncannily good impersonation of Mrs. Goldman.

“You are so unfeeling,” Ash shot back, though she, too, found it hard to have emotion to spare for Mrs. Goldman.

She had invited Ash, and Robert too, at some point, over to her house, which was a fancy, stuffy place filled with priceless objects, uncomfortable designer furniture, and flax and granola cookies that were more like terrible crackers.

Ash heard a piercing whistle very near her ear.

“Aah!” Ash flinched involuntarily and covered her ears.

They rang loudly afterward, so that she could hardly hear anything. But she didn’t need to hear to see that the oblivious PE teacher, Coach Shea, walked away without a look back to see Ash’s pain.

The day went on. Humanities, math, and computer class, the three other subjects she had that day, didn’t help at all to take her mind off the figure. In humanities, they were asked to write their feelings about the meteor hitting the Goldmans’ house. In math, they were asked to calculate the mass of the meteor based on the length, width, and density. In computer class, they were asked to write a digital composition about the meteor.

Finally, school was dismissed. Ash slammed the door behind her, as she swung through the doorway of her house.

“Oh there you are,” Ash’s mom said, not looking up from her laptop, which she was rapidly typing on. “We need to go to the store.”

Ash sighed and flung her backpack onto the coffee table, causing the fortunately-plastic cup on it to tip over and thump onto the floor.

“Ay–Ash! Put your backpack somewhere safe and pick up that cup!” Ash’s mom groaned.

Ash did what she was told and headed out the door again with her mom.

At the grocery store, the air smelled heavily of fish. There were many signs everywhere for a sale on salmon. Ash’s mom never bought the food on sale. She said that they only put the food on sale when it was going bad, and they wouldn’t get much money for it, unless they put it on sale.

Ash’s mom immediately headed to the dairy section to get milk, cheese, and butter. Ash instead asked a bagger about the greyish-white figure. When the bagger said “no”, Ash told herself, I will ask one more person and then that’s it, I’m done, no more talk about the stupid greyish-white figure!

So Ash asked another bagger. This bagger she knew. She was twenty-one, and her name was Alex Seidra. Alex had babysat for Ash sometimes, when Ash was younger. Mostly, Alex was just doing odd jobs to earn money for college.

Alex said, “What do you mean? No, I didn’t see anything like that.”

Ash’s heart was in her shoes already, but Ash was pretty sure it had now tunnelled through the earth and ended up in Australia.

***

Even though Ash had vowed to ignore the memory of the figure, as she walked home, she kept thinking about it. She knew in the back of her brain that what she saw really was real. So, she decided to do something about it. But she couldn’t think what.

As Ash lay in bed that night, she couldn’t sleep (again!) She realized that this had happened every night since the meteor, and even the night before. Ash grew angrier and angrier.

This weird figure is taking over my brain! Thoughts raced furiously through Ash’s brain,  I have a constitutional right to be safe in my own home, but I’m not safe from this figure anywhere!

Ash got so angry that she decided to do something about it. Right then.

As if controlled by an invisible force, Ash methodically rose to her feet and dressed in a warm long-sleeve shirt and a jean jacket. It was a brisk fall night. Ash was still in her monkey pajama bottoms when she headed outside with a flashlight.

Previously, Ash had not known why she was going outside. She just felt really strongly compelled to. But as Ash was carefully closing the door of her house, it hit Ash like a ton of bricks.

She was looking for the aliens.

***

Ash took one last look at her house. She wasn’t sure she would ever see it again.

As Ash headed into the woods with a flashlight, she felt a very strong sense of deja vu.

I’ve been here before, Ash thought.

And then, she realized. Ash stood stock still, terrified.

The dream from Saturday night. The cavern.

***

Ash ventured deeper into the woods, swinging her flashlight wildly amongst the trees. She didn’t see anything. It was just dark, dank woods smelling of wet leaves. No moon glinted over her head as she headed into the menacing trees. Ash was just about to turn back when she saw a beautiful light.

Ash didn’t know what she was doing. She broke into a panting run for no reason, toward the light. Then, Ash fell down on the soft earth, out of breath and out of hope. “Aah…” Ash breathed heavily, and fell into a black hole of despair, darkness, and finally sleep.

***

Ash didn’t know she had been asleep until she woke up. At first, she didn’t know what she saw.

Then she realized. Ash was in a clearing of the woods. A bright globe, ten feet tall, radiated the soft glowing light that she had seen earlier. And what was that? Oh my gosh…

Hundreds of those small greyish-white figures were climbing expertly all over her. It tickled. Suddenly, Ash had a wave of tiredness. She fell asleep again. In her sleep, the aliens whispered to her…

Tell… everyone… you… know… about… us… our… only… request…  

One girl. Hundreds of aliens. The two worlds had always been separate. But this symbolized unity. Unity between two planets.

 

The End. Well, not really.

 

Epilogue: Tuesday morning

Ash ran home and told her mom about the aliens. She told everyone. And strangely, easily… everyone believed her. Maybe it was the aliens’ magic. Maybe it was something else. I don’t know.

Go to Ash’s hometown. Go to her house. By now, Ash is seventy-three. She has children and grandchildren. Ask her about the meteor, and this is what she will tell you:

Once upon a time, a ten-year-old girl tossed and turned in her bed…  

 

The End. Really.        

   

The Guy With The Top Hat

WARNING: Highly packed with violence, guaranteed.

 

Prologue

Whoosh. There was a scream. Slowly, Mark came closer and closer to the door, his top hat wobbling on his head. There was another scream. Mark saw blood through the crack in the door. Would you think this would happen in 1999? I didn’t think so.

Mark closed his swollen eyes and pushed the door open. A woman was lying on the floor, blood gushing down her lap. Her left eyeball looked like it was about to fall out. Her hair was as hard as bricks and her right leg was not attached to her body.

“Ha!” said Mark. “Serves her right. Don’t ever mess with my dad again!”

Mark checked her heartbeat, she was dead.

Mark picked her up along with her detached leg and carried her and walked for miles and miles, until he came to a halt in front of a cave. Mark put her in the cave and piled rocks in front of the opening of the cave. She stayed there ever since.

 

Chapter 1: Kidnapped

There was a myth that started ten years ago with a guy named Mark, who killed a woman who had gone missing. No one knew if the myth was true, or if Mark was alive or not. Ten years later, in the 2000’s, very few people in the town remembered the myth of the guy with the top hat.

A guy named Mike, who was twenty-seven years old, always wore a top hat to work. He even wore it when he showered or went to bed. His wife, Clarissa, moved to Greece to study the Greek language, so it was only Mike. No kids or pets.

People who knew the myth of the guy with the top hat always were suspicious of him. The people who were suspicious of him being a murderer were right.

One dark night, Mike was walking along the street. He saw a girl around the age of five about to walk into a closed store. This was his chance! He ran and grabbed her and kept running. When he got to his home, he handcuffed her and pushed her on the couch. She was crying so hard that soon, there would be no more water left in her body.  He went into a cabinet and pulled out a handgun. He pointed it at her.

“You have two choices.” said Mike, “You can either stay here for the rest of your life and not try to escape and not see your family again, or I can kill you right now.  The choice is yours.”

The little girl snapped her fingers, and she turned into a full grown adult. Mike was so surprised, his top hat flew off his head, and he dropped his handgun.

“Hello again, Mike.”

“Who are you?” asked Mike, his hands trembling.

“You don’t recognize me? I am your wife. I flew back from Greece yesterday, and I turned into a little girl to spy on you.  I always thought you had an urge to do something criminal. You would always stare at kids when they didn’t have parents around. But I would have never thought you would actually do it. Poor kids. While I was away, did you kidnap or kill anyone else? Be honest.”

Clarissa took off her handcuffs and handcuffed Mike.

“If I see you kidnap anyone ever again you’re going to have to deal with me, kid.”

Clarissa turned back into the little girl, gave him an, “I am watching you” look, then vanished.

“That woman has skills,” said Mike.

Mike only learned that Clarissa had powers two years ago, but he still was in awe when she did them in front of him.  

Why do I have the urge to kidnap kids? thought Mike.

 

Chapter 2: Exploring The Dead

After Mike’s little chat with Clarissa, he was very cautious when he saw a little girl. Mike was under a lot of stress from the chat, so he decided to take a walk in the woods near the park.

He was walking in the woods, the leaves crunching under his shoes, then he came to a halt right in front of a huge bramble. Beside the bramble, there was a whole field of dead people who had almost disintegrated. As you might think, Mike was in heaven. Even though he had the little chat with his wife, that still didn’t stop his criminal urge. He touched one of the dead people’s arms. Their arms felt like noodles. Really weak. Then he picked up one of the bodies and was about to walk away from the bramble, until the dead person fell out of Mike’s arms and turned into Clarissa.

“Caught you at it again!” said Clarissa.

It was windy out and Clarissa’s purple hair was flying in her face, but she was still staring at Mike intently.

“I knew that after our talk you still wouldn’t quit. I can’t believe I am still your wife. Which reminds me, I want a divorce.”

Clarissa gave him her ring, while she was staring at him rudely.

“But that doesn’t mean I am still not going to watch you. In fact, I am going to watch you more than ever, so don’t take advantage. Now, I have to go but don’t you think you’re going to get away with anything else.”

Clarissa snapped her fingers, and all the dead people disappeared. Then, Clarissa vanished.

 

Chapter 3: City Life

Mike pondered the scene in the woods in his head over and over.

“God, I wish I didn’t have the urge to do something so wrong.”

A fraction of a second after Mike thought that, a tall figure appeared in his room. He couldn’t make out what it was, because whatever it was, was too bright.

“Who are you?” asked Mike.

It wasn’t a person, but there were words written on the wall with blood.

The writing read, “Count On Blood.” The words didn’t disappear. Mike didn’t know what that meant, but he pushed the memory in the back of his head and started to think of what he was going to do.

Mike decided to go to the mall to go shopping for new guns. Now you might be thinking after two chats with Clarissa, he would probably stop. But his urge was too strong.  

As he was going to the gun store, he stopped by a store that had a variety of mannequins. As you might expect, Mike went into the store to steal the mannequin, when the mannequin he was about to take turned into Clarissa.

“You are such a nuisance,” said Clarissa. “Every hour of every day you either steal, kidnap/murder, or kill. I don’t know why I ever thought you were a good husband. I think I made the right decision to divorce you. But you need a punishment.”

Clarissa handcuffed Mike and turned herself and Mike invisible.

Clarissa transported Mike and herself to a cave that was days away from the mall. Mike and Clarissa walked into the cave. There lay a women on the cold floor of the cave who had a detached leg and dried blood all over her.

“Sit down,” said Clarissa, “There are some things about your family history that only I know and that you don’t.”

“Why do you know and not me?” asked Mike.

“That’s not important at the moment,” answered Clarissa.

“You know that top hat of yours? That was passed on for generations of men. Get ready for this. You know the myth about the guy named Mark who killed a woman who had gone missing? Well, one, he killed the woman that is lying in this cave right now. And two, Mark is your great- great- grandfather. That’s probably why you have the urge to do illegal things. The reason Mark killed that woman was because she put a curse on Mark’s father. The curse was to make him forget everything. Forget who he was, his children, his wife, and everything and everyone that he loved.

So,Mark and the woman were both criminals. But the funny thing is that Mark and the woman were husband and wife. The wife didn’t like Mark’s father. Then, Mark and the woman divorced. That’s when Mark killed his ex-wife.”

Mike was now lying on the floor next to his great-great-grandmother.

“Wouldn’t she have disintegrated by now?” asked Mark.

“No, because the dried blood has a reaction with the soil to prevent her body from disintegrating.”

“Now, can you tell me since when did you know all this information, and how did you get the information?” asked Mike.

“Fine,” answered Clarissa, “Your dad told me all of this. I swore to him that I would not tell a single soul about what he said to you, but here I am now. Your dad told me right before he died. But I thought it was the right time to tell you. Can you change Mike? Can you fight off that urge? Try to be a better person. Try, just try.”

There was a long uncomfortable silence between the two. After about an hour of silence, Mike spoke.

“I have something to tell you Clarissa. I barely remember this, but I remember one thing. When I was eight, a curse was put upon me when I was walking in the forest. Some figure popped out of a tree and placed something on the ground. I wasn’t looking and then bam! The curse made me do really bad things or want to. When I was fourteen, I tried to fight it off but it was too strong. Without the curse, I am a good-hearted man.”

“Okay,” said Clarissa. “If you really are a good-hearted man, then when we get to your place, you are going to throw out all of your guns and handcuffs. I am going to watch you.”

“Of course you are,” murmured Mike.

Clarissa transported Mike and herself back to Mike’s home.

 

Chapter 4: Good Hearted Man

When Clarissa and Mike got to Mike’s home, she said, “So are you going to throw the guns and handcuffs out or not?”

“Well, I was hoping you would forget that,” said Mike.

“Stay here,” said Clarissa, “I am am going to research how you lift the curse. Maybe that’s what we have to do, rather than trying to push through it.”

A few hours later, Clarissa came back in excitement. The whole time Mike was sitting on his couch worrying about whether the curse could be lifted.

“I know how to lift the curse! All you need to do is drink this!”

Clarissa was holding a cup with red liquid in it.

“What is that?” asked Mike.

“It’s blood from the dead people!” said Clarissa.

“Wait, I remember!” yelled Mike.

“What?” asked Clarissa.

“There were words written on my wall that said ‘Count on blood’. That’s what it meant to lift the curse!”

Mike took the cup from Clarissa and drank all of it in one gulp.

Two seconds after Mike finished the drink he said, “Wow, I feel awesome! I can help you clean up the mess on the floor!”

“Great!” thought Clarissa.

From then on, Mike always helped babies find their lollipops, or helped old ladies across the street, or helped find a missing dog.

His kids were angels, and so was his wife, Clarissa.

 

Madison the Writing Fairy

Emma Hieh was thirsty, so she went to the grocery store to buy some Vitamin Water. When she bought the lemonade and she drank it, a fairy popped out of the bottle. Emma was so surprised. She thought fairies weren’t real. The fairy had curly, black hair down to her feet and she had a light blue dress down to her ankles and she wore a headband that was light blue and matches her outfit and pink sparkly high heels.

Emma said, “Hi.”

The fairy questioned, “Who are you? What are you doing in my bottle?”

“I was drinking lemonade,” Emma answered.

“Will you come with me?” the fairy said                   

“No,’’ Emma said.

“Please, I’ll help you face problems that you face in the future.”

And then Emma sighed, “Fine.”

The fairy took her outside and hid her behind a tree. And used her magic wand and they were off to The Writing Lab. They were on the top of a rainbow and when they slid down, they were at The Writing Lab of Fairyland. Emma felt magical and afraid, because she thought she might do something wrong. She saw a Writing Lab. It looked like a palace, except it said, “Writing Lab of Fairyland” on the top and not a palace. It was light blue and light pink. At the end of the rainbow, there was a cushion.

“Where are we?” Emma asked.

“Fairyland Writing Lab,” the fairy answered.

“Where should we start?”

Fairy Lab had light blue curtains on it with dark blue stars and the dark blue stars shined in the nighttime. They had drawing stations and they also had a special train that led to every single room that only fairies were allowed to take. Fairies only showed themselves to girls.

First, the fairy showed Emma her five magical objects. The first one was a magical pen that helped everybody write well in neat handwriting. The next one was a magic notebook which helped everybody’s pages not be ripped or crumpled. One was a magical necklace that had good covers and always had good drawings. And the last one was a magical computer that helped everybody type and think well for typing and another one was the magical light bulb which helped them think of ideas. She was about to say, “My name is Madison,” but suddenly one of the magic objects disappeared. The magical pen was the first one to disappear.

“I can’t believe it! I asked my best friend, Mia the Drawing Fairy, to look after it and also my best friend, Lily the Cover Fairy.”

Then, she went to ask Mia the Drawing Fair and Lily the Cover Fairy.

“Didn’t you look after my magical objects?”

Mia answered, “Yes, but I thought Lily was looking after it!”

“I wasn’t! Mia was,” Lily argued.

Emma saw something dark while all the arguing was going on, and suddenly she called Lily, Madison, and Mia. And when they saw it too, they said it’s the monster of all fairies.

Emma wondered, “What’s the Monster of all Fairies? Doesn’t every fairy have a happy life?”

“No,” cried Madison, Lily, and Mia at the same time as they burst into tears.

‘’Why’’

‘’He loves to ruin us.’’ Mia sighed.

‘’Is he nice?’’

‘’No.’’

‘’We have no time to lose,’’ Madison cried.

Emma asked, “Where should we start?”

“Are you going anywhere that has writing involved in it?” Madison asked.

“Yes, I’m going to a writing camp,” Emma answered.

“Awesome,” Madison cried, “Luckily, my magical objects get goblins or anybody who has them to the closest place of writing.”

“Do you know where your writing camp is?” Mia asked.

“Yes, it’s on Pense Avenue in Australia.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll come with you,” Madison answered, “Mia and Lily, can you help me and Emma look for my magic objects?

“Of course,” Mia and Lily chimed in.

A second later Emma blinks, she remembered that she was at her house. But then, she realized three fairies were hiding in her pocket, because her parents said that she could ride her bike to the camp because it was only five miles away. She went to the garage to get her bike, decorated with blue, silver, and gold. She had a basket on her bike, so she put the fairies to hide inside there. Suddenly, Emma’s puppy, Sunny, rushed and almost drooled on her bike. Emma jumped off from her bike and calmed down Sunny. But, her parents said to take Sunny to writing camp, because they couldn’t look after Sunny because they both had jobs. Madison loved dogs because her sister Ava, the helpful Fairy, sometimes took care of puppies, so she liked to help her too.

“Ah!” Mia and Lily shrieked.

“It’s okay,” Emma and Madison said at the same time.

“It’s just my puppy,” Emma told to them.

Then, she picked up Sunny and said, “Calm down, boy.”

And then, she put the fairies in her bag she was carrying to writing camp with all of her materials and put Sunny in the basket.

“There you go,” Emma said.

But Madison flew out of the bag she was in.

“Can I sit inside with Sunny?” Madison asked.

“Of course!” Emma exclaimed.

Once they arrived, Madison sensed all around the room.

Then she said, “I know that the magical pen in this building, but it’s not in this room.”

Then Emma said, “Maybe we should check downstairs. It’s a big place.”

When they went downstairs, goblins were holding all types of pens.

“Oh no,’’ Madison cried, “My magic pen can be anywhere.”

“I have a idea’’ Emma smiled, “I bet the monster of all fairies would be really mad if they weren’t hiding.”

“Okay, but I still don’t understand your plan,”  Madison questioned curiously.

“I’ll explain it,” Emma said, “If we can tell the goblins that I am the Monster of All Fairies, then the goblins will give me the magic pen and maybe we can take it back to Fairyland Writing Lab.”

“Let’s try it,” Mia, Madison, and Lily said.

Madison tried her magic, but it couldn’t work without her magic pen, which also helps her magic. Then, she asked Mia and Lily to help her with her magic. And when they put the three wands together, the magic gets more powerful than one fairy that has all their magical objects. Then they put the loud booming voice together to Emma.

Emma whispers turned invisible.

“We lost a pen,” one told truthfully.

Then, Emma, Madison, Mia, and Lily looked together in dismay.

Then Mia spoke up. “Maybe we should be brave.”

Then Lily said, “Maybe me and Mia can make the pen not sparkly, so it’ll be easier to find.”

“Okay,” Emma answered happily.

All of a sudden, two people appeared. One was really dark, so she looked miscellaneous. The other one was Emma’s best friend. Emma looked worried. She would always tell her secrets to her best friend, Melissa Aslyn. She knew that Melissa was the type of girl who was the most popular girl (she really was number two, and Emma is number one) in class. She always acted like a queen and ordered them to do something such as this,

“If you don’t give me that cupcake, I will never be your friend again.”

Melissa was always trying to look for fairies, like Emma.

“Fairies, come here!” Melissa called.

Emma felt something bad coming on her way.

“Is there something wrong?” Emma asked Madison and Mia who were playing hand games.

Madison felt a shiver. Mia felt a snowball and Lily felt a snowflake. That meant they were really cold and knew that something bad was on the way.

All of sudden, the goblins cried, “We found it, we found a pen!”

“Oh no!” Madison whisper-cried.

Mia suddenly had an idea. She didn’t want Melissa to hear.

She whispered, “What if the goblins aren’t smart enough to find a real pen?”

Emma checked her watch. “The time that we made the magic pen non-sparkly was 2 o’clock exactly. Now it’s 3 o’clock and they just said fairy magic power only lasts for 30 minutes.”

“Yes!” Madison said, sadly.

“So, did you remember to look at the pen?” Emma asked.

“No!” They cried.

Emma talked a bit louder this time and Melissa could hear her, “I wish we could find it.”

“Emma, don’t be tricky,” Melissa called, “I know you’re here.”

Emma took a big breath.

“Fine, I am,” she answered.

As usual, Melissa knew everything. She was one of those girls who took classes in everything. Melissa loved school too. So, Melissa was always the smartest girl in class. Melissa grinned. She knew that her best friend, Emma, was going to the same camp as her. Emma’s mom and Melissa’s mom were best friends. Emma pulled out her phone and she texted Melissa. She didn’t want her to know that she was up in the sky. So this was how it went:

EH: Hey M.

MA: I’m mad @ you, E.

EH: Hey r u bored?

MA: No, I’m mad. If u didn’t know that.

EH: Don’t be so mad at me, it’s not a big deal.

MA: Do u even know what I’m talking about?

EH: I sure do.

MA: I’m mad at u b/c u didn’t say hi to me.

EH: R u jealous?

MA: Jealous of what?

EH: Jealous of not finding me.

MA: Humph u always have the luck.

EH: R u sure you don’t want to join me for my new story? Plus, there’s a big store outside that sells tons of yummy treats.

MA: U still r my best friend and I made a new friend named Rina.

EH: I can’t go, I’m working on my new story, bye!

Melissa skipped to the treat store. Emma and the fairies flew all over the basement. They didn’t even see a glimpse of sparkle.

Emma sighed, “Maybe we shouldn’t try again. Maybe we should follow the goblins this time.”

The three girls flew up to the roof. Madison, Mia, Lily, and Emma huddled up.

“I’ll take the basement,” Madison answered.

“I’ll take the roof,” Lily said, “Even though we can’t see it, Emma said the roof was bigger.”

“True,” Emma said, “I’ll take the workshop if you can turn me down to human size.”

“I’ll take the lobby to make sure that the pen’s not there.”

With a wave of two magic wands, Emma turned to human size. Emma dropped her friend at their stops. Emma hurried to her stop. She searched all around. All of a sudden, she saw a gleaming pen. She grabbed it. All of a sudden, she heard a voice. A really grumpy voice.

“What are you doing with the pens?”

Emma turned around. It was the principal of the camp.

“I was just going to think of an idea for my new story and I wanted to write it down on paper.”

“Okay,” he grumbled.

Emma hurried down to the basement.

All of a sudden, she saw goblins and they said, “Give us that pen and let your fairy friends go or keep the pen and let your fairy friends stay inside the nets.”

Then Emma said, “I don’t believe you. For proof, show me the net.”

The goblins huddled up.

“Okay,” one whispered, “It was your dumb plan to trick that girl and it didn’t work.”

“Hey! It wasn’t me! It was him!”

“It wasn’t me either.”

When the goblins started to talk, Emma put on her voice record.

“It wasn’t me either,” a short one said.

All of a sudden, one of the goblins said, “I have an idea. How about we do an arts and craft of the fairies.”

“But we’re not good at arts and crafts,” the plump one said.

“Only Master is good at them,” another one mentioned.

“But he’s so greedy, that he sits around in the castle all day, and eats frost pops,” a tall one mentioned.

And then all the goblins agreed.

“Okay,” they all mumbled.

Emma left the room and hurried up to the roof. She met Lily.

“Listen to this!”

She pressed the button and they heard what the goblins talked about.

“I hope they don’t spot me, so they don’t do a sketch of me,” Lily said, “I’m not sure if they’ll trick you much though. Because they are horrible at arts and crafts.”

“Let’s find the others and talk about this,” said Emma.  

They found the others and Madison came up with an idea after they heard the recording.

“How about we trick them!”

“How?” Lily questioned.

“We could do an arts and crafts. Let’s put some glitter on top of a pen and then trick the

goblins and say ‘We don’t need a silly pen, all we need is normal pen,’” Madison said.

The others agreed.

They quickly finished the arts and crafts. Emma carried a bag everywhere and it had stuff to do a writing and illustrations. Then, they hurried to the goblins.

“We found the pen! But we don’t need it,” Emma said.

She threw it at the goblins.

“Hip, hip, hooray!” the goblins said, “We finally got the pen.”

Madison, Mia, and Lily pretend to be mad.

“Why did you do it?” Lily grumbled to Emma.

“It’s not fair. We took so much time to find it,” Madison grumbled.

“The Queen and King of Fairy Land are going to be so mad, Emma,” Mia mumbled.

The goblins happily skipped back to the MFAF (Monster of all Fairies). When the goblins disappeared, the fairies flew back to fairy land. When the queen saw the fairies and Emma, they thanked Emma and the queen said, “Thank you for all the help that you did for Madison. As a gift, we will give you a gift.”

She handed Emma a box with gold and silver wrapping paper and a bow around it. Emma opened it. She found a necklace with locket.

The queen said, “The locket will have fairy magic and whenever you open it, you will come to us. And, your parents will know that you have met a new friend and think it is from them. You have to be careful. Make sure when you come here, your parents don’t see you.”

The queen waved her wand and all of a sudden, she transformed her back to her room in her house. Emma was all happy. She started texting Melissa. This was how it went this time:

EH: Hey, M.

MA: Hey, E. I’ve got something for u.

EH: What is it?

MA: Wait and find out! btw, my parents and yours r letting us have a sleepover.

EH: ?

 

Expectations and Results of the 2016 Presidential Election

The United States of America is a country based on freedom of speech, so people can share their views on certain ideas. Usually, people, such as Michelle Obama, share political views through speeches. However, Hamilton actor Brandon Victor Dixon showed that political views could also be expressed in art, such as a play.

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, believes that the future President of the United States (POTUS) will shape a kid’s future. She has two girls, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama, and wants the future POTUS to know how to take the job seriously and to show children that everyone matters. Children must understand that they should not only chase their own fame, but also fight to give others the chance to succeed. As the First Lady speaks, she evidently convinces the audience to make them support these beliefs. She uses many literary devices to do so.

Michelle Obama often relates to her own personal experiences. She speaks a lot about her two daughters, and how her decisions have impacted their life. By using her own experiences, Michelle implies the fact that what she is saying actually matters to not only herself and her family, but many other families across the United States of America. Michelle Obama also repeatedly uses the terms “you” and “we.” By doing this, she makes the audience believe that they are a part of a team and that they really matter to her. When the audience feels like they are a part of a team, they feel special and therefore, they are convinced. Michelle Obama gave this speech at the Democratic Convention, where she and many others endorsed Hillary Clinton. I do not think these people like the future POTUS.

The new President of the United States is Donald Trump. This had really shocked me, considering that Hillary had way higher chances of winning. Maybe Hillary’s higher chance of winning made her supporters not feel the need to vote, and it made Trump supporters really want to make a change by voting for him. After Trump won, the stock market dropped four percent. However, after he gave his acceptance speech, the stock market rose, making the total drop of 1.5 percent. I think that at first, many people thought that Donald Trump would only do bad for the United States of America. However, after his speech, people started thinking he wouldn’t be the worst. Maybe he would actually take the job seriously, a quality that Michelle Obama wanted the future POTUS to have.

I think that Michelle Obama, despite that fact, still does not accept Donald Trump. Trump has said many things that convinced people to believe that he is very self-centered. Michelle Obama wanted to have a president who would teach kids that everyone is important. Overall, Trump has not received much respect from Democratic States.

Mike Pence has also not received much respect from these States. Mike Pence, the new Vice President, recently went to see the Hamilton Broadway show in New York City. However, he got an unexpected message at the end. One of the Hamilton cast members gave Mike Pence his thoughts.

He said, “We hope you will hear us out. We, sir — we — are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”

Later, Mike Pence responded to this by saying, “I wasn’t offended.” He also said, “This is what freedom sounds like.”

Donald Trump tweeted, “Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!…Apologize!”

The cast member who made these remarks, Brandon Victor Dixon, refuses to apologize.

I have recently heard some very good opinions on Brandon Victor Dixon’s statements. I have heard from people who did, and did not support these statements.

From people who did support his statements, they believe the courage and confidence this cast member had was truly amazing. After hearing it was not right to do such a thing from many people, I have heard counter-arguments, saying it is freedom of speech, which is a right given to all members of the United States of America.

From people who did not support his statements, they have said Brandon was taking advantage of the fact that the cast had the stage and social power (the ability not to make certain decisions/laws, but to have an influence on people). Therefore, they should’ve privately done such a thing. They also believe Mike Pence has not done anything as Vice President, to show that he will not protect America. These people did not support Trump, but believe that we all must give him and his administration a chance and respect the fact that he won fair and square and that he is the President of the United States. In short, it was the right idea, but the wrong platform.

Personally, I agree with both sides. I think that it was not fair to insult Mike Pence when he came to the show for entertainment. However, this might have an impact on the Trump administration and change some of their negative policies. I think Brandon Dixon should have posted something on social media, considering Mike Pence went to Hamilton with his daughter, and she could have felt sad or embarrassed that her father was being booed and insulted at what was supposed to be a social entertainment event.

I think Michelle Obama favors Brandon Victor Dixon’s statements. I think she likes the way he spoke up and said what he believed. Michelle Obama implied she did not want Trump to win. However, Brandon stated the fact that he wanted to see a change in the Trump Administration. I think Michelle Obama respected his self-advocacy and his courage to give Mike Pence this message.

Overall, this Presidential Election has been a wild one. Both candidates were very determined and wanted the job. It was Hillary versus Trump, and Trump won being President of the United States. Michelle Obama and Brandon Victor Dixon have both portrayed the fact that they don’t like Trump and his administration. I think we must give the Trump Administration a chance and see what they have to offer the United States of America.

 

Why Minecraft is Educational

I believe that Minecraft is educational because it can help them with problems, especially in creative mode where the player has every block. Furthermore, in creative mode, the player can unleash his or her full imagination. The player can build boats, planes, cities, and even empires.

In survival mode, the player spawns and has on materials, and it is a challenge to get enough resources and be ready for monsters to come at night and try to kill the player. The player must use their instincts to survive. “New moves to learn new things” in Minecraft helps kids with problem solving, says Margaret Rock in the “Modern Parent” section of 2 Machines. See, even some parents agree with me and others.

Minecraft opened a new edition called Educational mode for the classroom, according to an article by Mojang, the video game developer of Minecraft. Minecraft made educational mode to help kids around the world learn and bring forth their imagination. When any person uses their  imagination, they don’t have a dull life and the player learns how to be creative. Creativity predicts a longer life. In a Scientific American article, “researchers found that only creativity — not intelligence or overall openness — decreased mortality risk. Also one possible reason creativity is protective of health is because it draws on a variety of neural networks within the brain.” James Clear cites studies and research that demonstrates how creating art decreases negative emotions, reduces stress and anxiety, and improves medical outcomes. In creative mode of minecraft the user is given an infinite number of blocks and can not die, so the player has no limit to using his/her imagination. Not only can being creative help you live longer, but it can improve your quality of health and life too.

All in all, for these reasons minecraft is healthy and educational, plus it is awesome. Even though it is a video game, it is a fun educational video game that helps build creativity and problem solving. I think kids should use minecraft in school. If you were to play minecraft in school, it wouldn’t be a free period, because you still have to learn in school. Duh.      

 

The Ghost

One day, when the wind was howling like a wolf, and the bats were having a feast, Mr. Hyde was in his bedroom. It was midnight, but of course, he wasn’t sleeping. He never slept, always plotting his next evil plan. He was mumbling to himself, and tonight, it seemed like he was a dog. He was rolling around like a maniacal idiot (not that he wasn’t always.)

Then, I, the ghost who haunted the night, saw him through his window and thought that I should enter. Not his house, but his body.

So I flew through his window as fast as a falcon, and I entered his body. But again, of course, I was unlucky. Since the only reason he was rolling around like a stupid dog was that there was another ghost inside him. I never did work out at the gym, so obviously he won the fight.

So I was forced to haunt his house. The next morning, when Mr. Hyde woke up, he felt very eerie, like there was something inside of him, which both you and I certainly knew: there was a ghost inside him. And that ghost was powerful. He entered through your dreams. Through your biggest nightmares, like a spy. Like a robber.

But then Mr. Hyde? He was powerful, too. He may have even been the most powerful man on this earth. So, he broke free. That ghost went flying out the window, whining like a wet cat.

But then, he realized that there was another noise in that house. That noise was me.

Obviously, a ghost doesn’t go around saying “who, who!” (That’s him floating in the wind). So, now you know we didn’t like screaming. In fact, we didn’t even mean to make noise at all. But we had to. Unless we wanted to be still for life. Yet, other ghosts didn’t have an option. They were frozen. Frozen by hard magic. Turned to stone. Practically statues. And crushed under the power of good. I’m lucky that I wasn’t not crushed like that. Maybe one day I might be. But I hoped not.

But now, Mr. Hyde really noticed that there was something going on. And being a scientist, mad or not, you had to be smart. So he was, and then he held a seance to call the ghost, which he sensed in the house. So he called all his neighbors, all his close friends, and far friends, too. He called all his family members and everybody else he knew.

And then, that’s when I had to fight. I had to fight against all of the rituals they did to call me. And I could hear them. I could hear them like thunder in my ear. But my willpower didn’t let them call me, didn’t let them see me. And then, I had to do something.

My mother had once said, “Only use this spell in the deepest of dangers.” It was the only spell I knew. And this was dangerous. They were going to see me. They were going to kill me. I thought about it. For a long long time. Then, I decided I just had to do it. So I used it! I used the spell. In a booming voice, much stronger than theirs. And then, all of them froze. And then, I said the backup spell. The one that would crush them.

I thought, Should I crush them? Or should I not?

Then, I decided not to. I knew how I’d been crushed. Crushed with only my spirit left to roam. No one could hear me. No one could see me. Then, I would have gotten used to it. But still, I thought, No.

So then, I just left.

Now, Mr. Hyde — his story was one of the past. One that I will always tell. For eons and eons to come. And his story, I’ve just told you.

 

I Heard a Noise

I heard a noise. “Woo!”

I thought it was the wind but it was something far from the wind.

But then, I heard, “Come, come, KC.”

I stepped off my bed. My feet touched the cold bare floor. I put my slippers on. I looked out my window. I didn’t see a thing. I turned around. I screamed. There was a ghost.

***

30 years later…

“Jane, go tell your sister to come on.”

Jane said, “Liz, Mom wants you to come and see the new house.”

“I’ll be there in a second,” Liz said.

There was music playing.

 

Five minutes later…

“Why is there salt on the windows? There’s salt everywhere.”

“I don’t know,” said Jane in a very cheerful way, “I call the waterbed!”

“They’re all waterbeds.”

“Okay.”

“Mom, can I go to town?”

“Why?”

“Because I just want to.”

“Yes, but you have to bring your sister.”

“But why?”

“Jane, go grab your coat!”

“La la la,” Jane skipped on the road. “Can we get a cookie?”

“Fine.”

“Hello, miss. What are you doing out so late?”

“Yeah, it’s late, but I’m thirteen. I can walk around.”

“Oh, you’re the new family in town.”

“But don’t you know what happens when it’s this late?”

“No, what happens?”

“You don’t know the myth, do you? So a long time ago, about thirty years before, there was a girl named KC. She used to live in the house you live in. One night, she was in bed, and she woke up and she was bleeding. She had a knife in her leg.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yes, but she’s never gone back to that house.”

“That is why there is salt on the sides of the house?”

“Oh, she put that there when she sold the house.”

“Liz, can we get a cookie now?”

“Yes, here is some money now. But where does she live now?”

In the old car going home, Liz decided that she would be sure to go to talk to her mom about it…

 

Helen Patrick Human

Hi, I am H.P.H. (Helen Patrick Human.) I am not a girl or a boy.  Here is my story:

I was born on February 6, 2003 at 8:57 P.M., and the first thing the doctors who took care of my mother did was to identify what gender I was, like they do to everyone. All tests made were unsuccessful. I was always 50.555555% girl, 50.555555% boy. So I was a half boy, half girl human.

My mom and my dad, the doctors, my grandma and my grandpa, my aunt and my uncle, my sister and my brother, and everyone that knew me or my mom decided that I would get to choose what gender I would be considered as when I got older. So as soon as I could speak, I was given a choice: girl or boy?

My mom wanted me to be a sweet little girl, and my dad wanted a sporty boy. I did not know what to chose, so now, as a 13-year-old, I am still known as the genderless person.

So, now that I am a mixed-gender person, what is my name? I have no middle name, my first name is Helen Patrick, and my last name is just simply Human. But most people just call me HP.

Since I am a mix between two genders, what clothing am I supposed to wear? I just wear solid color shirts of blue, green, or orange. My pants are usually tan or black, nice and loose. If I need to wear a jacket, I just stick with blue or green. Perfectly reasonable for a girl or a boy. My hat is a white fox.

So, what does my room look like? Well, it is blue, again. I have no posters, and I have a boring, blue bunk bed with a blue T.V. and a blue table with a blue sofa in front of it. I keep most of my things just blue, so no one would call me a boy or a girl.

So, another way you would probably identify if someone is a girl or a boy is by how they look and how long their hair is. My hair goes up to my shoulders, and is able to be a boy’s hairstyle or a girl’s. My face makes me also look like a mix because of my hair. That is technically how I look like.

So, now that you know a lot about me, don’t feel sorry. I have friends. Two of them are girls, two of them are boys.

So here is one day of life: I wake up at 6:30am as a person. I eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and wash my face. Then, I am off to school. I walk into my classroom and sit down. We have math, science, reading, and then lunch. My day is normal. I am a human, after all. After lunch, I have science, and gym, then bye! School is over. I go home, do homework, and watch some T.V. Then, I brush my teeth and go to sleep. Like I said, I am a normal human. When I wake up the next day, my day repeats. And that is just life.

So, I was just walking home from school one day, and I was greeted by my mom at the doorstep, which is not often. She is usually just working at her art studio as an artist. She is very good.

Anyway, she said, “HP, answer me! You must make a choice, a girl or a boy? You are almost fourteen now, you can’t be two genders forever. You hear me? CAN NOT!”

“But mom! I have been a cool person all my life, how long do you think it will take for me to adjust to being ‘not double gendered?” I added, offended, “What about friends? What about my life? What about everything in life? Mom, listen, I don’t want my life to change. So understand me.”

“H.P.!” Her voice was furious.

“You understand me!”

Then, she collapsed into a small, sad ball. My mom had never been like this before.

“Okay, Mom. I’ll think about it,” I added quickly.

“Thanks, Helen Patrick. I knew I could count on you.”

 

Queep!

Queep was super mad. Actually, he was capital “M” mad. Why? Because he wanted the most wonderful painting ever, and so, he knocked down his neighbor’s house.

Queep was a big, scary monster who did things for no reason. He was green. Well, actually, he wasn’t green. He just wore a green cloak and never took it off, even in the summer, so he looked green.

One of the things he did for no reason was that he knocked down his neighbor’s house because he wanted the most wonderful painting in the world, even though his neighbors had nothing to do with it. He did it because he thought his neighbors were taking his packages, and he was expecting them to come in the mail (but he didn’t even order anything.)

The neighbors were out, but when they came home, they saw their house, and taped it back together with Scotch-tape that had been sitting in the freezer forever. His neighbors didn’t know Queep, because he only went out when they weren’t there.

His neighbors were humans. Their names were Buggy, Woggy, Shuggy, and Baby Welmer.

Whenever Queep opened the door to tell the world that he wanted the most wonderful painting ever, a big, red bird with a tongue taller than the Empire State Building, appeared and whacked him on the head (with his long tongue.) That was the only thing that Queep was scared of.

That night, Queep remember-dreamed of when he was born. Queep was born out of a black hole.

Based off of what you already know about Queep, you may think his house would be yucky and moldy like a normal monster’s house. But his house was so nice because he didn’t sit on anything, he didn’t touch anything, he wore a new pair of inside shoes every day, and he wore gloves, even if it was the hottest day. He lived in a big mansion, so it was hard not to touch anything. Even the neighbor’s house was dirtier. Queep hated dirt. If he saw dirt, he screamed.

***

One day, Queep went outside to tell the world that he wanted the most wonderful painting ever, and the big, red bird appeared. He stuck out his tongue, and he whacked Queep. It hurt because his tongue was made of electricity. So Queep got electrocuted.

Queep shouted, “Go away, bird!” but it was in Queep’s language, so the bird didn’t understand, or it just didn’t listen.

So Queep went inside, and he turned on the microwave for no reason. And then the house got hot, because the microwave was on. But Queep was still cold, even though it was summer. And so, he turned on the oven, and he was still cold. So he turned on the stove, and he lit a fire in the fireplace. And he sat on the chimney. And the smoke just pushed him off. He fell headfirst on the neighbor’s roof and smashed it open.

And they got mad. Especially, Baby Welmer. And Baby Welmer whacked him and then turned into the big, red bird. And Baby Welmer, when he turned back into a baby, was just himself again, as small as a peanut.

Queep remembered a time when he had gone to the peanut factory, and he ate so many peanuts and felt good after. And so, Queep ate the baby. And then Baby Welmer turned back into the big, red bird in Queep’s stomach. He stuck his tongue out of Queep’s throat, and Woggy pulled him out.

Queep screamed his head off and it made the whole ground shake. His head really fell off. So he taped it back on. But he couldn’t talk because his vocal cords were disconnected. So Queep ran to the bank and picked it up and threw it on the neighbors. But the neighbors weren’t there because they were still in their house.

While he was out, Queep thought of the painting of the bear with no face in the big, gold, swirly frame, and thought that it was the best painting ever. So, he headed towards the painting store. He put on a human disguise. But the painting cost too much money. And Queep only owned play money. So he tried to prank the guys at the store. But, when he put the play money in the machine, the machine got jammed, and Queep couldn’t buy it.

Queep then headed to the doctor to fix his head and vocal cords. After the doctor had fixed him, Queep headed home and took a nap.

Queep woke up a few hours later with a cold. He ran to the town hall with his tote that Baby Welmer had made a few years ago. Queep absolutely loved the town hall. The reason Queep loved the town hall was the elevator. Queep rode up and down, pressing all the buttons.

After visiting the town hall, Queep remembered that the local shoe department, where he stole extra shoes for inside, had closed down, so Queep ‘borrowed’ an iPhone belonging to an extremely fat woman who was always on social media, mostly Twitter. Queep didn’t like her for some reason. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was her strong perfume or something. Queep asked Siri where the nearest shoe store was. Siri said it was at 222222 Ralone Ultra Avenue. So, Queep set off to find it.

Thirteen hours later, Queep arrived in a miniature motor plane at 222222 Ralone Ultra Avenue, and boy was it ultra, because it took Queep thirteen hours just to get to 222222 Ralone Ultra Avenue.

Anyways, Queep flew right into the shop and landed. Right at first sight, Queep loved the store itself. The shop owner screamed. All the customers ran out of the shop, dropping all their items.

“My customers!” the shop owner wailed.

He fell to the ground and fainted. Happily, Queep grabbed all the shoes he wanted, and ran around the shop. Since he hated the shop owner, instead of calling the paramedics, Queep jammed the pay machine. Queep felt bad about doing this because he loved the store itself. Suddenly, Queep realized how late it was, so he ran out of the shop, cursing in his own language.

By the time Queep arrived home, it was 6:45 A.M. which meant Queep hadn’t slept through the whole night, but Queep didn’t care, so he just landed his miniature motor plane and whizzed inside his big, fluorescent doors. He had a nice, fizzy Pepsi and some Cheddar Bunnies in ice cream. Then, he spilled the Pepsi in his ice cream too. But really, Queep was tired because he just rested his cheek in his ice cream, fell asleep, and sleep-sang, “I like to eat apples and bananas!”

The next day, Queep remembered that his birthday was coming up soon. Queep’s birthday was on February 30th, which only came every 8 years, so Queep celebrated only every 8 years. This made him look much older than he was. Queep got out of bed and cartwheeled over to the television and turned on CNN. When the commercial came on, Queep headed to the bathroom, but found out that his toilet had broken down, along with his bathroom sink and bath. So he headed to the neighbors’ house to use their bathroom, but he accidentally walked in on Baby Welmer, who screamed and turned into the big, red bird and Queep quickly round-offed away. Well, Queep still had to use the bathroom, so he went in his kitchen sink instead.

Later, Queep decided to go to Starbucks. He got a hot macchiato using the scaring trick that he did at the shoe store. Queep could feel the warm coffee sloshing down his throat. Queep then put his human disguise on and then headed to the painting store. When he arrived, Queep saw the painting and instead of the usual rush of warmth throughout his body, he shivered, a lump forming in his throat, and a pit forming in his stomach. And for some reason, Queep left.

When Queep woke up, he knew he dreamt about something, but he didn’t remember what.

Meanwhile, a small one-and-a-half-year-old baby, who was traveling alone, boarded the train in Larxington Alley Train Station. The conductor simply scooped her up and plopped her down on a backwards facing window seat. The conductor put up some “Baby For Adoption”  signs in the station, and re-boarded the train. The baby pressed her nose against the window, fogging up a spot on it. She watched the blur of color as the train sped. Every so often, the train would come to a halt, the doors would slide open, a bell would ding, and a low voice would come over the loudspeaker and say the stop. For instance, “This is Larxington Alley Train Station.”

Finally, the train stopped and the low voice said over the loudspeaker, “This is Grassy Field Meadow Train Station.”

Finally, the little baby was picked up and brought to a small building called “Grassy Field Meadow Orphanage”. The baby was too young to know where she was, but she knew she wasn’t where she came from. Grassy Field Meadow was a terrible name for it, because it was a city.

Meanwhile, Queep was eating raisin bread soup mixed with a warm coca-cola, because Queep didn’t like when coca-cola was cold, so he always heated it first. After he ate, he ran out to town to watch the trucks on his favorite bench. He liked the bench because it was right across from a construction site. He liked to watch the big trucks push the cement around and build stuff. He especially liked the trucks that picked people up when they had to reach things. After a while, he got another warm macchiato. He brought his macchiato back home so he could pour it in his soup, which was getting cold. But, on his way home, he tripped on a rock and scraped his knee. He had to limp home, and when he got there, he put on 12 bandages.

Queep fell asleep but was woken up by the phone ringing. He didn’t answer it. A few minutes later, the phone rang again. Since the phone was bothering him, Queep decided he would go back to town. All of a sudden, Queep decided he wanted to leave “The Town Of Bore” (aka: Grassy Field Meadow.) He ran to Grassy Field Meadow Train Station and waited in a two hour line to stamp his tickets. But when he got to the booth, a sign said they do not serve any animals or non-humans.

“No! No!” Queep thought out loud, which wasn’t a good thing, because many people stared at him, and then, when they came back to their senses, they ran away.

Soon, Queep was positive that the lady in the booth was gone. She was a familiar lady, who Queep soon remembered was the one he stole the phone from. The smell of strong lavender perfume was still in the air. Queep wasted no time stamping the fat lady’s signature onto his tickets. Queep had gotten two seats because (no offense to Queep) he was kind of a big guy.

Queep just made it onto the train that the baby just so happened to be on. Queep sat in the backwards facing window seat that the baby just so happened to be sitting in, and Queep, just vaguely, could smell the scent of baby powder. He wondered why.

Queep soon heard a low voice come over the loudspeaker. It said, “This is Larxington Alley Train Station.” Queep stepped out of the train, got a warm macchiato and sat down on a bench. He watched two small girls giggling and talking. His warm macchiato trickled down his front. A pit formed in his stomach. He saw a mother kissing her small baby boy. Queep’s eyes filled with tears.

“I want someone to love.” Queep whispered to himself.

He began to cry.

No! Queep thought. I’m crying in public!

Suddenly, something caught Queep’s eye. It was a sign that read, “Baby For Adoption”  and in smaller letters it said, “Call 012-345-6789. Phone booth.”

It’s serendipity! Queep thought.

He took a train straight back home, and when Queep arrived at his house, the phone was still ringing. Queep picked it up.

“Hello, this is Greenfield Girl Scouts! Would you like some cookies?”

Queep put the phone down. It continued to ring. Queep shut down his home phone. He grabbed his stolen cell phone  and immediately called the number on the paper. 012-345-6789. Queep had it memorized. The line was busy. Queep’s heart sank. He tried again. Someone answered.

“This is Grassy Field Meadow Orphanage!” a woman said, ‘How can I help you?”

“Um…” said Queep, “Baby #7?”

“Ah,” said the woman, “Yes. Can you be here at noon on Friday, March 1st?”

“Yes!” Queep exclaimed happily.

That was Queep’s birthday, on the Queep-Calendar! (It has February 30th every eight years.)

“Bye!” said Queep.

He couldn’t wait. Queep warmed some Coca-Cola and poured it into his day-old soup. After eating, he went to sleep, knowing the next day would be great.

The next morning, Queep gobbled up his breakfast, and whizzed outside in his miniature motor plane. He arrived approximately eight minutes before noon. Queep politely parked his plane and walked inside.

Suddenly, Queep realized he might scare the lady at the front desk. Oh well. Queep thought, and he walked inside.

The lady (surprisingly) didn’t run or scream or stare. Instead, she took him to a small room labeled Rm. #7. Queep’s heart was racing. Would it be hate at first sight? Queep hoped not.

When Queep set eyes on the small baby girl, he smelled the baby powder on her. She was terrific! This was definitely love at first sight.

“So…” said Queep, “Can I keep Marcy?”

“Who’s Marcy?” the lady asked.

“I named the baby.” said Queep.

“You sure can!” said the lady.

She smiled genuinely. And that is just what Queep did.

Oh, and that painting? Queep didn’t need that thing anymore. Because Marcy just loved to do art.

 

Disappointment

Chapter 1                                                                                                    

Once upon a time there was a beautiful city in America. The city was called New York.

I woke up this morning feeling happy. It was a beautiful day in NY, the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and I was happy!

But it was Monday. Moody Monday. I brushed my teeth, took a shower, and ate my food. Then, I ran to school. First period was English. We started with a test, and I felt confident. I had been studying for this test for weeks. The class started. Finally, time was up. We passed our papers to the teacher. My test was going to be returned by the end of the day. I had third, fourth, and fifth period. After third period was lunch. For lunch was pizza! Yay! After lunch, I had two more periods before I got my test back, and I could go home. The second to last period was math, and the last period was history.

Before I went home, I dropped by my English room to get my test back. I looked at my score and… No! I got an F. A big, fat, red, F! I looked at my pink and grey sneakers. Then, I walked to my apartment with my feet dragging behind me. I opened my colorful backpack, took out my books, and started studying for my math test, eager to get an A on my math test. I looked at my test again, then I looked at the name bar and instead of my name, I saw the biggest loser’s name in the name bar. This test paper was not mine! The next day, I went to school, went straight to the English room, and I saw Dud, the biggest loser in the class. He was copying down my answers on a piece of paper that looked just like the real test, except this wasn’t. I was speechless.

Right then the teacher came in and asked, “What are you two doing?!”

Dud answered quickly, “Emily told me to copy down answers for her next test or else she’ll get the whole school to go against me!”

I said in a loud voice, “No, I did not!”

Instantaneously, my teacher said in a slow whisper scream, “Emily detention. Now.”

I was in shock, but I managed to squeak out, “I did not do anything!”

The teacher said, “Emily. Detention or Expelled.”

I quietly walked out of the room without another word.

 

Chapter 2

Detention was awful. They made us sit quietly without saying a thing. The gym teacher made me do seventy-five push-ups while doing my math homework in my head.

The next day, I went to Dud and told him, “You have gotten me in a lot of trouble, and now it’s time for me to get you back.”

Dud looked horrified.  Then, I walked to Wendy, my best friend. I started telling her about Dud and detention.

Wendy said, “Let’s make sure during lunch when the entire school’s there, we insult and embarrass Dud so he’ll be sorry.”

 

Chapter 3

During lunch, I got everybody’s attention.

I stood on the table and screamed out, “Dud wears underpants to school that have pictures of his own face on them!”

Everyone started laughing.

Yes, mission accomplished, I thought.

I felt kinda bad for Dud, but I knew I got him back, and the school was against him. After lunch, the school was teasing and mocking Dud by calling him “Dud on the butt.” Dud was even more gloomy and depressed than usual. During classes, he wasn’t raising his hand or doing his usual Dud things, as in raising his hand or participating.

Now, I was actually starting to feel bad for Dud, a.k.a. the biggest liar in the world. I don’t think I should have embarrassed him in front of the school. Instead, a better choice would have been talking to him and the teachers personally and figuring things out. But, it wasn’t too late to have a conversation.

So, the next day, I asked the teacher if I could talk to her about something with Dud. During the conversation, I told the teacher that I didn’t tell Dud to cheat. I apologized to Dud and told him I felt terrible for embarrassing him in front of the whole school. The teacher was proud of me for putting in an effort to figure things out between Dud and me.

 

Chapter 4

Now, all that was left to do is have a conversation with Dud a.k.a Dud on the butt. I asked Dud if I could have another conversation with him.

He said, “Sure, whatever.”

We met at recess, and had our very important conversion. I asked him why he copied down my answers. Dud told me his parents were divorced, and he lived with his dad. His dad was really strict and expected him to get an A on every single test, quiz, or assignment. He also told me that his mom had died from an asthma attack one year ago.

The most surprising thing he told me was that his real name was Dudley. I asked him why he did not use his real name at school. He said his name was a mistake, and that when he was applying for school here, his name got misspelled. Then, the teachers started calling him Dud, and then, the kids started calling him Dud. I told Dud a.k.a Dudley that I was really sorry for him.

Suddenly, the bell rang and it indicated that we had to go to our next class. I told him how nice it was to finally have a conversation with him and figure things out. Dudley smiled.

 

Chapter 5

Finally, the end of the year had come along. I was feeling good about next year, knowing Dudley wouldn’t be giving me the evil eye all year. We were saying our goodbyes to our friends and teachers. On the last day, I said goodbye to Wendy, my best friend, to Dudley, to my teachers, and to everyone else. Dudley and I made eye contact and went our own ways.

 

The Adventures of the Puppets

Once upon a time, there lived someone named Puppet 3. He was always scared. The thing that scared him the most was the witch. She lived in a cave in a forest.

One day, Puppet 3 got chased into the woods by a lizard that was only one inch tall. On he ran and left Puppets 1 and 2 behind.

On the way, he got frightened and almost fell in poop! While Puppet 3 was off, the witch caught Puppets 1 and 2. She carried them off to her cave! Puppet 3 was still on the hike. He checked his lunch box to see if there was any food.

“No,” said Puppet 3, “I forgot to pack myself food!”

He kept going on the trail, but he still didn’t find any food or houses.

Puppets 1 and 2 were now working for the witch, and then, after one day, she planned to eat them up. Puppets 1 and 2 were not scared. They were brave! Then, she locked them in a cage. Puppets 1 and 2 were really scared now.  

After 100 minutes, it was nighttime, and in the night, the cave looked even scarier because there was a statue on top that glowed green and looked like a bear! Meanwhile, Puppet 3 got to the cave. Then, he got frightened by the green statue and he almost fainted. Puppet 3 went inside to look for food. Then he saw Puppets 1 and 2 in a cage.

He asked, “What happened?”

Puppets 1 and 2 said, “A witch locked us in a cage while you were away!”

Puppet 3 asked, “How can I get you out?”

Puppets 1 and 2 whispered, “You need to get the key.”

Puppet 3 asked, “Where is it!?”

“I don’t know!” shouted Puppet 1.  

“Shhh,” said Puppet 2.

Puppet 3 went deeper inside the cave until he saw a small office. And inside it, there was the key. He tried pulling the door, but it was locked! After ten minutes, the witch came inside her office. Then, he remembered he found a gold coin on the hike. He put it next to the window so the witch could see it, and he hid by the wall.

The witch went out of the door and said, “This is my little day! I found a gold coin in my cave! I’m going to put it in my collection.”

Then, she left, but she left the door open. When the coast was clear, Puppet 3 went inside, he got the key and ran to the front door step.

He said to Puppets 1 and 2, “I got the key!”

He unlocked the cage and Puppets 1 and 2 got out. Then, the witch came running out.

“Hey! What are you doing with my dinner! I was just about to eat it.”

The witch got angry and she made the statue come to life. It turned into a big bear with horns! It was forty feet tall.

“Hey!” shouted Puppet 3 to the monster. “I heard that you’re the fastest monster that can run in circles. I don’t believe you. I don’t think you can do it.”

“I can,” the monster said with a grunt.

“I don’t think so,” said Puppet 3.

“I’ll show you,” he said.

And he ran in circles ten thousand miles per hour. Before the monster was running in circles, the witch had gone inside. She didn’t see what was happening. He ran for one hour.

Then, the monster said, “I need to sit down.”

And he thought the witch’s cave was a stool, so he sat on it and broke everything!

Puppet 3 said, “I also heard you can jump through the sky into outer space. And I don’t think that’s true, either.”

“I can do that!” and he jumped all the way to outer space.

But then the witch came back to life!

She was so angry!

Then, the monster came falling down from outer space because he was too heavy to float. The monster crushed the witch again. The witch was so tired that she fell back asleep.

She said, “I’m so tired, I’m going to sleep for ten million years!”

Then, the monster tripped over a ten foot boulder and crashed into one hundred trees. Then, there was the biggest tree in the world that was ten million feet tall. The monster touched it with one finger and it broke and fell on his head.

Puppets 1 and 2 asked Puppet 3, “How did you do that?”

Puppet 3 said, “I didn’t do anything. I only tricked the monster into running in circles and jumping into space.”  

They walked back home as they talked about the day they had!!! They lived happily ever after…The End. Or is it?

***

Once upon a time, there lived someone named Puppet 4. He was very lazy.  He spent most of his time sleeping and never helped anyone out! His friends, Puppets 5 and 6 once went on a road trip.

They asked Puppet 4, “Do you want to help us get the car?”

Puppet 4 said, “No,” with a grunt.

Puppets 5 and 6 did not know what to say, so they just went and got the car by themselves. They felt sad. They went on the road trip without him.

On the way, they called Puppet 4. Puppet 4 didn’t even bother to pick up the phone. He got up, walked slowly to the refrigerator, got some yogurt, and went back to bed. He turned on the TV. He watched “The Baby Dora” show.

While Puppets 5 and 6 were on the trip, they found a diamond. Puppet 4 was fast asleep and spilled his yogurt on his head and on his blanket. He had put cherry in the yogurt and the stain wouldn’t get out of his bed.  

Puppet 4 woke up and said, “Oh no! My blankets! My bed! It’s covered in cherry stains. I’ll go to the store later and get the stain remover. Actually, I’ll ask my friends.”

But he couldn’t reach the phone, so he just stayed in bed.

Puppets 5 and 6  were still in the car trying to call him. Finally, they just gave up. While they were driving, it was nighttime, and Puppet 4 was still fast asleep. Then, the car lights went black and they couldn’t see anything. They saw green glitter in the air going by really fast above them. Then blue, then red, circling above them. They heard a whoosh. They didn’t know what it was. They switched the car to autopilot and looked at the glitter, but autopilot broke because they were driving too fast. They crashed into a really big tree and some bushes, and they flew out of the car all the way to a tower.

“Hey, where is the diamond that we found?” asked Puppet 6.

But then, ropes came out of the sky and tied them up. They didn’t know what to do. Then, Puppet 5 had an idea.

He said “We can use that spiky plant to cut our way out.”

They pulled the plant out and cut the ropes open. And then, they walked a little bit closer to the tower. But then, a chain came out of the ground and held them. Puppet 5 took out his phone and called Puppet 4 again.

Puppet 4 shouted, “Stop annoying me when I’m sleeping!”

“But we’re stuck in chains,” answered Puppets 5 and 6.

“I’ll rescue you later,” said Puppet 4.

But then, the towers doors opened and three witches came out. Then, in the tower, they saw a blue light for one second. Then, they saw one of their really sharp car parts on the floor. They cut the chain with it. Puppet 6 ran. Then, two witches grabbed Puppet 5 and locked him up way way way up on the 100th floor of the tower.

Puppet 6 was still running around. The third witch tried to find him. Finally, the third witch caught Puppet 6 and locked him up too. After thirteen minutes, Puppet 4 got up and started sleep walking. He made himself some snacks and banged himself against a wall. Then, he opened the door and got out of the building. He ate his snacks and rented a car. He drove and drove and drove.

After eighteen hours, Puppet 4 finally got to the tower! He snuck into the tower on the first floor. One of the witches was making potions. Then, next to her, there was a diamond. She put the diamond into the pot. While she was stirring the diamond in the pot, he quickly and quietly ran up the stairs. When he got to the second floor, he saw an elevator button. He pressed it and then, he heard the doors open on the third floor. So he walked up to the third floor and got into the elevator.

He said, “I wonder what’s at the 100th floor.”

He pressed the 100th floor button and the elevator went up 4, 5, 6, 7, 8…100. The doors opened and Puppet 4 got out of the elevator. Then, on the floor, he saw a potion, and he quickly put it in his pocket. He lifted his head up and saw two witches walking by. He hid behind a wall, but then, the witches turned around and saw him.

They pointed their wands at him and they turned him into a dolphin. At the same time, he also shot his potion onto one of the witches. That made the witch disappear. Then Puppet-Dolphin (Puppet 4) jumped up and grabbed the third witch’s wand out with his mouth. He turned the third witch into a microscopic animal. Then, he pointed the wand at himself and turned back into Puppet 4. He went into the witch’s office and grabbed the key and unlocked the cages. Puppets 5 and 6 got out of the cage and got into the elevator with Puppet 4. They pressed the button for the third floor and went down, 100, 99, 98…..3.  

They went really quietly down to the first floor. The witch was still there making a potion. Puppet 6 went down to the floor and crawled to the pot. Luckily, the witch didn’t see him. Puppet 6 took the potion pot and held it with all his might. He dumped it on the witch’s head. It covered her whole body. Then, the witch slowly got bigger and bigger and bigger until she was 1,000 feet tall. Puppets 4, 5, and 6 ran outside the building. The witch got so big, she was too big to fit into the tower. Then, she crushed the whole tower, and it fell into pieces. Then, Puppets 5 and 6 saw the car pieces on the floor from when their car crashed, and then, they found the engine of the car. They climbed onto the engine and turned it on.

The engine roared. It went super fast, but Puppets 4, 5, and 6 were too scared, so they jumped off. The engine went so fast, it ran into the giant witch’s leg. She wobbled and fell to the ground. She crushed a lot of trees. Then, Puppet 4 took the potion out of his pocket. He had a little bit left. He zapped the witch and the witch disappeared. The witches were never heard of again. Finally, Puppet 4 woke up.

He asked Puppets 5 and 6 “Where am I?”

They said, “You were saving us.”

None of the puppets figured out how Puppet 4 got there. They lived happily ever after…

 

The Two Friends

Every time Bob went to school, the Squirrel kids would point and say, “You’re not so smart.”

When he got home, he would tell his mom, “Mom, people made fun of me.”

His mom would say, “It’s okay.”

She would pat him on the back, and then, she would forget about it.

One day, on a weekend when they were a eating lunch of fried acorns and berry soup, a girl raced up their tree. She had golden-brown hair and was wearing buckled jeans, a turtleneck shirt, and dress shoes. It looked like she was going somewhere fancy.

They asked, “Why are you in our house? Are you a robber?”

“No! Kids were scaring me!” said the girl.

“I’m so sorry,” said Bob’s mom. “You know, you are a giant to us, and you could eat us right now. But you won’t, right?”

“I don’t know,” said the girl. “I’m really hungry right now…”

“Just in case, go behind my back, Bob,” said Momma Squirrel.

“Don’t be scared of me,” said the girl. “I love animals. I never eat them.”

Bob looked from behind his mom’s back and came back out.

“Hello, my name is Isabella,” said the girl.

“Hello, my name is Sue,” said Bob’s mom. “My son’s name is Bobbert.”

“My name is Bobbert.”

Isabella looked at her hands.

“Oh my god, they’re getting smaller every second. Why am I shrinking?”

She felt confused and excited at the same time.

“When you go in this tree, you start shrinking!” Momma Squirrel interrupted.

“Oh, that’s so cool.” Her face was blushing because this was so amazing, “People and animals will always be your size, so you will never get hurt?”

“That is correct,” said Momma Squirrel.       

“Do you have any food for me that I could eat?” she asked, scrunching her eyebrows.

“The only stuff I have is berry soup and fried acorns.”

“How do you eat this stuff then?”  

Momma Squirrel heard a ka-kaw in the light blue sky. “Oh no! That’s a bird up there in the sky! It may eat us!” Her mouth was open. She was so scared and frightened.

“I can hide you,” said the girl.

“And tell me where you are gonna hide me!!!” said Momma Squirrel.  

“Hide under my T-shirt,” said Isabela

“But that is gross!” said Momma Squirrel.

“You want to die, or be in a gross place?” said Isabella.

“Okay, let’s go, Bobbert,” Momma Squirrel said.

She picked him up and crawled up Isabella’s t-shirt. She crawled under her shirt. The bird was soaring down, but then he stopped. He looked at Isabella and said, “Ka-Kaw,” before flying away.  

“Thank you for saving us!” said Momma Squirrel and Bobbert.

“You’re welcome. Can I please stay a little bit longer? It’s so much fun in this tree!”

“Okay… just a little bit longer. Bobbert needs to go to sleep.”

“May I please have the popcorn that we found at the carnival?” asked Bobbert.

“Okay, but just a little bit,” said Momma Squirrel. “This was a crazy day today,” Momma Squirrel said to Isabella. “That’s why Bobbert has to go to bed early.”

“I have to go now. My parents are calling for me. See you tomorrow,” said Isabella.

***

The next day, Isabella asked her parents if she could go to the park. Her parents, Raul and Lucy, asked why she wanted to go the park.

“I met my first ever friend at the park!”

“Who are they?!” Raul and Lucy asked. “Who are these friends?”

“They aren’t people.”

“Then, what are they?”

“They’re two squirrels.”

“Ew! That’s so gross! Show me immediately! I need to call the exterminators,” said her mom.

“No! They’re nice! They helped me make a friend.”

“But they might have rabies!” yelled her dad.

“But they’re so nice to me!”

“I won’t hurt them if you show me how ‘nice’ they are,” said her mom.

“Okay, I guess I’ll show you,” said Isabella.

They walked to the park together. They walked in a line, and when they got to the park, the mom stopped.

“Where are these squirrels of yours?” Mom asked.

“Follow me,” Isabella said.

They followed her into the park. They passed two hot dog stands, the Park Slope Zoo, and an ice cream parlor in the park. Then, they saw one tree all by itself. It had a little ladder on the back of it. You could take it off, but it would be hard. Only squirrels could do it.

“This is the tree,” said Isabella.

“It looks like an ordinary tree,” said her mom.

“Don’t judge it by its looks,” said Isabella. “Come over this way. There’s a little ladder that we can climb up behind the tree, but it’s hard to see.”

So Lucy and Isabella climbed up the tree.

 

Unnamed

                  

The stink

The swift movement

Of  

The garbage

I sit here

My eyes

Droop.

And I

Watch

As a magical fort morphs in front

Of me.

A colorful mess

How unusual.

But as more garbage comes

The open fort

Becomes

A

War

Battlefield

A dire

Situation.

As

Darkness comes

An incognito meeting

Happens

Then

A stunning weapon

The stark

Appearance

Of the weapon

The king wants it

He shoots it

At the conquerors

The effect is…

 

Silence.

The Conquerors

Are all

Dead.

Except

For

One

Person.

His stoic

Face

Is staring at the king

With a heave

He staggers to the king

But

An

Untimely swing

His sword misses

The king

By a millimeter

The secret

Weapon has been

Aimed

At

The last

Conqueror.

His icy eyes

Glare

Under the sun

And he uses the force

Chaos wrecks the fort

Fires start

Chemicals burn

Caustic reactions happen

The secret weapon shoots.

The rigid bullet streams

Through the air

And…

The sky

Is dark

Fog

Everywhere

 

Suddenly

A clarity

Sky emerges

The last warrior is

dead.

A shotgun the size

Of a fathom lies at his side

As the dead body

Molds on the cobbled courtyard

And as the king walks away

He falls

A bullet in his heart

A pistol falls

A wisp of smoke rising from it

The king talks

Three sons stand before him

One strong

One skinny

One ordinary

His fortune shall go to one

His power shall go to another one

And the last son will…

A burst of light erupts

The mist unravels

One king and three sons lie dead

Has the prophecy been

Broken?

And as a beam of light shines on the dead bodies

They disintegrate to nothing

The FBI sprint into action

The blueprint design on the pistol

The type of bullet and gun

The study is soon over

The FBI agents cower

The killer is…

 

The Grim Reaper.

Ranked #1 in the universal sly list

The Monstrous Grim Reaper

The search starts

To hunt down the

Assassin.

Three clues are found.

The clues are:

An unconscious snail

And a crimson colored shell

Everything goes black.

A candle shines through the darkness

I walk around, as blind as a bat

Isolated in this dark pit

Where am I

What is this Unknown Place

I detest it

A ragged stone wall brushes against me

I walk around, bleeding.

Am I dreaming?

I pinch myself

I yelp at the pain

I fall

I am unconscious

Back at the garbage dump

A blistering beam of light strikes me in the eye

My eyesight blurs

I walk around in the mist, unclear to nearby pedestrians

I see a divine person

Floating on a cloud

Looks like god

I surrender to him

Thinking he will kill me

He seems to have power

Contrast to me

For I am a hobo.

He tells me that

I have seen the future

And it is up to me…

To stop chaos from rising.

 

Nothing But Different

Prologue

I hug my knees to my chest. I’m probably the most bullied fairy in Crystal Hills. What most people don’t know is that being a fairy isn’t just totally about having powers. It’s also about what power you are born with and if you can control them. If you have one to two powers, then you are just fine. If you have three powers, you are in the “popular group,” or, as I know them, the “bully group.” The most popular powers are fast flying, underwater breathing, shape shifting, and healing. I have seven powers: invisibility, shapeshifting, frost (like my name), psychic abilities, and fire and water control. My last power is unheard of, forbidden. My name is Frost Winterstorm, and I’m here to tell you my story.

It all started when I was around two. All I remember was the fire that was enclosing my swaddled body. I heard my parents running outside. Every time I think of them, I see their faces close to my own, and then this black arm takes them away. Later, I found out that I was taken to the orphanage by an old woman. They found a note under me that I still have now. It has a picture of my parents and it says:

 

Dear whoever found our bundle of joy,

Her name is Frost Winter Fall. She should be taught well for she is really smart. When she is of the age of 16, she can go out and try to find us. Our names are Cas and Lago Winterfall. Tell her to please find us soon.’

~ her mom & dad

 

Chapter 1

Right now, I am in an ice-rink. Sort of. Since I have psychic, water, and frost powers (and I can fly), I can make a floating ice rink. I have been skating ever since I was three. It’s finally summer vacation.

“Frost!” I hear a voice call. Looking down, I see my best friend, Nightstorm. She flies up.

“Sup,” she says.

“Wanna skate?” I ask.

“Sure.”

One thing you should know about Nightstorm is that she is a girl of few words. She gets bullied a lot for being a quiet nerd. We both are in the same area. I had been giving her lessons on ice skating. Now, she can skate awesomely.

I start to daydream. In a week, it’s going to be my 16th birthday, and I may or may not get a new power. What am I going to do now? What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go now?

My concentration breaks when I hear Nightstorm skate up to me. Looking up, I see her eyes full of concern. Since one of her powers is mind-reading, she probably read my mind.

“Frost,” she says softly, pulling me up. I follow Nightstorm. We fly across town until we get to a hut on the border of the forest. This is Nightstorm’s house, where she lives with her mom, dad, and grandma.

Motioning me to stay outside, when she comes back, she is holding a book in her hand that says only one word: History. Nightstorm pulls me up to the little play house we made together when we were five. She points to the title.

“This book tracks everyone that ever lived,” she says. “It also says where they are now. Maybe it can find your parents?”

“Yeah, but how would we find them? There’s so many people in the world!”

Nightstorm is flipping through the book until she stops at a page. My mouth drops open as I see a picture of them. My parents. Nightstorm looks at the map closely.

“They’re in… in… in… you know where! Oh you know where, on the towers of thunder that were once owned by a rich businessman named Earl Gray,” she says.

Earl was caring and kind. There was one room in his tower that was forbidden to go into. One day, he stepped into that room. The next day, he was found on the floor sleeping. He was sort of in a coma but his eyes were open, full of fear. The curse spread through the house, everyone falling under a spell. Whoever entered the castle immediately fell under what is now called the phantom’s curse.

If my parents are there, how will we get them out?

Nightstorm taps my shoulder.

“Your birthday,” she says. My eyes light up.                                                                                           

“I could get a force-field power that might protect us from the phantom’s curse,” I say. My eyes then look like a candle that got blown out. “But what if I don’t?”          

 

Chapter 2 : A few weeks later

Well, today is my birthday. Wahoo. Right now, I feel overcome with pain. Every year, when I get a power, I get overcome with pain first.

Nightstorm comes over and helps me sit up while I listen to different songs on my Night phone. I stay completely still. If I try to move, every part of my body will hurt. Nightstorm comes in with some soup… and a neatly wrapped box in metallic blue. I look up at her expectantly. Nightstorm just puts the box down on the very tip of my bed so it touches my feet.

Opening the box, I see small, orange ears poking out of the box. I stare in shock as I see a furry face poke out of the box. It’s a fire-fox!!! They are a really rare type of fox that can be over 2,000 dollars. And pups are even more expensive!

“What, where, when, how?!” I stutter, wanting to know where she got the tiny fox. It comes over and crawls under my hand.

“Where? Under a box. When? About a month ago. I think she was terribly abused by her previous owner,” she says, beaming at my face that is lit up with joy and excitement.

“Don’t do anything. It’s night time, so you should sleep,” Nightstorm says, covering me with a blanket. I soon fall asleep with my new pet right beside me.                                                                                                                                

 

A few hours later (epilogue)

I stretch my hands up to the ceiling. Finally. The fire-fox jumps up and climbs on my hair. Without realising it, my hair turns red and orange. Nightstorm walks in holding a bowl of oatmeal.

When she walks in, the oatmeal nearly drops on the floor, but I summon a plate under it. She stares at me with a blank expression before jumping up and yelling.

“Frost, Frost, Frost, Frost, Frost!” she says. “YOUR NEW POWER IS SUMMONING! AND YOUR HAIR! YOU’VE REACHED YOUR MAX POWERS!!! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THE POWER!!!”

When we first became friends, I told her that when I reach my full power, my hair would turn red and orange, and I basically turn into a “mini god.”

Looking over at her, I hesitate and take a shuddery breath and say, ”Teleportation.”

She walks up to me and hugs my trembling body.

Then, I break down crying because I was reason that my parents got taken away. Because that power is like if you killed someone. My parents sacrificed themselves for me.

So I cry, feeling depressed as Nightstorm leads me to my bed. I eventually cry myself to sleep with the fire-fox curled next to me.

As I am sleeping, Nightstorm mutters, “Well… she is nothing but different.”    

 

Alaskabama

            

FADE IN:

GRAND CENTRAL STATION – EVENING

People are clearing out at the end of the day.

Behind Great Clock. Three teens, KAYLA, ALEXANDER, and REX, are sitting on the floor talking. The boys share a room because there are only two rooms, and KAYLA, the girl, wants privacy. At night it is cold, big, and empty. The three love going to the Central Terminal and looking up at the beautiful ceiling.

CHILDHOOD HOME (Flashback)

The children’s FATHER is holding two baby boys and talking to KAYLA, who is a toddler.

FATHER

Your mom is dead.

REX

Daddy, I just went poopy.

FATHER

Ugh. (FATHER tries to change diaper, but fails and storms out of the room while REX starts crying. He gives them to the cities orphanage.)

ORPHANAGE STEPS

(FATHER leaves children on steps.)

INSIDE ORPHANAGE (Four Years Later)

ALEXANDER hides a jelly bomb and it explodes all over the teacher. After, all three of them were purposefully left on a field trip to the Grand Central Station.

HELPER

You guys wait here. We’ll be back to get you in a few minutes.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

ALEXANDER

Where are they?

KAYLA

You dumbo, they left us!

KAYLA’S ROOM

KAYLA is changing in one of the rooms. This room is the smaller one, and also the one that has the great big clock. On the right side of what they call the bed there is the door. KAYLA has her back turned to it when she hears a sound of footsteps. She turns around just in time to see the boys walking in. This is what happens.

KAYLA

GET OUT OF MY ROOM YOU BOYS, I’M CHANGING!

REX

Sorry, we didn’t know.

KAYLA

Yes you did.

REX

No.

KAYLA

Yes.

REX

No.

KAYLA

Yes.

Meanwhile, ALEXANDER is hiding a jelly bomb in her closet, the same type he had set off in the orphanage. KAYLA smells it and storms into the closet but it still explodes all over her and the boys run out.

CUT TO: KAYLA, REX, and ALEXANDER sitting on the floor, thinking. After about 13min and 30sec. a newspaper flies in.

REX

What’s this?

KAYLA

It’s a newspaper.

ALEXANDER

Know your facts.

KAYLA

See? Even Alexander knows what it is, and he’s do ––

ALEXANDER

Don’t say it. I’m working on it.

KAYLA

No, you’re working on jelly bombs.

ALEXANDER

Whatever.

KAYLA

Anyway back to the newspaper, look at this. It says Alaska wants to be first in the United States alphabetical order, so it’s started a war with Alabama. It also says that the war won’t start for another month but they are still recruiting more soldiers and the families are missing their dads and husbands. But no other states are affected by this.

REX

Guys, this might be our chance to make peace, and if we do, we will be famous and get rich.

ALEXANDER

I’ll get a car and a cotton candy machine.

REX

Let’s buy a mansion.

(KAYLA ushers the boys into their room. In their room, the two boys lay on the floor with one blanket each. They talk thoughtfully.)

NARRATOR (V.O.)

That night the boys were thinking thoughtfully, as they rarely do.

ALEXANDER

Kayla didn’t look happy today.

REX

Well, we did do some mean stuff.

ALEXANDER

We always act like that.

REX

I guess she is getting tired of it.

ALEXANDER

Do you think if we listened to her, she would have good ideas?

REX

Maybe, but I was getting tired.

ALEXANDER

We should treat her better.

CUT TO: KAYLA’S ROOM. KAYLA lies in her room, thinking about the same reason as her brothers.

KAYLA

We used to have fun together, but now all we do is yell and have arguments. I wish Dad was here. He would help, but they don’t appreciate Dad just because they don’t remember him.

CUT TO: The next day. KAYLA, REX, and ALEXANDER sit in the boys room.

KAYLA

Where’d you guys get that cake we had for breakfast anyway?

FLASHBACK TO: That morning. ALEXANDER and REX grab a cake that was dropped by a little girl who started crying when her mom stated that she could not pick it up because it had fallen.

REX AND ALEXANDER

Nowhere.

KAYLA

Oh really?

REX

Okay fine, we saw the girl drop it and we picked it up.

KAYLA

At least it was good. Okay, let’s stop talking about cake, and start talking about the war.

ALEXANDER

You started talking about cake.

KAYLA

No one needs to know that. How are we going to stop the war?

ALEXANDER

We could go in groups.

KAYLA

Wow, you have been getting smarter.

REX

No, you haven’t.

ALEXANDER

Yes, I have.

REX

No.

ALEXANDER

Yes.

KAYLA

STOP ARGUING, that’s all we do. I don’t like it.

REX

You are right, we used to laugh and have fun. I was thinking about that last night.

KAYLA

Me too!

REX

I guess we are siblings.

KAYLA

You doubted that?

REX

Well, no.

(REX, KAYLA, and ALEXANDER all laugh like they used to.)

CUT TO: INSIDE OF KAYLA, REX, and ALEXANDER, where a small bubble pops.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Inside each of the kids, a bubble pops, the one that had been waiting for this moment.

CUT TO: KAYLA, ALEXANDER, and REX crawling through the vent to get to the CENTRAL TERMINAL to look for lunch.

ALEXANDER

We need to make this bigger. It was fine when we were little.

KAYLA

Exactly.

REX

Look, a train to Alabama leaves in 30 minutes and I have a good plan. Listen. Kayla could take that train and talk with the governor of Alabama ask him to change the name from Alabama to Alaskabama, meanwhile Alexander and I will be in Alaska doing the same, and maybe make a compromise.

KAYLA

Great, let’s get some food so I can get on the train.

ALEXANDER

Look, a man. His paper bag has ripped. Let’s see what’s dropping from it.

THE TRAIN

Narrator (V.O.)

After having had a not-so-delicious breakfast Kayla was sitting on the train, minding her own business.

CONDUCTOR

This stop is Savannah, Georgia.

On the train, a few people get on but one that doesn’t fit in it is a man, about seven feet tall, and looking mad, very mad. He is bald and has ginormous hands. KAYLA is sitting in one of the two seaters and he decides to sit right next to her. He breathes heavily and his breath doesn’t smell good.

CUT TO: KAYLA daydreams about moving or staying where she is.

CUT TO: KAYLA gets up and moves.

MAN

Why did you move away from me? I am now the boss here, so you must do as I say. Ahh, this feels so nice. I have always wanted to be the head of something and order people around.

KAYLA

Well I’m sorry, but I don’t think that has come true.

(The MAN is close to hitting her but she ducks just in time. The next stop is coming up.)

We can push him off the train, but you guys have to help me.

PEOPLE IN CROWD

Okay.

CONDUCTOR

This stop is Louisiana.

When the doors open, PEOPLE IN CROWD use all their might to push him out.

CUT TO: KAYLA in the GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.

GOVERNOR

Go, quick, I have a meeting in five minutes to talk about battle strategies for the war.

KAYLA

Only five minutes to change his mind, this will be fun.

GOVERNOR

What do you want?

KAYLA

I want to stop the war.

GOVERNOR

We didn’t start it.

KAYLA

I know that, but you could change your name to Alaskabama and they could too so you would both be first.

GOVERNOR

But we were supposed to be first in the first place.

KAYLA

And there was not supposed to be a war.

GOVERNOR

Fine. CANCEL THE MEETING. I WANT ANOTHER MEETING TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THIS STATE.

KAYLA

Wow, that was easy.

In the CENTRAL TERMINAL, ALEXANDER and REX are asking when the next time an Alaska train is leaving. It is crowded, about midday, and a MAN comes up. It is the same man who was on KAYLA’S train.

MAN

Move it.

ALEXANDER

No, we are staying right where we are.

MAN

Suites me, but I don’t think you will be standing.

REX

Whoa, them’s fighting words.

(The MAN starts to punch ALEXANDER but he catches the punch and pushes it away from them.)

REX

Wow, I didn’t know you could do that.

ALEXANDER

Neither did I.

CUT TO: REX and ALEXANDER at THE HARBOR

REX

Look, a sail boat. We could sneak onto that.

ALEXANDER

But on a big boat, it would be hard to catch us.

REX

Exactly. On the sailboat, no one will be there to catch.

ALEXANDER

Ohhh.

ON BOAT

REX

I will die if I don’t get food soon.

ALEXANDER

Same here.

ALASKA’S GOVERNOR’S HOUSE

We see REX and ALEXANDER eating at a dinner table.

REX

We want to stop the war!

GOVERNOR

I know, you’ve said that a million times.

ALEXANDER

Who gave you the idea of the war or did you just think of it?

GOVERNOR

Oh. A seven-foot-tall man who had ginormous hands and was bald told me I should do the war.

REX

That man loves violence, doesn’t he?

ALEXANDER

He sure does, but we need to find him!

REX

Last time we saw him, he was in the Grand Central Station. He couldn’t have gone far.

GOVERNOR

I can call Grand Central! They’ll give me the security camera footage.

ALEXANDER

Really???

REX

Yeah, he’s the governor!

GOVERNOR

(Meanwhile, the GOVERNOR is on the phone asking for the security cameras from the head of the station. On screen, we see the GOVERNOR on one side and TODD on the other.) (On telephone) Hello Todd! How is life running Grand Central Station?

TODD

Oh, great. Can I do you a favor?

GOVERNOR

Can you give me the security cameras from two days ago?

TODD

Anytime. I’ll send them right over.

(TODD and the GOVERNOR hang up.)

CUT TO: REX, ALEXANDER, and the GOVERNOR sitting around the television watching the footage.

REX

Oh look! There we are. And he’s coming over.

ALEXANDER

Watch my amazing fighting skills.

REX

Hey where is he going? It looks like to track four! What’s leaving from track four?

ALEXANDER

The train to go to Alaska. Oh no! He’s coming!

MAN

(Suddenly, the door creaks open and they hear the MAN walk in.) What are you kids doing?

REX

We’re stopping the war that you started.

ALEXANDER

(As the MAN and the boys talk, the GOVERNOR begins to slowly creep out of the room but ALEXANDER grabs him.) No! You agreed to this. You’re staying. (ALEXANDER turns his attention to the MAN.) Why do you like violence anyway?

MAN

That’s all my mother and my father did. I was given away to the orphanage because my parents couldn’t take care of me anymore.

ALEXANDER

But shouldn’t that make you against violence? We’re orphans too, and we’re definitely against violence because that’s how our mom died.

MAN

I guess I don’t know what I was thinking.

REX

Well, could you help us stop the war?

MAN

Sure! What could I do?

(Suddenly, the door opens again and KAYLA comes in.)   

KAYLA

We have to change this state’s name to Alaskabama!

GOVERNOR

But why?

KAYLA

Because Alabama’s doing it and that’s the only way you guys will be tied for first.

GOVERNOR

Okay, I’ll set up a meeting.

MAN

I want to do something to help!

GOVERNOR

Why don’t you come to the meeting?

KAYLA

What about us? Could we come?

GOVERNOR

The more, the better!

KAYLA

Alright! Where is it?

GOVERNOR

(GOVERNOR pulls over ALEXANDER to the side.) Who is that?

ALEXANDER

Oh! Our sister.

GOVERNOR

Do you guys have some place to go to, or do you want to stay here?

KAYLA

Oh, we’ll stay here.

CUT TO: AT THE MEETING

GOVERNOR

So the decision is decided! We are changing the state to  Alaskabama!  

CUT TO: BEHIND THE CLOCK
ALEXANDER, REX, and KAYLA are back at home, hanging out.

KAYLA

What an adventure that was!

REX

I know! Some people do that every day.

ALEXANDER

I really don’t believe that.

KAYLA

Me neither.

REX

I know. Because it’s a lie.

(They all laugh.)

FADE OUT

THE END

Sandy Kayla

Chapter 1

It had been raining for weeks. At least, that’s what it felt like to Sandy. It had actually been raining for two days straight, and for Sandy, that was unacceptable. Especially on a weekend.

“What are you supposed to do in the rain?” she wondered. She spoke that aloud. “What are you supposed to do?” She stared gloomily out the window of her bedroom. She knew that other kids would probably be watching TV, but Sandy hated TV. When she looked at that screen of death, her eyes hurt like fire. Why would you want to watch something that you could act out yourself?

“Be quiet.” Sandy’s older sister Eliza’s snap from the other room jolted her back to reality. “I’m trying to text.”

Sandy saw that her 3-year-old brother, Dennis, was crying, yet he was still asleep. They shared a room, and she hated it.

“Be quiet, little brother,” she moaned.

“Sandy!” Her mother scolded, running into the room to comfort Dennis. “Denny has a name.”

“I know,” she admitted. “But at this time, I don’t like to use it.”

“Cassandra,” her mother sighed.

“Sandy,” she immediately corrected.

Her mother sighed again. “Just, please, Sandy, try to get along with your family.” Sandy could hear her dad snoring and she shook her head.

“It’s not possible.”

Before her mother could answer, Sandy pushed her way out the door and down the stairs to the basement. The basement was a comfort to Sandy. It was the only place that Dennis wouldn’t follow her to, the only place where Dennis’s cries were drowned out. It was the only place that Eliza would not bother her about her texting. It was the only place that Sandy could be alone on a rainy day. But only on a rainy day. Any other day, it was time to play outside. However, Sandy’s mom never allowed anyone to play in the rain (and she was still shaky about snow). She hated if anything in the house got wet. In the wintertime, Sandy and her siblings had to shake out their snow on the front porch before getting hot chocolate.

For Sandy, the rain was nothing. When she ran and played in the rain and snow, she felt nothing, only joy.

For Sandy, she always had to be doing something. And so she decided to search the basement, every corner, every box, every hole, for something to do. An adventure.

“But how do you search for an adventure inside?” Sandy wondered aloud.

“Do you always ask for help before you try?” The voice slipped through Sandy’s ears and rang in her head. The voice was like honey; however, she knew that even if you put honey on a rock, it’s still a rock. Sweet, but firm, and it made you swallow it with resentment. Sandy could easily picture the person’s voice as a honey-covered rock. Or, honey-covered rocks. The voice was like a chorus, with many voices singing in harmony.

“Are you one of my mother’s friends?” she asked suspiciously.

“Me, I am everyone’s friend,” the person said happily.

Sandy bit her nails and wondered if it was a mistake that she left the light off. “Show me your face,” she demanded.

“I will,” the person said. The light clicked on and Sandy screamed.

“What are you?” Sandy screamed, scrambling backwards. She tripped on her feet and fell onto her butt.

The girl (was it even a girl?) had purple skin, 3 ears, 16 arms, with 2 hands on each arm, 5 eyes, 2 noses, 7 mouths, 20 legs with 3 toes, and finally, wild blue hair.

“I do not know the meaning of your words.” All 7 mouths spoke at once.

“You’re not human,” Sandy concluded. “Are you from another planet? I come in peace!”

“Oh,” she nodded. “I come from the planet Qazxcvbnhgfdertyhjk.”

“What?” Sandy said.

“I said, I come from the planet Qazxcvbnhgfdertyhjk,” she repeated. “And I am Kliuhfhntfhszjmdgbhedxhnmghuk.”

Sandy sighed. “I should have known that this would never come easy to me, like everything else in this world.”

“In the language of the Earthians, I am Kayla, from planet Oba-Snorkel,” she explained.

“Get out!” Sandy shouted. She jumped up and put her fist up as if she were going to fight. “GET. OUT.”

“Why?” Kayla asked sweetly. “I bring you adventure.”

Sandy lowered her fists, and then put them back in fighting position again. “How do you know that I can trust you?”

“Because I am your only chance…” Kayla began to fade away.

“Good riddance,” Sandy thought. But one part of her felt the urge to go with Kayla. There’s nothing else to do, it said. She’s your only chance for an adventure. Sandy sighed, realizing that it was right. She had to go with this strange creature or else she would be stuck in the basement doing nothing.

“Wait!” Sandy shouted. “I want to go with you!”

Sandy grabbed Kayla’s hand. She felt like she was being ripped apart, slowly, part by part, piece by piece… everything was white… there was nothing… nothing…

“Sandy… what is this?”

“Denny’s voice,” Sandy thought. Then she realized in horror what she had just said. Denny’s voice!

“Dennis! Why, why, WHY do you have to follow me?” Sandy shouted.

“Because…”

All the pieces, all the parts of Sandy came back, and she wasn’t in the whiteness anymore. She was in a dark, dark world, with fire blazing the sky. No one was around but her and her brother. She felt clinging on her leg. She shook Dennis off.

“Mom and Dad are going to kill me for bringing you along,” Sandy moaned. “Why can’t you just stay at home, little brother?”

“I wike ‘venture, too,” Dennis said in his defense.

“Ugh,” Sandy groaned. To herself, she muttered, “I hate little brothers.” Dennis started to cry. “Oh, um, I didn’t meant it,” Sandy said quickly.  “I don’t hate you.” Dennis cried even more. “Please stop,” she said kindly. Dennis didn’t stop. Sandy sighed and picked up her brother. “Come on, stop,” Sandy pleaded. “That’s not how you start an adventure.”

Dennis stopped crying. Kayla appeared behind him.

“You Earthlings are getting along. Good,” Kayla said happily. She looked up at the sky. “I could say the same, I wish, for the sky.”

“What happened to the sky?” Sandy asked. Dennis whimpered and hid behind Sandy’s back.

“Sky no goodie,” Dennis whimpered. “Sky bad.”

“Glornorks are the cause,” Kayla whispered. “Vicious monsters, they are. When there are a lot in one place, fire becomes the sky. They hate us, yes.”

“Hate is bad,” Dennis said.

“But our adventure in not that,” Kayla said quickly. “That is not for you, no.” She took Dennis’s hand. “Come along, child.” She waved at Sandy. “Let’s go, yes?”

“No.” Sandy stood tall. “I’m going to fix the glornorks problem.” For some reason, Sandy couldn’t stand to see the fire filled sky, the scorched ground, the dark, dark world. She felt she needed to help…but why? She had just met Kayla.

Kayla threw back her head and laughed. “You’re kidding, yes?”

“No,” Sandy said darkly. “I will succeed.”

Chapter 2

Kayla, shaking her head, led them out of that empty place and to a village of huts. Huts with scorched roofs. Vendors were set in the center of the town. There was a small well in the middle of all the vendors. Little aliens played about, and everyone looked somewhat like Kayla, except some had turqoise skin and others had pink hair. Sandy shuddered. One alien was enough, in Sandy’s opinion.

“Come, earthlings, I will lead you to my home,” Kayla said cheerfully.

Dennis’s pudgy hand was suddenly not in Sandy’s hand anymore. She turned to see Dennis playing tag with two little…

“Are they called kids or…” she wondered aloud.

“No,” Kayla said seriously. “A goat’s babies, they are not, yes?” She held her sides as she chuckled at her own joke. Sandy rolled her eyes and ran to Dennis and pulled on his chubby arm.

“Let’s go!” she snapped. Dennis looked up at her with his big bulging eyes, tears forming. Sandy sighed. “Please, let’s go.”

Dennis waved goodbye to his new friends. “Bye, Sassoona! Bye Momo!” Sandy dragged Dennis over to where Kayla was.

Dennis!” Sandy hissed. “Who knows what kind of alien germs those kids have?”

“No germies, Sanny,” Dennis assured her.

Shh,” Sandy whispered. “Kayla could get offended.”

“No secrets!” Dennis shouted. Sandy hastily put a finger to her lips.

“Our destination we have reached,” Kayla shouted.

Dennis clapped his hands together excitedly and ran inside the hut, forgetting all about their argument. Kayla ran into the hut as well. Sandy walked in calmly. There were four rooms: two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen/eating area. A little boy pranced out of one of the bedrooms. Kayla scooped him up. “Roger, say hi to the earthlings, yes?”

“No,” Roger pouted. Kayla sighed and set him down. “Cooperative, Roger is not very,” she told her.

“BE QUIET, I’M TRYING TO LISTEN TO MUSIC!” The loud yell of a teenage girl made Sandy jump and think of Eliza.

“Ugh, Talia is so annoying,” Kayla whispered to Sandy.

“I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU LITTLE NITWIT!” Talia screamed, music blaring from the bedroom.

Boom, boom. Ba-ba boom, boom. Choca, choca. Chicka, chicka. Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba boom.

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Usually, Dad is here,” she said. “But he’s been gone lately a lot.” She dropped to her knees, feeling the dirt floor.

“What are you looking for?” Roger asked, turning around.

“Nothing, keep playing,” Kayla said hastily.

Roger shrugged. “Go hide,” he told Dennis. And then he began counting.

Ma, bé, see, lu, ca, ni, nu, la…

“Found it!” Kayla shouted. She glanced at Roger, who was staring at her oddly. “I mean, I found a dust crocodile!”

“You’re weird,” Roger said, and kept counting.

Kayla waved Sandy over to a small door. She lifted it, grunting as she did so. Roger had ran off, looking for Dennis. When she opened the door, there was a compartment with bottles and paper. Kayla thrust her hand into it and came up with a bottle in her hand labeled “Grandpa.” She poured the entire bottle onto three pieces of paper and started muttering a chant. Sandy could barely hear but she could just make out this:

“Ana benee lo

Con sa bùta

Men oo yatee

Con sa la ta bee tha

Men tee ta

Con a loo

Menta

Comalay”

And then, an old alien’s face appeared on the paper. “Kayla, is this an emergency?”

“Yes, Grandpa, a dire emergency,” Kayla assured him. “How to defeat the glornorks, I need to know.”

Kayla’s grandpa laughed so much that tears rolled down his cheeks. “Kayla, you’re funny! Now what’s the real emergency? And where’s your father, by the way?”

Kayla sighed and looked at Sandy as if to say, “See what I have to do now?”

“The real emergency, that is, Grandpa John,” Kayla said. “And Dad is…not here.”

John stopped laughing. “Kayla, the joke is over.”

“A joke, it is not!” Kayla insisted.

“Kayla,” John sighed. “Stop, okay? Stop. multiple people have tried to defeat the glornorks. They all failed.”

“Oh, Grandpa, please,” Kayla pleaded.

“I’m not putting my granddaughter in danger,” John said firmly.

“Please,” Kayla asked. “For me, and my friend Sandy.”

“Sandy,” John muttered. His mouth turned into a big O. “Show her to me.”

Kayla moved the paper into Sandy’s lap. It felt warm. John’s eyes turned huge. “She is here!”

“Huh?” Sandy’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“There is a prophecy that told of a human girl who would come to Oba-Snorkel and save the planet from their crisis.” He took a big breath. “You are that human girl.”

“What?” Sandy screamed. Her voice was down to a whisper now. “That’s not true, I’m not good enough to be a savior.” She sighed loudly. “Ugh, all the responsibilities.”

Kayla took back the paper and exchanged a rapid fire conversation in the language Kayla spoke naturally. Then, Kayla turned to Sandy. “Come. The way, I know.”

“What about Dennis?” Sandy asked uneasily.

“Too dangerous, it is, for a little kid,” Kayla said, shaking her head. Kayla tapped the side of her forehead, then shook her head. “Said Grandpa that when you defeat the glornorks, home, all humans will go.”

Sandy let out a breath of relief. Dennis would be safe and (most importantly) he wouldn’t follow her.

“First, the Kanooky Pits of Menniti-Lalo, we must go,” Kayla declared. She put the potion and the papers back into the compartment and led Sandy out the door. Kayla pointed to the left. “That way, the Kanooky Pits are.” Kayla pursed her lips. “Let us hope no tourists there are. You see, the burning coldness and freezing hotness mix is an attraction of tourists coming from other planets. It is like a, what do you humans call it? Oh, a pool, yes?”

“Yes,” Sandy muttered. She hoped that the “freezing hotness” was not so, well, hot. They went to the center of town where all the vendors were. They were shouting their prices trying to drown out everyone.

“Abalabas! Only la beniciis!” “Menalos, menalos, menalos! Ca beniciis!”

“DELABOTOES! BÉ BENICIIS!”

Kayla walked right past all of the vendors to the well.

“Where you going this time, Kay?” A vendor asked.

“The Kanooky Pits, Papa,” Kayla answered. Then, her face scrunched up in confusion. “Papa, you don’t work as a fruit vendor.”

Kayla’s dad dismissed the accusation. “I thought you hated the Kanooky Pits.”

“Sandy wanted to see them,” Kayla lied. Kayla’s dad didn’t even look at Sandy. “Have fun.”

Kayla jumped into the well. “Jump, Sandy!”

Sandy looked uneasily down the well. “I’m not fit enough to.” Suddenly, there was a big gust of wind. It started to pull Sandy into the well. She clung desperately to the side of the well. She turned around to find Kayla’s dad holding a flute.

“Good luck with the glornorks,” he said.

“How did you–” Her fingers were suddenly pried from the well and she was falling…falling.

Chapter Three

And suddenly, she was at an entrance to a…theme park. There was a huge gate with a sign that said The Pits Park on top of it. Kayla was waiting by the gate.

“Quick, you took, for beginner,” Kayla observed. “Most newcomers take 1 hour or more. 10 minutes, you take. Usually, Papa would go with me, yes, but he has more important thing to do, obviously.” Her gaze averted to the floor, then she pulled Sandy’s arm. “Come, before a line there is!”

She started to run, dragging a reluctant Sandy behind her. “You wanted this,” Sandy told herself. “You’re going to have to deal with the Kanooky Pits, no matter how hot or cold it is.” Sandy sighed, realizing that she was right.

They came to a zig-zaggy line of belts connected between stanchions. “Control the line, is their purpose,” Kayla told Sandy. Sandy shivered, realizing that no one was in the line. They would have to go now. They ran through the zigzag line until they reached the front.

“Two Kanooky Pit Sensations, please,” Kayla said to the security guard.

He held out his hand. “Ten beniciis, miss.”

Kayla placed two coins in his hands and walked right past him. The coins were changing color in his hand. Sandy ran to catch up with her.

“What kind of metal is that?” Sandy asked.

“Menthalinee,” Kayla replied. “From planet Gagalooka. It’s stronger than your puny titanium. Almost unbreakable.” They stopped in front of two lava pits.

Not lava, Sandy thought. Kanooky.

It was orange-ish red, with blue running through it. When its bubbles would pop, it would spray purple liquid. “Kolani,” Kayla said of the purple liquid. “Healing powers, it has.” Then, she jumped into one of the pits. “Come on,” she shouted. “It feels good” Sandy sighed and looked uneasily at the Kanooky Pit. She closed her eyes, then jumped in.

Hot. The first sensation. Hot, hot, hot. Hotter than man could explain. She could feel herself sweating, blisters forming on her skin. “How am I still alive?” She thought. And then, the hotness went away and coldness seeped into her body. She relaxed, then immediately began to shiver wildly. She ran her hands up and down her arms, trying to create warmth. Through her suffering, she heard Kayla say something to the guard:

“Asmanté.”

And then she was pulled under. She fought and fought her way, trying to reach the surface, but whatever was pulling her would not let go. So she went limp and let it pull her under. She held her breath, determined not to die. Her face was turning red from her holding her breath so much. She had to get to the top, had to find air…

She stopped holding her breath and found that she could breathe. Grasping the wonderful air into her dry lungs, she was pulled deeper and deeper…

She appeared in a cave, right next to Kayla. “The Asmanté Caves, this is,” Kayla said. “The main lair of the glornorks.” Sandy shivered, and looked over her shoulder.

“We have to stay very quiet,” Kayla whispered.

Sandy bit her fingernails, and fretted. I’m not good enough, she thought. What was I thinking? I can’t defeat the glornorks.

“I can’t defeat the glornorks,” she said aloud. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!” Kayla put her finger to her lips frantically but it was too late. The glornorks were already there. The glornorks were big, pale purple blobs, with red eyes. They reeked of onions, and made strange gargling noises. They formed a circle around Sandy and Kayla, shouting strange words, holding razor sharp blades. Kayla and Sandy moved closer together as the glornorks made the circle tighter and tighter…

Kayla gasped. “Dad?”

Kayla’s dad stepped out of the crowd, wearing a feather crown. “Hello, dear.”

“Why?” Kayla dropped to her knees and put her head in her hands. “Why?”

“I really wish you hadn’t gone looking for trouble,” Kayla’s dad said. His eyes turned red. Kayla quietly cried.

“How are you a glornork?” Sandy asked in disbelief.

“Kayla’s grandfather is not my real father,” he sneered. “He was a ridiculous fake father.” He lead one of the glornorks to the middle of the circle. “This is my father.” His father was a short glornork, with gray hair.

Kayla kept crying.

“I waited for the right moment to strike at my village as I did all the other ones,” he continued. “Now was the right time, I guess, since Kayla was all entranced by her grandfather’s silly prophecy.” He put his face right into Sandy’s. “How does it feel to be a failure?” He threw back his head and cackled evilly, morphing into a glornork.

The glornorks came closer and closer, led by Kayla’s dad…

Suddenly, Sandy felt something she had never felt before. It surged through her bones, and strengthened her body. She felt power in her lungs.

Confidence. It was confidence. A beautiful feeling she had never felt.

She began to shake. She shook with power with confidence. She got on her hands and knees and her whole body shook.

“Sandy?” Kayla asked timidly.

Sandy heard nothing. She shook and shook and then, BOOM! She wasn’t herself. There was light, powerful light, coming out of her. She was in the air, and she burst out of the cave, practically touching the fire sky. And then, there was a white light. Only light. Just white light.

And then, she and her brother were back in the basement. Sandy’s eyes filled with tears as she thought of Kayla.

“I’m so sorry, Kayla,” she said.

Knock knock knock knock.

“SANDY!” Eliza screeched from the other side of the door. “IT”S SUNNY OUTSIDE, MOM TOLD ME TO TELL YOU THAT. NOW I’M MAD YOU INTERRUPTED MY TEXTING,” Sandy heard Eliza shout. “YOU’RE SO ANNOYING”

Sandy grabbed Dennis’s hand and ran outside to the backyard. Eliza was sitting on a beach chair, texting. Dennis was standing next to Sandy, with his arms crossed, just like Sandy was doing. Sandy sighed. “Some things never change,” she thought. And she smiled. Somehow, she liked it that way.

Humans and Food, Finally Together

       

Act I

Scene I

CARLOS, a ten-year-old boy, and JAKE, a teenage banana, are in the kitchen. CARLOS is standing next to the counter that JAKE is sitting on. JAKE doesn’t realize CARLOS knows he’s alive and can hear him talk. Enter NARRATOR.

NARRATOR

If you didn’t know, humans and food have never gotten along. For years, food has struggled to get away from the humans, but never accomplished their goal. But this time, things may be different.   

Exit NARRATOR.

CARLOS (to the audience)

Every day, I see them struggle, but they don’t know I know they’re alive.

JAKE turns and whispers to a pie sitting beside him.

JAKE (annoyed)

Once again, one of us has been killed by another nasty human. We should leave this “nice” kitchen counter.

CARLOS is watching them talk.

CARLOS (talking to the audience in an inspirational voice)

Hi. I’m a ten-year-old boy, and you like food, right? Well, stop eating it. You’re just hurting families and killing them!

Enter JAKE’S MOM, a grown up banana. Her peel is half-opened, and there’s a bite taken out of her.

JAKE’S MOM

Good morning, sweetie, how are you — OOOH NOO… HELP MEEE!

JAKE (yells out)

MOM!

JAKE’S MOM

Don’t worry, sweetie. It was just one little nibble… I’ll remember you… take… care… of… the family…

She slowly closes her eyes and begins to feel weak.

JAKE’S MOM (to JAKE)

Stay safe.

She collapses and dies. JAKE begins to cry.

JAKE (to CARLOS in a brave and powerful voice)

You people WILL pay.

CARLOS (to himself)

I know I should have done something.

CARLOS’ MOM enters the kitchen.

CARLOS’ MOM (to CARLOS)

Aren’t you hungry?

She looks at another banana beside JAKE, BRITTANY the banana. She decides to take a bite of her. JAKE jumps in front of BRITTANY to sacrifice himself.

CARLOS

Mom, don’t eat that! You’ll make him ANGRY!!

(in his head)

Wait… this could be my chance to prove that I have been right all these years!

(to CARLOS’ MOM)

See, Mom? I knew they were alive! I knew they had feelings!

BRITTANY pecks JAKE on the cheek.

BRITTANY (to JAKE)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

THE FOOD GANG enters the stage like brave gangsters: JAKE the banana, the plums, the apples, the tomatoes, the pickles, and the lettuce bomb.

THE FOOD GANG (yelling at CARLOS’ MOM)

WE TOLD YOU ALL TO NEVER BOTHER US AGAIN, BUT YOU JUST DON’T LISTEN!!

CARLOS’ MOM sees the angry FOOD GANG and tries to act casual.

CARLOS’ MOM

Don’t worry, mi hijo. They can’t hurt us. By the way, how will we survive without food?

CARLOS

Um, uh… oh, I know! WATER! DRINK AS MUCH OF IT AS YOU CAN, OKAY?

CARLOS’ MOM

Are you crazy?

CARLOS (irritated voice)

Yes, but you are too, Mother…

Enter NARRATOR.

NARRATOR

Now, as you can see, Carlos and his mom have a little problem. Obviously. Carlos is insisting on only drinking water, since it is not alive. Obviously. But his mother is right that Carlos obviously needs to eat.

Exit NARRATOR.

CARLOS

And by the way, you don’t want to become a criminal, do you?

CARLOS’ MOM

Well, no, but…

CARLOS

NO BUT’S! Now, let’s start a campaign saying, “FOOD HAS FEELINGS JUST LIKE US, SO DON’T HURT THEM!!!”

CARLOS’ MOM

Okay, okay. I DID NOT sign up for making a campaign!

CARLOS

I’ll buy you The Woman’s Times Magazine, 5TH EDITION!!!

CARLOS’ MOM

OKAY, YOU’VE CONVINCED ME. I’M YOUR MOTHER, SO NOW GIVE IT TO ME!

Act I

Scene II

JAKE and THE FOOD GANG are in the kitchen, digging a hole through the wall to escape the house.

JAKE

Okay, almost ready! Ready to escape! Continue digging up that hole!!!

CARLOS enters and sees that the foods are trying to escape. JAKE sees CARLOS and makes an angry face.

JAKE (to THE FOOD GANG)

Get ready to attack!

THE FOOD GANG runs up to CARLOS, and they get out their weapons: a grape canon, celery swords, and lettuce bombs. At first, CARLOS doesn’t realize they’re planning on attacking him and just watches them curiously. Then, he finally gets the hint.

CARLOS

Oh, please don’t attack me! I’m on your side.

The vegetables don’t listen. One of the bombs hits his head, and he falls to the ground. CARLOS’ MOM walks in.

CARLOS’ MOM

Carlos!

(to THE FOOD GANG)

Why would you do that? Don’t you know that we’re on your side?

JAKE

Why should we believe you?

CARLOS’ MOM turns the TV on the counter on. On the news is CARLOS’ new campaign to save food.

CARLOS’ MOM

This campaign was Carlos’s idea. Carlos convinced me to also help you. He’s always been on your side.

THE FOOD GANG slowly drops their weapons and then starts running toward her and CARLOS. They begin to comfort CARLOS. CARLOS lifts his head weakly.

CARLOS

It was just a mistake.

JAKE (to CARLOS)

Sorry we misunderstood you.

BRITTANY puts her arm around JAKE.

BRITTANY

You’re such a kind banana-man.

Act I

Scene III

JAKE and BRITTANY are alone on the kitchen counter, talking. Other foods are peeking out of the cabinets and baskets, spying on them.  

JAKE

I want you to hear me out.

BRITTANY

Okay, continue…

JAKE

Ever since I met you, I’ve felt like we belong together. I feel like we come from the same peel.

THE FOOD GANG spying on them begins to quietly “Ooooohhhh” and “Aaaaah” from their hiding spots. BRITTANY starts blushing.

BRITTANY

Me too.

JAKE

So I would like to ask you… would you marry me?

FOOD GANG

Ooooohhhh! Aaaaaaaah!

BRITTANY

Yes. You’re the most handsome banana on the kitchen counter.

THE FOOD GANG jumps out of their hiding spots.

FOOD GANG: Congratulations!

CARLOS pops up from behind the counter.

CARLOS

I was watching, too! Congratulations!

JAKE and BRITTANY

Were you guys spying on us?  

Everyone awkwardly laughs.

THE FOOD GANG

Nooo…

LEMON puts a wedding veil on BRITTANY’S head. JAKE’S LITTLE BANANA BROTHER hands him a Banana Tux. Wedding music begins.

CARLOS

Hooray! My first food wedding accomplished!

Dream music comes on. All of the food falls lifeless on the counter.

CARLOS

Wait. What? It was a dream all along? But I really wanted to be their friend.

He hears tiny footsteps. It sounds like they’re coming from his refrigerator. He opens the refrigerator and gasps in surprise.

Carlos

It smells like rotten eggs!

Two eggs pop out.

EGG #1

I promise it wasn’t me!

CARLOS

I knew you were real! I love you guys!

BRITTANY and JAKE stand beside him.

CARLOS

Our friendship will never change.

THE END

Cherry-Red Sweater

It’s always the question you don’t know the answer to that the teacher calls on you to answer. You were absent the day they studied that topic. You ask her to repeat the question; you know exactly what she asked. You’re just stalling for time. Beside you, Kimber is bobbing up and down with her hand in the air like her chair has some sort of spring on it. You stare glumly at the cherry-red of Bree’s sweater in front of you, twisting a brown strand of hair around your forefinger. The teacher repeats the question, adding that this is going to be on the test next week.

You sit up straight, remembering your guidance counselor saying that if you failed your next test you would have to go to summer school. Summer school would mean missing the painting camp you and Victoria were going to be CITs at. You had been planning for years – staying in the CIT bunks! Getting to bring candy! Being in charge! You couldn’t miss CIT year. No way you were missing that.

But you don’t know the answer – while they were studying this, you were at home with strep, re-reading The Hunger Games for the thirteenth time. Is that your fault? The teacher repeats the question for the third time. You bite your lip. “Um, I don’t know… ” You cross your fingers and jiggle your knee, hoping that she’ll explain it. She doesn’t, but rather tsk-tsks at you and asks Kimber to explain. Teacher’s pet, you think, slumping down in your seat, your cheeks the color of the cherry-red sweater. Bree smirks at you. You stare, embarrassed, at her sweater. Cherry-red. The teacher tells you to pay attention because you don’t know this. The class snickers, and you bite your lip again, trying not to cry. Eighth-graders don’t cry. After all, you’re thirteen and a teenager now. But you’re still a ‘kid,’ everyone says. The teenager is Bree, with her cherry-red sweater, her brown curls, cherry-red lip gloss, patent-leather purse, skinny jeans, cherry-red flats, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, and a ninth-grader boyfriend. You’re still wearing that too-small sweater vest and no makeup, tall yet childish. You wish you had that cherry-red sweater. You would look so much more grown-up in it.

That afternoon, your counselor suggests you start tutoring with a tenth-grader. Your new tutor is named Brunhilde O’Byrne. You notice that both Brunhilde and the counselor are wearing cherry-red sweaters. You end up passing your test, and your parents take you out for dinner. You don’t eat your dessert: cherry pie, red guts spilling all over the plate.

Aliens!

Hi, my name is Frank and I will be narrating.

Blue beams shoot out from their heads. Big, fat, green aliens attack people with their minds. They want to take over Earth because they do not like their planet. They don’t like their planet because it is dirty. It is dirty because they eat too much and they trash stuff too much. They corrupt people’s minds. They make people do what they want them to do. They make them steal food for them, as they eat everything. Then, the aliens eat the people. They spit their bones out like chicken bones. Then, they make humans steal money for them. Then, they eat them. The aliens are really mean. They like to eat Hawaiian people the most because Hawaiian people taste like coconuts.

The aliens live on the sun. They are obese. They are constantly trying to eat each other. They hate sports (that’s why they are so fat). Their ships are their bodies. The smaller aliens ride inside the mouths of the larger aliens. They also like to eat American people because American people taste like bacon and eggs. They hate mint sauce on their lamb chops. They like to eat sausage dogs because they taste like sausage.

They think that toy money is real money. They hate exercising. They have a holiday called We Hate Fitness when they find all the fitness equipment in one nation and throw it in the ocean. They usually start with Hawaii, and finish with England. Soon, Hawaiian people will become extinct because of the aliens. Then, after that, the aliens will eat all the American people. They’ll start in New York and end in L.A. Then, they’ll go on to eat the Canadian people because they taste like bacon.

Soon, Canada will become extinct. Then, they’ll eat Japan. They like sushi a lot. Then, they’ll eat Italy because they like cheese, pizza, and spaghetti a lot. Italians will also become extinct. Then, they’ll eat the Australians who will also quickly become extinct. Then, they’ll eat Africa for the fried fish. Then, they’ll eat Europe. No one is going to stop them.

Soon, the Aliens will become extinct because there will be no humans left to eat. Soon, they’ll have to eat each other. They’ll look at their dogs and lick their lips. They’ll destroy supermarkets for more food and, when there is no food left, they’ll eat babies, sons, daughters, grandparents, and so on.

Then, when the there is one alien left, he’ll just eat himself. Soon, zombies will come to Earth. Soon, a zombie will become president. His name is Zonald Zrump. There’s also another zombie named Zernie Zanders. Zarack Zbama is the president right now. There is another person running against Zernie and Zonald. His name is Zeb Zush. There’s also Zilliary Zlinton.

They like to trash talk to each other.

The sport that zombies play is called walking. The fastest player walks one millimeter per hour.  A game goes on for five years. The slowest player goes 0.000001 millimeters per hour. Although humans hate it, zombies love it. The best person at walking is Zsain Zolt. YouTube is called ZouTube. It isn’t very popular,  though. The only thing that ZouTubers say is, “Bububububuubuuuubububuub” and their videos only last one second. Everybody hates ZouTube.

ESPN is called ZSPN. Cartoon network is called Zartoon Zetwork. Zartoon Zetwork is the same as ZouTube. Sponge Bob is called Zponge Zob. Patrick is Zatrick. Squidward is Zquidward. Nobody likes the show. It only has one like because all the other zombies are slow at clicking the like button. It takes five years to click the like button.

Zombies eat themselves. The eat their own arms, grow new ones, then eat the new ones. And they keep growing again. And eating again.

Later, Zonald Zrump becomes president. He will start World War Z. Sadly, nobody voted for Zonald Zrump yet. They didn’t vote for anyone because they were so slow at everything. It will take them twenty more years to write down who they want to vote for. They don’t like to write because they’re so slow at it. They hate writing a lot. Every time a zombie writes, it takes them two years to write one letter. After they write one letter, they have to keep going on and on and on to make one sentence. It takes approximately twenty-five years. After twenty-five years, it takes them thirty years to mail it to someone if they have to. If they place the letter somewhere, it would take forty years. And, if they place it in a box, it would take sixty years.

After all those years, Zonald Zrump became president. When he starts World War Z, all the zombies try to eat each other. He makes people hate each other. He makes them eat each other. He creates chaos. After 200 years, they finally ended the fighting. Then, they decided to take up soccer. Each game takes 100 years to complete. It takes three hours to make one goal. The fastest goal ever was in 50 minutes. The man who made it is named Zeo Zallcott. The second fastest goal was in 60 minutes. It was made by Zector Zellerin. The third one was made in 70 minutes. It was made by Zamie Zardy. The next goal was made in 80 minutes. It was made by Zebastian Ziovinco. The next one would be made by Zaul Zogba. It would be made at the two hour mark.

One game a person named Zaheem Zterling made a goal in 30 minutes. Even though he ran a little slower than Zeo Zallcott, he ran really fast and made a goal. The latest goal ever made in a zombie soccer game would be in the 99th year on December 31st. It was made by Zer Zertesacker. But then a person made it even later than him. It would be the 99th year on December 31st also, but it was made on the 59th second of the game. It was made by Zabi Zlonso. It was a great goal, but he scored when it was 50-0, so he made the score 50-1, and it was for the cup. It was in the Zampions League.

So, his team lost. The other team’s name was Zrsenal, they got all of the really fast players. So that’s how they got it 50-1. Their goalkeeper was Zanuel Zeuer. He was the best goalkeeper in the world. No one on the other team scored except for Zabi Zlonso. The other team’s name was the Ztrikers.

Soon they tried to take up football, but they decided that it was too dangerous because it ended up with a bunch of people being decapitated and having their arms and legs cut off. So, they tried basketball but failed because when they jumped and they fell back down their legs broke and they would always have to find extra players. After they found extra players, extra players would get injured too. So they gave up on that too. Finally they took up baseball, but when the players got hit by the ball they shattered. And when they hit the ball, their arms fell off and they ran without arms. It’s a good thing that only pitchers had their arms always. Everybody else’s arms got destroyed.

Soon, only pitchers were in the game. There were no first basemen, catchers, second base, third base, shortstop, or outfield at all. Only pitchers cause everybody else’s arms got destroyed. They gave up the game. All the pitchers loved the game though because their arms didn’t get destroyed, but then soon their arms also fell off too because when they threw the ball it flew along with them too. But they had extra arms because of everyone else’s fallen off arms, but soon they also gave up the game. It’s sad that they gave up the game, but nobody liked it. They only game they could play was soccer, but then they decided to play another game, something called hockey. But then sadly they also gave up that game because when they were skating they accidentally chopped off each other’s legs, so they couldn’t move. They gave up.

After one attempt they said, “Bububububbubububuubu.” (Translation: goodbye hockey, we hate you too much).

So, they only played soccer, they couldn’t play anything else. The zombies all died out. So nothing stayed there for at least twenty-five years until the chocolate came. To be honest, the chocolate didn’t do anything, they just stayed there until something called the Blob came. The blob could only go, “blubbyblubblubblub” or they can just say, “blub.” So, their three leaders talked together, (they were the only ones who could speak one other language called English).

The oldest one said, “this planet is good, it has tons of chocolate to eat!”

“Eating chocolate is yummy,” said the youngest one.

The middle-aged one said, “Let’s live down there. We can just eat all the chocolate before we eat each other.”

So the oldest one said, “I’ll start with you.”  He ate the middle, then the youngest. Then, he yelled at his people, “go down and eat the chocolate! Then eat each other! I don’t care who eats who. Whoever comes in from the top I will eat.”

Soon, a Blob came up. His name was tubby. Later, the oldest one tried to eat him and he succeeded but, after 200 years, the oldest one died. Then, the food people came but then they died because the planet was so hot. The sun was very close to the planet. The food people got boiled. For  9,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years, nobody came. Nothing happened during that time. After that time, a robot civilization came and used the food people to survive and eat and fuel their bodies. After a while, the robots’ batteries ran out and they all dropped dead.

Now, I will tell you who the last human was. His name was Frank Richardson (me). Frank was in the army when the aliens invaded. He deserted the army so he couldn’t get eaten by the aliens. The army was too busy getting eaten to chase Frank. So, Frank hid in a basement with 200,000,000,000,000 pounds of food and water. He survived for 30 years.Then, he got eaten by aliens. He had no family (sadly, they’d gotten eaten by the aliens). He didn’t care about anyone!

During the time that he was alive, he texted the second last human on earth who was a Mongolian man. He didn’t know any english which wasn’t good for Frank. Frank decided to make an airplane to meet the Mongolian man. Then, he found a translator app on his phone. He used it to translate the mongolian letters. They read: Help, I am going to get killed!

Frank decided to make his plane faster. He finished the plane, packed his stuff, and set out on the journey. Then, he got a text saying: I am getting digested inside the alien body get away from this place! Frank tried to turn around but 90 aliens surround him and dive-bombed his plane with their teeth. He got eaten. Sadly, he never got to talk with the man in person. He made and designed planes. He also flew in airplanes.

***

THE END

***

R.I.P FRANK Richardson. 2056-2099

***

Frank’s dead.

***

I am not that sad that he died. I am actually happy.

***

Sorry, Frank Richardsons of the world.

The Other Side of Me

Chapter 1  

“Pay attention, Kate,” calls my teacher. I immediately look up to see what she’s saying. I wish I could tell her what keeps me from paying attention everyday, but if I said anything, the Terces Society would be in trouble big trouble.

“Ring-ring,” the bell sounded.

Finally, it’s time to leave and I can get ready for my biggest mission yet. I am gathering up school supplies to bring home when my teacher tells me to come to her desk. I am prepared: all I need to say is “Sorry, I would love to chat but I have to get on the bus or it will leave without me.” Then I run out the door.

After I do this, I hear her calling out to me. “You don’t have a bus pass,” she says. I keep on running. I don’t worry about being caught. The only thing I’m worrying about is what is yet to come.

I know the route by heart but I am so nervous, I feel like I’m lost. I turn the corner and see the building. It’s tall and gloomy and grey. There are many huge signs on the front that say things like “under construction,” “back off,” “beware,” “hard hat zone,” “danger,” etc. The signs are meant to keep strangers away from our top secret files. When strangers walk by they think it’s an old scary building under construction. I am so used to the building now that I am never scared of it, but now may be an exception. As I walk up the stairs I can feel my hands shaking.

When I walk in the doors, I hear the front desk lady say, “Hi, Kate, stop by your dorm room to pick up your stuff, and then go to the archives to pick up your file.”

“Okay,” I respond. The front desk lady’s real name is Lily, but I don’t like to call her that because it doesn’t suit her. She’s pretty nice but very strict, and is very good at keeping spies in and strangers out.

I go upstairs to the fifteenth floor, room number 15B. I take out my key and it slowly turns in the keyhole, making a soft clicking sound. My dorm is a soft mint color. I have a small living room and kitchenette. All the other kids share a dorm, but I got my own because I am the best spy in the whole Terces Society… but I think it’s more because they felt sorry for me after what happened five years ago.

I am getting together all of the things I will need: spy uniform, disguise, flashlight, rope, duct tape, gun, pocket knife, etc. I am almost ready and am walking out the door when I realize I am forgetting something, the only thing I have left of my parents. I rush back into my dorm. I run into my bedroom and open the bottom drawer of my dresser. Under my t-shirts I find a photograph of my parents with me as a baby. Looking at the photograph makes my eyes water, so I bury it under all of the stuff in my spy bag.

I am eight again, and I am in my bedroom. The door is locked and I can’t get out of my room. I start to get really, really scared. I look around and start to scream and cry. All of a sudden everything becomes dark. I hear a terrible scream come from downstairs. I suddenly have an idea. I run my hands along the wall and find the window. I open the latch on the window and climb onto the edge, and I jump into the night, landing on two feet. I walk to the front door and find the key under the welcome mat. I unlock the door, wondering what will be behind it. I run in and walk to the living room. My parents are lying there completely unmoving and covered in blood. I am too late, I can’t save them.

I take a quick glance at my watch. 4:27. “Oh no, I will be late to start my mission!” I sprint down the twelve flights of stairs. When I get down to the third floor I turn the corner and walk into the archive. I am searching for the file on my mission when I see Mr. Brown, the president of the Terces Society. I don’t see him often because he is always cooped up in his office.

“Hi Kate. Here is your file,” Mr. Brown says to me, passing me the green folder.

I take the folder and my bag and walk downstairs through the doorway. My heart is pounding so hard, I feel like I can’t even walk. I am terrified, but I don’t even know what my mission is yet. I slowly open the folder. I can feel my hands shaking. One third open. Two thirds open. Finally, the folder is open.

I see a picture of the criminal who I need to catch. He has pale skin, almost transparent, and I can see his veins popping from his skin. There is a huge bloody gash across his face. His eyes are bulging and bloodshot. He is creepy but something about him is familiar. Then I remember who he is he is Murderous Marvin, the worst villain in the whole universe. All of a sudden, I start to cry because I remember how my dad used to tell me scary stories about him when I was little. I can just hear my father’s voice. Now I have to learn more about what Murderous Marvin has done.

Chapter 2

I read through the file. It shows that he has stolen a top secret file from the Terces Society.  I am terrified, and I know that we have some really important and secret things in the archive. If someone reads the files, the Terces Society will be in danger real danger. I have only two questions. One: what did Murderous Marvin take? Two: why did he do it?

The file doesn’t have a lot of information, so I don’t know what I will do. I have to go back upstairs to do some research. This time I take the elevator up to 15B. I turn the key in the knob and walk inside. I walk through the door to my bedroom and climb up the ladder to my loft. I love the loft; it is cozy and bright, with a big skylight above it. I have a big day bed right below the skylight. When I go to sleep I watch the light go from blue to pink to black. My favorite time is when it’s raining at night. It makes me feel safe and warm.

I come back out of my thoughts. I know what I need to do. I sit down at my desk and log into my computer. A long time ago, when I started having missions, finding the files for the mission was really hard and time consuming because the archive is so big. I decided to make a computer program to help me. I hooked up sensors to each one so that I know where the files are in my computer. I need that program now so that I can see what file was taken.

I scroll through the missing files. There are five. Immediately, I know which one Murderous Marvin took the top secret file about the president, which is very important. Our president’s name is James Smith. The file has a document that President Smith received in order to declare World War III. Luckily, I stole the document so that Mr. Smith couldn’t sign it.

If Murderous Marvin gets ahold of the document, he could forge the signature and start WORLD WAR III!

My Life On The Street

        

Author’s Note

This is a true story based on my grandma’s dog Cody. He did live with an owner but ended up on the street. I made up what happened in his life but some things are true. This story is written from Cody’s perspective.

INTRODUCTION

My name is Cody. I am one year old and live in Missouri on the street. I lived with an owner but, one day, she let me out and never back in. She taught me how to eat my food when she said it was okay, and to slow down when I ran too fast down the stairs. But, now I am alone. I have no one to care for me.

Chapter 1

One stormy Saturday, I needed to find food. All that was close to me was a half-eaten can of black beans. I gobbled that down so fast, but still had to find other things to eat. As I ran down the block, a flash of lightning struck near by. I desperately needed somewhere to hide.

Luckily, I lived in a mostly nice neighborhood. It could get lonely and sad sometimes, though. The wind picked up speed. It started howling. Trees swayed. By now, I was shivering. My teeth started to chatter. I walked for a while, not sure where I was going. I made a right then travelled north for a few minutes. Before my eyes was a huge garbage dump. I walked up to the fence and slowly headed in.

Wow! I thought to myself, There is so much garbage! I bet there will be a lot of food too!

I stepped onto the garbage. It smelled really bad. Cautiously, I climbed up the garbage that towered over me. I found a piece of fish. It was rotting, but I ate it anyway. I searched some more without luck. It was getting late. Stars lit up the sky around the crescent-shaped moon. I retraced my steps back home by sniffing. I peed on a fire hydrant. Something smelled peculiar. It smelled like another dog. That might not seem funny to you but there are no dogs where I live. Even if there were dogs in Missouri, there wouldn’t be any near here. It’s a mostly deserted town.

In the 1860’s, there was a legend that said a big bulldozer came through this town. It knocked down a house that had seven dogs and three humans in it. That was just the beginning. The man driving the bulldozer was named Wrecking Ransacker. He’d lived in the house that he knocked down and –– get ready, this is the creepy part –– it was his ghost who made the town deserted. After he died, his son and daughter took over his house. They were very poor, and the house cost a lot of money. They sold it to three nine-year-old girls. Of course, the girls had seven dogs named Petula, Petunia, Rosy, Daisy, Sunflower, Daffodil and Buttercup who were all King Charles Cavaliers. They were black, grey, and a dirty white.

One stormy night, Wrecking Ransacker was so mad at his kids that he knocked down everyone’s homes on the block. All the houses had dogs because there was a dog park nearby, only one block away from Deserted Dessert street, and these dogs were in their homes alone with their owners when the bulldozer came through.

The sky turned pitch black. I decided to come back to this garbage dump tomorrow. I slept on a small cotton blanket I had picked up at the dump. The storm calmed down and, soon, I fell asleep.

Chapter 2

After a good long rest, I had lots of energy. I headed to the mysterious fire hydrant. Along the way, I passed an opened can of raspberry jelly. I took a nibble of it, but it was too sweet for me. I went on my way. By the time I reached the fire hydrant, I was sweaty from the sun. The storm had cleared and it was bright out. Just in case you ever go to Missouri, let me tell you what this fire hydrant looks like. It was green with polka dots–no other hydrants are green so it will be easy to spot. The hydrant is on Deserted Dessert street. Finally, I reached the hydrant. I decided to be careful in that area – who knows what crazy things or people would be around.

Before I knew it, I had jinxed myself.

Chapter 3

Crap, I thought to myself.

An old lady appeared at a window in a long black cloak. She sat down, knitting needles in her wrinkly fingers. I ducked behind a garbage can that held a pink, blue, and white striped umbrella along with one brown shoe. The rest, I didn’t care about. As I peered out from behind the garbage, the lady’s eyes shifted to me. I jumped back behind the can in a flash. Her eyes blinked in disbelief. The next thing I knew, she had disappeared into her stone room.

***

I headed to another block on Deserted Dessert street. As I walked, I gulped down a bite of avocado.

“Ccrreeeekk!!” A noisy door opened from a house. Paint peeled from the sides of the house. It was painted brown with lumps. It looked like the painter wanted to make it look ugly.

Like a spy, I rolled onto my back and flipped over. I tried doing a cartwheel but failed.

The lady headed out with a big sack. It was full. Full of stuff. I couldn’t tell exactly what was in it because it was black and sealed shut with a piece of red ribbon. The lady looked left, then right, and crossed the street. The bag gleamed in the sunshine. She threw the bag onto the street and said: “¡Uf esto es manera de pesada!” (Meaning: Ugh, this is way too heavy.)

Luckily for me, I could understand spanish from my old owner.

“¿Por qué siempre tengo que hacer el trabajo duro?” the lady asked. “¡No es justo! ¿Por que mi marido dosis no haga el mismo trabajo?” (Meaning: Why do I always have to do the hard work? It’s not fair! Why doesn’t my husband do the work himself?)

The old lady kept on muttering under her breath. It scared me to think that the creepy old lady had a husband. I left. On my way home, something terrifying got in my way.

Chapter 4

“Hey look! I just scared that wimpy dog!” A boy in a ragged ripped shirt said, laughing hysterically.

His friends joined with him.

“Hahaha!” a boy giggled wildly.

“Let’s chase him!” another boy joked.

As I said, he was joking. But his friends didn’t realize that. They started to chase me.

“Wait, guys…” the boy’s voice trailed off until it was barely there. “… I was just joking …”

I ran for my life, growing and barking at the boys. They ignored me. When I couldn’t run anymore, I dived into a shallow pool. The boys dived in after me.

“Brjkde wfhdhcvqbe!!!” A a boy yelped in terror. After being in the freezing pool for a few seconds, he hopped out.

I paddled with my front paws and tried not to drown. Gasping for breath, I made my way to the edge of the pool. I jumped out, shook myself off, and started running again.

Good. A house. Maybe they will let me in!

I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I headed down the cracked sidewalks that were made in 1913. My long fur flew with the breeze. Every once in awhile I took a peek back to see where the boys were. Their hands were sticking out as they tried grabbing my tail.

“Woof, Woof!” I barked loudly as possible.

A person started walking to the door. She peered out and as she realized that I, a dirty dog, was at the door. She turned around. The house was made of stone and had two chimneys. The door was painted a bright red which popped out from the dull, grey stone.

“Skedaddle!” screeched the lady.

I leapt off the ramp leading to her house.

Wait a minute, I thought, I smell something familiar…

Chapter 5

I raced back to the boys and wagged my tail so hard that it almost fell off. This was a risk. This time, they didn’t start chasing me. They were actually nice! They pet me and I did a soft, nice, quiet growl.

I think I’m starting to like these boys, I thought with a lot of enthusiasm.

I did a little woof as my way of saying goodbye.

“Bye!” The boys said in unison.

I gave one last bark goodbye. They were my new favorite humans!

I headed off now, not worried about anything.

Chapter 6

I walked down the hot pavement. My feet burned like they were on fire. In front of me was that green fire hydrant! I almost went blind. This was the most unexpected thing to ever happen on earth. Just then, a big fireball came down from the ski and landed in front of my face.

What? The? Wha?

I was confused.

I looked up in the sky and…

Uh oh.

1,001 fireballs were coming down! They could land on me!

I had to think fast. I unscrewed the lid of the fire hydrant.

Woosh!!! The fire hydrant sprayed water everywhere!

The fireballs went out!

Yippie!!! I thought happily.

The fireballs left a burned spot on the ground. Now I could get to business. I sniffed the fire hydrant. Sniffed and sniffed. It smelled different.

Huh? I thought.

This was strange. I couldn’t smell it as well as I could a few days ago. It seemed … dull.

Wait a minute … I realized. Ah ha! I got it! When the water sprayed it cleared away the pee smell. I am so smart!

It was disappointing because I was intrigued by that doggy smell. I wandered to a nearby garbage can and ate a sunnyside-up egg. Yum. That type of egg was delicious. I left the garbage can and returned to the fire hydrant. Dreadfully, the strange lady was there but wasn’t wearing her black cloak. She had on a pretty skirt with flowers and a red crop top. She was wearing a lot of makeup and her hair was done in a neat bun. Her long pointy fingers were painted with black and white, zig zag stripes. Her pair of black heels matched her outfit perfectly. That was when it hit me.

“Miranda?” The lady in the flowered skirt called.

Just then, the lady in the black coat came through the door! This hit me by surprise. I hid behind the garbage can.

“Juro por mi corazón que acabo de ver el más lindo pequeño perrito derecho imaginables lado de la calle.” (Meaning: I swear to my heart that I just saw the cutest little pup imaginable right across the street.)

“¿Qué? ¿Cómo es eso posible? Tengo el perrito más lindo en este mundo. Por el amor de Dios. El perrito más lindo en el mundo!” (Meaning: What? How is that possible? I have the cutest pup on this world. For crying out loud. The cutest puppy on the world!)

Miranda, the lady in black, walked out of the room with a humph. Her head was tilted high. The next second, Miranda came back into the room with a puppy named Maya who was a big golden doodle who loved to play. She rolled onto her stomach for a belly rub. I got a bit jealous because I have always wanted an owner who would take me for walks. It made me feel sad, but also more determined to get an owner to care for me.

Chapter 7

The lady in the flowered skirt went to get a glass of red wine, came back, and walked to her car. She crossed the street and looked around. She saw me. I growled, even though I knew that she didn’t want to harm me. She got out her blackberry phone and dialed: (324) 802-9672. That was the number of an animal rescue truck. She waited patiently with me for exactly 13 minutes and 43 seconds. She counted. She also was humming Row, Row, Row, Your Boat. I quietly hummed along with her. She turned and looked at me. I quickly stopped humming and looked up at her with big eyes. She bent down and pet me.

Chapter 8

A big, white van pulled up across the street from where the lady and I were. Two men hopped out in tan uniforms with pins on them. The pins had pictures of dogs, cats, birds and every animal you can imagine. Even a donkey!! They picked me up –– Mr. Stan and Mr. Louis. They also had name tags on along with all those cool pins. The van had big bumper stickers that had their phone number, with a dog on them. They held me high in the air for photos for a new bumper sticker!! Inside the van, they had metal bars. I couldn’t go to the front of the van. It seemed like jail. I got to sit on a big, fluffy, soft, white cushion. Of course, in jail they wouldn’t have a cushion in the police car. At least from what I know.

By this time, the lady was gone. Dust flew from behind the car. Do you want to hear something terrible? Here, you know what? I’ll tell you. They were taking me to the vet! My old owner took me once and I bit the vet. Let’s do a quick addition problem: Me plus vet equals mad. The lady at the desk, talked to Mr. Stan and Mr. Louis.

“We’ll be back in 30 minutes,” concluded Mr. Louis.

“Yes we will,” confirmed Mr. Stan.

“That will work just fine,” said the lady at the desk, Molly.

And that was that. I waited in a dog pen that had a husky and a beagle.

“Dog?” A sweet looking nurse called me.

I growled. Molly got me out of the pen which was unfortunate because I wanted to stay, play with some toys, and sleep on the cushion. I growled and growled. I hated the vet. I sat up on a table that had a matting on the bottom. Since I knew that I hated the vet, I peed on the table. The vet wasn’t in the room yet but Molly was. She didn’t know how to handle this bad-for-her situation.

“Um … Janitor Jake? Can you come and … clean this mat? Cody peed on it.” Molly asked through her walkie talkie.

“Sure.” Jake replied crackly through the walkie talkie.

A minute later, Jake appeared with a garbage bag and and new mat for me to sit on. Just then, Dr. Sanders came in.

Chapter 9

I looked through the door as the vet came in. He was wearing a long white jacket with name a tag that read ‘Dr. Sanders.’

“Hi Jake, Molly,” Dr. Sanders said casually.

Then, he turned his attention to me.

“Hi!” Sander said cheerfully!

He gave me a light pat on the head. I growled at him and tried to bite him. Luckily for him, he was able to pull his finger away a millisecond before I was going to bite him.

“Ready to get started?” questioned Sanders.

I gave a low, mean bark.

He got out a stethoscope and put it on my heart. The assistant who I haven’t yet mentioned sat in the corner of the room to check off if things were looking good or bad.

“Heartbeat is fine. Yes it is, cutie. Yes it is!” Sanders said.

“Good.”

This went on and on. Even after Mr. Stan and Mr. Louis came back.

I couldn’t sit on the table anymore. They were in the middle of giving me a tick and flea medication when I hopped off the table. Dr. Louis, who was quite large, started chasing me around the room. He started to break a sweat after I made him run around the table once. Once!! Mr. Stan got mad and started yelling. He had lost his temper.

“Why would you do that, dog?”

Mr. Louis was panting. That was the end of the terrible check-up. On the way out, Dr. Louis paid the check ($307 plus tax). On the way out, Molly gave me a treat.

“You want a treat for being such a good little doggy?”

I wagged my tail and barked. Just as Molly was about to put the treat in my mouth, Mr. Stan took it away. I bit his finger as hard as I could and didn’t let go. He screamed like a five-year-old girl who was in terrible pain. I finally let go and he dropped the treat on the ground. I quickly, without anyone knowing, ate the treat off the ground. Molly gave me a soft pat on the head as if she were on my side. In my ear, she whispered something.

Molly joked, “it’s okay, buddy. He was mean. And scared like a chicken from a tractor.”

I liked her. Mr. Louis took Mr. Stan to the bathroom. His finger was swollen when he came out. Mr. Stan grabbed me and, of course, I growled.

“Shut up,” Mr. Stan said, paranoid.

I went back into the car and Mr. Louis started driving again. He stopped at a gas station. He went into a tiny supermarket and came back with three large bags filled with potato chips, coca cola, gummy bears, one tiny circular dog treat, peppermint patties, two milkshakes, and two cheeseburgers. Mr. Louis tossed the dog treat to the back seat. I gave a tiny bark.

“Oh. Now the dog is nice. Why did you even get him a treat?”

“Well … maybe … I like him a little? Fine. I like Cody and all his energy.” Mr Louis was afraid to break this news.

I gave another bark, except this time louder.

“Let’s face it Louis. You can’t run. At all.” Stated Mr. Stan.

“Can I run, Cody?” I nodded my head yes because really, he was kind of nice. I also barked.

Mr. Stan got madder by the second because I like Mr. Louis more than Stan (not) The Man. My new nickname for him!

Chapter 10

The car ride was so long. Another time, Mr. Louis got more food. He came back with one piece of gum and a bag of dog treats for me! He even sat in the back of the car with me! There was nothing for Mr. Stan. Poor him (not).

We finally got to the shelter. Mr. Louis picked me up and carried me out of the car to the door. I walked inside and saw many dogs. They all looked nice. They started howling as I walked through the door. It was painted hot pink with blue stripes. The handle was in a shape of a dog–a shih tzu, in fact. I saw big kennels with big dogs with smaller kennels with smaller dogs. The place had hard wooden floors. It seemed like a place that I wouldn’t like. I barked with my tail down and my teeth gritted. They scooped me into a kennel. Surprisingly, it was a big kennel like the ones that the big dogs got. I felt so special. I had three t-shirt rope toys, a water bowl, a food bowl, and a cushion to sleep on. Pretty lame. I sat in the corner. Louis watched me. I could tell that he felt bad for me. He knew that I liked the open.

“Rachel? Are employees allowed to adopt the dogs?” I heard Louis ask.

“Ye–” Rachel got cut off by Louis.

“Yippee!!!” shouted Louis.

“–but not until after a full year because someone else may want to adopt that little cute pup.” finished Rachel.

“What? But I really want to adopt Cody,” Louis protested.

“Too bad.”

Rachel shooed Louis off.

The next day, Louis called in sick. That was unfortunate. Early that morning –– not too early –– a visitor came to the shelter. He was wearing a pair of navy jeans with a white t-shirt. Right away, I knew who it was but I didn’t bark or do anything. It seemed as if the person had made sure that his beard was extra long.

“May I help you?” asked Rachel, sweetly.

“Yes please … I was wondering if you had any small black and white shih tzu’s?”

“Yes we do. You can go and look for yourself,” Rachel said.

The man started walking when Rachel stopped him.

“Louis? Is that you?”

“What?”

“Louis. It says your name on your shirt. And your last name.”

“Okay, I admit it. I was trying to adopt the dog under disguise.”

“Let’s get to work, Louis.”

“Fine.”

Louis walked over to me and rubbed my neck. I love neck massages. Louis took me out of my cage a cradled me like a baby. If you’re wondering where Mr. Stan was, he quit his job. I bit him too hard. He was so mean anyway. I didn’t really care.

Siblings

Chapter 1

Some siblings play with you, some fight with you, some are your best friends, and some do all of the above. My sibling does none of the above. Well, for now. My brother is my best friend. We used to play together, study together, talk to each other in the night, and trust each other with our secrets, but now we can’t do any of those things. He was recently paralyzed, but now we are teaching him how to walk, talk, and do math. We are turning him into the boy he used to be.

I am Meg and I will tell you how my brother, Matt, became paralyzed. We live in New York City. Nine months ago my brother was walking across the street and a car was speeding. My brother tried to back up and the man in the car tried to slow down, but it was too late. The man in the car hit my brother, and he screamed. My brother fell to the ground and he didn’t move. My mother got a call and she ran to the street where he got hit. I ran after her (let me remind you my brother was totally fine before this). We took ten minutes to get there. We were panting so much. When my mom and I got to the street he was being pulled into the ambulance. We went in with him. He didn’t make a sound. He didn’t move. My mom surely thought he was dead. There was blood all over his body. I couldn’t think straight.

My mom was crying and crying. Once we reached the hospital they took him into a testing room. I was sitting outside of the door crying because by now I thought he was dead too. I did not want my best friend and brother to die. Once they came out they said, “He is alive,” (I sighed with relief) but, he was paralyzed. At that point my mom stopped crying and she said, “Can you treat him?” they said, “Yes, but, he will be needing therapy.”

So, one month after that he got paralyzed he started therapy. Now, eight months later he can finally walk. He can finally have a full conversation. He still cannot read, write, and do physical activities. So I, Meg Warner, have volunteered to help.

I am younger than him, yet at this point, while he is being trained and he is going into eighth grade, I know how to do more activities than he does. That does not mean I am smarter than him, it just means we have to get all of the knowledge he has out of the back of his brain. Every day I work on math flashcards, reading flashcards, and spelling flashcards with him. We started off with preschool flashcards. He did well at those. Then we did kindergarten, which still wasn’t terrible. Then, everything up to sixth grade was fine, but seventh and eighth he is blanking out on. So those two grades are what we will have to teach him. He is getting the math of seventh grade, but his spelling is not great. So we don’t really work on math. We have been working on reading and spelling for weeks and he still can’t get it right.

Now, after weeks and weeks, we are going to the doctor to see if he has dyslexia. The test was positive. He has dyslexia. That makes the process of teaching twice as hard. So now I can not teach him, the doctor will. That is just the start of my brother’s story.

Chapter 2

About My Brother

So my brother is a normal boy and I still believe that. He just needs to learn what he already knows. My brother was born August 3rd, 2003. He is two years older than me. He is twelve and I am ten.

We live in a brownstone building downtown. I can’t tell you exactly where for safety reasons. We have a big house and we also have added a training room for my brother for when his physical therapist comes.

He goes to the Anderson School and I go to The Dalton School. Well, now he isn’t in school, he is technically homeschooled but with a doctor. When I was a baby, he loved holding me and taking care of me. Now it’s my turn.

His favorite sport is tennis. He also likes playing soccer. He cannot do any of those anymore. As a small child he was on a soccer team and, before the accident, he was ranked seventy-fourth in the tennis Eastern Conference. He keeps telling me he wants to play tennis, but I say, “No you can’t. That will hurt you more.” He gets mad and storms off. I never intend to hurt his feelings, but he thinks he is still the boy he was before the injury. I tell him, “We are trying to turn you into that boy,” but he has to be taught. He still is the same boy but he has to be trained to be as smart as he possibly can. He also has to be able to do physical activities.

My brother and I have almost as much fun as we used to. He can talk, walk, and have fun with me. The thing is he can’t play catch with me, tennis with me, play soccer with me, skate with me, and pretty much do any sport with me. He now talks to me like he did. In the night we talk but a lot of nights he is in the hospital. We are both lonely those nights.

His spelling and writing is the level of my grade, which actually isn’t that bad considering that he has dyslexia and I am not bad at writing and reading. Technically he is doing really well.

Chapter 3

The Bad News

We are walking with him down the street (we take a wheelchair just in case), when my mom got a call. You know when your mom gets a call and then all of a sudden she goes serious? Well, that’s what happened. As she picks up the phone I see a contact that says “Matt’s Doctor.” I get scared.

After my mom puts down the phone, I ask her what happened and she says, “Matt has to go to the doctor right away.” I am traumatized by now so I just sit and watch. She calls my dad, and he comes straight to the hospital. They say, “Matt has a tumor.” They say something about taking a CT scan. They think he has cancer, but I don’t believe it. It can’t be true, can it? We go straight to the hospital. We take an uber to get there. It comes so quickly, and we get to NYU Langone. They take him into a room to take a CT scan. We have to wait outside of the door on the chairs. He comes out with different-colored wire things on his head. One is red, one is blue, one is green, one is yellow, and there are also other colors. He is very drowsy, so we take him home and he falls asleep.

Through those days we are very scared for the result.

We finally get the results and they say, “He has a brain tumor.” I start crying. He walks up to me and hugs me. I am so sad. He almost fully recovered from being paralyzed, and now he has a tumor. The nurse tells us he will have to stay there overnight. When he is conscious he says, “I want to have the surgery so I can live, pursue my tennis dream, have a normal life, and not remember all of this happening to me. I definitely don’t want to not have the surgery because the tumor will kill me. I am very scared for the surgery.”

I try to stay strong and say, “You’ll be fine. I have to go, bye.”

In the night I am worried and lonely. I don’t want my brother to die. “The tumor isn’t big,” they said. They said, “The surgery isn’t that hard but it is risky.” My parents are trying to decide if he should have surgery. If he doesn’t have surgery, the tumor will spread and he will die at some point. If I have a say in it I will say yes because he would be fine after that (hopefully).

Chapter 4

The Decision

So my parents are talking all night and the doctor says, “If you want him to have the surgery it will be tomorrow.” They finally agree on letting him get the surgery. The doctors say, “It might make teaching him two times harder.” I know he will be the same boy. So the next day we see him on the chair in the hospital. They give him a shot that will make him fall asleep and then they take him into the other room. I am so scared. My brother could be dead in two hours or he could be a healthy kid in two hours, but my hopes are up.

I have been waiting in the waiting room for two hours and he’s not out. Is he okay?

The doctors come out with my brother on the chair. He is unconscious. They say, “The surgery went well.” I am so happy I jump out of my chair and hug him. (Remember he is still unconscious).

The doctor says, “He will have to take Tylenol or Advil for his headaches.” The doctors say, “He just can’t do any physical activities or physical therapy for two weeks.”

He stays there overnight. In the morning we pick him up from the hospital and he acts normal, but we have to take him in the wheelchair because he can’t walk until the physical therapist comes. We talk. I ask him how he felt. He says, “I’m fine,” but he has a headache. I tell him to go ask Mom to give him Tylenol. He says, “Okay.” He goes and asks.

Chapter 5

Physical Activities

Two weeks have passed and he wants to start tennis again. My brother can’t move very fast yet. He can’t walk because he isn’t allowed to, and now he has forgotten how to. So we get the physical therapist to come, so soon he will be able to play tennis. The physical therapist says, “It will be easy to teach him how to walk and run.” The problem is that he can’t move fast. He takes three days to get his legs to move fast. Then it takes three more days to get him to get a tight grip on the racket. It takes five days to strengthen his leg and arm muscles. He is able to play tennis. He tries out for a tennis team called The Ravens.

He gets on the team! He has a match in one day, which is the state’s match. He has been trained really well and I think he is ready.

We go to the match. He wins the first set six to one and wins the second set six to zero. He wins!!! We celebrate by buying a cake and eating it while watching Lemonade Mouth the Movie! The minute he won I knew he was totally fine.

Is There A McDonald’s In Beach Haven

SLAM! I crash to the ground. “Ow!” I say. Asher slammed his locker door and “accidentally” kneed me in the stomach. That’s how tall he is. Not that I’m short.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” Connor says.

“How about she watches where she’s going!” Asher says while he walks away.

“Are you okay?” Emma says. Connor, Emma, Lisa, and I are a group.

“He’s a jerk,” Lisa says.

“He should be suspended,” Connor says.

Suddenly, I get dizzy. Having people say a bunch of things at once doesn’t help a throbbing head. But then I start wondering, Why does my head hurt when he kneed me in the stomach? I hear more noises:

“Hey! Back off!”

“What was that for?”

They grow fainter and fainter…

”Olivia. OLIVIA!!!” My eyes dart open. Lisa is standing in front of me. “Hi,” she says.

I look around me. I am lying on a bed in the nurse’s office. I see Emma talking to the nurse, and Connor talking to the principal.

“Whats happening?!” I ask. Everyone stops to look at me.

“You’re awake!” the nurse says.

“Yeah,” I say. I pause for a second. Something is wrong. I’m forgetting to do something. “OH NO!” I scream. I grab the Band-aid on the nurse’s desk. I forgot to wash it. I walk to the sink and run the Band-aid under cold water. I smile as I turn the water off and dry it. Everyone is staring at me. “What?!” I say. I place it on the nurse’s desk. I walk back to the bed and lie down.

3 YEARS LATER

“Wake up!” my mom says.

“I am awake!” I tell her. “It’s summer! Why are you waking me up?!”

My mom sighs. “It’s too late to be sleeping still.”

Under the covers, I take a look at the clock. It reads 8:48. “What do you mean by ‘too late’?!” I reply.  Silence. I realize what she meant. I told her yesterday I would go shopping for her at the Pearl Street Market. “Ugh.” I roll out of bed at start picking out my clothes as my mom leaves the room. I decide to wear a beach cover up. It looks like a dress so I’m pretty sure no one will notice. I walk into the bathroom and brush my teeth and brush my hair. I walk into the kitchen where my mom usually is. “Mom, I’m ready!” Silence. “Hello?!” Silence.

“Hello big ten-year-old sister!” Liam, my little brother jumps out of the kitchen. He is only four years old.

”It’s not my birthday. I’ve told you a million times to buy a calendar. I’m already ten!” I say back to him.

“Oh,” he says. I walk away from him and look for my mom. I find her in the living room, staring at the TV, wide-eyed with my other little brother, Jackson. She looks scared. On the TV, it says BREAKING NEWS.

“Mom, I’m ready.” She looks at me and turns off the TV quickly.

“Okay sweetie, be safe,” she says.

“Yeah, be safe,” Jackson echos. I give him a weird look.

“Oookay. Bye, Mom. And, uhhh, Jackson.” I walk outside and hop onto my bike. Out of the corner of my eye I see my mom and Jackson waving. Jackson’s acting too mature to be eight years old. I get so lost in my thoughts. Why are they acting so worried? What happened on the BREAKING NEWS? I get so lost that I forget to make a left on Pearl Street and go so far that I’m in front of the “Welcome to Beach Haven” sign. I turn back and (finally) make it to Pearl Street Market.

I lock my bike and walk inside. I love Pearl Street Market. It looks like an old fashioned market and it smells like a new book which is the best smell ever. I stall sometimes because I don’t want to leave. There is always a bowl of Hershey’s Kisses on the counter, so I take a couple and put them in my pocket.  I pick up the basket and grab everything quickly. I wasted a lot of time getting lost.

Out of the corner of my eye I see BREAKING NEWS on the TV.  I do a  double take. I stare at the TV just like my mom did. The news reporter says, “…got in a fist fight at McDonalds due to… ”

Bump!

“Ow!” I say.

“Sorry!” the girl says. She’s about to walk out the door when I stop her.

“Emma?” I say. She turns around and looks at me.

“Oh. Hi,” she replies.

I haven’t seen her since the first day of third grade, when I got a concussion. We were lost so we ended up in the middle school floor. Then Asher kneed me in the stomach and I banged my head on the ground, and… stuff. I changed schools because my mom didn’t want me at that school anymore, even though Asher got kicked out of school. In that school, you get kicked out easily. Emma walks back inside.

“Did you hear what happened on the news?” I ask her.

“No,” she says and stares at the TV. I stare at the TV also.

“The person who got in a fist fight just seems so familiar,” I tell her.

“But my brain’s telling me not to look anymore.” She looks over to me with wide eyes.

I hear the TV say, “Asher Gray….”

I look at her with wide eyes also. “No way,” I tell her. I look back at the TV.

“Asher Gray, the person who started this fight, attacked Leonardo Smith. Asher did run away after. If you have anymore information, call 1-800-CRIME-STOPPERS.”

I turn back at her and say, “We have to find Leonardo Smith.”

“Why in the world do we have to find Leonardo Smith?” Emma asks.

“Because,” I tell her, “We want to know information about where he might have gone and then report it to the police.” I say it all in one breath. I gasp.

“Well,” Emma says. “Where are we going to start?”

“McDonalds,” I tell her. I drop my basket and run to my bike. She follows me. We both hop on our bikes and start pedaling.

“Where is this McDonalds?” Emma asks.

“I don’t know,” I say.

Emma rolls her eyes. We start pedaling around until we find a McDonalds. There is a bunch of caution tape around it.

“I think this is it!” I tell her. We are only on Main Street, so we aren’t that far away from home. Home! What if they think something bad happened to me!? And the breaking news that they saw…

Oh no.

We arrive at the McDonalds. Looking through the window, we see knocked over chairs, garbage everywhere, and tables knocked over also. “Okay,” I whisper to Emma as we jump off our bikes, “here‘s the plan. We pretend that we are cousins of Leonardo and are longing to know where he is. Got it?” She nods. We walk in the McDonald’s and see police talking.

“Excuse me?” Emma says.

“Hey! What are you kids doing here? Get out!” the policeman says.

“No, please! We are cousins of Leonardo! Do you know where he is?” I say.

“Why didn’t you come to the hospital when your family went?” the police officer asks.

“We were uhh… ” Emma says. She gives me a kick in the shin.

“Ow!” I say. “I mean we were uh… camping,” I tell the police officer.

“Yeah. Camping,” Emma adds.

“Okay,” the police officer says.

“Your cousin is in the Beach Haven hospital — ”

“Okay, thanks!!” Emma says. We jump on our bikes and head toward the hospital.

“Emma. My mom is going to be so worried. She was looking at the TV like she was scared this morning. She is going to think something is wrong,” I tell her. She says nothing back. I tell her to make a right turn. When we get to the hospital I hit a bump and I feel my bike go lower and slower. “Stop!” Emma slows down. We stop in front of the hospital. “Oh no, oh no, oh no!!! I think my tire broke,” I say. I set my bike down and look at the tire. There is a small hole, and it doesn’t go all the way through. In the trash I see a roll of duct tape. I take it out and measure a piece. I think about how I’m going to cut it, but I use all of my strength and pull it off. I put it on the hole.

“It probably should still work!” I say to myself. Emma and I lock our bikes and walk in the hospital. We walk up to the front desk.

“Hello,” Emma says. The receptionist turns around to look at us.

“Why hello there,” she says. “What can I do for you?”

“We would like to see Leonardo Smith please,” I say. She click-clacks away on her computer.

“Alright then. Is he expecting you?”

Emma pauses. “Um… we are… We are detective cadets for the police and we need to find out more information. About, you know.”

“You’re cadets for the police?” the receptionist asks. Not like she wants to know, she asks like she wants to know if we are kidding.

“Yeah. We are more mature then we look, you know,” I tell her.

“Alright,” she says. “Room 515.”

We walk through all the long hallways. 407, 408. “Where’s the elevator?” I say to no one in particular.

“515 is on this floor you know,” Emma says.

513, 514, 515! I peek through the window and see Leonardo laying in the hospital bed. He has several bruises on his face. I can’t see the rest of his body, and I’m kind of glad I can’t. He could have some really bad injuries. There is no doctor or nurse in the room that I see, so I push open the door with Emma trailing behind me.

“Hello?” I say. I’ve now confirmed that no doctor or nurse is in the room, so Emma and I walk in further.

“Hello,” Emma says to Leonardo. “We are police cadets. We need to find out more about the fist fight at McDonalds. So. Tell us everything.”

Leonardo looks at Emma like she’s a madman. “What?” he says.

“Did you not hear me correctly?” Emma asks politely. “What I said was we are police cadets and we need to find out more information about the fist fight at McDonald’s. What we really need to know is, did you see where Asher went after he ran away?” He nods like he’s taking it all in.

“No.”

“What?!” I say a little too loudly.

“No,” he says. “But I saw where he ran away to, not where he went after he ran away.”  Emma and I sigh with relief. Not only was he believing the story about being a police cadet, but he knows where Asher ran away to!

“He went to the apartment right next to the McDonald’s. That’s all I know.”

“Okaythat’sgreathanks!” Emma says excitedly as she pulls me by my arm out of the room. We run back down all the hallways.

We run past the receptionist, who shouts, “No running!!” She’s probably thinking, I should have never let them in. We finally make it outside. I look at the tire on my bike. It is still duct-taped, but it looks fine. It should just go a little slower. We get on the street, and I find out my predictions were correct. It goes a little slower. Okay, a lot slower. But I can’t do anything about it now. It takes us thirty minutes longer than we planned to get there. I check my watch. It reads 11:38. I cringe. Mom is going to be sooo mad. We park our bikes in front of the McDonald’s where the fist fight happened.

“Oh gosh,” Emma says with a sigh. The apartment looks gloomy and old and unwelcoming.

“We need a break,” I say. Emma’s stomach growls loudly.

”A lunch break,” she says. I feel bumps in my pocket. I take them out and see that they are Hershey’s Kisses from Pearl Street Market. Emma takes half of them and eats them quickly. Chocolate is her favorite food. I eat the rest of them. “Are you ready now?!” She groans as a response. I take it as a yes. I drag her onto the parking lot of the apartment. I almost stick my hand inside a cobweb. I shiver.

We make it to the end of the parking lot. Now in front of us are big numbers that read 675. There is a door that leads to the dark, gloomy, (you guessed it) lobby. The light is flickering. There is no lock on the door, so Emma pushes the door open. There is an elevator in front of us, and the staircase to the left.

“Let’s take the elevator,” Emma says. We walk in the elevator and I really don’t want to because it’s creepy and scary and I want to get out.  Emma is already one step ahead of me. ”What floor should we press? How about six?” She answers her own question.  She presses the button and the doors close. I double take on the button six. It says, FLOOR CLOSED.

“Why the heck did you press that if the floor is closed?!”

“Because it make it more mysterious!! Oooh!” It’s like we switched places.  She was scared to go in first and I wasn’t. Now she’s not scared and I am! We make it to the sixth floor and manage to step over the caution tape before the doors close. Standing in the hallway of the sixth floor, there is no caution tape. But over one apartment there is caution tape.

“Let’s go in that one!” Emma says.

I hide in my fear. “Sure,” I say.

Emma pushes open the door. Surprisingly, it’s unlocked. There is broken glass right near the doorway. We step over it walk inside. The whole time I’m scared that someone will jump out of nowhere. To the left I see a picture of Asher.

“Emma. This is Asher’s house,” I whisper. There is a ruffle sound. My heart skips a beat. We look around and see nothing. In front of us is the living room. Emma motions for us to go there. The room has a TV sitting on top of a shelf. There is an orange couch across from the TV. The walls are a dark yellow and peeling. I walk closer to the TV and see that it’s on. The Cartoon Network flashes on the TV.  I step back. I hear another ruffling sound. A vase tips over, spilling water and flowers and glass all over the floor.

“Emma, we should leave,” I whisper.

“I’ve told you a million times!” says a high pitched voice.

“Emma! Who said that?!”

“Geez,” she says. “It was the TV.”

“Emma we should really go. Someone is in here besides — ” Clank!

Emma and I run out of the apartment. Run as fast as we can!!! We take the stairs instead of the elevator, and I slip and fall. “Are you alright?!” Emma asks. I get up and keep running. We finally make it to the lobby of the apartment and run out the door and through the parking lot. We run to our bike and pedal.

“TO MY HOUSE!” I shout to her. She wouldn’t have heard me if I didn’t shout because the wind was blasting in our ears. I pedal as fast as I can because of my tire. We make it to my house in a good amount of time. I freeze at the front door.

“Just open it,” Emma says. I don’t want to open it. I’m scared. When my mom gets mad, she gets MAD.

“Prepare for.. .well… you’ll find out,” I laugh nervously. It takes all of my bravery to push open the door.

Jackson and Liam are watching TV on the couch. Jackson looks at us. “Olivia’s here!” he says to Liam and  and turns off the TV. “Where have you been?!” Jackson demands. “You are four hours late. You scared us to death!!!” Jackson says, not noticing Emma behind me.

“Well, we were just trying to find a little more information.” I start walking around the living room slowly. “About the um… fist fight that you didn’t tell me about… ”

Without skipping a beat, Jackson says, “Mom didn’t want me to tell you because she thought you would be scared.” I realize I don’t see Mom anywhere.

“Where did she — ”

“There was a fist fight?!!” asks Liam. “That’s totally radical,” he smiles. I roll my eyes. He doesn’t know anything about what really happened.

“Where is Mom?” I ask as I finally get a chance to finish my sentence. My heart is beating out of my chest. That stuff that happened in the apartment really creeped me out.

“You are so lucky.”  Jackson says. “We — ”

“Mom is taking a nap. You are so lucky we aren’t going to tell on you,” Liam interrupts. Liam loves to interrupt.

“Yep. She started taking a nap right after you left,” Jackson adds.

“Wow. That’s so weird.  Why would Mom be taking a nap in the morning? And she must be napping hard if she’s been napping since I left,” I say.  All of a sudden, Liam starts bursting out laughing. Jackson also.

“BUNNY EARS!” Liam shouts. I turn around and Emma is smiling. Now I realize that they were laughing because Emma was doing bunny ears at me. I roll my eyes.

“I just want to get to the good part!!” Emma whispers to me. “Allow me to explain,” Emma announces just as the boys stop laughing. “We are trying to find Asher and report him to the police. We just visited his apartment. Well, most likely his apartment.  There was a lot of paranormal activity. We didn’t get to visit it long enough so,” she says. “Who wants to go back?”

The boys shout,“MEEE!”

“What?!” I say to Emma.

“We can’t just leave them here!” she says.

“We can’t just take them with us!” I shoot back.

“Let’s go!” Emma says and runs outside. I sigh. This is going to be a long day.

Jackson gets his bike from the garage. Emma and I are ready to go. Except one person. Liam.

“Where am I going to go?!” Liam asks. Emma looks at the basket on my bike, then at Liam, and back again. I can see where she’s going.

“No,” I tell her. “You are not going to — ” Emma picks Liam up and drops him in the basket.

“Yay!” Liam says excitedly.

“Is this even legal?” I ask Emma. She doesn’t say anything. “Liam, hold on really tight. Okay?” I tell him.

“I will. Stop worrying!” he says. Emma does a head count. We all head back to the apartment. This Liam-in-the-basket thing actually works, except everyone is staring at us. Emma shouts directions to everyone. She has a good memory. The one thing I always liked about Emma is that she is really brave. Her not wanting to leave that apartment is somewhere between kind of weird and brave.

“Faster, faster!” Liam shouts. I try to go a little faster. I’m still creeped out. My heart is beating really fast. I do not want to go back to that apartment. We make it to the apartment and I have to use all my bravery to get off my bike and lock it. Jackson and Emma wait for me to get Liam out of the basket.

“That was so fun!” Liam shouts. I shush him and tell him that in the apartment, we have to whisper. Liam looks at the apartment in terror. He is about to scream but I shush him again. We walk silently across the parking lot. Same things as last time. Finally, we are standing in front of the apartment door. It’s so scary. I can see it on everyone’s faces also.

“Okay. This is really scary. Like, I’m scared. And you are. And… okay. Well everyone is,” I say nervously. “Just, don’t… or try not to… scream.” Everyone nods.

“Who wants to do the honors?” Emma asks. Nobody answers. “Okay then,” Emma says, “I will.”

Emma pushes open the door. We step over the broken glass, and walk into the living room. The TV is still on, but right when we walk in, it changes to Law & Order. There is a ruffling noise. We all turn around. Liam gives me puppy dog eyes.

“Fine,” I say. I pick him up. He smiles.

“Stop it. No. PLEASE!”

We all get scared. Who said that?

“It was the TV,” Jackson says. Emma starts walking down the hallway. We all follow her, even though we are scared out of our minds. The silence rings in my ears. The hallway is a light blue. I think that’s  a strange color choice, but I can’t focus on that right now. There are pictures of Asher and his family on the wall. This is definitely Asher’s house. We come to the end of the hallway and I hear Liam whimper. There is a closed door at the end of the hallway. Emma opens it and we all walk in. It’s a bedroom. It must be the parents’ bedroom, I think to myself. White walls with a red canopy bed. It looks like a normal bedroom, except it has a weird vibe.

“Let’s split up. Jackson and I explore the hallway. Olivia and Liam in this room,” Emma whispers. Everyone nods. Emma and Jackson go to the hallway and shut the door.

I cringe. I walk back to the door and open it. I look up and see that something is weighing down the canopy on the top. I’m about to put Liam down and investigate more, but the bed skirt ruffles. Like something or someone is ruffling it. Liam, at the worst time, screams at the top of his lungs. I jump and cover his mouth with my hand. Emma and Jackson run into the room.

“What is it?” Jackson whispers. I point to the bed skirt. Nobody moves. We just stare at the bed skirt. It goes like that for a long while. Suddenly, I have a plan.

I put Liam in Emma’s hands, who is very surprised and not quite ready and almost drops him. I carefully climb onto the mattress and grab the thing that was weighing down the canopy without looking at it. It’s a box. I unlock the the chain and I’m about to open it when…

“Hello?!” says a voice. It’s a familiar woman’s voice. I can see Emma’s face go from confusion to scared.

“I don’t think they’re in here!” the voice says.

“Well, we have to investigate, don’t we ma’am?!” a deeper voice says. We hear footsteps in the living room. Where are we going to go?! I do not like the situation I just got put in. We are in an apartment that we didn’t even know about until a few hours ago, trying to find someone who started a fist fight, with paranormal activity, with my brothers and best friend, trying not to get caught, and now there are people in this weird apartment. What the heck are  we going to do?

“Let’s sit in the living room and talk about this,” the deeper voice says. Emma quietly points to the closet in the hallway. It’s a large closet, big enough for all of us to fit in. I wonder how we are going to do this. Emma quickly runs to the closet and opens the door. She signals for us to come in. We run in as quickly as possible, with my heart beating really hard. We all make it in and Emma closes the door. SLAM!! I give Emma a look.

“What the heck?!” I whisper-shout to her. She cringes.

“Sorry!” she whisper-replies.

“What was that?!” the voice says.

“I don’t know. Want to go take a look?” the deeper voice says. I’m shaking my head. No. Please don’t take a look. Please don’t!

“As long as I find my kids!” the voice says. Suddenly, I get a horrific thought. The voice wasn’t just “the voice” anymore.

It could be my mother.

I use sign language to to tell Emma, “It might be my mom.” My teacher taught us sign language. She gives me an “OMG” look.  Jackson looks at us like we are the weirdest people alive because he doesn’t understand sign language. We hear footsteps come closer and closer.

“Do you want to open it?” The deep voice asks. I assume it might be a police officer.

“Wait,” my mom says. “My kids could be anywhere. I just saw their bikes outside.”

“If they could be anywhere,” the police officer says, “They could be in here.” I  close my eyes. Liam actually starts hugging me. This has never happened before, so I hug him back. The door creaks open. Without even looking I say, “Mom?!”

Flight

        

Chapter 1

A Day in my Life

While brushing my teeth, I realized this would be the last week of school. Then it would be summertime. Because my younger brother, Jackson, would be at sleepaway camp the whole summer, it would feel like I’d have the house to myself. The absence of him definitely makes the NYC apartment a lot more bearable. Since his school got out before mine, Jackson was already at camp, meaning I could get to school on time for once without having to drop him off first. I stuck my head outside my bedroom window five stories up to test the temperature. It was a sunny day so I grabbed a tank top and shorts from my drawer, put them on and ran out to get some breakfast. My name is Georgia Meriwether and this is about the best summer I’ve ever had.

On the way to school I watched the pigeon man, as I do everyday. He sits on a bench in Central Park covered with bird seed and awaits attention from his frumpy grey friends, as well as tourists and other onlookers who might give a tip. Walking by today, I saw him with his scruffy grey-brown hair spreading the brightly colored seed mixture across his shoulders, while some unusually albino pigeons were pecking aimlessly at his ankles. With his small earnings from tips, he could only afford to buy a pack of trail mix, a small coffee and some more bird seed. I tipped him a dime, as I did everyday and keep on walking.

I arrived at school at 8:00 a.m., right on time, and my teacher, Mr. Pipington, greeted me with a smile.

“Get all the work done that you need to get done,” he said, “Then read right away when you’re done.” Since I hadn’t yet finished my science homework, I sat down and started reading my weekly science book, “Why Can’t Penguins Fly And Other Bird Mysteries.” Sitting there reading, I learned that, according to researchers, the reason for why penguins can’t fly is that penguins are such good swimmers and no bird can excel at both. Then I started wondering why kiwis, emus and ostriches couldn’t fly. I would have to ask Mr.Guarski, our science teacher, later. You see, Mr. Guarski was an ornithologist (bird scientist) before he became a teacher so he’s basically a birdy dictionary.

The bell rang at 8:30, when I had just finished my report. Because I loved 6th grade science class, I hurriedly got up, unlike some of the others, who were intentionally getting up slowly and dropping their books. I hurried down the stairs and stepped into the science lab, breathing in the acrid smell of lizard feces in the process. I sat down at my desk at the front of the room and waited for the rest of the class and Mr. Guarski to enter.

Chapter 2

Rori

Today Mr. Guarski had brought in Rori, his pet cockatoo, for us to watch. He wanted us to take notes on how it behaved as a bird in captivity, then compare it to the birds we saw outside. His cockatoo looked different than the usual white body with yellow crest. It was slightly pinkish and its crest looked like a sunset. There were bright orange and yellow rings of color, spreading outward to the very tips of the bird’s plumage.

“I’m going to let her out so you can see how she acts,” Mr. Guarski said. “You ready Rori?”

Everyone except for Mr. Guarski jumped when the intelligent cockatoo let out a soft caw, as if replying to Mr. Guarski’s question.

“Kids, that’s something to take note of. Please write in your notebooks, ‘Responds to owner’s command,’ ok?”

I scribbled that down and then looked up to see Mr. Guarski opening up the cage. Rori opened up her wings and swooped up and out. She flew around the hanging light then landed back down lightly on the table to peck up the seeds Mr. Guarski had just lain down, then went back up again. Next Mr. Guarski showed us another one of Rori’s tricks. He threw a treat up into the air and Rori swooped up and grabbed it. A piece of my dirty blond hair blew into my face in the rush of wind left behind.

“Now we’re going to let her explore the classroom,” Mr. Guarski said. “Tirana!” he called to my best friend, “Can you and Georgia go around and close any open windows?”

Once we had closed all the windows, we went back to our seats. I watched as the beautiful bird strutted around the classroom, pecking at different chairs, books, rugs and even Ari Lorenza’s head. The whole class, even Ari, cracked up when that happened. We watched the bird in amazement for another fifteen minutes, then I had an idea that would affect the rest of my life. ‘If bats can fly, and they are mammals with solid bones, why can’t humans fly, too? Why hasn’t somebody invented that before?’ I thought about this more at home after school. I was suddenly shaken out of my thoughts by the silence of the kids around me. I looked up and found that I was face to face with Rori. She gave me a questioning look which turned into surprise and then finally settled on a look of peace. I would’ve never thought a bird with such beady black eyes could give a look of peace. The thing that surprised me the most though was that I wasn’t the least bit surprised that the bird was on my desk. Then just as soon as the moment had begun, it ended and class continued as usual.

Chapter 3

My only barrier

When I got home, I crashed on the couch and started thinking. I thought about the way the bird had looked at me. With such unnatural peace but at the same time, natural peace. I thought about the idea I had had earlier. Then I thought, I could be the inventor of human wings. My summer is completely free and I have the time. Maybe I could do it with Tirana. Then I remembered that she would be in Ecuador, visiting her family. My mind was turning into a tornado of thoughts, swirling and swirling and swirling and swir —

“Stop,” I said to myself, accidentally out loud. Then in my head I said, I need to write this down.

I started making a diagram of how I would create the wings. Since bats are the only true flying mammals (not gliding mammals), I used them for inspiration. On my computer, I found thousands of bat pictures; bats hunting, bats hanging, bats eating and even bats pooping in tiny bunny rabbit costumes while nibbling cheese puffs. The only pictures I really needed were the pictures of bats flying. In the pictures of bats flying, I noticed that all of the bats have their bellies down to the ground. I start drawing a horizontal person on my paper. I looked back up at the pictures and studied the wings. A bat’s wings have three bonelike supports embedded within, that prevent the wings from being limp, useless flaps of skin. I drew arms out of my person and then drew a harness connected to wings, big pieces of undecided fabric cut into semi-rectangular shapes. The wings would have fastened sleeves that would go over your arms. Then I drew a few channels of lightweight wood, like the bones in a bat’s wings.

Next I looked up birds. The birds I saw had the same position flying, belly down, but instead of three thick supports, there are many thin supports overlapping, the feathers. I wondered what the difference was because I knew both systems work. I thought “Birds and bats must fly differently because they’re different species.” I looked up some videos of bats in flight and compared them to videos of birds in flight. I found that the birds could soar without much flapping whereas the bats had to flap more often to keep aloft. I went back to my paper and drew the same person but this time I drew them with feathery wings instead of boney and leathery. I decided that I would make the wings this way because: 1. It wouldn’t tire the wearer out as much and 2. Gliding sounded fun.

“I’m home!” my mom called as the door slammed.

“Mom! Mom!” I said. “Look at the drawing I made.” I heard her take off her shoes as she walked over to the couch. She sat down and I started telling her about my idea. After I told her everything I planned and showed her my drawing, she opened her mouth to say something.

“Georgia honey, I don’t think we’re going to be able to do this. It seems impossible. People have tried over many years and still haven’t succeeded. You can do it on your own time, but I’m not going to give you materials to build it. You’re going to have to get them yourself.”

I was about to say, “But it’ll work! I know it will!”

But she cut me off and said, “I’m not going to help you.” And walked off to change out of work clothes.

Chapter 4

Maggie’s Job

It was the last day of school and Ari brought in doughnuts. I was eating my Boston Cream doughnut with sprinkles and getting chocolate all over my face. Today was basically just a day of gathering things to take home at the end of the day. Since today was a half day, I would have time at home to think about what I would do over the summer and how I would put my idea into action without my parents helping me.

At home, I went to my room and thought about how I would get the money to make my wings. Maybe I could do what other average kids would do — have a lemonade stand or sell cookies? But that seemed boring. Maybe I could volunteer? I went to my computer and looked up “jobs for kids in NYC.” I found websites like, “Dog-Walking! A Perfect Job For Kids” or “Help Clean Up NYC — Kids Welcome!” I wanted to know if there was anything involved with birds, because they were my favorite animal and I might be able to learn something new for my project. So I looked up, “Bird sitting jobs” and found a lady who lived in a building across the street from mine. She had an African Grey parrot for a pet and was going on vacation for a month. Therefore, she needed somebody to take care of her pet. Perfect!

I dialed up the phone number and called the lady.

“Hello?” I said. “I’m calling about the bird sitting job.”

“Oh!” a friendly voice replied. “Would you like to come over now? I’m home.”

I agreed, hung up, and walked over. I knocked on the door and a friendly voice answered.

“Wow, I didn’t know you would come so soon.” A nice lady with puffy brown hair remarked, “My name’s Maggie Waterbury, but you can just call me Maggie.”

I told her that I lived just across the street, loved birds, and would love to take care of hers while she was gone. She told me that the pay was $300 for the month, $10 a day. I was amazed because I expected it to be much less and asked her when her trip would start.

“Well, I’m leaving on May 31st, so you can start taking care of her on June 1st.”

That was in two days and a great time to start my project. “How much food do I give her?” I asked.

“You can give Fluffernut one cup of bird seed a day,” Maggie replied.

“Thank you so much!” I said, assuming Fluffernut was the African Grey Parrot.

“No, thank you,” she replied.

At home, excited about the conversation I just had, and how soon I would be able to start my project, I rewarded myself with some chocolate chip cookies from Barney’s, our neighborhood bakery.

Chapter 5

Fluffernut’s Needs

It was a hot day when I walked over to Maggie’s apartment. I could tell summer was truly starting because beads of sweat were falling into my eyes and I was still getting a sunburn, even with SPF 100 sunscreen slathered all over my body. I walked through the door and heard an excited squawk from Fluffernut. I wandered through the house, looking for the parrot and finally found her spacious cage next to the living room couch. Though dull in color, Fluffernut was beautiful. Being completely gray with exceptions of white feathers around the eye and a couple of red ones in the tail, it’s hard to be a beautiful bird. Fluffernut still pulled it off. Her feathers weren’t scruffy. Instead, they were smoothed down in amazing fashion. I stared in awe for a while, then remembered the job at hand: feeding Fluffernut. I walked into the kitchen, which I found when looking for Fluffernut, and pulled a list from Maggie out of my pocket:

Fluffernut’s Needs:

  1. Give one cup of food to Fluffernut each day
  2. Give one cup of water to Fluffernut each day
  3. Clean Fluffernut’s cage once a week
  4. Let fluffernut fly around living room for five minutes each day

I went into the kitchen and find a measuring cup sitting on the counter. I filled it with seed and then poured it into the bowl labeled ‘food’. Then I filled the measuring cup up once again, this time with water, and poured it into the bowl labeled ‘water’. I went into the living room, set the food and water bowls down, then closed all the windows and the door. I bent down to open Fluffernut’s cage, opened it, and let her fly around the living room. I set a timer on my watch for five minutes. Once that five minutes had passed, I went to catch Fluffernut and found that she was already coming down toward me. She must have an inner timer I thought. I caught her and gently put her back in the cage.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” I called to Fluffernut, even though I knew she wouldn’t reply.

Chapter 6

Putting my Project to Action

On Friday I received an email from Maggie saying that a $70 check should arrive soon, hopefully on Sunday afternoon. I received the check on Saturday but that was fine with me. Actually better for me, now I could start making my wings sooner than later.

“I’m going to out!” I called to my mom who, at the moment, was making sausages for dinner.

“Out to where?!” she called back.

“The store!” I replied.

“That’s fine with me just as long as you come back before 7:15!” Perfect. It was 6:45 so I would have a whole half an hour to gather my materials.

At John and Susan’s, the hardware store, the first thing I saw was the burnt out light. It was surprising because one of the prominent things they sold was light bulbs. Then Susan came up to me and greeted me.

“Hello, are you looking for anything in particular?” she asked “We have metal, wood, plastic and even fabric.”

“That’s perfect,” I replied “What’s the most lightweight wood you have?”

“Ummm…” She hesitated “Ah! We have balsa wood. It’s only 7.5 pounds per cubic foot. Would you like me to lead you to where it is?”

“That would be great, thank you!” I said as she led me to an aisle labeled ‘Wood.’ Since there were so many shapes, sizes and types of wood, the wood aisle was a very wide, long aisle. Standing at the entrance of the aisle, I could see sections like ‘boards,’ ‘planks’ and ‘posts.’

“What shape of wood are you looking for?” Susan asked “As you can see, our store has lots of variety.”

“I’m looking for some sort of thin stick…” I trailed off, not knowing what I was looking for was called.

“Right this way,” she said, leading me to the section with a sign labeled ‘Rods’.

I mind slapped myself. Mind slapping was something my mom and I made up a couple of years ago. It meant to mentally slap yourself in the face instead of physically to avoid the pain and embarrassment.

“Thank you!” I counted out 30 balsa wood rods, 15 per wing, and continued, “I’m also looking for some fabric. What’s the strongest you have?”

“Well we have kevlar, it’s strong and light,” she replied, “Would you like me to lead you there?”

“That’s great!” I said, “And yeah, could you take me there, I really don’t know my way around this place.” I checked my watch and saw that I had only spent ten minutes of my time. 20 minutes before I had to go home.

The checkout was really easy and John was a really nice guy. I was surprised to find that the total cost was only $40. That meant I would still have money for more materials and even more money after the month was up. Then I remembered I only had seven minutes left to get home so I hurried back.

Chapter 7

Making Wings

I got home at 7:10, giving me just enough time to find a place for my load before dinner. I ran upstairs to my bedroom and put my bags on my desk. I realized I’d forgotten to take off my shoes, and ran back down to return them to the mudroom.

After a dinner of potatoes and sausages, I went upstairs to start my project. I wondered if I should cover the wings with feathers, like a bird. I decided not to because it would make the wings heavier and create drag. The first thing I did was design a harness. The harness was going to be a waist loop and an under-leg strap with straps up the sides of the body that attached to the wings. I cut out a loop for my waist and measured out one strap of kevlar to go under my legs. Then I measured up my arms to make the straps that would go under them.

Once I had finished cutting everything out and sewing it together, I tried my harness on. The underarm straps were too long so I shortened them to a perfect length. Now that the harness was done, I continued on to the wings. I split my basla rods into two groups of fifteen. I arranged the rods in a pattern that made them from the armpit outward. Next I cut out a piece of kevlar in a squarish shape. I put the rods on top and then cut out another piece identical to the previous one. Then I sewed the two pieces together with the rods inside and then sewed around the rods to keep them in place. The first wing was done. I repeated this process on the next wing and then made sleeves for my arms. I wrapped a piece of fabric around my arm and then did it again for my other arm. Then I attached everything together. Sewing the arm pieces to the underarm straps and the wings and then sewing the wings to the underarm straps. Now that everything was together, I tried it on. It felt surprisingly light, like I could flap my wings now and be flying.

“Georgia!” my mom suddenly called, “The ice cream’s out and it’ll melt if you don’t come and get it!”

I hurried downstairs and found a bowl of chocolate ice cream waiting for me.

Chapter 8

Flight

I sat up in my bed, ready for the day. The day I would prove humans could fly with wings if they’re created right. I jumped up, changed out of my pajamas and went out to have a quick breakfast of cornflakes. After, I went straight back to my room.

I slowly slipped my legs into the harness. I slowly slipped my arms into the sleeves. I wanted to try it fast but I also wanted to be careful. I decided I would start by jumping off the bed. I climbed up onto the bed and jumped. Time slowed down. I flapped my wings but that, too, happened in slow motion. I started to go down but I flapped harder and went up, up, up. I could now touch the ceiling. My wings were working! Now that I had gotten the hang of it, flying was easy. I was figuring out how to turn already. I wondered if I could go up straight from the ground. I flapped less and less until my toes touched the ground. Then I started flapping again and I went up! I decided to go downstairs to prove my mom wrong. Humans flying with wings is possible!

When my mom saw me, she jumped. She obviously didn’t think I would actually make wings. My dad, not even knowing about my plan, was even more surprised to see me like this.

“How did….” my mom sputtered.

“I’ll tell you,” I say, “Just after I show you this.”

I swooped off the ground like it was no big deal. But inside I felt super proud. My parents stared in awe as I flew around the living room.

I landed and then told them the whole story. From the beginning of the day that I had the idea to when I first flew.

Later that day I went outside to test it.

“You’re gonna be famous!” many people said to me.

I just nodded in acknowledgement and flew back up into the sky. It was an amazing feeling to be soaring over NYC and I realized that birds are very lucky animals.

When the Two Worlds Came Together 2

         

Chapter 1

It was the same as last time, but now I was in an enormous oven.

It started exactly a year after our last war. I was in the park with Bryan, Eliza, and my new baby sister April. April was two months old. She was long and had dark brown hair and green eyes. In my opinion, she was the most beautiful baby. In her hand she had a stuffed animal that we called “magical unicorn.” She brought it everywhere.

We were talking about the dance next week. Bryan and I were finally together and he had asked me about it. The most popular boy in the grade, Liam, had asked Eliza so now we were going on a double date tonight. I was so excited. This was going to be my first dance!

Suddenly, we heard a loud noise overhead and a person in all black came down on a long skinny rope and grabbed Eliza and Bryan by their waists. I started to run away, holding April in my arms, but I was grabbed and pulled up too. What was going on? What did I do? Was this some sort of punishment? I was scared out of my mind. We were brought onto a large plane. I felt something squirting on my face, and then I blacked out.

I woke up about an hour later. We were in a dark room and it was all black. April was crying softly, and I could sort of make out the shadows of my friends.

“Are you guys there?” I whispered.

“Yes,” they responded.

At the moment, I was terrified of what was going to happen to us. But, mostly, I was worried about what was going to happen to April. What did a tiny baby do to deserve this?

“We need to get out of here,” I said. And that was when the human walked into our room.

“Come with me,” he said.

He was about my height, skinny, and had jet black hair sticking up. Then I recognized him. He was Al Mary. He was the famous criminal who had just broken out of the highest security prison in Pennsylvania! The prison was Alcatraz 2. I knew if we didn’t follow him, then he would kill us. So, I walked out of the room…

Chapter 2

He walked into a glass room and sunlight poured in. The clock on the wall showed us that we had been asleep for thirteen hours. I bet our parents were very worried about us. I thought about what they were doing right now. They could have been looking for us, putting up signs, and calling our other friends. I looked down and immediately felt nauseous because, as some of you know, I am deathly afraid of heights. We were at least 300 feet above our city. I reached out for Eliza’s hand. M.R.S. Rose walked into the room. Now, thank God, we were going to be okay!

M.R.S. Rose was our third grade teacher. Even though she was my favorite teacher, why was she here? Was she the one who kidnapped me?

“Welcome,” she said in an ice cold voice. “You will join us or die.”

“What the heck does that mean?” asked Bryan.

“Why did you take us?” said Eliza.

“Because you guys are the strongest kids I know. I didn’t mean to bring the baby along. But now I realize that I can use her for ransom! Or kill her!” responded M.R.S. Rose.

We were thrown back into the dark room after I started begging for a phone call with our parents. Now, I remember seeing M.R.S. Rose talking on the phone during lunch and recess. Thoughts were racing through my head all at the same time. I really didn’t want to work with M.R.S. Rose, but what choice did I have? If I didn’t join, April would be killed. I couldn’t risk that. Also, I really wanted to know what M.R.S. Rose was doing. That was when I thought of my plan.

After checking for video cameras and microphones, I told everyone my plan.

“We are going to join M.R.S. Rose. And once we know of her plan, we are going to find a phone to call our parents. It’s not very complicated, but it is risky,” I said.

“That sounds great,” said Eliza.

“I hope it will work,” I replied.

Chapter 3

“We swear on the life of April that we will follow your orders and do as you say,” we said in unison.

“Great,” said M.R.S. Rose. “Now come and get your uniforms.”

We walked into the other room and were horrified by what we saw. Bryan was supposed to wear black pants, fancy shoes, and a white top. Emily and I were going to be forced to wear the shortest pink skirts we had ever seen. We were supposed to wear a white top too. It was like we were playing dress-up or something. After we had changed, one of the guards motioned for us to follow him into a deep dark tunnel. We did.

We came out on the other side of the plane. I had a really good view of the plane. It was silver and very big. It was sort of like a big house with windows everywhere, but there were no doors and there was an open end. We were then told to stand guard and make sure that no one tried to come on the plane for a few hours. April was to stay with us and not make a sound. If not, we would be in trouble. We stood there for hours. We watched the sun go down. Finally, people brought us some dinner. After gobbling it down, we kept watching the end of the plane. As the clock reached 10 p.m., another guard came out and told us that we would be here for the rest of the night. He walked off. Then Bryan saw the phone.

The phone was just sitting there on a table in the corner of the room. It was camouflaged and very big.

“We should call right away,” said Eliza excitedly.

“No. We need to know M.R.S. Rose’s plan,” said Bryan.

“We’ll call when we learn more,” I said.

The next morning we found out more.

“Come in my darling children,” a woman said. “My name is M.R.S. Miller. I am the general here and I will be telling you our plan.”

Just my luck, I thought. After this, we can go back and call our parents.

“Our goal is to take over the Earth,” she said. “M.R.S. Rose is our leader. We do whatever she wants. She promised that she would give each group a piece of land to rule and do whatever we want with. All of you people against us will be our prisoners. Now, in one week we are going to go down and take over. And this is going to happen with war…”

We walked back to our post at the end of the ship. We had decided that I would make the call. Bryan and Eliza would keep watch. We ran to our places and I picked up the phone. It started beeping. I knew what that meant. I slammed down the phone and groaned.

“It’s broken,” I said.

After our shift, we walked back to our new room. We had changed back into our normal clothes.

I said to them, “Guys, there is no way our parents with be able to help us. We need to escape ourselves…”

***

Later that night we had another shift. We started walking back to our post when I saw something that caught my eye. Three parachutes were there and could be useful to jump out of the plane. This was our chance to escape.

“Look guys, parachutes,” I said. “We can use them to jump off of the plane.”

“Great idea, Anna,” said Bryan. He kissed me on the lips softly.

“Get a room,” said Eliza.

I pushed away. Wow, that was exciting! Then I remembered what we were about to do.

I thought to myself, This is going to be terrifying! “Aaaahhh,” I shouted.

“Shhh,” whispered Eliza.

We hadn’t even jumped. We checked the parachutes, got ourselves strapped in, and were about to jump. Then we heard the pounding of footsteps behind us. It was the guards, and they had heard me!

“Jump,” Bryan shouted. We grabbed onto each other’s hands and jumped as if there was no tomorrow!

“Wahooo!” we all shouted.

I held onto April as hard as I could. I kept my eyes closed. We were going as fast as a cheetah.

As we got closer to the ground Eliza yelled out, “Pull the yellow tab.”

When we did, we gradually slowed down and landed on the ground. I thought to myself, That was horrible!

Chapter 4

We started walking towards the main road. It was about a mile away from our house. But we had to hurry. We didn’t want M.R.S. Rose catching up. We started running and we finally reached my house. But where was my family?

We walked around to the back of the house and found all of our families talking to the police. They ran towards us and brought us into a group hug.

“Where have you been?” shouted my mother.

“We were worried sick,” my father said.

“Yeah,” said Bryan’s mother. “We want to know everything.”

We went into the house and told the story.

***

“We need to go tell the mayor,” said Bryan’s father. “He will know what to do.”

We decided that Bryan, Eliza, my mother, Bryan’s father, and I would go, and everyone else would stay at the house. After a long car ride with lots of traffic, we reached the mayor’s office. After waiting, (again!) for an hour, the mayor called us inside.

The mayor was a big man who was very serious but loved children and always listened to people’s problems. So, we told him what had happened to us.

He listened carefully and said, “This is a big problem. We need to focus on this immediately. But we need help. M.R.S. Rose has already gotten at least half of the world’s population on her side because of all the brainwashed criminals. They’re probably spread out everywhere, So we’re going to need the help of our good friends the aliens and the demons…”

Chapter 5

“Can we go and find them?” I asked.

“Yes,” said the mayor. “But you need the help of your friends Emily, Jason and Leo. You are all so strong together. You can get anything done. We need you.”

Those words made me want to help more. I knew I would do anything to help.

That night, we put together a bag of all the stuff we would need to drive there: food, phones and clothes. We also had knives just in case we had to fight. I’d used them before. At dawn the next morning we started walking to the entrance of the demons main cave. The demons lived in the mantle of the Earth. It would take us three days to drive there and another three days to drive to the alien’s spaceship landing spot. This was going to be a long trip!

The next morning we were all shouting.

“No it’s not!” she said.

“Yes it is!” he said.

“No it’s not” she said.

“Shut up guys,” I shouted. ““Emily is right. That is Connecticut. Jason, please be quiet.”

“Hey look, there’s a metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks have been under the Earth in the mantle unlike humans. Humans would not be able to stand the heat,” Jason said.

I turned around and pulled the pointing hand out of the baggage. “Thomas, what the heck are you doing here?” I asked.

“Ummm, I wanted to come with you,” he said.

“Do Mom and Dad know?” I asked.

“Yeah, I left them a note. And Ki-Ki’s parents know too.” he said,

“Wait, why would my parents know too?” asked Bryan.

“Because Ki-Ki and Maya are here with me too!” he said.

“Why did you bring them!?!” asked Emily.

“Because they wanted to come,” Thomas said.

Maya and Ki-Ki popped out.

“Well it’s too late to go back now. I’ll call our parents and let them know that we have the little ones,” I said.

***

After the phone call, we kept on driving. Two hours later, we pulled up to a deep looking cave. We got out of the car and started walking inside.

“Welcome,” said a deep dark voice, “to the diamond caves. We are the demons. What may we do for you?”

“Hello, we are here to see your leader,” I said. “Please tell him that it’s Anna and friends here.”

We heard a crackle and then footsteps. Then a demon walked up to us.

“Hi Anna! Remember me?” she asked.

“Of course,” I replied. “You’re Amelia, the demon who showed me the way to your leader last time.”

“Yeah,” she said. “You remember me! Now follow me and I’ll take you to my leader.”

Chapter 6

We walked down a tunnel and into a very light room. In that room sat the demon leader. He was reading a big book that had writing on the cover: A Demon’s Guide to Eating Healthy. I didn’t know that demons could even read!

“Hi sir,” said Emily. “We have been sent to talk with you about joining us in a fight.”

“Sit down. Sit down,” said the demon. “Please call me Raymond. Now tell me what this fight is about.”

After explaining everything to Raymond, we bartered with him. “We will join you,” Raymond said, “if next time we are in a fight you will join us.”

“Agreed,” Jason said. “But we need you now.”

“Then let me just rally up my troops and we will follow you,” said Raymond. “But don’t you think that we should get the aliens on our side also?”

I responded, “And that’s where we’re going next…”

Again after a 3 hour drive, with all of the demon troops following us, we reached the aliens’ landing spot. It was a dark brown color with no windows. It was in the shape of a circle. After telling the demons to wait there, we walked into the building. We were pulled up into what looked like a tornado! It pulled us onto the spaceship and plopped us down on the ground. We were all too stunned to say anything.

“Welcome to the alien spaceship, please state why you are here. My name is Riley and I want to know all about you.”

“Hi,” said Emily. “We need your help. We need to talk to your leader.”

***

“Come in,” shouted a squeaky loud voice. “So, Anna and friends, welcome back. What may I be able to do for you?”

“We need your help sir,” said Jason. “Can you give us your army to fight against half of the humans?”

“Of course,” he responded. “For a price. We will one day need your help too. So if we ever need to fight against anyone then we need your army to help us.”

“Agreed,” said Eliza. “But we need you now…”

Chapter 7

“We’re back!” we shouted.

“Welcome,” said the mayor. “I see you have brought our good friends with you. Let us get you comfortable. We have emptied two hotels for you. Please take a room and enjoy while I talk to the children in my office. We will meet tomorrow outside the Ritz Hotel. Goodbye.”

And with that they all left and we were alone with the mayor. “Now tell me,” he said. “What did they want in return?”

We told the mayor everything. “Wow,” he said. Well if that’s what they want then that’s what we’ll give them.”

So we left and went home to rest for tomorrow. “You’re back,” shouted my parents. “Maya and Thomas, don’t you ever do that again. We almost called the police.

“Sorry,” they said. “We won’t do it again.”

“Now go upstairs and get ready for bed,” said my mother. “And we want to talk to you two.” As soon as they left, Jason and I started whining, “We didn’t do anything, it wasn’t our fault, they snuck into the car by themselves.”

“Oh don’t worry,” said my father. “All we wanted to say is, you will not be fighting in this war.

***

At midnight Jason snuck into my room and sat on the bed. “Anna, Anna, wake up.”

“What the heck Jason,” I whispered. “It’s the middle of the night and you’re going to wake up the whole neighborhood.”

“Sorry,” he said. “But we need to talk. I’m going to war…”

“No You Can’t,” I said. “Mom and Dad won’t let you.”

“I don’t care,” he responded. “I’m leaving.” And he stomped out of the room. Whatever, I thought to myself, I’ll talk some sense to him in the morning…  

Chapter 8

The next morning I woke up to police sirens outside of the house. I ran out of my room and downstairs.

“Stop,” said Maya. “Mommy said you need to go get April. Then we get to watch TV!”

“OK,” I said. “But what’s going on?”

“I don’t know but Mommy said to —”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it,” I yelled. I ran upstairs and grabbed the kids. Then I ran back down plopped Maya and Thomas down in front of the TV and ran outside. And what I saw I will never forget.

That morning I fainted when I saw him.  There was blood everywhere. So much blood. I woke up two minutes later. Lying on the ground was Jason. The paramedics were working on him. From the looks of it, he had been hit by a car. One of the paramedics then shouted, “We’re losing him, we need to get to the hospital.”

“Run inside Anna,” shouted my dad. “Grab your sister and brother and come with us.”

At the hospital they wheeled him into the emergency room. We ran in after him. By this point I was freaked out. I was thinking to myself, who has done this? What had happened? When had this happened? And then I realized that because I had told him he couldn’t join the army. He had run away. He had RUN AWAY!!!!

Three hours later the surgery was done. Jason was unconscious but stable. He would never be able to move his left arm again. But thankfully that was all. He had an IV, a broken leg in three places, and his heart had to be re-started twice. He had six broken ribs too. But other than that he would be alright. It turns out the guys in the car who had hit him were drunk. They were now in jail. The Mayor’s orders. And the fight with M.R.S. Rose was starting tomorrow…

Chapter 9

“And now we fight!” shouted the Mayor. And the troops charged forwards! I was standing up next to the Mayor with Eliza, Emily, Leo and Bryan. Everyone except Jason who was still in the hospital. The armies were going to meet M.R.S. Rose and her army. All of our parents had told us to not get involved in the fight. And after what had happened to Jason, we all agreed. Now we were about to go have lunch with the Mayor. But, just then we were grabbed by three men in ninja outfits and pulled onto M.R.S. Rose’s plane. Again…

“Where are we?” shouted the mayor.

“Shhh,” said Eliza. “We’re back on M.R.S. Rose’s plane. We need to find a way to get off.”

“Hey look,” said Leo, “There’s a door. We can see where it leads.” We walked towards it and Bryan put his hand on it.

“Ouch!” he shouted. “It’s electric. There’s no way that we’ll get out now.” And that’s when the door opened.

“Welcome back,” said M.R.S. Miller. “And for those who don’t know me, I am the general here. And you will now follow me.” We walked into a room with flowers everywhere. And sitting at a table was M.R.S. Rose.

“Hi kids,” she said. “Come, follow me.” We walked down another hallway and into a side room that we had missed before. In the room I saw something that terrified me.

A giant oven.

Chapter 10

“Nooooo,” I shouted. I can’t go in there. I’m claustrophobic!”

“And that’s why you’re going in there,” said M.R.S. Rose. “Until the mayor surrenders I will keep you in there.”

We walked into it and she closed the door. I was pushed into the middle of it. It was at least 100 degrees In there. As M.R.S. Rose walked out of the room she said, “And if you don’t surrender then you will die.” And she slammed the door behind her.

“Come on Leo, you can do it!” I shouted. But just as I said that Eliza and Bryan both fainted because it was now at least 125 degrees.

“Keep on going,” said the Mayor. “Soon I’m going to faint too.”

“I got it,” Leo whispered. And the door clicked open. We dragged Eliza and Bryan outside and closed the door. A few minutes later Eliza and Bryan woke up and we walked into the hallway. And ran right into M.R.S. Rose.

“HAHAHA! Look at this, M.R.S. Rose,” I said. “We’re winning the war and we’ve escaped. You can see now that we are going to win this war.”

“Yes children, you’re right,” she said. “So now I will give up and give you the win and the world.” And with that she pulled out a knife and said, “I have never been good enough for this world, for my parents, for my students, and for anything. So now I say good-bye.” And with that she stuck the knife in her heart and fell to the ground.

And at that second, she was gone.

Chapter 11

I sat in my room for the rest of the day. The funeral had been horrible. And the worst part, M.R.S. Rose was dead, and I hadn’t done anything to stop her. I knew that I would live with this forever. But right now I needed to think of all the good things that M.R.S. Rose had done for me and all of the other kids she had taught. She had been a good person till the depression and the craziness had hit her. I would remember her forever. And I hope other people would too. I heard a knock on the door and I ran downstairs. There were Eliza and Bryan. I’m so lucky to have them. And now my life would be back to normal.

A Grimm Life

April 11, 2006.

It was cloudy day and it looked like it was about to rain. I, Violet, was just getting out of school and going home. My mother worked at the Mount Sinai as a nurse, so she always got home from work late. Ever since my father died on a business trip, Mom has had to work extra hard for money to help the family. I have a little brother named Zack and a golden retriever named Butterscotch. So when I got home my brother was watching my favorite Disney movie, Aladdin, so I started watching too. It is the best Disney movie ever, in my opinion.

Everything was normal until the TV got blurry and turned off. Then it sprung back to life but it was on a channel that neither I nor my brother had seen before. The man on the screen was tall and wearing a black cloak. He reminded me of Jafar the evil sorcerer from Aladdin the Disney movie. He was carrying a staff with a snake head.

The strange man started speaking in some kind of foreign language and then he said “You will never stop me, Grimm family.”

Then I got scared. Grimm was my father’s last name. How did that man know me? I momentarily forgot that my brother was still in the room. I kept watching until he screamed. I looked back at him, and he was petrified and pointing behind me. Then I heard a crash, so I turned around and I saw a red parrot holding a book in his beak. Then I noticed that the book wasn’t just any book, it was the last gift my father left for me before he died. He said not to open it until the secret was revealed. I realized that the parrot looked like Iago, also from Aladdin. All of this was so weird I just wanted to collapse on my bed and wake up and this would all just be some nightmare like the ones I got when I was younger. Then the ground started to shake and my brother started crying. I wished my mom was here to comfort me. I ran over to Zack’s room, but he wasn’t there anymore. Then a creepy shadow appeared behind me and I screamed. The figure covered my mouth and tied my hands, and then took me away. Blackout!

When I woke up I wasn’t in my room and I couldn’t see Zack. I recognized that I was in a rose garden. I heard someone talking so I decided to go ask where I was. I walked inside a castle and I found the person who was speaking. I soon realized she was not a person but a teapot, like the one from Beauty and the Beast.

I was desperate to find my brother, so I asked the teapot anyway, “Hello, have you seen a little boy with brown hair and hazel eyes?”

The teapot looked at me and shrieked, “Aren’t you a Grimm descendant?”

This is crazy, I thought. Even a teapot knows my last name. “How do you know my last name?” I asked the teapot.

“Because your father was the king of Fairyland, duh.” And that was the end of the line for me. First a creepy man communicates to me via TV channel, then my brother disappears, and then I find out my dad was a king of a make-believe land. I wished I was at home in my bed watching TV with Zack and Mom and laughing over Zack trying to catch popcorn in his mouth while Mom frantically tried to clean it all up.

I asked the teapot who the king of Fairyland was currently and she said, “The sultan of Agrabah, or as most people know him, Jasmine’s father.”

“Mrs. Potts,” I heard a singsong voice call, “may you please help set the table?”

I thanked the teapot and set off to find my brother. I had a strange feeling someone was watching me, but when I turned around no one was there but a snake with glimmering emerald eyes. It was strange, but I had no proof that someone was watching me.

***

I got so tired after walking for an hour. I had seen many famous fictional landmarks such as Sleeping Beauty’s palace and Rapunzel’s tower. When I saw Rapunzel’s tower I heard a strange noise. It’s probably nothing serious, I thought. It’s Fairyland. It was amazing but I was exhausted. I saw a little cottage that looked very cozy and decided to knock on the door and ask if I could stay the night.

When I knocked on the door a young little girl with blonde hair answered with a whimper. She said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know who owned this house. I did not mean to intrude.”

“Wait, did you say ‘intrude?’” I asked suspiciously. “Because this isn’t my house.”

Her eyes got big. “So the so-called rumor that people were speaking about, with the bears, was true?” she asked, frightened.

“Possibly,” I said reluctantly. I did not want to scare the little girl.

Then I hear a loud growl and a stomp and I rushed to hide but the little girl was not quick enough. There were three bears standing in the doorway and they started chasing the little girl, which I figured out was Goldilocks. While that went on for about a few hours I decided to look around for a bit. I was looking through some drawers, and then found a book that looked very familiar. It was my father’s book!

How did it get here? I wondered. I quickly shoved the book in my bag and took off. I felt kinda bad for leaving Goldilocks there to deal with those bears. But that feeling wore off soon enough. When I looked at the note on the notebook it had changed. Now it said, Open me. Now is the right time.

I opened the notebook and a piece of paper fell out. I picked it up and saw that it was a map of Fairyland. It showed every place in all of Fairyland, even secret passages. I was very hungry so I went to the ice cream store. I ordered a mint chocolate chip ice cream and continued on my journey to the palace of the sultan.

I was walking when I ran into a lady with a fur coat and a weird accent. She was chasing some poor puppies all around the cornfield. So I just crept away. I was getting really nervous. What if they had killed Zack already? What if they were torturing him? It was too gruesome to think about. I wish it was me who was taken, and not him. He was too young to deal with this kind of stuff. I just wanted to get to the palace, tell the king what happened, and get it all fixed. So I finally reached the palace.

“It looks exactly like it does in the movie,” I muttered. The palace was big, white, and very welcoming. I felt like a princess.

“What was that?” A familiar voice said. It was the teapot.

“Oh hi,” I said in a less than enthusiastic voice. The teapot was very bubbly and talkative (not my favorite qualities).

She said, “I was thinking, how ‘bout if I was your guide to the palace?”

I was in a horrible mood so I said the worst possible answer. “Sure.”

So the teapot and I kept on walking to the sultan’s castle. Mrs. Potts talked about every landmark we passed. Luckily we got there before I took dire measures. I practically ran to the castle door. But that seemed too easy. I was right. There were two rows of guards once I entered the castle.

“Halt. What is your name, madame?” said the guard.

“I’m Violet Grimm,” I replied in a confident voice. The second I said my last name all of the guards gasped. They all bowed and apologized for doubting me, and I requested to see the king. The head guard personally escorted me to the king’s throne room. Once I saw the king’s throne room it was my turn to gasp.

Oh my gosh. The whole room was covered in turquoise and diamond jewels. If I had less than half of those jewels it would solve our family’s money problems. Then I heard a deep voice which broke me out of my “trance.” I quickly came back to reality and rushed to ask my question.

“Excuse me, I was wondering could you help me find my brother. Someone kidnapped him. My name is Violet Grimm and my brother is Zack Grimm. A man in a tall black cloak and holding a snake staff took me here but I don’t know who took my brother or where he is.”

His face turned from smiling to a big worried frown. “That person that took your brother was a group of fairytale villains called the VKN (Villain Kidnappers) and the head of that society is Maleficent but she makes Jafar do all the work.”

“Ugh, that Jafar. What a traitor,” said the king, disgusted. “I will definitely help you find your brother. In fact, those villains have been capturing people all over Fairyland. I’ve been trying to stop them for a long time.”

“I have a map of Fairyland so if we need it, we can find shortcuts,” I said.

The sultan was very surprised. “I thought there were only two copies of those! And I have one of them…. How did you get it?”

“My father was the old king, so I got it from his notebook,” I said.

The sultan had a look of surprise on his face, but then quickly shook it off.

“I heard a rumor that Jafar’s hideout was in the Cave of Wonders. Luckily that’s not very far from here. I can arrange some transportation.”

One hour later….

I couldn’t believe we finally reached the Cave of Wonders! The cave looked exactly like it was shown in the movie –– a giant tiger head with an opening mouth for the entrance. The cave was as big as the palace. I was feeling overwhelmed.

When we entered, we heard a deep, scary voice that said, “Only the Chosen One can enter.”

The king told me to enter and when I did, the cave said, “You are the Chosen One.”

When I entered, the cave collapsed and the opening closed. I felt very alarmed.

I tried to make the most of it, but there was nothing to see the positive side of anything in here. All that was left to do was wait until someone came to save me from this evil cave. So I decided to look around, I mean I was in a cave full of gold.

I was looking around when I tripped over something. When I looked down I found a lamp. I almost cried tears of joy. I wouldn’t be trapped here for the rest of my life. I rubbed the lamp and out came the infamous blue genie. I shouted as fast as I could have, “Genie I wish to get out of this cave.”

“Your wish is my command, madame,” said the genie in a mocking voice. And with a snap of his fingers we were back outside.

Genie said, “You only have two more wishes left.”

“Okay,” I said cautiously. I rushed back to the palace, eager to tell the sultan who I had found. When I got back to the palace, the sultan looked like he had some good news to tell me too.

“We caught Jafar and asked him where your brother was. He told us the location. He is in Rapunzel’s tower. We can head there tomorrow.”

“I also have some good news. I found the genie!” I said.

“Genie, can you help us?”

“I would get your brother, but there is a shield that blocks my magic around the tower,” said the genie. “It’s practically impossible to get in. If you want help to find a way to get into that tower, you should ask Rapunzel herself.”

I said, “That’s a good idea! We will find her tomorrow.”

They headed into a limo to go to Rapunzel’s palace.

***

When they walked into the door, there were a few guards standing in their way.

The guards all stood in a semi-circle, blocking the doorway. One of them said, “No one can enter but Rapunzel’s relatives, or if you have been requested.”

The King whispered to Violet, “I got this.”

The King walked up to the guards and said, “I am the king of Fairyland. You must let me in.”

Some of the guards looked scared but the head guard stayed put. The sultan got very angry and ordered him to leave. Finally, Rapunzel walked out of her door and said, “It’s okay. They must come in.”

Rapunzel had very long, blonde hair and was wearing a light purple dress and a flower crown. She invited them in with a smile.

“So what did you want to talk about? I have a very busy schedule.”

I said, “We wanted to know how you were supposed to get into your old tower.”

Rapunzel’s smile slowly changed into a frown. “Why would you want to get up there?” she said.

The sultan replied with a grim frown. “Her poor brother is trapped up there by Maleficent and Jafar. Luckily we captured Jafar but Maleficent is still loose. We want to get her brother out of there before he gets hurt.”

“I of all people would know how that feels. I will come with you. And you’ll need a rope.”

“Thanks a lot for all you have done for me,” Violet said gratefully.

***

We (the sultan, genie, Rapunzel, and I) finally reached Rapunzel’s old tower. I remembered that weird noise that was coming from Rapunzel’s tower. It was Zack. I called his name and I heard a muffled reply. I deciphered his words to be saying, “Help me, Violet!”

I yelled for Rapunzel to help set up the rope. I told Zack to catch the rope when he hears the word “CATCH!”

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

“CATCH!”

Zack caught the rope and slide down.

When he got down, I gave him a big hug.

I told him about everything that happen and at the end his facial expression was so funny. It was a cross between scared and relieved. I was so happy to have him back. I remembered about my two wishes left. “Genie, my second wish is to make Zack forget about everything that happened in Fairyland,” I said. “I will miss you guys so much. I had so much fun here in Fairyland.”

The sultan said, “I just realized something. You are the rightful heir to the Fairyland throne.”

“Oh my gosh. I didn’t notice that,” I said. “We can be co-rulers” I said with a smile. “But I will need a way to transport here without being kidnapped,” I said.

“Of course,” said the king. He handed me a snowglobe with a mini map of Fairyland in it. “Whenever you shake the snowglobe, you will transport here.”

“Genie, my last wish is for you to transport us home.”

Blackout. When I opened my eyes we were home. It was my happily ever after.

The Annoying Ravens

James was getting tired of the exploding raven. The first time it had appeared, he had been in the shower. Then… boom.

The raven had appeared in an explosion of feathers. Nearly losing his balance, James stumbled backwards, hitting his head on the wall of the shower. Then, he grabbed the shower head, cocking it back like a baseball bat, and aimed at what looked like was the center of the explosion. To his surprise, a rather fat raven emerged. The shower head was already on its way. Then, the shower head suddenly stopped, jarring his arm. “Now, now,” the raven scolded. “It would be an awful shame if I had to kill you.” James was so surprised that he dropped the shower club. Then he punched the raven, and the world turned upside-down.

“Will he be okay?” he heard his mom ask in a worried tone.

“We don’t know,” he heard someone say. James thought of leaping up and saying “Ta-Da!” or pretending to be dying and then asking for infinite video game time. Then he realized that in the state his parents were in, they might take it rather emotionally. So instead, he just opened his eyelids. Then he fainted.

When he came to, he was scared to open his eyes. When he did, it was the same as before. His vision was different. At least he still had color, but his vision was like being inside Ironman’s suit. In other words, his vision was sharper, and had more detail. He was back at home. He didn’t know why, but he guessed the doctors thought he was better. Then he saw the raven in the backyard. His rage began to build up, except this time it felt like he was channeling something unearthly and powerful. He stepped out of the house and his vision focused on the raven. No, not the raven. Then he realized that his new ultra-vision 2000 was warning him. A orange glow was building in the beast’s maw. Then a beam of highly concentrated fire erupted from its mouth. Wow, James thought, Nice weapon. Then he concentrated extra hard on the beam of fire, pointed his finger at it, and lightning began pouring from his finger towards the beam of fire.

The lightning hit the beam of fire, splitting it in half. Fire kept on pouring from the raven’s mouth and lightning kept on coming from James’ finger. The lightning and fire were at a standstill in the middle.Then, James leaped up, and to his surprise kept on going. I got a really cool makeover, James thought and dived at the raven. The raven pointed its mouth at James again, and fired. Then James dived to the left and incinerated the raven with his lightning. Then, he saw a police officer point his gun at him.

“Hands up!”

James couldn’t control his rage. He just had a gut feeling that this man had helped tell the raven to attack him. He whirled around, dropped like a stone, and incinerated the policeman. Then he banked left and flew of into the sunset.

Congratulation, James, James thought, You’re now an official enemy of the USA! The US had declared war on him, calling him a mutant, a murderer and a terrorist. James thought this was an exaggeration. After all, he had only blown up three factories that were producing anti-mutant weaponry.

Then, James heard a slight sound, maybe a pebble dislodged, or someone breathing. He threw himself on the ground just as a jagged lightning bolt passed over him. It did not let up. Using his elbows and forearms, James dragged himself behind a rock. Peeking around the corner, he saw a boy around his age staring at the rock. He’s too focused on it, James realized.

Slowly, making sure that he couldn’t see the other boy, James crawled backwards to a distant circle of shrubs, then started circling back towards the other boy, being careful to stay out of his sight. Then, when he was behind him, James jumped on him.

James fell on empty air.

Whirling around in a crouch, James whirled around and took a bolt on the leg. James backflipped over a boulder. Then, in the few seconds that he had, he concentrated. To his surprise, the charred skin started to grow back, leaving him drained. James tried lightning, but it didn’t work. Flying didn’t work either. I’m too drained to use my powers, James realized. Then he had an idea. If the boy was like him, his senses must be as sharp. James threw a rock at a trunk. The boy looked back over his shoulder just one fleeting glance and James tackled him. They hit the ground rolling. Eventually, James had the boy in a chokehold, fist raised. “Who are you?” James yelled.

“My name is John,” the boy replied

“Why did you try to kill me?” James asked.

“Why would I not?”

“What do you mean, ‘Why would I not?’”

“Because the world hates us mutants. They fear us for our power.”

“But how does that justify you wanting to kill me?”

“I tried to kill you because I thought you were someone who wanted to kill me,”

James was so surprised that he dropped his fist. He removed his chokehold and extended his hand to the strange boy.

“It’s a hard and cruel world out there for us mutants. But together we can go further than we can alone.”

The boy took his hand and stood up. Then, an artillery shell exploded in front of them. James and John looked at each other and instantly knew what they had to do.

They flew low over the ground, (James didn’t know how he got his powers back) trying to stay under the sight of the people who were trying to kill him. As they got closer, they saw a large artillery cannon. It was aiming at John. “NOOO!!!” James screamed. Concentrating with all his strength, he put on an extra burst of speed and fired lightning. The artillery shell was already on it’s way. It had barely left the cannon. Gathering all his strength, James shot a white-hot bolt of energy at the cannonball and it exploded, instantly killing the artillery crew. Then, he fainted.

When he came to, James’ whole body tingled with power. “I want to go out and kill those people who took our lives away from us,” he growled.

John nodded sympathetically. “I have those moments too,” John admitted.

“I’m sorry, John.”

“Sorry about what? You saved my life!”

“No, I know that. But sorry for troubling you with my troubles,” James said.

“Your troubles are my troubles, James.”

“What do you mean? We’re different people!”

“Yes, but as far as we know, we’re the only mutants with these powers.”

James nodded. “You’re right. But we still need to find out what those ravens are, who they’re working with, and what we can do to stop them.”

The next day, John and James set out to explore the world and discover more about their powers, how to to focus them, and who gave them to them. The first thing that they saw was a long row of sensor triggered AA guns pointing at them. They were guarded by hundreds of soldiers. As they flew closer, the nearest AA gun pointed its long barrel towards them and fired with a high, whining sound. John and James dropped like stones until they were about halfway to the ground. They had evaded one shot, but unfortunately, 67 more barrels were pointing their way.

”Fall back!” John yelled. They whirled around and flew away at top speed. When they were far enough, they settled on a grassy knoll.

“We need a plan of attack,” James said.

“Maybe we could use a diversion?” John asked.

“Maybe, but I have a feeling those are seasoned warriors down there. They know there are two of us from a few hours ago, and if only one of us appears, they’ll keep a watch,”

“Maybe we could attack in force?” John suggested.

“No, no, no, and no,” James answered. “We can’t possibly take down a few hundred heavily armed warriors. We can’t even go above because of the AA guns,”

“Can’t we go over?” John questioned.

“Now there’s an idea,” James said.

It was D-day. James and John were ready, fully rested, and alert. They climbed as high as they could while still breathing. Then, they arrowed forward.

The plan went wrong almost immediately. As soon as they broke the cloud cover, they saw planes and helicopter gunships patrolling the airspace in front of them. Almost immediately, they all started firing.

“FALL BACK!!!” James yelled.

The next morning, on the knoll, James and John conferred.

“So. Guess we can’t go through or over,” John said.

“And I saw planes circling all around us,” James said.

“So that means we’re surrounded,” John let that hang.

“Wait… I might have an idea…”

The next day, James walked as close as he dared to the AA guns, wound up and hurled a rock really hard through the AA guns. As he expected, the AA guns’ barrels couldn’t turn fast enough.

James turned around and was about to run when he started hearing the soldiers talking.

“What was that??!!”

“I dunno. But did you see where that object came from?”

Then, a thin young man walked up probably a sentry.

“Yes, I did. It came from the east — the direction of the mutants,” the sentry said.

“Probably testing the rotation speed of the barrels,” someone grunted.

“Yeah. Worrisome.”

“Why?” a soldier asked.

“Kid, if a rock can fly fast enough straight through, so can they,” said someone with a gruff voice — probably an old-timer.

“Yeah. I’ll ask someone to start putting up a electric fence all around the perimeter.”

Hearing this, James flew back as fast as he could and explained the plan to John.

Then, John said “Good idea. Any deadline?”

“Yeah,” James said.

“When?”

“Tonight,” James answered.

“Tonight?” John yelped. “Why?”

“They guessed our plan when I threw the rock.”

James and John flew as close as they could without being spotted. Then, they zipped across the landscape. But as they got closer, they saw that the electric fence was already up. There was no going back now.

“SHOOT!!!” John screamed. James grasped the meaning instantly. Meanwhile, the AA guns were moving faster than they expected. There was an AA gun directly in front of them. They could see the inside of the barrel, the shell coming out… At once, lightning burst from their fingers, incinerating the shell and the AA gun. They kept the lightning up. Suddenly, James and John stopped, a shell passing and inch in front of them. Now there was nothing between them and freedom- except for one huge electric fence.

“Overload it!!” James screamed. They poured all their anger, desperation, and fear into these lightning bolts. The many streams of lightning hit the electric fence, which absorbed it. Sparks started to dance across the surface of the electric fence. James and John were getting closer now. 50 feet… 25 feet… 12 ½ feet… 6 ¼ … 3 ⅛ … the sparks on the fence abruptly stopped and John and James smashed through the fence and continued on. After they flew for around 50 miles, they set down.

“I can’t believe we made it!” John said

“Yeah, the overloading did it.”

“But now we should be on the move, or else we might get surrounded again.”

“Yeah. Wait — what’s that?” James was looking at a newspaper that was blowing through the wind. He snatched it out of the air and glanced at the headline.

Mutants discovered, president announces new factory in Ontario dedicated to the research of anti-mutant weaponry and armour will open on Friday, August 12, 2094. (5:00 p.m.)

“It’s Monday the 8th now,” John said. “We have four days to shut down that factory.”

“And we’re in Oklahoma right now.”

“Yeah, but we have to do it in a time when the factory is empty,” James said. “We shouldn’t use our powers to kill innocent people.”

“Innocent!!??” John asked incredulously. “They’re trying to kill us!”

“But you never know. This might the only job available for some people!”

“Fine,” John said in a tight and closed voice. “But only if it doesn’t delay our mission.

Tuesday,  August 9, 2094

(5:00)

(Oklahoma)

James and John woke up, bathed in a nearby stream, and started channeling their powers. First, they did target practice. James set up a target around 50 meters away, then 75, then 100, etc.

Then, John did the same thing, except around 50 meters away from the original range. John went first. He looked at the 50 meter target, pointed his finger, and fired. The single bolt slammed into the wood target, knocking it over. James jogged over and looked at the remains of the target, which were a few charred, smoking pieces of wood. James whistled and said “Sweet.” Then, he moved out of the way. John incinerated the 75 and 100 meter targets, but narrowly missed to 125 meter. John filed that away. Then, James went. His score was the same as John’s.

They were going to test their healing powers, but John said, “Maybe we should do this in the evening, so it will be easier for us to sleep.”

“Good idea,” James said. Then, they started flying.

The landscape was beautiful. They passed over neat rows of farms and crisp little villages, (They tried to go high over the civilized land, so they wouldn’t be spotted) and went around bustling cities.

Finally, John said, “That looks like a good spot. Let’s set down.”

Tuesday, August 9, 2094

(22:41)

(Missouri)

“We’re on the border of Missouri right now,” James said. “We’re making good time.”

James and John were lying down in the soft heather and pine needles, when James heard something. He was instantly alert. “What’s that?” he asked.

“What’s what?” John asked sleepily.

“I heard some leaves being crushed!”

“Probably an animal.”

“Okay.”

They went back to trying to sleep, but James just couldn’t. Then, he saw four dark, shadowy forms crouching over John.

“JOHN!!!” James yelled. John rolled to the side as a sharp object pierced the ground where he had just been. James sprung up. John did the same. Then, they started shooting the lightning. Within a few seconds, it was over. Four men in camouflage fatigues carrying daggers were on the ground bleeding from charred holes in their stomachs. John was panting, a wild animal-like gleam in his eyes.

“Are you okay, John?” James asked uncertainly.

“Yes! I’m feeling better than I ever have!”

“Umm, okay?” James said. “Well I guess we should search their bodies.”

It turned out that their assaulters were F.B.I. agents sent by the president of the USA to assassinate them. They were part of a company of 900, camped in the nearby woods.

“We’ve gotta move,” John said.

Wednesday, August 10, 2094

(7:27)

(Missouri)

John and James were getting better at target practice,  and destroyed the 125 meter target. Then, they started their new practice session: discovering new powers. That morning, combining their minds, they discovered something powerful, more powerful than the lightning, inside them. They couldn’t use or identify it yet, though. James was still worried about John though. The way he had looked last night had scared the wits out of James. It looked like maybe John liked the killing!

Just then, a tranquilizer dart whizzed past James; it was only his fast reflexes that saved him. Without a word, James and John took of into the unknown…

Wednesday, August 10, 2094

(21: 53)

(Illinois)

When James announced that they were in Illinois, John said in a closed and emotionless voice, “Let’s spend as little time in here as possible.”

When James asked why, John wouldn’t say. Then James started pestering. Eventually, John threw his hands in the air and screamed “Fine, Fine! I’ll tell you. I live in Illinois!”

“Ah,” James said in his wise voice. “That must hurt.”

“Oh you have no idea,” John said.

“I live in Arizona,” James said. “That’s where I first met the raven.”

“The raven?” John asked.

“Yeah,” James said. “That’s how I first discovered my powers.” When John gave him a curious glance, James elaborated.

“The raven first appeared in a explosion of feathers. Nearly losing my balance, I stumbled backward, hitting my head on the wall of the shower. Then, I grabbed the shower head, cocking it back like a baseball bat, and aimed at what looked like the center of the explosion. To my surprise, a rather fat raven emerged. The shower head was already on it’s way. Then, the shower head suddenly stopped, jarring my arm. ‘Now, now,’ the raven scolded. ‘It would be an awful shame if I had to kill you.’ I was so surprised I dropped the shower club. Then I punched the raven and the world turned upside-down.”

“Creepy,” John said.

“Yeah,” mused James. “But it’s curious how it could talk and stop the showerhead.”

“Yeah. Must be some kind of sorcery”

“Yeah. Anyway, we should catch up on our sleep. Be awake at 5:00 sharp with your gear.”

Thursday, August 11, 2094

(5:00)

(Illinois)

The next morning, the J team suited up, and did their daily target practice. They both still got 125 meters, but John singed the side of the 150 meter target. Then, they took off. At first, their flight was beautiful and peaceful. Then, they heard a soft swish and a whole carpet of surface-to-air tracking missiles rose to greet them. Using his huge brain, John solved a complex math equation in his head that mathematicians and soldiers had been puzzling over for centuries. (John+James)+Missiles=No More (John+James). Using inductive reasoning, James realized that John and him were the people in John’s equation. The missiles clumped together and became the bane of (J+J!!!).

James yelled “Follow me!” and dived towards lake Michigan. John understood James’ plan and followed him. With the missiles hot on their tails, they zoomed towards the lake. They splashed into the lake and the missiles exploded on the surface, instantly covering their backs in blisters. Being careful to stay low on the lake, the J bros zipped across the water towards Ontario, the factory, and their future.

As they zipped across the water, leaving a column of steam in their wake, clouds of steam gathered in front of them. Frowning, John dispelled the steam with a lightning bolt and the Imperial Michigan State Ani-Mutant Naval Force was revealed in all its might and glory. In front of them and blocking their way, were 2 aircraft carriers, 8 cruisers, 15 destroyers, and 4 submarines (don’t ask me how all this fit in lake Michigan). Over a loudspeaker a voice boomed,

Mutants! Surrender yourselves and we shall do you no harm. Fight, and we shall destroy you! Run, and we shall chase you down to the very end of the earth! Escape to land, and we shall call in the military! The US has declared war on you two, and they weren’t bluffing when they did it!”

At once, countless guns and missiles turned their way. “Oh shoot,” muttered James under his breath. Then, he and John backflipped and shot away, randomly shooting lightning bolts over their shoulders to cause confusion. Behind them, were a cloud of missiles and torpedoes chasing them like a nest of angry hornets. They burst out of the water, past the SAMs and continued on. The torpedoes tried to follow them, but they exploded on the shore.

“Phew,” James said. “That was close.”

“Yeah. Too close,” John said.

They continued on until they were on the Canadian border.

Friday, August 12,

(6:30)

(Ontario)

It was D-day.

John and James woke up and destroyed the 150 meter target. Then, they headed towards the factory. They were above and behind the fenced off factory. Long rows of people waited outside the factory. It was 15:00. The factory’s inauguration was supposed to be at 17:00. The factory was enormous. There were hundreds of armed guards milling around the factory. The factory’s front side was enormous, with four guard turrets. The back was less tall, but there were two extra towers on the front that could guard the back. There was a trapdoor on the front of the building. The front wall was made of glass, but James guessed that it was bulletproof. The back was made of reinforced, bullet proof steel. On the front roof, James saw a machine gunner and a few snipers. There was an enormous lightning rod. There were holes on the side, with guns pointing out. “There’s a lot of security,” James said. “We need a plan of attack,”

“Yeah,” John said.

“I suggest we take the back then take the front from the back.”

“Okay,” John said.

It was 16:15. James was sweating. The guards were looking bored, and not alert. Circling around, James and John were in position at 16:30. They were behind the towers. James held up a shaking 3 to John. 2…  1…  ZAP!!! 2 guards collapsed, stone dead. Quickly, J and J crept behind the ledge.

“We’ll take it by force,” James whispered.

With a fearsome shout, J and J rose over the ledge, lightning blazing from their fingertips. One tower collapsed. The machine gunner collapsed, never to rise again. Another guard tower bit the dust. One of the guard tower’s supports collapsed, knocking over both towers. Then, John collapsed dead. Screaming in rage, James killed the sniper then knelt over John. “NOOO!” screamed James. John eyes flickered open, then they closed forever.

James infiltrated the interior of the factory, but he felt a strange emptiness next to him. He encountered a few guards, but they didn’t live long. He got to the center of the facility and destroyed the core. Then, he escaped, his conscience plagued by the possibility that he could have saved John.

War and Peace

Chapter 1: What Happened?

“Get Out Of The Divide!”

The world turned dark.

“Ategnatos, are you there? Hello?”

I slowly opened my eyes and felt pain in my head. There stood my mother.

“You’re alive!” she said. “I can’t believe it.”

Then, I felt another wave of pain in my head. I managed a quick smile but felt one more wave of pain. This time, it caused me to clutch my head while almost screaming, it felt as if my head were ripping apart. I looked into my mother’s eyes and tried to open my mouth to speak but I couldn’t. I looked around the room for a wax tablet and pointed to it. My mom quickly got it along with a sliver of wood too. I carved as questions kept popping up:

Quid accidit? Cur malum caput meum? Úbi sum? Cur ego lecto? Ubi est Pater?

I was going to keep writing when my mother put her hand on my head and I slowly fell back to sleep.

***

When I woke up for the second time, my father –– who was chief of our village in Gaul –– and mother were at the foot of my bed. I looked at the tablet which I had written on before. It now contained several answers to my questions. I realized what had happened. It was the divide. I had been so stubborn that I had stepped in the divide. The village enemy had shot five arrows in my head creating a large hole. The piece of paper said that I was very lucky that the arrows did not reach my brain. I could not believe I had stepped into the place with the most bloodshed. The most war. It all happened in the divide. Everyone who died in war died proudly for their village in the divide. I tried to get out of bed but I was stopped firmly by the village doctor.

“Get rest,” he said. “You will need it if you want to make a full recovery.”

Now, I knew what had happened. I had wanted so badly to make my father proud, to make the village proud. I had gotten it in my head that the only possible way to do this was to fight in the divide and serve my village like all young warriors did. But my father had refused to let me go. He had said that I was too young and weak. He had said that he was not ready to lose me. I was born a delicate baby and even as I grew up, I could not keep up with other kids. I was so sad to see all my friends go off to war while I was stuck here doing chores, waiting for them to return every night. My father had said that my day would come and, now that I had proved myself to be so irresponsible as to go out in the divide and not tell anyone, I would probably never get to go out to war for as long as I lived.

Chapter 2: The Talk

Just as I was about to go back to bed, my best friend Veteporix walked in.

“Ategnatos, is that you? You’re alive! I can’t believe it.”

I wondered why everyone was so surprised to see me alive. I looked at the very bottom at the piece of paper. It said:

Fili , oportet loqui.

I had a bad feeling about this. If my dad wanted to talk with me, I was doomed. He would tell me that I was such a disappointment and everything about how I shouldn’t have done what I did. Under this at the very bottom of the page he wrote:

Cras autem dicemus. Utinam meliora sunt .

At least he was aware that I was hurt. Veteporix was looking at me as I realized he was still in the room. I looked at him and he said: “Are you ok?”

For the first time that day, I responded in a raspy voice. “I don’t know. All I can do is hope.”

***

I woke up early the next morning because I was thinking so much about my talk with my father. He’d said it would be this morning. I waited anxiously for my dad to come and, after what seemed like forever, he walked in with his most prized war general right behind him.

He said, “can you please wait outside, Caturix?” The general slowly stepped outside. My father turned to me. “Did you get my note, son?”

I managed a simple, “yes.”

He responded quickly. “Then what are we waiting for?”

I nodded my head in agreement when inside I was very nervous to find out what he would say.

“So, son, I have been thinking about your irresponsible behaviors, going into the divide without a generals’ or my permission. I have also been thinking about how you are the last kid your age who is not fighting for our village. I then thought that the reason you have never made me proud is because I have never given you the chance. I have decided to give you one. As soon as you are well, you will guard the gates to the village along with one other soldier. If you are successful, you will be promoted, if you disappoint me I can at least say that I gave you a shot at it. A chief’s son should be given a chance to be a great warrior, to serve his village. Here is yours.”

I could not believe my ears! After what I had done my father still decided to give me a chance. This is what I had wanted all along. My thoughts were interrupted by the voice of my dad.

“So? What do you say, son?

I responded with a quick “my pleasure dad,” as I did not want him to change his mind. “You won’t be sorry.”

Chapter 3: The Mysterious Legend

It has been 6 months since I was in the divide. I would start my new job today. I could not wait to prove myself to the village and make my father proud. I looked at my hourglass and rushed out of bed. I arrived at the gates of the village only to see the angry face of my dad.

“You are late!”

I can’t believe I had already gotten off to a bad start.

“I thought you would impress me,” he said. “I will leave you to this.”

He handed me a shield sword and a set of armour and went off to battle.

My first day was not as I expected. All I did was watch warriors from our village go in and out. I was so bored and wanted so badly to go with them. I knew that if I did, my father would not trust me anymore I would never be able to become a warrior.

On the walk home from my first day, I saw my dad who was calling me, “son! Over here!”

I walked over to where my dad was standing. He was right outside our druid’s hut.

“Come quickly, Cicero is unconscious and is saying strange things. I walked inside the hut and sure enough Cicero the druid was saying random words while lying on the floor. As I listened closely, I heard what he was saying: “It will come, the day will come. Run, save your lives. They will kill you all. Until there is nothing left.”

I looked at my dad with a worried face. “Is it true? Is the legend true?”

“Let’s not believe an old man who has almost gone crazy. And, really, do you think anything is more scary than the enemy village winning? And plus, we need to get him some medical care.

Despite what my father said, I was still very worried. What if the legend is true?

Chapter 4: Is it True?

I woke up even earlier than I had the day before to make sure that I wasn’t late. When I reached the gates of the village, I heard someone calling me.

“Ategnatos.”

I cocked my head toward the sound. It was Veteporix.

“Come here,” he shouted soon after.

I quickly ran toward him.

When I reached him, he looked around then whispered, “follow me.”

Confused, I followed him into the bushes. After a little while, we came upon the greatest thing I have ever seen: a 50-foot-tall tree with a ladder reaching all the way to the top. When we reached the top, there was a large room with an armour stand, a weapon rack, many slabs of stone, many carving tools, rolls of papyrus, wax tablets, bowls of ink, and an amazing view of the enemy base and the rest of the forest.   

I looked at him in surprise. “Did you build this?”

He looked at me and nodded.”Do you like it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? This is so amazing!”

I started to explore some more when I realized that I should be guarding the gate. I ran down the steps and yelled out to Veteporix: “Meet you here at 7 p.m..”

I then rushed back to the village. Luckily, no one had noticed my absence. I walked in front of a gate as if nothing was wrong.

That evening, I snuck out to a village. Just as I was climbing in the bushes, I bumped into someone. Worried, I hid in the bushes. I slowly peeked out to see who it was. To my luck Veteporix’s face popped out of another bush. We got up and started walking.

“I was scared for a moment when I bumped into you,” I said to Veteporix.

“Me too,” he responded. “We have to make sure we’re not followed.”

When we reached the tree house, I lit a candle so we could see in the dark.

“I have something to tell you.” I said to Veteporix.

“What is it?” he responded.

“It is a legend. Yesterday I was walking home from the gates of the village and my father called me. Cicero was unconscious saying random things. When I listened closer I heard that he was talking about a legend. He said that someone would come and kill us all until nothing and nobody was left.

“Is it true?” he responded.

“That’s what I want to find out. But I need your help. Tomorrow get Cicero and bring him to the tree house. Around five a.m.. Hopefully then we will get anwers.

Chapter 5: The Bloody Battle

I rushed out of my hut careful not to wake my mom. Before I knew it, I was walking up the steps of the tree when I heard a voice.

“Ategnatos, come quickly!” it called.

I realized it was Veteporix calling me from the top of the tree house. I quickened my pace. When I got to the top, I saw Veteporix writing as if his hand was about to fall off while Cicero was blabbering about all sorts of things. All of a sudden Cicero stopped talking and turned to me.

“How are you Ategnatos?”

“I am good,” I responded. “What is going on?”

“Oh I was just answering Veteporix’s questions.”

I turned to Veteporix.

“Did you get any useful information?”

“Not really.”

I turned back to Cicero when I heard a loud war horn.

This war horn was not at all like our war horn. It’s sound was fuller and made a different sound. Cicero was saying random things again, but this time, it had something to do with the legend:

“They are here. Run, save your lives.”

Just then I heard a loud bang and a crash.

I looked to where the sound was was coming from. There were huge rocks being hurled at our village. I looked closer to see where they were coming from. There was a wooden platform with a giant spoon on top. People who were not the enemy village were wearing full armour with with weapons. As I looked farther in the distance, I saw even more armed people. I looked around and realized that we were surrounded by at least 10,000 men who were attacking both us and the enemy village. I now knew the answer to the legend. It was true. Cicero was right. Unless we fled, these people would kill us all. They would conquer our village and take our homes. I looked at Cicero and Veteporix in a worried face.

“Follow me,” I said, “we must protect the village.”

I rushed to the village gates, only to find many bloody dead bodies of our villagers.

I turned around and found my father who was in a frenzy telling everyone to grab armour and a weapon.

He looked at me. “Son don’t just stand around, help.”

I quickly grabbed a set of armour and a sword. I looked at Veteporix and signaled for him to do the same. We stood in battle formation. Then my dad spoke: “We will fight as one. We’ll have no mercy! We shall die proud! Charge!”

“Charge!” everyone echoed.

The bloodiest battle our village has ever seen had just begun.

A tear dripped down my eye as I saw the dead bodies of people I had grown up with, shared memories with. They were gone, and I would be too if I showed any mercy.

I heard a loud scream come from the enemy village. I looked toward them and found them in the same situation as us. The perfect battle plan then struck me, it would not only save our village –– or at least what was left of it –– but it would also make these people never want to set foot in our territory, as they would be too scared. I ran to my dad.

“I have the perfect battle plan, let me tell you!”

“Son, it is too late. We can’t regroup without being attacked.”

I realized that convincing my dad was not going to work. I had to do this the hard way. I ran back to the village and went to the weapon hut. I found the war horn rack and picked the loudest, scariest horn. I dashed out of the hut when I bumped into my mom. She stroked her hand through my hair.

“Stay safe son,” she said in tears.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

As I was leaving the village gates, I realized it was only a matter of time before it was too late. I dashed through the bushes until I arrived at the tree house. As I arrived at the top, I quickly grabbed a wax tablet and began carving my battle plan. I got my war horn out and my perfect plan was in position. I cupped my hands over my mouth and blew the war horn as loud as I could. I looked at the battle field and realized all the attention had turned to me. This was the perfect time to execute my plan.

Using the materials in the treehouse, I created a shadow puppet. I hid behind one of the walls and lit a lamp. I shadowed the puppet over the lamp creating a large version of a tiger. I peaked out of the tiny hole in the wall of the treehouse. And as I expected, the enemies were beginning to back off. I kept moving the tiger in a way that made it seem like it was coming closer and closer. As soon as it was as close as it could be, I jumped down from the treehouse and ran towards the battlefield. While the enemy was still in terror, I ran toward my dad and told him, “Regroup everyone, including the enemy village.”

Soon enough, everyone was grouped together circling around me. I heard some protests from members of the enemy village.

They were saying, “Why should we listen to you? Why should you lead us?”

I responded by saying, “I may seem little and the least qualified person to lead you, but I have a plan that could save us all.” I pulled out my wax tablet and showed everyone my battle plan.

They all nodded in agreement.

I then said, “battle formation!” Surprisingly, everyone listened. People are desperate in times of hope.

“Charge!” I screamed. Just like that, we were driving off the enemy despite our odds being ten to one. If you are smart you can always overcome strength.

Chapter 6: United As One

As we were chasing off the enemy, I heard one of the enemy soldiers say something.

“Julius Caesar will be angry with us for our defeat. He will say that us Romans should be stronger after conquering Greece.”

I then realized who these people were. They were the so called Romans who had conquered almost all of Europe. One day, two years ago, I remember my dad getting a letter from a foreign Gaulish village saying that they were under attack by Romans. I reckon this won’t be the last time we see them.

As everyone headed back to their village, there was a lot of work to do. When I was in the weapon room, putting my things away, my dad walked over to me.

“Son,” he said. “That was some battle strategy out there. How would you like to be a general in war? Maybe you could come up with all our battle plans. I’m sorry I didn’t give you enough of a chance before. I should have trusted you.”

This is what I had wanted all along, to make my village and my father proud. And I had done so today. I turned to my dad.

“I accept the position,” I said.

My dad walked out to the center of the village and loudly blew the horn for a village meeting. Soon enough, everyone was in the center of town looking at my father. He then gave his speech:

“This is one of the bloodiest battles our village has ever fought and we would never had won if it weren’t for one fighter. I would like for us all to thank my son, Ategnatos. He served our village and made us all proud. I would also like to thank him for reuniting us and the former enemy village. I have organized a feast for all of us to celebrate.”

There was a roar of celebration. The next day, we would work on combining our villages to make one mega village. The next day, we would unite as one.

The Three Wolves

 

Chapter 1: Cinnamon

I don’t recognize Mom. Who is this woman? She’s pretty for a mean woman. She has red hair and it looks like she tried to dye it black (like our … well … real Mom) but completely failed, and blue eyes that she hides under a cap. This morning, she says to my dad: “I didn’t know that you have disgusting children.”

Dad replies, “Well, you should’ve noticed by all of the toys on the floor. Stop talking about them like they’re dog poop.”

Why does Dad not look confused about who this woman is, and why she’s in our house?!

“Where’s Mom?” I ask Dad in a whisper.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Dad whispers back, reaching for the home phone.

“Don’t you dare!” The woman slaps Dad’s hand away from the phone.

“Why not?” I say, snatching the phone away from its post. The woman snatches the phone away from us and spits in our faces. I run up to Kevin’s and my room and tell him what’s going on.

“Stay in here, Ivy,” Kevin says, and I climb into his bunk and curl into a ball.  

Later, the Weird Woman spanks Kevin and me after we did something wrong. She’s trying to charm Daddy, but it just isn’t working!

“Stephan, get me a glass of wine, please,” she says.

“Why don’t you get it yourself?” I ask her.

She spanks me.

“Ivy, don’t you dare say that again!”

So, that’s our day. Speak, spank, ‘don’t you dare do or say that again!’, spank. Ugh!

I walk down the quiet street to the spice shop. Cinnamon is what Kevin wants. He says he’s, well, too sore to go out, but he promised me a yummy breakfast. Weird Woman is listening to bad music in my parents’ bedroom and Daddy went to work so we’re alone in the house.

This woman is … definitely not our real mom. I can tell. I know it. I bet Dad and Kevin know it too. It’s like the woman is putting us under some sort of spell, because as I find the spice store and look at the shopping list Kevin gave me, I don’t seem to have the courage to ask the spice guy for help. The spell (I’m not sure if it’s really a spell) feels like pressure, because in my head, I hear “if you tell him about me, your family will be in great danger!” Who is this woman? What does she want? Why is she here? Two small bottles of cinnamon is what Kevin wants. I buy them and leave.

I squish the morning dew with my turquoise and lavender sneakers. I can’t wait to see what Kevin will make me.

At the house I sit down at the kitchen table.

“Thanks, Ivy!” Kevin says when he sees the two bottles of cinnamon. “I promised you I’d make you something, so I will. You like cinnamon buns, right?”

“Uh huh,” I say, sticking my finger into the cream cheese frosting he’s making. He slaps my hand away playfully. We always fight a lot, but ever since  this morning, we’ve been good. We’re trying to support each other during this first rough day with Weird Woman by being playful. But I know a few things: we both hate this woman. We miss Mom and we feel confused about what’s happening here, I feel scared and Kevin feels under pressure.

Chapter 2: My Stories

After a hearty breakfast, I walk outside and sit down in the grass. I think …  well … I think that there’s this woman who thinks we’re rich so she’s probably trying to take over our real mom’s place. Maybe Weird Woman captured her and put her in a secret place?

The sky’s a bright blue. As I stretch out onto my back, an idea for a story comes fluttering in my head. No, Ivy, I tell myself. You’re already working on a story. A good one, too. But I pull out my notebook just the same, and start jotting down my ideas quickly before they disappear. Mom and I write together all the time and I’m trying to distract myself from all of the confusion happening here. Even though I never finish my stories, she always tries to encourage me to. I’m writing a story about an ancient treasure, but I just got an idea for a story about two kids and their cousins searching for Atlantis, the famous underwater city. I never finish my stories. All the time, ideas just pop into my head and I start a new story. It’s annoying, ‘cause I keep thinking I’ll finish my stories, but I never do. Ideas for what Atlantis should look like bloom in my head. Okay, twists of seaweed surrounding the walls… smells, of course, like the ocean…

Chapter 3: We Hate “Mom”

Weird Woman is home. She’s putting her messenger bag down in the hall, and she interrupts our little family dinner. Daddy’s home, and Kevin and I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. We eat happily, and talk too. My Dad’s trying to get rid of this woman who’s trying to take over, but she insists on staying. He’s always trying to stop her from beating us but she just pushes him away as if that’s a way to gain his respect.

“Get me a chair, please, Stephan,” the woman moans. She ruins everything. Daddy doesn’t get her a chair. She gets it herself. “Get me a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, Kevin,” she says, and when Kevin doesn’t move she yells “now!” Kevin runs to get her a dish.

It’s bedtime. Kevin and I get hugged and kissed by Daddy.

“We’ll be alright,” he whispers as he closes the door. I hug my little teddy bear and look up at Kevin.

“Do you think we’ll be OK?” I ask him.

“I dunno, Ivy,” Kevin says quietly. “But we have to stick together, okay?”

“Yeah, alright.”

“That’s a good girl.”

Usually I would’ve shouted at him for being treated like a dog, but Weird Woman is here, and sleep pulls me down before I can say anything.

Chapter 4: Change Hill

It’s morning, and Weird Woman is spraying us with water in a small, plastic bottle to get us working like slaves.

“Get up, squirts,” she says. “Get your bad butts ready for school!!!”

“But it’s Saturday,” I moan.

“And it is September. School starts in October,” Kevin says groggily.

“So what? Your school is chores! Now get going!!! I hate kids,” she mutters under her breath.

After a boring morning full of being yelled at by Weird Woman and dull chores, Dad says we’re having our afternoon together without her, and she locks the door to tell him she’ll keep the house safe. Dad, Kevin, and I decide to buy school supplies and a few treats. Then we decide to go to Change Hill, which is like a natural magic. At first, it’s the autumn leaves with large oak trees covered in orange and brown and yellow and red leaves (mostly orange and brown) then you cross a crystal blue river (well, a little stream) to a large beach shaped like a hill, and it looks like you’re going to fall off if you look down. The crystal blue river has green grass bordering it on both sides, then it changes to sand or the autumn type of world. It’s really neat.

We invite our friends Jack, William, and Violet to come to Change Hill. I talk to Violet about Weird Woman who gives me clever comebacks. They didn’t know about Weird Woman until Kevin and I talked to them. Jack, William, and Kevin talk and talk about Weird Woman and some boring soccer stuff I don’t care about. I’m wearing my favorite dress: a sailor’s dress with an electric blue headband that has a thin bow on it. I’m wearing jeans and my favorite lavender and turquoise sneakers. Under it is my bathing suit, for swimming across the stream. It feels uncomfortable, but I’m always prepared for things like this. We finally swim across to the beach side, dare each other to look down over the hill, and swim back. We change back and take off our bathing suits, then we wash our hair in Jack, William, and Violet’s outdoor shower. We stay at their house for a while and then, we go home.

Weird Woman is asleep. We go through the windows so we don’t wake her up. I pull the thin, pink, flowered curtains of my bed closed.

“Ivy?” Kevin suddenly says. “Here’s your teddy bear.” I open the curtains and snatch the teddy bear from Kevin’s hands and feel in the pocket where we secretly pass each other stuff. Inside there’s a candy necklace with a little note. It says:

Ivy,

I know you hate  Weird Woman, so I have a plan for finding our real mom. We get up at midnight, and we sneak out of the house with a change of clothes, my pocket knife, a flashlight and a map. We’ll go to Change Hill and meet the three wolves, OK? I’ll tell you who they are at midnight, when we’re up, alright?

So, have a good night.

Your brother,

Kevin

PS: don’t ask me who the three wolves are. Remember what I said about telling you at midnight.

I turn the slip of paper around, grab a spare pencil, and write:

Yeah, OK, Kevin. Luv you. Goodnight.

Your sister,

Ivy

Then I toss the piece of paper to Kevin and I tear a page out of my notebook.

Dear Daddy,

We’re trying to find our real mother, and don’t let Weird Woman enter our room or see this note, please. We love you.

Yours,

Ivy and Kevin

Then, I put a change of clothes and the rest of the materials Kevin wants in my monogrammed messenger bag, which is a winter blue. I tuck the messenger bag under my pillow, and then I grab my note to Daddy and slip it in his bedroom, which, thankfully, he does not share with Weird Woman. Then I pull my curtains closed and go to sleep.

Chapter 5: Midnight

Kevin wakes me up and says, “you can eat the candy necklace I gave you.”

I slip the candy around my neck and nibble at it a bit. Then I say, “I wrote a note to Daddy last night.”

“Good. Where is it?” Kevin takes the messenger bag from me.

“I left it in Dad’s room,” I respond.

“Cool,” Kevin says.

“So, who are the three wolves?” I ask.

“They’re these wolves made of enchanted leaves that help everyone in times of need,” Kevin replies. We walk quietly up to Change Hill. It’s very pretty at midnight. The moon is high and full, and, in front of us, three creatures that are brightly colored or different shades of green come foreword.

“Hello,” the green one says, “We are the three wolves. How can we help you?”

Chapter 6: the Three Wolves

I gape at the creatures. Kevin is the first one to speak.

“Our mother is captured by this mean lady who’s trying to take over the household. I think she thinks we’re rich, so we’re trying to stop her and get our real mother back.” The green wolf nods.

“My name is Greenleaf. I will give you the power of nature.”

“And my name is Pineapple. I will give you the power of weather,” the wolf made of a random-mix-of-colors said.

“And my name is Rosie. I don’t have a power to give you, but I have Knowledge,”  the rainbow wolf says.

“Go past the beach down to the water. There you will get swept up by the foam. The foam will tell you what to do, and then come back here. You will have your powers. Ivy, you will have the power of nature. Kevin, you will have the power of weather. When you come back up, we will be gone. You must get past the obstacles coming up.” Greenleaf gently nudges us toward the beach. “Now, you must hurry. You have one minute to get to the foam and back. And you have fifteen minutes to get past the obstacles and save your mother. I will give you an hourglass.” Rosie slips a chain around my neck. An hourglass hangs on the bottom. It’s a big hourglass. “NOW!” Rosie shouts as the sand in the hourglass starts falling. We run and run and run. There, we discover an adventure.

Chapter 7: the obstacles

We have our plan. The foam told us. Our plan is a secret. You’ll see what it is later!!! I practice my nature talent by making the vines twirl. Having nature as a talent is fun.

I suddenly see the obstacles ahead. Bushes and bushes of crazy thorns. A fiery black dragon, the most powerful type of dragon ever. A tall enchanted black castle. Mom is trapped in that castle, with the thorns and the dragon blocking her escape. And plus, she’s probably tied up in there. Ouch.

Kevin and I look at the obstacle before us. Then we remember our talents. As I try and get the thorns to just move, a twirl of vines comes toward me, and I drop the process immediately. But then I wrap everything in moss, and the tips of the thorns are softened, so we can get through.

Now the dragon. It’s Kevin’s turn to use his power. “Ivy, what’s the dragon’s main weapon?!” Kevin yells over the roar of the dragon.

“Are you dumb?! FIRE!!!” I shout.

“OF COURSE!!!” Kevin cries, slapping his hand to his forehead.

“And rain stops fire!!!” I shout.

“DUH!!” Kevin roars back. See what I mean when I say we fight a lot? Kevin closes his eyes and lifts his head as a downpour of fire falls toward us. Then a downpour of rain hits our faces and the fire. The dragon roars in agony as rain pours down his/her throat and stops the fire. As he/she thrashes about, Kevin and I slip into the castle and rescue our real mom. We place the hourglass down on the autumn side of Change Hill to give it back to the Spirits. As we walk back, our powers seem to seep out of us.

At home, I make Mom hot chocolate and she tells us all about being stuck in the castle. “It was dark and scary,” she says, “and I was tied up in ropes. There were spider webs and spiders and bugs and all sorts of stuff like that. As I was being forced to march up to the top tower, I saw a whole skeleton lying in the corner.” I shudder.

“Elizabeth,” Dad says, “you know I wanted to help, but Agatha was forcing me to stay with her.”

“I know that, Stephan, don’t…”

“Agatha?!” I interrupt. “Your enemy from college?! Is that who that horrible woman was?!”

“Yep,” Dad says.

“Worry,” Mom finishes. “I chased her off. By the way, Ivy and Kevin, who told you where I was?” Kevin and I look at each other.

“It’s a secret,” we reply together.

“Alrighty,” Mom says. “Let’s go over to Jack, William and Violet’s, and let’s tell them the whole story.” As Kevin and I walk behind the chatting Mom and Dad, we smile at each other. The real mom is home. Finally!!!

Ellen

chapter 1

monday, april 15th, 1989

It was a cold day in spring. I had my vest on and a big breeze of wind filled my shirt.

I was in Washington Square Park and suddenly I felt something soft and small. I looked down and saw it was a kitten.

I looked to see if it had a collar but found nothing so I picked it up and went home. While I brought her home I thought about if I wanted a kitten or not. And then I remembered that I had wanted a cat long ago — well not that long ago — but still. I got home and I had made my decision: I would have a kitten. My mom was very happy that I brought home this kitten. I had been thinking about the name with my mom. The ones that I liked the most were Jill, Luna, Elise, Ester and Elliott. I picked Elliott.

I personally don’t like my name, which is Ellen, after my grandma. I wanted her name to be the best to make up for my name. I went out to the pet store and got some cat food and cat toys for Elliott. When I got home it was about 6:30 and my mom and dad were setting the table.

My mom said, ”You should really grow your hair out longer.”

I said, ”You know I like my hair short so I don’t need to put in all those clips.”

Elliott had black and brown hair and white boots. (I especially liked the cat fur boots). I tried to pet them but she ran away. I tied a string into a ball and then I found some wood and left some sting over so I could fling it. That got Elliott moving — my plan had worked!

               

What Happened in 1870, Italy

Italy, 1870

Annabell sighed. It wasn’t fair that she had to be stuck inside while almost every other child in the kingdom was playing outside in the warm weather. She was restless. She couldn’t sit still. So she decided to evade all responsibility and run outside, dodging supervision, if only for a few seconds. About two minutes later she was taking the secret passage under the palace and was at the edge of the palace grounds, running furiously as her nurse, Florence, shouted after her.

Exasperated once again, she yelled, “Stop at once, young lady! That is no way for an heir to the throne to behave!”

Annabell was heir to the throne of Italy, since she had no brother, only two younger sisters, and her mother, the king of Italy’s great love, was dead, and heartbroken, he would not marry again. Annabell was also her father’s favorite, so if she died from one of the many causes of death to the children of Italy, the whole kingdom would be plunged into mourning. With that thought, the last that she would ever think, looking back toward Florence, Annabell ran out of the gardens and into the street. A carriage came to a sudden halt, but not soon enough.

* * *

Italy, 2015

Annabell sighed. The sticky, hot day was doing nothing to spoil her want for adventure. She wanted something with death, drama, long-ago royalty and maybe even some romance. Phooey. Fat chance. Being the daughter of the president in a historical country, they still lived in the palace, so maybe there was a secret passage other than the one leading from one of the bedrooms to the courtyard that she could discover. Or she could abandon her doubtful idea and simply explore the already-found secret passage.

She started off toward the bedroom, which she had learned from her tutor was the room of the Annabell she was named after, who she had been told had died in 1870 from an unknown illness. She started down the corridor, wishing that instead of the modern electric lights (which pretty much ruined the mysterious atmosphere) there could be oil lamps instead. Walking along the corridor, watching her shadow fade and strengthen as she walked through the electric lights, something exciting happened for the first time in her ten-year-old life.

She saw a glint of shiny leather-a bound spine, some parchment pages. A notebook? A diary? But who owns it? Annabell wondered. She picked it up, because of course that’s what you do when you find a diary hidden (Or lost? Annabell wondered) in a secret passage! Annabell opened the diary. Of course, with her luck, it was blank. Disappointed to almost-tears, she searched the corridor for any other exciting clues or treasures, but none came up. She walked back to the dead Annabell’s room, wondering if writing in a possibly old diary was defacing historical property. Deciding it was up to her, and that there was nothing special about it besides the fact that it was old and had a beautiful shiny green cover, she took out a pen and wrote down the date:

July 15, 2015.

Annabell didn’t know what to write next, when, instead of her blue ballpoint script, black, hastily scribbled crayon surfaced on the page:

I’m so sorry.

She didn’t know what to believe now. It could be some kind of computer screen that wrote back, and it was glitchy, so that was why someone had tossed it into the secret passage to forget about it. But what happened next made her doubt that.

This is Annabell.

Annabell? Annabell thought. The dead one?? This couldn’t be possible.

I’m sorry for what I did.

What did she do? Annabell wondered.

Of course you know.

But she didn’t! What could dead Anabell have done?

I should have just written in this diary like my father suggested.

What did you do? I don’t know, she wrote.

I died. I was the heir to the throne. My soul has been trapped here, blind.

Annabell was kind of amazed at how regretful dead Annabell was.

But it’s not your fault you died. It’s not your fault you got sick.

I wasn’t sick! Don’t you know I was run over by a carriage?

No! I was told you died from an unspecified illness.

Lies!!!

Italy, 1870

“The people will be outraged if they find out that Her Highness Crown Princess Annabell tried to run from the palace and died in the attempt!” The King cried out.

“Your Majesty, we could tell them that Her Highness died of an unknown sickness,” said the adviser.

“Yes,” The King said, his voice heavy with grief. “You have my permission”.

Italy, 2015

Annabell couldn’t believe it. What would she do now?

Please free me!

Annabell wasn’t sure she had read that right.

How?

No one wrote back. Annabell thought about it. She knew from instinct that Annabell had to get rid of her regret to be free from the diary. Annabell wasn’t quite sure how to do that. Maybe if she buried the diary with Annabell’s body, then her soul would be reunited with her body? She decided to give it a try. Annabell knew that her parents would never let her out of the house to go to the royal graveyard. Maybe she could pull a dramatic escape and leave in the middle of the night? Since she had no other pathetic options, she realized she had to give that one. For the rest of the day, she tried to keep herself busy and not think about the escape.

* * *

12:53 a.m.

Annabell’s bedroom was in a tower, so she pulled a dead Annabell and went through dead Annabell’s bedroom and into the secret passage. A minute later, she was out in the courtyard and making her way through the gardens to the graveyard. She felt like a character in a mystery book. She had an excuse ready for the guards: “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to take a quick walk.” Annabell hoped she wouldn’t have to use it. Thank her lucky stars, she passed unnoticed. When she got to the graveyard, she walked among the gravemarkers, eager to find dead Annabell’s, bury the diary next to her coffin, and then get back to bed. This was freaking CREEPY! She stopped near the grave stone that said:

Here lies Annabell Gallini

April 3, 1860-July 15, 1870

Died at ten years old from an unknown illness

Loving and adventurous daughter and elder sister

May she rest in peace.

Annabell took a moment of silence for her namesake, and then began to dig. She dug a deep, rectangular hole, and placed the book inside it. Annabell then covered the book back up again. Having sudden inspiration, she dug up a rose and replanted it on top of dead Annabell’s grave. She slowly walked back to the palace, thinking about all she had done. She went back to bed, relieved and satisfied that her work was done.

The Future Earth’s Concrete Takeover

I am Tiki, a robot pirate, in the year 3000. “I have brought you guys from Union Square: Mathius, Eden Hazard, Jo Green, Bobby Smith, and Trexer, to join me on the quest to the Lost Island to find the treasure that can help us save Earth! I want to introduce Bobby, a great friend of mine, to my whole group. He and I are awesome friends. We always go to the movies, whenever a new movie comes out. All these years we have polluted Earth, and it is almost too late to save it.”

Nature is slowly disappearing and more of Earth is being constructed by people. We need to act fast!!! Seventy-five percent of Earth is made of water and man-made sites. As nature is disappearing, places are moving around like Mount Everest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Colorado River. We are passing all of those places so we need to be careful not to get lost.

“You are the chosen ones since you each have a talent that will help during this mission to the Lost Island, with which you will help us overcome obstacles on the curious and dangerous path.”

“Now I need you guys to hold on to the back of the flying motorcycle and ride along to the beginning of the path to the Lost Island.”

When we arrive I feel a breeze of wind sweep by and catch sight of a golden dot that stands on the top of the horribly dangerous Mount Everest, after the loss of nature on Earth. I have a feeling it is the treasure and that is what worries me, it looks so difficult to get up there. I tell my group, “We need to move fast, there is a timer set on a week then the world will become dirty, old, and gray.” It sits dirty, camouflaging in the gray rock.

I decide to use the flying motorcycle since it is big enough for all of us to fit, fast and we are in a rush, and every half an hour it provides a healthy snack if we are hungry.

When we leave, Trexer keeps fire breathing because he thinks it will warm us up. Bobby Smith keeps scaring wolves trying to attack us. Mathius keeps taking sharp rocks that could be useful along the way if in danger. Joe Green looks scary toward the big green scary crocodiles and they go back in the water. Eden Hazard can steer the wheel well and is very trustworthy. These are the reasons why I choose these adventurers for this mission and the help they provided me.

“Oh no, there is a river! How will we get past!” said Eden Hazard.

I tell them, “I have a boat stuck to the bottom of the flying motorcycle for these types of emergencies.”

But be careful, it had a rough current that could swish us away if we moved just one muscle!!! Luckily the paddles were robotic so we didn’t have to paddle and we could stay still. I notice that my teammates are looking a little freaked out, but my instinct tells me they are the correct people to assist me on this quest to the Lost Island. We arrived at the Rocky Mountains where we all start worrying about if we would make it or DIE!!!

We start climbing up the mountain, named Carl, the easy mountain. For this one we don’t need the rope we use for steep downhills and uphills. Everyone thankfully makes it up safely. The second mountain is steeper and we need a rope from the storage to pull us up, so Eden Hazard and I (I asked if I could call him Ed and he said no) set it up. In the meanwhile the others were eating: apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, and other fruits (it took five minutes.)

I am excited and scared while I climb up the Mountain Lily. At that moment I realize I had feelings and that robots don’t have feelings, unless I am half human, half robot. I am amazed, I never thought of this chance that I might be human or half human. I am STUMPED, I never had this image in my mind.

While I daydream I slow everyone down, but thankfully I don’t let go of the rope and still have a firm grip on the rope, so I don’t fall down. At the top we take a water break and eat some more fruit, especially me and Ed-en Hazard, who set up the rope while they ate last time. My instinct tells me to go right, it is a shortcut, but the others want to continue forward. I don’t want to break up but I am the leader and they need to follow me, not me following them. AND THAT IS HOW I DECIDED!!!

“We are breaking up,” I tell them in a firm voice LIKE if I were Hillary Clinton. “I am courageous, adventurous, and I don’t need you guys!!! I can find the treasure alone!!!” I set out, worried about my ex-teammates. I make a fire and with my robot half put out a tent for the night. I instantly regret leaving my teammates because now I am alone. I am weaker and I don’t even have my flying motorcycle device to help provide healthy snacks and get me around quicker, which reminds me about the timer put on a week. I am on day two, Tuesday, only but I suspect others are up for the hunt to so I want to hurry. “Next stop Crocodile Lake,” I say. The golden dot soon looked more rectangular than circular and I got more certain it was the the chest that held the weapon to make Earth young and beautiful again. The more time passed the more I missed my teammates.

I can’t bear another moment without them. I am setting out to find them once and for all, whether or not it means losing the last chance to save Earth. I care for my teammates unlike others I knew of. I walk for miles, hungry and thirsty, and then I finally see them, my teammates. It is worth it, I told myself. I can hear my friends, not teammates, friends, calling me, seeming relieved that I am back to lead them, looking like they regretted the decision too. We greet each other and I change clothes, since I was dirty from the venture. I hope they learned their lesson after what happened and know that I learned a lesson too.  

We start our quest across the Colorado River, with me so happy to have my flying motorcycle back. I see a shark in the water. I warned Mathius but too late, he already lost an arm. I ask Ed to wrap the cloth around the arm and stop the bleeding. We cross the river and find a mountain, but not just any mountain, Mount EVEREST, the most dangerous and tall mountain on Earth, but with the golden chest right on top! We chose to do something daring, a combination of climbing, flying, and hiking!!! The quickest and safest way up.

We fly up with the motorcycle, finding dead bodies with blood spread around them and arrows in their chest. Then we jump out, leaving the motorcycle/plane in the air. Climbing up we get arrows shot at us out of nowhere, thankfully they miss everyone. Then on the easier course we are able to hike up and get going. When we reach the top we find the device and a little plant that had a note saying:

Dear Adventurers,

Inside the chest is the device you came for spray the acid on the plant to make the whole world beautiful. Then a path will appear toward your motorcycle/plane.

Sincerely,

THE PLANT

P.S. Only one drop can make the world beautiful again.

I bend to take the key but Bobby takes the key already and opened the chest. Surprisingly enough, Bobby was trying to break the device. We try to stop him but I realize the acid would come out of the glass container when he broke it and spread out to the plant. While we wait though, I thought of how you have friends that you can’t trust, and you have others that make up for that friend. And how either way you will always remember them even if you do everything to avoid remembering them. Then the path to the plane appears after Bobby had smashed the device. I can’t believe Bobby turned on me we use to do so much together before, and we were best friends! Our favorite thing to do is go fishing during spring, and if one of us were sick the other would not go fishing. We (not including Bobby ) walk toward the plane and drive home, leaving Bobby to walk 600 miles by foot, not even accomplishing his goal.

*  And that was how my friends and I saved future Earth *

Just Run

Not so long ago there was a poor girl in a village. The village was located in the kingdom of Chanistia. There was a girl in the village, her name was Jasmine. She had red hair like fire and blue eyes like the sparkling ocean. Although she had beauty, she didn’t have kindness. The only reason why she was mean is because she had lived in a poor village for so long. She wished for riches but she knew they would never come. Jasmine always wished  to meet the queen but she knew she would never get to, just like she would never get riches. She worked in the fields day and night. Her hands were bleeding and had large blisters on them.                                                                                              

One night, when Jasmine was lying on a pile of hay (her makeshift bed), she heard a sound outside. Pitter patter, pitter patter. Then, the sound suddenly stopped. Then it started again. It sounded like heavy pairs of footsteps pounding on the dry soil. She was startled. She didn’t dare take a peek out the window, but why not? She crept out of the pile of hay and took a peek out the window. What she saw made a cold creepy chill climb up her back.

Savage-looking men and women came marching into the poor little village. They were covered in dirt and wearing scraps of deer skin and boar skin. They looked like barbarians but were very skinny, like they had not eaten in days. Still, the looked strong enough to invade a poor village like Jasmine’s. But were they even going to invade the village? Were they just walking through? But why would they walk through? They were walking in the direction of the dark forest. Everyone who went in the forest never came back.

Jasmine got so scared she didn’t even think about her parents and to save them, or of her dog, and her sister, she didn’t care, she just ran and ran. She ran through the kitchen and grabbed her water bottle and some food and ran. She didn’t care where she was going or how she was going to get there. And that was the biggest mistake of her life.

***

“Just run. Just run. Just run. Run,” Jasmine said, determined to keep on running although her legs felt like jello that sat in the sun for too long. She ran past skinny trees with no leaves. She ran and ran and ran until she found a house. The house was very skinny and tall. It was made out of black bricks with no windows with one small door. The door had a shiny brass handle and it was made out of wood. The wood was painted grey. Jasmine had heard of the fairytale Hansel and Gretel, so she did not dare to knock on the door. She walked around the house, studying it. It looked very old with cobwebs scattered all over it.  She sat next to a nearby tree and opened her bag that she packed full of food and water. Suddenly, she heard a screaming noise from the house. She was very scared. Then she ran away. Then she heard another screaming noise from the house. Someone was yelling for help. “I shouldn’t be worrying about other people now,” she said. “I just have to worry about saving the village. I need to think of my plan,” she muttered.

Then she thought, But what if that person was me? I would go help them. But that person isn’t me so I don’t care. Anyways why am I even thinking about saving the village or a random girl. I don’t know, I feel like I have changed. But… if I save her then I can mock her and tease her about how stupid it is to be captured. It’s a deal! She ran to the house and didn’t even think about knocking. She opened the door and peered inside. All she saw was darkness. She couldn’t see a thing.

“Damn it, I should have brought a lantern,” she said. She decided to walk inside with her hands outstretched so she wouldn’t bump into anything. As soon as she walked two steps, her hands felt something slimy and sticky. She was disgusted, and also startled. “Ew, what is this?” she said. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw what it was. It was a girl that was cut in half. She screamed so loud that someone could hear it from miles away. The screaming continued.

Someone screamed, “Help, help! They’re gonna kill me!” This was too scary for Jasmine. She ran out of the house. But what if that person is going to die? I have to save her, she thought. So she went inside again and felt around with her hands, hoping not to touch anything slimy again. Finally, she reached a wall. She touched it and she moved to the side. She felt a hand railing. She slowly made her way upstairs. Each step she took, the staircase creaked. It seemed like no one had walked up this staircase for years.

“Then who could have been trying to kill the poor girl up there?” she whispered. When she got upstairs, she kept on walking, then felt a doorknob. The doorknob was covered in layers of dust. “No one must have touched it for a long time,” she said. “Who could have been screaming?” But before she could open the doorknob, this white cloud puffed through the door.

“Hahaha, you fell for my trick! Everyone falls for my trick! Now I will stab you to death.” said the white cloud. Jasmine was too scared to scream. She wasn’t sure what would happen next, but she would probably be cut in half just like the girl downstairs. She should have never come into this house.

This must be what happens when you try to help save someone, she thought. That made her even more mad and angry and frustrated. She didn’t feel scared anymore, she just felt mad. This is what happens when you run away from home and try to save the village all by yourself when you’re only fifteen years old. She put her hands out and tried to grab the ghost, but she knew she would fail. But she didn’t fail. She succeeded in grabbing the ghost.

The ghost screamed a high pitched scream, “Aaaaah! What, did you touch that girl downstairs?” screamed the ghost.

“Ugh, yes, indeed I did,” Jasmine said. “It was disgusting. Did you do that?”

“Do what?” said the ghost.

“Cut her in half.”

The ghost said, “Yes, I did.”

“Why, though?” said Jasmine.

“Because that’s what ghosts do,” said the ghost. The ghost slipped out of Jasmine’s hands, grabbed the knife on the table, and tried to cut Jasmine in half. “Just one quick stab,” said the ghost. “That’s all I need.”

“Well, you won’t get it!” said Jasmine. She grabbed the knife and ran downstairs.

“You think you can get out that easy?” said the ghost.

“Oh, yes I can,” said Jasmine. The ghost paused. Then, a gust of wind shot out and blew Jasmine back. She fell down the stairs. The doors closed behind her. Then she tried to stab the knife at the ghost, but the ghost was too fast. He moved away quick. He flew through the door of the house. “He locked me in here!” Jasmine screamed. “How sneaky!”

Then, the ghost said, “Really? You think you can’t go through the door?” the ghost said.

“Of course I can’t,” said Jasmine. “I’m not a ghost like you are! I’m not dead.”

“Oh,” the ghost said. “I didn’t know you didn’t know.”

“Didn’t know what?” said Jasmine.

”Never mind,” said the ghost, ”I guess you don’t know.”
”Whatever,” said Jasmine. She used the knife to try to break the door down, but she failed; she only made a couple of little dents in the door. Then, finally, she tried one more stab and the door fell right over. But the ghost was not there.

”Ugh! How could I have let him get away?” said Jasmine. Where did he go? she thought. Her head hurt and she felt dizzy. She stumbled over to the tree where her bag was and lied down. I need to think of a plan, she thought, But why would I want to think of a plan? I don’t want to save that dirty little village of mine, but I have all my memories there. I should save it. I´ll just save the village.

How about I go to the queen and ask her for some soldiers? she thought, She would never let me. But the queen is a kindhearted person. She would definitely let me take her soldiers to defend the village! I’m too tired to decide right now. I´ll decide in the morning.

Then, Jasmine thought: Where should I sleep? The dark forest is way too dangerous to sleep in. I should find a safer place to sleep. I could climb on a tree and sleep on it; nobody would find me there! So Jasmine climbed the tallest tree she could find and lied down. Then, she got up again. This tree is not sturdy enough. I need to find a tall tree with a sturdier branch.

She climbed down the tree and climbed up another tree next to it. On that tree, she found a perfect branch. Her eyes felt heavy, and she closed them. ”Finally,” she said, “Time to rest after a big day of fighting ghosts.” The tree felt comfortable, even if it wasn’t her regular haypile back in the village. She missed her village so much.

Then, she fell into a deep sleep. She dreamt about her saving her village. In her dream, she travelled to the queen and her for soldiers to help fight the invaders; the queen happily obliged. ”Of course you can take my soldiers to save the village!” said the queen.

Suddenly, Jasmine woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The birds were squawking their miserable songs of the dark forest. She wearily sat up and opened her eyes. What she saw was definitely not the same part of the dark forest she had been in. She wasn’t on the edge of the dark forest, but rather in the dead center, where the goblins’ cave was. She wasn’t on her branch anymore; she was in a goblin cart covered by a net.

”Ahhhh! Where am I?” Jasmine screamed.

”You’re in the goblin cave,” said the goblin pulling the cart, ”We’re gonna eat you once we get you into our cave and put you in our cauldron.”

”How could you get me down from that tree branch?” Jasmine asked.

”Ropes,” answered the goblin, ”That’s why you have that bruise on your arm.”

Jasmine looked at her arm. ”There’s nothing there!”

”It’s the other arm,” said the goblin.

Then, Jasmine looked at her other arm. It was bleeding, blistered, and had bruises all over it. “That’s not just a bruise,” Jasmine said, ”That’s a full-on cut! So you cut people up and just put them in a cauldron to eat them? Really? That’s what you do?”

”Yep. That’s what we do,” said the goblin, “Every single day.”

”Goblins are mean and cruel,” said Jasmine.

”You’re no prize either, lady.”

”Geez, thanks,” said Jasmine sarcastically.

For the rest of the ride, Jasmine was quiet. She was too busy forming her plan. She kept on picking up little sticks, little pieces of straw, and leaves from the floor. ”What are you doing, little girl?” asked the goblin.

”Nothing,” she said, ”I’m just cleaning the path.”

When the little cart finally made it inside the cave, Jasmine was ready. She put the leaves and the straw inside her bag. ”Give me that bag,” said the goblin.

Ugh, why did I do that? thought Jasmine, I’m such an idiot! Jasmine gave the goblin her bag and the goblin shoved her into her cell, locking the door. How can I ever get my bag back? Jasmine thought. Then, it hit her. ”May I please have some food from my bag?” she cooed, ”I’m just a poor little village girl and I haven’t eaten in days!”

”That’s what everyone says. You’re not getting a clip to pick the lock on the door from your bag.”

”I’m not getting a clip,” said Jasmine, “All I want is some food. My food is wrapped up in the little pouch in my bag wrapped up in a silver cloth.”

”Alright, fine.” The goblin was too dumb to understand. Thankfully, Jasmine put her plan and her food within the silver pouch. Jasmine pretended to eat her food, but also got out her plan and stuffed it within her pockets. Then, the goblin said: ”At 5:00 pm, I will take you out of your cell, and you will be eaten.”

Mmmm, he thought, She will be so good and juicy. I have not eaten in days!

Finally, it was 5:00 p.m. The goblin unlocked the cell and grabbed Jasmine. He pushed her down the hall, taking one left and one right. Then, they got to the very skinny corridor and had to squeeze through it. When they got to the cauldron room, all of the goblins were there, licking their lips.

Then, the goblin said: ”Everybody, leave! She has to take off her clothes before she gets into the pot. Nobody wants to eat clothes!”

”Ewww! Clothes,” the goblins said as they left. But Jasmine didn’t change. She put the doll that looked like her and was made of leaves and straw into the pot and entered the skinny corridor.

”I’m ready!” she called, and then she ran and ran and ran out of the goblin cave, never to return again. She ran and ran and ran to the edge of the dark forest, all the way to the snowy mountains of Chanistia. These were going to be some very cold travels.

Jasmine ran and ran and ran until she found a cold mountain. Thankfully she had brought her winter clothes. She put on her long pants and put on her furry winter coat. “I’m ready,” Jasmine said, “to climb this mountain.”

She started to run up the mountain, but slipped back down. This is gonna be hard, she thought. She sunk her feet into the soft snow and then sunk her arms into the snow, too. Although it felt cold, she had to keep climbing. She started climbing up the mountain, sinking her arms and her legs into the snow. Finally, she made it almost halfway up the mountain.

Jasmine kept on climbing and climbing until her fingers felt so numb. So numb she thought she had frostbite. She kept climbing and climbing until she looked at her hands again. They looked purple. Oh my gosh, she thought, I do have frostbite. Even though she had frostbite, she still kept climbing, determined to get to the queen. For some reason the frostbite didn’t hurt … at … all.

Weird, she thought, Maybe I don’t have frostbite after all. Jasmine kept on climbing until she reached the top of the mountain. Finally, I made it! she thought, But now I have to go all the way back down the mountain again.

She hiked in the freezing cold snow for a couple of more minutes, and then she made it to the other side of the mountain. Maybe I could just sled down, she thought, But that would be dangerous. Jasmine slowly climbed down the mountain backwards, sinking her feet into the snow, just like how she climbed up the mountain.

Suddenly, a pile of snow fell from the top of the mountain and came tumbling down towards her. The snow fell on Jasmine’s face and made her stumble backwards. She fell over backwards and slid down the snowy mountain. “Oof!” she said when her head hit a chunk of ice at the bottom of the mountain.

Jasmine slowly stood up and stumbled back. She looked around and noticed that she was in the middle of a village. It was small, but noticeably more wealthy than Jasmine’s own village. She remembered that she stole some coins from the goblins, so she grabbed the gold coins and ran to the nearest house. She knocked on the door and a friendly-looking woman appeared. “Hello, child! Why did you knock on my door?”

“I knocked on your door because I haven’t eaten in days. May I please buy some food?”

“No, sorry. There is a different house down the block. That is the grocery store. You can buy some food there.” The woman slammed the door in Jasmine’s face.

Jasmine went to the house down the block, just like the woman said. She opened the door. “What are you doing here?” said the man, “Knock first before you enter! This is a private house, not a grocery store!”

“Excuse me, then. Where can you find the grocery store?”

“There is no grocery store in this town,” said the man, “Now get the hell out of my house!”

Jasmine checked the next five houses, but everybody shooed her out. “Ugh,” Jasmine said in despair, “Will anything go my way?” She slumped down in a pile of snow leaning against a house.

Suddenly, she heard a shrill voice. “Hello, child! Would you like to have some food at my house?”

“Finally,” Jasmine answered back, “A nice and willing person! I’ll be glad to eat some food at your house!”

“Okay,” said the woman, “I’ll open the door.”

When the door opened, Jasmine walked inside, and all she saw was an old lady sitting in her rocking chair. There was nobody by the door. “Oh, hello,” said the old woman in the same shrill voice, “Would you like something to eat?”
“Uh, yes. That’s what I came here for,” said Jasmine.

“Okay! Then sit in this chair, and I will cook you some food.” The old woman went into another room and slammed the door. Jasmine heard some cackling from the other room. Suddenly, the old woman swung open the door and magically turned the chair into a hot cauldron, boiling with water.

“Ahaha!” said the old woman, now dressed as a witch, “You didn’t even know I was a witch! Such a foolish child.” The witch laughed once more. “Hahaha! You will make a nice human cake for my son’s birthday party!”

Jasmine tried to get out of the cauldron, but she was stuck. She then noticed that she had chains on her wrists and ankles. “Hahaha! You think you will get out?” said the witch, “You are more foolish than normal children!”

“Actually, I’m not,” said Jasmine, “The ghost tried to kill me, and I escaped. The goblins tried to eat me, and I escaped. I can easily escape from you!” Jasmine got a clip from her fiery red hair and secretly picked the locks from under the boiling hot water. When the witch was in the other room, getting her spices and ingredients for the yummy cake, Jasmine emerged from the boiling hot water and ran outside. She ran and ran and ran and didn’t stop. She ran out of the village and into the forest. Then, she kept on running. She ran and ran and ran and ran. Soon enough, she made it out of the forest.

Finally, she stopped running. Jasmine was breathing really hard. I’ve been running from a ghost, a goblin, and a witch, and the only thing that helped me was to run, she thought. Then she looked up. She saw a large mountain, but what she saw on top of the mountain was amazing. Finally, she gasped, I made it. On the mountain there was a humongous crystal castle. It had big golden doors and many windows. There were four soldiers guarding the golden doors. They wore shiny silver armour and had bronze swords. She climbed up the mountain as fast as she could, gripping each little rock and pushing herself up. She was so excited; she couldn’t wait to meet the queen. This had been her dream for years.

When she made it up the mountain, she ran up to the golden doors and asked the soldiers, “I need to see the Queen. Can you let me in?”

Both the guards said “NO,” in a booming voice at the same time. “Only royalty may enter,” said the guards.

“But invaders have taken over my village,” Jasmine said, “May I please ask for help?”

“NO” said the guards again, in the same loud booming voice.

“Ugh” said Jasmine in despair, and she walked away. “Just open the doors!” she screamed, getting very mad. The guard ignored her. She started kicking the guards foot, but finally she gave up. She sat under the nearest tree under the shade and lay down.

“How hard is it to get in?” she yelled. Then she sat up, and she thought of an idea. Maybe I could go through the moat, and go through the gate and into the castle, she thought. “Okay, bye-bye!” she said to the guards. Jasmine did her best job to clean up her clothes to look nice for the queen. Then she walked around to the back of the castle. She took three deep breaths and then said, One . . . Two . . . Three . . . GO! And jumped into the moat.

She swam straight through the icky moat until she touched a gate. She was skinny enough to swim through the gate bars. She squeezed through and finally got to the surface. She was huffing and puffing. When she looked up, she saw she was inside the castle. She was in a fountain! She got out of the fountain dripping wet. She saw guards in the same shiny silver armour and servants, some in aprons, others in suits. She also saw a spiral staircase up to the mezzanine. Everyone stared at her.

“What are you doing here young lady?” asked the guards.

“We need to get you cleaned up,” said the servants.

“How did you even get here?” asked some others.

Jasmine ignored them. She ran up the spiral staircase searching for the Queen’s room. Then she ran back down the staircase.

“Um excuse me, but do you know where the Queen is?” she asked the servants.

“She’s in the throne room,” said the servants. Then the guards turned around.

“Don’t just stand there!” said a guard to the others. Then all of the guards ran up the staircase chasing Jasmine, but Jasmine was too fast. She slipped right out of their reach. Jasmine ran and ran and ran up another spiral staircase to the third floor. She ran to the other side of the floor and found a big silver door with brass handles. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer, the guards at her heels. The guards didn’t dare run anymore now that they were at the Queen’s throne room. Then, the Queen opened the door to the throne room.

She had so much makeup on she looked like a doll. She had cherry red lips and a poofy lavender dress with ruffles all over it. She wore baby blue high heels with crystal hearts all over them. The dress had long fluffy sleeves covered in ruffles of lace. She had sharp blue eyes and a stern look. Her cheeks were pink just like her shiny earrings.

“Hello, why are you here?” asked the Queen in a strong British accent. “And you just interrupted me, how rude. Also, why are you so dirty? Only royalty can step foot in this castle.” Jasmine could tell that it would be hard to persuade the Queen to lend her some soldiers for her village.

“Excuse me,” asked Jasmine, “I’m here because invaders invaded my poor little village.”

“What is your village called?” asked the Queen.

“Panadel,” said Jasmine.

“I’ve never even heard of it!” said the Queen.

“It’s a poor village next to the dark forest,” said Jasmine.

“A poor village next to the dark forest? Why would I help such a poor little village like Panadel? I only help rich villages become richer!” she laughed. “Okay, send her out!” she said to the guards. “It’s not worth it to help poor little villages like Panadel.” The guards grabbed her arms and shoved her out.

“Never come back,” the guards said. “You are a disgrace to Chanistia.”

Jasmine lay on the ground. She didn’t know what to do. Jasmine had been through all of this for nothing. The queen had just said ‘no.’ Should she go back? Should she stay here? What should she do? If I go back, maybe I can save the village myself, Jasmine thought, No, that would be impossible. I’m just a normal girl.

“All that for nothing,” she said, “I’ll just go back. Then, they’ll capture me and I won’t have to worry about anything ever again.” She started climbing down the mountain and ran through the forest, the snowy village, and then climbed the snowy mountains and slid down. Then, she ran through the dark forest and all the way to the village. When she saw the village, she was surprised.

She saw the invaders wearing deerskin and whipping the villagers if they did not do their work. Jasmine was outraged. How could the invaders come in and force them to work? Jasmine couldn’t just go back and give up! She had to think of a plan! She couldn’t give up now! Jasmine thought and thought and thought. She didn’t know what to do. What if the plan failed? What if she got killed? There were so many questions!

I’m gonna think of a plan that nobody will notice, said Jasmine, Maybe I will kill the invaders off one by one. But how will I kill them? A bow and arrow? My village is too poor to have bows and arrows!

I can make a bow and arrow, she thought, using wood and string from the forest. Jasmine cut down branches from trees using a small knife she found. She collected old cobwebs from dead spiders and braided them all together to make a strong string. Finally, her bow and all of her arrows were completed. While she was making the bow and arrows, she saw all the invaders and counted all of them. She made arrows for each invader and five extra if she missed.

She climbed a tree and sat on it. Every day, she would kill two invaders, starting now. She put an arrow on her bow. Jasmine was very, very good at aiming. Finally, she found her target, who was a young man. He had long brown hair and wore a boarskin around his body. Then, she let go of the arrow. The arrow shot through the sky and finally fell down and hit him. The arrow speared through his chest, and he collapsed to the floor. Jasmine quickly climbed down the tree and ran to the man. She slipped him away so that none of the invaders would notice. She dug a large hole and stuck him inside.

Every single day, this continued. After the fourth day, she had already lost nine arrows. Day after day, this continued. Nobody noticed, until the last day. There were only two more invaders to kill. “Where did everybody else go?” one of them said to the other.

Jasmine had gotten so good at aiming that while the two invaders were standing next to each other, Jasmine had shot two arrows at the same time; one headed for one of the invaders, while the other headed towards the other. They both died at the exact same time and fell to the ground. Jasmine dragged both of them into the forest and buried them with everybody else.

All of the villagers cheered. “Yay! Jasmine saved the day!” But then, they stopped. Jasmine slid down the tree and came into the village. “Why did you stop cheering? What happened?”

A single villager stepped forward. “We are so sorry for your loss,” she told her.

“What loss?” Jasmine asked.

“Your parents,” she said.

“Oh no…” Jasmine whispered.

“I’m sorry,” said the villager, “The invaders would not let them look for you, but they did so anyway. Eventually, the invaders killed them.”

“Oh my gosh,” said Jasmine, “My parents! I should never have left them!” Jasmine cried and cried and cried. She hated the invaders so much. “I should never have run away,” she said, “I should have protected my parents.”

Two days passed; then, two more after that, and two more after that. Jasmine was still crying. She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her parents. They were just… gone. When she was cleaning out the house one day, she found a letter in her father’s desk drawer.

It said: ‘To Jasmine, I love you’ on the front. Jasmine opened up the letter.

Dear Jasmine,

I should have told you long ago. It is hard to explain everything in one letter, though. You are actually half fairy. I didn’t tell you before because we thought you would tell everyone and you would be in grave danger, because people would force you to grant them wishes and keep you captive just like they did to me. That also might explain why you can do magical things.

Love,

Your father.

Jasmine was scared. She didn’t even know if it was true. Was it a prank? Was her father really a fairy? Was Jasmine a fairy? Was this true? Jasmine remembered what the ghost said. “Really? You mean you don’t know that you can go through the door?” the ghost had said.

Also, the frostbite didn’t hurt much, Jasmine remembered, I guess I am a fairy!

Jasmine would keep her village safe now. She would find it more resources. And she would teach them how to defend the village so no more invaders would ever come back.

Jasmine had lost her impulse to be rude and mean, but now, after her journey and the death of her parents, she had learned to never give up. To always keep trying, even if so many bad things and setbacks happened.

Jasmine looked out at her poor village and thought of how she could change it to make it safer. Jasmine put down the letter and for the first time she felt safe.

Glitter and the Magical Fig, Part 1

Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a beautiful unicorn who lived in a magical world where all her dreams came true. The unicorn was called Glitter. She lived with her mother and father. They were named Sparkles and Fire. They never let their daughter out of their sight.

Where the unicorn family lived, the land was always covered with fresh grass and beautiful trees. One particular tree grew delicious and sweet figs. One day Glitter woke up with the bright sun shining in her eyes. At first Glitter wanted to sleep some more. But then she sat bolt up. She just remembered that today was a very special day.

“It’s my birthday,” she cried out loud. She rushed to her parents and saw a big surprise. Her mother and father had made her a triple layered cake made out of grass. This must be a very special birthday! thought Glitter. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made such a delicious treat.

“Happy birthday honey,” said Sparkles. She cuddled her daughter and then became serious. “Your father and I have been discussing about this and we have decided to let you explore on your own.”

Glitter gave a squeal of joy. This was a very special birthday. She was speechless with joy, although she managed to say, “Thank you.”

Sparkles nodded and flicked her tail. Glitter knew what that meant. Her adventure was about to begin. As she began to race off, her mother called after her, “If you find the fig tree, do not touch any figs.”

Chapter 2

Glitter was happily chasing a monarch butterfly when she ran into a tree and a bunch of leaves showered all over her. Muttering stuff under her breath, Glitter got up. Suddenly, a trembling sensation tingled all over her. It felt good, like everything she ever imagined would come true. A voice in her head said, Look up, Glitter. She did and then gasped in awe. This was the beautiful fig tree where all your dreams come true! All of the muscles in her horn were yelling at her, Get those figs, just reach up and break off the stems. Grab two of them!

But just before she grabbed them, she remembered her mother’s words. They played over and over in her head. “If you find the fig tree, do not touch any figs.”

Glitter shook her head to clear away her vision. Quickly, she grabbed only one fig and hid it behind her back. Then she raced home. When Glitter arrived her mother, Sparkles, asked “Back so soon?”

Glitter just nodded and put on a fake smile. “I just didn’t feel comfortable without my parents,” Glitter lied.

“Tell us all about this exploration of yours,” said Fire with his booming voice.

Glitter retold her parents about her adventure and then went to bed early. But just before going to bed, Glitter ate the fig.

Chapter 3

Glitter shifted in her moss bed. She had trouble sleeping. Glitter decided to take a stroll in the forest. Just when she was about to reach the fig tree, an enormous tiger jumped out the tall grass and started to stalk Glitter. A heartbeat later, the tiger jumped at the frightened unicorn.

But Glitter couldn’t move. Her legs were frozen with fear! Just before the tiger took a chunk of Glitter’s body, a huge booming voice yelled at the striped predator. “Stop playing around.”

All the tiger did was nod in reply and then run back in the grass.

Then he ran away. Glitter turned to thank whoever had saved her, but he had run away. She did manage to catch a glimpse of the vanishing tail. It was orange with thick black stripes. That must be the tigers father, Glitter thought.

Glitter then woke up with a jerk. That was the worst dream ever, thought Glitter. She was so haunted by her dream that she ran to her to get some air without telling her parents.

Chapter 4

Glitter was still shaken up by her dream. She realized that the only place that would calm her down was the fig tree. She ran all the way there so she could come back without her parents noticing that she was gone.

As Glitter emerged from tall grass, she saw the amazing fig tree. She walked around the bottom of the tree, when the other side of the tall grass started to shiver. Suspicious, Glitter edged toward the swaying grass.

Then the grass stood still. Surprised, Glitter stood straight up. Suddenly a huge tiger jumped out of the grass, baring his teeth in a snarl. The startled unicorn fell backwards and twisted her ankle.

Then it hit her. The fig actually made her real dream in the night come true!

While she was reasoning with herself, the tiger had landed delicately beside Glitter.

Oh no, Glitter thought. There is no one in sight to save me. Not even the tiger from my dream. Is this really how I’m going to end my life?

Chapter 5

Glitter was lying on the ground with the tiger towering over her, mouth watering. He raised his paw, unsheathed its claw, and swiped gently at her without making a deep wound.

Why is he just playing with me. Glitter was confused.

The next time the tiger raised his paw, he made a stinging blow. Glitter tried to howled in pain. But no noise came out.

The tiger seemed amused. A big sneer grew on his greedy face. He made another blow, this time a little harder though. This time, Glitter made an ear-piercing scream. The tiger jumped back, his fur standing on end.

Then there was a loud rumbling sound and Fire, erupted from the tall grass. He head butted the tiger with his horn, and then turned back and looked sternly at his daughter. “GO BACK HOME NOW!” He was so angry.

“You look like you’re about to explode,” said Glitter cheerfully.

“No time for smile, Glitter. You disobeyed orders and there will be consequences.”

Glitter hung her head and walked beside him without another word.

Chapter 6

Back home, her mother was pacing in the grass. “Thank goodness you’re alright!” said Sparkles when she saw her daughter. “We’re lucky you weren’t hurt. I can’t believe your immaturity. This is very disappointing, Glitter. Promise me you will never go to that tree again, okay?”

Glitter nodded but secretly she wasn’t making a promise that she would keep. Then she went to her moss bed, and closed her eyes. Just before going to sleep, she whispered to herself, Tomorrow I am going to that tree and getting another fig. Then she drifted off to sleep.

Epilogue

Glitter was walking along the stream. She was headed for the fig tree although her mother had banned her from going there. Her pearly white body was glimmering in the moonlight. Her horn was glittering more brightly than usual. Her hooves were moving ever so lightly, and making no noise. As Glitter moved closer to the fig tree, her confidence started to ebb slowly away.

“What if my parents find out what I‘m doing?” Glitter said to herself out loud. “They will ground me for sure.” Glitters two minds chittered together for a while until Glitter made her decision.

“No one will find out what I’m doing,” Glitter reminded herself. “But if they do, that will just be an unexpected coincidence.”

Quickly, Glitter snapped off one more fig and brought it back home. “That was the best thing that has happened to me. It felt so good,” Glitter said to herself.

Then Glitter curled back in bed, with the fig hidden just underneath her legs, and went to sleep with a smile.

The Package

           

“Ding dong!”

I ran down the stairs and nearly tripped over myself. I have been waiting for this for months! Excitedly, I flung open the door and the mailman handed me a ripped up box that looked like it had been dropped in mud and water. I took the box from the mailman, trying to only hold it by a clean corner. I took the scissors from my desk, and cut the box open. Inside of the box, were packing peanuts and a bright red envelope that was blank. Curiously, I opened the letter and there were two slimy pieces of paper. One of them said “Creator” and one said “Eraser.” At this point, I didn’t even know if this was what I had ordered. I reached inside of the box, and there was only another small envelope. What was different about this one was that it was rainbow. I hoped that this was my new shirt, but I wasn’t so sure. I opened the envelope, and there was a yellow pencil. I threw the pencil on the ground, expecting it to make a loud sound. I was surprised when it made a DING! I picked up the pencil, still infuriated and started to draw on a piece of paper. Just when the pencil hit the paper, the pencil started to say,

“ERROR. ERROR. USE PACKAGED PAPER. DO NOT USE REGULAR PAPER.”

I fell on the ground from the startling noise, and I grabbed the red envelope. Disgusted, I took out the “Creator Paper” and I started to draw on it with the pencil. With the pencil, I drew a cat, which I always wished I had. Sadly, my parents were both allergic to every animal so we could never get a cat. A couple years ago, I learned how to draw very realistic cats. After I finished, I admired the work and patted myself on the back. Just as I did that, the cat’s colors started to fill in, and the picture was getting thicker than the page. The cat’s grey fur started to grow rapidly, and the cat was now real and alive. My eyes got really wide and I started to grin.

“This must be a dream!” I said to myself. I pinched myself to make sure, but I was definitely awake.

“YOU’RE DRAWING IS COMPLETE. THANK YOU FOR USING REAL DOODLER ANIMATIONS,” the pencil said in a pleased tone.

The cat was now off of the page and on the floor, meowing. I jumped up and down in excitement and pet the cat. The cat was purring a lot and I went to the fridge to get last night’s chicken dinner leftovers. The cat gobbled it up, and meowed in delight. I was in a trance, thinking about how I finally had a cat. I went back to the desk and picked up the pencil.

“This pencil is so cool. I could do so much with it! Maybe I could make all the popular girls new IPhones so I can finally hang out with them and be cool!”

I ran over to the slimy piece of paper, and started to draw clothes, phones, and shoes. I packed all of the things and ran over to their sleepover party that I heard about over their Snapchat. I was so excited. I could become popular! Then, everyone would like me.

BUZZ. I rung the doorbell and waited. I stamped my foot on the ground repetitively until Lauren opened the door with a smirk on her face. She was the leader of their group, so I had to get cool with her before anyone else.

“What do you want, nerd?” Lauren said coldly.

“I-I got you and your friends some gifts,” I trembled.

Lauren called her friends Isabella, Amy, Alexa, and Claire downstairs. They crowded around the doorway and stared at me, like they were judging my clothes and face. My heart pounded faster than ever before, especially when Amy snached the bag out of my hands.

“Let’s see. IPhones? Clothes? Shoes? We have all of these! Why do you think we would want these? Do you think we are poor or something? I’m disgusted! Get out of here! You are ugly and gross, and you will never be part of our group, EVER!” Amy roared.

She threw each of the phones on the ground, which made a heart-shattering noise, and she threw the clothes and shoes in the garbage can. All of the girls laughed and shooed me away. I ran as fast as I could back to my house. I could feel the hot tears streaming down my face as I ran. I just wanted to be happy. I didn’t need those mean girls. I could just be with my cat. When I got home I ran upstairs, grabbing my pencil and paper and calling my cat to my room. My cat cuddled with me as I drew my revenge. I drew the perfect thing that I knew would stay with them forever.

***

Confidently, I strutted back to their house with my revenge. I knew this was what they all deserved. I buzzed the doorbell then ran away. My revenge stood on the porch and waited. Lauren opened the door again with the same smirk on her face. I guess that’s just how she greeted people. How sad.

“Who the heck are you and what do you want?” Lauren said while cringing at their beauty.

“Well first of all, who do you think you are, talking to my girls and I like that? Like jeez, get a grip. And I want you to explain to me what are you wearing. Do you think that actually looks good? You got some bad taste.”

Lauren’s smirk got less intense and she called her group downstairs.

“Are you looking to start a fight?!” Lauren said while snapping her fingers in my popular girl’s leader creation.

Lauren and her friends stepped outside and onto her lawn while my group followed. I went more into the bush to hide myself.

My group glared with the evil eye at Laren’s group. The names of the people were Olivia (the leader), Emma, Caitlin, Maddie, and Amelia. Lauren walked up to Olivia and looked up to her. Lauren and all of her friends were very short compared to my girls.

“Oh my god. Look how short you and your friends are. You guys are like little toddlers. How weird,” Olivia sneered as she flipped her brown hair.

Lauren’s eyes got slightly wet, and her friends were just in shock.

“And by the way, you guys look like snotty pigs,” Olivia laughed.

Emma, Catlin, Maddie, and Amelia laughed. I cringed empathetically for Lauren and her friends when they ran back into the house. I came out of the bushes and thanked Olivia and her friends, but I knew that I had to get rid of them, so thankfully I had the “Eraser paper.” I swiped the eraser across my revenge, and they disappeared immediately. I sighed and walked home. On the way, I was thinking about all of the times that I had been bullied, and how I felt before when they were bullying me. Yes, I did feel good that they got a taste of their own medicine, but I had a pit in my stomach. I remembered what my mom always said to me, “Treat others the way you want to be treated!”

I felt like I had let myself down. I knew better. I thought about how I would feel if I was Lauren and her friends. I knew I would feel bad. When I got to my house, I went upstairs and sat on my bed with my new cat and made an oath to myself to go by what my mom had always said, ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated.’

The Journey

I can’t sleep. I have been tossing and turning for hours, and it’s impossible for me to drift off. Since it’s almost midnight and my parents are asleep, I might as well go outside and take a walk in the backyard.

I lit my lamp and tiptoe downstairs to the yard. The stars are very pretty tonight. It feels like true nighttime, and I can see all of the lightning bugs and stars that provide light. I can feel the cold night air and the cold wood under my feet. I sit on the back porch swing and admire the crescent moon that always helps me fall asleep. I start swinging back and forth, and, somehow, the natural world helps me drift off to sleep.

  When I wake up, a man dressed in all black with a scarf around his face is sneaking  through the yard. I woke up as he stepped on the creaky step leading to the porch. He definitely wasn’t expecting that, because what he did was so loud my parents and grandmother woke up. He picks me up and takes me off the porch swing and holds me with a deadly grip as he is running through the yard and out to his large truck and throws me in the back and locks the doors. I look out the window, and I see my parents running as fast as their legs can carry them to try and rescue me from the truck. I pound on the doors trying to let them know where I am so they can rescue me from this man.

When they don’t come to me I yell “Mom, Dad, I’m locked in the back of the truck!” But when I look out the window, I see them get dragged back to the house by a person that came with them, and they must not have seen me through the windows. Before I can react, we drive away at full speed. I am devastated.

I curl up into a ball in the corner and cry. I can’t believe what is happening. I am getting kidnapped. I wish I hadn’t gone outside and had stayed in my bedroom and looked at the nature from the window. I wish I had been able to fall asleep tonight and not have tried to do this. I could have just tried reading my book for longer, but I had to go outside.

After what seems like a million hours the truck finally stops. I pop up and bang on the door and plead for someone to let me out, but when I look out the window I realize that we are parked in a dumpster, and no one is there except the people who kidnapped me. They would never let me out. But then, someone opens the lock! I push open the doors and sprint through the garbage with the man hot on my tracks and right when I am about to escape he grabs me.

I scream so loud he cups his calloused hand over my mouth. He ties me up with a rope and drags me back to the truck and props me up on the back wheel.

“Listen, I am going to tell you why I kidnapped you.” He said this like he desperately wants me to be quiet. “We need you on a mission to save the world, and this is the only way we can recruit you,” he said.

“Why couldn’t you just call me?”

“Because your parents can’t know about it. Parents always say ‘No,’ to it so we have to take you. I can’t say any more until we get to headquarters, so let’s hurry up.”

I was glad to know the truth, and I think it is so cool that I can save the world, so I didn’t argue. But, I do want proof. “Where is your badge?” I ask him. He leans towards me and inside a pocket in his shirt there was a gold badge with advanced in blue letters. Now, I believe him.

“Follow me,” he said as he motions for me to come with him. He led me to a couple of chairs in the middle of the dumpster and tells me to sit on one. He sits on the other, gets out a remote control, presses a button, and we take off.

When we land, we are outside an ugly shack surrounded by an old picket fence with a fat old man that is bald and has hazel eyes. How is this headquarters? I thought.

“Password?” the guy says in a deep voice that sounds like sandpaper.

“Black,” he responds. All of a sudden, the dumpster morphs into a valley, and the ugly shack and picket fence morph into a fancy building with a golden gate with spikes on top. The man that kidnapped me enters a combination, and when the gates open, he leads me down a pathway and enters another combination to get into the building. What I see next is awesome.

It is a huge space where people with badges are constantly coming and going, testing fancy gadgets, and using computers. It is all so cool. The guy takes me to the front desk where a lady with her auburn hair in a perfect bun is sitting.

“Who is this?” she demands to know.

“This is Sophie,” he told her.

“Okay, let’s tell the organization she’s here.” She types something into her computer and a couple minutes later a lady in a suit with a retired badge came.

“Hi Sophie! I’m Cara, your retired agent mentor. Come with me,” she tells me.

She leads me to what I think is supposed to be an office space since there are chairs and a desk, and she tells me to sit in an armchair by a desk. She sits down in the other chair and starts talking to me.

“So, I am going to help you prepare for your mission and give you some information about it. An agency called, ‘Other Plans Agency’ is run by bad guys, and they’re trying to take over the world. Your job is to stop them.” She tells me.

“Why me?”

“Because we think you have the ability to stop them, unlike the agents who have tried previously. What you have to do is find their base and look for the cursor.”

“What’s the cursor?” I ask.

“It’s a small device that can destroy an agency, and it’s the only way to stop him,” she tells me.

“Okay, I think I can do it.”

“Great, let’s get you set up,” she says.

We walk down a hallway and go down an elevator, and when the doors open, we are in a huge room. It is full of shelves and shelves of gadgets, and it was so cool.

“Okay, you want to look for gadgets that you think will help you sneak around, and you can only chose four gadgets.” I walk around the room and look for cool gadgets. I choose a freeze gun that I can use to make people freeze, an invisibility ring to make me invisible, a bomb to cause a distraction, and sneaking shoes to sneak around. It was really cool.

“I picked out my gadgets,” I tell Cara.

“Okay, now I will show you your ship and give you your badge,” she responds.

I am super happy I get my own ship and badge!!! I think to myself with excitement.

We get on a moving sidewalk to what the agency calls the dock. It is an outdoor room with huge vehicles that look small to non-agents run by people in neon uniforms so you can see them when it is agent rush hour and so many people are coming and going. Cara shows her ID to a lady with straight chestnut hair that pours over her shoulders.

“Why do you need an ID?” I say after we pass the lady.

“Because we have very heavy security,” she responds.

“Oh I almost forgot you’re going to need an ID to get back in.” She pulls a card out of her back pocket and gives it to me. “This is your ID. Put it in a safe place on the ship, and don’t take it with you on the mission because it can easily get lost,” she tells me.

“Okay, which ship will I be in?” I ask Cara.

“Ship 197,” she tells me.

We walk down to the end of the dock to a huge yellow ship with the number 197 in black writing on the side. “This is your ship I am going to show you how it works but first I have to give you your badge” Cara says. She pulls another thing out of her back pocket but this time it was a gold star with beginner in navy blue writing. “You have to keep this in a safe place at all times and only wear it at the agency. This CAN’T get lost,” she tells me.

“Okay, can you show me the ship now?”

“Okay, but you need to use your ID to get into it.” I scan my ID on the scanner and the doors slip open. It’s really cool.

It is like a mini house it has a huge window in the front with a chair and tons of buttons,  it has a lot of food and water, there is a bathroom, and a safe, which is a perfect place for my ID and badge.

“Okay, I will teach you how everything works,” she says. “When you press the big red button in the middle, you say where you want to go in the microphone. All the other buttons have labels, and the safe combination is 1357. I think that’s all you need to know. Any questions?”

“Where am I supposed to go?” I ask.

“Oh I have a notebook of tips for you it has everything you need to know.” She gives it to me. “Good Luck on your mission, Sophie.” She walks out of the dock. I am on my own.

***

I open my book of tips and on the top of the first page, it says, “Tips on Finding the Enemy’s Base” in bold writing. The first tip is to look them up on the computer, but I don’t think I have a computer. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a clear cabinet with a laptop inside. I pull it out and follow the directions very carefully. I go to a website that helps you apply for agencies called “agent.com” and search “Other Pans Agency.” Under the picture of the building, which is their base, it says that the address is only revealed if you want to create an appointment to learn more about applying to their agency. This is a setback. I didn’t know that agencies are so protective.

After thinking for a long time, I got a plan. I decide I will call the agency and pretend to want an appointment to learn about applying for the agency. At the meeting I will ask about the cursor and get them to reveal its location. After I leave, I will wait in the ship until everyone goes to bed and then I will sneak into the base, get the cursor, and be on my way.

I pick up an iPhone that was also in the cabinet and call 212-929-1646. The phone was ringing for a couple of minutes and then a someone finally answers. “Hi, this is Other Plans Agency. What is your purpose of calling today?” he says.

“Hi. I would like to schedule an appointment to learn more about applying to this agency,” I tell him.

“Good. What is your name, and what time do you want to come?” he asks.

“My name is Sophie Maud, and I would like to come tomorrow morning” I say.

“Great, you will be coming tomorrow at 9:45 a.m. with Mr. Alento,” he responds. “You will be coming to 000 Center valley.” He tells me before hanging up. I put the phone away and say, “I want to go to 000 Center Valley.” The ship takes off, and my mission officially starts.

The ship goes so fast I don’t even feel it moving. Suddenly I notice I am pretty hungry, so I make myself a ham and cheese sandwich, and, when I finish, the ship stops. The ship is outside a town of abandoned houses with a faded sign in the front that says “Center Lane.” I know this is a disguise for their base, because our base looked like a variation of it. The sun is just rising, and the clock says 5:30 a.m. Since I have 4 hours and 15 minutes before my appointment, I decide I will pass the time in my ship. I walk back into my ship, close the door, and look through the book of tips that will hopefully answer some of my non-urgent questions.

I figure out that along with the safe on the inside of the ship, there is one on the outside to put my ID in so that I can get it after the mission. I also figure out that along with food and water, the ship is also full of weapons. I spend the rest of the time watching TV (another thing I found out in the book), and then it is finally time for my appointment.

I grab my bag of gadgets that I also put a knife in, and, when I get back out of the ship, I figure out that the homeless guys who sit around were obviously security guards. I walk up to one of them and tell them that I am there for an appointment. The guards then reach into their pockets and pull out a red sticker that says visitor on it and escort me to a big building in the middle. They unlock the door with a gold key from one of their pockets, and I see an oak front desk in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by doors.

“Tell Clementine the person at the front desk why you’re here, and she’ll let you in.” One of the guards whispered and then they left.

Just looking at Clementine was scary, so I had no idea how I was going to get enough courage to talk to her. Her hair was done in a tight bun, her icy blue eyes stared at you like she wanted you dead, and her mouth was closed in a perfectly straight line.

“Um, um, I came here for a 9:45 a.m. appointment,” I managed to tell her. She looked through a huge binder that probably was a list of appointments, because on one of the pages it said Sophie Maud 9:45 a.m. with Mr. Alento.

“Okay Sophie, you may enter door A and take the elevator to the basement. Mr. Alento will be there waiting for you in room 101,” she says. I did as she asked, and she was right. Mr. Alento was there waiting for me.

Mr. Alento had dark black hair, brown eyes that were almost black, and a long mustache. He is sitting on a rolling chair behind a brown desk with a reading light and a huge pile of papers on it. He motions for me to sit on the chair in front of him, and when I sit down and put my bag on the floor, he starts talking. “Welcome Sophie. I heard you are interested in applying for other plans agency,” he tells me.

“Yes I scheduled this appointment to learn more about this agency.” I say.

“Well lucky for you I agreed to tell you some valuable information about our agency.” he responds, “This is the most unique agency you’ll ever find and it is very hard to get in,” he says. “We only trust the best of the best with our dangerous missions and valuable weapons.”

“Wow it must be very hard to get in” I thought. “I am very interested in weapons and gadgets,” I tell him. “What are some of those things this agency has to offer?” I ask.

“We have every gadget and weapon possible,” he says. I knew that wouldn’t get him to mention the cursor, so I had to think of another way.

After a long pause, I figure out what to say. “So what mission are you guys working on?” I ask him.

“We are currently working on trying to take over the world and only the cursor can stop us,” he says.

“Who has the the cursor, and where is it?” I ask, but I quickly regret what I said because I revealed that I was trying to get information.

“You’re busted!” Mr. Alento yelled.

I had to escape fast. I tore open my bag of gadgets to get my distraction bomb to make a distraction and make a run for it. Since Mr. Alento sounded the alarm, there was double the noise, which I thought would make it easier for me. But, it didn’t. Everyone came in this direction, and we would cross paths. I ran out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me and decided to take the stairs, but unfortunately Mr. Alento probably called for backup. I only got halfway up the stairs when I bumped into an army of security guards with strong muscles. Before I got a chance to react, they grabbed me by the arms. I wiggled and squirmed and did everything in my power to get out, but I couldn’t. I was caught.

The security guards took me back down to the basement and pushed the elevator button. When the elevator came, the security guards pressed the button marked “D,” which I think stands for “dungeon.” We were dropping down for a long time, which made me think I would never see the sun again. When we got out of the elevator, we were in a freezing, dark room with stone cells around a small table that was the only thing that provided light and on that table was the curser. The security guards dragged me over to a cell, attached metal chains to my ankles, and locked the cell behind them. Then, they were gone.

All the cell had was a cot and an egg crate to sit on. It is so upsetting to be imprisoned. Now, I need a whole new plan to get the cursor. Every day, someone comes to feed us scraps from the agents food for breakfast and dinner — that is how I kept track of the days. The person who fed me is named Gerry, and he is really nice. On my fourth day in prison, when Gerry came to feed me dinner, he said he would help me escape.

He said he is secretly a spy for our agency, and he wants me to take the cursor back to our agency so Other Plans Agency can’t destroy the world. His plan is to give me the keys then set off the alarm in the gadget room to cause a distraction. I would put on my sneaking shoes, grab the cursor, and sneak out. It was the perfect plan, and we were going to do it right now.

Gerry gave me the key and went up to the gadget room to set off the alarm. You can only hear it very faintly from here, but I could still hear it. I opened my cell, put on my sneaking shoes, grabbed the cursor, and ran. I ran so fast, I wasn’t aware of my surroundings. Luckily, I got out of the agency without getting caught. I ran to my ship, got my ID out of the safe, and scanned it to get into the ship. I was finally safe.

Then, I heard a knock on the door. I looked out the window to see who it was, and it was Gerry! I opened the door and let him in.

“Go to the agency now they are hot on our heels!” he says urgently. I press the red button say that I want to go to the agency, and we are on our way.

“Thanks for helping me escape,” I say to Gerry.

“You are welcome,” he says. “I would do anything to get the cursor back to our agency.”

When we get there, I show a man in a neon yellow uniform my ID, and he opens the gates for us. When we get in, Cara is there waiting for us.

“Did you guys get the cursor?” she asked us. I get it out of my bag and show it to her. She gasps. “I knew you could do it!” she says. “Would you like to destroy their agency?” she asks me.

“Sure,” I say.

I turn on the cursor and speak into it, “Destroy Other Plans Agency.”

The screen responds, “Destroying…” for a while and then it says, “Complete. Other Plans Agency is destroyed!”

Now, I can go back home.

What Makes A Hero?

What makes a hero? A hero is someone who is influential, determined, and life-changing in a positive way for people. I think Christopher Columbus should be seen as a hero because he has all of those characteristics. Other people believe Christopher Columbus should not be seen as a hero but I think he should be thought of as one.

Columbus is influential because he found America. Many historians believe that he should not be considered a hero because he was supposed to find Asia but failed to do so. But, not finding Asia turned out to be a positive thing because he found America instead. People also say that Columbus was not the first person to find North America. Some people argue that the vikings were the first to find America. But, Christopher Columbus was the first person to build a settlement there and trade with the Americas, so he gets the credit. Actually, the Native Americans were the first people to settle there, but Columbus was the first person from another country to interact and trade with them. Even though the Native Americans were the first people to settle there, Columbus introduced the Americas to the rest of the world and influenced other explorers.

Many people also believe that he disturbed the lives of the Native Americans that were living there. Christopher Columbus and the Europeans brought diseases to the Americas that          the Natives didn’t have cures for, which caused many of the Natives to die. He also brought some Natives back to Europe to make them servants for the king and queen. Even though he did that and it was wrong, it does not take away from all the good things he accomplished.    

The second characteristic that a hero needs to have is determination. Christopher Columbus was determined because he wanted to find Asia no matter what happened. He wanted to find Asia because they had many silks and spices. He went to many different rulers until he found one to sponsor his voyage. First he asked the king of Portugal. The king said that he would not sponsor Columbus because he didn’t think it was possible for him to make it to Asia from there. But Columbus did not give up. He then went to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, the king and queen of Spain. They said that they would help pay for the voyage as long as Columbus shared the wealth, and then Columbus was on his way.

Another place where he showed determination was on the ship. When other people on the ship were convincing him to go back to Europe because there was no land in sight, he didn’t listen to them and he eventually found land. Some people think that Christopher Columbus should not be seen as a hero regardless of how hard he worked because he failed to find Asia. I think that being determined is one of the most important characteristics to have because no matter what you accomplish you should never give up.   

The final characteristic of a hero is being life-changing in a positive way for people.  Christopher Columbus has that characteristic because he was life-changing to the Europeans.  He brought crops to Europe such as corn and potatoes which were healthier crops that changed the diet of many Europeans. He brought back tomatoes, avocados, turkeys, and pineapples to show the queen and king. They were amazed at what he had found, so the country started trading with the Americas. He also changed the life of the people in America by bringing new items to them. He is put down for bringing diseases to the Americas that the Natives died from, but he also brought horses which changed people’s lives and had never been seen in the Americas before.

The things that Columbus did wrong should be acknowledged too because he did make mistakes, but they are not as important as the good things he did. Regardless, he was influential, determined, and life-changing. Those are the characteristics that make a perfect hero. Although Christopher Columbus was not perfect, he had all the characteristics of a hero, so he deserves to be called one.

Boing and the Evil Noodles

Once upon a time there was a panda. The panda’s name was Boing. Boing’s life was almost perfect. There was only one thing Boing wanted… NOODLES! He really wanted noodles. Boing had only eaten noodles once in his life. And he had loved them. But, he was allergic to the chili peppers Mr. Smigs put in his noodles. His tongue started burning whenever he ate any. There was only one noodle shop in the tiny panda village called Panda Town and Mr. Smigs was the owner. But, Mr. Smigs only knew how to make noodles with chilli peppers.

Three years later it was Boing’s birthday. His parents gave him noodles! He said, “Oh wow! Noodles!” Boing decided he would save the noodles for later. He wanted them to last as long as possible.

That night Boing was lying in bed and he tasted a noodle. It was very spicy. He said to himself, “I wish these noodles were less spicy.”

Suddenly, a mysterious voice coming from the noodles said, “If you want me less spicy you will have to do it yourself.” Boing was too scared to respond. “Well?”

Boing said, “How do I do that?”

“Figure it out!”

“O-okay,” Boing said as he shook with fear. “Never mind. You are perfect,” said Boing.

The next morning Boing said “Good morning, noodles!”

The noodles said, “What’s so good about the morning? You get woken up from your beauty sleep!”

Then Boing finished the noodles. Guess what he saw? Boing saw a genie bottle with devil horns! Boing went outside. He rubbed the bottle and a genie devil came out! The genie devil lunged at Boing and he was scared! Right at that moment, Boing became a tiny ball, the size of a beach ball, and tripped the genie devil. Then Boing became aware he had powers. SUPER powers! He realized that his emotions controlled his powers. Whenever he got scared, he could turn into the size of a beach ball. He was very happy.

Suddenly, a gleaming ball of light fell into his hands. It was pure happiness. Boing threw the happiness at the genie devil! The happiness burned the genie devil. The genie devil tried to cast a spell but Boing duct taped the genie devil’s mouth shut. Then Boing realized he loved using his powers. Little heart bullets shot out of his mouth! They all hit the genie devil!

Boing could control when his powers happened. When he was happy or any of the other  emotions the power for that would be most powerful, but even when he was feeling sad, Boing still could be able to bring the sun down or turn into a little ball but it wouldn’t be as powerful.

Then, Boing’s sister Ellie came out and said “Boing, what are you doing?”

“Uhh, nothing.” said Boing.

“Hmmm,” said Ellie.

“Okay.” Ellie said, and went away.

In the meantime, the genie devil had gotten the tape off his mouth and said, “Okay, okay. You win. Take me to jail,” said the genie devil because he thought anything would be better than having to be in this backyard anymore because he doesn’t want to have Boing hurt him again.

“Sure! I’ll take you to jail,” said Boing.

He called the police and said he had found an evil genie devil. He sent him to genie jail.

Boing thought that since he had just taken a genie devil to jail, he had to be on the good side. “I guess I’ll be a superhero then, if I’m on the good side.”

And then when the police got the genie devil, they said, “Boing! You caught the most wanted genie devil that has not been seen for a million years!”

“What’s this genie’s name?” asked Boing.

“Dino.”

“We will give you any prize you want,” said the police officer.

“I would like NOODLES!”

THE END

Unknown Worlds

Part I. Snake Attack.

Far away near The Amazon, a scientist was testing an external growth serum on creatures when something went horribly wrong. The creature expanded to fifty feet and dragged him into the depths of the swamp. Gradually, the water turned red, with screams echoing off the branches.

***

Twenty years later, a 15-year-old boy named Henry took a trip to The Amazon. He had brown hair and a mischievous grin. He wore blue jeans and a leather jacket. He was 5’10”.  He was getting prepared with all the gear and medications in a small Brazilian town when news reached about an enigmatic creature let into the swamp, quickly dragging people into the mud, and the people were mysteriously never seen again. He didn’t tell his parents because he knew he would be forbidden to go after they heard that. He had wanted to go since he was five and he was not wasting his chance to go to the Amazon.

After he was done packing up, he got into his Jeep and they calmly drove over to The Amazon. After two hours passed, they finally reached their destination, a bubbling swamp with croaks echoing and a slithering noise from the branches.

The guide said, “Maybe we should move to another area.”

Henry responded saying, “No. This area’s perfect.”

The guide said, “Sorry. I’m just a little creeped out by snakes.”

Henry thought, There’s something worse up here than snakes. Henry lazily trailed off with the crunches of leaves falling behind him. Henry thought, Wow! This place is beautiful, when he heard something by the swamp. He turned around to look, but nothing was there. He kept on walking and he felt like someone, or something, was watching him.

Henry slowly kept wandering into the forest, losing himself, hearing something calling to him. He kept following the voice, directing him towards an unknown destination. “Come to me, follow the path,” he heard a voice hissing. Gradually, he saw bones of animals devoured by the creature. He saw crocodiles fleeing from the forest. As if in a trance, he ignored all that he saw, and the voice was hissing, and the hisses became clearer. “Come to me to save your family,” it whispered. Quickly it heated up, and he saw more bones littering the floor, and he snapped out of the trance, unaware of what he’d been doing.

And then, slowly, a creature revealed itself from the trees. It was gigantic, a humongous snake with fangs, seven inches long, poison dripping from the teeth. It reared itself into a formation to strike and jutted forward, missing by an inch. It rapidly struck, quickly maneuvering to get a clear shot. And then he remembered, in the article it said it was part-wolf and part-human, so he thought, If I kill that thing, the other snakes will kill me. So he kept dodging and maneuvering to avoid the strikes from the monster. He thought of a plan, and darted behind a tree.

He kept going around the tree while the snake coiled onto it and followed him. He kept continuing the process until the tree cracked and lost its balance, then crashed down on top of the snake. The snake was struggling under the weight of the tree. He went to follow the path, but there wasn’t any, so he followed the first steps he took, and continued in that direction for half an hour.

After he reached his destination, he saw that the Jeep wasn’t there and he saw car tracks rolling into the town. He was trapped in the jungle. Seven years ago, I thought the jungle would be fun, not like this, he thought. He was wandering around trying to find an exit, and then he remembered the snakes. They were slowly coiling up on his feet, dragging him into the swamp. And then he heard his parents calling to him, “Come follow the tracks, you’ll find us at the end of the trail.”

He shook the snakes off and followed the trail for hours and hours. He saw his parents, but they were dead. He started sobbing and thought, It should have been me. They were right near the shore, getting washed up into the bank. He felt a sudden urge to attack that monster and destroy it. He kept following the trail.

On the way he found a small branch and a large rock. He sharpened the ridge of the branch into a sharp blade, and then continued on to find the snake and kill it. But by the time he reached it, he saw a horde of black mambas, cobras, and king snakes. Behind it was the giant cobra. It was staring down at Henry with a giant black hood and red fiery eyes. It formed itself, ready for a strike. It shot forward, striking a tree, and got its fang stuck. When it pulled back, the fang got ripped out of its mouth, and it hissed in agony. It hissed in a foreign language, demanding all the other snakes to attack. And then, Henry hurled his giant stick into the giant cobra’s heart. It toppled over and crushed all of the smaller snakes.

And then, his parents came out from the bushes and said, “You passed the test.”

Henry gasped and said “What the heck? Is this another April Fools’ prank? Because it is the first of April,” he said as he eyed them suspiciously.

He figured out that the snake was an animatronic being, and the coding was to command all the smaller snakes. He also figured out that the story with the scientist and the growth serum was just a rumour they spread after they let the animatronic snake into the jungle. And then his parents said, “You are now ready to take a trip to the other planet called Earth.”

Part II. Trip to Earth.

Henry was really scared. He was going to a new planet, unknown by everyone. It was in a different galaxy, many light years away. But surprisingly, they got there in only weeks. It was very different from his home planet. So moist, so many different creatures and plants. Henry was awed by all that he saw on the new planet. And his parents explained that there were different parts of the planet called continents. They also explained that they might settle on this planet depending on whether their investigation went well. They also told him that they went on a top secret mission when he was younger, onto a different planet that was the home planet he had lived on when Henry was very little. So they were coming back to Earth to settle there again. They had tested him before to see if he had the courage to learn the truth. They told him there were sudden eruptions from a certain volcano that were caused by monsters battling each other and that the eruptions were caused by monsters underneath the crater. They were going to a place called Hawaii to investigate the eruptions and the battles. There were many mountains that spewed molten rock out of craters. They were going inside of one volcano to explore the infrastructure.

It took a few days and hours to get to Hawaii from the United States. By the time they got there, they were trudging up a giant volcano, one near the middle of the island. It was 17,000 feet tall, and it was active during the week. A few days ago, it burned down half of Hawaii. They went to see what caused all this destruction from one of the volcanoes, but many others were burned down by the explosion. There were many different creatures that tried to slow them down. Snakes and lizards kept trying to bite their legs. Henry got bitten once and his leg started aching as he limped up the mountain. By the time they got near the crater, he saw lava bubble beneath him, and it started heating up. He was sweating like mad. And then they attached a rope to the edge of the crater and climbed down.

By the time he got inside lava started spewing up to the height he was at. Henry almost fell off the edge. As he kept trudging around, part of the rope touched the lava and started burning up, incinerating quickly. Henry started to freak out. He thought he was trapped inside again. He stared open mouthed as his parents walked across the edge and got lowered by another rope down to ground floor. The lava bubbled up, and something emerged from it. It was a hideous black form with giant claws. It reminded him of a manticore. It struck its scorpion tail right where Henry was. He asked his parents if this was another test, but it wasn’t. Slowly, a few more rose from the lava. They all struck, and clawed where his parents were. A few more things emerged from the lava. But they weren’t manticores. It was a giant being with a sickle. It swiped above all of their heads, missing by an inch. Then, something larger than all of them emerged. It was a hideous beast, 200 feet long, roaring as it destroyed everything in its path, causing an eruption, destroying a bit of Hawaii.

Henry took a giant piece of molten rock and hurled it straight at the beast. It hit him and scratched him. It roared in pain, but it managed to pick it up and throw it back at Henry. He quickly did a forward roll and the molten rock crashed right where he was. His parents found an odd piece of molten rock shaped like a sword. They hit it against the wall of the volcano, and realized it was a sword. They tossed it to Henry, and he swiped at one of the legs of the beast. It crashed on its knee and hit Henry and caused him to fly backwards and lose consciousness. He saw a fogginess of his parents fighting off the beast, and then lost consciousness.

By the time he regained consciousness, he saw the beast hitting the wall, causing a rockslide. The beast was strong, but idiotic. It hit so hard that a giant piece of rock fell on it and almost crushed it. He picked it up and hurled it over the volcano. Henry thought, Oh god, as the monster picked up some rocks and hurled them at him. He thought that would be his last moment. But then a gorilla with snakes for limbs quickly crashed through the wall of the volcano and knocked the giant beast against the wall.

As Henry starred, the giant gorilla pummeled the huge monster. Henry thought about ways he could use this to his advantage. He found the rope that his parents used to escape while he was unconscious and gradually pulled himself up. By the time the gorilla destroyed the giant beast, Henry was lazily pulling up to get to the crater. When the giant gorilla noticed this, he hit right where Henry’s rope ended, and by the time Henry got to the top they deliberately hurried down, and the giant gorilla hit the inside of the volcano once more, causing a rockslide that destroyed the volcano and everything inside. You could hear the roars of the giant gorilla when it was getting crushed by rocks. By the time they got to their ship, they took off and Henry thought, Some adventure, while they were rocketing back to home.

The End.  

Animals Running Away

There is a donkey called Dunkypunky. His owner, Bob, doesn’t know that Dunkypunky and the other animals can talk.

So, one day Dunkypunky was planning to go on a boat with the chickens and the cow. “The owner doesn’t even give us food so let’s make a plan to escape on a boat,” said Dunkypunky.

“Okay, let’s make a plan and tell the chickens if they want to escape too,” said the cow.

“Do you guys want to escape and get food to eat because our owner doesn’t give us food?,” said Dunkypunky to the chickens.

“But first we have to make a plan,” said the chickens.

They were planning how to get out of the farm. The owner is mean and doesn’t give them food and gives them old hay that is like a month old. The owner doesn’t like them so he doesn’t take care of them. Since he’s always in his house reading, they can open the door of the farm and lock the door of the house so he can’t get out.

They ran to the bay and got on a boat without the owner. But they were kind of in trouble because they didn’t have the keys to make the engine start. But since the donkey was so smart, the donkey was looking at all the buttons and found the one that said start. He put his hoof on it and it started. Five chickens were on one side of the wheel and five chickens were on the other side. When Dunkypunky wanted to go to the left, the five chickens went to the left and when Dunkypunky wanted to go right the other five chickens moved to the right.

The owner of the boat came out of his house, which was right in front. He didn’t see his boat, and instead he went on a motor boat that goes very fast. He saw the chickens and the donkey and the cow on his boat. So he called 911 and the police were in the water surrounding them.

Since the boat they were in was hard to stop they crashed into the police boat and kept going and the police boat sank. They were going deep into the ocean where there were sharks and they met with a great white shark but he was good. “I will lead lead the way to Greece,” said the shark. He led the way for them to get out of Croatia.

One day they got to Greece and they got out of the boat and they saw a cruise that was about to go. They jumped on without anybody seeing and they found an empty room in the basement and they stayed there. Five days later, the cruise went to Spain and they went to bullfight. The bull was their friend. He said, “If they kill me, I will not see you. If I don’t I will still not see you.”

Luckily, the bull didn’t get killed and they saved his life since he was such a good bull. In bull fights when the bull is very good they let them go in the wild. The bull went to the forest and got lost from the animals. Then the animals went to the airport. From Spain they took a plane to New York City. They got out and the owner of the farm was there in New York in the airplane. When they was getting their bags he turned around and saw the animals. When the animals were running out of the airport, they took a taxi to Brooklyn. The owner of the farm’s friend who didn’t know they were the farm’s animals kept them as pets. But they didn’t know that the farmer was going there.

The farmer went and said, “You have a chicken, a cow, and a donkey for pets.” An hour later he noticed that they were his animals and the animals jumped out the window. And the owner started to chase them.

When they were running in the street, they saw a homeless dog and said, “Do you want to help us run away from our owner?”

The dog said, “Yes.”

So they went to the pet store to rob the food from the pet store and the alarm went off. So the police in the pet store were chasing the animals and the animals didn’t know what to do. Police were surrounding them so the police trapped them and put them into a cage and took them to the pet orphanage. But then since the donkey was so smart he asked the cow to kick the door open and the cow did kick the door open. But then the police saw them and they were surrounded. The chickens went to the police and crashed into them. The police fell. The dog bit their hands and they ran out. They went to the same airport and met a new friend that was a cat was on a leash so the cat bit the leash off and robbed the tickets off her owner. There were enough for the ten chickens, the one dog, the cow, and the donkey, and for the cat. And then the plane they had business class tickets and then the TV they were watching the news. They were on there. So they saw that and it was very dangerous because in every single place in the world there were police looking for them except in Antarctica.

So their plane took them to Africa and they took a train to South Africa and from South Africa took a plane to Antarctica. In Antarctica they met another friend that was a polar bear. That polar bear pretend he was good but he was actually a police polar bear. He said, “Come, I’ll take you to where my friends are.” In the water they were on the polar bear’s back and the polar bear took them to South Africa. In South Africa there were police that trapped them and put them in the jail where El Chapo was. El Chapo was a new friend for them, so they helped El Chapo go out, and El Chapo helped them to go so they were a new team.

When they got out the police, were looking at their cage and the police saw they were not there. They saw a little hole that was tunnel and there was a car in that hole. They took that car all the way to Egypt and from Egypt they took a plane all the way to England and then England they went to the London Tower.

And they got the queen’s crown and then the alarm went on and the police chased them everywhere so they went to the airport and they went to New York in New York. They went to the NASA but they had to pass security, so the chickens bit the police and Dunkypunky kicked the police and got the biggest space shuttle and took them to a planet that doesn’t exist and that was called Zombie Prigg and they made zombies that were eating people’s brains.

They were in trouble because the queen zombie didn’t like human brains but they liked animal brains so the zombie started chasing them. So the space shuttle went to another planet called Jupiter and there they were safe. Before leaving they took the queen’s crown. They said goodbye to El Chapo and El Chapo stayed there. They went to Mars and there they started to build a base that nobody knows about right in the middle. Nobody saw it. It was invisible, and only they could see it.

They went to Earth with the space shuttle and then they bought an alarm and a lot of metal. So they went back to Mars with the space shuttle and they put an alarm and they made a force field made out of metal. So they got the queen zombie and contacted her by blue tooth and said, “If you protect our space we will give you our brains.” But then they went to planet Jupiter and told El Chapo, “Come and look what we made for us.”

They went back in the space shuttle and they showed him the base and since it was invisible, they pressed the button that made it visible. He saw it was like a castle.

The animals said, “We can work together to make the police stop chasing us. We could give you the queen’s crown and you could live in this place.”

They went back to planet Earth and the animals made a deal with their owner, “If you treat us nicely and give us food, we will stop running away from you.”

The owner said, “Okay,” then gave them food.

They had a lot of food and in the space shuttle they put all the food. When it was nighttime they went back to Mars and gave them the queen’s crown. El Chapo was living in their base.

And El Chapo said, “The animals are dead. Tell the police to stop wasting their time chasing them.” But they actually went back to Zombie Prigg with the queen zombie and they were the most important animals there because they gave the queen other animals so the queen could eat those brains. So they had a gigantic base like a castle made out of gold and diamonds.

“And if they help the queen to make another planet like a storage for brains,” the queen said, “We will let you live in our castle.”

They helped her to make the storage planet and it was bigger than the sun. But there was still one brain that couldn’t fit but since there was no gravity it just stayed there floating and the next day the queen ate it for breakfast. Then that day at night, NASA sent a space shuttle to discover this new planet called Zombie Prigg and they brought two police and saw the animals weren’t dead. So the police started chasing again. Then the animals went on the space shuttle that NASA brought to Mars and they said to El Chapo, “Can we stay in your base till the police go out of Zombie Prigg?”

He said no because he already saved them once. The spaceship that the animals robbed from NASA. NASA people and the police went on another NASA space shuttle to Mars and saw the animals and put them to work for the president, Donald Trump. Since he treated them so bad like their own older, they called El Chapo to say, “Can you help us take his brain out and give it to the queen of Zombie Prigg?” And he did help them.

They didn’t have a space shuttle to go to Zombie Prigg with his brain so they built their own space shuttle that could only work for five months and then it runs out of battery. But Zombie Prigg was five months and a day away so they asked El Chapo if he could rob them five tons of gasoline, and he did so they could get to Zombie Prigg. So they got on their space shuttle and went to Zombie Prigg and gave Donald Trump’s brain to the queen zombie and she ate it!

Since Donald Trump didn’t have a brain, he turned into a zombie, so Hillary Clinton became the new president. Since she was so powerful she conquered the whole world and she gave ten thousand billions of dollars to the animals and with that, they paid the police to stop chasing them.

Then the animals told the owner, “if you treat us nicely, we will really stop running away from you.”

“Can you guys talk?” said the owner.

“Yes we can talk,” said the animals.

“Okay but I’m sorry I didn’t give you food because I didn’t have enough money to give you food. But now the police gave me five hundred billion dollars so now I can feed you,” said the owner.

The owner did give them food and they lived with the owner in the farm. Now the owner  let them be free in the backyard and they had a lot of food and lived and had parties every day with piñatas.

“Hey, I can break the piñata with my feet, look!” said Dunkypunky.

Kaboommm!!!

“Hey, I can get the candy,” said the cow.

Then the chickens said, “I can pin the tail on the on the donkey.” They got it. They did pin the tail on the donkey.

“The reason we are celebrating is because we are back home,” said Dunkypunky.

Marigold and Luki-luki

Once, a princess named Marigold ran into a forest. This was a B-I-G mistake because Luki-luki the Dragon lived there. The dragon came out of his cave once a week and the day that he came out was the day that Marigold ran into the forest. Marigold was picking flowers right outside the dragon’s cave when he came out. The first thing Luki-luki saw was a small 16-year-old girl with a dress on. A pink dress on. Her glass heels looked like the most uncomfortable thing he had ever seen.

“What’s with those weird shoes?” asked Luki-luki.

“My mom says I should be daintier,” said Marigold without turning around, “because I’m almost seventeen.” Finally, she looked up from her flowers. “What are you?” Marigold screamed after she turned around. The flowers dropped from her hand.

Luki-luki said,“Drag-on I ham.”

“I don’t like dragons,” Marigold said, her voice quavering.

“Shhh,” said Luki-luki.

But Marigold ran away instead of answering. She ran all the way out of the forest and back to her castle, just over a bridge. She told the guards to get their swords ready because there was a dragon chasing her!! The guards did as they were told. When Luki-luki came, they saw him: 13 feet tall, green-scaled, and slimy. They were disgusted.

“Ew!!” one guard said.

“I didn’t come for this,” another said.

“Uhhh, guys?” the last said. “Where’d he go? ” Luki-luki was flying right over there heads.

“Poop alert!!” the last guard said as a round purple-spotted and blue squishy thing fell on their heads.

“Ewww!!!” the guards said… but Luki-luki was already gone.

“We must warn the princess.”

Meanwhile, in the hall…

“I told you, Mom, I dropped them,” Marigold said. “I did pick them!”

“Sweetie,” the queen said, “did Cinderella drop her flowers?”

The queen was C-R-A-Z-Y about flowers. Her dresses were either made out of flowers (which she actually despised) or had flowers on them.

“Cinderella didn’t even pick flowers!!”

“How do you know?”

“Because she’s my best friend!”

“Has she ever been in a garden?”

“No. And besides, I see you drop your flowers all the time!!”

“GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!” the queen yelled. As she did, the castle walls echoed and Marigold’s eyes started watering. Not because of the queen’s words, but because of the loudness. As the princess walked up to her room, she saw her mom walking daintily but sophisticatedly away.

Luki-luki was flying over the castle looking for Marigold. He was so lonely in his cave and he missed his friend, Luna. But Luna had moved far, far away. Luna was another dragon, who happened to hate where she lived.

Luki-luki and Luna had thought they would marry each other. Apparently, they were wrong. Luki-luki shook his head. He needed to focus on his plan.

  1. Get into castle (He really was sorry about the ‘poop’ incident. He just hadn’t done Number Two in a while.) Check.
  2. Find Marigold.
  3. Give back flowers.
  4. Convince.
  5. Have friend.

“Find princess,” Luki-luki whispered to himself.

There were ten floors and ten rooms on each floor. Luki-luki decided to look on the highest room on the highest floor. He found the Marigold sitting on a bed. He decided to go through the window.

CRACK!!!

Marigold  jumped, surprised, and turned around.

“You’re the dragon I saw earlier, aren’t you?” Marigold said.

“Drag-on I ham. I ‘ave flours,” (I have flowers) Luki-luki said while holding the flowers.

“Sorry I ran away earlier, I-I guess I just got scared.”

“Thank you,” Marigold said, “but I don’t need — ”

Knock, knock.

“Sweetie?”

“That’s my mom!” Marigold hissed. “Quick, hide.”

As you might think, how will a 13 foot dragon hide in a princess’s room? Well, he can’t. Luki-luki was sad to go, for he’d only gotten to step three, but it would have to do. He didn’t want to turn into a dragon burrito, like his parents had. They had written him a letter saying,       

We didn’t want to go, but we had to. Shelia and I, we left Luki-luki to live on his own. During our time, humans were our worst enemies, especially in daylight.

Boka-boka had turned burrito first, right in front of my eyes. The humans were all chanting, “Wrap, wrap, dip em’ in sour cream, 18 feet tall, scared of everything!”

We left you right outside a beautiful cave. Our taste of beautiful is dark, and murky, and buggy – everything a growing dragon needs. Well, almost – we had everything but a friend. We are sorry, Luki-luki. Really sorry.

Meanwhile, back at the castle…

“Honey,” the queen said as she came in, “I’m sorry about earlier.” Then, she saw the flowers. “You got me more flowers?”

“Uhh — yeah?”

FLAP, FLAP.

“Wait a second,” the queen said. “What’s that? And why’s your window broken?” The queen went over to Marigold’s window. “Is that a dragon?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“I am so —” she gasped, “jealous!!!”  

“Anna eyde?” (Wanna ride?) Luki-luki asked.

“Sure!”

Marigold, the queen, and Luki-luki lived happily ever after.

The Finals

Ding ding ding!!! I switched off my alarm clock, but then five minutes later, DING DING DING!!! Fine, I gave in, I rolled out of bed fell on the wooden floor of my tiny room. I got up and changed. I ate a banana and chose my shoes; soccer is all about shoes. I ran at top speed to the field my team was playing at. I took my hand and wiped the sweat off my forehead as the sun beat down on me. I drained down a bottle of water and joined my teammates in warming up.

“Bring it in, Bring it in,” yelled coach.

He gave us our positions.

“And Johnny” he said to me, “you’re striker.”

I nodded my head. The ref took the captains and did the coin toss. We got ball first!!! I took my position and waited for the ref to signal. I looked up, the stadium was huge, bright blue, and newly polished. l saw my family there, they were in the fifth row by midfield, perfect seats.  Once he blew the whistle. I rolled the ball so smoothly across to my teammate for the kick off. The ball glided across the grass as it slowly made its way to its destination. The ball reached my teammate, he passed it back to our midfielders so they wouldn’t steal the ball right away, a typical way of starting off a game. After that I pushed up to grab the space of the upper half of the field. The ball was sent to my feet. Once I had the ball it felt magical weaving past the defenders. I took a powerful shot at goal, but the goalie stretched out as far as he could and made a diving save. As soon as he got his hand on the ball I knew he was as great goalie. But luckily, the spin on the ball made it roll the other way out of bounds on them, it was a corner. Our right defender got the ball and got set for a corner. He put his hand up signaling that he was about to take it. The ball came soaring through the air right to me! I bumped the ball into the back of the net using my head. The crowd erupted, everyone was screaming, our team started celebrating, there was nothing better than being up early.

Beeep Beeep Beeep!! It was halftime, and we were up 1-0. We got water and went into a huddle with our coach.

“You guys have played a great game so far, great goal Johnny, but if we raised the intensity just a little bit we would be up 2-3 goals. This game is far from over, we have got to go out there and attack the net more aggressively.” We got back to our positions. As soon as they kicked off they made a mistake and we won the ball. Instead of playing back we pushed up forcing the other team to bring attackers back to defend. I didn’t want to just dribble and make the game boring, so I took a shot and the top right corner netting welcomed the ball to his home. 2-0. I leaped into the air with excitement and threw a fist into the air. The crowd was screaming in delight, for this was a home game for my team.

Though we scored the other team was quick to react. They quickly dribbled down the field and took their first shot of the game. It hit the post and went in the back of the net!! In a snap of a finger the crowd became silent. Everyone was astonished and no one dared to speak. After that our team tried to slow down the pace of the game. We were worried the other team would score again.

I looked up at the scoreboard: one minute!! Surely we can’t lose now, I thought. I looked up at the game, what the other team had a penalty!!! A penalty is a shot for the other team from a pace inside the penalty box and the defenders have to be behind the ball, this is a great opportunity for the other team to score!! If they miss this they will be ashamed of themselves. But they didn’t, it was tied and going to extra time.

At the start of extra time we got the ball first. My friend passed me the ball, I dribbled past two defenders. I passed my friend the ball, and he shot the ball. It went into the back netting! The ref blew his whistle, signalling that the goal didn’t count because my friend was offsides. When a person is offsides it means that they were in front of everyone and they got passed the ball. But my teammate clearly wasn’t offsides. I got really mad at the ref and ran over to him.

“That’s not fair,” I yelled at the ref. And the ref gave me a yellow card. A yellow card is a warning. If you get two yellow cards, you get sent out of the match. If you get a red card you get sent out of the match automatically. I didn’t want to argue more because then I would’ve got a red card.

The goalie kicked the ball far off to the other side of the field. Their striker controlled the ball and took a shot, and it went into the back of the net. It was 3-2 them, when it should have been 3-2 us. I was furious.

We were taking so many shots on goal but none went in! We were controlling the game. I kept telling myself that it was one goal but I knew that the clock was ticking, and I knew this was the championship match. We’d come all this way, we couldn’t lose now. Just then I had a flashback of last year when we lost lost, how devastated I was, it was such a disappointment, but what I remember most was the walk home. I was ashamed of myself too embarrassed to show my face to people.

Five minutes left, I thought to myself. I played my heart out. I looked up at the clock, time was running out. There were only seconds left in the match. I dribbled the ball and then tapped it through one of the defenders legs. It came out the other side. I ran and got the ball. I ran past another defender. I saw the clock. There were only five seconds left. I knew I had to take a rushed shot. I shot the ball right before the clock turned zero. The goalie deflected the ball, but not hard enough. It went into the back of the net! The game was going to penalties.

Our coach called us in. “Guys, that was a close one. We nearly lost two times in a row. But now we’re not going to lose it. We have to go out there and score every penalty. We have to make sure we don’t miss one. Because if we miss one we leave the door open for the other team to score and take the lead.”

The ref blew his whistle and he called the captains over to do the toss for who would take the penalty first. We won the toss again. And I chose to shoot first. It was our team’s penalty. It went into the back of the net. Great, I thought, but they scored as well. The penalties went on and I knew that if I scored we would win. I lined the ball up, I thought to myself, this is it, this is what I’ve been waiting for all my life, the opportunity to be the star of the team, the star of the league. I closed my eyes, the ref blew his whistle, I shot the ball right down the middle. The goalie anticipated that that ball would go to the right hand side of the net, where most of my shots went earlier. He dived to the right but my ball was down the middle. I love that sound the ball makes when it hits the netting, kind of like the sound a basketball makes when there’s a swoosh. And right there on point it happened again. The crowd roared I ran to the corner flag and jumped back facing the crown [the Ronaldo]. It was awesome for we had won the championship match for the first time!!!

 “And the 2016 junior soccer championship goes Arsenal,” as the presenter gave us the trophy. Everyone was so happy, I could hear my family, they were so proud of me, my coach was proud of me, my team was proud of me, but most of all, I was proud of me.

The Goblet of Doom

Four young siblings were sitting at the dinner table. The room was dark and gloomy. The dinner table was made out of dark wood. They were eating chicken and the adults were drinking wine. Lilly, the second oldest, noticed her goblet looked different than all the rest, but she didn’t know how to describe how it was different. Lilly was a small girl at the age of nine. She had long brown hair and small brown eyes. She was wearing a long silk dress.

She looked at her oldest brother, Liam. “My goblet looks different,” she whispered.

“Well, you just have a different goblet than the rest of us do,” he said. Liam was very stubborn and loved getting his way.

“What’s wrong?” Isadora asked. Isadora was eight and very adventurous. She loved mysteries and would do anything to solve them.

“Lilly has a different goblet.”

“What?” Mirembe asked. Mirembe was the youngest, just seven years old. She was small, skinny, and always alert.

“My goblet looks funny,” Lilly whispered. Their parents, Minerva and Arthur, looked at Lilly, concerned.   

 “What’s wrong?” their father asked.

“Oh, nothing,” said Lilly. “We were just talking about jousting.” Their father nodded.

“Let’s find out why this goblet is here,” Isadora said, smiling.  

That night, the four children were in the family library, trying to find books to read before bed. “Hey look,” said Liam. “I found a book that says ‘Goblet of Doom’ on the cover. It has a drawing of your goblet on it,” he said to Lilly.

“Let me read it,” Lilly said, yanking the book out of Liam’s hand.

She read, “The Goblet of Doom is a very peculiar-looking goblet, though it can’t truly be described. It can multiply two times, making three goblets. One of them will make you die, but the other two will just be normal goblets,” Lilly read. She looked at the back of the book. There was a message tied to it with a strand of thread.

Mirembe grabbed the message from Lilly and read: “If you have found one of the goblets, know that there are two more. Three people must participate in this challenge. Two goblets will give you special powers. One goblet will make you die. You’ve got to find the three goblets and each of you must choose one to drink. One goblet is in a church, one is in a tavern, and one we do not know.”

“Well, I guess mother and father didn’t just give you a different goblet,” said Isadora. “Let’s find out what really happened.”

“Well I found one of them and I didn’t die,” said Lilly. “I guess when I find the other two goblets, I will get a special power.”

“I don’t think it’s safe to try to find the other two,” said Mirembe.

“Of course we should try to find it,” said Liam. “I want special powers.” He ran to his room and began to pack his bag.     

“Stop! What will we do when our parents see that we’re missing?” Lilly said.

“It’s nighttime. They’ll think that we’re asleep,” said Liam.

“You guys can do whatever you want, but I won’t drink from one of those goblets.” said Mirembe.

“Are we going to get going or not?” Isadora asked.

“Yes,” said Liam. The three other kids followed their brother out the door.

“I think I’ll go back,” said Mirembe.

“Don’t you want a special power?” Liam asked Mirembe.

“Well, I guess.”

“Let’s go,” whispered Isadora.

“Hey, let’s try to find a goblet in the graveyard,” said Liam.

“No, of course we shouldn’t! That’s not one of the places in the book,” said Lilly.  

“One of them is in the tavern,” said Mirembe.

“Come on,” said Isadora. All of her siblings ran after her. They walked through the town marketplace to get to the tavern. It was dark and gloomy when they got there. There was one man sitting behind the counter with a little candle on a saucer. The man had a long beard and looked bored.

“Hello,” said Liam. “May we please have a drink of water?”

“Yes,” said the man very grumpily as he got up to get the drinks from the back of the tavern.

After the man left, Lilly asked Liam, “How’s that supposed to help us, unless one of us coincidentally gets a special goblet?”

“I don’t know,” said Liam. “But let’s try.” The four children sat at a table. They saw a knight drinking a cup of wine.The man came back with four goblets filled with water. He placed all four on the table. Each of the kids took a goblet. Liam looked at his.

“Hey, mine looks just like the one at home!” Liam said.

The man turned around. “What did you say? You’re not talking about stealing my goblet, are you?”

“No,” said Liam.

“I know you said something,“ said the man. He approached Liam and took a knife out of his pocket.

“Run!” screamed Lilly. Liam took the goblet and ran. Isadora jumped on top of the man.

“Go away!” she yelled.

“You’ve taken my goblet!” screamed the man, who continued to run after the children.

“C’mon! This looks like a safe place,” said Mirembe. They ran into a little shack. Liam slammed the door.

“That was close,” said Lilly. “Do you have the other goblet, Liam?” Liam took the first goblet that they found in the house out of his bag.

“We need to get going,” said Isadora. “We need to find the next goblet.” Mirembe slowly opened the door to make sure the man wasn’t still there.

“All clear,” Mirembe whispered. Liam went around Mirembe and began to run towards the old town church. His siblings followed him.

“Wait, why are you going to the church?” Lilly asked.

“Because, that was in the book too,” said Liam. They walked slowly, making sure the man was out of sight. Lilly walked in front. The wind started to blow. “I’m getting cold,” said Liam, and he began to shiver.

“Come on!” said Isadora as they approached the church. Lilly ran up to the door and opened it with a creak. Isadora jumped in front of Lilly and began to check the church for the last goblet. Mirembe followed up and began to search with Isadora. Liam looked upstairs as carefully as he could. The church was dusty and dark. It smelled like garbage. They found rare prayer books, old papers, and scrolls. But they couldn’t find a goblet.

Lilly sat down and leaned against the wall. She felt something weird behind her. She saw five bricks had moved and there was a tunnel that she could fit through. “Hey guys, look what I found!” Lilly screamed. All her siblings ran up to her and looked in the tunnel.

“I’ll go in first!” Isadora screamed. Isadora slowly slipped into the tunnel.

“I don’t think this is safe,” Mirembe whined.

“Oh, this is perfectly safe!” Liam said and slipped into the tunnel to follow Isadora.

“C’mon,” said Lilly, “this tunnel can’t be too dangerous.” She slipped into the tunnel and Mirembe followed behind her.

“I see light!” Isadora screamed.

“I can’t,” yelled Mirembe. “It’s pitch dark down here.”

Liam pushed Isadora aside and jumped into the light. He could see light above him. He couldn’t make out what was above him, it was just light.

“What do you see?” asked Lilly.

“Nothing,” said Liam, “it’s just light.”

“It can’t just be light!” screamed Isadora. Mirembe passed everyone in front of her and

jumped into the light. She disappeared.

“What happened to Mirembe?” Liam screamed in terror.

“I don’t know, but this can’t be good!” screamed Lilly, her voice echoing around the church. Isadora jumped into the light and she disappeared as well.

“Oh no! What are we going to do?” Isadora and Mirembe disappeared.

Suddenly they heard Mirembe’s voice scream, “I’m here. Jump into the light.”

“But how?” said Liam.

“Oh, c’mon,” said Lilly and she jumped into the light.

Liam stood there trembling. What was he going to do? He couldn’t just stand there. Maybe he should go back to mother and father and tell them. “No,” he said to himself and jumped into the light.

Liam felt cold, then everything went hot. The light started turning blue and green. He felt himself fall. Everything went black. When his vision came to, he saw Lilly staring at him. “Are you an angel?” Liam asked Lilly.

“No, of course not! I’m your sister.” Said Lilly. Lilly helped Liam up.

“Where are we?” said Liam.

“I don’t know!” said Lilly. “But this can’t be good.”Suddenly Isadora ran up to Liam.

“Finally, we’ve been waiting five minutes for you!”

“Sorry,” said Liam.

Mirembe ran up to them. “What are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know, but we got to do something.” said Liam. Lilly saw a small shiny piece of metal on the ground. She got closer. It was the goblet! She picked it up.

“Hey, look what I found!” Lilly screamed. Everyone else came over.

“Now all we need to do is drink from them,” said Liam. They walked back towards the light. Suddenly, they started spinning. Lilly squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them. She was in a big graveyard. Isadora and Mirembe were gone, but Liam was lying right next to her. Lilly was holding all three of the goblets.

“Where’s everyone else?” Liam yelled.

“I don’t know,” said Lily, “but we better drink it fast.”

“Why do we need to drink it now?” yelled Liam. “Why do we even have to drink it at all?”

“Because, don’t you want one of the special powers?” yelled Lilly.

“Well, one of us will die!” yelled Liam. It was just then that Mirembe and Isadora ran up to them.

“Hey! Where were you?” yelled Lilly.

“Well, where were you?” yelled Isadora.

“I don’t know but I don’t care. We need to drink from these things fast,” yelled Lilly.

“I saw a fountain over there,” said Mirembe. Lilly left and went to fill up the goblets with water. The fountain water was cold and dirty, but she filled it up anyway. Then she ran back with the goblet to where the others were sitting.

“I filled them up,” yelled Lilly.

“Wait a minute,” yelled Mirembe. “There are three goblets, and four of us. What should we do?”

“Well I guess one of us won’t have to risk dying, but won’t get a power either. Maybe only three of us should do it,” said Lilly.

“Well you three can do it, but I’m not,” said Mirembe.

“Well, I already drank,” said Lilly, “So I guess it’s Liam’s turn now.” Liam picked up the small goblet. Liam slowly drank the water. Once he had drank it all, he placed the goblet down on the ground.

Isadora picked up the next goblet. “If you guys didn’t die, then how am I gonna survive?”

“You can’t,” Liam said, “Just drink it already.”

“No!” said Lilly.

“Do you want the powers or not?” yelled Liam.

“Well… yes,” Lilly sighed.

“Well, in order for us to have the powers, someone needs to drink from the third goblet,” said Liam.

“Oh, fine, you can have the powers,” Isadora responded, and brought the goblet up to her lips. She was about to take a sip, when Mirembe jumped on top of her and pushed the goblet out of her hands.

Lilly caught the goblet in midair. Liam grabbed the goblet and started running towards the fountain. Isadora stood, surprised and wet. She blinked, and then she fell to the floor.

Mirembe screamed. “You didn’t drink it, how could you die?” she yelled.

“I don’t know!” yelled Lilly, as she tried to pick up Isadora. It was just then Liam was running back with the cup. Water came out of the sides of the cup as he started running towards them. Isadora shrieked.

“What’s happening?” Mirembe yelled, and leapt on top of Isadora. Lilly tried to pull Mirembe off of her.

Liam came over to them with the goblet. “Drink it!” he yelled.

Isadora pushed Liam backwards. Mirembe caught the goblet that still had water in it, and shoved it down Liam’s throat.

“No!” Lilly shrieked. Liam began to choke and he started looking pale. Isadora leapt to her feet. Isadora started charging at Liam but he pushed her back. Isadora looked at her brother and ran to the other side of the graveyard; she was terrified. Mirembe leapt on Liam and tried to strangle him.

“That’s what you get for trying to murder my sister!” yelled Mirembe.

“Leave him alone!” yelled Lilly, and pulled Mirembe off of him. But it was too late. Liam was already dead. Liam’s eyes creepily stared up at them.

“What do we do now?” said Isadora.

“Aren’t you supposed to get powers?” Mirembe said to Lilly.

Suddenly, Lilly felt a small tingling feeling, and felt kind of sore. Lilly’s eyes were forced shut. She opened them again. She had small pink wings, and she was hovering above the ground. She looked down, and Liam stood up. His eyes were staring creepily at them, and his skin had turned green.

“What happened to you?” Lilly shrieked.

“He probably has the power to come back to life!” yelled Isadora.

“He’s a zombie!!!” yelled Mirembe, and she lept onto Lilly’s foot, which was hovering above ground.

Liam pulled a knife out of his pocket.

“Where’d you get a knife from?” yelled Isadora. Liam didn’t seem to hear her. Liam didn’t seem to be charging after any of them. He was only staring straight at Mirembe.

Lilly jumped in front of him but Liam just walked around her and started charging for Mirembe again. Liam paid no attention to anyone around him — he just kept on walking towards Mirembe with the knife. Isadora jumped on Liam and pulled the knife out of his hand. She tossed the knife to Mirembe. Isadora jumped off of Liam. Liam started charging at Mirembe again. Mirembe charged after him at the same time! When she got close enough she threw the knife at Liam. The knife hit Liam straight in the head but he didn’t die. He kept walking at Mirembe with blood pouring out of his head.

Lilly flew toward Liam. Liam sprouted a small pair of wings and started flying at Lilly. Lilly emptied out her pocket and threw everything she had at Liam. Lilly found a small rock in her pocket. She threw it at Liam. One of Liam’s wings fell off and he started wiggling in the air. Liam started gliding to the ground, he started screaming. Mirembe found a small pile of rope on the ground. She tied one end into a small circle and lassoed it into the air. She closed her eyes and pulled on the rope, she had caught Liam in the rope. She pulled him to the ground. Mirembe wrapped Liam in the rope. Lilly glided towards the ground and looked at her near-dead brother. Lilly felt an urge of sadness as Liam closed his eyes for the last time. Lilly bent down next to Liam and then she realized something… Liam was dead. “Come on, let’s go home,” said Lilly gloomily. Mirembe and Isadora followed her home.

Lilly knocked on the door, and her mother answered. “Where’s Liam?”  she asked. Lilly looked at Isadora and Mirembe.

“He’s dead,” Lilly sighed.

“What do you mean?” her mother asked “are you playing some kind of game?” Lilly thought to herself what am I going to say?

“I killed him,” said Mirembe.

“What do you mean?” her mother hollered.

“I’ll show you what we mean,” said Mirembe.

Their mother followed them to the church where they had found the third goblet. “Where’s the light?” said Lilly, searching around. Nobody could find the light.

“Will you tell me where Liam is or not?” their mother asked.

“We told you, he’s dead,” said Isadora and Mirembe at the same time. Their mother stayed silent. The three children ran from the church, leaving their mother behind.

“What are we gonna do?” Lilly asked her siblings.

“I don’t know!” Mirembe cried.

“Well, what kind of graveyard did you remember teleporting us to?” asked Lilly.

“I don’t know, it looked like the graveyard next to the church in the town next to us,” said Mirembe. Lilly got her mother and brought her to where her siblings were standing. Their mother followed them to the graveyard. They searched around for Liam’s dead body, but they finally found it. All of them wished they had never found it and had searched forever. Their mother stared at the corpse in disbelief. Liam’s eyes were wide open, staring up at her creepily. Their mother started to shriek. Mirembe looked at her brother. Why had she killed him? Why did she have to be so mean? Then, Lilly could only think of one thing to do. She ran. Lilly ran and ran and then took off into the air. Her mother was trying to chase her down below.

Lilly flew too fast to think. The tops of the trees scratched her as she flew by. She didn’t care. She would fly and run until nobody could find her.

She finally landed. It wasn’t until then she realized that Isadora had been hanging on to her foot when she was flying.

“What are you doing here?” Lilly asked her.

“I didn’t know what to do! I had to come with you. I left Mirembe back with mother.”

“Well, what are we gonna do now? We’re lost in the middle of the woods!” said Lilly.

“We’ll build a shelter, of course,” said Isadora.

“What? What do you mean? How?” Lilly exclaimed.

“You just watch, said Isadora. She began to collect logs and push them over to where they were sitting. Lilly began to help Isadora push the logs. Together, they began to pile them up until they had made a small shack.

“We need to make sure it’s stabilized, we need to tie the logs together with vine,” said Isadora. She began to collect vines. Lilly helped.

They tied the vines together to make them stronger and then used them to tie the logs. Lilly and Isadora looked at their creation.

“Pretty good,” said Isadora to Lilly.

“Now let’s find food,” said Lilly, and she began to fly and search the area for fruits. Lilly came back with a stack of coconuts, apples, and mangoes. They began to eat and dump the rest into their small shack. They collected pine needles to make beds. Days passed and their lives were well.

“I don’t care what happened to Mirembe or anyone else, but I think we should stay here,” said Isadora. And they did.

One day, Lilly was sitting outside the shack, sewing together animal furs to make clothes, when an old man approached her. The man was wearing a black cape and walking with a cane. The man approached her holding a knife. Lily screamed and shut her eyes, suddenly she started spinning. Around her she saw flashes of Liam screaming or when they were finding one of the goblets. The memories flashed as she spun. Then everything went black. She was still screaming.

She opened her eyes. She sat up in bed. She was in bed in her bedroom. Isadora was sleeping in her bed on the other side of the room like she normally was. She looked at the clock. It was two in the morning.

“Liam! Liam!” was the only thing Lilly could think of.

She jumped out of bed. Then she realized she was still in her nightdress, the one that she had back at home. She ran across the hall to Liam’s room and opened the door silently.

Liam was sleeping in his bed breathing normally. Then Lilly realized something.

It was a dream, all a wonderful, adventurous dream.

THE END

W.P.A. Boot Camp

Ah, another day waking up in my igloo. For some reason my clan hasn’t gone full tech, but it’s kinda nice without a screen every five inches.

“Paws!” That’s my dad calling me for a hunting mission.

Oh well, I think… better grab my spear.

A few hours later, I’m dragging a ton of fish to my clan. My dad will be so proud!

Wait a minute, what’s that smell…? Smoke, fire! My clan! The fish can wait. As I clamber over the hill, the smell of fire increases, and, as I look down on my clan, I see cats setting fire to everything and killing any arctic fox they see. That’s when my brain goes into shock and I faint. It’s like I’m dreaming but I can still hear things around me.

“An arctic fox,” says a voice, “He’s the last one,” says another. “Let’s bring him in.”

I wake up in a hospital bed with my head throbbing, and as hold my head I feel something strange behind my ear. Suddenly, a voice says, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” When I look up I see a grey and black cat.

The next thing I know, I have the cat in a headlock. “What have you done to my family!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

“I don’t know,” says the cat. All of a sudden, his suit lights up with green electricity and I fly back. “And I’ll have you know that not all cats are bad, and my name is Scout,” he says. “And, the thing behind your ear –– it’s the one thing keeping you from going bonkers. Anyway, I’ll see you in the training room.”

“Wait, what?” I call after Scout, but he does not answer.

I eventually find my way to the training room. There is a polar bear, another cat, Scout, and an owl. I look up and there are three owls in a window. The polar bear is the only other animal that looks as confused as I do. I am about to walk up to him, but then Scout sees me and signals to the owls to start the training. That’s when I notice that all the other animals have similar devices to the one behind my ear, but they are all different colors.

Weird, I think. I don’t think it matters, but hey, you never know. That’s when training begins, and a voice on the loudspeakers says, “Press your Winged Paw.”

“Wait, what?” I say for the second time today.

“The thing behind your ear,” explained Scout. His Winged Paw is in his chest, and it formed the green chestplate like the one he had in the hospital room.

So, I press mine, and a visor goes over my right eye and a blue tube goes down my back, the latter forming into a backpack of sorts. Then, two tubes of blue energy go down my arms and form bracelets, each emitting two prongs of electricity. That’s when I notice that everyone’s suit is different. Full body armor with white plasma tipped parts for the owl. Chestplate and helmet with pink plasma tipped swords and pistols with pink plasma bullets for the other cat. Chestplate filled with green electricity and nanobots that can form into katanas and plasma rifle for Scout. A visor that completely covers his eyes and an orange electricity chestplate with earthquake gloves for the polar bear.

If this is a team against the cats, then defeating them will be easy, I think.

Soon, I learn that the other cat’s name is Gothy, the polar bear’s name is Polar, and the owl’s name is Snowy. Scout explains what’s going on to Polar and me (we are apparently the new guys).

“This organization is called the Winged Paw Alliance, and was formed to defend against the Cat Empire. The thing behind your ear was made by Snowy the owl, our technician and hacker. Gothy is our assassin, Paws is our demolition expert, Polar is our tank, and I’m your comman––”

“Wait, wait… what? Demolition expert?” I stammer.

“Yes,” responds Scout, “and your backpack is full of explosives.”

I pull one out and chuck it, and Gothy nimbly does a front flip and catches it. “Those are sticky bombs, not grenades,” says Snowy.

“Sweet, better to stick to my enemies,” I respond.

“I like this kid,” says Gothy through her helmet, which has roboticized her voice

“Gah, I give up,” responds Snowy.

“Stop messing around, guys! We have a lot to cover –– keep in mind that we are still outnumbered by a thousand to one. So, let’s get started,” says Scout,

“Wait, what?” responds Polar, “You’re sending us on what’s basically a suicide mission and on something I didn’t even sign up for!”

“But, Polar, we need you!” responds Scout.

“Yeah, Polar –– I too was brought here against my will, but these guys are fighting for what’s right,” I say, agreeing with Scout.

”I don’t care!” screams Polar. “I didn’t sign up for this war, so I don’t intend on fighting in it!” before storming off. I try to comfort him, but Scout holds me back and slowly shakes his head. I look back at him but he’s out of sight.

I’m starting to get used to this new gear, even if it’s taken two days… But hey, that’s what happens when you’ve lived in a no-tech environment for your entire life! It helps to incorporate my clan’s form of martial arts because it gets the moves flowing together. But, I miss Polar. I know I wasn’t really friends with him, but it feels weird without the giant white furry mass in the room.

I am practicing a backflip and electricity strategies to evade shots when Scout finally breaks it to me: “Um, Paws?” Scout asks, his voice wavering.

“Yes?” I respond.

“Well, you know that in your clan, there were no survivors?”

“I already put that through my head,” I say.

“That was the last arctic fox clan,” he tells me, and I look at him, surprised. He continues, “You’re the last arctic fox in the world, Paws.”

“No, it can’t be true!” I yell.

“Paws…” he says, trying to comfort me.

“I need someti–time alone… “ I mutter.

I reflect upon my fate in my room. I want to avenge my clan, but then I remember that it’s much bigger than that: my clan is gone and there’s nothing I can do. But, here, I’ve made new friends. I can’t sit here forever wishing my family were alive; I have to look at what I have now. I know that revenge won’t bring my family back. Revenge won’t bring my clan back. Revenge won’t bring any arctic foxes back. But, I will fight in this war, and not for the sake of revenge –– I will fight for the sake of all the animals that will die if don’t fight in this war.

“Cat Empire?” I say to myself. “Hit me with your best shot.”

To be continued…

Last Resort: Antarctica

Chapter 1: How This Day Works

There I was. On the ice raft with Uncle Lee, Aunt Monica, and Jackie and Will, (my cousins). My parents died when I was still an egg. Soon afterward, my aunt and uncle came and saved me before I got too cold and died. Yeah, that’s my life. I never met my parents and never hoped to see them soon. I was shy but full of courage. So, back to  my “family” and me.

The hot day was making my family boil up. They bathed by the shore, flipping and twisting in the icy water, but not me. I did not like to swim. I stood in the hot air, waiting and watching what was around me. All the other penguins were having fun and playing in the water while bathing.

I have never really been like all of the other penguins my age. I never seem to be satisfied with what I do. But I really like that about myself. I think if my parents were alive they would be proud to call me their penguin. My name is Mia Ottiline (but you can call me Otti or Mia for short) and I live in Antarctica. I don’t have much of a family, as I mentioned, but I do have a best friend and his name is Kevin. We have been friends since we were eggs, or at least that’s what his parents have always told me. We are inseparable. He doesn’t mind that I don’t like to swim because he doesn’t like to swim either.

However, one day Kevin and I wanted to take a dip in the water, but we knew if the other penguins saw us they would make a scene. It was Kevin’s idea to swim at night. Kevin has always been the bold one. He even looks different from the rest of us. He’s got polka dots on his white tummy, which he says are for good luck. And it has to be true, because he’s the smartest penguin in our grade. One day, when my instructor told me that I got a question wrong, I fumed inside. On the outside, however, I looked cheerful and happy. Kevin quietly turned to me and explained the answer and why it was so. I wrote it down.

Back to that life-changing day. I still felt hot so I was running back to the fish hunter lake when I heard a sound like a dying penguin. I was terrified, so I ran to the frozen river bank. But then I realized it wasn’t fair. I could never run away from my family, who had done so much for me. So I turned around and felt my mind boggle. A big structure was steaming in the water. Animals were standing on top holding big chunks of black ice, and surprisingly they were all the same size. Little pellet-like objects were being released out of them, striking the penguins. Honestly, it seemed kind of stupid. I ran back to my clan to see a sight I never could have imagined that I would see. Penguins, even the bravest of them, were scurrying all around. Did they know something I didn’t? Then I saw it. The blood as red as, well… blood. My heart was pounding. There were seals, sharks or even, wait — that was Kevin.

Chapter: 2 The Last

I was surprised. I never knew Kevin to kill a seal. Honestly, at first I thought the blood was his own. Even if it was a baby, that still was an accomplishment. That would make a good dinner for the clan. But then they ran away. The blood was spreading like water on the hard frozen ice. Some dove into the water while some were heading toward me. I felt a little scared. The animals started moving off the structure. They were jumping off of it, some of them not even surfacing. I was scared because some of the penguins were dropping dead. I mean, really scared. Aunt Monica was down and Will was too. There they were, over half of my family, my inspiration, gone. I had to waddle. Cliffs and cliffs. I was so confused until then… it hit me. I remember now. A twig sketch in class clearly  described this situation. Men. Yes that’s what they’re called. On, oh, a boat. With — wait — guns. The killers of us. They wanted us. They were willing to… Ahhh. That was a horrible sound. I turned around to the boat. It crashed into the ice raft, killing all of the water bound penguins. There are hardly  any left between the boat crash and and the shooting, but I know some have escaped. I also remember from the lesson where to go. The ugly penguin.

Chapter 3: Memories

Uncle Lee found me first. I was only two weeks old. He ran up to my nest. He is my mom’s brother. He wrapped his strong, loose wing around me. The icy wind was blowing against my bumpy shell and his slick wet fins. He just held me and gave me a sense of warmth. “Please don’t worry. We’ll take care of you. I’ll bring you back to your big cousin Jackie.”

The night grew dark, and I hatched too early. My body felt cooler than being frozen in ice. I looked up at my uncle. He ran me to the water and try to show me how to swim. Aunt Monica was back making a nest, preparing for Will. After my swimming lesson, he tried to throw me in the water. I was too small to refuse, so I gave in. I never came back up until my uncle dove in and saved me. He knew I wasn’t ready but he didn’t know I had no interest at all.

In a way, I was shunned by my community. They blamed my parents’ deaths on me. They said my parents never wanted children and they abandoned me for that reason. I was the unwanted child of one of the most important people in the community. When I was one, my cousin Will hatched. His body was big and powerful, yet his head was small and simple. He was too different from me. As soon as his father threw him in the water, his dives were so elegant, yet powerful. He went on to become the most well known adolescent swimmer in all of the ice raft.

Jackie is somewhat like me. She isn’t the most powerful swimmer in the flock. But she has a hook for the boys. That’s why she’s allowed to be the pretty one on the sideline. Uncle Lee said she must get married soon, the day before the attack, for she’s going to be nearly eighteen. But now, that can never happen, at least not now.

Now me. Who was I? Who am I? I’m the orphan penguin that no one would ever dare to talk to. No one will tell me about my cadaverous parents whom I never met. I can only assume that they died hunting, but how would I know if no one would ever tell me? Legend has it that they disappeared like melting ice. Wow, that’s helpful. Sorry, sometimes I lose my temper. Well, years later, here I am.

Chapter 4: Making Memories

Here I am, by the frozen river bank. I dive into the deep line and through the hole to the safety under the frozen ice. I scurry around some more to find my part of the den until I reach it — a map I drew of the ice raft when I was seven, on my journey with Will and Uncle Lee when we went on an exploration of the entire thing. That’s one thing I like about the boys in my family. They don’t mind taking me on all of their boyish trips. I know my way around but it can still be very dangerous. Suddenly, I hear men’s voices.

“Hey, boys. Look at this. Looks some little ice friend of ours calls this miniature canyon home. It ain’t nothing like the Grand Canyon back at home, is it boys? Why, just look at that little hole. Looks penguin-sized, don’ it? Any of you fit through there? Hey Luke. You’re slim, ain’t ya?”

“Sir, I’m only your personal servant. I don’t have the skill to do any of the dirty work. I’m only fourteen.”

My heart is pounding so loudly, I am surprised that they can’t hear me through the ice.

“Get down there, boy. It’s an order.”

So then I hear him jump into the “canyon” with a thump. He reaches inside the hole. I place myself against the wall. I know I am never going to make it to the ugly penguin. I try to burrow myself into a hole, but the ice is rock solid. This is the end.

“Nothing in here, boss.”

“How do you know when you wiggle your finger around like a little princess? Now, tell me.”

“Sorry sir. I’ll go in.”

I think that I am safe. But of course I’m not. He comes in feet first, which I guess is better. Next his body. Then his arms. Then his head. I am peeking around the corner from my room. He crawls around. Then he sees the tiny opening to my room that he could never possibly fit through. He turns his head into the hole and notices me. I just close my eyes and wait for the blow.

“Awww. I can’t kill you, little thing. Wait ten minutes after I leave to go.”

I felt like crying. This young boy just saved my life! He crawls out and yelled:

“Nothing, Boss, and that’s final.”

“If you say so. Let’s go.”

I hear their feet clamber away. I look at the map one last time to create the perfect mental picture. I’m not good at drawing so here’s what it looked like:

Shore=flat plains=thin ice=hills=the climb

I packed some food and began.

Chapter 5: Journey

I’m on the flat plains close to the thin ice but close to the edge/wall of the ice raft. I feel the earth turning colder and colder on me. The sun’s setting and the worlds in the sky come out. I have to find shelter. My back is aching. I am freezing. This bright sunny day has turned into a harsh unforgiving night. I know I have to still believe in myself and keep going. I have a quick feeling overcome me that I know I am going to be the hero. I am going to win this time. All my life I have lost and lost. I can’t bear to fail again.

As soon as I find some cave in the wall, I’ll eat and go to sleep. That’s what I think, at least. There’s a giant hole in the wall that I am approaching. When I reach it, Jackie and Kevin are in there talking!

“You guys! I missed you! Thank you for making it out alive!”

And before they can answer I run up to them and hug them. I don’t remember much after that, but that sure was a good night.

Chapter 6: Finally

Can I get things straight here? Because I don’t think I’ve been very clear on the ugly penguin. He’s a penguin. And a very ugly one. He smells like old fish and his hair bristles are all knotted. He doesn’t believe in royalty or fineries. Everyone thinks that he’s the wisest penguin of all time, but of course he doesn’t believe that. He’ll help you in any situation and tell you what to do. I feel amazed to talk about him now and I feel a sense of confidence.

I really feel that way when I wake up this morning on top of the ice raft with the wind blowing on my face. Jackie is to my left and Kevin is to my right, and in front of me, with his subtle grin, is the ugly penguin, and he speaks to me.

“Hello, my precious daughter.”

El Fin

Lavanasium

Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a planet called Lavanasium. It was a horrible place, and it only had volcanoes. Everything was sad. There was no light anywhere. No kids were playing. It wasn’t a nice planet. Everyone in this planet wanted to do something to make this change but they didn’t know how. In this planet there was a little house made of metal. In that house there lived a Mom named Eliza, a Dad named Mark, and a really special girl named Elizabeth.

It was a peaceful dark night as usual. Eliza was playing checkers with Mark. Elizabeth was reading a book. Then, all of a sudden, a green weirdo with a cane, green eyes, no hair, and a cape just came barging in without any invitation.

He said, “I am the greatest villain of all time. If you don’t obey me you will have to fear me for the rest of your life. No matter how small I am, I can do big things,” said the green weirdo.

Elizabeth said, “Are you sure?!”

“Definitely sure,” the green weirdo said.

Then when the green weirdo didn’t even notice Eliza and Mark were standing and doing this really weird spell. It sounded like they were speaking Chinese. They had to twirl stuff with their arms together. This spell turned the green weirdo into a little green man about 5 centimeters tall.

Everyone was huddling around him and he said, “what are you, giants?”

The whole family just said, “actually, you shrunk.”

The green weirdo said, “you shrunk me?”

“Of Course. After you said that you you were evil, we had a feeling that you were here to kill us.” The family replied.

“I wasn’t going to kill you, but now I am,” the green weirdo said.

“Are you sure that you can kill us when you are that size?” The whole family asked.

“Of course I can. Muahaha! But, you will see that I will get revenge very soon! Even still today!” the green weirdo said.

My Mom and Dad were very scared. They said that we will have to be very alerted just in case he did come back. I was scared. Why did my parents even do the spell? He wasn’t even going to kill us. But, now he is because of that spell, that spell that ruined everything.

We were all calm until the door opened. We didn’t see who it was. It just opened. My whole family paused, then I looked back at my parents. They weren’t there just when I saw him, that green weirdo. That’s when everything changed. He had my Mom and Dad trapped in his car. He stayed with me and talked and talked.

I didn’t even pay attention until I heard the word volcano.

That’s when I said, “Wait what did you just say?”

Then he said, “You weren’t listening, were you.”

“No I wasn’t,” I said.

“Okay. I will tell you again. As I was saying, my minions are with your parents in my car bringing them to the biggest volcano in the entire world. It is going to explode in approximately ten days.” The green weirdo said.

“Why would you do this to my parents what did they ever do to you?” I said.

“Well, they did turn me into this little man. I can never turn back to normal. So, I am going to be a green little 5 centimeter guy forever,” he said.

“That’s only because you said that no matter how little you are, you can always do big things.” I said.

 Chapter 2

The green weirdo left. Now, what am I going to do, I thought, I’ve got to get my parents back, but I don’t know how. I don’t even know where the biggest volcano was and which one was about to explode.

I saw the car driving away with my parents and the green minions waved back at me while laughing. I felt frightened and hopeless.

Out of desperation, I ran after my parents hoping that the car would stop. My mind was focused and I ran so hard, I broke a sweat. Suddenly, the car stopped. I was confused and worried that the minions saw me running and planned to hop out of the car to hurt me. In the car, much to my disbelief, I heard the minions confused also.

I said, “What just happened, some sort of magic?”

Then, my parents hopped out of the car and look surprised.

They said, “We never thought it was true, Elizabeth! But, we have passed our powers onto you!”

I said, “I can’t believe it, I actually have powers! My wish came true!”

My parents replied, “You have telekinesis, honey!”

I was confused and asked, “What’s telekinesis?”

“It’s the power that if you concentrate, and you think about moving things, they move wherever you want them to. Basically, what you just did,” they said.

Suddenly, the minions put a spell on my parents that made them do whatever they wanted. The minions made them get back in the car.

I suddenly felt scared and nervous of the journey ahead. I suddenly knew what I had to do.

Chapter 3

I chased after the car. I realized I was running super fast, faster than I’d ever gone before. I was running so fast that I didn’t notice a tree right in front of me, so ran right through it. I got goosebumps and felt a little funny. I had no idea what just happened. I stopped in my tracks and tried walking into the tree again. I had another power, but I didn’t quite know how to explain it.

Well, after the morning I had, anything was possible. It was clear to me now that I had super speed and invisibility powers. I knew that I could use my invisibility powers AND my super speed powers to save Mom and Dad. I felt empowered with these new discoveries.

I didn’t know exactly where this volcano was, so I followed the car wherever it went. I realized I was surrounded by a lot of trees on an isolated highway. I kept running. Suddenly I saw a small shape that looked like a volcano. We were getting close! I heard the volcano bubbling. I kept on running. Each step of the way brought me closer and closer. I saw smoke coming out of the volcano because of the heat of the lava. I was getting scared and just wanted to see my parents and know that they were okay.

The volcano was very close, and there was only one bridge to cross before we got there. But, there was one thing I was scared of, just one thing: heights. I remembered all the good times we had together and I was not going to let them down because I was scared of crossing a bridge. So, I powered through my big fear and walked across the bridge even though I was afraid.

Once we got to the volcano, the minions found a secret entrance. They did not know that I had invisibility powers to walk through solid objects, so I slipped in right with them. My parents were tied up with rope and had duct tape on their mouths. Suddenly, I saw a button. A red button. I wondered what that button did.

Then, I heard the minions talking about the button. “If you press the button, the whole world will change and there will be no more volcanoes and everything will be beautiful. There will be day and night again. We can’t let that happen. Thankfully, there is a code that needs to be entered in order to press the button which nobody knows: 5223,” the minions said.

After I heard that, I had a tinkle in my nose. And all of a sudden, I sneezed and everything went quiet.

Chapter 4

“What was that? Who’s there? Come out at once!” said one of the minions.

I didn’t say anything. I had goose bumps. This was impossible. I had to show myself. I realized that my parents didn’t know that I had these powers. But, they did know that I sneezed, so they they knew that I had the power to become invisible.

Well, I knew that I had to show myself. When I did, everyone gasped. Thankfully, the green weirdo wasn’t here.

The minions said, “He is not here yet, but he will be here when he finds out that you are here and want to save your parents.”

I begged, “Please don’t tell him!”

But it was too late. They had already called him.

He came and said, “I knew you would come. There is one thing that is very important in this cave that button! If you press it, there will be no more volcanoes. But, you don’t know the code to open the lid. So, ha!”

I headed to the red button while he was he was saying this. I entered the passcode and he didn’t even notice because his eyes were closed.

I put the passcode in, opened the lid, and pressed the button. I closed my eyes because I was scared of what was going to happen. Then, I opened my eyes. The Green Weirdo suddenly disappeared. Nobody knew where he was. There were no more volcanoes. We were standing on grass and it was daytime. There was light, there was happiness, and it was all beautiful.

I went directly to my parents and untied them and took the duck tape off of there mouths. We hugged each other for 30 seconds.. We went back home and everyone was playing and having fun in their front yards. It was a great sight to see after years of misery.

Gummy Wars

Chapter 1

Plot

Once upon a time, in a very magical universe, a war was started in Gummy World.  It was between the Gummy Worm Empire and Gummy Bear Country. But, let me tell you why. The Gummy Worm Empire was trying to take over the Whole Gummy Universe, because all they wanted was power. On the other hand Gummy Bear Country was fighting for the freedom of the rest of the  Gummy Kind! The Gummy Worms were fighting with bows and arrows. They would be kept in an arrow bag made out of twizzlers. The arrows were made out of pocky and sharpened chocolate chips. The Gummy Bears’ weapons were also bows, arrows, and swords. The swords were made out of pocky with a sharpened chocolate chip on top. But both of them had edible silver armor and marshmallow shields.

In the middle of the fighting was a young soldier named Bear Han Solo, but everybody called him Solo; which was kind of ironic because he was single. His job was to protect the king and his daughter’s chariot. As he was fighting, he dodged an arrow. Then he saw one flying through the sky. He jumped up and tried to grab it, but his friend and fellow soldier, Henry, knocked him over because he was about to be killed by another one.

Suddenly, they heard a shrill scream and turned around. It was from the gummy bear princess, Rosetta. They turned around and looked. Her father was the one who took that arrow to the neck. He was dead! Dun dun duuuun!

Solo ran to save the princess from a gummy worm soldier, but boom! He was clonked in the head by a marshmallow axe.

Ten hours later, he woke up in the gummy bear infirmary.

“Uuuuuh,” he said and looked up. He saw Henry there.

Henry said, “Wow. You took a big clunk with that marshmallow axe.”

Then, Solo remembered everything that had happened.

“But the princess! Where’s the princess?” he yelled.

“Ssssh,” said Henry. “You’re going to wake the other patients. She got captured by the Gummy Worms! We have a week to surrender, otherwise it’s off with her head!”

The next day, Solo was already better. He and Henry had just gotten a cup of hot cocoa and started brainstorming ideas for battle.

“How about we use marshmallow axes too?” said Henry. Then, Solo had an idea. And Henry thought it was a good one, too. Five minutes later, they were at LeShaun Bearflez’s makeup and hair salon. He was the best hair and makeup artist in the country! When LeShaun saw Solo, he said, “Han Solo! Han Solo! Good to see you! Good to see you! What can I do for you today?”

“I need you to disguise me as a gummy worm,” Solo responded.

At first, LeShaun was very confused. And then he got it. He ran toward a closet, and grabbed a gummy worm suit and some mold to make a face mask. Two hours later, Solo looked exactly like a gummy worm soldier. And if you saw him, you would think so too. Now he was ready for battle, in disguise.

Chapter 2

The Plan

Solo and Henry went to Henry’s place for some tomato soup and to devise a plan. They wrote down the steps on a sticky note. It looked like this:

To-Do List

  1. Tell General Bearkins our plan
  2. Make a fake ID so the Gummy Worms think Solo’s on their side
  3. Get a position as a Guard for the Gummy worm castle
  4. Save princess Rosetta and get out of the castle without being seen
  5. Kidnap the Gummy Worm Queen Emily

“Wait, we’re going to kidnap the queen?” Solo said, after reading the list.

“Yes,” said Henry, “She is pregnant with the heir to the throne. If we can kidnap her for a week, we win the war!”

“Maybe,” said Solo, “But first, let’s do the top four, and then we’ll consider that”

Chapter 3

Completion

Solo and Henry hurried to the battlefield to complete the first step: tell General Bearkins their plan.

“General Bearkins! General Bearkins!” Henry hollered. General Bearkins turned around and grabbed his weapons.

“What are you doing here, worm soldier?” he said, when he saw Solo. Solo took of his masked and showed General Bearkins that he was really himself. General Bearkins was very confused.

“Why are you dressed as a gummy worm?” he asked.

“That’s exactly what we’re here to tell you!” said Henry. After explaining their plan to General Bearkins, they got his consent, with a bit of advice.

“Your plan is brilliant, I have to admit,” said General Bearkins, “But there is one minor issue. They have chips in the IDs, and I’m pretty sure you don’t know how to make them. But I know a guy. All I need is a picture of Solo in his suit with the mask on, and you’ll have your new ID in an hour or less!”

“Well, now we can cross of the first two items off the list!” said Henry. “Now, we just have to wait until we get the ID. But in the meantime, let’s go and get you some worm weapons.”

15 minutes later, Henry and Solo were at Gilmore Blacksmith’s Metal Shop.

“Hey, look over here!” Said Henry, “I found those Twizzler arrow bags they use!”

“Great,” said Solo as he reached into his pocket for some Jelly Beans. Here, Jelly Beans are used as currency. He pulled out five jelly beans.

“This will do it!” said Solo.

After they paid (there was a very long line), they went back to the battlefield and found General Bearkins with the ID.

“Here you go Solo,” he said, “You’re all set!”

“Great!” said Solo, “Now, I’m off to find the Worm General Wormkhan.”

Chapter 4

Mischief

As Solo approached the worm side of the battlefield, a security worm came up to him.

“Hey you!” said the worm, “I need to see some ID”.

“Uh oh!” thought Solo as he slowly pulled out his “ID”. And as the security guard scanned he prayed that it would work. Beep. It had worked!

“Yes!” Thought Solo. “Wormtail?” Said the security guard. Solo looked at the “ID” card, apparently his name was “Gabriel Wormtail.” And if you saw Solo’s face you would be laughing your head off! “General Wormkhan will give you a position he’s near the castle, on the right”. Said the security guard.

Once Gabriel…..I mean…… Solo got to the castle, he saw the dungeon. Inside there was a tiny cell with an even smaller window, he could make out a very tiny figure. He started to walk closer, but then he thought “don’t want to act suspicious, so I’ll check it out later”.

Solo turned around, looking for General Wormkhan. Then he saw him, he was a tall worm with big muscles, an oval-ish face, and his red skin was a pattern of red with black strips. Solo had to admit in his mind he was a little scared of the General.

When Wormkhan saw Solo he yelled, “Hey you come over here for roll call”. Solo quickly ran over to Wormkhan, now he was doomed. Solo sat in a seat next to a worm named Wormer. He looked a bit more friendly than Wormkhan. While Wormkhan call attendance Solo prayed the Wormkhan wouldn’t break his back.

Then he heard Wormkhan say, ”We have a new recruit today and his name is Wormtail.” Solo couldn’t believe it! He was on the list!

“Now,” said the General, ”Wormtool, one of the the guards for the castle, has been injured and I’m giving you his position he said and turned to Solo.

What luck! thought Solo, Now I can cross that of the list.

 In the middle of the night Solo snuck out of the soldiers quarters, and towards the tiny cell he saw the day before. He knocked on the door, and inside was Princess Rosetta. She was practicing karate and making some very loud sounds, but she heard the knock.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“It’s a Gummy Bear soldier, I’m here to rescue you” Said Solo.

“Do you have a key?” She asked.

“No” He said.

“Then I’ll kick the door down,” She said, “Step back.”

Solo stepped back. Then five seconds later, there was a big bang! And the door fell. Solo stepped in and saw the princess. Then, a deafening alarm started going off. She said, “Wait, you’re not a gummy bear! You’re a gummy worm!”

Solo took off his mask. “I’m in disguise!” he said. He punched the window open and they jumped out. They started racing down to the white chocolate river and jumped on Twizzler logs. By dawn, they made it all the way to the gummy bear side of the battlefield, but there were worm soldiers chasing them. He took the princess to her palace, and told the guards to make sure she was safe. Then, he took off his worm suit and face mask, got into his battlefield clothes, and started fighting.

“Hey, where’s that guy, Wormtail?” said Wormkhan, “Gabriel Wormtail? Did he run away?” He looked around. “Wait, where’s the princess? Where’s the princess? Does Gabriel have something to do with that? Go see if the princess is back on her side!” Then, the worms started charging for battle, and so did the gummy bears. The battle lasted five hours. And during the fighting, Henry found Solo and the two of them raced to their base.

Henry said to Solo, “Did you rescue the princess?”

“Yes,” said Solo. “And now we have to go capture the pregnant queen of the worms!”

Chapter 5

Details

“Now you listen to me!” Said Henry. “Let’s devise a plan at my place with some tomato sandwiches.”  

Back at Henry’s place Solo and Henry decided that Solo would sneak through the Licorice Forest back to the worm base and into the soldiers quarters.

“Wait, what if they ask where I’ve been, what do I say?!?” said Solo nervously.

“Good point,” Said Henry. “How about, ‘I had to go back home because my mother was in the hospital?’”

“That could work,” said Solo.

“Then you’re off! Go! We need to win the war!!!!” Said Henry.

Solo quickly hurried out, not because of what Henry said, he was always intense like that. Solo didn’t feel well. He felt weird inside and kept remembering the princess. “How beautiful she is,” he thought. “And she knows karate.”

Now this is one of my favorite parts, because as the narrator, I don’t get to do much but now I get to sing a song. Yay! And it goes like this: Solo is love sick, Solo is love sick and he knows and he know it. He’s in love with the princess, in love with the Sorry, I’m getting a little off topic. Anyway, back to the story.

Now, Solo was in the Licorice Forest and yes, the trees are made out of Licorice.

“The Licorice is shiny, like her beautiful eyes… Oh no! It’s happening!” Solo kept thinking the same things, and now he knew for sure. He was in love with the princess, Rosetta.

Noooooo!!!!!!!!!!”

Back at the Gummy Bear castle, Rosetta was in her room still going over everything that had happened to her, then she remembered Solo.

“I’ve got to thank him, for rescuing me,” she thought, “I wouldn’t have been able to break that window without edible silver armor.”

Chapter 6

Capture

“Wow, the castle is so grand, like Rosetta. Oh my god, would my mind stop doing that?!” Solo thought, when he finally made it to the castle. Solo came in through the back of the servant’s quarter. There, he found Wormkhan.

“Wormtail, where have you been?” said Wormkhan, in a booming voice.

“I…I…I was at the hospital because my…. my mother was in the hospital and I had to be there,” said Solo nervously.

“Oh,” said Wormkhan in a soft voice. “Uh… well, now is your time for duty. I am uh… I’m going to uh… use the restroom for a minute.”

After Wormkhan walked away, Solo was a bit confused why Wormkhan was being so sensitive. Solo went back to his place and looked at the cell and then he asked another soldier named Wormtool

“Where did the princess go?” Solo asked, though he really knew the answer.

“She escaped with a meddlesome gummy bear. Ugh, too bad the security cameras didn’t catch it.”

“The security cameras!” Solo thought, “I have to destroy the footage!” He ran to the technology room and found the footage. Nobody was there, so he rewinded it back, erased all of it, and ran back to the servant’s quarter. Someone had left a sock there, and he tripped on it.

“Oof!” he said, and his mask fell off and spun across the floor. He looked up to find Wormkhan.

“Aaaaaaaah!” screamed Solo, but in his mind he was thinking of running away. So he ran and tripped on another person’s sock.

“Why are people so messy?” he thought, as he accidentally knocked down a photograph of Wormkhan’s mother. Solo stopped and hid behind a corner. He saw Wormkhan’s mouth drop open, and he did something very unexpected. Wormkhan started crying. Everybody was confused why he was crying and he came up.

“Mother! Sally!” Wormkhan wailed. Everybody was confused and stunned, but it only took Solo a few seconds to realize the opportunity he had. Since there were no guards in the upper castle, he ran up and found the queen in her bedroom. It was true: she was pregnant. He snuck up behind and threw a piece of cotton candy over her mouth and tied it. Then, he picked her up and started running down the stairs. Still, nobody realized what he was doing! He started running through the Licorice Forest.

Wormkhan had recovered from his breakdown, and remembered Solo.

“There’s a gummy bear in the castle! Everybody search the castle!” he screamed

Meanwhile, Solo was running through the licorice forest. He was about to make it to the bear side.

“Huh.. huh….. Huh…” he huffed. He didn’t want to be rude or anything, but the queen was heavy. Then, he realized the queen was sweating.

“Uh oh,” he thought. “She’s going into labor!”

“Infirmary infirmary! I captured the queen, but she’s going into labor!” Solo yelled when he got back to the Gummy Bear side. Everybody was confused at first, and then five minutes later they had come with a rolling bed, put her on it, and rolled her into the operating room.

Two hours later, he was allowed to come in. The baby was a boy. His eyes were blue, but the rest of his body was rainbow.

“I’m very happy for you, but you are still our prisoners,” Solo said, “We will lead you into your room now. We will take care of the baby, but you must go into your room now for some safety tests.” She nodded and was lead into the room.

“Solo, I have a message from the princess,” said a palace servant, “She wants you to come see her.”

Chapter 7

Heart-Break

Twenty minutes later, Solo was at the Gummy Bear palace with the Gummy Bear servant. He was making his way to Princess Rosetta’s bedroom. The servant knocked on the door.

“Princess Rosetta, Solo is here to see you,” said the servant.

“Come in!” replied the princess. Solo was a bit nervous going into the princess’s bedroom. When he came in, she told Solo to sit. He tried to sit down on a chair, but he slipped and fell on the floor. The princess was in shock, and the servant was trying his hardest not to laugh.

“Pardon me for my clumsiness,” said Solo. Then, he made sure he actually sat down on the chair.

“Thank you for rescuing me,” said the princess, “Now you can have anything you want in Gummy Bear Country, under the price of 5,000 jelly beans”

“Five thousand jelly beans!” thought Solo, “Wow, that’s a lot!” The servant’s mouth had dropped open with shock.

“I don’t want money,” said Solo, “All I want is you! Ever since I met you, I have loved you.” Now it was the princess’s turn for her mouth to drop open.

“I… I…” she hesitated, “I’ve already fallen in love with someone. You may not have me, but you can have the 5,000 jelly beans.” She turned to the servant.

“Please escort this soldier out of the castle.” Solo was heartbroken and defeated as he walked home. When he got home, he put on his favorite movie, Gummybusters, and ate little tomato candies. Then, he noticed the time. He had to go back to the battlefield and fight. As he was walking, he saw a young maiden named Emma-Louise. She was beautiful, he had to admit, and she turned around and saw him.

“Hey I know you,” she said, “You’re the one who saved the princess and kidnapped the Gummy Worm  queen! You’ve done a lot for the country. On behalf of all of us, thank you!”

“I know this is a little bit weird, but would you like to go out tonight?” asked Solo.

“Sure,” said Emma-Louise, “I would like that!”

Chapter 8

Celebration

Later, as Solo was fighting, he realized that he wasn’t really in love with the princess. He was just shocked that he actually saved someone. In all the old Gummy fairy tales, once you save someone you fall in love with them. He was just going off of that. He realized that he actually liked Emma-Louise. Then, he saw a huge troop of gummy worms charging onto the battlefield.

“Uh oh!” said Solo. Then, Henry had an idea.

“Hey! I know a guy who makes Pop Rock Bombs!” said Henry, “Why don’t we get some?” They rushed over Gillmore Blacksmith’s metal shop, and found him there. They split the cost, and started running through the Licorice Forest. They snuck into the Worm Castle, and went into their storage units. Solo knew his way around. Then, they placed the Pop Rock Bombs there, and Solo closed the door and ran. boom! They started running back to the Licorice Forest. There was a big bang, and half of the castle was blown up.

“YES!” they screamed in unison, high fived, and ran back to the Gummy Bear side. The Gummy Worms had called a pause, and were holding a group meeting in the remaining half of their castle. The Gummy Bears took the opportunity to hold a meeting too.

“Wow,” said General Bearkins, “I wonder who blew up the castle?”

“We did!” said Henry, with his arm over Solo’s shoulder. “We blew it up!” Then, General Wormkhan blew a whistle, and they went back to their positions. One of the Gummy Worms came in holding a white flag. They had surrendered!

“Now,” said General Wormkhan, “We will surrender if you give us back the queen.”

“Deal!” said Solo, and brought out the queen with her newborn baby in her arms. Wormkhan was so surprised.

“You went into labor?” he asked her.

“Yes!” replied the queen.

Everyone went back to their own side to celebrate. The worms celebrated the baby, and the bears celebrated victory.

“Hooray!” said Solo. Everyone in Gummy Bear Country was flooding the streets, waving the Gummy Bear flag with pride.

“Well,” said Solo, looking out at the streets, “We can call that a huge adventure!”

The End!!!

Heaven’s War: Chapter 1

Lightning cracked. Rain poured, but I could still see the stars. That’s what was important. Nothing bad could happen while I had my stars. I gripped the railing as hard as I could while the boat rocked back and forth. My hair whipped against my face and I struggled to block out the screams and go back to my memories of my best friend:

Marlee laughed. I smiled at my joke. Her light hair bounced behind her back. She was giving me a spa from our yard, something she loved to do to me. I made jokes to her as she plopped and rubbed mud into my hands and legs. We giggled as she tried to put cucumber slices on my closed eyes, but each time they slipped off. She eventually gave up. When I opened my eyes I saw my brother Zander snapping a picture of her.

“Out!” I screamed. He giggled like a pig and scampered off. He had a little crush on Marlee.

We looked at each other. The ends of her lips turned up into a smirk. I chuckled. She cracked up. I joined her. The second we stopped, one of us would smile or giggle or mock snapping a photo, and we’d burst into laughter again.

Back in reality, I held Zander tightly as he heaved everything in his body over the side of the boat. He choked as a massive wave approached. As I began to realize what was coming, my world seemed to move in slow motion. I threw my head back so I could see the purple star and wished with everything in me as the wave engulfed us. My eyes were still open all throughout the boat tipping, I kicked a fish, and reached the surface. I looked for my family. I still just couldn’t set them apart from the other dark, screaming figures. I thought about dying. It reminded me again of Marlee:

“I have a secret.” Marlee burst into my bedroom. She made jazz-hands and then quickly put them down. She jumped once.

“I’m going to visit my cousins on the other side of the country,” she told me. She was grinning ear to ear. She jumped again and fell on her butt. She spread herself out on the floor. “Yay!” She giggled uncontrollably. She kicked her legs in the air.

“No way,” I squealed. “Really?”

She nodded, jumped up and grabbed my hands. We hopped up and down, squealing.

I sat down and hung my head. “But I’ll miss you so much!”

Marlee sat down next to me. “When you miss me, think about this: Wherever you are, we look at the same stars.” She pointed to the sky and chose one particularly big dot.

“When I’m gone, this star will turn purple. That way you will always know we are looking at the same sky.”

“You’re just saying that.” I glared at her.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing!” She said. She ran out of the room, screaming with a sort of excitement I wish I had shared.

A few days later I was lying under my blanket. My pillows were were wet from tears. It had been three days. The star hadn’t turned purple. I still checked every night.

One week later a letter arrived.

The Case Family

Mr. Mira Case, Ms. Lilith Case, Ms. Angeles Case, and Mr. Zander Case

Invitation

Event: Funeral

Location: Mall St. Diana, Ilouw

Time: 11:00 am

Who Died: Mrs. Marlee Kinder

Car crash

I felt tears welling up behind my eyelids, but they never poured. It was almost as I died for a second. The world filled with whipped cream. I could feel myself floating. I could hear Marlee, but not talking, laughing, shouting, or crying. Just her voice. Doing nothing.

Then a sniffle caught my attention. Zander was whimpering. And suddenly, reality seemed all too harsh. That’s when the tears came.

I wandered somewhat aimlessly over to the window. I looked at the sky. I looked next to the sky near the neighbor’s house, a pale, violet star shone bright, blue like Marlee’s eyes, but also purple, just like she’d promised.

Michael Gets Sucked Into A Game

One day, Michael had to do chores but he didn’t want to. He had to wash the dishes, but instead he went into his room and played video games. His mom and dad were talking on the phone. Sometimes, usually on Wednesdays, his parents would stay at home to take care of him, but the rest of the time they were at work. He only played video games when they were at work. His parents made work calls in the basement where it was quiet, so Michael made sure to play video games in his room, which was out of earshot of the basement.

So, he went to his room and started playing the video game “Survive” on his computer. The point of the game is to survive through obstacles. There’s one big mission and a bunch of other smaller missions. You start out as any person the computer chooses, and then there’s a path you have to follow. There’s also a wall, which is twenty feet tall and five feet wide. Then you have a choice of what obstacle to try and beat, and then you have to get over all your obstacles before you can finish the mission. At the end, there’s a giant glowing star that contains all the secrets of the world. There are forty nine missions and the one big mission in total, and Michael had just finished twenty five percent of all the missions.

Then, while Michael was playing, he got sucked into the video game. He felt his body getting smaller and smaller. And then he just suddenly appeared in the world of the video game. There was a stone path inside the trees. He went down the path and then tried to go through the obstacles.

When he saw the wall, he tried to climb it but it was too steep. He tried to walk around it, but he was too tired. He wanted to give up, but he didn’t — he really wanted to go over the wall. He had the choice to make stairs, make rope, or just climb the wall. He tried climbing the wall but it didn’t work because it was too tall. He tried to use stairs but it took a really long time and he really wanted to get over. Finally, he chose rope, and climbed up and over the wall.

Michael thought about how he was going to complete the other missions. He was kind of scared. He’d done a few of the missions so he knew what was coming up next. After a while of walking, he got to the next mission: a bridge with some lava under it. You have to cross the bridge without falling into the lava. He was very scared. He wanted to go home but did not know how. He had to finish the mission before he could go home. He went to a factory and got some iron. And then he wanted to build it onto the bridge so that he could cross, but then he realized that the iron would melt from the heat of the lava. So he used bedrock instead, which worked out perfectly and allowed him to cross the bridge. Michael was proud. After that, he’d finished 39 missions out of 49 missions. When he started the 40th mission he saw a giant spider web and didn’t want to get stuck in it. So, he just went around it, which was kind of weird, because you’re supposed to have choices and choose one. Anyway, when he got to the 49th mission, he heard all the secrets of the world.

  When Michael got all the secrets of the world, he felt lonely and wanted to go back home. No one was with him, and no one could help him. Then he realized that he shouldn’t play video games all day. He missed his parents.

After he thought that, his body grew larger and larger. Suddenly, he appeared at his desk, in front of his computer. At first, his parents were really worried that he had run away, but then they were really angry because he’d scared them.

“You scared us. And now you have to do chores all day!”

“Okay,” he said.

The Heist

           

Prologue

Jack Desi Jr. was sprinting as fast as he could through an alleyway; behind him a rather large man was chasing him. He had just taken a small bag of skittles from his grocery store.
“Venir ici bask coquin!” If you don’t speak French, that means, “Come back here, you scoundrel!”

Jack vaulted over a wall and landed in a small garden. He kept running, and soon he arrived at his own house. He told his dad what happened. He knew his dad would not be mad, he never was. He found his dad lifting weights in the garage.

“Wow, if you think that’s cool then listen to this story…”

***

After weeks of planning it was finally going into operation. We had planned with backup plans that went through the whole alphabet, twice. In case you are wondering, my crew and I were going to throw the biggest heist in history.
“Alright guys, let’s go over the plan on more time. Matt, you’re going into the museum and staying in the pre-hollowed base that we built earlier right? Right.
“Claire, you’re gonna invite the guard in sector B6 to a bar downtown, ‘kay? Eric, please don’t mess up the fake security footage. That could land us all a spot behind bars for up to 100 years!

“Carlos, when you blow a hole in the vault wall use as little explosive as possible, noise could attract guards and that would be terrible. Wheels, have the bullet proof van ready. Now Jose, have the fake van ready. Drive it over the edge of the dam. At the LAST minute, open your parachute. We want the cops to think we’re dead. Now everyone, get ready.”

They seemed relatively calm, except Eric, but this was his first big heist so I couldn’t blame him.

This was going so smoothly. We had even done dry runs at the warehouses in the abandoned parts of town. I could see Carlos packing C4 into his bag (he was a heavily built man with a thin beard), Jose strapping on his base jumping suit. Wheels was putting on his driving gloves and doing meditation to relieve his stress. “Now, masks everyone.” Since this was the biggest heist in history we decided to wear clown masks. We would be known as… THE CLOWN GANG. Now Wheels had gotten our van running. Before long we were arriving at the service entrance of the museum.
“At ten o’clock… we move in.” This reminded me of my past… oh, my very first big robbery, it was wondrous. I had robbed a jewel emporium. I can still smell the gunsmoke and burnt rubber of my tires. The cops had a road block about a 100 feet from my speeding car. It was at that moment that I veered into the woods and into a river. I floated down stream I then hit a rock and climbed out and ran away. Robbing always gave me an adrenaline rush that I didn’t get doing other things.

As I daydreamed, Carlos reminded me, “Boss, it’s ten o’clock.”

I thanked him and said, “Move in.”  We walked toward the door as planned. Matt opened it from the inside. We all looked pretty creepy sneaking around in our clown masks. “Carlos, go to the vault.”

He knew where it was, we had spent hours pouring over maps of the museum. As he arrived at the vault I saw the last guard disappear with Claire to that bar. I looked over to see Carlos running towards me.

“DUCK!” he said. A split second after those words, a shock wave plowed me backwards. I was fine, and as promised the vault door had a smoldering hole in it. I stepped into the vault. It was heaven for any thief. It was a mess of priceless jewels, artwork, and artifacts. We started stuffing it into sacks as fast as we could. By now the guards had arrived at the scene of the crime. We ran to the roof; we had expected some guards to still be in the building and had come up with a plan to escape, which we were about to execute. As we arrived at the roof, Eric pulled a gun out and pointed it  at me and the rest of the crew.

“Jack, stop now, I’m with the police!”

“Eric,” I said calmly, “You know I have the guts to shoot you, yet you don’t. I trusted you Eric. You were part of this team.” I didn’t want to do this but I had to.

Carlos handed me a gun which I took, but kept it behind my back. The wind from the police helicopter whipped my hair around. I pulled out the gun and time seemed to slow down as my finger wrapped around the trigger. I took careful aim, and pulled. Eric went flying of the roof, his bulletproof vest had saved him and he landed in a bush, but he was stunned.

Then I heard a voice from the helicopter say, “JACK DAISI! STAND DOWN!”

“NEVER!” I shouted back. I was doing this for a dirtbike daredevil, and Zara, my fiance. We had met a demolition derby someplace in Texas. Fortunately, she approved of my line of work and thought it was very mysterious. Then my crew and I jumped of the roof and onto a mat we had placed there earlier. We sprinted to a van. Wheels hopped in the drivers seat.
“Go, Go, Go” I shouted.

We drove off into the night. The cops were soon on our tail, a roadblock was put up but Wheels just rammed it and kept on driving. We got to our secret base in northern Canada. It turns out the old saying is wrong, Crime does pay!   

 

EPILOGUE
Jack Daisi took his share of the loot and moved to France where he bought a small mansion in Provence. he later started a small family with Zara had one son who is now eight. They led a easy going life and Jack retired from his life of crime.

Claire Moji stayed in N.Y  and bought a brownstone in Brooklyn. She has stayed single (so far). She has a current profession as a bartender.

Eric Wilson is alive but is recovering in a Swedish rehab center. The doctors say he is making steady progress and will be out by 2018.

Carlos Brenes moved to Mexico where he used his explosive skills to help immigrants get past the wall after he blows holes in it.

Adam Smith (a.k.a. Wheels) took his share of the money and opened a meditation place in San Francisco. He is living in a studio apartment.

And finally Jose gave up his life of crime and became a base jumping instructor.

Fear the Fuzzy

A long time ago, there lived a colony of ducks. They were the kindest, sweetest animals of all time. They were led by king Quacks-A-Lot, a wise king. Though all the birds were generous and trusting, the exception was Prince Elrond the Fuzzy. The prince of the colony had only one goal: to rule the world. The king rejected his son’s dark desires and locked him up in the confines of a castle. The need for power residing inside the heir to the throne was to powerful. One night, Elrond broke out the window and escaped on a quest to rule the world!

The Prince of Adorability would face many perils on his way to the farm big city, where he would begin his rise to power both economically & politically. First he tripped, causing him to get a rock lodged in his fuzzy windpipe, he had to hit himself repeatedly before the rock was launched out of his mouth, and landing with a thump on a boulder.

Then, Elrond came face to face with JJ the Cute, a wandering hero and his chicken arch-nemesis. They met in Boulder Road, a short distance from the city. The two decided to settle their differences once and for all with a fuzzy face off! Elrond lept upon the back of JJ who tossed him at a boulder, then Elrond tossed a rock at his enemy, the resulting impact knocked him out. “Fear the fuzzy! Fear it!” screamed Elrond, with a webbed foot on his rival’s fainted body.

After much walking a cow fell out of the sky. It was completely random and would forever stay unexplained, but a dead cow nearly crushed everyone’s favorite fuzzy villain. After a short moment of disbelief, elrond walked on to the Farm Big City, Moo York.

Shortly after arriving in Moo York, Elrond noticed that the election for senator would be held soon, and then it hit him, “I should run for senator, then eventually for president, and wage a full scale nuclear war with all other countries so I can rule the world!” So, the prince got his name on the ballot and, being a prince, thought politics would be easy. He was soon corrected.

He got the latest poll. “What? I’m only second, Piggy Piggerton is in first? That guy is such a loser. I know, I’ll send an attack ad out against Piggerton.” That’s exactly what he did. The attack ad wiped Piggerton from the race, but all his voters joined the Moo Cow campaign instead. “More ads! More false accusations! I need to win!” Once again the attack ad worked and, being the only candidate left Elrond the Fuzzy became the senator of Moo York.

After a couple months of being senator and earning the people’s trust, Elrond went and put his name on the ballot for president, 2016. His main opponents were Ted Moos, and his former political rival, Piggy Piggerton. But through horrible comments and disgusting remarks, our villain got himself on top. With the primaries almost over, Elrond thought that this election was in the bag. “This election is in the bag!” Elrond said to his campaign manager, Angelica Armadillo one night.

“Um… sir, you might want to see this.” Said Angelica turning on the TV. On it was a vicious attack ad against him from Piggy Piggerton!

“Do you want a fuzzy nutjob running the Moonited States of Ameriduck? No, you don’t. So vote for Ham, because yes we can! I’m Piggy Piggerton and I approved this message.”

“This is an absolute outrage. He’s beating me now,” exclaimed Elrond. “I know, I’ll challenge him to a duel before the primaries end.” So he did. Elrond beat him up in front of a crowd, after which Piggy exited the race.

After the primaries, the fuzzy prince had won, and then, he easily defeated his opponent is the nationals, Moo Cow, another old political rival. Now Elrond the Fuzzy is president of the Moonited States of Ameriduck, the MSA.

Now that he was president, Elrond hatched a plan to start the Third World War, aggravate our allies, and attack our enemies. It was simple. One day Elrond was arguing with a political enemy when the enemy tripped, he helped him up and looked up to see… a camera. “There goes my evil image!” Elrond told Angelica after the meeting.  

“Actually, that might be a good thing, Erond,” Angelica stated matter-of-factly.

“Why?” Elrond asked.

“Because now your popularity among the non-evil population went up!”

“Cool,” Elrond said. Later that day Elrond had a realization. He controlled an extremely large portion of the world right now, so maybe he should just be president of the MSA for now. But when he’s older… look out world, you’d better fear the fuzzy.

The Village

“Afia, go tend to your sick brother!” my mother shouted, as she plucked the chicken whose distinct smell filled our crumbling mud brick home.

As I sat on the quilt that was temporarily my and my mother’s bed, I listened to the sound of ambulances carrying more corpses to their burial area. My heart began to sink. I wish this were a dream…

“Yes, maman.”

I grabbed a protective suit that I stole from the local market. It consisted of a trash bag, duct tape, goggles, gloves, and a swimming cap. I slipped the suit on very quickly and crawled up to my brother Abioye, who had been fighting the Boag virus. I did this with extra precaution because I didn’t want to disturb him in his sleep. I crept in closer and closer until I was right above him. I put one hand on his shoulder and whispered Réveillez-vous in his ear – that means “wake up.”

My brother didn’t move. He just lay there, lifelessly. I let out a shriek and ran to the village’s spigot – or doctor – where my mother was washing the chicken for dinner.

“Maman, Abioye is lifeless! He… he… he… died.”

“What?!” she screamed, falling backwards onto the bumpy dirt road and bursting into tears, which made an ocean around her.  As soon as we got home that night, she ran into Abioye’s room and kissed him, hoping that it would wake him up.

I stood a great distance away and shouted, “Maman, don’t do that! It’s very dangerous – you could get the virus!”

She turned and hit me with one of Abioye’s wooden dolls. I gasped for air. The pain was almost unbearable as I ran to the makeshift bathroom, and I rubbed my cheek with the backs of my cracked hands. My palms were aching for some oil. As I pondered how Maman could do such a horrible thing, I realized that her anger was actually grief and despair.

That night, I woke to the sound of my mother’s extreme gagging. Oh no, I thought, my mother has contracted the Boag virus

Ever since my father was killed trying to fight Islamic Rebels, my mother has become very protective of her kids. I have tried to step up by taking on more responsibility in our home, such as doing more house chores, helping watch over Abioye, and being a sort of village doctor. Even though I am 16 years old and have no professional medical experience, numerous hospitals in the area have rejected our sick due to overcrowding, and I must help in any way I can.

Before the outbreak, president Aimee Bello didn’t prepare us; she only prepared the wealthier towns. Everyday, when tending to the “rejects,” I pose a serious health risk myself.

I was sitting on the floor in the sparse room that I shared with Abioye before he fell ill. I realized that I should not reuse the same protective suit, because it had Abioye’s germs on it and, consequently, the virus too. I would have to bleach it to kill the virus,  but, since I don’t have the resources, I would have to burn it instead. I grabbed the oil and the match and gathered the grass in one pile. I lit the match and then dumped the oil in one area. A big wave of heat blew towards me. I grabbed a nearby stick and tossed it on the suit, and then I got a cloth to cover my mouth with so that I would not breathe in the fumes. After the suit was done burning, I had to figure out how to get another one…

I crept up to the market door that creaked every time somebody opened it…This would make the task a whole lot harder. While I was grabbing all of the items, I began to get frantic. I bumped into a crate of coconuts and made a loud thud noise, which caused the owner to notice me.

Arrêtez! Arrêtez! Arrêtez! Stop!” screamed the enraged owner.

I ran and ran until I got to my doorstep, where my mother was wearily washing our well-worn clothes by hand.

“Maman, go inside! You are in the early stages of the Boag Virus!” I said, alarmed.

“Afia, these clothes won’t wash themselves.” she responded, clearly determined.

“Hey, Afia,” she hesitated. “I have a question. Why were you at the market?” my mother asked in a firm voice.

“Um, Maman, I had to get the protective gear to cure the ill villagers.”

“Where did you get the money from?”

I felt like I was getting interrogated, little droplets of sweat rolled down my thin face. I took a big gulp, and in a crackly unsure voice I answered her.  

“I stole again…It was for a good cause, though.” I responded in a guilty voice.

“Shame on you…”

I convinced Maman to lay in Abioye’s shady room. I slowly backed into our cooking area and suited up for the day’s work.

I walked down a light brown dirt road that led me to Ms. Okafor’s round house. I walked right in because Ms. Okafor was not able to get up. In a weak voice, Ms. Okafor asked me for a glass of guava juice.

While I was hooking up medication to her arm, a young villager, who was very skinny and had big round eyes, came to the door and said that Maman was in deep distress and coughing up clots of blood. My Maman was knocking on death’s door.

Excerpt from Aliens Attack

Part One

I heard an explosion in the distance. I did not know what was going on or what I was going to do. The aliens were attacking. They were invading Earth. My friend and I were hiding in a cave in the Catskill Mountains with our family. I felt so bad because I had a secret that I had not told my family. My friend Melha was not human. She was an outcast of the alien tribe who was invading Earth. Also, the aliens could take on human form.
A couple days ago, my real friend Melha and I were at school before the invasion happened when there was a loud explosion. The aliens came into the school and aimed a gun at me, but Melha took the bullet for me. I fell onto her body and cried my heart out. I had to kill them for Melha. She was a true friend. To this day, I will honor Mela’s sacrifice.

But the worst thing about the alien invaders was that they could only die from one mineral named Zoink Noink. Zoink Noink is a rare, neon green and neon yellow colored mineral. Luckily, there were three orbs of Zoink Noink located on Earth. The only way I knew about this was because I had a big book of minerals and their legends. I was not really sure if this rock existed, but it was worth finding.

Earlier today, I was in the mines mining, and I saw a lime-ish light. I dug deeper and deeper, until I found an orb of Zoink Noink. I was overjoyed. I had a quick idea: I could craft a sword and slay aliens with the sword. But it was a totally a crazy idea because how was I going to craft a sword with nothing that crafts a sword in my possession? There was one way to get my materials: to go to the crashed alien ship and use the materials there to craft a sword. But there were aliens guarding the area, so no human could go in. I had to risk it for Melha. But how was I going to get out of our cave? There was only one way: I could ask Mela’s alien to take my form while I gone.

“Melha, can you take my form while I am gone?” I asked.

“Yes, but what for?” said Melha.

“I have to craft a sword and slay the aliens with it. Thank you,” I said while I bolted out of the cave.

When I got to the ship, I saw an alien walking away from the ship. I walked up to him, and I stabbed him in his heart. His face looked shocked. He was really surprised by the Zoink Noink mineral. He died. I felt bad for a second, but then I thought, This is for Melha. I took his clothes and smeared his blood and guts all over my body. I looked and smelled horrible, but it was a good disguise. Hopefully, it would work. I walked into the spaceship, and everything was going smoothly… for now.

I saw the sword crafting room, and I bolted to the room so fast. I saw the anvil and the hammer. The anvil was black. The top was very flat and high. The hammer didn’t look like it had come from Earth. It was blue and very easy to use. I flattened down the Zoink Noink and made it into the shape of a sword. I was sweating very hard, but at least the sword was complete. But I needed a handle. I saw an epic, silver handle on the wall. I yanked it off the wall, and I put it in my sword. I was surprised that it was a perfect fit. Now I had the ultimate sword.

Oh! Aliens were coming, and I had taken off my disguise already. I grabbed my sword and knew the aliens would not hurt me if I had the sword. I realized just then that it was not a crashed spaceship I was on. Computers were beeping everywhere, and there were a lot of aliens everywhere. Why would a lot of aliens and broken computers be on a crashed a spaceship? I was on the main control center of the aliens!

I was not even sure anymore if I could get out of the ship. And I could not even use a sword. So I had to get out. I saw two vents. One of the vents went to the main control room, and one led outside, probably to get the bad smell of the aliens out. Wait, what? How could I see though the walls? I knew one person who had that power. Melha, the alien. I knew how I got this power: when Melha touched me, it gave me the power.

But I didn’t care about that power now; I only cared about getting out. I banged my sword against the vent. I crawled out, but fell into the dump. Eww! It smelled so bad in there. I got out of the dumpster, and I ran all the the way home. But I didn’t know the aliens were following me. I ran into the cave, screaming that I could defeat the aliens and that we could take back our home. But I felt a slimy touch on my back. I turned around and saw an alien invader.

Wait! Oh no! There were twenty alien invaders. Counting the Emperor.

“Wait! I thought I had killed that girl,” screamed the Emperor.

“No,” said Melha’s mother. “She is not dead.”

“Yes, she is,” I said softly. “At school, the day the invasion happened, Melha got shot by a bullet.”

“Why did you not tell us, Jackool?” screamed her father.

“I did not want to worry you,” I said. “That matters not now.” I took my sword and killed five of the aliens.

“Ekkkkk! No, he has the sword!” shrieked the aliens.

I threw the sword and sliced another ten in half. Five were left alive. The Emperor snuck out the back and took my mom. I was too focused on killing the aliens, I didn’t notice he left. I finally killed them all.

I yelled, “Is everyone okay? Where is my mama?”

The emperor must have taken her when he fled. I had to find him. I had an idea where he went.

Long Live King George!

There once was a stapler. His name was George. George was very stubborn. Because of that, he never, ever, ever wanted to staple a piece of paper again.

One year in George’s life, all of his staples were used by a human in a school, so he became very ill. He was sent to the hospital for staplers. The hospital was haunting to staplers because the doctors and nurses were humans. All staplers thought humans were terrible things because the leader of all staplers (the king stapler) also ran out of staples (from stapling lots of the Decision Committees’ papers together) and didn’t live through the walk to the stapler hospital. The doctor couldn’t save him. The old king’s name was King Hoxlin. He was a wonderful king, and everyone loved him. He might have lived if he had a queen. The queen would have been the one to save him.

Because there was no leader of the staplers anymore, everything became so chaotic. Tests were starting to be taken for who should be the next king of all staplers. George tried to take the test, but he couldn’t until his staples were replaced.

George took the secret tunnel from his cave to the hospital. He saw the light of the hospital at the end of the tunnel. He stepped into the light of the giant hospital. He looked up at the bright, square lights on the high ceiling. Before he knew it, he was being dragged into a room by a doctor and two nurses.

“Sit here,” said the doctor pointing to a chair. Humans knew exactly how to cure staplers because they had so much experience. George sat down. The doctor left the room. One of the nurses, named Ms. Doctor, went rummaging through a closet. The other nurse, named Ms. Patient, got out her clipboard and a pencil.

She asked George, “What’s your name?”

“George,” answered George.

“Age?”

“10.”

“Leader?”

“Well… I don’t exactly have one.”

“Huh,” said Ms. Patient, and wrote an X next to the word “leader.”

That poor pencil. And that paper, George thought. The pencil losing its tip, and the paper getting scribbled on.

“Hello, George!” said the cheery doctor, walking back into the room. “I’m Doctor Nurse! You can call me Doc.”

“Hi,” said George nervously.

“I have your new staples,” said Doc. “If you would come with me, I will bring you to them.”

“Okay,” said George. He and Doc walked down a long hall until they came to another little room. There was a table in the room, and on the table, there were some staples.

“Here they are!” said Doc.

A few minutes later, George walked out of the hospital back into the tunnel, good as new. George felt his way through the darkness until he was finally back home. George looked over at the tables where one took the test. The line was now curving around the whole cave.

I guess I’ll have to wait in this ginormous line, thought George.

He walked over to the end of the line and stood there looking into space. The line was so long that George slept in it for three nights, and finally, finally, he was at the front! He sat down at the table and looked at the test on a piece of paper.

Q: How will you improve our lives?

A: I will make sure we never get hurt with extra security, and I will make all of our lives fair.

Q: What will you change?

A: There will be a queen so that more work can be done.

Q: Do you think you are capable of being king?

A: Yes.

The next day the king was announced by the Decision Committee (George’s sister Ellie, his mom Amanda, and some other staplers) who had made the decision the night before. The decision for who was going to be king was fair because it was anonymous.

On stage, the Decision Committee was setting up the podium. George saw Ellie. She was wearing a long, blue dress over her black, metal body. Her long, blonde hair was tied into a bun. She had a pretty, blue flower next to the bun. She was wearing a long, pearl necklace with a diamond in the middle of it. There was sparkly, blue eye shadow over her eyes. Amanda wore an orange dress with white flowers. Her hair was a long and flowing gold. She was wearing a necklace of emerald.

All the staplers crowded together.

“The king is… GEORGE!!!”

A cheer went up in the crowd. Surprised, George got up on stage, smiling. His mother took the golden crown from the red, velvet pillow. She placed it on his head, acting more joyful than he had ever seen her.

“Long staple, King George!” cried his mother.

“LONG STAPLE, KING GEORGE!” repeated the crowd of staplers.  

“Well done, King,” said Ellie, handing him an envelope. He opened it up. It said:

Dear King George,

Congratulations! I am super proud of you! I think that you will make this place amazing. I am excited for that! I read your test and I think you really are capable of doing this. I think that the idea about the queen is really smart. Because I am part of the Decision Committee, I have some ideas of who your queen could be because I think that they would help. Here they are:

Lilly

Stephanie

Abby

Danielle

Lindsay

Chloe

If you don’t want to have any of them as queen, it’s okay with me. The Decision Committee and I also decided that because you said that you wanted extra security, we will apply it. If you need help, you can always ask me.

Love,

Ellie

“Thanks Ell,” said George.

“You’re welcome, King George.”

That day, there was a dinner party set up for the new king. It was in the Dining Hall. There was a big chandelier over the table. It lit up the dark room. George was at one head of the table, and Ellie was at the other. George sat in a chair that looked more like a throne. It was wooden with dark patterns on it. There was a pillow on the seat of the chair that was red velvet like the pillow that held the crown. It had golden lace on the edges and green jewels connected to the lace. There was also silver thread that sewed the pillow together. It could’ve been the fanciest pillow in the world. For dinner, there was chicken, pasta, and meatballs. For dessert, there was a cake that said Congrats!, some cupcakes, fruit, and frozen yogurt. It was a fantastic meal.   

The next day, King George joined the Decision Committee meeting.

“I would like to have Sara as my queen. I didn’t like any of the choices on the card,” he said. George had known Sara his whole life and they were always friends. “She would help with everything I wanted to do. I mean, the things I wrote about on the test. How about this: We give her a test to see if she can do the things that she would have to do as queen.”

“Alright, King George. Should we get started on making the test?” asked one stapler in the Committee.

“Yes. You should.”

Everyone in the Committee meeting walked out of the office, except George and Ellie.

“Come on, King,” she said. George got up and left the room with Ellie.

That night there was another dinner celebration for King George.

The next day, the test was ready for Sara. She was pretending to sleep, but she couldn’t get away with her trick. It was time… time for torture. Sara got out of bed and got dressed slowly. She was stalling. She went to the Decision Committee’s office, and there, sitting on the table, was the paper that had the test… the dreadful test. Sara started.

It had been an hour and twenty seven minutes. She had three minutes left.

“I need to hurry up!” said Sara, rushing more than ever. Her time was running out!

“Time’s up!” said George, entering the room.

“Here,” said Sara, handing him the test, feeling incredibly nervous.

That night, the Decision Committee looked over the test.

“She messed up,” said Amanda.

“And she didn’t finish,” added Ellie.

“B-b-but,” said George “No! She will be my queen if I want her to! I’m king, so it’s my choice! Remember, my choice! No more of your terrible decisions! The end!” He stormed out of the room. The Decision Committee and their office was silent. Completely silent. All except for the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Later that night, King George saw Ellie. ‘“Um, Ellie… Listen, I’m really sorry. Can I, well, um, still be king?”

Ellie nodded.

“Good. I mean, thanks.”

Ellie nodded again and walked away.

“Ellie… ”

In bed, George said to himself, “I can’t have Ellie mad at me, not with her on the Decision Committee. What have I done… what have I — zzzzzz.”

“Did you hear what happened yesterday, Queen Sara?” asked King George when he saw Sara the next morning.

“No, I — what?! Did you say ‘queen’?” asked Sara.

“Mmhmm,” he said.

They looked at each other down the long hall.

“You are a wonderful king,” said Sara.

“And you will be a wonderful queen,” said George.

EPILOGUE

       Two months later

It was the wedding day of King George and Queen Sara. There were food and drinks. It was so much fun! There were dancing staplers and singing staplers. King George went over to Ellie.

“Um… Ellie?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you still mad at me?”

“Not really.”

“Okay, but really, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings or anything. I just thought that because I’m king, I get to choose my queen. When I said all that stuff, I didn’t really mean it. Do you forgive me? It’s okay if — ”

“Yes, of course,” she said, interrupting him in a nice way. And they both smiled.

Funny Culprits

Certain people say that the world is like a calm pond, and that anytime a person does a small thing, it is as if a stone has dropped into the pond, spreading circles of ripples, farther and farther out, until the entire world has been changed by one tiny action.

Emmett was thinking about what his teacher said. “That’s my car. You shouldn’t peek into other people’s cars.” Emmett was lucky that Mr. Cope didn’t put him in detention. Emmett always thought that Mr. Cope was weird. He had all of sorts of strange habits. Like he would always park his car right in front of the window he was closest to. Once, he made the second grade teacher move her car.

But what Emmett saw in Mr. Cope’s car was super crazy. Actually it was insane. Emmett couldn’t get it out of his head. He kept on seeing the purple blankets over something huge. Then, Mr. Cope’s dog tackled the purple blankets, and rolled into the driver’s seat with them, and Emmett saw a wooden coffin.

Emmett’s mom invited Mr. Cope over for a BBQ. “But why?” Emmett asked.

“I used to be good friends with Mr. Cope in college. Also, I want to discuss the death of Mrs. Lant with someone other than your dad,” his mother said plainly. Mrs. Lant was Emmett’s next door neighbor, who died (or was murdered) a week ago.  

At 6:30 p.m., a blue car rumbled down Emmett’s driveway. A door squeaked open. A tall and bulky man in a suit stepped out of his car. “Hello Mrs. Tarn,” said Mr. Cope happily. “This is wonderful.”

“Thank you. But really. The pleasure is all mine. I haven’t seen you in forever!” Mrs. Tarn was beaming.

“It’s great to see you too,” said Mr. Cope, bulging with happiness.

“Hey Mr. Cope!” Mr. Tarn said, out of nowhere. “Nice to see you. Did Sasha show you our new sailboat?”

“Thanks for reminding me, Doug. Mr. Cope, just yesterday we got a new Four Wind sailboat. It’s the one right next to the big pine tree,” Mrs. Tarn said. “Would you mind me showing it to you?”

“Not at all Sasha,” Mr. Cope looked towards the dock. After their welcoming conversation, Mr. Tarn, Mrs. Tarn, and Mr. Cope walked off to the dock. During this whole time Emmett was peeking inside Mr. Cope’s car. The purple blanket wasn’t there. But what was the same was that the coffin was there. The coffin actually looked sad. There weren’t any painted designs or special carvings.

“So lonely,” Emmett said, looking at the coffin. He sighed, and then looked toward his parents, and his hideous teacher. And, quite by accident, his teacher looked at him.

“Mr. Cope, would you like to say hi to Emmett?” asked Mr. Tarn, obviously noticing his gaze toward him.

“Yes actually, that would be very nice,” Mr. Cope replied, and walked towards Emmett.

“Uh, hi Mr. Cope,” said Emmett, cleary shocked.

“Hi Emmett. Have you noticed what’s inside of my car? Well it’s a new project that I have been working on. Your mom already knows. I’m very excited about it.”

“Cool,” Emmett said meekly.

“Do you want to go in your new Four Wind sail boat? Your dad let me try it. We can talk more about my project there,” Mr. Cope took the coffin out of his car, walked over to the dock in front of Emmett’s house, and put it in the sailboat. Emmett followed, and got in. Mr. Cope untied the boat, and raised the sails. Soon they were out at sea. The water was a beautiful blue and green, with glimpses of the sun light.

“Anyways, back to my project.” Mr. Cope opened the coffin. Inside, Emmett saw Mrs. Lant. He was stunned.

“Emmett, are you okay?” Mr. Cope was grinning. Emmett stared blankly at Mrs. Lant.

He stood in the same boat as the notorious villain and looked out at the sea. Emmett was silent for what he thought was forever.

“Can we go back now?”

“Wai —” but Emmett wasn’t going to wait. He took hold of the sail and turned it around towards home. As soon as the sailboat hit the small dock in front of his house, Emmett scrambled out and sped-walked to his bedroom. He remembered going to Mrs. Lant’s funeral, a few days ago. She was a great next door neighbor; young, nice, and she always had some type of candy waiting for him. But the thing was, Mrs. Lant died at 33; she obviously didn’t die of old age. She was the picture of health. Mrs. Lant was just found dead. She was murdered.

Mrs. Tarn called Emmett outside for dinner, and after a while Emmett reluctantly gave in to his mom’s repetitive yells.

“Emmett!! What took so long?! Sit down and eat your dinner. It’s getting cold.”

“Sorry Mom,” Emmett mumbled. He obediently sat down in a metal chair, and started eating in silence. He was shaking because of the coffin, and Mr. Cope.

“I must be leaving now,” said Mr. Cope, as he went over to the dock, picked the coffin up, and carefully set it inside of his trunk. “Bye Mrs. Tarn. Bye Mr. Tarn.”

“Bye Mr. Cope. Until next time,” Mrs. Tarn said, just as Mr. Cope’s blue car rumbled out of the driveway.

“So, Emmett, how was your boat ride with Mr. Cope? I saw that he took his experiment with him,” Emmett’s dad asked. Emmett was thinking of all the possible things he could say. If he told his dad what really happened, his dad would just tease him. And his mom would hear what Emmett said, and give him a good talk about how he should never fib, and how he shouldn’t tell made up stories.

Grown-ups, Emmett thought, always causing kids so much trouble. So instead, Emmett lied.

“It was pretty cool. Mr. Cope told me the meaning of his, um, fake coffin project,” Emmett said, very uncertain of himself.

“Very nice,” His mom plainly replied.

“Yup. Pretty cool. Did Mr. Cope tell you the meaning of his project?” Mr. Tarn asked. Emmett’s dad was a scientist, so he always wanted Emmet to talk about science.

“Uh, yeah. He, um, said that it was to, uh, um, figure out how coffins um, preserve people,” Emmett said, looking very hopeful.

“Oh. Hmmmmm. Interesting,” Mr. Tarn replied.

“Mom, can I be done with dinner? I’m tired,” Emmett said. But he felt more dizzy than tired.

“Sure honey,” Mrs. Tarn said.

The next morning was a weekend, and that, Emmett thought, would give him some time to plot out a plan to turn Mr. Cope into the police.

After a while, here’s what Emmett came up with: Walk down the street a few blocks, until he reached Mr. Cope’s house (# 316), then, he would go up to his car, tap the window of the driver’s seat three times, (Emmett was always spying on Mr. Cope, so he knows that if you tapped three times on the driver’s window, Mr. Cope’s dog would pounce on the lock that opens the door) and watch Mr. Cope’s dog unlock the door. Finally, he would take the coffin home, and wait until the right moment (which he hadn’t figured out yet), and turn the coffin into the police, along with Mr. Cope.

Emmet was sure that it would work. He decided to carry out his plan on Saturday, which was tomorrow. However, today was Friday, which meant school, which meant Mr. Cope. Emmett would just have to ignore him.

But when Emmett arrived at school that morning, Mr. Cope wasn’t there. Instead, principle Racker was there, making an announcement to the class.

“Good morning class. Today, as you can see, your teacher isn’t here, so I’m bringing in our new substitute teacher. Please behave.”

“Yes Mr. Racker,” the class replied in chorus.

“Aha, there you are Mrs. Stan. Please come in,” Mr. Raker said to a beautiful teacher, who looked young, and kind.

“Hello class. I’m Mrs. Stan,” Mrs. Stan’s voice had a hint of Irish, but was smooth and bright at the same time.

“Okay Mrs. Stan. I’ll leave you to it.” And Mr. Racker left the room.

“Now that he’s gone, we can have some fun,” Mrs. Stan said. Emmett was confused. What teacher wants to have fun? It wasn’t that Emmett didn’t want to have fun. It was just that it was weird.

“So, let’s have a vote to see who wants to do what. You have the option of art, or the history of mummies. Who wants art?” Emmett and about ten other people raised their hands. After Thursday, Emmett did not want to know anything close to the topic of dead people, including mummies.

“Okay. Now, who wants the history of mummies?” Ten hands went up. “Well then. Art it is.” Half of the class booed, but Mrs. Stan just flashed them a sad smile. Emmett was relieved. Right away, Mrs. Stan started art. First there was a lesson (boring!), but then free art started. All during free art, Emmett pondered the reason why Mr. Cope wasn’t there. Maybe it was because of his sailboat ride. But, Emmett couldn’t stand the tension. He raised his hand, and Mrs. Stan pointed to him.

“Do you need anything?” Mrs. Stan asked.

“Oh, I, uh, just, um, wanted to know why Mr. Cope isn’t here today,” Emmett said.

“Oh right! He isn’t here because he was busy at home.”

“Okay. I was just wondering,” Even though he didn’t say it, Emmett knew that there was something more to Mrs. Stan’s answer.

When Emmett got home from school he drew out his plan, and hid it where no one would be able to find it. Emmett’s room was good for finding hiding places. It was in the attic of his house, and had two bookshelves, his bed, an extra bed, a desk, an old couch, a closet, and many boxes with old fashioned trinkets and his toys. Then, Emmett sat down on the old couch in his room, and started to read an old book about mummies. After about an hour, Mrs. Tarn called Emmet down for dinner.

“Good honey. You came down on time. Unlike yesterday,” Mrs. Tarn said. She sometimes was cranky after work because of her cranky patients (she was a doctor.)

“So Emmett. How was your day?” Mr. Tarn wasn’t nearly as cranky as Mrs. Tarn sometimes was. Mostly because he was a scientist, and he didn’t have to deal with annoying patients.

“It was good. We had a cool substitute. But she was sort of weird. She wanted to have fun.”

“Ohhhh. Interesting,” Mr. Tarn said.

“Nice honey. What did you do with her?” Mrs. Tarn asked as she poured gravy on her mashed potatoes.

“Mrs. Stan taught about some famous artists, then we imitated their style of art, and then we   did free drawing. Oh! And she also taught science.”

“Did you say Mrs. Stan? I know her. She’s Mr. Cope’s daughter. She changed her last name when she got married,” Mrs. Tarn dished herself more salmon.

“She is? Wow. Well, good night. Bonne nuit,”  Mr. Tarn said as he kissed Emmet on the forehead and left the table.

“Hmmm. I didn’t know that. Cool,” said Emmett, confused. “Mom, can I be done? I’m sorta tired.”

“You can go to bed now if you’d like. Good night sweetie.”  

“Good night mom.” And Emmett hurried up stairs to his room.

This is crazy! Emmett thought to himself. Mrs. Stan is nothing like Mr. Cope. And now, I know that if Mr. Cope isn’t at school, then Mrs. Stan will be at school, and I can’t trust either of

them. He couldn’t wait until fifth grade. And tomorrow I have a lot of work to do. Tomorrow was when he was going to “make his move” on Mr. Cope. He went over the plan five more times in his bed, before finally falling asleep.

The next morning, Emmett got up. He did his normal morning routines, so he wouldn’t arouse any sliver of suspicion in his everyday parents. When Emmett finished his breakfast, he told his mom that he was going to the park. But of course, Mrs. Tarn told Emmett that he could not go to the park until at least 10:30 a.m.. So, to pass the time, Emmett decided to go upstairs and read more of his book on mummies. But after about ten minutes Emmett’s boredom took over.

“Mom! Can I go to the park now?! Please!!!!!

“Don’t yell, Emmett. And yes, you can go to the park,” Mrs. Tarn sighed.

“Sorry. Bye Mom,” and with that, Emmett rushed out of his house, and towards # 316, Campbell street.

Mr. Cope’s house was very old, and painted all white. In his front yard, there was a crab apple tree, that looked almost as old as his house. On Mr. Cope’s front porch, there was a big wooden lounge chair that had no cushion. Emmett had seen Mr. Cope’s house many times before because of his spying trips, so he knew where everything (or at least almost everything) that had anything to do with Mr. Cope was.

Emmett started making his way to Mr. Cope’s car. “This is great! Mr. Cope’s dog is here, and the window is open.” Emmet was thinking outloud. “Wait. Where’s the coffin?!” The coffin wasn’t in its normal spot in the trunk. Emmett decided to check Mr. Cope’s windows. After looking through three windows on the first floor, Emmett found the coffin inside of Mr. Cope’s bedroom. And the window was open. The problem was, the window that was open was a window that was at the top of Mr. Cope’s bedroom.

What do I do?! Emmett thought to himself. He was clearly stressed. Oh of course! I’ll just climb up this crab apple tree… The crab apple tree was huge. But, Emmett was a champion tree climber. He could do this. Emmett grasped hold of the snaggled lowest branch (which wasn’t very low), and pulled himself up. Then, he planted his feet on the branch next to him and stood up, holding on to the highest branch (which was very high). Now, all he had to do was slip through the window.

Do I really have to do this? Emmett thought to himself. What am I thinking?! I have to do this! Mr. Cope is a culprit! He might murder me!!! Yes. I really have to do this. Emmett took hold of the window and peeked in. The coffin was on the floor next to three boxes of plastic bags, and a few matches.

Uggh! How do I get in here? Emmett looked down at the floor of Mr. Cope’s bedroom to try and find a clue about how to get down. A squirrel scurried up the tree. Emmett was terrified of squirrels. He screamed and almost fell into Mr. Cope’s bedroom. The squirrel started to scurry up the tree, closer to Emmett. Emmett screamed again, and let go of the branch that he was holding… Even though he couldn’t feel it, Emmett fell almost fifteen feet.

“Owww!” Emmett moaned to himself. He had a scrape on his hand, and a bruise on his knee. “Well, at least I escaped that squirrel. And I’m also in Mr. Cope’s bedroom! This is great. Except for the horrifying squirrel part…”  He looked around Mr. Cope’s bedroom. It wasn’t as scary as Emmett thought it would be. It had a normal bed, a dresser, a bookshelf, and two closets. It was actually kind of empty. Emmett tried to lift the coffin, but it was way too heavy for him to carry. Emmett decided to look for a cart. After looking for about five minutes, Emmett found a small cart just big enough to fit the coffin inside. Emmett slowly but surely lifted the heavy coffin up. He carefully set it in the cart, his arms shaking, partly because of the weight, and partly because of his relief that Mr. Cope didn’t come back from wherever he was.

“Yes!” said Emmett. “I’m almost done. All I have to do is take this home…”

After about 10 minutes of endless brakes and pulled muscles, Emmett finally opened the door to his house.

“Emmett, what are you doing with Mr. Cope’s science project?” Mrs. Tarn asked.

“Oh! I’m, um, Mr. Cope let me borrow it.” Emmett was shaken. “I’ll be upstairs…” Emmett went as fast as he could to his room, which wasn’t very fast because he had to carefully push the cart stair, by stair, by stair. When he finally got to his room he opened the coffin, and found Mrs. Lant, as dead as can be, laying down “peacefully” as Mr. Cope’s victim.

Emmett sighed. Poor Mrs. Lant. “Died on April 2nd, 2012…Stupid Mr. Cope killing innocent people.” But then Emmett noticed something. April 1st through April 10th was when Emmett had a substitute, because Mr. Cope was visiting Peru.

“Wait. That means that Mr. Cope didn’t murder Mrs. Lant. Someone else did.” Emmett was stunned.

The End

Jungle Story

In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Everyone feared him. Legends had been told that if you went in that hole, you would never come out. But not all legends are true…

“Hello, Samantha, how are you doing on this fine day?” John asked.

“I am doing very well, thank you,” Samantha replied. “Great day to take a walk. Would you like to come along with me?”

“I would love to go anywhere with you,” John said. “IAN!”

“Yes sir.”

“Do my job here at the front desk of the Italy Hotels here until I come back from taking a walk with my lovely lady, Samantha. You know her, don’t you?”

Ian nodded his head. Ian was a young man nobody cared about. Nobody believed in him. Samantha was the love of his life, and John knew that. John was always bragging that he got girls. Ian thought he was a failure.

So while John and Samantha were out on their little date, Ian had to work. He hated working, and John also knew that! John tortured Ian so much that sometimes he couldn’t even sleep.

John came in the door, with Samantha laughing, and John said, “We had such a great time. Tomorrow calls for good weather. Maybe we can go out again.”

“I would love to,” Samantha replied.  Ian’s heart sank.

***

About a month later, in the middle of June, Samantha and John were out on a walk, when John came running through the door of the hotel.

“HELP!” John shouted.

“What happened?” Ian said, rolling his eyes. He’s probably playing his trick on me again, he thought.

“It’s Samantha! She’s gone!”

“Don’t play your little tricks on me again.”

“I’m serious. Please believe me; it’s for Samantha’s sake. Please help me find her,” John pleaded.

“I’m done with your little tricks. Just stop,” Ian said seriously.

A tear rolled down John’s cheek. “Please.”

John never cries. This must be serious. If he is joking I’m going to get him… Ian thought. “Fine,” Ian agreed. “Let’s go.” John led Ian to the last spot he saw her.

“She was right here!” John said. “I just left to get her a present! I came back, and she was gone!”

“I’ve got a plan. But you need to be serious,” Ian said.

Ian took John to the apartment that he had rented, then got a notepad and pen. He offered John a seat. He made two cups of coffee, put them on the table, then took a sip. He was serious.

“Some of these questions will sound silly, but they have purpose,” Ian said. “Now, what was Samantha wearing at the time?”

What does this have to do with anything? John thought. “Umm, she was wearing a pink sequin dress. And the same colored hat with feathers,” he answered.

“Thank you. Second question. Did she say anything before you left?”

“Not really. She just said: ‘Wow, the moon looks so pretty. You know the jungle well, don’t you? Let’s go into the jungle.’ Then I said: ‘Not yet. I need you to stay here. You’ll be happy.’ Then I left, then she left.”

Ian’s face lit up. “Thank you so much.”

***

The next day, around 8:00 a.m., Ian called John, who was sleeping, and woke him up.

“What do you want?” John said in a drowsy voice. “I’m sleeping.”

“It’s Ian. I’m picking you up in my car. Get ready.”

“Ready for what?” John asked.

“Samantha.”

Ian got to John’s house. Of course, he wasn’t on his porch, waiting for Ian. Ian knew he wouldn’t be there, so he found parking, walked up to his door, and rang his doorbell. Brriinng! That’s how John’s doorbell sounded.

I should really move out of here, John thought. John came out with dark circles under his eyes. Ian looked at John from head to toe.

“You are wearing different shoes on different feet,” Ian said to John. John blushed.

“Well, umm, you know I wake up at 10:30 a.m.,” John said, “If I wake up before that time, I get cranky.”

“You can go back to sleep. I’ll just save Samantha by myself…”

“NOOO!” John shouted. He knew Ian couldn’t do it by himself. But even if he did, he would be lonely and Samantha would fall for Ian. And that couldn’t happen for John. “I’m coming with you.” John led Ian back to the last place he saw Samantha. “It was here. What are you going to do now, smarty-pants?”

Ian hated being called smarty-pants. “Well, look here, I just found a pink sequin trail.” Ian said, trying to outsmart him.

“What does that mean? Just some lousy metaphor again?”

“No, she was wearing a pink sequin dress, right? It’s a trail of her dress!”

“Yeah,” John was embarrassed that he hadn’t seen that. They followed the trail of sequins until it stopped. “Why did it stop?” John exclaimed. “It doesn’t make sense!”

“I remember she had a coat. That probably stopped the trail!” Ian realized. They kept going straight.

We are never going to find her. I wish we could have a real detective find her,and not just some amauter, John thought.

“Look here!” Ian shouted. “I found something!”

“What is it?” he said, groaning. “I am so tired, and hungry, and thirsty, and—”

“Stop complaining and come over here! I found something and it’s important,” Ian said. “I found a notebook. Here’s what it says: ‘In the jungle, always go straight, then two lefts and a right.’ Why would she write that?” Ian asked himself.

“Well, she did tell me that her father knew the jungle and used to take her when she was little, and always told her that in the jungle you always ‘go straight, then two lefts and a right’ and you’ll find something interesting. And we were going to go to the jungle after I came back, but as we know now, she went to the jungle before me.”

“That’s it! All we have to do now is follow what the note says!” They went straight, took two lefts and a right, and then stopped.

They came to a hole.

The hobbit’s hole. The one that everyone feared. Samantha went into that hole, and she would never be coming out. Even John was scared, and he was never scared. But Ian was brave and confident. He was going to go in that hole.

“You’re going to go in?”John said, laughing.

That was the time where the only confidence Ian had died down. The angel on his shoulder told him to stand up for himself, and the devil on his other shoulder told him to give it up. But always follow the angel, and that’s what he did.

“I’ve got a plan. We’ll go back to the—” Ian said. But before he finished that sentence, rain started pouring down on the two men. That meant they couldn’t go back to town. So they had to survive the night in the jungle. Since Ian was the clever one, he had a plan.

Ian created a path from the hole and a cave he found. John and Ian ran down that path, hoping to find food in the cave.

They got to the cave, which was dry and toasty. Sadly for them, there was no food.

Ian wished he had food, umbrellas, and all he needed to survive in the jungle right in front of him.  

“Perfect!” Ian shouted, “I can use an umbrella to get us food!”

“Ian, there aren’t any umbrella shops in the jungle. Don’t act stupid,” John told him.

“I know that! I can make an umbrella!” Ian said with a big smile on his face.

“How are you going to do that? Magic?”

“No! Nature! I can take sticks and a leaf. I will get food.”

“Oh, great, thanks. Now, go make the umbrella. I’ll wait here,” John said, yawning.

He is so lazy. Doesn’t he ever help out? Ian thought. Ian got sticks and a big leaf. He let the leaf dry but then realized something. How could he build an umbrella without glue?

He groaned. “Why didn’t I think about that?”

“What’s wrong, Buddy? Magic didn’t work?” John said, trying torture him.

“No, I don’t have glue. Never mind, there’s no food yet,” Ian replied.

“I wouldn’t do this in any other situation, but you’re getting me food, so I have something you can use. Sticky Glue, the superglue. I’d never do this any other time because I hate you, but you’re getting me food, and I’m really hungry, and —” John went on and on.

“Okay, thank you, but you are getting food soon, so STOP COMPLAINING!” Ian shouted. John rolled his eyes.

Ian put together the umbrella by getting one stick, then making a hole in the leaf, then putting glue around the top of the stick. He put the part of the stick with glue in the hole of the leaf. He broke small sticks and glued them to the bottom of the leaf so it had some structure. He went outside, and the umbrella worked!

“I am getting food,” he said. But just as he was about to step outside into the pouring rain of the Hawaiian rainforests, he realized something. Where was the food? He had to find it! He didn’t know where the food was!  So there was a 54% chance he would get lost. But he had to risk it. He was hungry, and so was John. Especially John. He wouldn’t stop complaining! But something in Ian told him he had to save Samantha. And he wouldn’t stop.

Ian was running, searching for food. He found some berries but wanted to keep looking. Then, Ian heard something growl. He stood behind a bush. It was a bear! Ian opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The bear growled at him again. This is when the sound came out. “AHHHHHH!” he screamed. “HELP!”

That’s when somebody came running to Ian.

“Here, Jenny, girl, come on; go back to your cave. This is a friend.”

And the bear listened to the man!
Ian didn’t know exactly who this man was, but for some reason he recognized that voice.

“Hey, Ian! What are you doing in the jungle?” the man said.

“Dan!” Ian finally recognized him. “What are you doing in the jungle?”

“I go every summer for a week. What are you doing here?” Dan said.

“It’s a long story,” Ian sighed.

Dan was Samantha’s crazy uncle. He always had liked Ian and wanted him to marry Samantha, but he knew about John and how Samantha liked him. He didn’t like John. He thought he was irresponsible and lazy. Dan trusted Ian, and Dan would have liked to have a nephew.

“Why are you out here in the rain?” Ian asked.

“I have to survive here, so I go out in the rain,” he said proudly.

“You can make an umbrella,” Ian told him. “It’s easy. I can make one for you if you’d like.”

“I would like that; thank you,” Dan said.

“I need help finding food. I got a few berries, but I need more. I also need to feed John. And if I don’t bring back food he’s going to bully me again,” Ian told him.

“Oh, John is with you. He is so mean to you. I don’t trust him,” Dan replied with a stern face. “I’ll help you find food. I don’t want John torturing you again. Come with me. We are going hunting.”

As Dan led Ian to a fish pond, they started talking.

“How did you get that bear to listen to you?” Ian asked.

“Oh, that was Jenny, my brown bear friend. She didn’t want to hurt you. She just thought you were an enemy.”

Wow. That’s so cool! I wish I had a friend who couldn’t bully me, Ian thought.

“Where is Samantha? She didn’t come to say goodbye to me yesterday when I came here.” Dan was starting to get worried.

“She went into the hobbit’s hole. I’m are going to get her out.”

“Oh, I know I want you to believe in yourself, but here I can’t tell you that now. She’s never coming out.” Tears rolled down Dan’s cheek. “The last time I saw her…”

“We need to keep going. I am starving, and so is John,” Ian said, trying to keep Dan’s mind off Samantha.

“Okay.”

They got to the pond, and Dan went in. He felt for fish, trying to grab some. He grabbed four pieces of fish. Ian went back to cook the fish.

“FOOD!” John was so happy.

“We have to cook first,” Ian said. John rolled his eyes. They cooked the fish then ate it.

Yum, they thought.

It stopped raining. They needed to get back to town, so they got ready. Ian went to see Dan. He was going to save her!  

It was about an hour walk from town. They were both really tired. John wanted to stop, but Ian wouldn’t stop. He had to complete his mission.

They got back, and Ian drove John back home. Then, went back home. They both collapsed on their beds.

The next day, Ian woke up early, around the same time as the day before. He was about to call John, but thought: Why? Why should I bring him along? He is my enemy, and he is no help. I’ll do this on my own.

He left to go to the hardware store to buy a rope ladder to go into the cave and to come out. He got to the hole. He was really tired, but he wouldn’t give up. He put the ladder down and climbed in. He was scared, but that wouldn’t stop him.

“Samantha!” he called out.

“Ian? Is that you?”

It was her!

“Yes. I’ve come to get you,” Ian was really excited inside.

“Oh, thank you! I want you to meet someone,” she said, smiling. She led him deeper in the hole.  “This is Hayley the hobbit,” she said. “She’s really nice.”

“The hobbit is nice? That’s great!” Ian smiled. “Let’s go.”

They got out, and Ian said one more thing before they left. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” she answered. “Thank you for saving me.” They went to tell everyone and then John, who was very jealous. And then they told Dan, who was holding tobacco-filled jars. He got out of the forest earlier because of Samantha.

“I brought Samantha back. And we are getting married,” Ian said, with a big smile on his face.

“Thank goodness!” said Dan, laughing, and handed him a tobacco-filled jar.

THE END

Election Day

It was Election Day, November 18, 3046, on a Tuesday. Millions of people were entering the building to vote. Security guard George Mudd was standing at the entrance, checking people’s bags and their election passes. He looked at his watch, there were two hours until the election started. An old woman with a childlike look ran towards the door. She was running towards the booths in the next room.

“Hey you, I need to see your pass!” She gave him the pass and was about to walk off until the security guard said, “Hey, don’t think you can fool me. You’re just dressed up as a…”

“I am not a girl!!!” she shouted in her most elderly voice.

“Yes you are,” he shouted back.

“No I’m not,” she shouted again.

“Okay, you can go in, but I’m going to send another guard to supervise.”

As George Mudd sat back into his chair he was doubting his decision. Should I have let her in? Will something go wrong? Who is she? Is she going to hurt the candidates?

Meanwhile, while they were arguing, another man named Bob the Builder, who was an old man, passed through the doors without being seen. He sneaked down the aisle and went into the room where Eve Vil was preparing her speech in front of Camila Higgins.

“I think everyone should learn the English language, people should have unity, and there should be the same human rights for everyone.”

“Great! I’ll be waiting for you in a hour.”

When she left, Eve Vil said to herself, “I don’t care about unity, everybody will worship me, and there will be no human rights. HAHAHA.”

Hearing that, Bob the Builder jumped out of his hiding spot and, with his knife, stabbed Eve Vil multiple times. She dropped to the floor, and blood was splattered everywhere. He dragged her quietly to the closet, quickly put on his costume, and walked through the back door that led to the voting room. He grabbed his walker and opened the doors of the voting room and was about to step out of the building when the security guard said, “The voting hasn’t begun yet.”  

“I know,” he said in his regular voice, forgetting that he was an old man, and walked out. Bob the Builder slowly started walking back to his house.

In the voting room, the two candidates were going to give their speeches.

“Hello, our presidents will be making their speeches. First, Nacho Cheese will speak.”

“I think that all nachos should be half price and nachos should be free to the poor to end hunger. I also think there should be unity and justice for the country.”

Camila Higgins came running over to the interviewer screaming, “Eve Vil is dead!”

George Mudd jumped up out of his seat and ran over to where Eve Vil was preparing. There was a knife in her body. Then, he knew who it probably was: it was the old man who left the voting room before it started. The security guard ran toward the exit. He looked around. He didn’t see anything. He ran down the block and saw the man enter a building. He dashed toward the building. Bob the Builder started running too. Bob the Builder made a sharp turn at the next block and hid in a restaurant. He ended up in a kitchen. No one saw him. After a few minutes, he quietly and quickly walked back to his house, taking another route.

George stopped running. He realized Bob the Builder wasn’t an old man. He was only dressed up as an old man. He had lost him.

He walked back to the election building. Just as he sat down, a girl came out of the voting booths, carried out by the two security guards.

“I knew she was a girl,” he said. “Call her mom and send her home.”

The two security guards grabbed a taxi to drive her home. When she got home she was grounded for two weeks. The guards came back to the voting room, sat on the couch, and fell asleep. George Mudd knew that he failed to do his job. His job was to protect people. He put his head down on the table and next time he knew had to be more vigilant.

In the voting room Nacho Cheese was screaming, “I won! I won! I’m the only candidate! I won!” People around him were miserable. People were booing. He didn’t care. He was just celebrating by shooting Nacho Cheese everywhere.

The End

The Witch of Staten Island

In the time of 1827, there were two soldiers who just came back from a furious war. They were in the Navy, but they ran away because they did not want to get injured, or worse, killed! They needed to find some shelter because there was a terrible storm going on. They found a little cabin in the country, which was the only shelter in sight.

The two soldiers went into the little cabin to spend the night. When they started to settle in the cabin, they heard something moaning in the kitchen cabinet. The two soldiers walked into the kitchen slowly without making any noise. They opened the kitchen cabinet and just like that –

“Ahhh!”

One of the soldiers was gone!

The soldier who was still there looked in the cabinet, and the only thing that he saw was a dead body in the hands of a creepy doll. He went to look out the window to see if the storm was still going on, but the only thing that he saw in the window was a witch. The soldier locked all the doors and all of the windows, locked himself in one room with a window, found a pitch black blanket, and hid under it.

Everything was quiet. The soldier pulled the covers off of him, and the window swung open. The soldier walked up to the window. He watched what he thought was a horse going into the bushes, but then he saw the creepy old witch go into the bushes! He watched the whole scene. The witch jumped into the bushes, and she came out with horse ribs. She put them on the water, and they floated away.

The soldier carefully put the blanket away, quietly walked out of the tiny haunted cabin, and followed the witch into the distance. When the witch reached her destination, it seemed like she was talking to a black shadow that was shaped like a bull, but it seemed like they got into a fight (it got physical).

The shadow dude started stabbing the creepy witch! The creepy witch pulled the shadow’s tongue out and walked away, but the storm was still going on. At the same place that they were, a tree got struck by lightning! The tree fell down and hit both of them. The witch got up and got really angry, and the witch pulled out the shadow’s heart and lungs and ate it.

THE END! HAVE A NICE DAY!  

Searching for Home, Chapter 1

“Stop, wait!” I screamed. The spaceship door was closing, and I could see the pilot getting ready for takeoff. I saw my mother’s panicked look when she noticed I hadn’t boarded the ship with her. But before she could do anything about it, the spaceship was already hurling through space.

***

I opened my eyes. My shirt was drenched with sweat. I pushed my long brown matted hair out of my eyes.  I always dreaded going to sleep because I’d get dreams, bad dreams. I’d dream of ghosts or vampires, but now I dream of reality, which is much more horrifying than any monster.

I climbed out of my tattered tent to watch the sunrise. As many times as I watched it, it was always breathtaking. The beautiful burst of color in contrast to the dark sky made the forest glow. It was magical. This wasn’t actually a forest; it used to be Central Park.

I stayed away from the city because the White Masks targeted New York City. So I stayed in the woods. The White Masks came out of nowhere. First, they bombed major places all over the world: The Eiffel Tower, The Statue of Liberty, the Great Sphinx, the Big Ben, the Great wall of China, and even Disney World. Then, they, promising safety, rounded up civilians, but those who believed the White Masks were never seen again. I shuddered, thinking about what they had done to those poor people. I didn’t know who these White Masks were, all I knew was that they wore white masks that only revealed their eyes. They wore suits and were tall and skinny.  I didn’t even know if they were human, but they must’ve had a lot of power to bomb and corrupt our world.

I rummaged through my backpack. I realized I only had a small amount of food left. So I decided to go back to the city to get food.

***

I walked to the nearest grocery store: Trader Joe’s. I climbed under a fallen tree and past the burnt playground, always keeping a low profile, even though I was probably the only human left or even living thing left on this planet. The thought of that made me shiver. I, a 13 year-old girl was all alone on a great big planet.

***

It was 2 days before I turned 13. My sister, Octavia, ran ahead of me into the Trader Joe’s. “Kristina, come on! You are so slow!” Octavia teased me.

“Oh, really?” I said, and I started to run but my sister had long legs and she always beat me when we raced. My sister distracted me, making up games and taking me to the sample station, so I wouldn’t realize my dad was buying me a cake. I acted as if I didn’t know but I knew exactly what cake they were getting me. Buttermilk cake with chocolate frosting.

***

I sighed. I didn’t cry anymore. The first month I cried until there were no more tears left. I loved my sister so much, but I couldn’t save her. I shook my head and remembered what I came for. “Water, food. Water, food, water, food, water, food,” I repeated to myself. Sometimes I wondered what kept me from going crazy. Some nights, I’d stay awake until morning, repeating to myself that somebody would come for me.

***

I walked into the Trader Joe’s. It was nearly empty. I grabbed the last protein bar, beans, rice, and Poland Spring water bottles. I started walking out the door when, suddenly, there was a soft thumping. It was faint, but I could hear it. I walked closer. At the back of my head, something was telling me to run for my life. But, curiosity got the best of me. As I followed the sound, I realized it was coming from the men’s bathroom. I wiped my sweaty hands on my brown shorts that used to be pants but that I cut because it was way too hot. I opened the door, ready to fight, but there was nobody there. Instead, in the corner, there was a box. And this box was moving.

I lifted the cardboard box’s lid, my heart thumping, and inside was a brown shepherd puppy almost as big as the box. I was so relieved it wasn’t somebody trying to kill me. But then I put my attention back to the dog. Why was the dog here in the middle of a Trader Joe’s? I touched the dog gingerly. I loved dogs but, hey, you never know. The dog winced in pain. I realized it was covered in blood, but it wasn’t the dog’s blood. Next to the dog was a man, under the sink. I panicked and backed away, but the man didn’t move. I moved closer and realized he was dead; there was a bullet embedded in his chest. I felt nauseous, and, suddenly, I fell to my knees. I mean, sure, I’d seen deaths before, but this was sickening. I grabbed the box with the dog in it and ran. I didn’t know where I was running to, but I kept on running, past a parking lot, and into Central Park. I kept on running until I was as far away as I could be from the dead man. I thought I was the only person left on the planet. Who was that man? Who killed him? And where is this dog from?

I sat down on a rock and looked at the dog. I almost felt like smiling when I looked at him. “Don’t worry; other humans will come and get us like they took my mom and dad. They’ll take us far from here. To another planet where we can start a new life. Where we can live life easily without worrying about surviving.” I lied to the dog, because there was a .0001% chance of that happening.

Now I’d really done it. Now, I was talking to a dog. However, I guessed I’d have to name him. “I’ll name you Argos.” I said.

A Different Life

          

“Kayla, dinner’s ready!” My mom says.

“Okay, be there in a sec,” I reply. I love dinner. It’s my favorite meal of the day. After a long and hard day of school and then a walk to my favorite neighbor, Margaret’s house, I get to come home to a yummy plate of mac ’n cheese, or mashed potatoes with some fried chicken, maybe even lasagna!

I race downstairs after finishing my last problem of my algebra homework to find on the table vegetables with potatoes that are not mashed! “Uh, what’s this?!”

“Well, your stepdad told me that the foods we were eating were not the healthiest, and he said we should try something new and healthier.”

“WHAT!?” I say with attitude.

“Be respectful to your mother Kayla,” My stepdad Eric says.

“Uh, great.” I murmur angrily. We sit down at the table. I grab some potatoes and try to mash them with my fork so they would at least look a little like the perfect meals I used to have. I take a bite. “YUCK! What is this? Where’s the salt?!” I say while chewing this disgusting piece of unsalted potato.

“Eric said salt is way too bad for you and can cause life problems when you are older,” my mother says.

“Well, I can’t eat this without salt,” I reply angrily.

“Eric says-”

“Enough with Eric already!” I storm up the stairs and stomp into my room. I slam the door behind me. Tears start to fill my eyes. I can no longer hold them in. I turn to my pillow and let the tears stream down my face and absorb into the pillow.

After my face is completely dry, I think to myself, Everything was fine before Eric. I used to come to dinner with a smile on my face and with a mouth full of delicious food. Everything is changing and I hate it. With those last few words, I get into my pajamas and hop into bed. I dream that my dad is still alive, and Eric never met my mother.

BEEP BEEP! I hear my alarm go off. I get up and change into my uniform, which is a beige shirt with a logo that says, “Williams Charter School” or WCS for short. I also slip on my black skirt with buttons on the side. I run down the stairs and get myself some Chex Mix and milk. I sit down at the shiny brown table and eat my breakfast. When I’m done, I skip to the bathroom and brush my hair and my teeth. Then, I grab my pink bookbag with sparkles on it and walk to the curb to wait for the school bus.

When the bus arrives I am about to step on when I hear Eric scream, “Kayla! You forgot your lunch. I made some sandwiches. Here’s your lunch.” He hands me my lunch bag.

Oh no! He gave me my old lunch bag from first grade that has Barbies on it! I’m now in sixth grade and hate Barbies! When I get on the bus I try to hide my lunchbox but it falls on to the floor and everyone sees the Barbies on it. I get so much laughter. IT WAS HORRIBLE. I walk to the seat I share with my best friend Melanie and sit down.

“You like Barbies?!” she asks.

“No. Eric packed my lunch in the wrong lunchbox. I’m telling you, he’s ruining everything!” I say with anger.

“It’s not that bad. I have a stepdad and once you get to know them, they are fine. Believe me, I was exactly like you when I first met my stepdad. It takes time,” she says.

“I sure hope you’re right, but nothing can replace my old dad. He was PERFECT.”

For an hour and a half people keep on asking me if I like Barbies. I always tell them, “NO!”

But they always say, “OKAY!” or “SURE.”

Finally, we arrive at school. I first have drama with the most annoying teacher in the universe, Ms. Den. All we do is warming up exercises. When I walk into the classroom I see all of the kids have already sat down at their tables and they have their idea journals out. I sit down next to my other friend, not best friend, Layla.

“Now class, today we are going to perform a play for each other. You can do it solo or in pairs of no more than three.” Ms. Den says in her annoying accent.

Everyone pairs up and I turn around to ask Layla if she wants to be my partner and I see Layla has already partnered up with her best friends Alexis, Carly and Kyle, so of course, I am all alone. I decide to go solo.

“Choose a topic to act about now and then start writing your script down.” Ms.Den says.

I write about my life. After twenty minutes, Ms. Den says it’s time to perform. I decide to go first to get it over with.  

“Make sure everything is appropriate and respectful,” she says.

I start to perform. “My life was great. I had amazing meal every night for dinner and I was so happy. But then, an evil monster named Eric came into my life and ruined everything!” I notice Ms. Den’s face goes from a smile to a frown as I keep on performing.

In the middle of one of my sentences, Ms. Den says, “Okay Kayla, that’s enough. I would like to have a talk with you outside please.” We walk outside and chat.

“You wanted to see me,” I say.

“Yes, I said to perform something respectful, and that was not respectful at all! Now I need you to apologize to the class for that disrespectful piece, please.”

“What! I’m not doing that. That is my play, and I’m not apologizing for doing it. I said what I had to say and it’s true. Eric is ruining my life!”

“If you don’t apologize I will have to email your parents.” Ms. Den says.

“Parent,” I remind her. “Eric is not my father and never will be!” With that, I storm back into the class and sit down. As I sit down, I see Ms. Den walk angrily to the principal’s office right across the hallway. I think to myself, Maybe I should have just apologized. But whatever. I said what I had to say.

At the end of the class, I go to lunch. After I have my sandwich, I throw away my Barbie lunch bag. After lunch I have two more classes, which are math and English. At the end of the day, I walk out the door, glad I finally get some peace and quiet while walking home.

“Honk Honk!”

I turn to see my mom and Eric in our car. GREAT! I hop in and put my seatbelt on.

“We got an email from Ms. Den saying you had a disrespectful play in drama about Eric. Would you like to explain?” My mom says impatiently.

“I’ll pass,” I say sarcastically.

“Kayla Rose Smith!” my mom says.

“Fine. All I said was that I hate my life now ever since Eric arrived. That’s it,” I say, annoyed that I have to explain everything I do.

“Well, when you get home you are punished, so no television even though it’s a Friday, and no snacks,” My mom says furiously.

After that, there is silence for the whole ride back home. When we arrive at home, I get out of the car and slam the door. I walk up to the house and unlock the door with my emergency pair of house keys. I stomp upstairs to my room and stand there. While I am up there, I write all about Eric in my diary.

I miss my dad more than anything. It was a year ago. I wish he wouldn’t have smoked. I wish he didn’t get lung cancer. I wish he never had died. After writing about Eric and thinking about my dad, I sit down on my bed and cry. I miss my dad so much, and I can’t believe mom could even try to replace him.

“Kayla, dinner’s ready!” My mom says. I wipe the tears in my face away, walk down the stairs, and sit at the dinner table. I grab a plate and put some of the strawberries from the salad onto my plate. There is silence.

Finally, my mom says, “Listen Kayla, I know getting a new dad is tough, but you at least have to give it a try.” I ignore her and continue eating the strawberries that are sitting in front of me. My mom lets out a sigh. After I finish my strawberries, I put my plate in the sink and walk back upstairs without saying anything.

I start to do my English homework, which is to read chapter ten of A Mango Shaped Space. After ten minutes, I finally finish the eight page chapter. After reading, I get out my algebra homework and finish all of my homework for the weekend.

Tomorrow, I’m getting out of the house to have some alone time and think about what has happened. With that, I hop into my pajamas that have hearts on them and I go to sleep.

The next morning, I wake up and I check the clock. It’s 10:30! I’ve never slept in for that long. I get into a pink top and some jeans, and I run down the stairs. I grab some frozen waffles and put them into the toaster. Then, I grab some syrup and eat my warm, crusty waffles. After I eat, I run down the hall to the bathroom and brush my hair and teeth.

As I am walking out the door my mom says, “Honey,” “Where are you going?”

“For a long walk.” With those words I race down the block and stop at a red light. When the light is green, I walk all around the neighborhood.

Then Margaret, my neighbor, walks up to me and says, “Hi Kayla.”

“Hi Margaret.”

“Last night you looked pretty angry when you slammed your car door and stomped up to your house. I wanted to ask you something.”

“Like?” I say curiously.

“Well, I have a ton of spells and you look like you are unhappy with your life, and I happen to have a potion to change someone’s life. Would you like it?” she asks.

“Sure.”

“Follow me.” We walk down the block and into her house. In her house, she has tons of potions. She grabs one and gives it to me. She tells me to say what I want my life to be like and then, I have to take a sip of the potion.

“I wish my life was all different right now and none of this happened.” I say. As I sip the potion, I see everything disappear.

Then I wake up on the sidewalk. I walk back to the house and walk through the open door.

“Awww look at you! Eric check her out.”

I wonder what they are talking about.

“Adorable! Let’s keep her.” I am so confused. I walk up to my room and it is so weird. It is like I am crawling on the floor. My face was so low to the ground. I also am not feeling so good. I go to the bathroom in my room, and I am smaller than the toilet! Then I walk to the mirror on my room floor and I take peek. I am a Yorkie with a bow! I freak out and scream. But when I scream, all I really do is bark!

I wanted to change my life, but I didn’t mean like this! All I wanted was Eric to not have met my mom and my dad was still alive and we got him cured! I didn’t want to be a dog!

I have to fix this. I run back down the stairs and to the door. I can’t reach the doorknob so I start scratching the door.

“Aww, you want to go out and play? Alright,” my mom says as she opens the door for me.

I sprint out and race to Margaret’s house. I bark at the door until Margaret opens it.

“Oh, hi. I have something to tell you about the spell, Kayla.” She says in her raspy voice.

“Bark! Bark.” I try to say, “Look what you did to me,” but all that comes out is “Bark.”

“Um, I can’t really understand you. How about we play Charades, and I can figure out what you are saying. Okay?”

“Bark! Bark!” I wag my tail, and that’s how she knows I say “Yes.”

We walk to her living room and start to play. I start to act. I pretend I am walking just like yesterday, and I get stopped because of Margaret.

“Oh. You were walking and looking for a place to do your business.” I put my tail down so she knows that she guessed wrong. “Uh, you were walking down the street when, uh..” I wag my tail showing her she is going in the right direction. “Oh, and then you stopped to talk to me yesterday!”

I jump in the air with happiness filling my heart, and I start to bark.

“What’s next?”

I start to pretend we are talking, so I start to bark and wag my tail.

“Um, Oh! That’s us talking, isn’t it?” I bark and wag my tail again. Next I walk all the way to the door and finally pretend like I’m walking inside.

“I get it! You are talking about yesterday and how I gave you the potion. Yeah, um about that, I remembered about three years ago I had a mean friend, so I mixed the dog potion with the life potion so she would turn into a dog forever. I forgot to make a new life potion! I’m sorry.” She says with a frown.

My tail droops down and I whine. “Oh! But I do know how you can become a human again! By tomorrow morning, you have to convince your parents that you are Kayla, or you will turn into a dog forever.” I bark at her to try to tell her that she can tell them.

“Oh, but the trick is, I can’t tell them, only you can. I can help but I can’t directly tell them. Oh Kayla, I’m so sorry.” Magaret says with tears filling her eyes and a frown on her face. My tail goes between my legs and I walk slowly home.

When I get there, I bark at the door until someone opens it, and I walk slowly up to my room. “Where’s Kayla?” I hear Eric say.

“I don’t know, but she should be back by this time. It’s almost dinner.” I hear mom say. She sounds really worried. I walk back down the stairs and go up to my mom and start to bark.

“Quiet, Lily.” My mother says. They already came up with a name for me?! I give up. I slowly walk to a bowl that is lying on the floor, and I pick it up and show it to Eric. He drops some of the chicken that he is cutting up for dinner, and I eat it. After I’m done I go up to my room and lay on my bed.

I think to myself, what will convince my mom that I am Kayla and not Lily? Tomorrow I better come up with a way, or I will be stuck in this short and furry body forever!  After a moment of silence I hear my mom crying in the other room.

“It’s okay, she can handle herself. I bet tomorrow morning she will be here and waiting for breakfast.” Eric says. That doesn’t help.  She keeps on crying. I go into her room and sit beside her and rest my head on her lap. After thirty minutes or so, she finally stops crying and goes to bed. I start to whine but after ten minutes, I go to my bed and go to sleep on my pillow.

In the morning, I wake up and see that my mom inserted a dog door, so I go out of the dog door and go to Margaret’s house.

“Bark, bark.” I scream at the top of my lungs.

“Coming,” Magaret says. When she opens the door she says, “Oh Kayla, it’s so nice to see you. Is there anything I could do for you?”

I try to do Charades. I pretend I am Margaret and I slip Margaret’s business card into my house to give my mom and Eric a note that I’m Kayla. Margaret does not understand. I try twelve more times and she still doesn’t get it.

On my thirteenth time Margaret says, “I can’t understand what you are doing, but I have an idea. How about today in the afternoon, I go by your house and slip in my business card. It says that I can turn people into dogs or change their lives or something like that. They might get the idea that I changed you into a dog!” I drop onto the floor and then get back up and show her I agree by wagging my tail. I walk back home and go to my room and wait for my parents to get a business card. Hours pass, and I am getting worried, but then I hear something.

“What’s this? A business card? It says, ‘Try my potions like a dog, changing life, or love potions. They really do work!’ Oh, it’s from Margaret, our crazy magical neighbor. Kayla always likes to go over there to check out or even try her potions. I can’t believe she’s still not home. What if a bad guy took her or something?” Mom says in a worried voice.

“Wait a sec. You said Kayla likes to try her potions, right? So maybe she tried her potion and now she is something else.” They sit at the dinner table and think for over thirty minutes until Eric says, “Maybe she drank a potion and now something happened to her.” I walk down to grab the card out of mom’s hand and sit it down next to me. I pray that she will notice that Eric’s completely right and that she should listen to him. “No, that’s probably not it.”

“I don’t know, let’s see. If she doesn’t show up by dinner, we will start thinking that idea, okay?” My mom says.

“Alright.” Eric says.

I slowly walk back up to my room with my tail between my legs. Once I get to my room, I sit on my pillow. I think, what could I possibly do to convince mom that I’m Kayla?

It is noon, and my mom gave up. I can’t give up. I run down the stairs and bark at my mom.

“What is it, Lily?” She asks. I grab her sleeve and go out the door. She comes out the real door. Then I race down to Margaret’s house and bark at the door. After five minutes, Magaret comes. She was making tea, she explains. I bark and bark.

“Hi Margaret.” My mom says.

“Hi, is there a reason you came to visit?” Margaret asks.

“Uh,no.” My mom replies. This conversation is not working out, so I run inside, go to the potions, grab the dog potion and put it in front of my mom. Then I grab the life change potion and put it in front of her also.

“Wait a minute,” my mom says. “Lily, are you Kayla? No, that’s crazy. But Eric said something like this could happen, and now I kind of believe it.” Mom says to Margaret.

“Follow what you believe in.” Magaret says. My mom bends down and says.

“Kayla, is that you?” With those words yellow dust starts sparkling around me and before I know it, I am human again!

“Mom!” I say happily.

“Oh Kayla! I missed you so much. Eric was right! Oh my goodness.” My mom says with tears streaming down her face.

We walk home and when I get home, I go to Eric and give him a big hug and say, “Thank you.” My mom joins the hug and we live happily ever after.

THE END!!

Hawaii Gone Bad

“Do we have to go mom? I really don’t want to go to Hawaii,” I said to my mom. She was taking us to the cruise ship. We were in New York and the pier was full of people. And somewhere in that crowd was my worst enemy, Ali. She was going to Hawaii, too. She was even staying in the same hotel as us. It was going to be horrible. Our parents knew each other from high school. They were in the same classes. They didn’t know that Ali was mean to me.

She would always shout down from her room, “WE’RE OKAY! WE’RE GETTING ALONG AWESOMELY!” when really she was punching me and giving a black eye. Of course my parents noticed the black eye. But they always thought I was the one who deserved the black eye, because she was just defending herself, because I’m a boy so they thought I started it. I wish I wasn’t a boy. Once I even made that wish on a star.

I had packed some books, some clothing, everything I needed. It was going to be horrible. I’d always wanted to go to Hawaii, but now I wanted to go home and eat some chocolate chip cookies. I love chocolate chip cookies. We got on the cruise ship and it was just my luck that Ali’s family was right down the hall. I went to sleep, but it was very hard to. I read for some time, then I got sleepy. But I couldn’t get to sleep. I just kept thinking, Ali could come in and punch me anytime because my parents think she’s nice and I have my own room.

The next day, I went up to the top of the cruise ship. There they had a bunch of pools, ice cream, a buffet, and an arcade. I went to the water slide. I heard the captain’s voice calling over the loudspeaker, “Get on the lifeboats! We’re sinking!!!”

I grabbed some food and hopped onto a boat. (Of course I brought chocolate chip cookies.)

Ali was in the boat.

No one else was.

Help me!!!! I thought.

We called to our parents to toss us a rope, but they couldn’t hear us. None of them could hear us. The boats paddled in the opposite direction. We didn’t have any paddles. We had our hands. And soon they were specks on the horizon.

What felt like a million hours later, we’d finished all the food, even the chocolate chip cookies. We’d finished all the water. We were getting close to land. It wasn’t Hawaii, maybe it was one of those distant islands out there, but still, it was land. We paddled toward it. When we got close enough we jumped out and swam out towards the land. When we finally got there we flopped onto land and just lay there for a while. The island looked like a perfect beach — zero seagulls, zero dead fish, zero pollution, and uninhabited. The water was clear and the sand was speckled with pink. There were pieces of coral and beautiful shells scattered around. There was a big forest of beautiful greens, and we could hear thousands of parakeets and parrots squawking like crazy.

“I wonder why they’re all squawking like crazy,” I said.

Ali was walking towards the forest. Ali said, “Do you hear that rustle?”

I listened closely and said, “Yeah.”

I want my mommy! I thought.

We started running into the forest, which is one of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever made. Suddenly, a giant figure rose above the trees. It was probably ten stories high, maybe more, and it had teeth that were as big as the biggest daggers. It had eyes the size of dinner plates and I don’t want to explain the rest! It started chasing us. We ran through the forest as quickly as we could, but it was too fast for us. I tripped over something. It was a dagger. I stashed it in my pocket hoping the monster was just trying to play tag. It wasn’t. We were the first source of human meat that it had ever seen in thousands of years, and he wasn’t going to let us get away.

“Turn this way,” Ali screamed.

“No, this way!” I responded.

We kept arguing for thirty seconds.

Then I said, “How about we go the middle way?” BIG. MISTAKE.

We were running through the middle path and we tripped over a trip wire and got caught in a trap.

“If I could punch you, I would!” Ali said.

“Jeez Ali, why do you have to be so mean all the time?” I said.

“Why do you have to be such a dweeb all the time?” Ali retorted.

“Bully.”

“Dweeb”

“Bully.”

“Dweeb.”

“… Monster,” I said.

“HEY,” Ali said

“Noooo, really, a monster!” I yelled.

Ali screamed. We struggled and struggled to get out, but it didn’t work. The material was too strong. Then it went dark.

Ali was still screaming. So was I. Then I remembered.

The dagger! I thought.

“ALI, I’ve got a dagger. We can cut our way out.” I made a really big hole in the stomach, big enough for both of us to get out. It started shrinking rapidly.

“Okay Ali, c’mon,” I said.

Ali looked really pale, like a ghost. She fell down and fainted. I tried to drag her through the hole. She summoned enough strength to say, “Go on… without me.”

I said, “NO.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“YESSS.”

Then she was gone.

Wow Ali’s not such a bad person after all, I thought. I rushed back to the beach part of the the island and I saw a rescue boat. My parents were on it. So were Ali’s. I told them the whole story and to my surprise, they believed me. They said that everyone in Hawaii believed that this island was cursed, so everyone stayed away from it. They guessed because they saw me floating off in that direction, that I was stranded there. After they got to Hawaii, they got a rescue boat and sailed over here. Ali’s parents were very sad, and my parents promised me double dessert for a month for the way that Ali treated me. They mourned with Ali’s parents, though. I went to the funeral. It was very sad, but they didn’t have Ali’s body to bury, so someone made a body in a very similar way, like hers. I placed chocolate chip cookies on the grave afterwards.

THE END.

The Day That Jack Ran Away

Every day, Jack would look out the window of his room and watch the trains. He also saw something not that common every day. Each day, a man would pass by Jack’s building, get out of his car, and stare for hours at one of Jack’s windows. Jack had three windows in his room. Jack would look out of the opposite window that the man was staring at and watch the man. Jack thought this was a very odd action to perform. But, the man still did it.

Jack had foster parents. He used to live with his grandmother because his parents died in a car crash, but there was a tragic fire in the building that Jack and his grandmother lived in. Only Jack had a chance to escape it.

Jack did not like his foster-parents. They were very mean to him. Every time Jack did not eat his dinner, they would send him to his room and not even say, “Goodnight”. Those nights, Jack was very hungry.

Since he didn’t like his foster parents, this caused him to run away.

Jack’s foster parents’ names were Bob and Claire. Bob and Claire made a lot of money. They let Jack go to school by himself because they had to leave for work very early in the morning. Jack did not like his school. Kids were mean to him and called him names. And his teacher was mean. Jack refused to go to school. He would not get good grades because the rare times he went to school, he did rubbish. Not because he did not know the answers, but because he didn’t want to answer them. Jack was actually very smart. He skipped a grade because he was so smart. He was only ten and in sixth grade.

One day, Jack decided to run away from his foster parents. He made the decision to use all his saved money for a bus trip to San Francisco, California.

It was July 13th when Jack was waiting in the line to the bus for a trip to California. When he stepped on the bus, he felt glory to be free.

The bus was going up a bumpy hill, and Jack was going up and down. He was hungry. He forgot to bring extra money to stop and eat food. While everybody went outside and ate food, Jack had to stay inside the bus and not eat food at all. Even the bus driver was outside. Fortunately, he had packed a sandwich and applesauce in a zip-lock for the trip.

He said, “Wow! Aren’t I smart?” He started to eat his sandwich. It was a ham, cheese, and mayonnaise sandwich. When he finished his sandwich, he ate the applesauce with a spoon. When everybody came back in the bus, the bus finally moved. He fell asleep in the bus because of the good meal.

The next morning, an old lady woke him up. She said, “Little boy! Move! The bus is in danger!”

Jack said, “Wait, my stuff!”

The old lady said, “Your stuff doesn’t matter right now. We’re all gonna die!”

Jack replied, “Yes, it does. I have my special teddy bear in there.”

The old lady answered, “There’s an earthquake coming near!!!” The old lady stopped talking and picked up Jack and his suitcase out of the bus and jumped over a small crack. The bus had fallen in a big crack. She walked quickly to where all the other people were.

Jack said, “Holy cow! There’s been an earthquake and I didn’t know! Why didn’t anybody tell me?”

The old lady said, “Mhhm-hmm.”

Jack saw that there was a whole bunch of wood and sticks on the ground. And not too far away in the distance, everybody could see a hardware store. They spent at least fifteen minutes walking to the hardware store. No one really talked while they were walking. They did not talk because of the situation that they were in. After the old lady saved him, Jack thought they were friends. He was only talking to her.

Everybody asked Jack, “Why are we walking there?”

Jack answered, “Because we could build a wagon to carry everybody to San Francisco. And if no one cooperates, then I will do it all by myself. And you guys will stay here.”

Everybody said, “Ok! We will help.”

This wagon had a hole in it so people could steer with their feet. It was something very old-fashioned, but nobody cared. All everybody wanted to do was get to San Francisco. It took two hours to get to San Francisco.

When they got there, they were all very excited, especially Jack. Jack walked to his grandfather’s apartment at 1950 Val Street Apartment 1B. There were three people who wore beautiful clothes sitting outside his grandfather’s apartment. They were some of the richest people in the apartment. These people recognized Jack as the grandson of the owner of the building, which was Jack’s grandfather, John.

Jack said, “Excuse me,” to those people. They moved quickly. Jack said, “Thank you”. They replied, “You’re welcome.”

Jack did not have to go up any stairs because his Grandpa’s apartment was on the first floor.

He knocked on the door, excited. His grandfather answered the door and said, “Oh… my grandson. Long time no see.”

Jack said, “Grandpa!” and hugged him.

His grandfather asked, “What are you doing here, Jack?”

Jack answered, “Um… I came here to visit. Like you said, long time no see.”

“Oh. I have had no one visit me here. I’m very happy you came to visit.” Jack knew why no one visited his grandfather. It was because he was always grumpy, or he always looked grumpy.

Two days later, Jack and John were watching the news. There were two adults on the news saying that their foster child ran away. And then there was a picture of Jack. John looked at Jack.

“Is that you?” he asked.

Jack replied, “Um… maybe. Actually! No! That’s my twin brother.” (wink, wink).

John said, “Twin brother? Your mom was my daughter. She would have told me if she had two kids.”

Jack knew he was lying but he did not want to go back to New York. And from the stories that his mom used to tell him about his grandfather, he did not want to deal with him. When Jack’s mother went to her friend’s house after school without asking permission, she got in trouble, and was grounded for a week. She tried to talk to him about it, but he was very stubborn and would not listen.

That night, John packed Jack’s things and put them in his car. In the morning, when Jack woke up, John gave him breakfast and told him to get in the car. Jack realized that John was driving out of town.

“What are you doing?” asked Jack.

“I am bringing you to your foster parents,” answered John.

“What? But they’re mean to me! Do you want me to suffer? Or be happy here with you?”

“I want you to be happy with your foster parents. Why would you run away? Now everybody is going to think I stole you, but you, instead of being a responsible ten-year-old, wasted all your saved money to get here on a bus. That was a very dumb thing to do.”

Jack said, “I know it was. But I will never be happy with them. So I do not know what you’re talking about.”

After arguing for the whole ride to New York, they finally got there. John carried Jack out of the car, because Jack refused to get out. John told Jack to stay right there on the sidewalk while John grabbed his suitcase. But Jack did not cooperate. He went back in the car and held on to the seat because John tried to pull him out. After an hour or two, Jack finally got persuaded out of the car. He went up the stairs to Claire and Bob, his foster parents’ house. John knocked on the door just like when Jack knocked on his door in California and lied to him.

When Claire opened the door, she said, “Jack!” and hugged him and kissed him. “Why did you run away?”

Jack answered, “Because you guys were mean to me.”

Claire and Bob both were saying, “We’re sorry. We’ll never be mean again.”

Jack said, “It’s fine. It’s just that I want my mom and dad back.”

That night, they all watched a movie, except for John, because he had to go back home to his job. Claire and Bob let Jack have popcorn and pizza. They had a mini-party. Jack decided to never disobey or leave Claire and Bob again. And he always thought that his mom and dad were happy for him, that he had a family to love and take care of him.

The Contest

Maila Eliss

I was in Ms. Letterman’s classroom for double english (blah) “trying” to learn about the use of pronouns in speech, whatever that means. Honestly, I was more focused on the classrooms big, open windows and high ceilings with big lights. I was completely zoned out when I heard Ms. Letterman say briskly, “Maila, Sara Ann, and Emilia please come up to my desk after class. The rest of you are dismissed.”

Wait, what! Class was over already!? I must have done a better job zoning out than usual. Anyway, I headed up to her desk, along with Sara and Emilia. I thought they were afraid they were going to get in trouble, but not nearly as much as I was.

“Girls, first things first, you are not in trouble. You have been chosen for the district speech writing contest.” Oh great. More English class. Wait a second, this could make people at school respect me. “I have chosen you for a variety of reasons, that I will not get into right now. The team is not only composed of you girls, but of-”

“Well, who are they?” cut in Sara. Sara could be a little sharp around the edges, and really competitive. She’s really tall and blonde, but I might just think that because I’m one of the shortest kids in the grade.

“Sara. I was getting to that.” Ms. Letterman sighed. “The other two are Kalliope Howard, and Emilia’s sister Katlin, but I believe she goes by Katie.”

I had to admit, I was a little surprised by the addition of Kalliope and Katie, but Emilia seemed both highly surprised and completely livid.

“So you too now!” she cried, “Oh, look at the little twins. Let’s put them together for everything.”

Clearly this was not why Ms. Letterman put them both into the project because she sighed and softly replied, “No Emilia. That’s not why I put you together. I put you together because you have gifts that complement each other. My five choices will meet in my room at lunch.”

Katlin “Katie” McQuinn

People say I’m hyper, but I just try to have a positive attitude about life. Like the speech writing contest. Even people’s attitude about the first meeting. We all arrived early, though when Emilia arrived and saw me she started crying, then ran out and didn’t come back until just in time. When she got back she started being Little Miss Teach.

“Does anyone have any topic ideas?” she simpered.

“Basketball!” crowed Sara.

“Cheerleading or gymnastics!” I exclaimed, my thick, curly hair bouncing as I hopped from side to side. Emilia and I looked almost identical, except for one thing; my hair was curly and hers was straight. Okay, fine, I did curl mine and she did straighten hers when we stopped hanging out, but who really cares. Oh, yeah, she was a half inch taller than I was.

Maila was really quiet the whole time. All she said was, “Interactions with nature.” Sara and Kalliope said it was real smart. Maila blushed like crazy. Not to be rude, but it was really unlike Maila to make a suggestion that really hit off. But it was Kalliope who shocked us the most.

“Love and Loss,” was all she said. This was a very sweet statement for a girl who looked like Kalliope. She was fairly tall. But her hair, which pointed straight up, added a couple of inches. So I was like whaaa?? Then she gave a little cough and returned to her usual icy tones, and informed us that she was going to get lunch, so good-bye.

Meanwhile, Miss Teach was saying, “If we alter that a bit, we could use it. I like that theme!”

“Yeah it also applies to a bunch of stuff.” Sara said. Sara also said that she was going to go eat.

“Not yet,” Miss Teach said. “To work together requires some group cooperation. We should talk a little about ourselves.”

“‘Kay” Maila said sweetly, “What’s up with Kalliope?”

The response she got wasn’t pretty.

Kalliope Howard

If you’re wondering about that meeting, don’t. All I can say is my dad is dead. That’s why I was icy towards people, and why my topic idea was love and loss. A couple days later I got a text from Sara. I liked Sara. Sara was cool. Anyway, Sara asked if I wanted to come over to work on the speech because everyone else was already there. I said ok, where. I got her address and went over.

“We are electing officials and positions,” Emilia said. I was like ok.

“Sara’s the writer because she writes the fastest and Maila’s doing format and I’m the captain.”

“Excuse me,” said Katie, “I’m delivering the speech.” Emilia completely ignored Katie. There was something going on between those two. They were twins, but before that project, I had never seen them together.

“You want to be the typist?” Emilia asked.

“Sure, why not” I replied softly. I really hated the way they didn’t know that every moment you don’t spend with someone is a moment wasted. I know that oh-too-well. After the meeting Maila held me back.

“Do you want some chocolate?” How does she know chocolate is my weak spot? “I know where Sara hides it from her parents. I also know you’ve got something hidden.” She said. “Whats wrong?” I wanted to tell her, but I didn’t know why.

Don’t tell her.

She’s a good person.

I barely know her.

She seems to care.

I don’t know what she’ll do.

I wanted to trust her.  

I told her most of it. I still kept a little bit to myself.  Maila just seemed easy to open up to. I didn’t really know why. Maybe it was the way that she didn’t confront you. Or maybe the way that she seemed to care. Or maybe I just needed someone to talk to. Then she took her turn.

It felt good to tell someone.

Sara Ann Jones

Our next meeting was at Maila’s house. I got there early, and guess what! She had an older brother in college who played basketball, and they had a hoop! I asked if I could play. She rolled her eyes and said, “Be my guest.”

So I shot hoops for a bit. I could use all the practice time I could get, with the championships coming up in March, just a month away. Eventually, Maila stuck her head out and called to me, “Emilia just texted me and told me that she and Katie are on their way. You should probably come in now.”

“Okay, fine,” I grumbled. “Where does the ball go?”

“Eh, I don’t care. Just dump it somewhere,” came Maila’s soft response. I couldn’t believe it! Maila, who treats every plant like a like a living thing (yeah, plants are living things, but who’s counting) didn’t care about where a precious basketball went! Apparently I was saying this aloud, because Maila hollered, “You know, not everyone cares about basketball. You’re kind of biased. I already told you. Emilia and Katie are on their way, and Kalliope probably is too.”

Maybe I am biased. Maybe I care too much about a sport.

Emilia McQuinn

I walked over to the meeting at Maila’s place, trailing ten steps behind Katie, because she refused to walk next to me. It was really annoying. I remembered the day she stopped talking to me.

It was the first day of junior high. Katie and I were headed to our new school. Katie started doing cartwheels and backflips. One of the superficial girls on Katie’s gymnastics team, named Cassidy, came over and started animatedly chatting and giggling. Then, the girl looked at me with disdain in her eyes.

“Why are you hanging out with the nerd?” That was what did it. Katie looked really uncomfortable.

“Well it’s be- she’s my sist- I don’t know,” Katie grumbled.

“You’ve come to the right place, girl. We’ll help you out,” Cassidy said. And with that they walked off.

I really miss having her as a sister. I don’t know why. We reached Maila’s house, and just as I turned onto Maila’s driveway, I heard Kalliope yelling.

“Hey, Emilia and Katie! Wait up!” I looked up and saw Kalliope sprinting towards us as fast as she could.

“Let’s go in, I’m frozen.” Katie whined. We all raced in and walked in on Maila and Sara having a little scream fest which they abruptly stopped when they saw us walk in.

“Just because you love something doesn’t mean that everyone does,” said Kalliope in a voice like ice. “I’ve learned that the hard way.” Wow. There was certainly more to Kalliope Howard than met the eye.

We didn’t do much that meeting. Sara jotted down what we said. Partway through, I got an email from Ms. Letterman. Talk about awkward! I read it aloud.

“She says, ‘I received word that the contest is being held at the town hall-’”

“WHAT!” yelled Maila and Sara.

“-at 3 p.m on Sunday, March 3rd. However the rough draft should be ready in about a week.’ Guys, we really need to bust a move.”

It was now a race against time.

Maila Eliss

The next five days were a flurry of activity. We had two hour meetings practically every day. But it still felt as though we wouldn’t be done in time. Sara and Katie both reassured us that no matter what activity you did, you always felt really rushed.

Finally, on the day of Ms. Letterman’s deadline, we finished. Emilia was freaking out. She thought that we didn’t do our best because we kept disagreeing on fairly important topics, but everyone else told her we were fine. Sara insisted throwing a party to celebrate. Emilia and Katie volunteered their house. No one objected. We heard a knock, and the door swung open.

Katie’s friends were here, and not for the party.

Katlin “Katie” McQuinn

I had never been more ashamed of myself. They were my friends. At least the people I called my friends. It was Cassidy and her group. The group that until this project, I hung out with every day. Let me back up a little bit.

In  5th grade gymnastics class, Cassidy was a little snarky, but she was always nice to me. Well, fairly nice. Then in 6th, when she tried to pull me away from Emilia, I let her. It wasn’t all her. Emilia and I had a huge fall-out that day, but we had been slipping for a little while. I had been waiting for a chance to break the chain holding us together. Just because I had a sister didn’t mean I had to spend all my time with her. In fact, Emilia and I had complained together about how people associate us together. So I guess I understood why she was upset. But she never made an effort to talk to me. I regretted it now.

Anyway, Cassidy was here now.

I don’t know what to do.

Sara Ann Jones

We all exchanged glances and nodded towards Katie.

“What are you doing with them?” Cassidy asked Katie snarkily.

“What do you mean, them?” countered Katie. At those words, Emilia stood up and stood with her sister.

“No matter how we’ve been acting towards each other, we are still sisters, and sisters stick together.” she said, softly to Katie. I glanced at Kalliope who had tears running down her cheeks and Maila who was sitting next to Kalliope in silence. I looked at her in surprise, but she didn’t seem to notice. Maila made eye contact and mouthed,

“Let them be.” I nodded. As we walked out of the room, We overheard Katie tell Cassidy off.

“None of my friends talk to me and my sister that way.” Cassidy responded, in mock surprise.

“But Katie, I thought that you were our friend?”

“Maybe you were. This is our house. Go,” Emilia said. And, as surprising as it seems, they did.

We all were hiding something. And I wanted to know why.

Kalliope Howard

We all assembled in Emilia and Katie’s bedroom.

“We’re all hiding something” Sara said sternly, “even me. Somebody, talk.” When nobody responded, Sara drew in a sharp breath.

“Fine. then I’ll start. Maila might know this, but not because I told her. Basketball is my life. With two older brothers, sports are just what you do. The basketball tournament is really important to me.” she finished.

“These past two years all I’ve wanted is to have my sister back. That’s why I joined student government and became active in school. I don’t know how you only children stand it. But now that I have her, I don’t have anything bothering me. Except the fact that the contest is next week and I’m so freaking nervous!” Emilia said the last bit quickly, and we all laughed until Maila took a turn.

“When you’re small like me -I’m 5’1”- you get looked over a lot. Athletically, and uhh… other ways.” she said quietly. “Kalliope, it’s your turn.” I really didn’t want to talk about it but it warmed my heart to see the rest of them open up to each other and me. So I did.

“My father died right before the start of 6th grade,” I began. “That’s why I ice people out sometimes, and act like a snob. Emilia- I admire your ability to cope with something that bothers you without turning on other people. That’s what I’ve been hiding.” Katie was the first to speak.

“And we all thought you were a self-centered brat!” she exclaimed.

“Katieeee,” Sara groaned, softly punching Katie in the shoulder.

For once since dad passed away, I felt good. Like I belonged. It felt good.

The feeling you belong is one of the best feelings ever.

Emilia McQuinn

I had a sister again, and it was more wonderful than I remembered. I told the gang about us, as did Sara, Malia and Kalliope. Kalliope’s story was so sad. We all were sitting there quietly when Sara called,

“Guys, do any of you remember why we were here to begin with!? Let’s party!” We all laughed. Leave it to Sara to think about partying at a time like this. Our party was great. We all hung out and had the time of our lives.

But in the back of my mind I had the constant reminder that in just ten more days until the contest began.

Maila Eliss

The next seven days were like the calm before the storm. Kalliope went back to her group. Sara and I went back to our friends at tables right next to each other. The only change was Katie. She sat with Emilia and the other student government kids.

On the eighth day, the storm hit.

Katlin “Katie” McQuinn

Two days before the contest Ms. Letterman called us in during yard. She told us a lot of stuff about the contest. It pretty much all went over my head, but Emilia claimed that she knew I wouldn’t be paying attention, and took notes for me. Here they were:

  • We all will go out and bow, but only the performer (you/Katie) will deliver the speech.

 

  • DRESS NICELY

 

  • The actual contest is at 3 p.m., but we should get there at 11:30 a.m.
  • There are going to be hundreds of people there

The next day, we got called up to rehearse.

Throughout rehearsal I thought about how I fear tomorrow.

Sara Ann Jones

Kalliope and I arrived first. Her usually colorful hair was black as night. She was wearing tall brown boots and a black dress. Dangling from her ears were long silver chains. She looked even more fearless and intimidating than usual. How could that be?! Me, you ask? I was wearing a denim dress with tiny white polka dots. I actually brushed my hair that morning. Can you believe it! Maila came in next.

“Oh my God! You look amazing, Maila” Kalliope gushed. Maila blushed a little. I completely agreed with Kalliope. Maila looked stunning, and nothing like the shy little girl we began the project with.

“Thank you. You guys look great as well,” Maila replied sweetly. Then Emilia and Katie entered the auditorium. They didn’t dress the same, or do their hair the same, but that was what made them look so at ease. Just as they reached us, Ms. Letterman bustled out of one of the doors.

“Ready, girls?” she said. We all nodded.

“Well then, let’s go.”

I was more terrified that I had ever been, and more thrilled than I had ever been.

Kalliope Howard

We walked into a huge room filled with other teams. I was so scared! Ms. Letterman told us that teams would be called out one at a time to rehearse, and then perform. It all happened so quickly. We sat around for a bit, then until they called Katie. She went in and out quickly. We sat for a little while longer.

“The Stoneybrook Superstars,” called the announcer. This was it. We stood up.

I was so afraid.

Emilia McQuinn

It was our turn. Katie walked to the mic nervously. Her shoulders were hunched and her fists were clenched. She began to read and recite. I hadn’t heard the speech before; only Kalliope and Katie had seen the complete and published thing.

It was beautiful.

Katlin “Katie” McQuinn

“Good afternoon, all. When I was a really little kid, I had a gerbil. I really loved that gerbil. But it being a rodent and all, it died, and I lost it. I was really upset, but life went on and I stopped mourning the loss. But it was hard anyway. My friend Kalliope lost her father and had a hard time with it. I don’t blame her. She was close to her father. She adjusted, and while it was hard, she has done it. She dealt with it bravely. This is something that I hadn’t learned to do then, when I was a little. I wish I had. Thank you.” I said.

We went back to the waiting room after giving our bow. As soon as we got there, Sara took of her shoes, and groaned softly, “These things are medival torture devices” she grumbled.

We sat there for what seemed like hours, but it probably was like 20 minutes. During that time, we all did one of the following;

  • Bit our nails
  • Talked A TON
  • Sat and ignored everyone
  • etc..

Then someone said,

“All teams report to the stage. We are announcing the winner.

What if we weren’t the champions?

Emilia McQuinn

I couldn’t breathe. I was petrified onstage. I wanted to be chosen so badly. I wasn’t listening to the announcers. Until I heard the words, “In third place, the Fairfield Falcons!” There was a loud whoop from the back of the stage. The Falcons went up for their medal.

“In second place, the Hartford Heroes!” More cheering. Why couldn’t they just get to first place. The auditorium felt strangely claustrophobic.

“And in first place, for the gold is……… the Stoneybrook Superstars!” Oh my God. I couldn’t believe it. That was us! We all turned towards each other. Only Sara could speak. She let out an ear-splitting whistle. The rest of us regained ourselves, and started cheering.

“And that’s all for today, folks! Superstars, Heroes, Falcons, see you in Boston!” the announcer hollered into his microphone over the noise.

We were going to Boston for round two!

Epilogue

After the contest, things mostly got back to normal, but the experience changed them all a bit. Obviously, Emilia and Katie were together a lot, but Maila could be found playing basketball with Sara, and not against Maila’s will! Kalliope was a little more relaxed around people, and got rid of her dumb haircut. She was able to recognize that her dad would never come back, and accept it. Sara’s team made it to the championships, but didn’t win them. She took it surprisingly well, at least after cursing at the opposing team loudly for five minutes. After the contest, Maila got the recognition she anticipated. All was well. Until the Boston contest…

The Old Man and the Soda

There once was an old, cranky man. He did not enjoy his job where he would sit at the base of Mauna Loa and sell soda. He had learned all the languages of the world, as he met customers that would climb up to the top and look at the volcano. His whole life he spent sitting at the soda stand. He had been sitting there since he was old enough to talk. He never attended school, never had friends, and never had a passport. He never left this area of 10 by 10 feet.

He had a small house at the back of the stand where his entire family lived including his aunts, cousins, and great-grandchildren. They always had water to drink and mush to eat. Never did they eat or drink anything else, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They were very poor.  

One day, his family grew rich and moved out into a penthouse in New York. The poor man asked to live with his family and get a share of the money.

The family replied, “Never in a million years. Not if you were the last person alive.”

He was still the old poor man at the soda stand.

One day he felt so sorry for himself, he opened a soda and it made the hissing sound soda always made. The old man never heard this sound, which is why he jumped with fright from the soda. The sound eventually stopped like it always did.

He took a sip of Sprite and it sizzled in his mouth. This was the best minute in the old man’s life. He finally felt happy. With this happiness, he climbed up to the top of the volcano. He was amazed in that moment. He decided to travel the world. To travel the world, he would need a passport. Having no money, he could not buy a passport. He swam over to New York to ask his family to lend him 100 dollars to buy a passport. Of course his family was a little crazy during the move, so he felt he had a good chance.

The family said, “No way!” and told him they did not want anything to do with him.

Sadly the old man walked home kicking a stone along the path. Going through his head was, why would his family be so rude to him? He had supported them till they got all rich, making them food and all.

Once he arrived home, he sat down and counted his money. He had only twenty dollars saved up. He decided to tell the tourists his story and hopefully they would donate extra money. He tried this plan the next day.

The next day he told a French tourist, “Bonjour voulez-vous un soda? Et voulez-vous faire don de l’argent supplémentaire pour moi afin que je puisse voyager dans le monde et obtenir un passeport s’il vous plaît. Je suis allé dans ce domaine toute ma vie entière,” which translates to, “Hello would you like a soda? Would you care to donate extra money to me so I can travel the world and get a passport, please? I have been in this area my whole entire life.”

The tourist replied, “Sûr pourquoi pas et j’espère que vous obtenez de parcourir le monde,” which means, “Sure, why not? I hope you get to travel the world.”

The old man was happy once again. He jumped up as high as his old man legs would let him, which was only like 3 inches high, but it was still a jump of joy. He gave a high pitched squeal like one of a little girl — the first one of his entire life.

The old man continued to ask the tourists, but not all people gave him money, especially not the New Yorkers. They said he was just a regular hobo selling soda. He was just cleaner and had a lot more clothing.

Over a long time, he gained up enough money for a passport and a boat. He traveled all over the world all from North America, South America,  Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia, across the Great Wall of China, and finally, Antarctica. He felt his life was complete. His heart was settled. He thought he would want to do more, but he felt happy. He forgot completely about his awful family. He missed his stand and wanted to go back to his customers, so he went back to his little old soda stand and continued selling soda at the volcano, feeling happy and telling all the customers his story and recommendations of where to go.

He is still at the base of Mauna Loa Volcano. If you go to Hawaii, you can still see him sitting there at the volcano, and he will tell you the story of his life.

Two Sides of A Coin

 

Prologue – 1936

Introductions

Part 1 – Johan Volkhardt

War… Death… Disappearance… Economy…These are all the difficulties that young Johan Volkhardt faces every day of his life. It’s World War II, a time of great danger for many, but that’s just one of the main worries that Johan faces. Not only has the war started, but he also has lost his father, leaving his family in a poor state. Young Johan has to learn to help his family and cope with this horrible situation. But he has one hope: the war could soon end…

Part 2 – Prison

Far away from the city of Munich where he once lived, Johan’s father is full of despair. He was forcibly taken from his home after he refused to join the war and fight. Now he’s in a concentration camp with no hope of escape… just wishing that his family is alright….

Chapter 1 – 1938

Two Sides of A Coin

Part 1 – Heads

“Johan! Get up from that bed now or you won’t get any breakfast!” called Gertrude Volkhardt, his mother.

It was late into the day and he had overslept after such a hard day’s work the day before. “Coming!” he shouted back. He got off of the creaky bed and went down the thin, narrow staircase. As he got downstairs, he saw his younger sister, Ann, at the table with a bowl of small green vegetables and wearing a look of disgust. Cabbage soup again… he thought. Although he truly didn’t like it, he already knew he had to eat it or he wouldn’t get anything at all for the rest of the day. After eating the disgusting soup, which he thought barely had any flavor, he got to work. He went to the back of the house and got his old, battered bicycle from two years before. People often said that he hadn’t grown much during that time. Maybe it’s the bad nutrition, he thought.

Part 2 – Tails

“Get up you foul beasts! And get to work,” called an officer. Wilhelm Volkhardt opened his eyes just a crack. The room was dark with little air passage through it, and the strong smell of sweat was stagnant. Several others were there, but he could barely see them. Wilhelm tiredly and slowly got up; he was starving. After a while, the sealed door was opened, and all the prisoners came out. In the sunlight, it was a lot easier to see him. He had an appearance similar to that of his son: blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and extremely thin.

Chapter 2 -1938

The Usual Routine

Part 1 – Delivery

Johan mounted his old, rusted bicycle and went off. He was off to deliver resources to the church about ten blocks away. Most times he was paid $1 for going on the trip. It wasn’t much, but even in such a poor state, it seemed like a miracle. $1, he thought, each time; every bit helps. He pedaled back home and gave his mother the money, then he went back out to try and help others and to try and earn more money. On his way around, he saw his friend, Olaf Bechtholdt, on the road. He was a blond haired boy, with brown eyes and a thin smile. It seemed like he didn’t want to be bothered: he had his head lowered and a serious expression on his face, but he came up to him anyway. “Hallo, Olaf,” he shouted as he passed by.

He didn’t respond. Just when he was about to round the corner, “Hans, get over here…” he whispered. Johan always hated that nickname, but he knew that it must be something serious.

“What is it, Olaf?” Johan asked.

Part 2 – Horror

Tiredly walking to the eating area, Wilhelm looked around. Several dead bodies were being pulled out of the room where he was just in. Officers quickly pulled them out looking disgusted. He shivered—that has happened many times and he still hadn’t gotten used to it. He slowly made his way to get food. There was barely anything to eat. He would usually only get a piece of bread (approximately weighing 300 grams), and if he was lucky, he would get a bit of cheese and potato skins. The bread was supposed to last for a whole day and the next morning, but that seemed impossible with all the hunger they had. Sometimes, prisoners had to steal pieces of bread from the deceased to live.

Chapter 3 – 1939

WAR!

Part 1 – Departure

Two years have passed since his father was taken away. They hadn’t heard anything from him. It seemed like just yesterday that his father was taken away to Johan. A few days after he refused to join the war, a bunch of Nazi officers came into their home and carried him out forcibly. One year had passed since Olaf had told him that his father died. He expected it would happen at some point. Their family was starving. Then one day, in the middle of the winter season, Johan Volkhardt received news. It wasn’t from his father, but it wasn’t good news either.

To whomever this corresponds,

You have been drafted to the

war. Depart your home in a week and

make your way to the army.

Johan, who turned sixteen years old this year, was being drafted to war.

“Remember, Ann, I’m leaving and you must do your best to help Mama,” Johan reminded his younger sister.

She broke into tears. “Do you… do you really have to leave?” she whimpered. “If I don’t go, the same thing that happened to Papa will happen to me,” he solemnly responded.

Part 2 – A Form of Escape

“Volkhardt!” called the officer. “Get over here!”

“Yes, sir…” Wilhelm groaned. Slowly walking up to him, he thought, What could it be? Am I going to die today? Once he got there, the officer started talking.

“We’ve heard news, Volkhardt…” Please tell me I’m not going to die… “Today, you’re going to be…” Killed? “..drafted to war.” I knew it, I knew…

“What did you say sir?” Wilhelm asked.

“Are you deaf, Volkhardt? I said, you’re going to war!” That’s just as bad…

Chapter 4 – 1939

Struggle

Part 1 – Survival

The next week, Johan left his head lowered, breaking through the wind and snow, wondering what would happen. He didn’t bring much, just the clothes he was wearing. It has a long way to go, so there was plenty of time to ponder over events. It was finally time to leave his home. Now it would be much harder for his family to survive, with only his younger sister and Mama there to earn money. Both men had left. He hoped they’d be ok and he could come back soon…

Part 2 – Into The Unknown

Guess I’ll have to leave now… Wilhelm thought. At least I could escape this horror for a few days, but war is just as bad… Wilhelm left the day after he heard the news. He had nothing so he wouldn’t really need anything to bring.

Silence on the road, away to war…..

What will happen to Johan and his father? Will they die at war? Will they be able to escape?

 

Bonus:

Ann’s Story – A First Person Story

Ann was a minor character in this book, but she has her own story to tell…

I was just 7 years old when my father was taken by the Nazi army. After that, I was only left with my caring older brother and mother. The house was pretty empty without him. It left us all extremely sad. I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have a brother like Johan. As soon as Papa was gone, he helped us as much as he could: taking care of me as a brother should and helping Mama earn money to help us survive. Now, 3 years have passed and it’s his turn to leave. I don’t know what we’re going to do, but I sure will miss him….

 

The Stranger

Once someone had figured out what was happening, it was too late. An earthquake hit London at precisely the wrong time. Panic filled the streets as people hurried towards the port, hoping to be lucky enough to be able to sail away on a ship. But Mother Nature said no. Unluckily enough, the earthquake had caused a tsunami, and the tsunami had destroyed all ships but one.

Hurriedly, the Griffiths family ran towards the last remaining ship; they were running their hearts out, but it wasn’t enough. The deadly combo of the earthquake and the tsunami were going to hit and kill them any second now. The last boat was rocking side to side, aggressively in the furious waves. The desperate family had given up all hope; they started their prayers silently to themselves. Then, with no warning, the last ship was hit hard by the waves and was knocked onto the port and fell on top of the Griffiths, enclosing them with no escape. At first, the family thought this would be the end, so they closed their eyes to not see the horror taking place. When they woke up, it was complete silence.

They crept out of the ship and took a step onto the rocky foot path. Janine, who was age eleven and the only girl sibling in the family, immediately pulled her foot back when she discovered that she had been standing on a dead body covered in blood. Jacob, ten, was checking his phone for any tweets or texts (he was addicted to his phone.) Then, as ridiculous as it sounds, he decided to take a selfie. Kevin, thirteen, was a high-achieving, popular person. He had all the “spotlight” according to Jamie, who was only eight. Their mother and father were hard-working people and had earned more money than you can ever imagine. Their mother was named Lucy and was forty-one; their father, Lucas, was two years older than their mother and was a brave and courageous man. Sadly, their grandparents (Lucy’s parents) had gone missing the day before the earthquake, which was also the day they lost the knife.

The knife was a precious item that was one of the major money-earning items their parents had made. It was a razor-sharp weapon combined with some of the strongest materials ever discovered. The knife could easily cut off your hand with no problem at all. It could also slice a door in half as if it were a piece of paper. It was so extraordinary, that someone had even offered the price of three billion dollars (!!) for the knife. But the Griffiths knew that if it belonged in the wrong hands, it could seriously cause some trouble, so they kept it to themselves… until now… The Griffiths were on a holiday in Hawaii, but when they came back, the first thing they did was check on the knife. As they did the secret combination, they opened the safe and found that the knife was missing! Their mother was so mad because of this theft, she refused to talk about it for the rest of the day. Everything was silent.

Now, back to the present. The Griffiths sprinted back to their home to check on all their precious belongings. They were all shattered to pieces in an unusual way; it seemed like it was man-made. A few things were left though, like clothes, food, etc. The family gathered the remaining belongings and went off to find shelter someplace else. On the way, a heavy storm took place. Rain poured from the skies above onto the Griffiths, but they continued on with their journey nevertheless with great courage. Jacob stopped suddenly and requested the whole family to wait for him. He then got out his phone and took a selfie and posted it on Facebook saying, “Check out this storm!” Annoyed, his father pulled Jacob’s hand and made Jacob drop his phone, which broke in the fall.

“Now look what you’ve done!” exclaimed Jacob angrily at his father.

“This is about survival! Not your useless, little phone!” replied Lucas.

With an offended look, Jacob stuttered, “M-my phone is n-not u-useless…”

“Oh, shut up!” shouted Lucas.

Caught off-guard, Jacob was surprised at how angry his father was, so he took a step back, tripped on a stick, and fell on the floor. When he was getting up, the floor formed a sinkhole, and Jacob fell right through and landed on his face. He got a scar from that twenty-feet drop. His face was bleeding, and he was screaming desperately for help, but he could not be heard due to the sound of the pouring rain and the raging storms. Then, out of nowhere, there was a sound of a stick cracking behind the Griffiths. They all turned to where the sound had occurred; there was no one. When they turned back, Jacob was gone, and there was not a soul to be seen.

Frightened, the Griffiths pelted away from the sinkhole and tried to find some shelter. That night, they all sent their prayers to Jacob and hoped he was well. They made a hut out of sticks, wood, and leaves…

Jacob’s eyes burst open, or should I say “eye” since his other eye was bruised and battered and could not be opened. He looked around the room. It was a small-sized cave. The cave was quite cold though, and had mold on the walls.

“Ah, I knew you were awake,” said a rough voice coming from nowhere.

“W-who are you?” squeaked Jacob.

Then, out came a man in an iron suit with scratches and holes in it. “I’m the one who took you away when you fell into that sinkhole. Did you know that sinkhole wasn’t actually a sinkhole? It was a trap I laid for your family. I was hoping that your parents would fall in though, but you fell instead. You’re quite useful actually… You could help me attract your family.”

Jacob shuddered at the thought of his family falling into this trap set up by this despicable villain.

“By the way, remember how your grandparents disappeared the day before the earthquake? Well, here they are…” Then, he stepped aside to reveal Jacob’s grandparents, bruised and covered in blood and locked in a cage. They were whimpering until they saw Jacob.

His grandmother exclaimed, “Oh, dearest Jacob! You’re so big now! Not when you were four, you were tiny back then! You’ve grown so much! I’m so glad to…”

But she was cut off by the villain. “Silence!”

But he was not to be heard. Jacob’s grandparents kept talking to him and ignoring everything else happening around them; they were extremely glad to see Jacob.

“That’s it. Say goodbye, you fossils.” The villain then opened the cage door and whipped out a weapon.

At first, Jacob didn’t recognize the item he was holding, but then he peered a bit closer and noticed the villain was holding the knife! His grandparents seemed to know it as well and were frightened at first. They knew that if they didn’t fight, they were going to die for sure. If they did fight, they might actually survive. No matter how desperate Jacob was to join the fight, he couldn’t do it due to the fact that there were chains holding him back.

The two elderlies jumped from their cage floor and pounced on the villain at high speed. The villain didn’t expect the grandparents to be so quick and was knocked over in surprise. The villain muttered something under his breath and elbowed Grandmother in the solar plexus. She fell down onto the floor in pain. He raised the knife above his head and steadied himself. Then, he swung at Grandmother, but he was disrupted when Grandfather tackled the villain. But the villain was ready for an attack and swung the knife randomly at Grandfather. Sadly, the knife sliced Grandfather and killed him. Grandmother immediately stopped and became very mad due to the death of her husband. She pounced on the villain like a tiger, but missed ever so slightly and accidently dived on the end of the knife. This left the married couple both dead…

At this point, Jacob thought there was no more hope: the despicable man was going to murder him any second now.

“W-who are you?” questioned Jacob while holding back tears.

“Me?” the man asked, then laughed an evil laugh. “I… I am the Stranger…”

“I don’t… I don’t believe you… ” gasped Jacob. The Stranger had been known for over twenty years for some of the worst crimes ever committed, and this one might be one of the worst. And with that, the Stranger stormed out of the room.

***

In the forest, Jamie moaned, “How long more do we have to keep searching?”  

“Until we find Jacob,” replied his father.

The Griffiths were using one of their first inventions, DNA tracker 2000, to find Jacob. The DNA tracker 2000 was a device that could track someone by putting in something like their blood, hair, etc. into the machine. It would beep when you were near the person you were trying to find. They had been searching for hours and hours for Jacob, but they had no result. Then, with no warning, it started beeping.

Beep, beep, beep.

Anyone could hear it. The Stranger mumbled quietly to Jacob, “Move, move. Follow me.” Jacob obeyed. They ran to a different room full of potions and liquids that nobody had ever heard of. “Sit down on this seat,” ordered the Stranger.

“But… ”

“Now.”

So Jacob did. The Stranger got out a jar of gooey, purple liquid and took out a handful. He spread it over Jacob like sunscreen, and then said, “Finished. Now they can’t track us with the DNA tracker.”

Jacob couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been to follow the Stranger and do what he said. He then decided to plan an escape plan to get out of the cave and be in the safe arms of his family.

Meanwhile, the Griffiths noticed the beeping suddenly stopped, and a confused look appeared on their faces. On one hand, they were relieved that Jacob was still alive and was close. On the other hand, they were annoyed that Jacob had disappeared when they had finally tracked him down. They decided to go back to their newly made home and roasted some dead animal body parts, which they had hunted down earlier, on top of a fire. That day, they ate roasted pig and cow meat, which was surprisingly tasty. Afterwards, the Griffiths settled themselves in their own sleeping bags and slept a heavenly sleep.

In the cave, Jacob was thinking up a risky plan. He first thought about stealing the knife from the Stranger while he was sleeping, and then slicing the door to get out (there was a lock on the door), but it was too risky and had a low chance of success. Then, he thought about stealing one of the Stranger’s potions — surely he had an acid potion — then, using it to melt a hole in the wall to climb out because using it on the door would cause too much noise. Finally, Jacob decided the best plan would be to go to the Stranger’s stash of items that he had stolen (he must have had a phone in there), and then he would contact his parents with a quick text about where he was.

So Jacob got up from his rock-hard bed, given to him by the Stranger, and cautiously crept over to a room labeled “Weapons.” Jacob shook his head while thinking, Nope. Wrong room, because he was already too obsessed by the idea of getting another phone. He then crawled over to another room, this time labeled “Storage room.” Jacob thought this must be the right room, so he slowly opened the door. The door creaked a little, so he slowed it down even more. Then, before his eyes, Jacob saw a large room full of precious and important goods and items. Jacob scrambled around the room, hoping for a discovery of a phone. After a few minutes of searching, the desperate child finally found a slightly cracked Apple iPhone. Silently celebrating, Jacob turned on the iPhone to discover it had run out of battery! Cursing under his breath, Jacob continued to seek for a working phone. Sadly, even after an hour of searching, Jacob had no result. Giving up all hope of finding a phone, Jacob walked out of the room with a long face, but tripped over something and fell with a surprise. But luckily, Jacob managed to save himself from the fall by landing in a push-up position. Angry, Jacob tried to find what he fell on and found out he tripped over a phone! Excitedly, Jacob turned on the phone, and to his surprise, it was on! But Jacob’s happiness was quickly interrupted by the footsteps of the Stranger, so he immediately ran to his bed and hid the phone in his shirt.

The next morning, Jacob woke up with a sense of elation. The Stranger was in his secret room, which he basically never came out of, doing God-knows-what while having no idea what Jacob was secretly up to. The ten-year-old got out the phone and pulled the blanket over his head, preventing himself from being seen. He then put in his father’s phone number and sent a text saying, “Hey dad. It’s Jacob. I’m fine. I’m in a cave underground where u found me with the DNA tracker. The Stranger captured me.” Jacob thought they’d understand, so he hid the phone in a specific spot in the storage room where it would be easy to find next time.

Back in the forest, Lucas Griffiths’ phone started rumbling. Mr. Griffiths fished his hand in his pocket and brought out his phone, which had a text from an unknown phone number. But the text was in the style Jacob wrote in, so he knew Jacob was alive and well and hoping for help. Mr. Griffiths then decided it would be best to show every other family member, so he did.

“Well, what are you waiting for?!” exclaimed Mrs. Griffiths. “Let’s go!”

“Hold on,” said Kevin. “Shouldn’t we be prepared when we break into the cave? Isn’t it a bad idea to run into the cave of the Stranger?”

Embarrassed, the mother of the Griffiths family replied, “Oh, yeah… Um… You’re right. We should be prepared… Um…”

***

1 month later…

The Griffiths family were armed and prepared to break into the cave that the stranger was living in. They had weapons and wore armour. They stood in front of the door to the cave with a rock to throw onto the door as a distraction.

Meanwhile, Jacob was lying on his bed while he daydreamed about futuristic computers. Suddenly, something hit the door. The Stranger stomped over and slammed the door open impatiently, but there was no one there. But as the Stranger turned around and was about to walk back in, the Griffiths family ambushed him and knocked him over aggressively.

“Augh!” screamed the Stranger. But he quickly recovered and swiped at Kevin.

Kevin managed to dodge it, swipe back, and scrape the villain’s armor slightly with his knife. The Stranger was annoyed he was losing a sword fight to a thirteen-year-old, but he was impressed. He then moved on to attack Jamie, since he was a small boy who was short for his age. The evil man tried to kick hard at Jamie, but missed due to the size of the boy and slipped on the rocky floor. Then, Janine, who was a shy girl, jumped on top of the Stranger and swung at his face with her fist and hit him hard in the nose. The villain’s nose had started bleeding atrociously and covered his face in blood. His nose was probably broken.

The family celebrated their victory over the greatest villain of all time, and everyone was glad to have Jacob back. As they were leaving, Jacob suddenly said, “Guys. Can you wait here for a second? I need to go to get this phone I stole from the Stranger.”

Everyone sighed except for Mr. Griffiths, who just grinned and said, “Classic Jacob” under his breath so no one would hear. Then, he replied, “Sure.”

Jacob then raced back to the cave. But when he ran into the storage room, he thought for a minute about what would have happened if he wasn’t so obsessed with his phone. All this probably never would have happened, but his thoughts were interrupted by a cold voice from behind him that said, “Ah. There you are.”

Jacob whipped around, and there stood the Stranger alive and (not) well. “H-how did you survive?” questioned Jacob, frightened.

“Did you really think a punch from a puny little girl would kill me?” laughed the Stranger evilly. “Now, say goodbye, Jacob,” whispered the cold-hearted villain.

But as he was about to swipe at Jacob, a dagger went through the villain, and the Stranger screamed, “Nooooooo!! I’ll be baaaaack…” Then, he was gone. When the Stranger fell to the floor, there stood Mr. Griffiths.

***

2 years later…

The Griffiths family moved to New York City shortly after the death of the Stranger. Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths remained the same. Kevin started playing hockey, and Janine became warrior-boy-like. Many thought she’s a tomboy. Last of all, Jacob despised phones and computers; instead, he fell in love with TVs…

But meanwhile, in the streets of London, there was a baby ready to be taken from its mother’s stomach. It was kicking desperately to break out into the free world. Then, once it was finally taken out, it was as joyful as you can imagine. After the married couple and the newborn baby left the hospital, they spent quite some trying to find which name would be most suitable for the child. Finally, when they decided on what name they should give, the mother delivered the news.

“Hey there little guy, you know what your name is?” asked the mother sweetly. “Well, your name will be Jacob. Jacob Griffiths.”

And the little Jacob Griffiths will soon discover his obsession with phones that will nearly end his life…

Bad luck never ends…

The end (Or is it…)

The Mysterious Box

One scorching, hot day, a little girl named Katie with beautiful, blonde hair, was wearing a blue dress with white polka dots. Her mother was wearing a striped shirt and a black skirt. Her mother took her on a walk to Central Park because they wanted to stretch their legs. On their way they passed an elegant shop that had all different kinds of things from different countries.

They noticed stuff like a chair from India, a chest from France, a vase from China, and a dress from Africa. Everything looked fragile. The door had a dusty, golden doorknob. They continued walking towards Central Park, but at the end of the window, there was a gap… Something was shining.

Katie’s mom stopped and said, “Katie come back.” Katie’s mother wanted to take a look inside because something caught her eye that she thought was really outstanding.

Katie wasn’t sure what it was, so she decided to take a look anyways. Inside the store, Katie’s mother saw a soft, pretty scarf, and on the scarf was a whole lot of animal patterns mixed up with jewelry.  

Katie’s mother decided to buy it, and she brought it to the counter. While she was paying, her daughter heard something calling to her. A whisper was coming from an old, mysterious, familiar box. The box was wooden and had two diamonds on each side. It was right by where the mixed up animal scarf was. She thought in her head that she’d seen it before.

When she was going to open it, the shopkeeper asked politely, “Please don’t open that box,” because he was scared. But Katie just ignored him because she was really curious what was inside. So she opened it…

But nothing was inside. It was 12:30 when they went out of the shop. Owls were hooting loudly. Katie and her mother went back to their fantastic home and went to sleep by themselves quietly. Everyone in the house was asleep except for one person: Katie. She couldn’t sleep because of the box.

She kept on thinking and thinking, What could be inside? She thought, It’s impossible to hear people calling your name when there’s no one there. Katie knew she had to go back to the shop. Katie was awake the whole night.

After that night, Katie asked her mother, “Can we go to that shop again?”

Her mother explained, “The shopkeeper doesn’t want you going there anymore.”

But Katie begged her. And eventually, her mother said, ’’Yes you can go,” because she was getting annoyed by her daughter asking this question every day and every second!      

They went off to the shop, and as soon as they arrived inside, Katie rushed right next to the mysterious box and opened it. This time, she fell inside the old, dusty box and found herself somewhere else. Katie felt really scared. She was trembling.

Katie found herself in a forest with rainbow trees and mixed-up animals where different parts of their bodies were switched. For example, a face of a dog, a body of a snake, hands of an elephant, and legs of an ant. All the animals were really surprised, and the trees looked very excited. The animals were all staring at Katie because the animals had an orb where they could see what was happening in the old, careless shop. The animals had had the orb since they were babies. In the beginning, when they were still babies, they would almost knock the orb down. But their parents caught them every single time. When they were older, they knew that they could see the inside of the shop, so they started to be more careful. Every day, they had looked for Katie. They knew Katie was the person that the king wanted to join their army.

They were all surprised to see Katie, but there was one animal who looked very polite and gentle and kind, who told her, “Go see the king.” The polite, gentle animal told her, “Just follow one path, and you’ll find your way.”

Katie only walked for five minutes, when she found a person who was wearing armor stuck next to a leafy tree. Katie said, “Hello sir?” He did not answer. She said louder, “Hello sir?!” He still did answer. So she decided to investigate the man carefully!

She saw that he had a dangerous knife through his left leg, so she took it out and his eyes lit open as quick as a lightning bolt. A witch had turned the sword into a magic sword that made him fall asleep for one thousand years.

One thousand years earlier, the man had killed the witch’s sister trying to defend himself. Right before the witch had stabbed him, he heard her say, “The only person who will be able to save you is the person who can kill me.” The man had waited one thousand years for Katie to come to save him. Katie had faced loads of hard challenges already in her life. Once, she got in a big fight with her mother and had gotten abandoned at a store. Another time, she got lost at a playground and had to find her own way home. As soon as the man saw her, he knew Katie was ready to kill the witch.

Katie asked the man, “How come you were stuck next to this tree?”

The man replied kindly, “A witch stuck me here, and I’ve been waiting for a thousand years.”

Katie said, “My name is Katie. What’s yours?”

The man happily replied, “Joe.”

Katie asked, “Would you like to go with me to see the king of this land? Maybe he can do something for you, like help you stitch that hole in your leg up.”

Joe replied, “Okay. I’ll go with you to see the king!’’

They walked for two days straight. Joe and Katie found two pitch-dark paths that looked the same. They didn’t know which one to go to. They went past the first one. It led back to where they had started. They tried the other one. It led to the place where they had started as well. They wondered and wondered how two paths could possibly lead back to their beginning. It was 11:20 at night so they decided to go to sleep on the cold, wet grass.

The next morning, they thought, Let’s go straight on the grass and see what happens, and eventually, it worked! Joe could see the castle with his very good eyesight. They decided to have a snack break because of their hard work. They had delicious grapes and crispy pretzels.

After they finished eating happily, they felt very comfortable. They lay on the wet, soft grass for 15 minutes!

Eventually, they continued on their way to the king. After two tiring days, they arrived at the king’s beautiful, gorgeous, outstanding palace. The palace was made out of solid gold. It had glimmering gems on the roof. They couldn’t believe their eyes, so they quickly ran to the door…  but unfortunately, there was a person wearing solid gold armor guarding it. Every person that went past the guard noticed a sword hanging down his belt and his remarkably ugly horse next to him. People decided to keep their thoughts to themselves because they didn’t want to get into a big fight with the guard.

Katie asked him, “Can we go inside the palace?”

The guard answered rudely, “No. You cannot go inside the palace. It’s the king’s orders.”

Katie responded in an angel voice, “Please?” Katie thought it would be easy because she was used to her mother saying yes all the time, and her mother knew she was spoiled little child.

The guard still responded, “NO! JUST GO AWAY!”

Katie knew it wouldn’t work anymore because she could see the desperation on the guard’s face. He didn’t want anyone to go inside. Katie turned back and asked Joe for help. They walked away to a big, shady tree and hid in the branches so the guard couldn’t hear what they were talking about!

Katie whispered to Joe, “Can you help us to get inside?”

Joe suggested, “Let’s find the keys to the castle.”

Katie thought that it was a good idea, but she asked, “How are we going to find the keys?”

“Let’s hide, and hopefully another guard will tell this guard where the keys are. Then, we will follow that person, and then, when he leaves we will get the keys!’’

It was late at night, so they decided to go to sleep on the branches of a big tree. Finally, early in the morning, Katie saw the guard telling the other guard where the keys were. She couldn’t believe her eyes! She woke Joe up and told him the good news. Joe was glad as well. He had a big grin on his face. They quickly followed the man, and the man put the keys at the back door. They hid next to some hay, and then as soon as he went away, they sprinted to the keys.

Katie asked Joe, “Now that we have the keys, how do we get inside with the guard there?”

This time, Joe was really worried. He didn’t know either. They went back to the tree with the keys. They thought about how they could go inside. After one week of thinking, Katie thought of something. On the last day of the week, the guards noticed the keys were missing. The person at the front gate ran away because he was so scared that he would get fired because he didn’t keep the keys. Katie woke up Joe again.

They were so relieved that after one week, they finally did it. When the guard ran home, Katie and Joe rushed inside. Everything inside was green except for the path. The path was greenish blue. It led to a fancy door. Katie and Joe were really nervous because they were afraid maybe it wasn’t the king inside the door. So they stood there thinking about who could possibly be inside. After two minutes, they thought the only person that could be in there would be the king because they heard him talking.

Katie opened the door, and there sat a fancy, clean man, and that man was the king…

***

The king’s face turned pale when he saw Katie. He basically wanted to faint because she was the person he was waiting one hundred and two years for, and finally, she came! At first, Katie thought that the man wasn’t the king; she just thought he was a stupid, drunk stranger because he had a ridiculous response when Katie walked inside.

Katie asked, “Who are you?”

Before he could answer he dropped on the cold, dusty, hard ground!

Katie stared at the filthy king. Katie was so scared. She burst out with tears.

But Joe realized there was a letter lying by the King, and then he shouted, “Katie, Katie look there’s a letter, and it says it’s to you.’’

Katie stopped immediately. She went to the letter and…

Dear Katie,

Go out of the castle, walk ten miles, and then, you will find two trees, and one will have a key hanging down from it. Take it, then, go to the next one, put it through a hole, and it will take you to me!

Yours Sincerely,

The Queen

As soon as Katie got the letter, she rushed out the door. Joe didn’t want to go with her because he was scared, so he hid somewhere. After Katie walked for two minutes, she realized Joe wasn’t there. She was shocked by this sight. She was now alone again. She wanted to go back home and just forget all about this, but she had to keep on going if she wanted to go back home. So she continued on her journey. It was only the afternoon, so she found a nice, cozy space by a tree and fell asleep!

The next morning, it was raining hard, and Katie knew that she couldn’t continue on her journey. She decided to stay by the tree another day, but ants were crawling around the tree, so she had to go to another tree.

After two minutes, she finally arrived at another tree. She put her head down and tried to fall asleep because it was raining hard, but she felt something hitting her on the neck. She wasn’t comfortable anymore, so she looked behind her, and there was a fancy, golden, precious key. She wondered if it was the key somebody sent to her. She went for the risk and took it. She ran to the other tree as quickly as a cheetah, and she found three holes. She tried one hole. It didn’t work. When Katie took the key out, it just had some branches and tree sap stuck on it .

She was disappointed and said, “Why isn’t this working?” She started to try the other ones, but the more she tried putting the key into the holes, the more tree sap and branches got on it. She threw the key into a hole in the ground, but Katie missed. Katie sat down on the cold, wet grass. She meditated because she was annoyed about missing. Her face was as red as an apple. Her face was on fire. But when she meditated, she felt calmer. The anger came out of her body.

She was ready to try again. She picked up the key. She stopped and looked at the key. She noticed writing on the key that said: Dear Katie, Good Luck. From, The Queen. She felt very special. Katie was energetic once again. She threw the key in the cold breeze. It flew as smoothly as a bird! It dropped inside the hole. Katie’s smile showed it all. Tears filled her eyes. After a long time, she finally did it!

She curiously walked to the hole to grab the key that was glimmering in the darkness. Her arm got caught by poison ivy reaching towards her. She didn’t mind because she was brave enough. She went to reach for the glimmering key, but something pushed her. She wobbled, but she was okay. Then, the wind began to blow. She was struggling to survive. When the wind stopped, she lost balance, and all of a sudden, she fell into the pitch black hole…

As she fell through the dusty hole, she screeched. She was trying to reach for the sky. She told herself she was invisible because she was really worried, and she wanted to tell herself positive things. But then, she landed on a soft, bouncy, cozy bed. She looked around…

Katie realized that she was at the queen’s outstanding, dusty palace! When Katie looked outside, it was scorching hot. She was confused because it was raining heavily…

At the beginning, Katie thought she had gone to another country or land. She was getting annoyed. Suddenly, she felt startled! Light shone on the colorful, dusty, red throne. Out of nowhere, the gorgeous queen arrived…

The queen was wearing an old fashioned robe and a glimmering golden gown. She was wearing silver, sparkly shoes, and she had a colorful crown.

Katie couldn’t believe her eyes. She was shocked by the sight. The queen’s face turned as white as a cloud. Her legs were wobbling. She was biting her nails. Suddenly, the wind was blowing hard. Katie didn’t know what to say to the queen. She backed up.

The queen was confused. She asked, “Are you Katie?”

Katie responded with a trembling voice, “Y-y-yes.”

The queen didn’t know if she was Katie because she expected her to be very confident. She asked, “Are you really Katie?” Katie took a deep breath and stepped forward and bowed as politely as could. The queen looked at her, and she confidently said, “Stand up.”

Katie tiptoed towards the gorgeous queen and kindly gave her the letter from her broken pocket. The queen stood there. She was frozen with the letter. Katie asked, “Hello? Hello?” Still no answer. She tried one more time…

All of a sudden Katie woke up in a shock in her own room on her own bed. She was pale from shock! Katie looked around. There was no queen, no Joe, no anyone. She asked, “Is anyone there?” No one answered. She asked louder and rougher, “Is anybody there?!”

Katie realized it was all a dream: the rainbow trees, the mixed up animals. It was all a dream. Katie’s eyes were watery. She sighed and flopped over to the other side of her bed. Katie wanted to continue on her journey to earn the gold! Katie tried to go to sleep again. She closed her eyes. She tucked herself in and thought that she was in the land she was in before. It didn’t work. She tried again and again. The more she did it, the more it didn’t work. Katie gave up. Because of this, everyone in the land got sick. Every night, she tried and tried to get back. But after a year, she forgot all about it.

All the people in the land started to fade away because Katie hadn’t come back again…

The end [or not…]

The Bomb in the Building

There are two 14-year-old boys, identical twins named Joe and James, who are complete polar opposites. They hate each other. They fight all day long, nonstop. They gab about each other’s faults to their friends. They both can’t stop making up stupid flaws about each other. These boys are both black-haired and six feet tall. They have black, square glasses. Being so tall, they are extremely clumsy. They trip over things 100 times a day. Being as skinny as sticks, their heads look huge.

They are locked inside a metal room, no place to go, no windows, no light. There is nothing in the room except matches and a piece of paper with a random riddle. They need to work together to find the matches and the paper, and to solve the riddle before ten minutes is up.

Groping through the dark, the two boys don’t find anything on the floor.

“Nothing!” they chorus.

“Hey, don’t bump into me!” cries Joe.

“You bumped into me! That’s your problem,” yells James.

“I don’t have any problems! You’re the one with the problems,” snaps Joe.

“Oh yeah, you bumped into me! Can’t you look where you’re going?!”

“Even if I did bump into you, it’s extremely dark in here. How do you expect me to see where you are? Now, shut up and continue our search for the match and the stupid piece of paper!” shouts Joe.

James is getting red in the face and is feeling around for Joe. He finds him.

“What on earth are you doing?”

Then, it hits him. Joe slaps James back. Soon, it becomes a terrible fight. Punches flying back and forth. They wrestle each other on the ground. The minutes tick by, one minute… two minutes… three minutes. Only four minutes left, and they’re still punching and slapping each other’s face.

They soon are up on their feet. Searching in the dark for the objects, James bumps his head on what he thinks is a wooden cabinet that they hadn’t noticed before. He looks inside. Nothing. He rams into it to see if anything falls off. Instead, it breaks, and he finds a concrete wall instead of metal. Oh, and he also finds the box of matches, which just fell onto his head. He lights one. The riddle is taped on the concrete wall. The wall has a keyboard near it. Joe comes over to the wall where James is standing.

“I guess this door needs a code, the answer to the riddle. Nice work, brother,” applauds Joe as he smiles.

“Thanks, Joe. Now, let’s get to work.”

The riddle says:

My first is often at the front door.

My second is found in the cereal family.

My third is what most people want.

My whole is one of the united states.

What am I?

“I can’t make heads or tails of it, but you’re the dumb one. You wouldn’t get it either,” says Joe.

“Oh really, I’m the dumb one? You were the first one to get an F on a test. In first grade!” erupts James.

They fight once more, now to determine who’s smarter. Only three minutes on the clock. They get up and stop fighting like babies.

“What is often at the front door? Mail? No, that can’t be it. Steps can’t be it either,” ponders James.

Two minutes left.

“A mat, there’s usually a welcome mat at the front door. We have one ourselves,” erupts Joe. “I just don’t get how that matters?”

“We’ll find out soon.”

“When it says ‘the cereal family,’ does it mean the company cereal brand, like Kellogg’s or General Mills, or does it mean the brand from those big companies, like Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops. You get what I mean, right?”

“I get what you mean, but you’re wrong. I think they mean the type of grain that makes the cereal. So it can be rye, barley, or oats. We’ll get back to that,” explains James.

“What most people want is a good education, but you can’t get that without money. Money, that’s what –”

“You’re right, Joe!” interrupts James.

One minute left.

“United States isn’t capitalized, so it can mean uniting together. Could it mean matrimony? Quick, type that in and see if it’s correct.”

James types it in. The door doesn’t open. Instead, written on the screen connected to the keyboard is:

How can you do this?

“What, we need to get married?!”

Second are ticking by. 20 seconds left.

“How on earth are we going to do this? This is the dumbest thing in the world!” erupts James.

Less and less time, ten… nine… eight… seven.

“We’re brothers though, why do we ne — ”

The building goes up in flames.

The flames lick the building to the ground. The fire department gets the warning and rushes to the sight. They warned the fire department that there are two boys stuck inside. The twins’ parents are told about the incident, and they jump in their car and race to the site. They are told that the reason why Joe and James went missing was because a mysterious man grabbed the boys from their rooms to this building. He set a bomb to ten minutes and started it as the boys were dropped in. They needed to find a way out of the building.

The fire department recovers the unconscious bodies from the building and puts them in the ambulance. The ambulance rushes to the hospital with the parents’ 2017 Mercedes E-350 tailing behind.

The boys’ hospital room has white walls with fluorescent lighting, which makes you blind when you first walk in. The boys wake up. They are blinded and can’t see each other. Joe is in agony. The doctor tells him he was fatally injured and might not live for long. They lie in their beds, thinking, thinking.

The last day for Joe has come, and he’s ready for it.

“James, I’ll miss you.”

“No, Joe! Why, Why, Why, Why?!”

James is in tears as Joe leaves the world forever.

Tooth Fairy Trouble

Tooth Fairy Kate is in her house made out of teeth in the clouds. She is making a car out of teeth. Since she’s tiny, her house is small. It’s white because once the fairies get the teeth, they have to clean them so that they can use them. (They have a little factory where the teeth go on a conveyer belt, and they have little workers that brush the teeth.)

She goes to the store to get glue. Her glue is special because it is magical. Once she finishes getting the glue from the store, she goes to her house to put the last piece on the car: a little canine for the door.

She tries out her new car and drives around, but then, the bell in the cloud rings, and it tells her that there’s a kid named Angelina who lost her tooth. Tooth Fairy Kate needs to get Angelina’s tooth. So Tooth Fairy Kate takes her new car and drives to the child’s house.            

She creaks open the window and goes through and sees the bedroom. She finds a tooth in a cup covered with paper, so she takes the paper off, grabs the tooth, and drops off a five dollar bill. She brings her car and puts it on the desk so that she can take a break, but she needs to go to the bathroom. So she flies to the bathroom. She flushes the toilet, and she leaves to go back to the room. There’s a little paper on the desk that has questions for her.

It says, “What’s your last name?”

She writes that her last name is Daisy.

And then, she sees the next question which says, “How do you know when a kid loses teeth?”

She writes on the paper, “There’s a siren that tells you there’s a person who just lost a tooth. It is the child that you choose.”

There’s a little sign on the paper that says, “Here’s a present for you. It’s a purse.”

There’s a little toy purse there for the tooth fairy.

Kate takes her car and drives out, but it’s raining, and she tries to move her car, but the car isn’t working. She gets out of her car, and she dismantles the car. She takes all the teeth and puts it in her little purse that Angelina gave her, which she tries to use to cover her head, but her wings get wet .

She lands, gets on the ground, and tries walking, but there’s stomping feet everywhere. It’s hard for her because she might get stepped on, and the humans are 100 times her size.

She keeps walking, being cautious, and makes sure that she doesn’t stand right in front of somebody and get stepped on. She hangs onto the bottom of a man’s pants, and then he walks into a car, where it’s dry. Kate stays on his pants until her wings are dry.

She makes sure not to get wet and hides inside the ankle of the man’s pants. He goes into a nice building that’s white and big. And then she hears another man say, “Welcome back, Mr. President.”

In Kate’s head, she’s wondering what a president is. Then, she remembers they have President Toothhead back at home, and she’s thinking that maybe he’s this place’s President Toothhead. So she hops out and finds this nice blanket and stays there to go to sleep.

In the morning, Kate finds herself in a room where a little girl is sleeping on a bed, and she’s on a nightstand under a blanket. She hops out from under that blanket and tries to fix her car, but she still needs glue. She has to go see if there is a place where she could find some. She sees that there’s this furry thing under the bed, and it has a collar that says, “Missy.”

Kate says, “It might be a dog. President Toothhead says to always be careful of those things because they might blow your cover.”

She sees the dog, and she gets her wand and taps its head. Then, the dog starts to float because she put pixie dust on its head. The dog starts barking, and the little girl wakes up and says, “What happened, Missy?”

Then, the girl tries to jump on Missy’s back, but Missy is floating. Kate doesn’t want the dog to bark and let the little girl know she is there. She put the pixie dust on the dog’s head so that the dog would only bark because it is floating, not because she saw Kate. Kate knows that this is her chance to escape, so she tiptoes out of the room. But she is too late. The little girl sees Kate and picks her up!

Meanwhile, at Fairytopia, the other fairies are scared and worried if Kate is okay.

Kate is put in a cage, and the girl stares at her. Kate tries to talk to the girl, but since Kate is so small, all of the noise the girl can hear is ringing. Kate takes some paper to draw out what she means. She draws rain, herself with a frowny face because her wings are getting wet, and a cloud with fairies, and a house which is where she lives. Kate labels that, “Fairytopia.” The girl understands and lets Kate out of the cage.

“Hi, my name is Brittnie,” the girl says.

‘’I was wondering if you could let me out, please’’.

Brittnie leads Kate to the window. “Thank you for coming. You gave me an experience I will never forget,’’ Brittnie says.

Kate is happy, and her wings dry. She flies out the window, but before she does that, she reverses the spell she put on the dog.

When she gets outside, she realizes that she needs glue for her car to put it back together. Her wings are not that strong, and they won’t be able to fly all the way back home. She goes back through the window, but for some reason, the girl’s room is already a mess. She cannot find the glue because the room has toys everywhere.

But then, Kate remembers that the glue is in the dresser. She climbs the dresser and falls into one of the drawers. Then, it closes, and she needs to get out! She remembers that she has powers, so she pushes some of her powers against the front of the drawer, and it opens a little. And since Kate’s tiny, she can fit through. And so, she finds the glue, and she climbs down and starts gluing her car back together.

When she finishes gluing the car back together, she takes a test drive to see if it is working. She drives all the way back to Fairytopia. Everybody in Fairytopia is wondering if she is fine. They are worried about her.

Tooth Fairy Kate tells everybody, “I had a hard time bringing the tooth back! You don’t even want to know what happened.”

The end!

Change

“Linda?” I whispered. It was late at night and the storm clouds were brewing.

“What is it, Josie?” she said sleepily.

“I’m scared.”

The thunder boomed loudly. I dove for her bed. I snuggled in and she made room for me. That’s how I spent the night: with my sister.

***

The next day, it was a warm, bright, sunny morning. I listened to the birds chirping their merry tunes as if to say, “Spring is here. Rejoice, oh, rejoice in the glory of spring.” I got ready to throw my frisbee, still listening to the merry tunes, listening to the leaves rustle, and smelling the smell of spring.

I threw my frisbee perfectly, letting it glide elegantly through the air. I got the feeling of being on a roller coaster. In my mind, I was with the frisbee; I was on the frisbee sailing over the green of the park, over the river, past people staring and pointing. I flew through the sharp wind, over stores and restaurants, cars and bikes, towers and skyscrapers. I felt like I was on a roller coaster, gliding elegantly through the air. I was zipping over people, high above city life . . . and then I was back, standing very still in the park, with my eyes watching my frisbee sail through the air.

My sister caught the frisbee. She tossed it back to me. I let it glide through the air. I let it glide over my head, skimming my hair. I let it come to a stop on the bright green grass. I ran to pick it up. I threw it to my sister. She threw it back. She laughed. I laughed. I ran over to her and hugged her tight. She hugged me back.  

“Do you wanna go to the pool?” I asked.

“Do you want to get ice cream and then go to the pool?” she replied, still laughing.

We heard the sound of an ice cream truck and we rushed in the direction of the music. I got a chocolate vanilla twirl and she got strawberry. She paid for both of ours with her pocket money and we skipped off to the pool. We had to finish our ice cream before we went into the changing room.

We both laughed when my sister spilled ice cream on her shoes, because the sole of the shoe said Foolproof. I gave her some of mine. We had fun in the pool, splashing each other until an elderly lady told us to stop. Her mouth was like a lemon, swollen and big. We spent the rest of the time laughing about that.

We decided to go back to the park. While we were relaxing on the green, green grass, Linda got a phone call. I studied her face to see what was going on.

After a long pause, my sister said, “Okay.”

I couldn’t read her face.

She put her phone in the bag, and without saying a word, she began to pack our things.

“Linda? What’s wrong?”

She slowly turned to face me.

She burst out laughing.

“I so got you,” she said, still laughing. We both fell on the grass, laughing and laughing. I felt as free as the frisbee, sailing over the park.

“Who was it?” I asked.

“Mom,” she answered. “She said that we have to go walk the dog.”

This produced a fresh bout of giggles.

Linda had a friend named Peggy. I really liked Peggy. When she came over, Linda, Peggy, and I would go and play. Peggy was a lot like Linda, so you can see why I liked her. She would call me Josie-Rosie and spin around, holding my hands, spinning, singing “Ring Around the Rosie.” It was a lot of fun when Peggy would come over.

I had a friend named Finney. Both of us liked Linda and Peggy. When Linda would have a playdate with Peggy, Finney and I would beg our parents if we could could have one too. One such instance, our parents said no. So I crept up the stairs to Linda’s bedroom, where I knew she and Peggy were hanging out.

I knocked.

No one answered.

I put my ear to the door. They were definitely in there. Maybe I hadn’t knocked loud enough.

I knocked again.

No answer.

I turned the handle. The door was locked. My sister’s door never had a lock. Maybe she got one yesterday; maybe that explains the drilling noise. That confused me. Why would she need a lock?

I ran downstairs to tell Mom, but she just sighed and said, “Your sister just wants her privacy. She’s growing up.”

***

One day, Mom sat us down and said, “Your dad and I are leaving for Spain in a week. We are going to leave you here alone because Linda is old enough to take care of you both for a week. Linda, I’m going to leave money on the table for you to use. Buy food for yourself and your sister. You guys know our phone numbers, so in case of an emergency, you can call us. Do not invite anyone into the house. Linda, we’re trusting you. Josie, behave yourself.”

On the second day that Mom and Dad were gone, Linda broke the rules. And she broke the rules big-time. She invited her gang at school over to have a party in the basement. I rushed to the phone. Seeing me, Linda pulled me aside, her eyes strangely bloodshot and her voice slurred. She said, “Listen up, girl: not a word to Mom, or else . . . ” She let the threat hang in the air. She turned slowly and rejoined the party. I stood in shock. That was not my sister.

At the end of the party, the problem of cleaning up occurred. Linda’s friends pointed at me, jeering, their voices slurred, their eyes bloodshot. The stench of tobacco filled the air. I struggled to breathe.

I ran upstairs.

Up another flight.

I ran past my sister’s room

I ran to my room.

I shut the door.

I sat on my bed.

Crying.

Sobbing.

This was not my sister.

***

The rest of the time that Mom and Dad were gone, every day, Linda would invite Peggy over and they would sit and drink. The smoke from their cigarettes billowed out from under the locked door. Sometimes they would emerge for a snack, stumbling down the stairs, their eyes bloodshot, their voices slurred.

The week without Mom and Dad was horrible. When they came back, Linda got in trouble; the remains of her party still covered the basement. Linda was angry for a week after. She hated me. This was not the Linda I knew. Her room was now off-limits to everyone, including Mom and Dad. They respected that and never went in! Why didn’t they care?

One day, when I knew that my sister was in the bathroom, I crept into her room. Everything seemed normal until I looked under her bed. What I saw made me gasp. Under her bed, tons of alcohol and bags of tobacco and cigarettes were crammed.

Half of me wanted to go tell Mom, and half of me knew that I would get Linda in trouble and she would hate me even more. But I didn’t have to decide.

“What the **** are you doing in my room?” my sister thundered from the doorway. I leapt up. My heart was beating so fast, I thought my chest would burst.

“I . . .”

“Shut up. If you mention a word to Mom, I swear I’ll . . . ” she said. “Get out of my room.”

I didn’t need her to tell me twice. I ran out of her room. I tried to put as much distance between us as possible.

I raced down the stairs.

I sprinted down the hallway.

I bounded down the steps.

I was in the basement.

I stared at the remains of the party.

I remembered my sister and her bloodshot eyes, her slurred voice, the gang jeering and pointing.

I shot out of the basement.

I darted up the steps.

I fled down the hallway.

I scrambled up the stairs.

I tore down another hallway.

I rushed into my room.

I slammed the door.

I cried.

***

A week later, Linda ran away. She left a note. On it, the words, “hate you, not coming back,” were scribbled hurriedly. She took her stash of alcohol, tobacco, and cigarettes with her.

I didn’t know how I felt about her being gone. I missed her old self.

I didn’t know about her new self.

Our house was quiet with Linda gone.

I didn’t really miss her.

That’s a terrible thing to say.

***

The next year passed smoothly and quietly.

I got B’s in most of my classes; I’d never gotten anything else.

Things were really quiet without Linda. My parents were devastated. They constantly blamed themselves for her unhappiness. They looked for her all over. They were still upset even though she took a bunch of money from them. I couldn’t recognize Linda’s room without the constant smoke billowing out from under the door. The house smelt strange without the constant stench of tobacco. It was . . . well . . . different, without Linda.

***

Linda came back on Tuesday, March 17th. She looked really different. She was wearing a simple skirt and top, not at all like the tube top she had been wearing when she left. She looked different without the useless makeup that had covered her face. Now, she had a light covering. She looked more grown-up. Mom and Dad took turns hugging her. She approached me slowly.

I had a horrible flashback of the party; of Linda approaching me slowly with her bloodshot eyes and slurred voice.

I turned and ran.

Up to my room.

I shut the door.

I sat on my bed, crying.

I knew that this Linda was different, but I couldn’t forgive her. I just couldn’t.

The door opened quietly.

Linda came in. She sat on my bed.

For a moment, it was silent. I buried my face deeper in the pillows.

“Josie,” she said. “I am so sorry. I really was horrible to you.”

I ignored her. That was easy to do due to my turmoil of thoughts, each pushing to the front of the line, trying to get attention.

“Josie,” she said again. “I really am.”

I still ignored her. But she should’ve gotten an award for persistence.

“Josie . . .” she tried again.

“Get out of my room.” I hadn’t really meant for it to come out rudely, but it did. Linda got off my bed.

She whispered, “I really am.”

Then she left.

My head was aching for the rest of the day, and the day after that, and so on.

***

About a week later, Linda came into my room with a gift. It was wrapped in the most beautiful wrapping paper, which must have cost her a fortune.

She left the present on my bed. On it was pinned a note: I’m really sorry. I opened her present. It was a camera—the expensive kind that I had begged for on every one of my birthdays.

***

A month later, my thoughts were still in turmoil when Linda quietly came into my bedroom.

“Do you want to go to the park?” she asked.

“No.”

“Do you want to get ice cream and then go to the pool?”

“No.”

“Josie, what do you want to do?”

“Leave me alone.” Again, it came out rudely, but I hadn’t meant for it to.

She left the room.

Ever since Linda had come back, my parents had been treating her like a queen. Well, everyone was treating her like a queen, as if she did something great, running away like she did.

***

One day, I was in the kitchen making myself a peanut butter sandwich when I heard Linda and Mom through the wall. I stopped and crept out of the kitchen. I approached the dining room door and put my ear to it. At first, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, then I heard Mom: “Linda, your dad and I are very proud of you for growing up and coming back. We really missed you.”

“But Mom, I’m not proud of myself.”

“If you’re talking about Josie, she’s just in a shock. She’ll get better.”

“No, she won’t. She has reason to hate me. I’ve tried everything. I even got her that camera that she has wanted for so long. Nothing works. I don’t blame her.”

“Sweetie . . .”

I gritted my teeth.

I sat there for a moment.

Not taking it anymore.

I went up to my room.

It’s wasn’t like I didn’t think she had changed. It was that I couldn’t forgive her for who she was. She seemed different since she’d come back; she seemed more grown-up, not playful, not fun, not the Linda she used to be. Not the Linda I used to love.

I banged my head on the bed. This was not helpful.

Ouch. I misjudged the distance between the bed and the wooden part. Ow.

I hung off my bed, my head almost reaching the floor.
All the blood rushed to my head.

I remembered a warm, sunny morning.

***

It was early in the morning, and I went into Linda’s room. She was sleeping on her bunk. Her bed was like a bunk bed, but it had no under bed. Just empty space.

“Come on, Linda. Wake up.” She stirred in her sleep. “Come on, Linda.”

“Okay, okay, I’m up.”

“What should we do?”

She sat up, a twinkle in her eyes.

“Let’s swing.”

“We don’t have swings.”

“Let’s make them.”

“How?”

“Grab a blanket.” I got a blanket.

“You can tie it to my bed, like this.” She showed me how to tie the ends of the blanket together to make a swing. She got in hers. I got in mine. We swung, laughing, giggling. We swung higher and higher, laughing, giggling.

***

That was it. I remembered no more.

Another memory took its place.

***

It was about to rain. Linda dragged me outside.

“Let’s build a fort,” she said.

The twinkle was in her eyes.

We grabbed chairs, raincoats, some food, and umbrellas. We finished our fort just as the rain started to fall. It had a bedroom and a food storage area. It even had a playroom! Our bedroom began to leak.

“Come on,” Linda said, a twinkle in her eyes.

We ran inside, laughing. We grabbed an umbrella and ran back, laughing, getting soaked. We repaired our fort. We ran outside, getting wet. We ran through the rain, laughing, dancing in the rain. We were soaked to the bone.

***

Another memory.

***

It was snowing. We built a snowman together, and an ice wall surrounding him. We went inside and dyed water with food coloring and splashed it all over our snowman and ice wall, laughing.

Linda had a twinkle in her eyes.

We went inside and had hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Linda had a twinkle in her eyes.

***

I missed that twinkle. I missed it a lot.

That was it. No more memories came to me. That was it.

I missed that twinkle.

I wanted to see it again. I needed to see it again. I had to trust Linda; it was the only way. I needed to see that twinkle.

I ran to Linda’s room.

“Come on, Linda. Wake up.”

She was up in an instant.

“What’s wrong? Is everything okay? Is everyone okay?”
“It’s just me, Linda,” I said.

She just looked at me.

“Can we go to the park?” I asked.

COP CHASE!!

Chapter 1

Kateri, Sam, Andrew, and Kasten were watching 3D Zootopia in comfy, leaned back, reserved chairs. Oops, sorry, I almost forgot about Marisa. She is Kateri and Andrew’s mom. She was there too, of course. Sam and Kasten were not part of the Derman family, but Andrew and Kasten were very close and Sam and Kateri had been friends for as long as they could remember.

“That was a good movie,” said Andrew as they walked out of the theater.

“Yep!” said Sam as they crossed the street. Then… vroom! Two cars came rumbling down the street. Thankfully, the group was safe. They had taken a street safety class together. Kateri, Andrew, Sam, and Kasten jumped on one car and Marisa got on the other. The cars kept on rumbling down the road… in different directions! Sam put his face down on the window and stuck his tongue out at the driver.

“What are you doing?!” asked Kateri.

“Distracting the driver,” replied Sam. “Look.” The car veered into an apartment building. The driver called 911. The car stopped and the ambulance came rushing. Kateri, Sam, and Andrew were not hurt, but Kasten had a big scrape on his arm. He burst into tears. Kateri quickly silenced him. “Hide!” yelled Sam. Andrew dove under the car. Kateri jumped behind a nearby trashcan. Kasten sprinted into a hair salon. Sam dove into a trash can.

“Shh,” whispered Andrew to Kateri, who was giggling from behind her trash can. Sam started yelling at Kateri. Andrew caught words like, “nitwit,” “scandal,” and, “stupid.” The police turned their heads.

“They saw us!” said Sam, “On three, run! One, two, three!” They all piled into the car. Then… BAM!

COP CHASE!! The two cars went rumbling down the street!

“I nicked the police belts,” said Andrew. “I’m quite a good pickpocket.”

“Hardy har har,” said Kateri.

“Hey, who asked you?!”

“Myself!”

Sam snatched the police belts from Andrew. He pulled out the police guns. “Nope! I don’t approve of violence,” said Sam.

“Why not?” asked Kateri.

“Because it’s… violence,” said Sam.

“Look, Sam!” said Kasten. “It’s a fortune telling place! Can we go?! Can we go?! Can we go?!”

“Huh. Okay, Kasten. But only very quickly.”

“I want to see if we’ll ever find Kateri and Andrew’s mom,” said Kasten.

They walked into the fortune telling place. It was called The Seeker’s Revelations. Kasten ran into the studio.

“Have fun!” said Kateri.

They closed the door of the studio. A moment later, Kasten ran out of the studio!

“What happened?” asked Andrew.

“You know what she said?! You know what she said?!” said Kasten. “She said she had a revelation. She said that she knew I was a seeker. She knew I was seeking for Kateri and Andrew’s mother. She said, ‘You will find her again, but you might lose her forever.’”

Sam walked out of the store, leading Kasten by his arm. “I don’t ever want to see that hateful woman again!”

Suddenly, a woman walked out of the studio. “Oh, did you call me hateful? Night will come and I will attack when you least expect it!”

Kateri waved her finger by her ear, creating the cuckoo sign.

“Did you hear me? Night will come, and expect attack will— wait, what?”

“Hahahahaha! Let’s go,” laughed Andrew. They jumped back in the car. The cops were getting really close to them.

“Hey,” said Kateri. “It’s my turn to drive!!”

“Okay,” said Sam. “But remember: we’re in a cop chase, so we have to switch quickly. This is not your normal day whatever,” Sam said as Kateri jumped into the driver’s seat.

Kateri started driving. She drove like she was drunk, even though she wasn’t. The cops were getting really close to them; even closer. Then the police crashed into the beat-up Mercedes Benz.

“Aww…” said Kasten. “I liked that car.”

“Hurry up!” yelled Kateri. “We’re gonna have to jump!!” Sam, Kateri, and Andrew jumped out of the car.

“Run for it!” yelled Sam. “Kasten, hurry up!”

Kasten was scared. He had never jumped out of a moving vehicle before. Sam, Andrew, and Kateri had a lot of experience from their car safety class, but Kasten had been too scared to attend the jumping part. The car went into a tunnel, and Kasten had still not jumped.

Aliens At Mars

Long ago, a group of people were assigned to go on a mission in outer space. Their mission was to try to get past Mars’ atmosphere. But what they didn’t know was, they had visitors on Mars.

The group of people were Noemie, Jeany, Nick, and Jack. On their way to space, they saw the beautiful sun. It looked like looking at a thousand stars and flowers all day long!! There was a camera out of the ship where they could see everything out of the computer. Finally, it was time they were getting closer and closer to Mars!!!

Suddenly, Jack said, “We’re losing contact with earth, man!!!”

Everybody started getting busy. All of a sudden, everybody started pressing buttons and switching switches.They were passing Mars’ atmosphere but they didn’t know it.

It sounded like this, “Vrooooooooooommmm. Beeb, Beeeee, beeb, beeb, beeb, beeb,  beeb, beeb, beeb, beeb.”

They smelled smoke. The smoke smelled like dead meat. The a/c caught on fire, but they put it out before it caused real damage to the computers.

Suddenly, they felt a big bump. Then they stopped doing what they were doing. They landed on Mars!

“YEAH!! We did it, man, we did it,” said Jack.

While they were celebrating, there was a big hole in the a/c. The mother alien quickly crawled in the hole, waiting for her prey. The alien mother was bigger than baby aliens. Aliens have big heads. The humans did not know there was was more than one alien. They also had mouths in their mouths!!!

Noemie, the leader, told Jack to fix the hole in the a/c. Jeany went too. They went together.

Jack looked in the big hole in the a/c and saw a big, humongous, ALIEN!! The alien slowly opened its mouth.

“HELP, MAN!” said Jack. “Help,  help, help, man!!!”

“Hey, Jack, I got the tools to fix the a/c. What do you say we get to work? Jack? Jack? Jack?! Are you playing a joke on me?! JACK!” said Jeany.

“Help!” said Jack.

The the alien zoomed into the pipes leaving a trail of blood!

THE NEXT DAY…

“I’m telling you the truth, Noemie!!! One second Jack was there, the other he wasn’t not! And after he said his last word, ‘Help!’ I saw a trail of blood in the pipes!” said Jeany.

“Stop with your lies. He’s probably pulling another trick on you. And ‘help’ was not his last word. He’s my man,” said Noemie.

“At midnight I did not see him in his bed! You do not think it’s a signal from an ALIEN? People who believe in aliens wrote a book about ‘em. In the book, it said the alien would take a person you care about and eat him/her alive,” said Jeany.

“Hey, guys sorry to interrupt, but we found a dude floating in space. His name is Fernando. Should we bring him in?” said Nick.

“Of course,” said Jeany. “Profile his ID.”

“He has no family. Nothing,” said Nick.

“Can’t be! Nothing at all?” said Jeany.

“Nope. He thought if he went on this mission, he’d get more money. His crew abandoned him in space. They went back to earth without him. He said he saw an alien.”

“I told you that aliens are on Mars, Noemi,” said Jeany.

“He’s lying. Aliens are not real. How many times do I have to tell you this?!” said Noemi.

“Until one of us dies, Noemi. Just wait and see,” said Jeany.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!” yelled Nick. “Something is pulling me into the pipes! HELP!!!”

“Don’t!” yelled Fernando. “If you kill it, it will destroy the ship. It will make a hole in the air container causing us to lose oxygen,” said Fernando.

“Are you crazy?!” said Nick.

“Do you want to kill us all?” said Fernando.

“No,” said Nick.

“The alien has to let go of you at some point. But it will not leave us alone. We have to hurt it once, then it dies by itself. Hit this one ten times. It’s the mom alien,” said Fernando. Then, Fernando shot the mom alien ten times, letting Nick free.

Suddenly, Noemie fell down to the floor. An alien was pulling her in the pipes. Noemi tried to kill the alien, but it was too late. Jeany shot it, but their leader died.

“Who’s going to lead us now?!” said Nick.

“I will!”said Jeany.

“Now let’s let’s go and  kill some aliens!”said Jeany.

“Yeah!!” shouted Fernando and Nick.

So, they ejected into space and went home to earth. The aliens died on Mars. Hooray!!!

Cookie Dough’s Adventures in the Bedroom

One day, when Cookie Dough’s owner was at school and his owner’s parents were at work, Cookie Dough wanted to get some exercise, so he ran on his wheel, but he went so fast that he flung out of the cage and flew into his owner’s upstairs bedroom.

He luckily landed on the bed. Everything was light pink, purple, and magenta. Cookie Dough started jumping. He bounced so high, he almost touched the ceiling.

Cookie Dough stopped bouncing. He turned around. There was a huge bear. Cookie Dough backed up. He was confused, but then he realized that it was a teddy bear. He snuggled up with the teddy bear and fell asleep.

When Cookie Dough woke up, he started exploring the room again. There were dolls, and more stuffed animals, and a dollhouse. He went to explore the dollhouse. He went into the living room of the dollhouse, then the kitchen, then the dining room, which had hamster-sized food on the table. Then he went to the bedroom. Cookie Dough loved the little dollhouse. He jumped out the dollhouse window and onto the bedside table.

Cookie Dough was having lots of fun exploring the bedroom. He went onto the bed and bounced again. Then, Cookie Dough heard someone open the door. He hid behind the teddy bear. Then he heard someone walk up the stairs.  “Cookie Dough,’’ called the voice. “Mom, I lost Cookie Dough,’’ said the voice. He heard the person walk down the stairs.

“Don’t worry. We can get another hamster,’’ said another voice.

“But they won’t be as tiny or as fluffy or as cute. I love Cookie Dough,” said the first voice. Then Cookie Dough realized that it was his owner. He jumped off the bed and slowly went down the stairs.

“Cookie Dough!’’ yelled the owner. Cookie Dough’s owner grabbed Cookie Dough and put him in his cage.

Cookie Dough felt happy that his owner found him. Cookie Dough had a long day. He lay down and fell asleep.    

The Scary Night

The Scary Night

Day 1. January 23, 2010

I just moved into a new house. The house has three floors, including the one under the house (a.k.a. the basement). But… um… the outside of the house looks creepy. It looks abandoned; it sort of looks haunted, but my mom said that it wasn’t, and I believed her. When I went inside, everything was beautiful. The walls are white, and the floor is made out of shiny wood, and the stairs are made out of crystal. I went on every floor, even the attic. The attic looks okay, except I heard a creepy noise, and the same thing happened in the basement. The basement is interesting because whenever we turn on the light, I always feel wind, even when it is sunny outside. It’s dark now. I have to go to sleep. I’ll write how it was for the first night here.

Day 2. January 24, 2010

OMG, I just noticed that today’s my birthday. I wonder what my parents got me. So, yesterday I slept good, except I heard somebody whisper to me, “Be careful.” I got scared, so I quickly went to sleep. But when I woke up, I saw my dad on the floor. I quickly went upstairs to tell my mom. But my mom was unconscious. I called the ambulance. My parents were taken to the hospital. I was left alone. Then the same thing happened to me when I was about to go to sleep.

I heard someone whisper to me, “Haha… you don’t know what just hit you, little girl.”

I felt dizzy, and I fell on floor. The floor was hard and cold. I felt like I was dying. I felt like I was about to die, but I didn’t die. One hour later, my mom came back from the hospital. She found me on the floor. She carried me to my bed. That was the worst birthday ever.

Day 3, January 25, 2010

Yesterday was weird. I really don’t know why I fell on the floor; I just literally collapsed. I think that ghost got to me. My dad hasn’t come back from the hospital. I hope he’s not badly injured. Anyway, my mom is going to visit him again. So I’m going to stay home alone again.

One hour later

Okay, I’m home alone now, and weird things are happening already, and I’m already creeped out. All the lights went out. And something grabbed my foot and dragged me down the stairs. I ran as fast as I could when it let go. I ran into my room. I felt lightheaded; I felt like I was going to die. I locked the door.

Then, again, I heard someone whisper, “You’re gonna die, little girl.”

I screamed and screamed, but it didn’t go away. My mom is coming back tomorrow, which means I have to stay home alone for the night. My auntie lives nearby, so I’ve decided I’m going to sleep over there for the night…

Okay, I finished packing. I walked out the door… but as soon as I walked out the door,  something grabbed me, and I started getting burned up.

I screamed, “AUNTIE, IT’S ME, KAREN! HELP ME PLEASE!!!”

I started to cry because the ghosts were hurting me. I tripped over a piece of wood. I fell and hurt my head. That’s when I heard my aunt coming. Everything was blurry. The ghosts let go. My auntie took me to my bed. I fell asleep.

Day 4, January 26, 2010

My hands were sore. My head hurt. My mom, auntie, and dad were right beside me. I felt safe, but I really wasn’t. I stood up and looked at them. They told me to rest, but I didn’t want to. I looked at my hands. They looked burned and bruised. I looked at the blood, and everything that I went through came back to me, and I fainted. I woke up again. This time, I didn’t see my family members — I saw a priest. He asked me what happened.

I said, “ I was home alone, and these weird things were happening to me, and I don’t why.”

The priest went outside to talk to my parents, and he told me to try to rest. As soon as he closed the door, I heard someone whisper. After that, I felt something go in me. And my mom told me that I was getting possessed. My eyes were turning black, and my body was getting lifted. The priest and my family came in the room once they heard me hit a wall. The priest commanded the demon to put me down… it did, but when the demon dropped me, blood was coming out of my mouth. The priest said I had to leave the house or things would get even worse. Then, my parents told me to pack up, and I did, but they said it in a frightened way.

 

The Enchanted Clock

Where in the World Are We???

I closed my eyes, hoping it was a dream. I opened them again. It was not.

“Zoe, do you know where we are?” I asked, praying that she would not take it badly.

“How should I know?!!! We are stuck in the middle of passing time, and there is no logical way to get out!!!”

I hunched back. She was right. “I’m sorry, just thought I might ask.”

She glared at me. “What’s the big deal?!!! Every time I say something, you get so mad at me!!”

That’s when the argument started. “I did nothing wro –”

“You are saying that!? Are you kidding m — ”

“You are just being sensitive.”

“Am NOT!!”

“ARE TOO!!!”

“UGH!!!”

***

Finally, the argument stopped. We both looked at each other and attempted to walk away. But sadly, since we were still floating in the middle of passing time, we could not. We spun in circles and couldn’t stop after that. We had been there for hours and hours, but it only felt like ten minutes, and by each passing minute, it had been an hour in the real world. I decided to say something to cut the silence.

“Do you, by any chance, know any other spells or sayings that can help us get out of this?”

She glared at me, and I plugged my ears, protecting them from any screaming. All I heard was mumbling, and then she stopped and turned around. I kept my ears plugged just in case, and I saw her close her eyes and hold up the watch to the sky (that is, if there was any sky). All of a sudden, everything was spinning. There were all kinds of clocks spinning around us. All of a sudden, we started falling, faster and faster and faster until we thudded onto rock-hard ground.

“Now do you know where we are?” I asked Zoe, one more time. There was no response.

Back into the tree… or not.

“Zoe,” I called out, hoping there would be a response. She came out of nowhere, just standing there, completely silent.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said. “Time for me to ask a question. Do you know where we are?”

I stood there, silent, just as she did before, and I looked around. “I can take an educated guess?”

She once again glared at me. I stepped back, just to make sure nothing was going to happen, and then her eyes went back to neutral.

“Maybe we’re inside the tree?” I guessed.

She looked at me in a confused way, then started thinking about something. “That’s impossible. If we were back inside the tree, that means we must have gone back in time. But the clocks were spinning clockwise, so that means we must be going to the future, so that would make no sense.”

I thought about that theory. She was right once again.

“I guess you’re right,” I said. “But what if they were just tricking us?”

Zoe looked at me in her confused look again. “How can clocks trick us?”

I had no answer.

“Uhhh,” I said. “Not exactly sure.”

She looked at me, and then walked around to make sure there were no traps or creatures lying behind us or in front of us. “Well, this place seems to be completely harmless, so why don’t we take a walk around to see if anyone can tell us where we are?”

I thought about a place where someone might be. That reminded me of something that I saw when we were falling from the sky, or from wherever that white place was.

“I think I may have seen a village while we were dropping from wherever we came from,” I said, trying to see how useful I could be, but Zoe was already one step ahead. She already had a map out, and she was wandering around, looking where to go.

“I think we need to go north and past that river, and I think that village you were talking about might be there.”

I looked over to where she was pointing. “That’s kind of a long walk.”

Zoe turned back and gave me an annoyed look. “Do you want to go home or do you want to stay here? It’s all up to you.”
I felt pressured when she said that, so I didn’t know how to answer it.

“W-well, I think that if we find out that this place is actually just on Earth, and it’s a normal country with villages and towns and cities, I think it would be best to stay here instead of getting into so much fuss about getting home.”

Zoe was surprised at the answer that I just gave her, but she nodded along with me. But I wasn’t done talking. “But if this place isn’t a normal country, then I think it would be best to go home no matter what turns we have to take. I just want to make sure we don’t go too far from the plan that we made.”

Zoe disagreed with that comment. “I think that we should try our best and not worry about how dangerous our plan is. If it means getting home, it means getting home.”

I didn’t want to start another argument, but I knew that if we didn’t we would get into serious trouble.

“You know, Zoe, if we take too many turns, we will get into very dangerous situations, and that is not something that I want to happen right now. All-”

Zoe cut me off. “You have to! It’s our homes. Don’t you want to fight for that?”

She had a good point, but it wasn’t worth getting into trouble. “Please, Zoe, just listen. We can’t get into another argument. We might attract someone here that we don’t want to see right now.”

She completely ignored what had I just said and kept yelling and screaming. We spent about twenty minutes there, just yelling and screaming at each other, and I was right. We did attract someone there. I saw a shadow lurking behind a tree.
“Zoe, look! There’s something there.”
“Is it a unicorn?” she said sarcastically.

“I’m not joking!”

“Sure, sure. Come on, you see shadows all the time, okay? It’s not that big of a deal.”

“If you say so,” I whispered to myself. Sadly, she heard.

“Come on. Let’s just go north, okay? It’s the best thing that we can do right now,” Zoe suggested.

“Fine,” I said, and rolled my eyes in disbelief that it was the best. “But I’m still keeping an eye on that person… or creature.”

“Okay,” Zoe said. “But really, it’s nothing.”

I ignored her comment and kept my eyes peeled for anything on our walk north, but every few moments I could still see him.

“There’s really something following us…”

The Shadow Man (Don Don Don)

We walked as far north as I could remember. We’d been walking for days and the river was still days ahead.

“Can we please stop to take a break, Zoe? I can speak for both of us when I say that our legs are very, very exhausted right now.” Zoe knew that was true but she didn’t admit it.

“NO!! My legs are not tired,” she said.

“Oh, COME ON! I know they are.” She gave me an evil look. I didn’t say anything after that for a long time.

“Are we there yet?” Zoe annoyingly said. I did not answer. We kept walking, no breaks, food or water.

“Zoe, you go on. I really need a break.” She completely ignored me and kept on going.

***

I sat on an old tree stump and waited for a long time. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was waiting for, but I was waiting anyway.

“Zoe!” I called out. She turned around in confusion. “I think I may have seen the man again.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “You didn’t, because he doesn’t exist, and also, come on. We’re gonna be late if you don’t follow me.”

I didn’t listen to her and stood up. I walked the opposite direction, seeing if I could prove to her somehow that this man was actually real. She didn’t even notice me walking the opposite direction, but she didn’t care even if she did. Then I saw him again. This time he was out in the open and walking straight towards me with something sharp in his hands. I screamed, but noticed that right after I did, he vanished into thin air. I turned around and he was standing a little ways away from me. I stepped back and I noticed that there was a tree blocking my path to going any further, so I had to run. I ran past the deep forest and back into a wide meadow so there was no way to hide behind trees there. I just had to keep running. Zoe noticed me gone, and she saw the man chasing after something, so she chased after him. We all ran past the meadow and through a deep hole and up a giant hill and finally, we made it to the ocean. I had no choice but to take one of the boats that I saw out there and sail it across the ocean. I saw Zoe running, and I hid myself under an old tree that had just died with no leaves on it, just branches. I tried my best to keep myself hidden. The shadow man ran right past me and into the boat, thinking that I was already on one. She laughed when she saw the shadow man sailing out.

“Zoe, now do you believe me about the shadow man?” I asked.

She couldn’t lie this time. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “Now let’s go find a village so we can get something to eat. All I’ve been eating is nuts and leaves.”

“Disgusting,” Zoe whispered to herself.

“Come on, let’s go,” I said, pulling her toward the top of the hill. But as we managed to reach the tip, we saw the shadow man standing there, ready to throw something, but we weren’t exactly sure what it was.

A Way Back Home! Yay!!! Let’s Go Home!!

I stood still while I was staring into the blob of air that was standing in front of us.

“I thought you were on the sailboat,” Zoe said, very confused.

“I was,” he said in a raspy voice.

Zoe and I looked at each other, wondering why he spoke in such an awkward tone.

“Do you have a sore throat?” I asked him.

Zoe slapped her forehead. “No, that’s just how ghosts talk!” she said, as if I should have known that by heart.

“Well, how do you expect me to know?” Zoe glared at the ghost and then back at me. The ghost stepped back, knowing that this was not going to end well.

“You should know because everybody knows what ghosts are and how they talk.”

The ghost made a growling noise. We both looked up. He grinned, knowing exactly where to take us. I probably walked behind the ghost as he took us down the forest. On the other hand, Zoe was laying her feet down on the ground and dragging them.

“You need to go faster, Zoe. You’re taking way too long.” Then, I stopped. I looked at her then, and asked her, “Where’s your clock time-freezing thingie?” She gasped. It wasn’t on her neck.

“It must have fallen off when we were in the middle of passing time.” Zoe looked at me strangely. “Whatever happened to trying to find your brother?”

I gasped. “I completely forgot about him. He could be here or there, who knows.”

We ran the other way. The ghost chased both of us down to the same valley we passed earlier.

“Why are you taking us to the same spot?”

“Lyra, this is the same spot that we dropped to when we fell out of the sky.”

I smiled. “Then that means we might be able to get back in the tree and save my brother, and the entire world, if that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Zoe nodded. “That is.”

“Can we find a way to send us to a certain spot in the tree, or do we just get sent anywhere?”

Zoe thought about that. “I think there’s a chance that we can navigate a way to get to a certain place.”

I smiled, trying to keep my hopes up that she was right.

“I think we fell about thirty feet north from here.”

I fell on my back.

“More walking?” I said in a very tired and exhausted voice.

Zoe knew that it would be hard for me, but she couldn’t let my brother down.

“Maybe we can freeze time,” Zoe suggested.

I reminded her that she didn’t have her clock.

“Okay, so maybe freezing time isn’t the best idea, but we have to find some way to do it.”

Zoe held up her watch that looked almost exactly like the clock, and she said the same line that she did earlier, back when we were time travelling. I held onto her and I screamed. Everything turned white again. We were in the same position as before.

“How do we get out of this again?” I asked Zoe.

She remembered how we got out the past time that we did this. “You have to dream about where you want to go, and want it bad enough that you just fall right into that place.”

I looked at her, astonished. “Does that mean that you dreamed to be in the forest with that ghost?”

“No. I dreamed to be at a beach with my Grandma’s ghost, not an evil shadow man person.”

I looked at Zoe sternly. “Dream as hard as you can to get back into the tree.”

Zoe looked glum at me. “You have to do it too, if you actually want this to work. It’ll only teleport one person. Whoever’s believing it will teleport. So that means if we are both believing, then we will both teleport. We just have to try together.”

“You do mean-”

Zoe stopped me,  “I mean both of us. We both have to try, okay?”

I sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

We both dreamed of being in the middle of Candyland inside the tree, and we both dreamed of lying on the whipped cream valley. Then, all of a sudden, everything spun around faster than it had before, and we landed right where we dreamed: smack in the middle of the valley covered in whipped cream and frosting.

“It worked!” I screamed so loudly that a flock of bird flew past us, angry that the noise got louder.

“Sorry!” I yelled to them, but they didn’t even squawk back.

“Isn’t this where I found that weird alive map that one time?” I asked Zoe.

“Yes. Yes, you did. Maybe it’s still here, and maybe it can help us.”

I smiled and looked around. I remember when she held it on her way out, when she was vanishing. It dropped in a puddle of melted chocolate. I stood up and ran south, exactly where she was standing.

“Why are you running over there?” Zoe screamed. Finally she added all the ends together and she realized that that map was the map of the tree, and that my brother was hidden east, and that meant that we had to go to the night time side of the land.

“Lyra, we have to go to the night time.”

I looked back at her, pretty much thinking exactly what she was thinking.

“But what about the map?”

“You dropped it in the puddle, so I’m trying to look for it over here. Can you help?”

“Okay, the truth is, Lyra, I dropped the map on the way there. I made a fake hologram of it to make you jump into the puddle.”

“Why? It’s just a chocolate puddle. I would just lick myself off, like a cat.”

Zoe sighed, because she was afraid to tell me the truth. “Because Max is actually hidden at the bottom of that puddle, and I thought if you would find him… you know what? Never mind.”

“Well, why don’t we start eating a bunch of whipped cream around the puddle, and then it would make a bigger puddle for both of us to jump into?”

I did feel betrayed that Zoe had hidden something so important from me, but I knew that she was just trying to help me, so I decided to let that one pass.

“I didn’t tell you, because there was so much on our minds and I knew that you didn’t trust me very well back then, and I knew that if I told you, it would just hurt your feelings even more than I already have.”

Zoe was right, and it was the right thing for her to do, but now that we both knew where my brother was, we had to get to it faster. We both stuck our fingers in the whipped cream and licked it. It tasted better than we both thought it would.

“Are you ready?” said Zoe.

I smiled the biggest smile that I almost ever had. “Let’s get licking!” I yelled.

We both stuck our faces into the whipped cream and licked as if it was the last thing we would do.
“Keep licking!” I kept yelling, and, “Don’t stop! Don’t stop!”

Zoe was panting. She almost sounded exactly like a puppy, tired from playing catch all day. “We’re almost there! I feel the chocolate on the tip of my tongue.”

I smiled and started helping her with all of my might. We licked and licked until we could only taste whipped cream, no matter what we ate.

“I’m starting to think we made this puddle for a baby shark,” Zoe said jokingly.

“Let’s just jump in no matter what creatures we’ll find! Who doesn’t want to swim in chocolate?”

We both held our noses and jumped in. We opened our eyes to see that we could actually breathe under it, and that our eyes didn’t hurt our get covered in chocolate.

“Look, those are memories of Me and Max riding on my favorite roller coasters in the best theme park.”

Zoe smiled. “Those are some of my memories of my old parents before I found the tree.”

We kept going deeper and deeper. “Come on, let’s try and see if we can swim just a little bit faster.”

I smiled to hear that I heard Max’s voice down below us. Zoe knew I was smiling, and she followed my action.

“Come on, just a few more feet and we’ll be there!”

We swam all our mights down to as far as we could. Soon enough, our heads banged on rock candy ground.

“Max, are you here?” I asked. There was no answer.

“Max!” Zoe yelled. Soon we saw two hands emerge from below us. “Max, is that you?”

We each grabbed one hand and yanked it up. It was Max, and he was covered in dirt and had cuts all over.

“Max, what happened to you?” I asked, while we were all swimming back up.

“I was forced to be locked up down past the rock candy ground, and forced to be there in the dungeon. The good news is, I found a way to escape the executioner.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re safe.”

When I said that, almost all the chocolate drained out, and we were just standing in a giant hole. We were all one foot away from the top.

“What do we do now?” I asked.

Zoe already had an idea. “Let’s grow a lollipop tree!”

I thought she was crazy. “THAT WOULD TAKE FOREVER!!”

Zoe smiled. “You’d be surprised.” She took some seeds from her pocket and planted them in the rock below us. We waited and waited.

“Can we just find a better plan?”

Zoe shook her head. “Keep waiting.”

She stomped on the ground, and a lollipop tree grew beneath, so I grabbed it, and one by one yanked Max and Zoe up out of the hole.

“Well, now that we’re all safe,” Zoe said, “We should get you two back home.”

Zoe’s clock was now hanging on her neck again.

“Come on. I remember the way. I’ll never forget it,” I said, hoping they would actually follow me. They did, and we all got safely back to the same willow tree.

Zoe held up her clock, and it looked like she was scanning it onto a little box next to the bottom of the tree. All of a sudden, a little door opened, and all three of us crawled through. I stood up proudly next to Max to see that our house was in the same state as we left it in, except for the fact that our Mom was frantically looking for us.

“Mom!” Max screamed. She turned around.

“Lyra! Max! Where have you guys been? Some of your friends told me that you were in Tokyo, visiting the emperor.”

“No, we went through more of an adventure than that!”  I smiled, and my mom smiled back.

She turned to Zoe. “Who is this?” she said sternly.

“My name is Zoe Tamal.”

My mom gasped. “My real last name is Tamal! My sister had a child, and then one day she vanished!”

Zoe was shocked.

“Lyra, that means you’re my cousin! Same for you, Max!”

We ran around squealing and laughing.

My mom said something.

“You can move into my house until I find your mom. Lyra, Max, take Zoe up to the bedroom and get her settled into one of the rooms.” We took her upstairs and into our bedroom…

The End

We all got our water and went upstairs to our bedroom, and my mom came and gave us good nights.

“‘Night, Mom,” I said, not even trying to go to sleep.

“‘Night,” Max said, already half asleep.
“Goodnight, Aunt,” Zoe said, getting ready to sleep. We all closed our eyes, except for me. We all were about to go to bed, until I screamed:

“HELP!”

 

Hard Times with Luck, From Sarah’s Diary

October 12, 2015

Dear Diary,

My name is Sarah, and this is my first time writing in a diary. I’m twelve years old, and I live in Malibu, California. I like California a lot, but my parents told me that we’re going to move to Florida. They told me this yesterday. It was the same day I got this diary. When they gave it to me, they told me I might not like the changes, and it might make me feel better to write my feelings and whatever I want in this diary. That still did not make me feel better. Moving to Florida means that I can’t be with my friends anymore or surf the big waves they have here. It also means I’ll have to go to a new school. Anyway, the reason my parents and I are moving is because they invented a new video camera for people’s houses. The video camera is called V.C.A. (Video Camera App). You can check the camera from the app (the app is also called V.C.A.). Wait a minute! Just because they invented a video camera doesn’t mean we need to leave California! Maybe they’re hiding something! I’m going to ask them! I’ll be right back!

***

Okay, so, nothing good happened. They told me no one in California would invest in their product, but a big company in Florida did! Today has not been a good day at all!! Right now, all I want is to read a book and then go to sleep. See you tomorrow, Diary.

October 13, 2015

Dear Diary, today is a Monday morning. (A school morning! Ugh!) Today, I’m going to tell my friends the news. I have two super close friends at school. Their names are Emma and Jessica, and we’re all in sixth grade. Emma’s really funny and athletic, and Jessica is very fashionable and smart. Both of them are also super nice. Oh my gosh!!! It’s 7:47 and school starts at 8:00. Bye! I have to go!

***

I’m back from school, and my friends didn’t like the news either, but they told me we could make a group chat. That’s the same thing as regular texting, but with more than one person — Jessica told me about it. Unfortunately, I have a flip phone, which doesn’t have text, and my friends have the Apple iPhone 5. The only way I can talk to them is over the phone, but I can’t talk to them both at the same time. Emma and Jessica told me that I should beg my parents and if I do something nice for them, maybe I’ll get an iPhone 5. But today, I’m not any happier about the situation, so that will have to wait at least ‘til tomorrow or later today. Give me a minute; I hear a knock at the door.

***

It was my parents. At first, I was hoping they were going to tell me we aren’t going to move. Unfortunately, that was not it. They just told me dinner is ready, and I’m starving!! So I’m gonna go.

October 14, 2015

It’s a Tuesday morning. Last night, I read a lot of my book, so I’m going to write a small part of it down so I don’t forget:

Peyton ran from her house to her grandma’s house every night because she didn’t have her own room, and at her grandma’s house, she did.

I’m still not sure why she didn’t have her own room to sleep in or why she wouldn’t let her parents know. Well, her parents could have gotten into a fight with Peyton, but I’m still not sure.

Wait a minute!! That gives me an idea! Tonight, when my parents fall asleep, I can call the company on my dad’s phone and tell them my parents actually don’t want to create the V.C.A. anymore! I’ll just have to talk in a deep voice, like my dad, and find his contact book. This is risky, but I hope it works, and you know, maybe the companies in California will change their minds and invest in the V.C.A. WOW!! My parents haven’t called to tell me it’s dinner yet, and it’s 7:37, and we usually eat at 6:30. Finally, they are calling me, and I’m starving!! And wow, what great timing that was!!

***

Dinner is finally over!! That took forever!! I don’t know why my mom made so much food, but it was really good!! Twenty-seven more minutes until I sneak into my parents room. It’s 9:42 right now, and everyone must be in bed by 10:00.  I also think I should wait five extra minutes.

***

It’s 10:27. That’s because I was so nervous, so I waited a lot of extra minutes. So, first, I have to find his contact book, and then his phone, call the company, and talk in a deep voice!! I don’t know if this is a good idea now. It’s risky, and I could be in BIG trouble, but on the other hand, I could stay in California and be with my friends! Ummmmmm… I have made my final decision, and it is that I will take the risk! Wish me luck!

***

Wow! It took forever just to get my dad’s contact book and phone. Now, I have to look through the contact book and call the company… found it!! My dad made it easy for me to understand, which is a good thing! My dad named it “INVESTED COMPANY FOR V.C.A.” Okay, it’s time time to call!

***

I called! Wow, that was scary!!! I hope I sounded like my dad! Anyway, here’s how the call went:

Company: Hello, this Marc. How can I help you?

Me: Hi, this is Jack [my dad’s name]. I wanted to cancel my product-making and your investment in it.

Company: Okay, but first I’m going to call your wife, since this is major, and tell her a code. You are going to have to tell me it so I can make sure this is really Jack.

Me: Okay.

I totally freaked out!!! I had no idea what to do, so I just ended the call and hid the phone and the contact book in my laundry bag, right next to my bed. I made sure to hide them both under clothes. Then, I turned off my light and went to sleep.

October 15, 2015

It’s morning, and I really hope my mom never heard the phone ring! I also hope my dad isn’t awake yet and looking for his phone, because if he is, I’m in big trouble, and my mom can call him and find where his phone is!! However, Marc still may have called my mom! I never should have done this, but right now I have to go eat breakfast and my parents always eat with me!! I just need to act like it’s a regular morning. Okay, I’m going. Wish me luck!!

***

That was, like, the longest breakfast of my life!! My parents never brought up anything different; all they said was that they are so excited about the V.C.A. and asked me if I was packed for school. I don’t think they noticed anything that happened. Oh well. It’s off to school for me! I just wonder when I should put my dad’s phone back. I can’t do anything now because he is in his bedroom, getting ready for the day. Wow, I have to go! School starts in twelve minutes. Bye!!

***

Okay, so, school was fine. I just got to my room… I hear a knock at the door. Give me a minute.

***

It took me so long because my parents somehow found out what I had done!!!  Apparently, Marc never called my mom. All that they know so far is that I took my dad’s phone, and it wasn’t because it rang. It was because, apparently, since my parents created a video camera, they have video cameras all over the house, including my room!! So then, my parents forced me into a time-out for thirty minutes and then had a talk with me for ten extra minutes. It’s already so bad, and they don’t even know that I called Marc or anybody!! Today has not been a good day… I hear another knock at the door and I know this time that it’s my parents, not my friends. Whatever they have to say will either take five minutes or five hours.

***

This keeps getting worse!! They asked me why I stole the phone! I’m still not sure why they didn’t ask that the first time they talked to me, but either way, it doesn’t help. Apparently, since my dad has an iPhone 5, he can see who I called, but before I knew that, I told him that I heard it might flood so I needed a phone to call the police in case I needed to know what to do. Now, I realize that was a really bad response. However, my dad asked me if I was telling the truth, and I said yes. And then, he said, “But I thought you had your own phone?”

Then, I said, “I couldn’t find it in the dark.” Then, he asked a good question — for him!!! Well, pretty much all of his questions for him have been good. Anyway, he asked me how I could’ve found his phone in the dark.

Then, I just said, “I don’t know.”

My dad had then said, “Well, it seems to me that you have told many lies.” Then I was thinking, how did he know? I wanted to fight back, not asking how, but I couldn’t. It just burst out of me!

I questioned, “How did you know?”

My parents said that there’s a button called “Recents” to see who you last called. Then, I knew I was so not going to get an iPhone 5 if I asked anytime this month. Anyway, that has nothing to do with this. I only had a few more seconds before I was punished. This is because my parents started to call the company that I called last night. Then, somebody picked up. I was hoping Marc wouldn’t pick up, and he didn’t! I was glad… until his friend told us he had to leave to do some other job he had there, and also said he would leave us with somebody else. And guess who that somebody else was? It was Marc!!! Marc introduced himself and asked for my parents’ names.

They said, “Jack and Paula.”

Marc said, “Oh, yes. Shall I call Paula and tell her the code?”

My parents asked, “What code?”

Marc told them, “The code to close your business and end our investment in it.”

My parents shouted, “What?” Then, they said, “No, no. That was a mistake. Someone else had the phone.”

Marc then just said, “Okay. Goodbye, and have a nice day.”

My parents stared at me and then, said, “Go up to your room.” So, my plan didn’t work out. Not one part of it. If my parents want to talk to me, I’ll either be asleep or almost asleep. I’m so tired from worrying and stressing out about that situation. Bye, Diary.  

October 16, 2015

It’s another school morning, and I can already tell today is not going to be good. Anyway, I have nothing else to write right now. I’m going to go to the kitchen. I hope my parents aren’t going to say anything too bad.

***

It was a regular day at school, except I was even sadder… except for this one gift that Emma gave me. But first, let me tell you about what happened before this. I told Emma and Jessica about what happened. They told me I was determined to try to stay in California and I tried my best. They also said that they hoped I liked the gift that they were giving me. It was a small bag with a red ribbon that tied the handles together, and tissue paper inside. After you lifted all the tissue paper, there was a small box. When you opened that small box, there was an iPhone 5 inside!!! That was the best thing that happened to me all week! Emma told me it was her old one and she didn’t need it anymore because her parents got her the new iPhone 6. I really didn’t care what type of number my iPhone was. Just the fact that I had an Apple iPhone was awesome!! I thanked Emma and Jessica. I mean, even though it’s not really from Jessica, I knew Emma made Jessica a part of the whole thing, so I just went with it. They also told me they already charged it, and Emma’s parents got me my own phone number, so the phone is totally under my control!! Emma told me that Jessica would help me create passwords and show me how to do the basics and make it as easy as possible for me to use to use it. I do already know a few things, since both of my parents have Apple iPhones, but I definitely could use some pointers. So Jessica is meeting me at my house and should be here any minute now… oh! The doorbell literally just rang, but I’m going to let my parents open so they don’t think I planned this whole thing out without telling them. Which I didn’t, because I didn’t know I would get my own iPhone!! Oh, Jessica’s right outside my room with my mom. I’ve got to go.

***

I had no idea learning everything about the iPhone took two hours! Well, really, it only took one and a half hours, but telling my parents about it took thirty minutes. I was so relieved that my parents accepted the gift. For a minute, I thought they would tell me that I cannot accept it. But the minute after that, they were totally fine with it, as long as I didn’t use too much cellular data per month. After Jessica showed me how to use everything on my phone, my parents helped me set up passwords, and then, my Apple iPhone 5 was complete!

October 17, 2015

I can’t believe it! I only have about one more week before we move to Florida, and I’m switching schools in the middle of the school year. Another disappointing thing is that I won’t be able to write in my diary that much, or at all this week because we have a big test on Wednesday, and that is the day before we leave for Florida. Anyway, I know my parents are still really mad at me about the whole me-taking-my-dad’s-phone situation, so I’m going to have to do a lot of nice things for them since they approved Emma giving me her old Apple iPhone. So, I decided even though it’s going to be super hard moving to Florida, I’ll be nice for them and not complain about moving to Florida. Wow! It’s getting late. I’ve got to go to school now.  

October 25, 2015

Oh my gosh!! I cannot believe I’m writing in my diary on the plane! I’m super nervous! I can’t believe I’m going to live in a new house and go to a new school. And yet, all of that is going to happen in a new state!! The plane ride just started. We are in the air and have four and a half hours left, so I have a long time on the plane. I’m sitting in between my mom and my dad, since we are in the same row. When we were in the airport, I was texting Emma and Jessica. At school, I said goodbye to all of my friends and teachers. Then, it was off to the airport. The night before, I packed the last of my things. We are shipping the rest of the stuff. We shipped most of our furniture. The rest of the furniture, we gave to people who don’t have so much money. Anyway, to pass the time, I’m going to watch a few movies.

***

I’m in my new room, which is empty! This room is huge, and I like it! My parents’ bed and my bed should be here by now… and now, the doorbell just rang. I bet my parents are getting the door. Give me a minute. Someone’s knocking on my door.

***

My bed just came, and apparently, my parents already got bedding. My bed is really soft.  Right now, I’m going to check out everything in my new room and what it has in it.  

***

I like my room. It definitely needs some decoration. But all my furniture is coming tomorrow, so I’m going to go to sleep because I’m so tired.  

October 26, 2015

I just remembered that my teacher would e-mail me my grade from the test. I’m going to check it right now.

***

I got a 97! I’m going to tell my parents right now!

***

My parents were proud, and also told me that my furniture and all my stuff came, so they helped me move my furniture up, so now it looks like an actual room. I’m going to spend the rest of my day putting in the extra stuff in my room.

October 28, 2015

I’m super nervous about this new school, so my mom is going to take me early. I have to leave now. Anyway, I hope today is going to be good! By the way, my room is complete and looks nice.

***

Wow! My school is only five minutes away by car! School was good. I made one new good friend named Alexia, who is coming over in five minutes. Anyway, my teacher is a girl and is super nice. Florida isn’t so bad after all. I think all this new stuff is not such a bad thing.

The Rise and Fall of Emily Dixons

I hate myself.

Well, I don’t hate myself— I hate the way I dress. I hate the way I look.

The girls at school always make fun of me. They say that my clothes are irrelevant. They try everything to break me. But it won’t work. I love my personality; I just hate the way I look. I get taunted. Tortured. I can’t do anything.

I really want to change. I want to dress well. Nothing looks good on me, though. I just want to have something that I can rely on. I want to look pretty. I really do. The truth is, I’m just scared to look pretty. I’m afraid I’ll still be taunted. I don’t think that I could be pretty if I tried.

All the girls seem so confident. I’m just that shy kid that sits in the back. I have friends. But I’m quiet, and my friends don’t seem to know who I am. They think I’m like them. But I’m not. I’m creative and amazing and I want to be something that I know I’ll never be if I tried. Don’t tell anyone, but I have a burning passion for art. I just want to paint my life on that canvas. But I never will.

I have all these feelings bottled up inside, ever since the first day of eighth grade. I’m a ticking time bomb, counting down the minutes until I burst. The second hand on the clock is ticking. It’s matching the beat of my heart. The time’s about to be noon— when all the kids get up and leave.

11:59.

12:00

Coming from room 301, there is a girl who screams louder than a car honk, going on for one full minute. That girl is me. Emily Dixons.

***

How did I end up here?

How did I end up in the guidance counselor’s office?

Why did you scream?

Why are you angry?

Is something wrong?

I was distraught by her stress ball. I was getting my anger out. I squeezed, and squeezed, and soon, in a matter of time, the stress ball popped open, the white foam oozing out into my hand, onto the floor into a big puddle.

The guidance counselor told me to leave right after that.

***

I saw a therapist a week after that. He gave me pills.

***

I felt the same. Cold-stone Emily Dixons, master of ugly.

After my morning OJ, I felt different.

I picked out my nicest clothes. I organized everything in my backpack.

I got an A-plus on my homework that day.

Best of all, Aviva Goll didn’t torture me that day. I felt confident.

***

When you feel good about yourself, you feel good about others. You trust them. You feel them. I was nice to people. I was getting A’s. Everybody liked me.

Aviva Goll did something that really got on my nerves, though. She stood up on the lunch table, and screamed something so ballistic and wrong into the air.

“Emily Dixons wets the bed! She peed on my backpack last year!”

What?! I didn’t! I got really annoyed. So I gave up. I let her have it all. Why try to be something you can’t be? I tried to be like Aviva. I really did. But she has it all. The friends. The clothes. The social acceptance. Aviva has everything I desire, however, I’m sure she’s not into sharing.

Then I had my second glass of OJ that morning. The world had turned upside down. The OJ tasted a bit different. It had a bit of a bland taste. Oh, well.

Then a third glass of OJ at lunch.

I was a completely different person.

***

I had a smile as long as a piece of gum when you stretch it out.

I was nice. I was starting to dress differently. This kept going. The Magic OJ was working. I always made sure to drink my two glasses of OJ before I went to school.

I was getting comments like these:

“Nice shirt, Em!”

“Love your backpack!”

People were noticing me. I was the exact thing that Aviva said I wouldn’t be. I was the shining star; the whole thing the school looked forward to seeing. The Magic OJ was doing it all. The Magic OJ could do no wrong.

I was finally the person who I wanted to be.

***

My bucket list— yes, I have a bucket list:

Emily Dixons’ Bucket List of Magical Adventures

  • Dress AMAZING
  • Head of Student Council
  • Make the School PURPLE
  • Rule the jazz band

***

This is my chance.

I’m completing my bucket list!

This is Emily Dixons’ Rise to Stardom. This is the day where I start completing my dreams. I’m finally going to rule the school. This was my chance to show everyone that I can do as much as them. I dress nicely. I’m nice. I have totally amazing beliefs. I, Emily Dixons, promise to make the school fabulous in any way that I can.

I started with the student council. I was easily elected in a landslide. It was me versus Snotty Nose Sammy. Nobody wanted a snot-ruled school.

My first order of business was making the school purple, which is my favorite color. I declared the following day Purple Day. I bought purple ribbon, purple streamers, purple construction paper, and just about everything purple that I could find at the craft store.

We did it! We purplefied the school. One by one we made the walls the sweet shade of the most detailed lavender, the bulletin boards displaying mountains of purple construction paper. I don’t think a lot of the kids liked it, though.

“YOU GIRLY-ED UP THE SCHOOL!” I was told by all of the boys. They didn’t think my work was too good.

That got me down. But, when I got home, all I needed was a glass of the magic OJ.

***

I did it myself.

I got home, grabbed the thick plastic bottle of OJ, and poured it into the cup.

I did it myself.

I drank it all in 30 seconds.

I did it myself.

I felt nothing? Why did I feel nothing?

Because I did it myself.

***

My lightning bolt of power did not reach my body.

It didn’t work. I did it all myself. My newly-born motivation. I did that myself, right? No. I didn’t.

“Mom, the Magic OJ didn’t work!” I whined to my mother.

“WHAT! I haven’t given you OJ since yesterday!” My mother yelled, with a burning passion that was still elegant but fierce.

“I poured it myself,” I replied, calmly.

“Oh, honey. It’s time we tell you about the pills.”

That’s what led to the great Emily Dixons Fall of 2013.

***

I could do this myself.

All I needed to do was walk in there and be a leader. I convinced myself I was motivated to do this.

However, I wasn’t motivated until I had the Magic OJ.

I’d just lost my life.

***

Mom gave me Magic OJ this morning. This was the magic stuff. The pill stuff.

I wish I could handle my own battle. I wish I could do this myself. It’s like I’m standing in a black hole and there are steps but I would have to be hoisted up to reach them. I’m standing in a black hole with nowhere to go, nothing to say, nothing to do, just waiting for someone to mystically help me accomplish what I wanted to do myself.

Wishes are complicated things. Even though you know they’ll never come true, you want it so bad to the extent where you would murder someone for it. You still have that little sliver of hope, locked away inside the safe you call your heart where nobody could find it even if they tried.

It’s hard to fight yourself. It’s hard to believe you would ever come to a disagreement with yourself. But you do. Your brain is defying the logic, saying, “I CAN, I CAN, I CAN!” Only to be let down with failure.

Failure is complicated, too. It’s hard to accept the fact that you’re wrong. After all the work you’ve done, your certificate of achievement is that what you did was a waste. A waste of time, a waste of energy. You’re a waste in life. You’re a failure.

Yeah. That’s what you think until you get your kryptonite. Your Magic OJ. The thing that brings you back.

That’s the secret of humanity. Bounce back.

That has me thinking.

***

I walked in there on Monday with a serious face. That could at least make me think that I could handle this.

The band room was right there. Room 435. I made sure that Mom packed me more Magic OJ just for this. I grabbed it out of the side pocket on my backpack and drank it all in 3 gulps.

I grabbed a saxophone and a book. I learned everything in what felt like a minute. In ten minutes, I could play five songs.

I led the jazz band. We played my favorite songs, like Miley Cyrus’ new album, and Katy Perry’s new album.

I don’t think anybody liked it, though. They all said I was doing pop songs and that we needed classic jazz songs, like Louis Armstrong. Who the heck is Louis Armstrong? I had not heard of him before. Was he like Elvis Presley? I think that’s who my parents listened to when they were my age.

People were getting really angry. I had to pull out my secret weapon. Katy Perry’s “Roar.”

So I did. That’s how I ended up being the only one in Room 435, surrounded by instruments screaming to be played.

I spent last period emptying spit valves.

***

I had a secret weapon.

I’ve always wanted a place where I could just scream. I could get all my emotions out with a good ‘ol scream. So I started the Emotion Center. Room 436 was vacant, so I asked the principal, and she said I could transform it.

But people weren’t using it correctly. I wanted it to be a scream center.

They were using it to cry and to whimper. I demonstrated like so: “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

I was in the guidance counselor’s office again.

***

Who are you?

***

I thought I could do it.

I could rule the school.

But I didn’t.

People have personalities. People are who they are. People may try to change who they are, but it’ll never work.

I can do things. I can. I may never rule the school, but I’ll always be here. I can do things. I can draw. I can make things with my hands. With my brain. I have a purpose in this world.

You do, too. You have a purpose. You can do something, too. You can. You really can. You have to just go and find out what it is.

Maybe you’re good with animals. Go volunteer at the animal shelter. Do what you need to do to make you happy. Whatever it is. Just do it. That’s what I did.

***

It was so fast.

They welcomed me quickly, while still keeping elegance and class. The Art Club was so nice.

Anias, shy but friendly. She was so talented, making the most intricate patterns.

Jeffrey: his people-drawing skills were flawless. He drew a sketch of me in five minutes and it was incredible. He didn’t miss anything. Even my mini-pimple on my forehead.

Samantha, whose environment paintings were incredible — she could capture every speck of a star in the night sky.

Iggy, who could do no wrong with her detail. She drew my plastic water bottle and I thought for a minute it was a photograph.

And me, Emily Dixons, who was the happiest person on earth. I could finally be who I wanted to be: an artist. I never thought I could, though. I can do anything and everything I wanted.    

I came at the November mural project. Nobody knew what the mural should display. I knew exactly what that mural should state.

Glitter. Markers. Crayons. I was so happy. I was doing what I’ve always wanted to do. It doesn’t matter about looking pretty, or having the newest thing. It matters that you feel good about yourself.

I rose up. I had a bit of stardom.

I fell down. I was something I wasn’t.

Do what makes you happy.

Epilogue

“That was my rise and fall,” I said to Mrs. McKinley, the eleventh grade English teacher.

My final essay was complete. Now everyone knew who I was. The pills I take in the morning. The clothes I wear. When I found out who I was destined to be. An artist. They knew my well-being was artificial — that I was depending on cold stone medication. I’m happy about that.

I got home only to find a nice, fresh glass of Magic OJ sitting on the counter. Eleventh grade was finally over.

Pointy

Once, there was a piece of paper named Pointy who wanted to go to Italy so he could get his favorite Mozzarella Ice Cream. But somebody kept trying to cut him into pieces, because he was jealous of Pointy, because Pointy could drive. He didn’t know where the airport was, because he was only a piece of paper. He decided to go to the subway station, where he could look at the map. When he got there, everybody was surprised to see a walking paper. The security guard came and took him to the dungeon.

“No live paper allowed!” he said.

“Why not?” Pointy asked.

“Because you will scare people.”

Pointy was very scared. When he got to the dungeon, he had to hold his nose because it smelled like rotten eggs. He was in a very small cage, and his head kept flopping over. Then he realized he was very thin, so he wiggled out of the bars. He went back, and made a friend named Mo. Mo was a turtle.

“I have a map,” Mo said.

Pointy was relieved. He took the map, without the security guard seeing him. He studied it carefully, and went to the airport, by driving in his mini car. He had arms and legs, so he could drive. The thing was, he hadn’t passed the driving test, so he was zig-zagging down the bicycle road. Luckily, nobody saw him except a bicyclist.

“Move out of the way!” he said.

“Why?” Pointy asked.

But the bicyclist already had zoomed ahead. Pointy got to the airport. He suddenly felt scared, because he had to go through security. Instead, he decided to hide in a woman’s  purse. The woman went through security. The purse smelled like dirty coins. He thought the woman should hurry up. When the security guard saw a paper with legs and arms, he threw him away. He heard the woman say, “I didn’t put it in there!”

Pointy made his way out of the garbage can, and snuck into a man’s purse, though he wasn’t sure the man was going to Italy. He noticed a sign that said Italy plane to the left coming in 5 minutes. Pointy walked to the left, and counted to sixty, five times. He followed a bunch of people that were walking on a plane. He sat in a comfy seat in the very back. Unfortunately, the man who wanted to cut him up was there.

“Yay!” the man exclaimed. “Pointy is here to cut up!”

Fortunately, the security guard took away his scissors. Pointy was terrified because he didn’t know. He ran, and buried himself in the pilot’s pocket where he would be safe. When the pilot went on the runway, Pointy folded himself up so nobody would see him. He did not know how long the plane to Italy would be, and he thought it would be about two minutes. When Pointy discovered it was not that long, he was so sad, because he really wanted Mozzarella Ice Cream. When they finally got to Italy, Pointy was so happy, because Mo was there!

“Hi! It was a long trip,” said Pointy.

“I had to sneak to Italy. I didn’t know you would be here,” Mo said.

“I came here to get Mozzarella Ice Cream,” Pointy said.

Pointy was so happy because he didn’t spend any money. Mo was so slow that Pointy felt he was running, when actually he was walking.

“Wait!” Mo said.

Pointy looked back.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go. I have to admit, you are the slowest friend I’ve got,” Pointy said.

“Okay,” Mo said,

And he tried to run up, but was so sad, he hid in his shell. Pointy pushed him up the hill. When Mo got out of his shell, Pointy said, “Sorry, Mo.” And went up the hill.

Mo was very sad, but Pointy didn’t care. He had to get Mozzarella Ice Cream. He did not care about Mo at all, though he could hear him crying behind him. Pointy could not find the Ice Cream Shop. His arms were tired from pushing Mo up the hill, but Mo had already plopped himself into the lake. Pointy saw lots of people with binoculars, but he didn’t hear anyone saying that they were going to an Ice Cream Shop. Pointy felt hopeless, when he remembered he had the map in his pocket. He looked at it, eyeing every word, but he realized there was nothing that said Ice Cream Shop. He felt upset that Mo gave him a map that didn’t mean anything to him. He felt that Mo should have it. Even though it was lighter than a feather, he felt it was as heavy as a sunflower seed. He threw the map in the lake, and hurried on. Pointy saw Mo get out of the lake. Mo looked much happier, and it seemed he forgot about what Pointy said to him because he said, “Hi, Pointy, I am so happy to see you!”

Pointy was sure he had a memory problem.

“Where’s the map? I need it,” Mo asked.

“I threw it in the lake,” Pointy said.

“Why?” Mo asked, but Pointy had already run ahead.

“Wait!” Mo wailed, and he cried all over again.

Pointy thought that he could find a shop by himself, because Mo was too slow. Mo was really trying to catch up to him. Pointy thought it was funny, so he ran so that he couldn’t see Mo, because he didn’t want Mo to have the Mozzarella Ice Cream. Pointy didn’t like him anymore. Mo knew that, so he was asking for somebody to pick him up and bring him to Pointy. Pointy was so mad at him that he ran back down and scared him so much, he went in his shell, and so nobody wanted to pick him up. Pointy saw a place with binoculars. He thought they would help him see an Ice Cream Shop.

“Can I have binoculars?” he asked.

“No,” the man said. “But you can go sightseeing.”

Pointy was disappointed, but he agreed to go with the man, whose name was Bob. Bob took him around some Italian restaurants, and showed him around where he lived. Pointy thought it was fun, watching all the different birds. Bob helped Pointy put Mo in the garbage can, because he was following them.

“Then,” Bob said, “The Ice Cream Shop with Mozzarella Ice Cream is around the corner.”

Pointy nearly swore he heard the garbage can rustle, but he didn’t say so. He was too excited about the Mozzarella Ice Cream. Bob said that sightseeing was over. Bob gave Pointy a map of where everything was that he showed him— including the Ice Cream Shop. Pointy was so happy. He had traveled to Italy to get this Ice Cream. He went around the corner, and saw the shop. He went in. It was cold, and there were so many different flavors, but when he got to the Mozzarella section, he was so angry because Mo was there. He quickly darted in line before him. Mo was speechless, and he started to cry, again. Pointy pointed out that Mo cried three times in his adventure to get Ice Cream. When the shopkeeper heard his story, he agreed to let Pointy skip Mo in line. Mo was heartbroken. He didn’t know what to do.

“I want the last scoop of Mozzarella Ice—”

“Noooooo!” Mo wailed. “I wanted that.”

And he started to cry again.

“I see what you mean,” the shopkeeper said.

Everybody in the Ice Cream Shop turned to look at Mo. Mo’s cheeks turned red, and he burst out of the shop.

“I am not happy!” he said, and ran off without looking back.

Pointy repeated himself for the shopkeeper.

“I want the last scoop of Mozzarella Ice Cream,” he said, and he was very pleased to say it.

The shopkeeper got him Mozzarella Ice Cream, and he was delighted.

The End

The Adventure of Christian and the Ancient Tour Guide

The Adventure of Christian and the Ancient Tour Guide

Once upon a time, there was a guy named Christian, who was pretending to work at Writopia. Writopia is a camp where kids have fun doing writing activities. Christian was pretending to be a good writer and was pretending to work at Writopia. Christian was a guy who wanted to become a tour guide, like the ancient tour guide in the legend. He had very crazy hair. It was big, curly, blonde hair that went around everywhere, his skin was light, and he really liked Star Wars… or did he? Maybe he was just pretending to the kids that he liked it. But nobody knows that for sure. It’s his mind.

One day, after Writopia camp, he set off to be taught by the ancient tour guide. Legend says that he lives on a very tall mountain above the clouds, and the top of the mountain touches space. It is a secret, invisible, and very tall mountain. The legend says that the ancient tour guide lives there. Christian set off to the mountain. He walked and walked. He walked past Arizona, he walked through Mississippi, and he swam the Atlantic Ocean up to Bulgaria.

There, in the middle of Bulgaria, he found the mountain of the ancient tour guide. He had anti-invisible goggles, so he could see the mountain. So he set off. It was a long journey to the mountain, and Christian had packed a lot of stuff. Sleeping bags, food, a tent, and a walking stick, and a few toys (a big, fluffy teddy bear and toy cars and toy trains) and books (mystery books and legends about the ancient tour guide, of course, and books to log his progress and draw and take pictures), and a computer to send messages to the Writopia camp. But that was so they would not know his secret identity. Secretly, he was trying to turn Writopians into his tourists when he finished with his training.

He walked for many days, and he slept and ate. It was very tiring, and Christian was always complaining and mumbling and whining to himself. Finally, he got to the ancient tour guide. The tour guide was just an old man who was standing straight, very still against the sunset. He looked creepy to Christian, and Christian soon realized that the tour guide was a thousand years old. He realized because he was very good at seeing how old people were using his magical power that he was secretly hiding. He knew how old all the kids and adults were in Writopia, and he wrote that in his log. His log, because he was walking so much, was getting as big as the mountain, and he had to knit a backpack out of grass for it.

But then, a big bear came out. The bear was just going out to pick some blueberries, but then Christian started running, which was very bad. (You shouldn’t run when a bear comes because the bear will think you’re food. You should just walk away slowly, without looking it in the eyes.) Christian started to run, even though he shouldn’t have. The bear thought he was food, so the bear started running after Christian, and Christian was very freaked out, but it was a good thing he was with the ancient tour guide. The bear almost gobbled him up, but the ancient tour guide put a net over the bear, and it made the bear’s mind think that Christian was a predator that was going to eat the bear. The bear was so freaked out, that he ran all the way up the mountain, to the top of space, where he couldn’t breathe, and the bear ran all the way down the mountain.

Then, the ancient tour guide started teaching Christian. But Christian was a very bad student. He was very noisy, and he didn’t pay attention, and when the ancient tour guide said, “You should go slow, not fast,” Christian went really fast and bumped and put his head in a crater. A piece of Mars had dropped down when the moon hit Mars once, a very long time ago, which did not really happen, but in this story I will use it.

Anyway, Christian vowed he would overcome the obstacle. After many years of training, Christian became a very good student. He worked very hard, and he was trained by the ancient tour guide. He went slower because of the bad jokes that he had to tell to become a tour guide, and walking backwards while talking (especially telling bad jokes,) he learned to be slower so his crowd could stay together and focus. Of course, his crowd was Writopia.

He also was trained to know lots of things. He had to know about everything on his tour, so the ancient tour guide helped him memorize everything by taking him on a little tour. The ancient tour guide dropped lots of books on his head once when he didn’t participate, and that’s another reason why he got to be a better student, because it hurt him. Luckily, Christian had very puffy hair, so the books didn’t hurt him that much. But also, for Writopia, he was the tour guide of everywhere in Bulgaria, especially the big, invisible ancient mountain, which lots of people have bumped into because it is invisible.

So, as Christian walked, he stumbled upon a rock, and I’m sorry to say this, but he fell down and broke his leg, and it hurt a lot. But he was carried to a hospital by birds. The birds were Australian ostriches in Bulgaria, and because Christian was very heavy, it took thirty Australian ostriches to carry him.

While he was recovering, all the time he was thinking, No, no, no, I have to get back to Writopia. No, no, no, I have to be taught by the ancient tour guide. I have to keep on going with my life. But, in a few months, he recovered and he went back to Writopia. He got back to Writopia because the thirty ostriches carried him back across the sea. The thirty ostriches could walk on water. The ostriches were gray and brown with very long necks and very, very, very long feet, and their feathers were all puffed up, like a peacock.

When Christian got back to Writopia, his hair had gotten even more wild. He met lots of friends at Writopia, and one of the friends here is telling this story. Anyway, he kept on walking, and when he got there, he pretended to type, but actually it was an invisible bug who typed for him. He just pretended to type the keys, because he didn’t actually know anything about writing or typing. He was just sitting there eating Goldfish.

Then at lunch, a bunch of Christian’s buddies at Writopia went around him and made up nicknames for him. But he actually needed the nicknames to make his tour guide name. His nicknames were Banana, Cucumber, Fried Eggs, Humpty Dumpty, Pineapple, Kiwi, Tidal Wave, Cherry, Pickle, Broccoli Head, Younger Blonde-Haired Billy Joe, and, the best ever, Charles! His tour guide name was CucFriEggHumDumPinKiwTidWavCherPicBrocHeaYouBloHaiBilJoeCha, otherwise known as Charles Brocky. At lunch, he always had to take a carrot, a chip, and a pretzel for the story. He made a story out of fruits. This had to do with his tour guiding, to make up bad joke stories.

Then, after Writopia was done, he started changing the kids’ minds with his magic power that the tour guide gave him, changing all the kids’ and grown-ups’ minds to become tourists. The tour guide gave it to him, actually, by dropping the books on him. He looked like a Hawaiian hula dancer when he was spreading the power.

And those were his years at Writopia. There were actually only two years, and his last week was the week that I’m writing this all. At the end, on Friday, he took us to the mountain. Christian told us all that he was going to take us on a tour, and we couldn’t say no, so all the people at Writopia had to go.

So, at first, everybody was like, “Oh, this going to be a terrible tour! I don’t want to go. This is such a big mountain.”

We all got to the mountain by the thirty ostriches that made babies, so now there are ninety-nine ostriches. There were not that many people at Writopia, but Christian was very heavy. So we started off. We had to pack a lot of stuff, and Christian carried most of our stuff with his magic tour guide powers. He raised his hands in the air, all the bags went into the sky, and he told the bags to follow us as we go, and the bags did it. So that made us all think that Christian was actually very talented.

Christian started walking backwards and looked at his tourists (us, Writopians). He first started with saying bad jokes.

Christian said, “Listen up. You must all call me Charles Brocky!” And we did.

Christian told us about the moon that hit Mars a few years ago, and made a piece of Mars fall down as we passed the giant crater. We (Writopians) thought that Christian was very talented and worked very hard.

As we walked, he talked and gave bad jokes and told us all about the tour and all about his training. But still, we disliked his lack of reading. He couldn’t read very well. All the kids, one day, told him to tell them a story, but he couldn’t read, so he didn’t tell them the right story, and all the kids knew that story, so he got very bad credit. We decided to teach him how to read. But, once the ancient tour guide dropped books on his head, Christian was a very good student.

At night time, at 6:55 PM, we taught him how to read. He learned to read by 7:52 PM. Then, we all woke up at 6:45 AM. We reached the ancient tour guide at 9:56 PM, but we got too tired, so Christian actually told us a good story. The story lasted sixty seconds, because he read it so fast, like a rap, and we enjoyed it and that made us very tired.

Then, Writopians said, “Hey, Charles Brocky, when you go back to Writopia, can you teach us how to read a story that fast?”

“Sure.”

We found Christian cleaning a spill at the camp tent. This made us think he was helpful, and we learned every detail about his life. We learned that he liked to clean up spills, and he liked to spill them too, then clean them up. We looked at the floor. It looked so shiny after that.

Then, the ancient tour guide came in the tent when Writopians were still asleep, but Christian was still awake because tour guides don’t sleep a lot. He said, “Good work, pupil. Or should I say, Charles Brocky?” Then, the ancient tour guide said, “CucFriEggHumDumPinKiwTidWavCherPicBrocHeaYouBloHaiBilJoeCha, good work. Very good work.”

In the morning, Christian took us all to meet the ancient tour guide, and he told us his legend, and he did a whole tour about the ancient tour guide, and we all shook hands with him. We started going back home, very happy and thinking Christian was the best ever and thanking him for letting us go on his tour and giving him lots of money. He gave us another tour on the way down the mountain on the other side. We saw he was very good at walking backwards. He walked backwards down the mountain without bumping, and told lots of bad jokes. His jokes were even worse than last time.

Once, it was dinnertime, and we had soup. There was a fly in one of our soups, so the person from Writopia said, “Christian… I mean, Charles Brocky… what’s this fly doing in my soup?”

Then, Christian said, “Looks like the back stroke.”

Everybody laughed so hard that the soup came out their noses.

When we got to the end of the mountain, Christian was telling so many bad jokes that he slipped on a rock right at the bottom of the mountain. He was a perfect tour guide, but right when the tour ended, he slipped, and we had to all catch him in our tent.

Christian was so embarrassed that he turned all red and he ran all the way up to space in a second (because the top of the mountain touches space, I will tell you again).   Christian was so embarrassed, he jumped off the tip of the mountain and he started flying. He ended up at his house, but he couldn’t fly anymore after that. He got the flying power from too much embarrassment; when you’re so embarrassed, you can do amazing things.

Then, Christian decided, That doesn’t matter. I will do another tour again, but I will never work at Writopia. I am too embarrassed. And they will stop calling me Charles Brocky. That’s it.

What will Christian, or Charles Brocky, do next?

The Weird Potion

In a small town in California, there was an evil man named Dr. Ricker. He looked just like a regular doctor, wearing an all-white outfit. He was making a potion to poison the drinking water of the town. This potion would make everyone very sick — they would throw up and grow weak. He always dreamed of ruling the world, so he started with this town. By making everyone weaker, he would grow stronger and be able to take over all of California. This was his first time trying out a plan like this because he didn’t want the townspeople to know his strengths and weaknesses and be able to defeat him. His biggest strength was how smart he was. His biggest weakness was that he couldn’t run fast, and he wasn’t very good at tricking people.

In his big lab at the town’s hospital, he finished mixing his last batch of the potion. He put paint, red pills, and purple liquid moss into a great mixing pot and mixed it for two hours.

“Okay! Let’s get this into the water supply!” He laughed.

Later, he went to the supermarket where they kept the canned goods that needed tap water to be made, like canned and frozen orange juice that needed hot water. He told everyone who walked by how canned goods were more nutritious these days because doctors had figured out a way to pack them with healthy ingredients. A gigantic crowd swarmed in front of the whole display and began buying all of the canned goods, completely wiping them out. When he came out of the market, he started laughing tremendous, evil laughs and walked back to his lab.

Meanwhile, a poor, homeless man named Chris decided to peek up and watch the television in the house he was hiding under. The little boy who lived there was in his wheelchair in front of the TV. He had big glasses, freckles, and straight, brown hair. Chris had always seen little kids teasing the boy, and Chris really wanted to show him that even with his disability, he could still be a hero. He saw a news reporter talking about this weird color in the water that had come out of nowhere and was harming the townspeople.

Even though Chris was just a poor townsperson, he wanted to destroy what was harming everyone and become known as a hero for the little boy. Because doctors usually gave the information to the scientists at the hospital, he knew he had to go there to begin searching for answers.

He walked down the block and turned right to arrive at a police station. He felt very brave, knowing he was on a mission to save his whole town, and he marched over to a police officer.

“Can you give me a ride to the hospital?” Chris asked.

“Why?” The police officer asked, confused.

Chris told him how he needed to find out more information about why everyone was getting sick, and the police officer agreed. They started driving toward the hospital, and whenever Chris looked out the window, he saw people throwing up and everyone growing weaker and weaker with every footstep. Chris felt sad and sorry for the people. He knew what it was like to feel sick.

Chris and the police officer stopped at the hospital and waved goodbye to each other. Chris walked into the hospital and asked the man at the front desk if he had any information about why everyone was sick.

“Follow me,” the man told him.

Chris followed him down to the basement. On his way, he saw a case full of sharp knives. The front door man led him into a dark, cell-like room with no windows.

“Stay here,” the man said calmly.

“Okay,” Chris agreed, uncertain.

The man shut the door and walked quickly up the stairs to a red button on the wall. He punched the button.

“Ahh!” screamed Chris, when he noticed that he was tied up. He was scared, but then, he realized it was the same type of rope he had used to tie up his belongings every night and every morning to make sure they weren’t stolen. The knots tied in the rope were usually very weak because it was such a cheap rope. Chris had a pocketknife in his pocket, but he couldn’t reach it. He noticed the blade was sticking out a bit. He scrunched himself into a little ball until the blade touched the rope. He squeezed a little bit more and cut the rope that was tying his hands. He cut the rest of the rope and quietly took off the sweaty blindfold. Then, he thought about the case of sharp knives, so he ran down the corridor and opened the glass case.

He thought to himself, Now, no one will overcome me. He took off, searching for someone else to help him. Then, he noticed that he hadn’t gone upstairs yet.

The first room he saw was Dr. Ricker’s lab, where the evil doctor was pouring his second-to-last batch of the potion. He walked into the room and knocked over a bottle of purple liquid by accident. There were bottles of purple liquid going up a tube and into the mixing bowl.

Dr. Ricker turned around. “Whaaat… are you doing here in my lab?“ Dr. Ricker said, hiding his potion behind his back, hoping Chris wouldn’t notice.

“Are you the one who’s been making this liquid that’s been harming the townspeople?” Chris asked him. Dr. Ricker knew this was going to happen, and he was prepared. He told him that no, he wasn’t, and he tried to change the topic.

“Have you heard about the scratch ticket that was worth three trillion dollars? I won! And I’ll give all the money to you.” Dr. Ricker knew Chris was homeless just by looking at his rags.

“Then, what is that purple liquid behind your back?” Chris asked.

“A drink I bought from the store,” Dr. Ricker casually replied.

Chris stuck the knife out from his belt and said, “Are you lying ?” The room seemed to get hotter every time they breathed in air.

Dr. Ricker said in his evil voice, “You really want to fight?” and stuck out a long dagger that glimmered under the light. They took two steps forward, and each started hitting the other’s knife, trying to hit it out of each other’s hand.

Clang! the swords went. One of the doctors outside heard the noise and told the other doctors. They followed the sound and reached Dr. Ricker’s lab. They saw the potion drop out of Dr. Ricker’s hand and decided to call the owner of the hospital.

The man from the front desk had also heard the noise, and he quickly ran up. He saw the fight and took the longest dagger from the case he had walked past earlier. He went back to the lab and started fighting on Dr. Ricker’s side. Chris was nervous, but he stayed brave because he was saving the whole town from the bad guys and their potion. He wouldn’t give up because he wanted to be known as a hero for the little boy and save everyone.

Just as Chris started losing grip on his dagger, the owner of the hospital ran in and yelled, “Stop!”

The other doctors told the chief all about how they saw the same liquid in the tap water. They tested it out on one of the unaffected, and he started throwing up and falling down. The owner of the hospital called the police to take Dr. Ricker and his sidekick to jail.

When the police came, Dr. Ricker shouted, “You’ll still see me here, but in another world.”

Everyone said, “Pff, who cares? You’re going to jail!”

The mayor of California and the President of the United States of America awarded Chris the medal of bravery and had a big celebration in the town square.

The little boy in the wheelchair came up to Chris and told him that he had really taught him a lesson because now he knew that even though he had a disability, he could still be a hero.

Chris said, “This all happened because I saw other kids bullying you. I decided to prove that even if you are different from regular people who have some money, you can still be a hero.”

As for the sick townspeople, the doctors examined the potion and started to think about a pill that could solve their sickness. Then, they finally got an idea for a pill. Finally, they told the messenger boy to bring the packets to all the houses in the town in California.

Terry the Donut

           

CHAPTER 1

Hello from Donut Land! My name is Terry, and I like to say I’m brave. But I’m not because in Donut Land, we have just been attacked by the vicious popsicles. They stole all of our topping armor. Now, my donut army and I are planning a comeback.

“When should we attack?” asked Frank.

“Tomorrow afternoon,” said Pete.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I know they are going out to lunch to celebrate their victory,” said Pete.

“Oh,” I said.

“So, we go to castle first. Then, we find. That’s the plan?” asked Thomas

“First, we sneak into the hall for our topping armor. Then, we raid the castle for anything we like. BUT, we have to leave at 5:00 because that’s when they’re coming back. So that gives us five hours.”                                     

CHAPTER 2

After the plan, we all went to bed.

“Terry,Terry! It’s time to wake up!” said a voice.

I slowly opened one eye, and then slowly opened the other eye. I looked at my clock. “12:30!!!!!!!!!!!!” I shouted.

I sprung out of bed, quickly dressed, and went down to the hall to where the others were. Everyone was there except Frank.

“Where’s Frank?” I asked.

“Oh, Frank went up to wake you up,” answered Pete.

“Oh,” I said, embarrassed. “Oh, and here he comes now.” I looked at my watch. It read 12:48. “We better get going now,” I said. “It’s 12:48.”

“Yeah, but it only takes us five minutes to get there,” said Pete.

“But then we’ll have extra time,” I said.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” said Pete.

CHAPTER 3

As we all started walking to the castle, I said, “So we take whatever we like?’’

“Yup,” said Pete. “BUT we first need to find our armour.”

When we got to the castle, we snuck around to the back door where Pete knew there was a secret entrance. He’d been to the castle many times before because he helped make it back when he was friends with the popsicles. But first, we had to say a password. The password was “Pop.” The ground started to shake, and a door formed in the side of the castle. As Pete opened the door, it creaked a little. Inside were a few spiderwebs, and as Pete stepped, the floorboard creaked and groaned. It was dark, and there was loads of air conditioning. The donuts shivered a lot.

We passed an old chest and then turned a corner. Pete stepped on something, and the next thing I knew, he was gone. I heard a voice coming from below. It was Pete. He had fallen down the trapdoor. I knew exactly what to do. I turned the corner and looked in the old chest. There was a rope, and there was a potion for night vision inside. I quickly took both of those things. I hurled the rope down to Pete. I threw down the potion of night vision so that he could see. It landed on him with a smash.

He said, “Who threw that at me?”

I said, “I did. It’s potion of night vision. It said so on the bottle.”

Pete said, “Wow. Thanks. It really works. I can see loads of things now.” He grabbed hold of the rope and climbed up. He said to everyone, “Step over the trapdoor. It’s really deep.”
We came up to another chest. This time, Jacob opened it. He said there were some toppings in there. He gave it to Pete, and Pete’s app said it was my armor.

CHAPTER 4

I put my armor back on. It was warm.

“No fair,” said Frank. “I want my armor back as well.”

Pete said, “We’ll find it soon.”

And then, we carried on walking until we came to another chest. There were two chests this time. Inside, they had loads of night vision potions. We all smashed them on ourselves. In the next chest, we found a sword. It was Frank’s sword. The sword was made of gold with an iron handle and diamond on the end.

“Yay!” said Frank.

And then, everyone else said, “No fair. We don’t get a sword.”  

We carried on walking and walking and walking. But no other chests came. We came to another hallway.

Pete said, “We might need to split up now.” He split us into groups. He said, “Terry, Thomas, Zack, and Frank, go right. Jacob, Luke, and I will carry on straight.”

In Pete’s group, Pete said to Jacob, “I wonder where this place goes. I hope it doesn’t lead to another trap door.”

Meanwhile, in my tunnel, I found a chest. Everybody crowded around and looked inside. There was only one type of thing: some swords.

“Let’s see whose swords these are,” said Terry.

“Well, I know who this one belongs to,” I said. “It belongs to me. And this one might belong to Thomas. And this one might belong to Zack.”

So everybody got their swords except for Pete’s group.

CHAPTER 5     

Meanwhile, Pete found a chest. Pete opened it. Everyone crowded around to see what was inside. There were armor and swords. Pete sorted them.

“So this armor’s Jacob’s, and this sword is Jacob’s, this sword is mine, and this sword is Luke’s.” Pete checked his watch. It read 3:35. “Oh, great,” said Pete.

“What is it?” said Luke.

“It’s 3:35,” answered Pete. “So the only thing we can hope for now is the end of this tunnel.”

“And meeting the others,” said Luke.

“And that,” said Pete. “So who doesn’t have their armor?”

And Luke said, “I don’t. And you, Frank, and Thomas don’t have your armor either. We still need to find them.”

Meanwhile, in my group… I kept walking and walking, but nothing came. Our group started to get worried because they thought we were going the wrong way. Then, something came into view. There was not a chest. There was daylight.

I said, “Everybody, we should turn back. This is the wrong way.”

So we all ran back because we needed to find the others. We kept running and running in the same direction. Then, we came up to the hallway split. We turned right. I checked my watch. It read 4:00.

“Oh no!” I said. “The popsicles are coming in one hour.”

So the others and I ran as fast as we could down the hall until we came to a chest.

“Don’t look in that chest,” I said, “because Pete’s group has already been here so it will be empty.” We saw more chests but we didn’t open them.

We kept running until we saw something moving.

CHAPTER 6

I thought, Phew, we caught up to them. But then, I thought, That can’t be them because there’s only one thing moving.

When we came up to it, it was a robot programmed to fight anything that was like a donut. As soon as it saw us, it started kicking, but we ran right past it. When we looked back, it was running after us.

I shouted, “Keep running everybody!” Then, I saw three people in the distance, and they were moving. I knew it had to be Pete and his group. I screamed, “Run! Run! There’s a robot chasing us!”

Thomas screamed, “There’s a robot chasing us!”

Pete looked behind us and saw the robot chasing us all. He started running as fast as he could. We came up to the chest. I didn’t stop running, but looked inside it. I saw a blur of something that looked like a slow potion and a gun.

I said to the others, “Pick up what’s in that chest. Quickly! Trust me, I think there is a gun and some slow motion potion.”

Thomas picked up the gun. It was a machine gun. And Luke picked up the potion. He threw it at the robot. The robot started going really slow. We all slowed down and came to a stop. Then, we started shooting at the robot. The robot’s arm came off. Then, its other arm came off. Then, its legs and head. It died.

We started walking. Everybody was panting because we’d been running really fast.

“I need a break,” said Pete.

But I said, “No, we can’t take a break now. It’s 4:30. They are coming home in half an hour, and we still have armor to find. We also have to find swords.”

CHAPTER 7

We kept walking and walking. Then, we saw a door at the other end of the hallway. I opened it. There were two flights of stairs. So we started walking up them. And we saw a chest. Let’s see what’s inside it?

What we saw is that there was only one thing. A sword. It belonged to Thomas. Then, Thomas said, “Yay! I finally have my sword.”

We walked up the other flight of stairs. It had a marble floor and paintings on the side of the walls. It had a very high ceiling.

Pete said, “We’re inside the main castle now. Now, we really need to try and find the rest of our armor and swords.” “

I checked my watch. It was 4:45. They were coming in fifteen minutes. We had to find our armor and swords now.

“We have to start running. We can’t walk anymore,” I said.

Then, something caught my eye. In the far right corner, there was a chest. I started running towards it. Everyone ran after me in a pack. I opened it. There was all of our armor. We took it all.

CHAPTER 8

I checked my watch. 4:58. “Guys! We have to go now, it’s 4:58!”

“Let’s go!” said Pete.

We ran out the door and to our castle.

As we approached our castle, we heard a voice. I looked behind me. It was a popsicle. “Hey, wait up,” he said.

We stopped. Pete said, “What is it?”

The popsicle said, “We’re sorry for stealing all your armor, we just wanted to protect ourselves from melting.”

“Oh,” said Pete. “Well, I think we can help you.”

“You can!?”

“Follow us.”

We walked back to our castle and walked up to to the top floor. We opened the door. Inside was our armor maker. We asked what armor he and his friends would like. He said, “Gold armor please.”

“Coming right up,” said the computer.

“Can I have twelve gold armors, please?” said the popsicle whose name was Mate.

“Okay,” said the computer.

After all the gold armors were made, Mate said, “Thanks so much for helping me!”

And that’s how the donuts and the popsicles became friends again.

Dessert Disaster

One morning, I woke up to the dim light shining low on my hot pink curtains. Time for a new summer, I thought. I went to open my porch window. I was happy summer had arrived, so there was no doubt about it. I had plans. My mom and dad weren’t the type of parents who stay at home all summer. They worked at their office all day, so my dad brought me to my friend Sofia’s house.

Sofia waved to me. “Hi, Audrey! C’mon! I have something to show you! C’mon!” Sofia yanked me in. My friends, Leora, Chase, and Alexandra were there. Sofia sat us all down. She held something in a yellow wrapper.

“So, what is it?” I asked, eagerly.

“Yeah, tell us!” Alexandra squealed.

Sofia opened the package. It was a delicate, triple-chocolate fudge cake with a pound of the finest, darkest spoon of vanilla that seemed to make everyone’s mouth agape. Sofia’s cake had a golden shade of too-sweet sugar that could water anyone’s lips constantly. I gasped in awe.

A feeling came over Leora. She grew so envious that her mood seemed to darken. Why should Sofia get that precious cake? Leora kept staring at the cake. She wanted to take the rest. She wanted to go and steal the chocolate cake so she could eat it. However, the multiple times Leora tried to take it, when she had to be thinking up plans to snatch it, run, and hide, her friends kept holding her back. So, Leora could only think of one thing. She planned to trick her friends, especially Sofia, and lie with a good excuse, to finish up her plan once and for all. But how?

Meanwhile, I was giggling with Sofia and laughing at Alexandra’s jokes.

“That’s a funny dance, Alexandra. Show us some more!” I told her sweetly. Alexandra hooted and did some more moves.

I called out, ”Oh. Leora, what are you doing? I hope you’re over that cake because — ha, Alexandra… It’s fun. C’mon. Show us some disco dance moves!” I blubbered in laughter.

Leora shook her head, plastering a fake and sweet expression on her face. I shrugged and turned away. Leora was just about to snatch the cake when — ”Leora!!!”

Oh no. Sofia was glaring at her, crazy mad. ”Grrr… What were you thinking?! You had to think that you should steal the cake?! It’s mine. And I wasn’t about to even think my BFF would steal it,” Sophia shouted. “Stop it. Okay?”

“I’ll stop.” Leora said. But guess what? She had her fingers crossed! Sofia turned away.

I saw the others glare at Leora constantly for what she had done. I frowned. That plan was mean. Why did she want to do that? This was like the “Cake Crime.” OMG, I could see the headlines now: “Girl Robbed a Special Cake,” “Girl Arrested in Jail.” “Brrr…”

I glared back at Leora. This was terrible. Sofia would probably not be friends with Leora anymore! Oh no! I had to fix it.

Apparently, I was right! Sofia refused to be BFF’S anymore with Leora. So Leora started to hesitate about her plan. She didn’t want Sofia to not be her friend! Oh no. No. She had to get her BFF back.

This wasn’t worth it, Leora thought.

Leora went over to Sofia, and she apologized, “Sorry for stealing your cake, Sofia. I don’t know what got into me.” Sofia just glared at her. Leora explained, ”I shouldn’t have tried to trick you into letting me steal it.”

Are you kidding me?! You weren’t even thinking about me, or the other people who do wish they had the cake, did you? Also, why would you stoop that low? You’ve lost the specialty that made me even want to become your BFF in the first place!” Sofia growled.

“But I really, really loved it. And the way it looked, the cake was so sweet and scrumptious… and truly bewitching.” Leora mumbled.

“Stop it! I’m not your friend, okay?” Sofia argued, now furious. Leora stomped away.

***

THE VERY NEXT DAY…

Sofia yawned heavily. Ever since Leora had gone home, she’d been having nightmares! She even unfriended Leora on Facebook.

Cake eater, she thought. Cake stealer. How could she? How? The cake was from the finest bakery, for goodness sake! Golden’s Bakery, a bakery that only the wealthiest people can afford. $123 for a lick of homemade, rich, caramel ice cream, $673 for the greatest taste of pecan pie, $231 for a sip of a pink, apricot, and delicate strawberry smoothie! A cake was $879!!!

Sofia hadn’t even even saved up all her allowance to purchase it! She had to combine all her family’s money and cherished treasure to buy it! Yes! It was that expensive!

“Leora will be sorry when she sees what she missed!” Sofia muttered.

And so, tension rose up between Sofia and Leora as they argued. Sofia’s heart raced. She was trembling. She’d never lost a friend. Not one. She thought miserably, I need help. She sighed. Who can help anyway?

“I can.”

“Huh? Who are you?” Sofia asked.

“I am the Narrator. I help tell all the stories.”

“I can talk to Narrators?!” Sofia asked.

“I guess you can.”

“I don’t get it. Why me?” Sofia asked.

“For one reason: you really need help, and when someone needs help, I have to make my voice visible to people.”

“Oh. Can you help me? I really want Leora to do something with that apology because I know Leora crossed her fingers when she said she wouldn’t do that again. So I didn’t believe her, then she got mad, and I felt worse, and then, I decided to be nice to her even if she’s not my friend,” Sofia blurted out.

I nodded, clearly wise and understanding. “I know. I can’t help at every moment because that’s illegal in the rules of a Narrator, but I suppose I can tell you that Leora may be mad at you only because she wants you to be her bestie again. So, do you want to be her friend again?”

Sofia squeezed her eyes tight, holding back tears. “Not quite. I don’t know what to do. Because she wanted to stab me in the back and steal my cake, I’m not going to be.” Sophia opened her eyes slightly now. “And now I feel horrendous,” Sofia sobbed.

I became invisible. “Sofia, but Leora is just the same way! Think about how sad she’ll be that you don’t want to be her bestie anymore.” Sofia’s eyes darted over to the window.

She sighed and shook her head. “I am not her friend, still. But thanks for your help, Narrator.”

I faded away. Sofia sobbed. Would this be any worse? Could Sofia ever reunite with Leora?

***

Meanwhile, Leora was fuming mad. She tried to say sorry, but how dare Sofia turn her back on her! She cried herself to sleep.

In her dream, a calm voice actually entered and said, “You can’t turn your back on Sofia. She’s your friend. Get her back.”

Leora awoke with a start. Who would dare interfere with her friend issues?

I felt really bad for Sofia and Leora. That storytelling magic is the most powerful magic for a Narrator to achieve. If only I could do it. Okay, here it goes: “The ice cream truck comes toward 22nd Avenue. Just as I said, an ice cream truck comes toward 22nd Avenue. I did it! Now, to save the day.”

I transported myself to Sofia’s room and flew to the top of the writing desk. I whispered, “Sofia and Leora are friends again.” The room whizzed and whirled.

“Did I do it?” I asked, eagerly.

“Okay everyone.” Sofia sat them all down.

“Well, what is it?” Leora asked.

“Yeah, tell us!” Alexandra squealed.

Wait a minute. This is the day Sofia showed her cake. Oh no! I whizzed them back to the past! The beginning of the story has been copied!

I gulped. I was so in trouble. Sofia was going to be sooo angry at me if she found out. I panicked. If anything changes now, then the “future” is going to be altered! Hey, wait a minute. I can still keep them as BFFs! All I have to do is keep them from fighting! Yes!

I watched as Leora began to get envious with pride. I flickered away to the cake and inhaled. Time to do this.

Okay. Sofia and Leora are BFFs permanently. Leora’s mood lightened. I’m doing it! Sofia and Leora then joined Audrey and Alexandra who were laughing again. Looks okay so far… Leora kept on laughing and talking to Sofia. Yes! I fixed the past! I did it!!! The cake isn’t going to be stolen, and everything is fine once again.

It was a great day for Leora and Sofia, as they played in the setting sun. They kept on laughing with Audrey and Alexandra. The leaves were now turning a light shade of orange, and people were smiling delightedly. The sun was shining, and the wind was blowing gently. I was so proud of saving the story, I decided to enjoy it too.

THE END

Nacho Cheese for President

On a place called Tropical Big Island, there was a superhero named Nacho Cheese. He defeated bad guys with his nacho cheese sauce powers. He also had some signature moves such as the Nacho Fist Punch, Nacho Chip Projectiles, the Wet Nacho Willie, and best of all, the Big Nacho Cheese Powder Fart. However, he was now saving the day by running for president!

In the town square, Nacho Cheese crashed into Bob the Builder.

“Who are you?” Nacho Cheese asked.

“I am Bob the Builder,” said Bob.

“I am Nacho Cheese,” said Nacho Cheese.

Bob was old, had gray hair, and couldn’t stand straight. Meanwhile, Nacho Cheese had a Mexican mask and a unique mustache.

“What are you doing here?” Nacho Cheese asked again.

“I am here because I want to know what Eve Vil would do as president,” Bob said.

“Well, if you want to know, go to Eve Vil’s speech,” Nacho Cheese said.

“Well, okay,” said Bob. “Hey, what are you even doing as president?”

“I will create a foundation where I will help the poor and hungry,” Nacho Cheese said.

“Why, thank you, superhero,” Bob said.

“You’re welcome,” said Nacho Cheese.

At the election, Nacho Cheese had met his rival candidates: Eve Vil, Violet Blick, and Camilia Higgins. Violet Blick’s cover as an adult was blown, and she was eliminated. It turned out Blick was a child when her stilts and makeup were gone.

Just because he was a superhero, the voters decided not to vote for Nacho Cheese, and Eve Vil won the election. Nacho Cheese was saddened by this. But then, Eve Vil caused chaos around the island! But don’t worry, Nacho Cheese was here to save the day! He did his Nacho Fist Punch and launched his Cheese Sauce to hold off Eve Vil. He then told the citizens to go on a ship for a little while. Vil freed herself from the cheese sauce and tried to find Nacho Cheese. Nacho Cheese then found her and used all his powers. When he found out they didn’t work, he had to do his most special move yet: the Big Nacho Cheese Powder Fart. Vil couldn’t stand the smell and was defeated. The voters realized they were wrong about Nacho Cheese, and he became president. He repeated his speech and did what he had to do to become president.

“Hello, it is me, Nacho Cheese. I may be your average everyday superhero, but now, I am running for president! I shall now tell you what I will do as president. I will start a foundation that will help the poor and hungry. I want justice for what the bad guys did to me. And finally, I will always save the day, even if i’m president. And now, I will be the president of Tropical Big Island!”

Nacho Cheese and the citizens of Tropical Big Island lived happily ever after.

“Wait a minute!” exclaimed Nacho Cheese, “I forgot about Camilia Higgins!”

“That’s right!” said Higgins herself, “You forgot about me!”

“You know, you’re perfect for the role of the president,” said Nacho Cheese.

“But why?” asked Camilia Higgins.

“All those things I said at the speech, I can also do those things as a superhero,” Nacho Cheese said. “So you can be president.”

Since the voters hated it when Nacho Cheese put his arms up and yelled “Nacho Cheese!” Camilia Higgins was president instead. Even though he didn’t win, Nacho Cheese started his foundation, and everybody lived happily ever after.

THE END

The Great Lunchbox Mystery

Leigh was an ordinary boy. Red hair, green eyes. Every day, his mom packed him a sandwich and water. But when he got to school, he had pasta, sparkling water, and a cheesecake. As the years passed, he got more food from his lunchbox: pizza, cakes, Coca-Cola, and silverware.

Then, lightning sprouted from the air and put a golden crown on his lunchbox, and it started to float. Leigh grabbed his lunchbox and followed it up to the air. Once they were at the top, they were in Lunchbox Land. Lunchbox Land was basically made of lunchboxes: lunchbox houses, lunchbox playgrounds, lunchbox floors, lunchbox everything. Leigh was shocked. He fell onto his back, pretending it was a dream.

Then, his lunchbox grew legs, then arms, and then a head. So you understand me? Even eyes! And then he said, “Hello, Leigh.”

Leigh was confused. He had no idea what was happening. Leigh rolled his eyes and said, “Where did you come from?”

“I am magical,” his lunchbox replied. “My name is Shake Your Booty. How may I help you?”

“I am good. Who are you?”

“I am Shake Your Booty. Oh, then, I will go to my castle.”

“What castle?”

“That castle.”

“Oh! Can I go in?”

They walked and walked until they got to a huge mansion. They opened the lunchbox doors. As Leigh stepped in, he saw a beautiful table, giant golden lunchbox stairs, and best of all, a sculpture! “Is this me?” He asked.

Shake Your Booty cried, “Yes, this is you! You are my boss. I like you being happy. Other kids don’t have the luck that you have.”

As he entered, Shake Your Booty said, “This is your room. Enjoy! You have it for one week.” Shake Your Booty yelled, “Bye!” and shut the door.

Leigh accidentally wobbled and pressed a red button on the floor. The whole room was about to explode. It exploded, all right, but with human stuff. A bed, clothing, a bathroom, and a rug appeared. Leigh ran all the way to the end of the room and tucked himself into a ball. And all of a sudden, he could fly.

“What the lunchbox?” Leigh said and fell asleep.

The next morning, Leigh found a giant cake in his room and Shake Your Booty too. He was singing, “Shake your bootay! Shake your bootay! Na, na! Baby this is how you do it!”

Leigh rolled his eyes. What was happening to him?

Leigh tried to break the floor to get home. It wasn’t possible.

Shake Your Booty said, “Hellooo! Do you want the big cake or not?”

“Oh, no, thank you,” Leigh replied. Then, they tried looking for another lunch box that came from the earth. But they were so hard to get into one of the holes. Then, he went up to the room. He found The Guide Out of Lunchbox World in his drawer. It had appeared with the room.

So, first, he needed a hammer of Lunchbox Zitia. But, it was at the top of the mansion. So he took the elevator and got the hammer. Then, he needed to find out where he came out of. So he went to Headquarters. He asked, “By any chance, do you know where I came out of?”

“Name of your lunchbox?”

“Shake Your Booty.”

“Where do you live?” asked Building, a lunchbox that worked in Headquarters.

“Plastic Street.”

“Okay. Follow me.”

So Leigh followed Building to where he came out of. He crashed to the ground. Then, he jumped in the hole and landed on his roof. The hole closed. He was safe!

Shake Your Booty was ruined! He decided to send his spy to look for Leigh.

Then, he said to his spy Tupperware, “You shall find Leigh. You can use the tools in that box. If not, you are banished from Lunchbox Land.”

So Tupperware set foot. On the way to Leigh’s house, he broke the ground. There was Leigh’s house! He jumped off the floor and onto the roof. And then he slid down and walked through the door. He had a smile on his face, and he was cartwheeling on the floor.

“I don’t know. I just held onto my flying lunch box, and I was in another dimension!” said Leigh.

“Okay. You are grounded. Go to your room!”

“Okay.”

Then, Leigh went into his room. There was his old lunchbox!

“Ha, ha. Get ready to become a lunchbox!”

“No!” Leigh ran to his mom. They both shook in terror.

“So, this is your lunchbox?” said his mom.

“Yes!”

“Run for your life!”

“The bomb.”

“What bomb?”

“The bomb that I hid in the yard this morning. I can make it explode, and my crazy lunchbox will get destroyed.”

“Do it.”

Leigh hit the red button.

BOOOOOM!

The ground shook. Dirt and stone flew up into the air. And in the hole, lay the two dead lunchboxes.  

What Are the Chances?

Luma was lying on her bed, her nose buried in a book and her hair spilling out every which way on the comforter.

“Luma, come, come!” Her mother called from down the hall. “Adam is here!”

Oh, awesome! Luma thought. Adam is my favorite cousin because he’s so reckless. Maybe I can learn something from him. She quickly put a bookmark in her novel and laid it on her bed. She jumped up and ran to the front door to greet her cousin.

“Hey, L!” Adam happily said. “I’m so glad I got to come here.” He unclipped his helmet and hung it on his bike handle just a few feet from their house.

I wish I was more like him. Luma sighed, yearning to be more like the daring Adam. Always going on adventures on his bike, climbing everything in his line of vision.

“So, I was thinking maybe you can show me how to ride a bike?” Luma asked, embarrassed.

Adam laughed. “You? No offense, Luma, but you don’t seem like the type who can ride a bike.” He looked at the slightly hurt expression on her face and quickly added, “But I can teach you. If you want.”

“Jeez, Adam!” Luma sighed. “Just teach me! I want to be….” She trailed off.

“You want to be…?” Adam asked. “Tell me.”

Luma looked down at her shoes. “Okay, I want to be more like you. I mean, you’re so fearless! You go on these explorations! And here I am, reading books and typing words for stories. But you won’t get it. It’s just who you are.” Luma looked at Adam. “There. That’s what I wanted to say.”

Adam looked at her, bewildered. “You want to be like me? Wow.”

Luma looked surprised. Why is he so confused? “Wow, what?”

“I always wanted to be like you!” he laughed. “I’m always wasting my time going out and about but never focusing on my homework or grades. You make it look so effortless to be at the top of your class. How do you do it?”

Now it was Luma’s turn to be confused. Him? Wants to be like me? It was like she was in some alternate universe. She had never thought in a million years that Adam her carefree, crazy cousin would want to be like her.

“Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll help you with your schoolwork,” Luma explained. “And you will help me be the zany person I’ve always wanted to be.”

Adam thought about it for a while. “Okay! I’m cool with that deal,” he grinned. “Now let’s go to the bike shop and teach you how to ride a bike!”

***

“Ahh!” Luma wobbled unsteadily on a dusty bike from the rental store, going so slow that a turtle could beat her in a race.

“Sit in the center of the seat!” Adam instructed. “Pedal more forcefully!”

“I’m trying! I’m trying!” Luma said, exasperated. “This is harder than I thought!”

“Keep your hands tight on the handlebars!” Adam shouted. “This is only the start of being bold. Get used to it.”

Luma processed this thought. “You’re doing this to be bold,” she mumbled. “To be bold.” With each chant, she gained speed, just a little. Soon, Luma was riding around the park, steering the wrong way a couple of times but, overall, doing very well.

Adam smiled as Luma removed her helmet. “You are doing so well. I’m proud of you.”

“Hello, Mr. Cheesy McCheesy,” Luma playfully teased. But really, Luma was satisfied by how much progress she made.

“Okay, what’s next?” Luma kicked up the kickstand of the bike.

Adam looked around the playground, thinking of what training to give to Luma. Then he smiled. “Obstacle course.”
Adam made up the course as he went. “Okay, so climb up the ladder, but with no hands. And instead of crossing the platform, go along the very edge and crab-walk to the slide. Go down on the rim of the slide, try not to fall down. Then, sprint to the mini-slide and walk up it to the bar over there, climb up there, jump down and you’re done! It might seem overwhelming, but it’s easier than you think it is.” Adam took a breath. “I’ll time you.”

“Okay. I’m ready.” Luma stretched out her hamstrings and rolled her neck around.

Adam set a stopwatch and counted down from five. “Five… four… three… two… one… Go!”

Luma dashed off, jumping and climbing and running and sliding all over the place. She had laser focus and did not think of anything other than finishing the course. When she finished, Adam had a stunned look on his face.

“Fifty-four seconds!” he said a little too loudly. “How?”

Luma laughed and wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Well, I guess the bike ride inspired me.”

“If you keep it up, you’re gonna be way better than me!” He punched Luma playfully.

An ice cream truck chimed nearby. The cousins rushed over to the vehicle, eager to get a cold, sweet treat.

When they got there, the man in the truck greeted them. “What would you like today?” He pointed to the various options on the side of the truck.

“I would like a strawberry ice cream in a medium cone, please,” Luma asked.

When the man handed her the delectable cone, she handed him the money and sat down at a nearby bench. Adam repeated Luma’s transaction, but his flavor was triple fudge.

Adam walked over to the bench and sat next to Luma. He took a few licks of his ice cream and then turned to Luma.

“OK, L. I held up my end of the deal for today now it’s your turn. Once we get home, let’s hit the books!” Adam laughed with Luma.

But secretly, Luma was having a very important discussion inside her head with herself. I’ve never been a “mentor,” per se, she thought. I might teach him the wrong things, or make it too easy or too hard. He might be learning different things in his class, or I might teach him the advanced subjects…. The more Luma thought about it, the more the worries rolled in like big, salty, scary waves.

Luma could not show that anxiety. Adam would be suspicious, and that would be a disaster.

“Yeah. Hit the books,” Luma said weakly.

***

When she got home, Luma hung a sign on her door:

*Attention!*

VERY important study session proceeding inside this room.

If it is an absolute emergency (or it’s dinnertime),

PLEASE KNOCK! DO NOT BARGE RIGHT IN.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Luma & Adam

After hanging the sign, she turned and shut the door. “Okay, Adam, let’s do this. I’m returning the favor. So, I took the time to gather books from my own collection and from the library on numerous subjects.”
Adam was blown away. Stunned. Shocked. Luma had done all of this for him? Really? His heart filled just a bit at how much effort his cousin had put into his tutoring.

“Adam? Is something wrong?”

He looked up, frightened in the slightest, at Luma. I can’t show my gratefulness. I’m the cool one, after all. Despite these thoughts, Adam couldn’t push aside his urge to thank Luma for all her effort. You can’t. You need to look like the “no big deal” kind of guy.

“Ugh. I’ll just do this myself,” Adam angrily said to himself.

“Adam? Are you ready?” Luma tapped his shoulder.

“Oh. Uh, yeah, just, thinking about something…” Adam plastered a fake smile over his face to make it seem all okay.

“What were you thinking about?” Luma cocked her head to the side in curiosity. “You looked very deep in thought.”

“Um…” Adam searched frantically for a topic to say he was “thinking” about. “Um, ice cream.” He looked briefly startled by his sudden outburst. “Yeah. Ice cream: all the flavors… chocolate, vanilla, rocky road, peanut butter chocolate.” He once again faked a smile. “Yum, yum!” He said, too enthusiastically.

“Okay…” Luma said, slowly. “Very, um, interesting, topic. But enough talking. Which one first: algebra or history of Asia?”

“Algebra,” Adam said confidently. Math was the only subject he was decent at.

“Okay, here are all the books. Let’s go through every single one.” Luma put a huge stack of books in front of Adam. He started to sweat. Luma’s words echoed in his head.

Every single one.

Every. Single. One.

Every. Single. One.

“It’s going to be a long, long night,” Adam sighed under his breath so that Luma couldn’t hear. “A very, very, very long one.”

***

By that time, they had gone through countless books of completely boring and long equations and numbers, filling out as Luma had promised every single page. And when he thought he had done all that he could to master math, Luma happily placed in front of him a tower of worksheets.

And then, when Adam had finally thought he was finished, Luma chirped, “Time for history of Asia!” And put a large book in front of Adam’s face.

He just groaned.

Then, when the impossible became possible, the duo finished all the books Luma had in store, plus the worksheets, plus the pop quizzes Luma had somewhat cruelly put in store for him.

“Adam, I am very proud of you. You got algebra down super quickly, and you’re making progress in ancient history of Asia!” she smiled. “I know this is absolute torture for you, but you made it through. For today.”

Adam smacked his forehead. Oy, why did I agree to this? But even he had to admit, it was kind of dare he say fun to learn something new. Plus, Luma told him, this stuff was advanced, and if he could get that down, then the things his class was going over was going to be super easy.

Finally, after what seemed like hours and hours, dinnertime arrived.

Rap tap rap. Luma’s mother was knocking on Luma’s bedroom door. “It’s dinnertime,” she said. “I made chicken pot pie, Adam’s favorite!”

“Ooh, yum, chicken pot pie!” Adam jumped up, all too happy for dinner.

As Luma and Adam walked to the dining room, Luma commented on how he was going to be so ahead in his class.

But Adam, once again, was having an important meeting in his head. The thing is, he worried, I’m really afraid that I’m going to forget everything I learned today. Then I’ll have to do all that studying again, just because I forgot all the work I did. I cannot tolerate the misery I went through today, he thought, exasperated.

When the pair arrived in the dining room, the adults bombarded them with millions of questions.

“Luma, I heard you learned how to ride a bike! That’s great, but why, sweetie?”

“Adam? I saw some heavy books in your backpack. What’s the meaning of that?”

“Adam, you’ve never been interested in studying.”
“And I thought you never cared for going outside, Luma.”

“What is going on?”

And much more.

So, the cousins had no choice but to tell all about their deal: Luma telling about her bike ride, Adam telling about the torturous indulging study session.

The adults laughed and “awww”-ed as the cousins told their somewhat intriguing tale over chicken pot pie.

After dinner, Adam and Luma said goodbye to each other.

“Hey, L… maybe in a week you could come over again? Because that would be great.”

Luma’s mother, standing nearby, happily nodded. “That seems like a great idea! I’ve always been forcing Luma to go outside, but now that she finally has a desire to, I’m more than happy to let her over! I remember when Luma blah blah blah…” Luma’s mother went on about some sort of childhood memory that, personally, no one cared about.

Adam half-listened. Sheesh, he griped internally. When did Luma’s mom get so chatty and annoying? He laughed to himself. And when did I get so sarcastic?

Five long minutes later, Luma’s mother came to the end of her speech.

… and that’s why I will never buy chocolate from the man down the block!” She laughed. “Oh, sorry, Adam, I got a little carried away.” She smiled apologetically.

“Uh-huh,” Adam said, still partly paying attention. But then he realized someone was actually talking to him, and snapped back like a rubber band. “Very nice tale, Auntie Holly!” he said, as if he had actually been paying attention (he’s full of baloney).

“Really? Well, I’m glad you liked it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m going to ask my mom to go home now. I had a great time! Bye!” Adam went off to find his mom.

“Luma,” her mother asked. “I’m just interested why do you want to be more adventurous?”

“I don’t know,” Luma lied. “I just want to.” She started to play with her hair.

“I know you’re lying,” her mom said. “You always fiddle with your hair when you lie. C’mon, tell me.”

“Fine,” Luma sighed, annoyed. “But let’s go to the sunroom.”

“Sure.” As the mother and daughter walked down the hall, Luma noticed that, out of all the pictures of her, there were no pictures of her being active. The pictures looked still and bleak against the mahogany wall with just her sitting there, reading a book or writing on her computer.

The woven-rope carpet seemed to cut against her feet as she thought of her wasted thirteen years of keeping her nose in a book instead of going outside, or playing soccer or even just going on her front lawn.

When they reached the sunroom, Luma took the hanging seat with orange pillows and her mother took the rattan couch with matching orange pillows across from Luma.

“I’d just like to become more adventurous, because everyone at school thinks I’m the smart one. I mean, that’s great and all, but now my best friend Kacee joined the basketball team and, ever since, she’s been drifting away from me. Suddenly, she’s ignoring me.” Luma looked down.

“Oh, hun, it’s great that you treasure your friendship with her. But if you feel that you’ve become more daring and she still ignores you, maybe it’s time to find new friends.”

“Thanks, Mom.” She hugged her mother, and at that instant, as Luma gazed at the infinite night sky, she saw that even through the thunderstorm clouds, the rhythm of life would continue on.

***

“How was the chicken pot pie?” Adam’s mother asked.

“Great, now can we go home? I already said bye to everyone,” Adam asked.

“Sure, just lemme say goodbye to Auntie Holly.”

His mom walked out of the dining room for a couple of minutes and then came back.

“Okay, let’s go.” They opened the door, saying goodbye once more as they walked out, and headed down the path and got in the car. The sky was a beautiful purple and midnight blue, and it seemed to shine triumphantly

“Adam,” his mother said in a tone that Adam knew she was going to ask a question. “Why were you studying with Luma? And why did you have War & Peace: Starter’s Edition in your backpack? You’ve never wanted to study. All you wanted to do was ride on your bike or jump off everything. I’ve been constantly urging you to study because your GPA has dropped over time. But nooo, you always were out and about.” She sighed. “What’s your new and crazy plan now?”

“I’m just… changing my act.” That was partially true. He was changing his act; he was being more studious. But there was always more to the truth.

“Adam, just tell me,” his mother said, tired.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. So a couple of weeks ago, Carter got a glimpse of my math test scores. He had every right to be mad I always made up excuses to not go to his ‘study sessions’… I said my grades were great. But now, since he’s found out, he’s been ignoring me, and it’s so annoying. I just want him to be back to normal. I asked him how I could make it up to him, and he said by raising my grades. He’s being a nice friend, but in the weirdest way. I just want Carter to be my friend again.” Adam hung his head.

Adam’s mother smiled. “Adam, you’re doing the right thing. I get it. And also, you’re making me a very happy mom. This is a win-win situation!” They both laughed, and at that moment, looking at the outstretched road in front of them, they realized that even though there was traffic and confusion and annoyance in their lives, the road of life moved on.

***

A few months later, the hard work Luma and Adam had done paid off.

Luma joined the basketball team, and Kacee apologized for being so exclusive. Now, Luma plays basketball like she’s been doing it since she was born thanks to Adam.

Adam’s grades, after many lessons from Luma, had gone through the roof. His teachers praised him endlessly and Carter returned to normal and atoned for his harshness towards Adam’s GPA. Adam even aced the English exams and said they were “a piece of cake” thanks to Luma.

But, of course, the two had to stay true to their former identities.

Luma still read and wrote like crazy, but not as much, and now she knows when to stop and go outside. Adam, on the other hand, still accomplished ludicrous feats of danger, but never put that before school and academics.

The cousins were glad they were exposed to the other person’s life.

They didn’t know what kind of problems were in store for them, from friends to homework, but they promised they would help each other.

Additionally, if they ever had a dilemma, Adam and Luma would hold a Quadruple C: Cousin Conflict Conference Club for whenever they had an issue.

But, whatever they went through, they knew that life would always go on.

The One-Dollar Bill

        

Chapter 1

Hi This is Me

Hi. I’m a dollar bill. I’m here to tell you the story of how many homes I travel to. I travel to at least one hundred homes every week! This is the cycle: I go from the MINT, to the floor, to someone’s pocket, to someone’s house, to the store, to someone’s house, to the floor again, and so on. No one could ever find a way to keep me. That’s when I visited a bank. Oh, somebody finally found a way to keep me, and I couldn’t get out! I heard that person’s mom call her Imali. When Imali put me in the bank, I was so happy I finally didn’t have to get thrown around everywhere! I kept on getting folded so I could fit in someone’s pocket. I feel loose now. When I got folded for the first time, I cried. I was so scared that I was gonna die and I was gonna leave my mom, the ten-dollar bill and leave my dad, the twenty-dollar bill, and my brother, the five-dollar bill. Besides, I was the youngest. The one-dollar bill. It’s the one that gets used the most. It’s the one that gets lost in five seconds. It’s the one that no one cares about — except Imali.

Chapter 2

Wow!

Imali is the one that loves one dollar bills. I have a lot of friends now. I’m with them right now. Their names are Washington, Sasha, and Buck. They are also one dollar bills. We usually play robot with the buttons inside the bank. But we still get moved from time to time because some of those buttons that we push aren’t good. I love the bank, and Imali comes to visit us every month to put more one dollar bills in the bank. She has over 250 dollars in one-dollar bills. Not all of them are nice, but I still play with Washington, Sasha, and Buck.

Sasha is my best friend, but Washington and Buck play with us too. When we play robot Buck’s usually the robot, and we push him against the wall playfully. Buck is always the first one to volunteer to be the robot. Washington is more of a learning type, so whenever he plays robots it’s usually just to see what the buttons do, but at least he’s playing. Whenever Imali comes she doesn’t know that we’re alive, she just thinks we’re little pieces of paper that pay for stuff, but we know the truth. Imali still treats us like we’re alive. We can tell she thinks we’re not alive. From the books we’ve heard her read, we’re aliens to her. I’ve heard that aliens are green, and we’re all green. I heard aliens were from space though, we’re from the MINT.

Chapter 3

Not Fair

For Washington, he didn’t get thrown around, he didn’t do the money cycle. He just got put straight into Imali’s hands. He tells us stories all about it. Once he said that he was given to Imali. None of us believed him though, and he always tells us that the guy that gave him to Imali was named Benjamin, and I told him that Benjamin was Imali’s dad’s name. Right then and there I had a plan. I was going to write a letter to Imali to ask her if her dad worked at the MINT. Then Sasha told me there was no way to get paper or pen.

Then Buck said, “We’re money. We’re paper.”

Then Sasha said, “But, smarty pants, we don’t have a pen.”

Buck said, “Right, we don’t have a pen! How are we gonna get a pen?”

I said, “I have a plan. When Imali comes next month she’ll probably have a pen. All banks have a pen. Then when she puts some more money in I’ll reach into her shirt pocket and take out a pen. Is there any possibility of anything bad happening?”

Washington said, “Let me calculate that.”

Washington thought for five minutes.

Then he said, “Yes. I’ve thought of at least ten things that can happen badly.”

Sasha said, “Okay, then tell me.”

Washington said, “So one, Imali might not have a pocket on her shirt. Two, even if she does have a pocket on her shirt she might not have a pen on her shirt. Three, if she does have a pocket on her shirt still she might not have a pen there, she might have a pen on her jeans pocket. Four, she might not be wearing jeans, she might be wearing shorts. Five, her mom might put the money in the bank.”

Then Sasha said, “Stop. Her mom definitely has a pen in her purse.”

Washington said, “You just interrupted me. Six, her mom might not be wearing a purse. Seven, you don’t know for sure that her mom’s gonna have a pen in her purse. Eight, even if her mom does have a pen in her purse, how are we going to get in her purse? Nine, even if we can get in her purse we don’t know where she would keep a pen. Ten, we don’t know how long it’s gonna take for either to get the money. They might get up too fast, and we might get stuck with them!”

Chapter 4

Why are you so Negative?

I said, “Why are you so negative? All of those have a chance of happening, but that’s because you always say stuff that’s just too worrying.”

“I’m just trying to be safe. You asked if anything wrong could happen, and I told you. Now if you want to do this plan we need to sleep. We’ve stayed up for months.” Washington moaned.

I said, “Okay. Let’s go to sleep. See you next month.”

They slept for months and months even though they meant to sleep for one month they slept for five!

When I woke up I saw Imali and she looked way older than she had before. Her mom was singing happy birthday. And after she finished singing that she said she was 11 years old. The last time I saw her she was only 10 and 7 months. And now she’s 11?!

“We must have been sleeping for more than a month,” I told Washington and Sasha.

Sasha said, “Is Buck still sleeping? He’s usually the first one up to play robot. He must have stayed up for years!”

Then Sasha woke up Buck. She said, “How old are you Buck?”

He said, “The same age as Imali. Ten.”

Washington said, “Actually Imali is eleven.”

“What?!” Buck exclaimed.

Then Sasha said, “Today is Imali’s birthday, and we’ve been sleeping for five months.”

Buck said, “Wait, so Imali is older than me?”

Then I said, “Yeah.”

Washington said, “What’s the longest you’ve stayed up for?”

And Buck said, “Why do you need to know?”

“Because you’re usually the first one up, and you were the last one up,” Sasha said.

Buck said, “Okay. The longest I’ve stayed up was seven years.”

Then Washington said, “Seven years? The longest we’ve stayed up was one year! What have you been doing for seven years at night?”

Buck said, “Playing robot.”

“For seven years straight? That’s crazy!” I said.

“She’s right,” Washington said.

Buck said, “Whatever. We need to take the pen and make the note before Imali and her mom leave!”
“Wait that’s not Imali’s mom! That’s her dad.”

Washington said, “And that’s Benjamin!”

Sasha said, “Yay that’s good! Now we don’t have to struggle to make a letter. We know that Benjamin is Imali’s dad and works at the MINT. And we also know that that’s how you didn’t do the money cycle. If you didn’t go through the money cycle how come we all did?”

Washington said, “Because I was the first piece of money Benjamin touched at the MINT, and he knew that Imali loved one dollar bills, so he gave me to her.”

Sasha said, “If you knew that then how come you didn’t tell us the entire time?”

“Cause you never asked,” Washington replied.

“So exact,” Sasha said.

“Do you think that’s why you’re so smart?” I asked.

“Yeah! Because my brain didn’t have to go through the money cycle it’s fresh.”

Chapter 5

Imali’s Dad

Sasha said, “I’ve been watching Imali and her dad, and they haven’t left yet.”

I said, “I’m the best at hearing humans, let me hear what they’re saying.”

I listened and I hear Benjamin saying, “I need to take the money. My daughter wants a Fisher Price small car.”

The bank manager said, “Oh! One of those cars that kids can drive themselves?”

Imali said, “Yeah except I want one for big kids.”

“Yeah,” Benjamin said. “She wants a convertible. All the kids in her school want them, and now she has a chance to get one. She thinks it’ll bring her lots of playdates.”

The bank manager said, “Yeah it sure will. My daughter wants one of those too.”

“She has $300 in there,” Benjamin said.

The bank manager said, “That sure is a lot of money for a ten year old. Alright I’ll give you the money.”

Imali said, “Yes! I finally get a car!” And she did her victory dance.

Benjamin said, “Hold on, you didn’t get it yet. We’ll go to the store right after this.”

Then I saw the bank manager walk toward us. I told Washington, Buck, and Sasha to hide behind the buttons, and I jumped to the bottom of the pile of money. I saw the bank manager pick up all the bullies and I felt so relieved. I saw him reach for the last bit of money, and I was getting scared.

Chapter 6

The Attack

I jumped out of his reach to where Buck, Washington, and Sasha were. I saw them folding themselves as small as they could and squeezing themselves into the buttons. I was the one that got folded the most and I fit the smallest. The bank manager looked towards the buttons, but he didn’t see us. He just pushed one. That was the one that Buck was in. Buck zoomed back with the button.

Washington asked, “Why is Buck zooming back? And why is the button zooming back with him?”

Then Sasha said, “Finally, something I know and you don’t! Because the bank manager pressed the buttons too hard.”

Then Washington said, “Hey, just because I’m smart and fresh from the mint doesn’t mean I know everything.”

“I know,” Sasha said.

They heard Buck screaming for help. They heard him saying he was in a different bank account with one-hundred-dollar bills. And they were all mean.

He heard them saying, “Why’s a one-dollar bill in here? You don’t belong in here, we’re one-hundred-dollar bills? You’re a one-dollar bill! My owner doesn’t want one-dollar bills! He only wants one-hundred bills! And if he sees a one-dollar bill in here, he’ll be mad!”

Buck said, “Well, I didn’t wanna be in here! The bank manager just put me in here.”

A hundred-dollar bill said, “You don’t even know the bank manager’s name? How about this. I’ll give you a hint. It sounds like Larry. Except with an H. And it ends with an I.”

“So, is it L-A-H-R-I?

The hundred-dollar bill said, “Yes.”

Another hundred-dollar bill asked, “Why did you give him such an easy hint? You practically told him how to spell it!”

Buck said, “Whatever. I don’t care. I just want to get back to my friends, Sasha, Washington, and Sika.”

Then, a one-hundred-dollar bill said, “What kind of name is Sika?”

Buck said, “It’s an African language, Akan.”

A hundred-dollar bill said, “How long have you known this girl Sika?”

“Since I went to the bank for the first time. And that was nine years ago. Since she was two. I’m ten, Sika’s twelve, Washington’s thirteen and Sasha is eleven. And our owner’s name is Imani.”

The hundred-dollar bill said, “Why are so many of you named money?”

“What do you mean?” Buck said.

The hundred-dollar bill replied, “Well, you’re named Buck. Buck is one dollar. Washington is on the one-dollar bill. Imani means money in a European language, and I know her dad, and her dad’s name is Benjamin, and Benjamin means a hundred dollars. And the bank manager’s name is Lahri, and that means money in an African language. And Sika means money in Akan language, like you just told me.”

Buck was stumped. He wanted to know too. So he just said, “My friend Washington would know, he’s the smartest dollar ever.”

The hundred-dollar bill gave him a stern look.

Buck said, “But you’re very smart too. You knew that all of those names meant money.”

The hundred-dollar bill was actually liking this guy and wasn’t being mean anymore. Washington, Sika and Sasha didn’t hear him screaming anymore, but they were still thinking of a plan to get Buck out of the other bank account.

Chapter 7

The Plan

“I’ve got a plan,” I said after a long four hours of  thinking. “One of us can get a rope and one of us can hold the rope while one us gets Buck and then when one of us gets Buck one of us can pull them back.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Sasha said.

“Yeah,” Washington repeated.

“So who wants to get Buck?” I asked.

Sasha screamed “Me!”

“Okay. I guess that means I’ll hold the rope,” I said.

“Where are we gonna get a rope from?” Washington asked. He paused and said, “Ohh yeah! We can get a rope from the back of the bank account. Lahri always keeps a rope in there in case of a robber.”

Before you could say “Let’s go,” Sasha had the rope and was running down the place that Buck went down.

When she got to Buck she yelled “Pull!” and I pulled them back.

Chapter 8

It’s So Scary   

“Yay! They’re back. We missed you so much,” Washington said.

“We’re so so happy you’re back!” I said.

“I’m so happy I’m back too because those hundred-dollar bills are kind of mean.”

Sasha me tooed him. None of us noticed the bank manager talking to angry Benjamin.

Benjamin was saying, “My daughter wants that car and she is going to get it, because it’s her birthday. I still need four more dollars.”

Lahri said “Sir, I tried to get all of the money.” Benjamin gave Lahri a look. “But I’ll check again, sir.”

Lahri saw the last four dollars and he didn’t wait a second to get them. The four friends were getting picked up and and they were scared. Two big hands twice the size of them were squeezing them so hard they could throw up. Lahri hands the dollar bills to Benjamin and Imali screams of joy.

She says, “I’m gonna get a ca-ar! I’m gonna get a ca-ar!” Then, they leave the bank and go to the car shop. While they’re going to the car shop, Sika was saying all the reasons why she wanted to stay at the bank. “Reason one: I want to stay at the bank because I’ll be safe from doing the money cycle. Reason two: because I like playing robot. Reason three: Because I won’t ever be able to see my friends again after we’re in the cash register. Reason four: I won’t be able to ask Buck how old he is. Reason five: Sasha won’t be able to say ‘Smarty Pants’ to Buck.”

Then, Washington said, “Why do you have to be so negative? We don’t know that we’re never going to see each other again.”

Then, Sasha said, “How about we do something to keep our minds off of being spent? How about we play robot in the wallet with credit cards?”

And then Buck said, “I want to be the robot!”

We all said simultaneously, “We know!”

Then Buck said, “I was just making sure.”

When we got there, we knew that we were only getting spent for Imali’s birthday, and we were happy for her. She chose a blue convertible and one of her friends was at the shop, too. Her friend asked her for a ride home and that was it. We were going to go through the money cycle again. We were going to get folded again too, but hopefully someone puts us in a bank again, and hopefully that’s a kid, because kids are the best money owners. They’re the most fun.

The End

The Big Cat Adventure

One day Justice and her best friend Kimberly were working on their science project about cats, because they loved cats. The only thing that they wanted in the world was a cat.

They were almost done with their project when all of a sudden, a trash can tipped over and fell on Kimberly’s head. Justice stood up to see if anybody was in the classroom, but she did not see anybody. So, they rushed to the bathroom to get all the stuff off of her. The teacher came in the bathroom and told them that they could go home.

As they were walking down the street, they saw the same man that they saw every day in the candy store talking to the merchant. But as they were crossing the street, they saw the same man in neater clothes. They also heard people saying that he was the richest man in the city. Kimberly and Justice were so confused.

They opened  the door to Kimberly’s house and went to her room to get ready for their sleepover. After they ate dinner, they worked on their project. There was good news and bad news. The good news was that they completed their project, and the bad news was everybody in the city was sick with a stomach virus.  But, Kimberly and Justice were not sick.

Kimberly and Justice went for a walk. They noticed that the cat adoption center was closing down. They went inside to see what was going on. They asked the storekeeper why he was closing down. The man said that he was sick and all of the cats were gone.

For two minutes they were staring at eachother. They asked why the cats left. The storekeeper said they did not leave. They were stolen by the most wanted person in the world. His name was The Black Dove.

For a moment it was silent. The storekeeper also said that everywhere The Black Dove went, he would put a curse on the city with his magic wand. Justice told Kimberly that they had to go and find The Black Dove. At first, Kimberly said it would be too dangerous, but after a few minutes, she changed her mind. They went to their houses, packed everything they needed, and went off to find The Black Dove.

As they were walking,  they found out that they were in a swamp. Kimberly said, “OMG, it smells like a  mix of rancid mayo, pickles, and a local dumpster, rotting in a hot garbage bag in July.”

Justice actually liked the smell of the swamp. A few minutes later, they were in the in the deepest part of the swamp. Halfway out of the swamp, there was a note on a strange rock that looked like a plate of cheese. The note said, “BEWARE OF TRAPS PLEASE.”

This could not be true. They took the note with them anyway. As they were crossing a very old, long log, the two girls got caught in a net. It must have been one of the traps to stop them from finding The Black Dove. They looked in their bags to see if they could find anything to get them out of the net.

“This is all your fault, Justice!” said Kimberly.

“My fault? What did I do?” asked Justice.

“If you did not want to come here and get your stupid cats, we would not be stuck here,” Kimberly said.

“STUPID? I thought you loved cats,” said Justice.

They were fighting for fifteen minutes. After they were done fighting, they continued looking for things to get them out of the net. Kimberly decided to turn back and go home but Justice chose to keep on going.

Before they could leave, they had to get out of the net. They found a rope in their bag. They cut the rope in half, cut the top of the net, and wrapped the rope around a tree. They used the other half to slide down the rope.

So, Kimberly went back home and Justice went to find the lost kittens. Justice was really scared and felt bad that she had no one to encourage her. She started to get so scared that she almost thought of turning back. But she had to save those kittens. As she was walking, she found herself in another city. And there she saw the same man in the candy store talking to the merchant. She went inside to get a closer look at him. She noticed that it was The Black Dove, because she remembered that the man in the cat store said that he pretends to be someone he is not. So, she thought that he was pretending to be poor, so he could fool the merchant and steal things.

Justice said to herself that she should just follow him, and maybe it would lead her to the kittens. She followed The Black Dove and he lead her to his hideout. While The Black Dove  was sleeping, she found the cats and took them back home.

Everybody was well,  and it was all because of Justice. She called Kimberly and said that she was sorry. And they became best friends again.

But, all of a sudden, The Black Dove came for the kittens. Kimberly went up to him. She looked at him. She was the first one ever to scare away The Black Dove. He had a black outfit. His face was half white and half black. And he had a curly mustache. Just by looking at him, The Black Dove got scared and ran to his hideout. Justice felt really upset that she did not scare The Black Dove, but she felt happy for her best friend because she helped the city.

Everybody was safe, and Justice and her best friend Kimberly finally got their cats that they wanted. And they lived a happy life.

THE END

Under the Skin

       

Part 1

“Jake! Wake up! You have to go to school today,” my mom called from the kitchen.

“I don’t want to go to school. No one is going to want to be friends with me. I’m going to be a social outcast,” I moaned, still in bed.

My mom came into my room and opened up the window shades. I moaned and covered my eyes.

“Close the windows.”

“Honey, I told you that’s not going to happen. I’m absolutely positive that you’re going to make good friends. You are going to be completely okay.”

“Mom, I told you to knock before you come in.”

“Okay. I will be downstairs when you are done getting set.”

I took a quick shower and walked to the closet where I took out my burgundy uniform that had a touch of navy blue on it.

Uh-oh, I need to comb my hair, I thought. My hair was long and spiky at the top with gold color in it, like always. I started to think that the one thing I was happy about, which was that I would not be made fun of for being fat, because I was tall and skinny.

I went downstairs to eat the breakfast that my mom had prepared for me. I took my oatmeal and sat on my orange La-Z-Boy couch in the living room.

“Eww, this oatmeal tastes so bad,” I called to my mom.

“Jake, if you go to school looking that depressed, you’re going to start to look like something that you’re not,” my mom called from the kitchen in a voice so annoying that I couldn’t stop myself from saying what I did.

“Mrs. Fiona, or should I say Miss Fiona, can you please stop nagging? You’re going to drive me crazy. This probably why Chris is not here anymore,” I said in the most official voice that I could muster. Chris is my dad who died in a mysterious accident.

“If you mention that name again, you’ll wish that you could not talk at all.” Mom was absolutely pissed at me.

“Okay. Okay, just don’t hit me.” I was scared because when I had called her that before, she didn’t yell at me like she’s doing now. I knew that I should not have mentioned Dad’s name. She was super emotional when someone said his name in disrespect.

“Well Mom, I’m off to school,” I called, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and leaving in a rush before she could drag me back into the kitchen to scold me.

***

Woah, this school is massive, and it’s pretty cool-looking too.

I looked up at a castle-looking building. It had two humongous gates with a brilliant red carpet leading to them. It had two towers that looked like places where people sat to defend the the castle. There was an archway of trees lining the red carpet.

I was told that the school was named Excalibur. That was a pretty weird name. There were also pretty weird characters here. The students were bringing unusual looking animals in through the school gates. All of the students were wearing black robes with white stars on them. One of the male students had a animal that looked like a griffin. Others were bringing in animals like owls, parrots, and more animals that should not be there.

That’s when I saw it. A monster that seemed to be made out of a gas surrounding the other students. I saw it quickly change its direction to face towards me. When I saw it notice me, I started to run, knowing that if that horrifying beast were to catch up to me, I would most likely die. I thought that I was running so fast that I mostly looked like a maniac.

When I got inside the school, I was desperately gasping for my breath. What was that thing? It looked like a demon!

That’s was when I first stepped into the Underworld, but I didn’t know it at the time.

I looked around me and saw another monster around the people in the school. I said in a loud voice, “You guys need to get out of here. There are demon-looking monsters everywhere.”

For a moment, people started to evacuate. Though, when they saw nothing outside, they started to come back. It seemed like only I could see the monster.  

Everyone was annoyed that I wasted their time. They started to push me, yell at me, and punch me. I ran to the library to get away and hide while it calmed down outside.

What’s going on with this school? I said to myself. Now, I have to deal with both making so-called ‘friends’ and trying not to die while doing it!!!

As I walked to take a seat in the library, I saw a book in the library called The Demons Of The Real World. The book was pretty dusty, unlike the other ones in the library. It was a book made out of leather that was fading away.

Huh. Well, it seems like it will be interesting enough, I thought.

In the real world, there many unworldly creatures that could not be seen with the regular human eye. The only ones who can see them are the descendents of the original phoenix family. The monsters feed on the souls of mortals. They normally flock to places with groups of humans. The only time that a mortal can see them is when they’re on their deathbed, or when the person who sees them is a noble warrior of the race. These people are the chosen ones, who can slay them. If you see someone with a pentacle on the back of their hand, they are an ally.  

The rest of the book was completely unreadable. It was like someone did not want the reader to know more. Maybe I would be able to read the rest of the pages over time.

I hid the book in my uniform, so I could take it to read it more. I tried to show the book to some of the other students, but they all thought that I was a crazy man. They all said that there was nothing in my hand.

Shatter!

All the lights went out. That was when I saw it again it, but this time it was not after me. It was one by one eating the unsuspecting students. All of a sudden, I felt my body lift up and go out the window…

“AH! Let me go, Let me go,” I said. I was absolutely terrified at that moment.

“Ha, I knew that we didn’t need this little brat. After all, they have me,” said the person who was taking me away.

“Also, I didn’t know that the prince of our family could scream like such a girl,” he said in a deeper voice than before.

End of Part 1

Tales of a Toad

     

Mr. Toad

Gretchen and I do not get along. Gretchen, the dumb “know-it-all” parakeet that lives with Owner and me, is sooo annoying!!! She only cares about herself, and worst of all, Owner only cares about Gretchen! It’s like I don’t exist! Life was perfect until she came along.

“How was life before she came?” you might ask. Well, that’s what I’m here to tell you.

I was sitting in my box when Owner came to me. “Hey, Mr. Toad,” he said. “Wanna play?”

Of course I do, I thought.

“Let’s go!” Owner took me out of my box and put me on the floor.

“Want to have a hopping race?” he asked.  I nodded my head. We started leaping across the floor. Then, I felt my stomach start to rumble, and I realized I was hungry. I hopped back into my box and hopped around in circles. That meant that I was hungry. Owner went into the other room and got my food. I was sitting in my box when Owner came to feed me.

“Today is a big day,” said Owner. “I am getting a bird.”

A bird? I thought. What’s a bird?

“A bird,” said Owner, as if he was reading my mind, “is an animal with big, yellow wings and clawed feet.”

This bird sounds scary, I thought.

Owner gave me a couple of grapes and a snail for breakfast. Then, he went out of the room to eat his breakfast. I liked the snail, but not the grapes. I went to my cave to sleep after breakfast. When I closed my eyes, I heard the door creaking. Owner must have left to get the bird. I fell asleep.

I heard Owner walk into the room holding a big cage with a yellow thing that had wings. That must be the bird, I thought.

“Okay, Gretchen, welcome to your new home.”

Wait, new home? Gretchen’s staying? I thought she was just visiting!

“Squack! New home! Squack!” said the parakeet.  Then, she snapped her beak and flexed her talons. I was a little scared. I ran into the cave in my box and hid. I woke up and realized that it was a dream. I was still scared of a parakeet coming, but at least I hoped it would have a better name than Gretchen.

“Squawk! New home! Squawk!”

I had heard that before. The parakeet must be here. I was scared, really scared. I went back into my cave and hid like I did in my dream. A big, metal cage was set down next to my box.

“This is Mr. Toad,” I heard Owner’s voice say. “He is your new roommate.”

Roommate? I thought. She’s living in here? Oh no!

“Squawk, Mr. Toad, squawk!”

“Ribbit!” I let out a croak.

“Mr. Toad, this is Gretchen,” said Owner.

Oh no, that is her name, I thought. I didn’t like her already.

“Here, Gretchen, have some food,” said Owner.

Gretchen’s food looked tastier than grapes (which I hate,) but definitely not as good as snails (the absolute best food EVER!!) You really should try snails.

Anyway, I decided to try some of the birdseed to see if it tasted anything like snails. So if your Owner gets birdseed, heed my strong advice: DO NOT TRY TO EAT IT!!!  Seriously though, birdseed is even worse than grapes.

Now, back to the story.

Gretchen ate her food.

“Well, Gretchen, Mr. Toad, I have to go to school. See you soon!”

I heard another voice come from another room. “Alexander, you’re gonna be late!”

“Coming, Mom!” yelled Owner.

He walked out the door. I turned to Gretchen in disgust. “Parakeets are not welcome in this house.” I felt kind of guilty for saying that, but I knew that I wouldn’t be the number one pet anymore while she was around.

“That’s a very unfriendly welcome for a very…” She blinked her long eyelashes. “…a very friendly toad.” Gretchen winked. Oooh, how I hate that bird! Gretchen’s pale blue eyes flashed.  

“By the way, your food tastes worse than grapes!” I croaked. “But it fits you perfectly.”

“Oh yeah?” Gretchen squawked. “Watch this.” I gulped. “Squawk! Hungry! Squawk!” She flapped her wings up and down frantically. “Squawk!”

“Oh, here’s some birdseed, dear,” said Owner’s mom as she fed Gretchen.

I hopped around in circles. That meant I was hungry. Nothing. “Hey! Why am I not getting any food?” I asked Gretchen.

But she just shook her head. “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”

“Hey! Not fair! How did you even do that?”

“’Cause parakeets can talk. Toads? Mmm, mmm, mmm.” I just huffed and went to sleep.

But when I woke up the next morning, Owner and Gretchen were already awake. Playing. Having fun.

“Squawk! Fun! Squawk!”

“Yes, Gretchen. Fun.”

“Squawk! Happy!” I couldn’t believe my eyes. They were rolling snails, hopping in circles, doing all the things that Owner and I used to do when I was his. But it got worse. Gretchen kept glaring at me.

Then, Owner said something. I didn’t understand it, but it sounded like, “Okay, Gretchen, I have to use the bathroom.” That’s when Gretchen pushed me out the open window.

Okay, look, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but here goes nothin’!!! Ooh, look at that store over there! I wonder what it sells… Hey! What’s this? Some kind of joke? No, wait, it’s… it’s… a mini snail! Now, let’s do a taste test… Blech!! WAAAAY too sweet! But it’s — delicious! Ooh! Here’s another! And another! Yummmm! All these mini snails!  

What will I ever do? Hey! Stop it! Wait! Aaaaah!

Dark. Lonely. Trapped behind bars. I’m too young to die! What was this place? Nothing there but food, water, and a lot of other animals. There were cats, and dogs, and this fat, pink thing that smelled like Owner’s bacon, and a really creepy red and green parrot that kept yelling, “Squawk! I’m a macaw! Squawk!” He reminded me too much of Gretchen. It was dark, noisy, and moist in there. A dog barked at me. A cat hissed. I shuddered. I ran, but there was no cave to hide in. Just this stupid, empty cage. But at least Gretchen wasn’t there.

Owner’s voice echoed in my head. Welcome to your new home. Your new home. New home. Would I be here to stay? I didn’t want to find out…

Yep, still here. I wonder where I am. I wonder how Owner’s doing, partying all day long with Gretchen. Having fun. I wonder if he misses me, or even notices I’m gone. I miss him. I just hope he misses me…

Gretchen

“Where’s Mr. Toad?” Owner cried. “I miss him!”

What was up with Alexander? He’d been like this all week! I didn’t think he’d miss Toad so much.

“Squawk! Bored! Squawk!” I wanted to cheer him up. But he only kept on moping. I almost felt sorry for him… No. I made a choice. I had to stick to it.

Mr. Toad

The next day was a big day for me at the animal jail. A tall, skinny man with a small beard walked in. He took me out of my cage and held me in his hand. I squirmed and tried to wriggle out. I was scared. Real scared.

“Here you go, ma’am”, he said cheerfully. He gave me to a young, blonde woman.

“Thank you, sir!” she said. “I’ve always wanted a toad.”

“Okay, Mr.  Toad,” the woman said as we went home. “My name’s Annie. I’m yer new owner. I’m 28 years old, and I play the guit-tar and the trom-bone. I ain’t got no husband, but I do got Peter. You’ll meet him.”

When I got to her house, I saw something wrong immediately. Right there, lying on the floor in front of me, was a… a…

I don’t really know what it was, but it had big, scary, yellow eyes, and it was black and white with white whiskers.

“Rrribbiiiit!” I croak when I’m nervous.

I expected it to pounce on me, but instead, it just said, “Whazzzup, brother? Heard you were comin’. The name’s Peter. Whazz ur name?”

“Umm, Mr. Toad. H-hi, P-peter. Yeah. Hi.”  

You’ve probably realized that I’m scared of a lot of things, but this really gave me the heebie-jeebies. Would Peter be my best friend? My worst enemy? Again, I did not want to find out…

Yesterday when I woke up, Peter was staring down at me. “Hey, pal!! Wanna play?”

“Um, okay.”

“Sweet! Whatcha wanna do?”

“Uh, dunno. What do cats do?”

“We play the trombone!” He ran to the other side of the room and got a big yellow thing from its stand. He blew on one end, and a noise came out of the other end. The noise was bad at first, but then, Peter played a song on it.

“Cool, man!”

“I know, right?”

“Hey, can you help me with something?”

“Anything for you, brah.”                     

Gretchen

Toad is running through the woods. He has a big black and white thing running next to him. I am sitting on my windowsill, watching. Toad leaps onto the windowsill, so does the big black thing. I jump back. Toad leaps onto me. I scream in fright! I fly into my cage, but Toad is hanging onto my tail. He’s stuck in my cage with me. He sticks out his long tongue into my face, and my eyes widen as it hits me between the eyes. I let out a long, high wail, like “Ahh!”

I woke up and realized it was just a dream, but I had a hunch that it might be real.

I had to warn Alexander! I flew out of the cage and into the living room. I saw Alexander sitting on his chair, crying.

“Alexander, Alexander! Mr. Toad’s coming back with the giant black and white thing!”

Alexander kept crying. “Yes, I know you’re hungry, Gretchen,” he said. “You have plenty of birdseed.”

“No, I’m not hungry! Mr. Toad’s gonna try to come back to get back at me!”

“Gretchen, go away…” Alexander moaned.

Why is he so upset? He doesn’t play with me anymore, he just sits on his chair and cries.

“Why did Mr. Toad leave me? Everything was perfect until he left.”

Wait, he misses the toad? Naw. I went back to my cage to have a quick rest.

Mr. Toad

“This is the house where Owner lives.”

There had to be a way to get back at Gretchen. And what better way to do it than with a cat on my side. But how?

“We gonna have to jump in there,” said Peter. We had a plan. We’d run across Fifth Avenue and jump through the window.

We ran across the intersection, jumping across cars. Full disclosure, I was terrified. At a red light, a navy blue car stopped right in front of Owner’s bedroom window. Now was the time! I hopped on it and then hopped up to the window.

I just missed the window! The light turned yellow. A few seconds and I drove away on the car!

“Peter!” I yelled, “Help me get up there!”

“Here, climb on my back,” said Peter. I jumped on Peter’s back, and he hooked his claws on the brick wall just as the light turned green, and he started climbing up the wall.  I looked down. We were two stories above Fifth Avenue. If I fell, I would fall into thick traffic.

Peter grabbed the window sill of Owner’s window and pulled himself up. I hopped through the open window and into Gretchen’s cage.  Gretchen was asleep but when she heard me hop in, she let out a loud, long wail, like “Ahh!!!”

“Squawk! My dream came true! Squawk!” Gretchen flew out, leaving the door of her cage open. I hopped out behind her and hopped into the living room, with Peter behind me.  

“Owner! Hello, it’s me. Mr Toad! Hello?” I was surprised to find Owner sitting in his chair, sobbing. “Owner? What’s wrong?”

Owner turned around in his chair.  “M-m-Mr. Toad? I-is that you?”

“Yes! Yes! It’s me!” I wailed, “Why won’t you notice me?”

“Mr. Toad, you came back! I thought you hated me.”

“Squawk! It’s my fault! Squawk!” said a bird-like voice from the bedroom.

“What do you mean, Gretchen?” said Owner.

“Squawk! I pushed Toad out of the window! Squawk! I’m so sorry.”

“Gretchen? You would never do that…” said Owner.

“It’s true, he never wanted to leave you. Squawk.”

Owner scooped me into his hands and hugged me. He said with a tremble in his voice, “Never leave me again.”

“You’re forgiven, Gretchen,” I whispered from Owner’s arms.

THE END

The Dead Chicken

   

The chicken lies like a blob alone on the ground

The other chickens don’t bother it because it’s dead

Its legs are pale, no blood runs through them

Crab apples lay on the ground beside it, some hay too

It looks as though the chicken has been run over

By a car.  It is horrible to look at,

Worse than an earthworm in a tomato

With its whole family

 

Football Players

 

Eli Manning                                                          

He’s horrible at running

He can’t throw a pass

His team is bad all around

 

Ryan Tannehill

He can’t throw a spiral

He’s got a slow pace

He’s got no team around him

 

Russell  Wilson

He is great at getting out of pressure

He makes tricky plays

He can keep possession well

 

Cam Newton

Cam Newton’s a bad player

He’s not consistent

All he’s got is his dabbing

 

Derek Carr

He cannot keep possession
He gets sacked a lot

He plays bad with a good team

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick

His passes have awesome aim

He throws great spirals

He can run the ball quickly

 

My City

             

You rode the F train to work

You walked the streets

Of the city that never sleeps

 

You took a taxi to school

You watched the street light

As trucks zoomed,

Giving off the most sickening

Exhaust fumes

 

But this is your life

No matter what it is

You deal with it all

Every day is a pop quiz

 

You love it

You need it

You wish it could go

You step on the street

Every day is a Broadway show

And the beggar on the train

You gave him money for a burger

Because he’s your family

Your crazy, rude, nice, astonishing family

 

The train leaves the station

The taxi drives away

The bus is approaching

The beauty, the beauty

You don’t know what to say

 

This is my city,

My little golden gem

I protect it with my heart

My little diadem

 

Going

             

Going up, going down, always moving up or down,

then you learned sideways, and then you

learned right and left,

Finally, by then, you learned how to walk.

It was awesome to walk!

 

Speaking loud, speaking low,

speaking fast, speaking slow,

speaking all those things all over the place.

speaking fast, speaking slow!

Then, at the end, I learned how to speak,

first, I learned to say hello, then I

learned how to say other people words like the ones throughout the story.

I am now with my book writing and making new words

I can now teach you how to write!

 

Writing hard, writing light

writing fast, writing slow,

writing hard, writing light

writing words in the book!

Now I learned how to write.

first, I learned how to write the alphabet.

then, I learned how to write the words throughout the book.

And then got the same book that I started to speak with and

I wrote new words!!!

 

Middle School, My Terrible Luck

Chapter 1: Day #1

I was so not ready for this. Hi, I’m Sophie. Today was my first day of middle school, and if you’re poor, living in the projects, that means it’s the worst day ever. My mom didn’t understand that I, Sophie, plus “poor” and “middle school” equalled “bad.” So here I was, almost literally swimming in a pool of my own sweat.

The bus finally came after what felt like forever. I picked a careful spot in the back. Don’t want to make the first mistake on the bus!!!

I was now at the front of the school. Hashtag so nervous! I closed my eyes and went into the school. I almost immediately felt like I made the wrong choice. I looked down and quickly went to my class. I got a seat in the back, so l wouldn’t get noticed that much.

“Hello, class!” said the teacher. “I’m Ms. Tom. I will be your homeroom teacher. Now, here are your locker numbers that you will be using.”

Everyone went to the lockers. I also went, but I kept my head down. I was walking to my locker and somehow tripped over my own foot. I could hear everyone laughing. I was pretty much the biggest dork in school already. I hurried up and went to my locker.

Then, I ran straight for the bathroom. I took a deep breath to cool down. By the time I got out, the bell had already rung. I had science for second period. I walked down the hall to the science classrooms. I felt pretty happy that it was a few rooms away, cause if it wasn’t, I would have exploded.

Science class was pretty boring. If you want me to show you how boring it was, then here’s exactly what the teacher said, “Blah, blah, science, blah, blah, archaeologists, blah, blah, dinosaurs, blah, blah, listen, blah, blah, pay attention.”

See what I mean? I was pretty excited that science was over, because art class was next. I love to color, and I want to be an artist when I grow up. When it comes to art, I listen to everything the teacher says. Today, we were trying to paint self-portraits of ourselves. I pretty much had the best one. After art class, I was pretty bummed that it was over.

Then, after art, we had lunchtime and recess. And now, here’s another part where I had to be careful where I went, because I could make the second biggest mistake of my life. During lunchtime, I tried to stick to sitting where everyone truly likes art. Tried to stick to my own kind. But as soon as I tried to sit down at the table, other people came crashing down, and I had to sit somewhere else. But then, something caught my eye. I saw three girls who looked like princesses, and they had so much makeup on for some reason. Then, I found someone sitting next to me.

She said, “Hey, I’m Carol. Those girls over there, the one in the front is named Missy, the one on the left is named Brianna, the one on the right is Mia. They’re already basically the most popular girls in school. And Missy’s parents are basically the richest people in the world.”  

“Oh,” I said. As soon as Missy saw me, she immediately came over to talk to me.

“What are you wearing?” she said. “You look like a homeless person who lives in the woods.”

I could not believe she was talking smack about me in front of my face. I was about to say something, but I kept my mouth shut. Missy walked away.

I said, “I immediately hate her, especially the way she walks. She waddles away with her high heels and her diamonds. I especially hate the way that people run after her, admiring her hair and stuff.”

“Right? She is so annoying.”

“Yeah, she’s awful.”

Instead of worrying about Missy, I had to worry about where I was gonna sit for lunch. I found an empty table, so I went straight to it. Carol sat with me too. After lunch and recess, I went straight to writing class. It was so boring, again with the “blah, blah, blah.” I couldn’t wait till school was over.

After that, we had sports. Sports was pretty much the worst thing at school, besides lunch. We played dodgeball, and I can’t tell you how much I hate dodgeball. For some magical reason, I always got hit with the ball. It hurt really bad because we played with bowling balls. Anyway, this was how much it hurt, and this was how much I hate sports. And the warm up was the worst: We had to do fifteen pushups and run a lap five times, and that was just the first course. Then, we had to do pull-ups and hang there as long as we could while they timed it. I honestly only did it for two seconds. After sports was over, it was time to go home. Hallelujah!

 

Chapter 2: Day #2

Basically, it felt like I was having deja vu. The same thing happened, we got the same “blah, blah, blah” science stuff and art. But today, we had music. I have the worst singing voice ever. But this time, I was actually surprised that my voice sounded… better.

After music, I was out of breath, but the bad thing about that, was that after music, I had sports again. Sometimes, I think that teachers and principals like their kids being tortured, so they torture them for a funny show. Well, it’s actually not funny. It’s heartbreaking.

Today, the only good thing that happened was that my mom made breakfast. Her famous pancakes. They were good, but sometimes you have to watch out because they say a message. If there are pancakes, my mom’s in a good mood. If there are pancakes and bacon, my mom got extra tips from the store because she’s usually not able to afford that. If there are pancakes and bacon and strawberries and blueberries, that means something horrible has happened.

“We got some news today. Grandpa Muffin is moving in,” said my mom.

I practically almost spat out my cereal. “Nooooooooooooooo!!!”

I went to school grumpy.

Why do bad things always happen to me? I said in my head. It’s not fair.

I was grumpy until I realized I was going into art. A smile stretched across my face. Just what I needed to cheer me up. After art, I found Carol again, and we went to the cafeteria. Good thing I had brought my own lunch.

“The cafeteria ladies are witches,” Carol said. “They put poison and fart spell in the meatloaf. Never eat the meatloaf!”

“Got it.” I took my grilled cheese sandwich, Oreos, apple juice, fruit snacks, and Fruit Loops. Mmmm.

And then, I saw Missy. I could not believe what Missy was eating. She had a fancy butler serving her steak. Fresh steak!!! I got so mad and jealous!!

“Ugh!! Missy. I have a plan!!”

Worried, Carol said, “What are you up to?!!!”

     

Chapter 3: Day #3

I made a plan to spill pudding on Missy at the right time. First, I convinced my mom to let me bring pudding. When Missy went to the bathroom, I followed her. While she went to the stall and started doing her business, I put all of my pudding in my mouth.

Blargggh!!!” I pretended to throw up.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!” she screamed in a high-pitched voice.

“Missy?” said Mia and Brianna. They rushed into the stall to help, but as soon as they saw her, they were disgusted. “Eww!!! What is that?!”

Missy passed out on the floor. The pudding covered her whole body except her diamond crown. Mia took the crown.

“Crowns are only for clean and pretty girls. Queen Mia forever!!!”

Missy was mad about earlier. She thought it was me, which was true. After second period, she put a note on my locker that read: Hey loser, I know that you spilled pudding on me. You’re going to regret that. It’s on!!

Missy was so… evil!!!

I tried to avoid Missy, but that’s hard to do when someone threatens you. So I just went to class. After that, it was pretty much a normal day.

After school, I had to go home and meet Grandpa Muffin. I don’t like when he visits  because he’s so bossy and boring and grumpy. He’s always yelling at us to get a cup of root beer and basically everything for him.

Since I was already bad at school, this was gonna make everything even worse. When I came home, thankfully, Grandpa Muffin wasn’t home. I dropped my backpack and found my mom in the kitchen. I started to groan.

“Why does he have to come today?” I didn’t really wanna tell my mom what was happening at school. I just wanted to lay my head down, but I couldn’t do it because somebody was visiting.

Finally, Grandpa Muffin came. I tried to greet him, but he dropped his humongous bags in my arms. What did he even keep in this stuff? Weights? I was about to scream, but then my mom looked at me, so I had to keep all the anger in. When I finished greeting Grandpa Muffin, I went to my room and screamed into my pillow. Why does the bad stuff always happen to me? What did I do? I just lay down on my bed, and to cheer myself up, I finally got a piece of paper and started coloring.

At first I just wanted to scribble, but I knew that wouldn’t help me, so I drew a world where everything happened perfectly, just the way I wanted it. This was a world I wanted to be living in, but instead, I was living in this world, the opposite of that world, where nothing happened perfectly. I kept on groaning in my pillow, but then, I fell asleep because of my anger. I mean, there was nothing better to do.

 

Chapter 4: Day 4

This morning, I hurried up trying to get to school because I did not want to run into Grandpa Muffin. I didn’t even know what happened yesterday, but Grandpa Muffin was NOT sleeping in my room. I got breakfast and started tiptoeing out of the door, when suddenly, Grandpa Muffin screamed at me.

“Where are you going?!” he yelled. I jumped up out of surprise.

“I’m going to school.”

“Before you go to school, get me a root beer.”

“This early in the morning?”

“Just give me the beer, child.”

I went to the fridge and started talking to myself. “Grandpa Muffin is the worst. I have better things to do than give him beers all day.” I gave him the beer and hurried at once to school. Right now, I almost thought that school was way better than Grandpa Muffin. School was basically the same thing every day: I went to science where the teacher “blah blah”d every day, I went to art and made the best drawing, I went to writing where the teacher “blah blah”d again, I went to sports and got hit with dodgeballs, and then, I went home.

But the twist to my new routine was that I had to give Grandpa Muffin beers in the morning and right after school. Grandpa Muffin was like one of the teachers at my school. They thought they were doing us good, but it was actually heartbreaking. Then, I just did my homework, and tried to avoid Grandpa all day. I was so glad when my mom came home, so I asked her the one question I’d been waiting to ask her.

“Where is Grandpa Muffin sleeping?” That’s when it got dark. My mom sighed for a few seconds and took a deep breath.

“Sorry, but Grandpa Muffin is sleeping in your room.” I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

“Why can’t Grandpa Muffin sleep in the guest room?! It’s not fair!!” Just when I had thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did.

My mom said, “Sorry, but life isn’t fair.” And all I could think was that for me, life was never fair. I stomped into my room, went to my pillow, and screamed approximately 1200 times. At first, I thought that this was my fault. In my head, I wondered why I was such a pushover, why I let everyone control me. But then, I realized it was everyone else’s fault but mine.

 

Chapter 5

One day, the teacher asked if anyone wanted to sign up for a baking session. At first, I wasn’t considering it, but then, the teacher said it would give you extra credit on your progress report. Then, I thought, my progress report is probably just straight Fs, except for art class, so maybe I could earn some extra credit to boost up my progress report. Because if I didn’t get at least a B or C, my mom would be so mad, and I would be sooo grounded. The teacher said that it started tomorrow, so I had to wait a whole day, but that was fine by me. And the baking session might give me some time away from Grandpa.

When I got home, Grandpa Muffin asked me to turn on the TV. The TV was right in front of him, two feet in front of him, but he didn’t want to turn it on. Ughh, old people are so lazy.

I asked my mom for her cookbook and said I had to borrow it for a baking session. She gave it to me because she thought it would keep me from screaming into my pillow because of Grandpa.

“I’m so glad you’re gonna put your screaming behind you and do something different.”

“I mean, I’ll still keep screaming, but I’ll scream less, and it will at least give me some time away from Grandpa.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

I took the cookbook and started looking for a recipe for tomorrow. First, I looked at chocolate chunk cupcakes, but then, I flipped passed them because my teacher was allergic to chocolate. Then, I saw blueberry muffins, but I wasn’t trying to make muffins, because then, Grandpa Muffin would eat them. Then, I saw chocolate chip cookies. I thought about them for a while, but eventually skipped them. Then, I saw butterscotch cookies, and after thinking about them for awhile, I decided to go with butterscotch. I started baking. I had my mom try the first batch, but she said they were too hard. The second try, my mom helped me, and they were just right. I put the cookies in a special place so no one could touch them. It was a good thing that the baking session was first thing in the morning.

 

Chapter 6

I went straight to the baking session the next morning. There was a teacher trying out the cookies. I couldn’t believe people got paid to eat cookies. She must have had her life planned out perfectly. I wanted to be paid to eat cookies!

Turns out, I came in second place, so I’d have to find something better than butterscotch cookies. You would never believe who came in first place… It was Missy! She probably paid some cafe guy like $1,000 to bake something delicious so she’d win.

“Tomorrow,” I told my mom, “we have to bake something perfect, so I can rub it in Missy’s face.”

We looked at the cookbook, and I found a brownie cake. I remembered the teacher who was judging tomorrow was only allergic to peanut butter, so I tried the brownie cake. I baked the cake, and my mom tried a small piece. She said it was perfectly fine, so I decided to use it tomorrow.

The next day, I met up with Carol. She was reading the newspaper. I found out that there was a school dance, but I wasn’t really interested. When I went to class, I heard that I got first place!!! Missy was there, and she was so mad. It was a perfect show for me. I just love when my plans come together. Then, I went to my locker, and something squirted out and landed right on top of me! It was sticky, sticky yogurt. I bet it was Missy; she was probably just jealous I had won something with my own work.

All the parents got a flyer for the dance. My mom got excited because she thought I would go, but I told her I wasn’t going because I wasn’t interested. My mom convinced me to go, but I asked her how she would get the money to buy me a dress. My mom said that we could have a bake sale! I could use my cooking skills and use cakes and cupcakes and cookies to buy a new dress and heels. So my mom and I started baking, and we baked and baked and baked and baked so much, that for the first time ever, I saw Grandpa Muffin turn on the TV himself and get himself a root beer. If my mom wasn’t here though, he’d have made me get him his root beer and turn on the TV for him, even if it was two feet away. See how terrible he is?

My mom and I baked all the cupcakes and cakes and pastries that we needed and started selling. Carol was our first customer, but then, she decided to start helping us sell everything. Soon enough, we had about thirty customers. By nighttime, we had about $180, enough to buy a dress, heels, and maybe some new earrings. The night of the dance was two days away, so I had to start getting ready. We decided to do a bake sale one more time to get some money for a new necklace, and so that I could get my hair done. For the first time ever, it would be untangled. We did the same thing over and over again for two more days until something finally changed.

On the night of the dance, after school, my mom took me to do my hair and get ready. She dropped me off in a taxi, and I walked in. The first thing I saw when I walked in was a disco ball and a red carpet. It turns out the carpet was only for Missy, but I was determined not to let her ruin my night. So I went up to Carol and talked to her. She introduced me to some of her friends, and we all went to the table to get some snacks. Then, Missy was talking into the microphone.

“Hello classmates! Welcome to the dance that I created.”
You created?” I said. “I’m pretty sure that the teachers created it. Just because you’re rich and famous doesn’t mean you have to lie.”

I had already made a plan because I knew Missy would be on stage. I went behind the stage and pulled a rope. There was a big bucket of pudding where she was standing, so I released the rope, and the bucket fell right up on Missy’s head! There was so much pudding. I went back to my seat, everyone was laughing, and I was whistling innocently, but Missy knew it was me.

“You ruined my night!!” she said.

Your night?? It’s everyone else’s night, too! Not everything’s about you.”
Missy ran after me, but then, I tripped her, and she accidentally stepped on the skirt of her dress, and it got ripped off. Everyone was laughing while Missy ran away. What parents would even let her inside of the car? She ended up having to walk home, and I, Sophie, never had to worry about Missy again. I finally realized that if something bad is going on in your life, you can’t just complain, you have to do something about it.

 

The Foxes’ War

One late November morning, after catching a rabbit, Bramble trotted into a hollow log so she could eat it alone. She started to get tired, and fell asleep. When she woke up, she heard a gunshot and a human yelling “Fox!” Bramble dashed out of the log. When she looked back, the log was on fire. She didn’t stop running. She had to find somewhere to hide. Just then, she saw a hole. She crawled inside, and she heard more yelling from outside. Then, a bullet landed right next to her, and she decided to go deeper into the tunnel.

Bramble sniffed the air. It smelled as if another fox, specifically a juvenile male fox, was digging the tunnel. As Bramble went further, she saw another fox lying down in the tunnel. He was weak, and he lifted his head up.

“What are you doing in my tunnel?” he growled.

“Humans are outside,” Bramble barked.

“Who are you?” he growled again.

“I’m Bramble. Who are you?”

“I’m Rufus. The humans chased me so I dug this tunnel.”

Rufus stood up, and slowly walked to the entrance. Then he crouched. Bramble stood up and did the same. There were no humans outside. Bramble placed the rabbit she had caught right outside. They trotted out, and soon they heard another gunshot. The tunnel that Rufus made was destroyed. As soon as Bramble grabbed the little bit of rabbit meat that was left, Bramble and Rufus ran away from the humans that destroyed the tunnel. Soon, they were in a clearing. Rufus looked around. He saw a big grayish green machine that had a star on the side of it. There was a long horizontal tube that was sticking out of the upper front. Then, a bullet came out of the tube, and Rufus realized that it was a gun. Bramble started sprinting for the forest.

“We’re not safe!” Bramble yelped while dodging a bullet.

Rufus followed Bramble, and after a while it started to get dark. They slowed down as they got deeper into the forest. Bramble dug a neat den, unlike the one Rufus built. Then, they ate the little piece of rabbit that was left, and went to sleep. When they woke up, It was raining. Bramble and Rufus were cold and shivering. They huddled against each other for body warmth, but the rain didn’t stop, and after another day of rain, Bramble became sick.

Rufus walked further into the forest. Then, he spotted a few tents. He went back to Bramble and he carried her on his back to the tents. He dropped her off near the tents.

“I’m going to get some food. You dig a den,” Rufus quietly barked.

Rufus poked his nose under the side of the tent. After he sneaked into the tent, he froze. There was a gun lying on the floor, and it was pointing towards him. He moved to the side, and crawled under a little plastic table. Then he smelled something. When he looked at what was on the table, there was a big, brown, non-bloody chunk of meat. He put his paw on it and it was warm. He sniffed it, and he smelled different herbs and spices. He grabbed the piece of meat with his jaws. Then, a large round white platform came crashing down and broke to pieces. Rufus was so startled that he flung the chunk of meat across the tent.

A human with a dark green and gray uniform came storming into the tent. He glared at the cracked platform and then at the lump of meat. He walked back to the entrance of the tent, turned to stare at the meat one more time, and stomped away.

Once the human was out of sight, Rufus grabbed the meat and dashed out of the tent with the meat held firmly in his jaws.

“I got food,” Rufus barked once he got to the entrance of the little den that Bramble dug at the base of a tree.

Just then, Bramble crawled out of the little den and sat up, looking at the proud little den that she had just created. Then, she felt a little vibration, and she lay down on her back and rolled back. A small explosion blew up her den. Bits of dirt went flying all over the place. Bramble growled. She was furious. She started brushing all the dirt around while lying down with her front paws and tail. Soon she uncovered some wires. She bit at the wires a little bit, and sparks came flying out. Rufus lept beside her and nudged her to the side. Rufus grabbed a long branch and put out the little fire that had started.

Rufus carried Bramble slowly walked to another spot near the tents.

“Dig.” Rufus barked.

She started to dig her den there. Rufus dropped the meat off to the side and helped dig the den. Slowly but surely, the two foxes dug a small den, just big enough for both of them to fit along with the meat. As Bramble crawled inside, Rufus used his nose to push the lump of meat into the den. Once they were both inside, Bramble helped herself to a big bite of meat. It did not taste like anything Bramble had eaten before. After they halfway finished it, Rufus brought it outside and buried it. Then Rufus came back into the den and they both fell asleep.

When Rufus woke up, Bramble was coughing. She had inhaled a lot of smoke from the bomb, and from the fire. Rufus trotted outside to get water. Once he found a small pond, he sprinted back to the big mass of tents. He sneaked inside a tent, and sniffed around. Then he found a odd-shaped hollow rubbery object with strings on it. He brought it outside, and suddenly he heard a human say “Where’s my boot?” Then, he ran all the way to the pond. He threw it into the water while still gripping tight onto the string. When he pulled it up, it was full of water. He dragged the water-filled boot right outside of the den. He motioned for Bramble to come out, and when she did, she was still coughing. She thrust her head into the water and spilled some while she was drinking, but she was definitely looking better.

After a few days, Bramble was fully healed and was ready to move on.

“The humans are coming closer,” Bramble slowly growled mysteriously. That convinced Rufus.

After walking for some time, they reached a hole. Bramble cautiously sniffed around it, and it smelled of mouse.

“Copy me,” Bramble quietly ordered.

Bramble lay down next to the hole. Of course, Rufus did the same. Bramble closed one eye, and left her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Rufus followed. After a while, a mouse came out. Thinking that the two foxes around him were sleeping, the mouse slowly tiptoed out. Without warning, Bramble pounced on the mouse and swallowed him whole. Then Bramble stepped to the side, and let Rufus try. When Rufus pounced on the next mouse, it was too fast and dashed back into it’s hole. Rufus tried again, but did not succeed. Soon, Rufus was so busy trying to catch the mouse that he did not notice another bigger, older, oranger fox sneaking up on him. Then, the older fox pounced.

Rufus snarled. He pounced on top of the older fox again, and knocked the older fox onto the ground.

“Who are you?” Rufus growled.

The real question is who are you?” the other fox growled back.

“I’m Rufus,” Rufus growled sounding annoyed.

“Call me Ken,” Ken growled in response.

“Now!” Rufus barked loudly.

Bramble jumped off a small tree and landed directly on Ken holding him to the ground.

“What do you want?” Ken snarled.

“Let us stay here,” Bramble calmly barked.

“Only over there,” Ken barked as he pointed to the space in between nine trees. “No hunting, fishing, trashing, or making noise beyond those trees.

“Fine.” Rufus barked.

They walked to their territory space that they had earned. They sniffed around. It wasn’t too bad, considering that there was some rock, a whole pond, a rabbit hole, mouse holes, and quite a few trees. Rufus decided to mark his new territory. He put scents on the trees all around their territory, and then helped Bramble dig a nice large den. Then they hunted for turkey and when Bramble got tired, she went to eat berries.  

The next day, Rufus woke up to a howling sound. He peeked outside, and there was a coyote. He dashed back into the den. He nudged bramble to wake her up. Bramble peeked outside. There was a coyote. He was prowling around. Then, he sniffed the air. He smelled a strange scent. He started sniffing the ground. He started coming closer and closer to Rufus and Bramble’s den, when a bullet came out of nowhere and knocked the coyote onto the ground, unmoving. A human came running. “Bingo!” he said. As he bent down to pick up the coyote, he turned his head and saw the hole. He picked up his gun and aimed it into the hole, but before he could shoot, Rufus snached the gun from the human’s hands and brought it deep into the hole. The human was confused. He reached into the hole with his arm, but Bramble bit his hand. Then, he screamed and ran away.

For a few days, Rufus’ territory was peaceful, but that didn’t last long. Rufus woke up to a strange noise. He peeked out of the den and he saw a strange bird. It was dark green and gray and it had a thin black wing growing out of it’s head that was spinning around in circles. It had long talons, with only two claws on each talon. It’s tail was long, with a little feather on the end that was also spinning in circles. When it started to get closer to the ground, Rufus realized that a human was sitting on this bird. Then he realized that it was not a bird at all, It was a flying machine. It came closer and closer to the ground. As it came closer, there was more wind. Soon, the entrance of the tunnel was blown away from the wind. Then dust started blowing into the tunnel so much, that the tunnel became very small. Rufus and bramble frantically dug and dug, but there was no success.

“Follow me,” Rufus gently growled.  

Rufus rubbed the dust from the ground onto his back. Then, he rubbed some of the mud right at the entrance of the den on his back. They were the same color as the flying machine. They crept out of the den, Rufus in the lead. The flying machine was not flying now, and the human was busy planting a brown thing connected to wires in the ground.

Rufus and Bramble climbed onto the flying machine. Then, he hopped onto a small ledge that was slightly padded. Bramble hopped onto the other one. On the ledge, he could see a platform with round things that were sticking out. Then he turned. The human was walking back now. When he saw Bramble and Rufus his walk turned into a run. Bramble was so frightened that she lept onto the platform with round things that were sticking out.

Suddenly, the machine started going up. The human was far below on the ground. The machine was going higher and higher. When the machine went above the tallest trees, Bramble got scared. She put her paw on another circle. Then the machine stopped. It was hovering in mid-air. She had to remember that the big red circle was stop. She tried pressing another circle, but a human’s voice appeared. “Copter seven,” the human’s voice said. “Have you set off the bombs yet? I repeat, Have you set off the bombs yet?” then, the voice became unclear. “H-a-v-v-e y-y-o-u s-e-e-t o-o-f-f b-b-o-m-b-s-s y-y-e-t? I re-re-peat ” then, the voice got cut off.

“Don’t step on that one again,” Rufus yelped.

Bramble stepped on a different one. A giant black thing came out of the front of the flying machine. The black thing landed on a tree. Then there was a loud explosion and when the smoke cleared, all that was left of the tree was a big black stump. Bramble decided to press a different one. She stepped on another one, and that made the machine fly forward, and higher. Then she leaped onto the big red one. The machine stopped. Bramble decided to press another one. At least one of them must be down! The one that she stepped on seemed to not do anything. She was impatient. She pressed the same one again, and suddenly the floor slowly opened. Then, the padded ledges that Rufus and Bramble were sitting on changed. Very light puffy things got strapped onto the foxes’ backs. Then the padded ledges tilted. Rufus and Bramble fell off the machine. Above them, the machine flashed red, and it started to fall.

Bramble kicked and pushed, but could not get the puffy thing off of her back. Suddenly the puffy thing exploded, and Bramble started to fall very slowly. Rufus did the same. When Rufus and Bramble looked up, there was a big white flat thing above their heads that made them fall slowly. Those straps were actually helpful. Soon they were near the ground. They smoothly landed on a tree. Rufus pushed off the white flat thing, and climbed out of the basket he made with the straps. As he climbed to Bramble, he realized that not only had she also made a basket with the straps, but she had fallen asleep in her basket. He crawled under the white flat thing and pushed it off Bramble. Then Bramble woke up. She shook herself off, and started to climb down the tree. They stopped at a long branch with a hollow hole in the tree for the night.

The next day, when they woke up, they realized that they were sleeping in the same hole as a squirrel, except the squirrel was deeper into the hole that Rufus and Bramble. Rufus cornered the squirrel, but when the squirrel woke up, it immediately dashed in between Rufus’ legs. Rufus explored deeper, and there were more squirrels deeper in the tree. He managed to catch one, and he greedily ate it up. When he climbed out of the hole, Bramble was there waiting for him. She looked at him, and when she saw that he had eaten a squirrel, she looked at him smartly, looked down, and jumped off the branch into the water. Bramble was so fast she caught a fish when she dove down. Rufus rolled his eyes at her and made his way down the tree. When they got to the bottom, Bramble had caught four fish. Bramble ate one of them, but since she was so hungry, she ate two instead. Bramble and Rufus started wandering around the forest.

It started snowing. As Bramble and Rufus kept walking in the snow, they saw a clearing. It was the same clearing that they had been a month earlier. As they looked around, Rufus saw the giant gray and green machine with long oval tires and the star and the gun. When they walked further, Bramble saw the flying machine that the humans called a “Copter” lying sideways on the ground. After they walked even further, Rufus saw the tents, except some of them had fallen down. Bramble saw the place where her old den that got exploded by the bomb was. Then, they walked past their old territory with the coyote rotting away in the snow. The forest was now peaceful, and this is how the Foxes’ war ended.

 

Epilogue

Soon, Bramble and Rufus got used to the forest. When they were exploring the area around their newly built den, they came to a giant hollow tree. They peeked inside. Inside of the hollow tree there were two little fox pups. They looked scared. Rufus cautiously sniffed them. There were no scents on them. That means they were probably abandoned. Bramble placed her tail around them as a blanket and one of them made a purring sound. Then she tore off a bit of fish and placed it in front of them. The second one ate it up. Bramble gave the whole fish to them. They finished it in no time. Then, Rufus went to go get more food for them, while Bramble stayed to watch them. Once Rufus was back, he had caught a chipmunk. He placed it in front of the fox pups, and they gobbled it up. Then, Bramble came out. She had dug into the tree so the tunnel could be deeper. Then she gently picked up the fox pups and brought them into the deepest part of the den. It was getting dark, and snow was falling, so with the fox pups huddled around them for warmth, they went to sleep.

 

Shakespeare Speech

Helena talking to Demetrius in A Midsummer’s Night Dream

 

What flaw do you see in I, Helena?

My complexion is as fair as Hermia,

and my voice as sweet as a nightingale.

Let Hermia be; she holds no place for thee.

She dotes on Lysander, so be mine.

You have deprived me of my senses,

and beguiled me by your visage.

I pray thee, give me a chance to stand by thee,

to undo my woe, cast by thou hate at me,

and then, we shall be happy, I promise thee.

 

Childhood

                     

Lerici

 

I am two years old.

Inside the car is dark.

My mom turns on the lights.

My dad opens the door.

I finally found the entrance to life.

 

I am four years old.

I woke up to the smell of delicious blueberry and fig pie.

I am trying to sneak up

To grab a handful of candy.

 

I am six years old.

We carpool to the countryside.

Ready to jump into the pool.

I am chubby, in my one-piece.

 

I am eight years old.

Waking up by the sounds of gunshots in the air

Is not very pleasant.

But almost getting attacked by a wild pig

Is frightening,

What an experience to have.

 

I’m ten years old.

Claire is snoring above me

And I hate it.

No sleep, at all.

Yawning all day.  

 

Now I am eleven years old.

Nothing has changed.

My skateboarding teacher was my grandpa.

First attempt: absolute fail.

Second attempt: getting there.

Third attempt: success!

 

Nothing has changed.

The houses are the same.

Some of the names have changed

The names of people and shops.

But the pool hasn’t.

 

I will be 75 years old.

And I will always see myself

Going to Lerici.

 

The Child of Romeo and Juliet

 

I started learning English when I was two.

I’ve lived in Taiwan for my whole life.

I don’t remember the first word I learned.

All my friends speak English.

The languages I know:

It’s easier to speak English

The writing is easier in Italian

Taiwanese is easier when you speak Chinese

Taiwanese is the dialect of Chinese,

What aboriginal people speak in Taiwan.

2 million people in Taiwan

More than half of them are aboriginal people from the mountains

A few people in my grade are from China

And the rest from Vietnam or the other Asian countries

Taiwan used to be called Formosa

Long time ago, I forgot from which country,

They came and called Taiwan “beautiful island.”

But Verona was my Dad’s hometown.

That’s where Juliet’s balcony was

Every night Romeo used to go under her balcony.

Their parents didn’t like each other,

But they were in love.

I know the story but I never read it.

The first time we went to Italy,

I was very tiny.

He’s told the story many times.

To be both Taiwanese and Italian

Is an odd combination

But I think it’s kind of cute.

My dad’s last name is Speciale

And my mom’s last name is Lin

So my friends call me Specialin.

When I come to America,

I get asked a lot: “Do you live in the neighborhood?”

And I say: “No, I live in Taiwan.”

People are surprised I speak such good English.

Whenever I go anywhere,
I already know what’s going to happen.

When I travel, border control

Checks all my passports

People usually have one passport.

It takes those people 2 minutes,

For me it takes 5 minutes

For my two passports Italy and Taiwan.

My Italian passport still has my babyface.

My Taiwanese passport is my 10-year-old face.

So then they double-check that it’s actually me.

People behind me will complain

But it’s not my fault.

My parents were just like Romeo and Juliet

Their parents weren’t fighting

But they came from opposite sides of the world,

Which makes me the child of Romeo and Juliet.

 

Miss Dalmonego.

 

I had just finished sixth grade.

My teacher is Miss Dalmonego

Well, she was my teacher…

Until she left to Nepal

She did not look big, strong and powerful

But believe me

Her strength for teaching is as powerful a

Thousand intelligent nerds marching across  

Our books

She made us wonder

She brought us guests

Who helped us water the flower of knowledge

She brought us from northern Taiwan

To the South

Helping me understand how to ground my roots in my birth country

Her words are as important as petals to a flower

They start small, but as time passes they grow in importance

She encourages us, and holds us up as we grow

Like the stem of a flower

She helps us decorate the structures and vocabulary for our essays

Like leaves on a stem

Once again

I’m so thankful for Miss Dalmonego teaching me and supporting me all this way.

 

Zoe

Chapter 1

One day, Zoe asked her parents if she could go see the wizards. They said “Yes” and asked her if they could go along.

“Sure, you can,” said Zoe.
“We’re here!” said Zoe, ten minutes later.

“Hi Richard. Hi Bob. Hi Coco, and hi to seventy six more of you,” Zoe said to the wizards, who all return her greeting.

“This is my mom, and this is my dad. I think you can remember them,” she continued. Her mom tried not to freak out, so she took a deep breath in and out. Her dad shook a wizard’s hand. Zoe’s mom was nervous that the wizards would harm her daughter, but her dad told her to calm down.

“If they try to hurt her,” he muttered, “remember, I used to take karate classes. I still know a few skills.” He tried to do a backflip while kicking, but he fell right on his face.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” said Zoe’s mom. Zoe started to laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” her parents asked simultaneously.


Chapter 2

When they got back home, they ate dinner and got ready for bed. When everyone was in bed, Zoe blew up a balloon and put it on her pillow. Then, she put the covers over the balloon so it would look like she was sleeping under the covers. She snuck out the window went to the wizards.

But, on her way, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around but didn’t see anything. The footsteps got louder and louder. When she turned around again, she saw someone with a black mask on. He picked her up and put her in a van.


Chapter 3

He put tape all over her except for her hands and arms. When he left the room, she remembered that she had scissors in her pocket. She cut the tape off her and ran home. She slammed the door and put her hands against the wall, panting loudly.

She has a lot of questions in her head, like “Why was he trying to kill me? Why? Does he only kill kids, or adults too?” Then she ran to the wizards.

Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at their dwelling. “Wizards! Can you please give me a potion that makes someone fall asleep?”

“Okay,” the wizards said. And then she asked if they could give her a potion that would make someone change their personality so that they stopped kidnapping and killing people. Soon after, when she found a cup of coffee with a lid (so that it would look like normal coffee), she poured the personality-changing potion into it, because she knew that the guy loved coffee –– she had seen him dancing and bobbing his head while drinking five cups of coffee.


Chapter 4

Zoe knocked on the door of the van and placed the cup of coffee in front of the van door. Then the man opened the door and saw the coffee, but he didn’t know it contained a potion.

She went to the other side of the van so that he wouldn’t see her. That’s when she saw in blood letters the words “BE CAREFUL I’M DANGEROUS.”

Nonetheless, he drank the potion and fell asleep. Then, he woke up and noticed that he was a different person. He felt like a nice guy –– not a killer or a kidnaper. He danced all around and was heading for Zoe.


Chapter 5

Zoe took a few steps back. She was afraid he would try to kidnap her again. However, he came over and gave her a hug, but she was still scared so she ran to her house.
Zoe went to bed and tried to forget about what had happened. She couldn’t fall asleep. She felt very confused. She picked up her phone and called 911, and she told the person on the line that there was a guy who tried to kidnap her.

She saw a timer and realized that it said “five hours left until this potion will expire,” which meant that in five hours he might try to kidnap someone else. She wanted him to go to jail immediately.

Five hours later, the man said to himself, “What am I doing behind bars?!”

Zoe said, “Oh, maybe someone called 911. I wonder who did.”

He replied, “You did it!!!”

 

Gummies in Times

gummy-1

Once upon a time, there was a world full of candy. It was currently a Saturday night, and all the candies were coming together for a party, as they always did on Saturday nights. There were many different types of candies, like gummy bears, jelly beans, gummy worms, and many other types of candies. At the party, there was cake, games, drinks, and many other things to do. Everyone always had so much fun! The gummy bears hosted this one, and everyone always loved when the gummy bears hosted the parties. The party was coming to an end, and everyone was leaving to go home. They were getting ready for the next night where they would be getting together with their own candy.

There was a little gummy bear called Gum-Gum. He loved movies about time travel, and he wanted to show the gummy bears the beauty of time traveling. He’d always been dreaming of time traveling, but he didn’t want to do it alone. He wanted to show them so that he could go with someone or some people, so that he would have an adventure with friends. He would be hosting the gummy bears’ party tomorrow night.

He started to make a list of what he would need for all his friends, and his relatives, and all the other gummy bears. He picked a movie they would watch, made sweets, hung up pretty posters, and set up some games, until he was satisfied with the work he had done. The gummy bears split from their family when they are three years old, because they can take on the world then, so he lived alone.

The next day, it was time for his party. Everybody was having so much fun, then he called everyone to come watch a movie. The movie was called “GUMMY IN TIME” and it was about a gummy bear who went back in time to see many beautiful sights, meet many different people, and have an adventure. At the end of the movie, it was time for dinner. At the dinner table, they were talking about going back in time themselves. In their home they weren’t able to travel anywhere, except for where they were. They didn’t have airplanes or time machines or anything like that, so they wanted to build a time machine so they could go to different places, to different years, to different months, to different days, to different weeks. They then started making plans for where they were going to go.

Monday morning, all the gummy bears were all still at Gum-Gum’s house, yawning because they stayed up so late talking. They started to think about building the machine, and some bears started to go out and get some parts.

“How about we go tell Alaboo, the ruler of Candy World, about our idea?” asked Gum-Gum. Everybody cheered in agreement. Gum-Gum and two of his friends, Gummy and Gumby, went off to tell Alaboo.

“Sir Alaboo,” said Gum-Gum, “We have a message from the Gummy Bear Community.”

“And what is that message you have for me?” asked Alaboo.

gummy-2

“We watched a movie last night at the Gummy Bear party about time travel, and we want to try it!” said Gumby enthusiastically.

“No way! You’re staying right here in Candy World!” yelled Alaboo.

“We shall time travel,” replied Gummy.

“No!” yelled Alaboo.

“Yes!” said Gum-Gum.

“No!” replied Alaboo.

“YES!” screamed Gumby.

“Definitely not! I declare war on the gummy bears!” said Alaboo. “Guards! Send them out!” The bears decided they had to tell the community, so they rushed home, full of fear.

They held a Gummy Bear Community meeting, and decided to put aside the time travel project in favor of preparing for the war. They went to get some weapons, because nobody in the stores knew there was a war yet. They decided to tell some candies about their time travel idea, and they joined their team. Some candies did not like the idea, and went to joined Alaboo’s team. They built shields, and took self-defense classes. They wrote a night guard schedule, and went to sleep with the night guard on duty.

In the middle of the night, all the gummy bears were woken up by a bell. The other team had started to attack. Everybody ran out of their houses, grabbing their shields and weapons. The night guard had already started to fight a gummy worm. It was shot by the night guard, and it fell to the ground. Everybody on the other team looked, because they did not expect to get taken down this early. In this moment, the gummy bears took down two more worms. Alaboo was watching from his castle, and was very disappointed in his team. Gum-Gum accidentally shot a bullet, and took down a jelly bean. They had taken down a good part of Alaboo’s army. Even though Gum-Gum had shot a jelly bean (on accident), he was having quite a hard time holding the gun.

“Gum-Gum!” Gum Gum heard his name being called.

“Gum-Gum, watch out! There’s a bullet coming at you! You’ve got to limbo it.” So Gum Gum limboed the bullet. The other team was trying harder to win. Gum-Gum needed to change this. He picked up his gun (even though it was very heavy) and shot it. He took down a Sour Patch Kid. So the other team was starting to get mad. They were starting to lose. They wanted to try harder. They shot and they took down one gummy bear. But that was only one of them. So Gum-Gum shot three bullets randomly in three different directions and each bullet got down another candy. One of them got down a gummy worm, one of them got down a jelly bean, and the last one took down a gummy bear that went to the other side (because he didn’t want to time travel). People started high-fiving Gum-Gum.

“Get back to work,” he said. “If we want to win, we must stop high-fiving each other and get back to work.” And then everybody started shooting randomly and each one took down five gummy worms except for Gum-Gum, who took down three jelly beans and two gummy worms.

“Watch out, Gum-Gum,” Gum-Gum heard Gumby saying. “There is a gummy worm coming toward you!” Then Gum-Gum jumped into the air and shot his gun towards the ground and killed the gummy worm.

There was another one coming towards him. He jumped up into the air again and killed that one. From the side there was a Sour Patch Kid running towards him. He shot that too. Finally, the other team surrendered. Then all the gummy bears went inside to celebrate winning the war. But then Gum-Gum said, “Why didn’t Alaboo want us to be able to leave candy world? Why doesn’t he like us traveling?”

Then Gumby said, “Yeah, why?”

Then a gummy bear called Gamby said, “None of us know!”

“Then we shall figure it out,” said Gummy. Gamby says, “But first we shall get back to our project.”

“No we shall not. We have to figure this out first,” said Gum-Gum.

“When the war was happening, this is what Alaboo felt like (to the Star Wars theme song) gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum gum guuuuuuuuum,” sang Gum-Gum!

“Gum-Gum, let’s get back to work on figuring this out. It’s your question,” said Gamby.

Then a gummy bear called Gumby said, “Everyone knows that I used to work for Alaboo, right?”

“Yeah, but it is not time to brag about it,” said Gamby.

“No, that’s not what I am saying! He has a diary!” said Gumby.

“So what!” said Gamby.

“It might say why he didn’t want us to leave candy world!” said Gumby.

“Great idea, Gumby,” said Gum-Gum, “But who will go?”

“We’ll have to figure that out,” said Gumby.

Then a gummy bear called Glamby said “I’ll go.”

“Me too,” said Gum-Gum “but we need one more gummy bear to come with us.” Then a gummy worm slithhhereddd in without any gummy bears noticing…

He shouted “I WANT TO…”

“AAAHHH” screamed all the gummy bears. Then they got their weapons and hid.

Then the gummy worm finished his sentence, “I WANT TO TIME TRAVEL WITH YOU! I killed a Sour Patch Kid, a jelly bean, and a gummy worm. Oh, and by the way, my name is Okoh!”

“Okay Okoh, but before we start making our time machine, we have a question for you: why didn’t Alaboo want to let us leave Candy World?” asked Gum-Gum.

“Oh, that’s because he wants to have the power over you, and if you find a better place that you like more than Candy World then he won’t have the power over you, ‘cause he’ll be here and he’ll have the power here. If you’re somewhere else, he won’t have the power over you.”

“You have to give us a reason why we should trust you, ‘cause you’re a gummy worm,” said Gum-Gum.

“Well I wouldn’t have told you that information, and I wouldn’t have killed those three candies if I wasn’t trustworthy, and I have the candies that I killed to show you that I’m trustworthy so you can believe me that I killed them. So here you go,” said Okoh.

“Okay, we can believe you. And also, you have to put those dead candies into your bag again! It’s a little creepy,” said Gum-Gum. “Okay, now we must show you our time machine we built and start going back in time.”

“Yay!” said Okoh.

So everybody piled into the time machine and Gum-Gum pressed the buttons randomly and it ended up that they went back in time to 1780. (Oh and by the way, the year they were in was 1932). WHOOOSSSHHH went the time machine.

“WELCOME TO 1780,” said the time machine. Finally they landed. Then the time machine said, “You have reached your destination. The time in 1780 right now is three o’clock. So everyone turn your watch to three o’clock.” Everyone did.

“I love this time machine,” said Okoh, “Now how do you open the door?”  

Gum Gum wasn’t close enough to the door to open it, but he said, “There’s a password on the door to open it. Press red, then green, then yellow, then red again, then green three times.” So Okoh did that and the door opened.

“WHOOOAAA!”

“Does 1780 look amazing?” said Gum-Gum.

“That’s not what I’m WHOA-ing about,” said Okoh.

“Then what are you WHOA-ing about?” said Gum-Gum.

“How you open the door!” said Okoh.

“Can’t you just get out already?!” said Gum-Gum.

“It’s a little squishy in here,” said Gumby.”

“C’mon, give him some time to WHOA,” said Gamby.

“Okay Gamby,” said Gumby.

“Does my dress look good for this time period?” said Gamby.

“No” said Okoh.

“Really?” said Gamby.

“Really,” said Okoh.

All the women had their legs and arms covered. The men were wearing very fancy suits, like crazy fancy. Everyone groaned, ‘cause the women gummy bears were wearing very short tank top dresses and the men gummy bears were wearing black tank tops and white pants.

Then Gamby said, “Y’know I said we should give him some time to WHOA — let’s just get out of here already!”

“I need a new dress. We all need new clothes,” said Gum-Gum.  So everybody just pushed by him and ran to stores to buy new clothes. The gummy bear men bought very fancy suits. The gummy bear women bought very fancy dresses that covered their legs and their arms. Everybody met together in the end and planned what they were gonna do in the year 1780, but nobody really knew a lot about 1780 (such as myself).

“How about we go meet George Washington!” said the twins Uku and Bom Bom. They were Sour Patch Kids who came to the gummy bear side. So everybody ran off towards his house, which was very near.

“I heard he had over fifty dogs in his life!” said Uku.

“You don’t have to brag about what you know,” said Bom Bom.

“This is boring,” said Gum-Gum. “I thought time travel was gonna be fun! Let’s just get to George Washington already to make it fun.”

“Yeah!” said Gamby, and so did Gumby. “I heard he never went to college. Maybe we can teach him a little bit about what you learn in college!” said Gamby.

“Stop trying to brag about what you know, Gamby. Let’s just go meet George Washington already!” said Bom Bom.

 

Two days later.

“I thought you said it was gonna be a quick walk to George Washington’s house, Gamby,” said Gum Gum.

“Come on, we’re almost there, I cannot even see it!” said Gamby.

“Well then, can you see it already? You’re the only one who gets to walk without carrying the time machine.”

“Well I can’t even see it already, we’re so close I can’t even see it! And I told you that a million times. Actually I only told you three times. But who cares! I told you millions and threes of times.”

“This is not very fun time travel. Now, I see his house already! Yay!” said Gamby. Then, she started running.

“I’m getting so annoyed! Where’s Okoh?”

“Right here,” said Okoh, sticking his head up from under the time machine.

“Oh no! He’s under the time machine! Everybody pick it up!” And then Okoh came up from under the time machine, and then everybody piled in with him. He closed the door with the password that he loved doing and then they went back to 1932 in Candy World.

“I wonder how much fun Gamby’s having in 1780 with George Washington,” said Gum-Gum.

 

Meanwhile…

Gamby was with George Washington, leading him out to meet her friends, when she saw that everybody had left and the time machine was nowhere.

“Oh no! They went back to 1932! Can you help me build a time machine to go back to Candy World in 1932 with my friends?” said Gamby.

“Only if I can come with you,” said George Washington.

“Okay, you can, but I just need help! I want to get back to my friends.” Gamby and George Washington went to Candy World while Gum-Gum went to Alaboo’s castle and told him that he was right all along, and that time travel wasn’t fun, because it was boring and he liked his cozy bed more than other time periods.

Alaboo revealed that he had stuck a video camera into Gamby and he said he wanted to time travel because Gamby looked like she had so much fun. When they were gone, Alaboo had made his own time machine and he had stepped into the time machine and went off time traveling.  

George Washington and Gamby came back. Everybody hugged Gamby and said hi to George Washington.

“He’s very nice,” said Gum-Gum to Gamby.

Then everybody had a party together because it was Saturday night. Without Alaboo.

 

The One and the Best Girl: Books IV and V

BOOK IV

Boom boom!!!!

“What is that sound? It is loud!’’

Boom boom  

“It’s the volcano. Run!!!! Run RUN,” said Papa.

Papa and Daisy kept on running!!!!

(Pause: Hi! My name is Daisy. If you watched my other stories, I moved to NYC but I wanted to hang with my grandpa (Papa), so my mom and dad said that for the summer I can stay with my papa! Papa lives near Pompeii. Back to the story.)

BOOM BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They swam and swam and swam! The lava got closer and closer… It was right behind them. Papa ran out of breath. He stopped for a second, but the lava was right behind him. He didn’t know what to do, so I picked him up and ran! I ran out of breath.

Haaaa haaaa haaaaa haaaaa I did not know what to do… The lava got  closer… my breath got more and more heavy…

I ran as fast as I could but i could not run any more.

“Hot dogs.’’

“who said that?’’ I said. I looked in front of me. There was a island. I ran to the water side and I swam. Me and my papa swam as fast as we could.

We got to the island. We never in 1,00,00,0,00000,0000,0000,000,9999,99999,555,5555,5555,555,44 years knew about this island. We walked around and looked for the hot dog guy. There he was right in front of us. “Free Hot Dogs!” he said.

He looked like an alien. He had five eyes and a small mouth. His eyes were gold and he had a unibrow. He was very short. He was as short as a dog. I went over and asked, “Why do you have a unibrow?”

He said, “Hello to you too. I will tell you a story. Before I tell the story, would you like a free hot dog?”

I said, “No thank you. Tell the story! Tell the story!”

“Here I begin, I was three, my brother was trying to teach me how to do a unibrow. I didn’t know how to. I wanted to prove to people at school that they were wrong and that I could do a unibrow. Everybody laughed and made of me because I was so short, so I went to school the next day and I showed everybody. That night I tried to do it again. I lifted up one eyebrow and I did it. The next day I went to school and I showed my friend who always made fun of me because I was short. Then I showed him my unibrow. I could not re-do it. And that is the end of my story.’’

Papa couldn’t really speak. His eyes were wide open. I think I could see kind of his brain. In my own brain, I saw him doing that exactly.

Then we said “thank you.’’ Then we left. We got a boat and started to sail. We saw this girl. She looked quite like my mom. I called my mom, nobody picked up. So we sailed over to the island that looked familiar to me and we walked through it. “We are home!’’’ We feel so happy to be home.

 

BOOK V

 

5/3/16

Dear diary,

Today at school we got a script for a play. I am so excited. The play is ’’Into the Woods,’’ and I did it in ten minutes. I know it’s crazy, but I am so good at it. I have one sentence memorized. I have one month till the show! I am so excited! I am bad at writing in a diary, but at least I know I am bad. I got you last summer with my grandfather, so I finally decided it was time to starting writing! I love it! My grandfather is here ’cause of Pompeii, but in the end, I loved him here! Each day he picked me up from school and we went to the ice cream store!

The Hair got my prince and at the end we will get married! We talked about it at lunch! I am way more excited than him! But tonight before bed I am going to practice one  or two more times. My dad said to go to sleep when mom or dad turns out the lights I have to go to sleep. But just this once I’m going to practice!

 

5/10/16

Dear diary,

Today at school we got to practice five times, and it was so cool! Tomorrow night I am going to see Hamilton! I am going to wear a glittery dress that has a rose on it. I have a writing class and I do not want to go. But I have to. 🙁

 

5/11/16

Dear diary,

Today I went to Hamilton, and it was…

Cool

Scary

Funny

Fun

Long

Sad

Awesome

And very very sleepy at one part!

 

5/12/16

Dear diary,

Today at school my teacher said we are moving the date of the play to May 27th. I said “NOOO!’’ It was so bad! :0 I stuck out my tongue in my mind. :p So tonight I practiced so many times!

 

5/27/16

Dear diary,

I did the play. It was so fun! I got a trophy! It was so fun!

 

The Peculiar Elephant

Once, there was a weird elephant. He had a long, smooth nose, which was gray, just like other elephants. But the weird thing was he also had butterfly ears!

He did not like his butterfly ears because they were so embarrassing, and everyone at his jungle elephant school laughed at him. But the elephant doctor, Annie, said there was no way to get rid of them.

He walked past someone’s garden, and then, he saw a butterfly fly away and thought it would be cool to try and fly.

At first, he couldn’t really manage to fly. He jumped off a high roof. He flapped his wings a few times, but he still dropped. It felt painful, and he almost sprained his leg. He asked the butterfly to teach him how to fly.

The elephant followed the butterfly’s instructions thoroughly, and after one time, he could fly. After the second time, he flew for a few minutes, but then, he dropped again. So he realized he could fly, but he needed to learn from the butterfly. But after he practiced, he still didn’t know how to fly for a long time.

First, he told his classmates he could fly. He said, ”I… I can really fly!”

His classmates did not believe him, so they said, ”If you say you can really fly, then prove it!”

He took a deep breath, but he was so nervous that his legs were shaking. And he did not manage to fly! He jumped, even though he was nervous, but then, he forgot to flap his ear wings and dropped. He felt so embarrassed.

His classmates snorted and said, “You liar, ha ha ha!”    

He stayed after school in the playground, and when everyone was gone, he practiced again and again by jumping off a high wall. He put a mattress on the ground so it wouldn’t hurt when he fell, and he kept practicing because he really wanted to prove to his classmates that he could really fly.

When he came home, his parents were very worried. They said, “Where were you this whole time?¨

The elephant said, “If I told you, I am very sure you will not trust me!” Then, he walked away with a sad face. He did not sleep well that night. He had a lot of pressure, and he also kept having nightmares.

The next day, he went to school with a tired face. One of his classmates passed by him, laughed and walked away.

The elephant was getting more nervous than before. When it was recess time, his classmates challenged the elephant to fly again. The elephant thought about what the butterfly had told him, and he jumped. He jumped so high, that the classmates could not see him anymore. The elephant flapped his wings, he soared high up in the sky, and he landed safely on the ground.

His classmates were shocked, and they said sorry for laughing at him. The elephant was very popular now! He also performed to his parents, and they were so proud of him. He lived happily ever after. All because of his wonderful and powerful butterfly ears!

 

Louie

Book One

 

1

Louie, a fluffy, white Maltese with his tongue always sticking out, was having a nice nap in his room on the S.S.L. cruise ship. He liked the beds even though the boat rocked a lot.

“Louie, wake up! It’s breakfast time! We’re gonna go soon!”

He woke up, feeling hungry. “Well,” Louie yawned. “Breakfast, then home.”

Louie ate fast (as usual!), and his owners took him home by plane. The cruise was in Florida. He came in from New York, and he was going to his new home in California. He chased his tail which meant he wanted a walk. He liked chasing his tail better than saying “I want a walk,” even though he could talk.

 

2

The main thing that Louie’s owners had to remember was to make sure Louie did not see water towers. He had a huge fear of them after he heard that a good dog got locked in one for no reason. His owners knew that Louie had a fear of them because he told them. Louie only talked when he wanted to, and he only did it whenever he felt it was necessary or he just wanted to say a little something. His owners bought their new house while they were on S.S.L., so they didn’t know the city too well, and they didn’t know that a water tower was only ten blocks away from their home. Unfortunately, the owners went that way on Louie’s walk.

Louie was in the middle of having a chat with a pug. He was telling the other dog about his fear, when the pug said, “Really? You’re afraid of water towers? There’s one right behind you!”

Louie screamed, “AHHHHHHH! WATER TOWER!!!!” Louie ran so hard, that his collar broke off of him. He ran into a forest that had known many dangers, and no one who went in came out alive.

 

3

Louie’s owners were running behind him shouting, “LOUIE! COME BACK! YOU DON’T KNOW THE DANGERS OF THIS FOREST!”

But Louie was too far ahead, so he really didn’t hear them. As soon as Louie couldn’t see the water tower anymore, he thought, Phew, I’m safe! But what he didn’t know was that there were poisonous plants everywhere, a deadly sea monster in the lake, rattlesnakes, and black widow spiders. Or at least that was what people knew. Louie walked a little bit forward and then, looked down to see what he had just stepped on.

He thought, Hm, a little smooth, but why do I want to chew this? I’m gonna look at what this is. He looked down and he jumped up above the trees. It was a skeleton!

 

4

“AHHHHHHHHHH!!! SKELETON!!!” Louie screamed as he ran farther into the forest. Soon, Louie saw huge spider webs with giant black widows on them! And rattlesnakes! Louie was horrified! He ran back while avoiding poisonous plants.

He thought, Oh yay, I’m almost out, I’m safe! till he saw…

 

5

“A SEA MONSTER!!!” The monster was the most dangerous part of the whole forest. The sea monster was green, with huge claws and five eyes (one on his head, one on each arm and one on each leg). Its teeth were very sharp and were twenty feet tall. Its mouth was so big, it could swallow a whole public bus in one swallow without chewing it. It had four humongous horns on the top of its head that were so sharp, that it was sharper than a spear. Louie trembled in fear, and the monster gave a huge “ROAR!” Louie started to fight the monster for a little bit and realized that his weak spot was his right shoulder — he kept on swallowing when Louie was closer to his right shoulder. Louie realized that if he jumped just the right height at just the right place, he could maybe kill the monster.

Louie delivered a bite into the monster’s shoulder which started to kill him.

The monster said while he was dying, “Oh no! I am what made this forest dangerous, and I loved it when the forest was so dangerous!”

The monster died, and the forest was no longer dangerous. The skeletons became people, and there were no black widows or rattle snakes. Louie ran through a field with plenty of plants that aren’t poisonous by the touch to his owners, like dandelions, wonderful grass, even a little bit of some strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, and tomatoes (for some reason there was a lot of food!) His owners saw him running to them, so they had their arms open as he ran towards them.

 

6

They got Louie a new collar and learned where the water towers were. They always kept a blindfold, but he rarely used it.

Louie knew that the forest was now not dangerous anymore, but he still didn’t trust it. He thought that maybe there were some poisonous things left, so his owners never went that way.

They were very nice, and since one was a chef, she brought Louie’s favorite food home. His favorite food was chicken, waffles, eggs, French toast, and for dessert, he loved the biggest ice cream sundae that they made with his favorite flavor, chocolate chocolate chip.

Louie thought, It’s been a long day, and I’m sleeping late tomorrow!

 

7

Ever since he had gone into the forest, Louie was a little bit less scared of water towers and never used the blindfold much. He realized that the forest was much scarier than the water towers. Before, water towers looked like they almost wanted to eat him, but after the forest, he saw that they weren’t that scary looking, and he mostly got over his fear.

Besides, now Louie knew that the water towers had a lot of water in them, and Louie liked to swim. If he did ever get locked in, because he had made it out of the forest, everyone promised that they would give him food for the water tower. After he had gotten out of the forest, he also became a bit of a celebrity because no one had come out alive before, and it was always dangerous. Louie had made it out unharmed, and the forest was no longer dangerous since it was under the curse of the sea monster, which he killed with a bite.

 

Book Two

 

1

It was good that Louie was tiny, so if he thought that people and dogs were getting out of control, he could just squeeze out of the crowd.

After he got fame, he befriended Marnie the Dog.They liked to go on doggy trips three times a month, where they got to go to doggy spas, but they went to the dog spas very rarely, since Louie did not like them, and Marnie only liked it once a month. Louie didn’t like the chances of getting a poodle cut because he thought that he’d look silly with all of that fur, especially with all of the bald spots he’d have. He also thought he had to wear bows if he got one, and he would only wear them if they were bowties, and he only liked to wear them two times a year.

Louie’s owners weren’t always happy about him being famous, especially when his fans came into the house, unless it was only Marnie. When the fans came in, usually they made a mess in the house, and they would usually be there for about an hour. Maybe a little bit less, maybe more. But they liked Marnie because she was small, and she was a very sweet dog. Oh, and she didn’t have the problem of making the house a mess.

Louie was in love with Marnie, but he didn’t want to tell her right away. He waited about a month after they had gotten one doggy spa treatment together, then he told her.

He said, “Marnie, I’m in love with you.”

Marnie replied, “Really? Then let’s get married as soon as this is over!” After that happened, they held paws more, but they didn’t kiss, they nuzzled (they thought it was gonna be too gross if they kissed.)

 

2

Louie still had some fears left of water towers, but it only came up whenever he saw the one near the forest in person. Sometimes he was there at bad times, like when he was getting an interview for Pup Magazine. He was being silly a little bit, by barking instead of answering, which made everyone crack up, and chasing his tail when he was asked how he told his owner when he wanted to go for a walk. The reporter didn’t know what he meant when he chased his tail.

He went slightly crazy because of the water tower. He was jumping up and down and whimpering and shaking. His paws were in front of his chest, and he soon calmed down when the reporter took him to a different place. It was right in front of Louie’s house, which Louie’s owners were not very happy about. Marnie wasn’t happy either, since they were almost trampling her.

It was many hours later when some of Louie’s really big fans came in and yelled at Louie about his fear of water towers.

One said, “You can’t be afraid of water towers!”

Another said, “You can’t because it’s such a weird fear!”

That made Louie feel sad. His tail started to droop, and his head dropped. Even his tongue looked like it had drooped. Marnie got very mad at this, and she started to bark, growl, and scratch, and chased them until they left.

Louie was still feeling upset about what they had said, so his owners and Marnie comforted him. They gave him hugs, Marnie nuzzled him, and they told Louie that it was totally normal to have a fear of anything, and that there were some people who were afraid of knees, and there were some people who were afraid of books (these are fears in real life). After Louie heard this, his tail started wagging again, his head perked up, his tongue didn’t look droopy, and he had a big smile on his face. Soon, it was time for bed. Louie walked to his owner’s bed, Marnie jumped up too. Their owners got in bed, and they all fell asleep.

 

3

That night, Louie had a nightmare about his fans chasing him and then eating him. Louie didn’t get a very good sleep that night because of his nightmare. The next morning, more fans had come to complain about his fear. Louie decided to put his house off-limits to fans. Even so, they climbed up the side of his building, and one even gave him poisoned chicken because he didn’t like the fear so much. Louie then said how he was only scared of them and only afraid of one water tower, and he had to see it in person.

Louie decided that it was time for a doggie trip, but he never told anyone except for his owners and Marnie. Louie didn’t have a private jet or anything, so he used a public airplane to go to Ecuador. Louie knew they thought it wasn’t too obvious that he would go to Ecuador. He knew that his fans thought he would be going to China or Florida. He knew that they weren’t going to think about any other countries or states since Florida was the most likely place, and he was pretty sure people would think he was going to China. But he also thought about how people think about that and assume he’d go to the most obvious place — Florida. He knew that people would never think he’d go to some place like Ecuador.

He stayed there for about a month. By then, he knew that everyone had forgotten about his fear of water towers and realized that he was only afraid of one. Just in case, he took the long way back, which took him another month. Luckily, he made no stops in China or Florida, and none of the planes crossed North America or Asia, until he got back home to California.

 

4

By then, everyone just forgot about him even being afraid of water towers. In fact, no more articles about Louie were involved with water towers anymore. However, Louie had been in Ecuador for too long, and he was required to go back and move there. Otherwise, he would only be allowed to stay in North America. This was a very tough decision for Louie because he didn’t want to go back to Ecuador, but he didn’t want to not be able to leave North America. He and Marnie loved to visit France! Marnie and Louie would be so sad if they couldn’t go together to those places that were outside of North America.

 

5

Louie had just moved into a new home, only three months ago. His owners weren’t even finished unpacking yet. He didn’t want to move again, even farther from Florida. Besides, he knew that where he would stay, there would be a water tower literally in front of his house. This was the biggest water tower in Ecuador, and he knew that some people said that no one would actually give you food, no matter how big of a celebrity you were. No matter what promises you had on you.

Louie checked out the house, and he knew that even though it was an amazing house, no one would allow Marnie in the house, only because she wasn’t hypoallergenic. Most people who lived there were allergic to dogs.

Louie really didn’t want to lose Marnie. Marnie had been with him for almost two months now! He just couldn’t bear being away from her. He knew he was going to have to make the hardest decision of his life. Louie needed to know if that was the only house that was left. Luckily, he was also able to buy a whole hotel. However, they couldn’t let him. They said that hotels were too dirty, and that celebrities only deserved the finest. They probably didn’t understand that Louie was a dog! Louie decided that he would go to Ecuador, but he was sneaky.

 

6

He said he’d lived in the house, but he took Marnie in his suitcase. Of course, Marnie got out when they were doing the bag detection. So all of them went, but as soon as they found out that Marnie was there, they got extremely mad.

The truth was, they didn’t know that Marnie was actually hypoallergenic in secret. But like I said, it was secret. Marnie actually never knew it, but after they had spent about a week with Marnie, Marnie hadn’t even shed a hair on the ground, and none of the people were getting allergies from neither her or Louie. Louie and Marnie knew what that meant when they found out — they could stay together!

 

7

Since they couldn’t live in California anymore, the one owner who was a chef got a new cooking job, and the other one got another new job as a lifeguard on the beach.

Louie and Marnie loved running around on the beach, and they both knew that they had made the right choice to move to Ecuador.

 

Unordinary

It was another normal day: the blue sky, the scorching sun burning the faces of the people outside, and the sounds of the kids playing. I went into my bedroom closet to get my phone out of my jacket. But then, I noticed a framed photo I’d never noticed before. To get a closer look, I took the picture and looked carefully at the image. I knew something about the picture was weird, but what?

Maybe it’s just my head messing with me, I thought.

I got my phone from my pocket and looked at the text messages that I had received from my friend, Daniel: What are you doing man? I have been waiting all day for you.

My friends and I were going out in an empty field to play with water balloons. When we got there, we cleared out the place and started to play. Each person had 240 water balloons.

When I walked home, I noticed that there were advertisements everywhere, but that was not the only thing that was strange. For the first time ever, I realized I couldn’t read any of them right. The words had shifted into this other language I didn’t understand. I was creeped out, but didn’t show it. When I reached my house, I saw that my stepfather was home. My stepfather was mean, brutal, and lazy. He was the rather lazy and selfish type, and he had no manners.

”Go get me a coke from the fridge,” he yelled.

I took the coke from the fridge and gave it to my stepfather. Then, I went to my room. I looked at the strange picture. I stared and stared until…

“My real father!!!” I shouted.

When my mom came home, I was mad at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I said angrily.

“Tell you what?” she said.

“About my real father!!!” I shouted. “You haven’t told me this since I was born.”

“I — .” She continued, “He was a very special and unique person.”

“So special, I can’t even know about him?” I yelled.

“I’m sorry, but you are special too. You don’t even know who you are.”

At that moment, I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say.

”Then, why don’t you just tell me?” I said in my calm voice.

“I can’t. You must find out for yourself.”

At that point, I stormed into my room and slammed  the door. I was so tired and exhausted from yelling and screaming, I fell fast asleep. When I woke up, I found what I dreamed about strange. It seemed as if it were a memory or vision. I saw my father leave and never come  back. I was too upset about the whole thing that had happened yesterday night. I slumped into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I splashed water on my face, brushed my teeth, and headed to the kitchen. I got a bowl and cereal, and ate my food. I felt awful for screaming at his mother.

“Wait,” I said. “Mom, I’m sorry about yesterday. I just wasn’t myself.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “You were right.” She walked out of the door.

Miles, my other friend, texted: Hey, what are you doing right now?

Not in the mood right now. Text you later.

I lay on my bed thinking about the whole situation. Am I so special she can’t tell me who I am? Who am I? Why can’t she tell me who my father is? I always thought I was another normal, ordinary kid. I thought I was normal. Not this weird, super-powered freak.

I just want to be a normal kid. I’d rather be normal than this unordinary person. I want to be me. Man, I hate my life, I thought. Nothing ever goes my way. My terrible stepfather, my poor family, and now, I have to put up with powers. Accept me for me, not that my life is perfect. My life is already terrible, I don’t want it to get even worse by changing even more.

After a little nap, I felt better. I went outside and walked down the block to where my friends were playing.

“What happened?” asked Miles.

”I’d rather not talk about it,” I said. “What are you guys playing?”

“Oh, we’re playing zombie tag,” answered Daniel. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” I lied. We played and played for hours until it was time to go home. I said bye to all of my friends and headed home. When I went home, my mom was waiting for me.

“Jack, there is something I need to tell you.”

I sat down. “Is this about me and my real dad?”

“Yes. I should have told you this a long time ago. You were born like your father who was

a merman. You can breathe underwater like him. I couldn’t tell anyone. I thought they would take him away from me. I know you should have known a long time ago, but I was scared for you to face the truth.”

I was so angry. Why do all the bad things happen to me? I just want to be another normal kid, but what do I get? Fins, a tail, and scales. I can’t believe it. Why did I have to be a merman. I just want to be ordinary, but now, it seems I have to be the opposite. I hate my life. I can’t wait for all of this to end.

The next day, I went to the pool to swim. I love swimmIng, and I am really good at it. The water made me feel calm. It was a place where I can actually think in peace. The water always made me feel peaceful and calm, the one place where I could put all my worries away. I got in the cool water and relaxed.

“Finally, peace,” I said. I lay down in the pool for 15 minutes.

“It’s as if I can breathe in water, or can I?!” I took a deep breath just in case and let it all out in the water. “I can breathe in water!!!”

“This is actually pretty cool,” I said. “Wow, I can also talk in water. This whole mermaid thing isn’t so bad anymore. Man, I wonder where my dad is right now?”

I sat for half an hour now, thinkIng about my real father. When I got out of the pool, I saw Miles and Daniel, and I said, “Hey.”

“What’s up wIth you, man. You are more stubborn than usual, and you don’t talk much.”

“Sorry, I have been upset because of my real dad.”

“Well, tell us when you feel like playing. We will be down the block playing.”

“Okay,” I said. I went to the bathroom to take a shower. I put my clothes on, and watched TV. I looked at my phone, picked it up, headed out, and walked down the block to my friends. They were playing tag at the park.

“Hi,” I said to my friends.

“Hey,” they said back.

I joined my friends in tag. We played for a couple of hours. The next thing I knew, it was six o’clock. I went home before my stepfather noticed. When I tried to creep upstairs, he noticed me.

“Where have you been?” he asked.

I said: “I’ve been out wIth my friends.”

“What friends?”
“Daniel and Miles.” I crept back upstairs and waited in my bed ‘til my mom came home. I told her about my day and asked her to tell a story about my real father.

“He was a good person,” she saId, “Very loyal and brave. When people found out about him, they took him away, and they tried to see how he worked.”
“That’s awful!” I said.

“I know,” she said, “I never saw him again. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

When my mom was done telling the story, I went to sleep. I was sad that I never got to see hIm. “What if I could find him?” I asked myself. “All my problems would go away. No rude stepfather. I’ll just have a normal life.”

I woke up the next day, energized and peaceful. I went to the bathroom to wash my face. I saId bye to my mom and headed out to play with my friends. I felt better than usual, energized and healthy. I always hung out wIth my friends. We would play tag or play with water balloons, but tomorrow, I would go hiking wIth my mom in the forest.

The next day, we packed everythIng we needed for the trip. When we got there, we made our tents and hiked through the forest. At night, we made s’mores and went to sleep. The next day, I saw somethIng strange.

There was a sign. It shifted into other words, words I could read. It said: To find your father, follow the river and look for another sign. Then, turn left, then right.

“Mom, I’ll be gone for a while. I will come before dinner.”

“Okay,” she said.

I followed the path. It was hard because it was rocky and rough. I stopped when I saw another sign: Beware, it said. I went left, then right. Then, I saw a lake full of water. There was a sign that said to go inside the lake, so I did just that. Before I knew it, I grew a tail and scaley skin. I swam farther down to find another merman.

“Return the legendary pearls, and you wIll see your father again.”

“What did you do to my father?!!!” I yelled.

“He’s right here, and if you want to see him again, you wIll return the legendary pearls.”

“What pearls? I don’t have them.”

“You can’t fool me, child. The pearls have gone missing, and you took them.”

“I don’t know anything about pearls. I just found out who I really am.”

“Look, child. We could do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“I don’t have them!” I yelled.

“If you give me the pearls, I will give you your father.”

“I don’t have them!” I yelled. I swam back up to shore, but the other merman pulled me down.

“What’s your problem, man?” I said. “I don’t have them!”

“Give them to me!”

I was so frustrated that he didn’t believe me, I pushed him down, and swam up to the surface. As soon as I came up to the surface, my tail shifted into normal legs, and my scaly skin turned smooth.  I thought about everything the other merman said. I was frustrated because people thought I was a thief.

I have to go back in there, I thought. I jumped inside the water. My tail and my fins grew back. I swam all the way down to the bottom of the lake. It was empty. I needed to find the pearls. I read the sign, and it shifted into different words.

It said, To find the pearls, turn left, then turn right, and run to the nearest river.

I turned left, and then, I turned right. I searched around to fInd a river. When I found one, I  jumped inside and swam all the way to the bottom. I saw another merman wIth things that looked like pearls.

“What are those?” I asked.

He turned around and looked at me like he never saw me before. He yelled, “You just fell into my trap!” He gave me the legendary pearls and yelled, “Hey look, everybody, he’s come back with the pearls!”

“I knew he took them!” somebody else yelled.

“I didn’t take them!” I saId. “This guy threw them to me!” I pointed at the guy.

“Who would believe you now?” said the person who gave me the pearls.

These pearls could show what happened in the past, present, and the future. I set the pearls to show the past.

All of a sudden, a video expanded for everybody to see.

“You just fell into my trap!” It played back and showed how the other merman passed me the pearls and shouted to everybody that I was a thief. They all looked at him and stood in shock.

“He’s the thief,” somebody shouted, “get him!” They all chased the guy who gave me the pearls. The merman from earlier apologized for accusing me of stealing the pearls.

”I think there is someone waiting to see you,” he said.

Another merman suddenly appeared right in front of me. “Is this my father?” I yelled.

“Indeed, I am,” saId the merman.

“I can’t believe it’s really you!” I yelled. “My mom has missed you so much.”

We swam back to shore. It was almost nighttime, so I had to hurry up. We walked back to our tent. I told mom that there was someone waiting to see her. She turned around. She didn’t know him at first, but then she gasped in sudden shock.

“Is it really you?” she asked.

“Yes, it is,” he said.

She said, “I can’t believe you’re really here!” They hugged for about two minutes. “Thank you, Jack. I could have never done it by myself.”

Meanwhile, my stepfather had heard we got lost in the woods and only tried to find us because of the money he could get.

I can use the money to leave this place, he had thought.

Like I said, he was a very greedy person. Fortunately, he got lost instead. When we heard he got lost, we were not surprised he had come back.

“Should we help him,” I said.

“No, I think he deserved it.”

I finally realized that this is who I am, and I need to accept myself.

Everybody hugged and lived happily ever after.

THE END!

Untitled

Act One

 

CARLY enters wearing a thick coat shivering like the cold has not left her yet. ADDISON is stage left on stage which is decorated as a school hallway with blue lockers lined on the wall.


CARLY
Addy! Science project after school!! The sugar solution,right?

ADDISON
Yep! My house.

 

Bell rings

ADDISON
Yikes! I gotta go to Latin. Peace!

CARLY
Bye!

Act Two


ADDISON is lounging on a bean bag chair with a bottle full of a transparent liquid in her hands. CARLY is on a black leather couch and both are staring at a table set up with bottles full of bubbling liquid.


CARLY
I’m going to get us some lemonade, kay?

ADDISON
All right. I’ll try to pour the liquid nitrogen in.


CARLY exits stage left, opposite of ADDISON, who takes a step forward and spills the bottle on top of her and a wand skids onto stage and lights up.


ADDISON
Yikes! Woah. So sleepy, I’ll just-


ADDISON faints onto the black couch and the curtains close.

                                                                                                                                 
Act Three


ADDISON wakes up in a tiny bed with seven faces staring at her. The stage is decorated with wooden shelves with a couple of jewels and seven tiny beds, one occupied with ADDISON.


ADDISON
Ahh!

DWARF#1
Who are you? Are you like the other girl who came?

ADDISON
Um, Addison. Who are you?

DWARF#2
We are the dwarfs of Sycamore woods. Hey, she might be like the other girl. What was her name? Rose Red?

DWARF#1
Are you being chased by the Evil Queen? And it was Snow White ya dummy!

ADDISON
Excuse me?

DWARF#3
Yikes! You are! She always brainwashes whoever she’s after!

DWARF#4
You must promise never to open the door for anybody! We don’t want to lose another!

ADDISON
Ok.


The curtains close. The only different item is an apple on the bed. The dwarfs are armed with pickaxes.


DWARF#5
Good bye! Remember, don’t open the door!

ADDISON
Okay.

 


The dwarfs exit stage right.

 


ADDISON
Hmmm, I’m kinda hungry. I’ll just eat this apple.


ADDISON falls to the floor after biting the apple. The curtains close.

 

Act Four


Curtains open. The stage is set with a yellow brick  road and perfectly circle trees. ADDISON is dressed in a blue plaid dress and GLINDA is on stage right.

 


ADDISON
What happened?

GLINDA
I am Glinda the Good Witch. You just popped out of nowhere! Are you a witch too?

ADDISON
Witch? A few seconds ago I was with dwarfs! This is messed up. I need to get home.

GLINDA
Why, then you must meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

ADDISON
Oz? Hmmm, where did I hear that before?

GLINDA
The wizard will answer all your questions. Now shoo! And follow the yellow brick road!

ADDISON
Okay, okay. Talk about split personality


ADDISON exits stage left. Glinda waves and “flies” away. The curtains close. The curtains open. The stage is set to appear normal, with TINMAN laying on the floor frozen with an oil can next to him. ADDISON is entering stage right.


TINMAN
Help! Help!

ADDISON
What do you need?

TINMAN
Please oil my joints! I’ve been stuck here for weeks!

ADDISON
Okay.

 

ADDISON picks up the oil can and pours the can behind his neck and sets it behind him. TINMAN
Is no longer frozen and dances around.


TINMAN
Hurrah! Hurrah! I’m free!

ADDISON
What’s your name?

TINMAN
Tinman’s the name! I was out trying to find the wizard,when-

ADDISON
The wizard! I’m off to see him too! Will you accompany me?

TINMAN
Of course dear. I’m off to ask him for a heart, for since I am made of tin,I have none.

ADDISON
I’m asking him for a trip home to Carly.


ADDISON’S face falls, then bravely smiles.


TINMAN
Then come along!

ADDISON and TINMAN exit skipping together stage left. The curtains close and the stage is set the exactly the same except for LION upstage left. The curtains open to ADDISON and TINMAN entering center stage left.


LION
(cowardly)Rawwr.

ADDISON
Oh, what’s your name?

LION
L-l-lion.

TINMAN
Hello L-l-lion.

LION
Can you take me to the wizard too? I overheard you talking. I want the wizard to give me courage.

ADDISON
Come on Lion! Let’s go!

LION
All right!


The group exits upstage right. The WITCH peeks out and cackles. The curtains close.The stage is set up as a garden scene with a few red poppies strayed around.


ADDISON
What lovely poppies!                                                                              

 


ADDISON and the group promptly collapses after smelling the poppies.
                                                                               

Act Five


ADDISON is alone in a rustic pink bedroom with a spinning wheel in front of her. She is center stage and scared.


ADDISON
Lion! Tinman! Dwarfs! Anyone!
The liquid nitrogen! Is it still on me? What is happening! Carly! I’m coming! Please someone take me home!

 


The same wand from Act Two skids onto the stage and lights up. ADDISON spins around and her elbow grazes the spinning wheel. She falls into a deep sleep.                                                                                   


Act Six


The stage is set as Act Two with ADDISON suddenly center stage and normally dressed with Carly by her side.

ADDISON
Carly! Oh I missed you so, so, so, so, SO much!

CARLY
Wait, what happened? I was in the kitchen getting lemonade, then, I’m here?

ADDISON
Um, yeah when did this happen? Ha ha ha ha ha.


CARLY
Anyway, let’s get to work! Liquid nitrogen?

ADDISON
Um, about that…

 

The End

 

Missing

“Last seen at Harry’s All You Can Eat Buffet, sixteen-year-old Julian Splitz, from Daily Makeup Tutorial dot com, has gone missing.”

Those words echo in my head from last night’s news. I need to find my sister, and I am going to do just that. I shake my head to get the sad voices out. I hop out of my bed, change out of my pink pajamas into my nice, red Adidas and my flower dress, and head down the stairs. I go straight to the living room. I grab the rusty, gray remote and turn on channel five, Eyewitness News, to see if they found Julian. Nothing.

It’s up to me to find her. Placing my hand on my heart, I say, “I, twelve-year-old Amelia Splitz will find my sister no matter how hard and how terrifying it gets.”

I race back upstairs to my bedroom and grab my dark green bookbag. I grab a flashlight, extra batteries just in case, a 100 dollar bill, and some scissors. I’m not allowed to use anything sharper than that, even if it means I can’t protect myself from whoever teen-knapped Julian. Before I go downstairs, I walk across the hall to my parents’ room. When I open the door, I see my mom sitting up with red eyes, like she got no sleep and was crying the whole night. I quickly and silently close the door so she does not see or hear me, and I walk down the stairs. Before I leave, I go into the kitchen and pack an apple, some bubble gum, Lay’s potato chips, and Cheetos.

I walk out the door and hail a taxi. “45th and Broadway please,” I say, in the politest way possible.

“You got it,” the taxi driver says. “Hey, have you heard about the missing teenager?” he asks.

“Um,” I think about what to say, and then, I finally find the right words. “I don’t watch the news because it’s way too scary for me,” I say. I don’t want anybody to find out what I’m doing because it’s top secret.

“Oh right, nevermind,” he replies quietly. After a thirty minute drive, he finally says, “Here is your stop. That will be $25.52, please,” sadly expecting more money for that thirty minute drive.

“Here you go,” I hand him a twenty dollar bill and then give him six singles. He gives me forty-eight cents back. “Thank you,” I say, walking out of the green taxi.

I walk down the block to come across Harry’s All You Can Eat Buffet. I walk inside. Nobody is there. As soon as someone sees me, she runs up to me desperately and says, “Welcome to Harry’s, the all you can eat buffet. Can I seat you?”

“Nah, I’m just here for a scavenger hunt.”

“No! Please just eat at least one thing! I need the money or at least a tip! Nobody has come here since the missing sixteen-year-old. Have you heard?”

“Um… no, I’m too young to be hearing violent stuff like that. Anyways, I’m just here on a scavenger hunt with my friends, and I need to find a certain food. I just need to investigate, so bye now.”

I walk around the corner to come across all of the dinner tables. I check for clues on every table. Table one just has some crumpled chips on the seats and chairs. Table two has nothing. As I am checking table three, I find a phone on the red chairs. It is Julian’s phone! I turn it on to see if anything was next on her schedule so I could go to that next place, but her phone is dead! I get so mad, I kick over a chair.

“Excuse me, are you okay?” the same waitress asks.

“Yeah, I just realized I was in the wrong restaurant looking for that certain food, so I will be on my way now. Bye.” I grab my sister’s phone and walk out of the resturant with my head to the ground.

I need to charge her phone. I need to go to see where she went next. Everything she does and everywhere she goes is on that schedule! I run home. I have no time for a taxi. After an hour and a half, I finally reach my house.

I walk in and go to my room. I start to charge the phone. As I am charging the phone, I start to think of places she could have gone after Harry’s. She could have gone to eat dessert at her favorite dessert cart, Waffles and Dinges. But they have dessert at Harry’s, so why would she go there?

After another thirty minutes of thinking of places she might have gone, I hear a buzz. I check the phone, and it says the battery is at one hundred percent!

“Yes!” I say, jumping in the air. After I finish doing my happy dance, I grab the phone and check her schedule. On her schedule, it says, “First go to Harry’s, next go to Sugar, the best candy store ever.”

That’s just where I’m going.

I race back out the door and catch the bus. After ten stops, I get off. I look around for the store Sugar, but there’s no sign of it. After the bus leaves, I realize I need to go another stop. I chase the bus so maybe it would stop so I could get on, but when it finally stops, I have run to the next stop. After I take a five minute break and eat two cookies, I walk over to Sugar.

When I get there, it is really crowded! It is going to be hard trying to find clues. My sister’s favorite snack is ice cream, so I go over to the ice cream section. I check tons of tables and try all of the flavors of ice cream, but there’s no sign of anything but delicious flavors.

After three hours, this guy in a green cap and black suit, who looks about 26 years old, and I are the only two left in the store besides the cashier.  He must have no friends because he keeps on asking me what friends are like. I do not have the time, so after answering five of his questions, I start to pretend I do not hear him.

After another thirty minutes, I see a card in the very corner of the room. I smile and pick it up. As I pick it up, I scream, “Aha!” But it is only a business card for a dry cleaner. As I frown, the guy in the black suit is staring at me.

I say, “Um, I dropped this a few days ago, and I really need someone to help me with my dirty clothes.” I don’t think he believes me because after I say that, he looks down at the floor and walks out the door. I sit down as I realize it is too late to continue tonight because the store is closing. I hail a taxi and go home.

When I finally arrive home, I pay the taxi driver and walk up to my room. I sit on my bed, thinking about how I failed to save my sister. As I keep thinking about my sister, tears start to fill my eyes. I can no longer hold them in. I turn to my pillow and let the tears stream down my face and absorb into my white cushion. That night, I skip dinner and go straight to bed in my outfit.

Before I let my eyes shut, I murmur, “Hang in there Julian, I’m coming.”

The next morning, I wake up and change out of my dress and put on some jeans and a purple tank top. I still have leftover snacks from yesterday, so I do not need anything. I grab my sister’s phone and go to the schedule. When I am on the schedule, I see words being typed in. It deletes her plans from the Cross County Mall to an old, beat-up mall near a dark alley.

Why is someone typing on Julian’s schedule? Who is it? I question  myself. I do not know what is going on, so I turn off the phone and walk downstairs. I pack one more cookie, and then I leave.

I hail a taxi and go to the beat-up mall. When I arrive there, I walk two blocks and finally arrive at the mall. I look around, no sight of anybody. Then, after about ten minutes, two tall guys in all black with black masks walk in front of the mall.

I hear them whisper stuff loudly, like, “Well, is she coming? What time did you put it on her schedule?”

“I put for exactly now, 11:30 sharp!”

“Well, Savannah should be coming soon.”

“Wait, Savannah? I wrote it in that girl Julian’s schedule.” As soon as I hear Julian, I knew I am in the right direction.

“What? We already kidnapped that one. She’s the popular one who will make us a ton of money with her makeup tutorials.”

“Oh well, I will just switch it then.”

“No, it’s too late. Let’s go.” The two men start walking away. I need to find Julian, so I decide to follow them.

They stop at the dark alley I have always been afraid to walk near. They walk to a door that has eight locks on it, and they unlock it. They walk in. I am left behind.

I am deciding if I should get the cops so they could break the door down, and I can save my sister. But then, I see an open window not too high above the door. Before I call the cops, I need evidence. I climb on top of a dumpster and a few cardboard boxes and finally hop into the window. There is a ledge when I hop through the window. I look over the ledge. I see three men in black suits and masks. Then, all the way in a corner, I see my sister tied to a chair with a handkerchief in her mouth, stopping her from talking.

I almost cry out “No!” but I hold it in. I hop back out the window and dial 911. “Hello, police department, what can I help you with?”

“Hi, you know the missing teenager? Well, I found her. She is being held captive in an alley on Blackberry Lane between Eighth and Ninth Street. Hurry!”

“Okay, we are on our way.” With that, I wait for them.

After about ten minutes, tons and tons of blue and red flashing cars appear. All the cops get out of the cars, and I show them where Julian is being held captive.

“The door is locked so you have to climb through the-”

I am cut off by the sound of a door being broken down. The loud bang must have scared me because I scream as loud as I possibly can. All of the cops walk inside holding guns that are loaded and ready to fire.

The guys try to escape, but they are surrounded by cops. “Oh great,” one of them murmurs. They both put their hands in the air and are brought into custody. Before they leave, the officers thank me and untie Julian.

“You are one brave cookie,” one officer named Officer Brown says.

“Well, I had to save my sister. I don’t know what I would do without her.”

“Thank you, you are the best sister ever!”

With that, my sister and I hug and walk home, side by side. It takes over an hour and thirty minutes, but as long as I am next to my sister, I am fine.

 

The Magic Flower

Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Laura. Laura’s favorite thing was chocolate. But her second favorite thing was flowers. Pretty, nice-smelling flowers. She just loved to pick flowers, and to play with flowers. And when they died, she even made a funeral for flowers. Now, enough about what Laura’s favorite things are. Let’s get to the story.

It was a bright Sunday morning, and Laura woke up a lot more early than usual (at 6:00).  She could not watch TV until 8:00. So she thought of what to do. And thought of what to do. And thought of what to do. And finally Laura had he it narrowed down to two things. She could sneak some chocolate, or pick flowers, She realized that she only had one choice, to pick flowers. She could not sneak chocolate, because her mom hides it.

So Laura went downstairs, to the porch, and to the backyard. She decided to try to find a new type of flower. A kind that nobody had ever found before. She looked here. Just a sunflower. She looked over there. Just a rose. She looked almost everywhere. But Laura could not find a new type of flower. She decided to give up after only fifteen minutes passed. Yes folks, I know it’s very short, but do not blame me. Laura is lazy.

Just when she got up, she saw something. It was big. It was beautiful. It was… a new kind of flower. “Wait a second,” she said. “Why would a new flower grow in my backyard and not someone else’s? Well, I’ll just check to be sure.” She googled it ten times, but there was no match. Yippie! It was a new discovery. Laura pinched herself, trying to wake up, but she could not. It was real.

She could not wait to tell all of her friends. But being so happy about flowers made Laura wonder about chocolate. She sighed. I wish I had some chocolate, she thought as she squeezed the flower tightly in her hands. Then suddenly the it started to shake. Its petals moved as if it was doing some kind of dance. Then suddenly… poof. A cloud of dust covered Laura’s sight. When the dust disappeared, she looked inside the flower. There it was. A creamy, hard, light brown bar of chocolate. She pinched herself about 1,115 times. (Laura had pinched herself so many times that it started to really hurt.)

She ate the chocolate. It was delicious. “Wow, this is a perfect combo,” Laura said, “flowers and chocolate.” She ran to her friend Mimi’s house. “Mimi. Mimi. Mimi.” Laura shouted the moment she got to Mimi’s bedroom.

“What do you want?” Mimi said, she was exhausted. “It’s three in the morning.”

“No it is not,” Laura screamed excitedly. “Set your clock to the right time. It’s 7:00. Come to my house now. There is something I reeeaaallyyy want to show you.”

“If I come to your house and you show me what you want to show me will you let me go back to sleep?” said Mimi as she took off her sleeping mask.

“Fine,” Laura said flatly. “But you won’t want to,” she whispered.

“What did you say?” asked Mimi.

“Nothing. Chop chop, come on, let’s go.” Laura yelled as she dragged Mimi out of her house.

“I’m sure what you dragged me out for is not worth losing all the wonderful sleep I was getting,” said Mimi.

“Hold this flower.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Fine.”

“Now,” Laura directed, “think of something you really, really want.”

“I want you to leave me alone.” Mimi said.

“Har-dee-har-har,” said Laura.

“Think of an object, like let’s say, a computer.”

“Okay,” Mimi replied.

“Now, close your eyes, think of a computer, and squeeze the flower.” Mimi did as Laura had told her and was amazed at the results. She. Was. Speechless. Mimi even pinched herself sooo many times that she had about a million cuts.  It took Laura three hours before she could cover all of them with band-aids. It also took Laura three hours before she could get Mimi to talk. “You can go home now, Mimi. I showed you it.”

Laura ran to her mom, and was about to tell her about the magic flower when she stopped. If she told her mom about the magic flower, she would use it against Laura. If she broke a window her mom wouldn’t let her use the magic flower and so she wouldn’t get what she wanted. So she decided to keep it secret. She said, “Coming, Mom. One second.”

So then she took the magic flower and she dug a hole next to her favorite tree. Then she ran to her mom yelling, “Coming Mom, wait just one second”

And her mom answered, “Okay Molly, I mean Laura. Heh heh”.

When she got there she yelled, “Hey mom, guess what, I found a magic f

She stopped. She had almost spilled the beans and told her mother about the magic flower.

“ A magic what?” asked her mom.

“A magic…fish pizza, That also includes pepperoni, mushrooms, pineapple, and relish,” answered Laura nervously.

“That’s just in your imagination,” said her mom.

“Yeah.”

“Ummm… okay.”

“Phew, that was a close one,” Laura said to herself.    

Laura’s mom called Laura over for brunch, because she missed breakfast.

“Mmm… this is delicious. I wish we could have this every day,” said Laura.

Then she remembered she could have it every day.

“Ummm, mom? I have to go to the bathroom. May I be excused?” asked Laura, who was proud of herself for not talking nervously.

“Okay,” replied Laura’s mom.

Laura ran to the hole she had made next to her favorite tree, and dug up the magic flower. Then, Laura took out the magic flower and squeezed tightly and wished that she could have brunch every day. The flower shook, and a cloud of dust appeared, but nothing was in the flower. Laura was worried for a moment, but then she realized that she would have brunch every day. Right that moment, Laura remembered that she reeeaaally wanted a pet poodle. So she wished for a poodle, and a cute little puppy appeared inside the magic flower. The puppy started jumping, leaping, playing, and peeing.

“Eeew,” screamed Laura in a disgusted voice. Then, the puppy started licking Laura’s face. “Stop licking me,” she yelled. The puppy started lying on the ground and crying with its sad puppy eyes. She took the puppy and hugged it in her arms. The puppy looked very cold, so she wished for a puppy jacket. The puppy jacket was black leather, and it was very stylish. It had gold buttons and a silver zipper and puppy pockets. The puppy looked very warm and started jumping on Laura’s head.

Laura was about to show her mommy the adorable little puppy that she had named Poppy the poodle, but she couldn’t. If she did her mom would get suspicious, and ask her how she got the poodle. Since Laura is reeeaaally bad at lying, she would have eventually told her mom.

Laura’s tummy grumbled. She buried the magic flower and went back to brunch. Now, there was even more food than before. There was a stack of pancakes that was three feet high, a pile of hot french toast, and a bowl of plump and juicy sausages.

“Mmm, I’m in heaven,” she said sleepily.

Laura ate and ate and ate and ate and ate and ate and ate, until she could eat no more.

“Ohhh… I’m full. I want to go to sleep,” Laura groaned.

Laura’s mom carried Laura to bed. Laura slept for many long hours, and before she knew it, it was morning.

“Time to wake up,” Laura’s mom shouted the next day.

“I don’t wanna go to school,” Laura moaned.

“Okay,” agreed her mom.

“Really?” asked Laura, who was starting to get excited.

“No,” her mom shouted at her. “The only way that could happen is if you found something magical…” said her mom.

At that moment, Laura remembered that she could do it because she did have something magical.

Laura ran to her backyard and dug up the magic flower. She thought of not having school and squeezed the magic flower.

Right after, she wished that she appeared in her cozy, warm, bed. Laura went back to sleep.

“Zzz….” She was snoring.

Laura had slept for three days straight without even noticing. Finally, she woke up. Laura went downstairs and dug up the magic flower. She wished for food for her puppy. She also wished for brunch for herself. Then, she woke up all her friends and told them to come to her backyard.

She said, “Think of something you really want and squeeze this flower, and you will get it.” So they spent the rest of the day wishing for stuff they really, really, really, wanted. When they had finished, she asked her mom if they could have a sleepover and she said no. So she took the magic flower and wished that they could all could have a sleepover and have their very own king-sized beds.

In the morning, Laura wished for breakfast. Then, she told them to go home. Laura wished for a bouncy castle. Then, Laura wished for a pet unicorn. Then, she wished that she had a mansion. Immediately, her tiny house turned into a gigantic mansion. Her friend heard the racket and asked if they could join. Laura said, “Yes.”

They jumped and played and when Laura wished for a pool, they swam in the pool. Laura threw a six months early birthday party. Laura wished for a trumpet dude named Billybobjoepenny to play a song for her everywhere she went. She wished for a butler. A red carpet everywhere she went. And to be famous.

When Laura was about to wish for a 200-inch plasma TV, her mom came in and told her to stop getting all this stuff. “Return all this stuff from where you got it,” said her mom. Then, Laura got so angry that she wished her mom would go away and never come back. Laura finished wishing for a 200-inch plasma TV.

Her friends asked if they could come and play with her, but this time she said no. Laura spent the rest of the day signing autographs and she was sooo famous. Laura wished for a spinny chair. She wished that she could go back in time and be the one to invent the lightbulb. She wished that she had a computer. She wished that she had an iPad, a phone, 365 shoes for every day of the year, all the clothes in the world, brand new socks, a billion dollars, a trillion dollars, and for Jupiter to be named after her, instead of a Roman god. She wished for a musical, a book, a movie, and a CD about her life. She also wished that she could have a video game about herself, and that she could have a puzzle and download every game she wanted for free, and that she got to meet her favorite singer, Taylor Swift. She wished that she owned every single book and movie in the world. She wished to go to the future to watch every movie that would ever be made.

Laura wished for everything you can think of. She wished for a personal trashcan, and that she could meet the Tooth Fairy. She wished that candy was healthy and that she could eat whatever she wanted.

Her friends kept asking to play with her, and she said no every single time. No matter how much they begged and pleaded and gave her gifts. She always said no. Laura wished that she could know everything that she hadn’t wished for. She wished for earplugs, so she wouldn’t have to hear her friends asking her to play all the time. She wished that she had a lifetime’s supply of dumplings and she wished that Billybobjoepenny could play better songs. That was the only wish that made other people happy.

Laura wished for the world’s largest pizza, she wished for a gigantic sandwich.

She wished that she had a cake. She wished that she could eat whenever she wanted, and not get fat.

But soon Laura realized that she was kind of lonely. She wanted to share her stuff with her friends. She went to her friend’s houses, but they did not want to play with her. The next day, the tax letter came. Laura got so many stuff that it was even more money than she had. She wished she had her mom back. Laura’s unicorn started to poop everywhere, and she couldn’t stop it. Laura’s poodle started to get really hot, but, when Laura when took the coat away, it was too cold.

When she tried to wish for her unicorn to be gone, she found out that she had to wish for all of her wishes to be gone. There was some things she wanted to keep, but she decided that having a normal life was better than having everything she wanted. She took the magic flower and screamed, “I wish that all of the wishes were undone!” as loud as she could. Then, everything disappeared and everything was back to normal. Laura took the magic flower and threw it as far as she could. It landed in somebody else’s backyard, and planted itself there.

Laura was happy her life was back to normal. A mile away, in the place she had thrown the magic flower, somebody else had discovered it. Billybobjoepenny was summoned again and the flower was now passed on to someone else….

THE END.

The Fight

SCENE 1

The classroom

LILY

Hey Emily, I got you some Starbucks. Your favorite: vanilla latte.

(Hands it to EMILY)

EMILY

Good, I am so thirsty!

(Drinking the latte)

LILY

I heard that there is going to be a new girl today who came from another school.

EMILY

Which school?

LILY

I don’t know, I think it was on 81st street. But then they moved here on 25th street.

EMILY

Good, I need a new servant.

LILY

What?

EMILY

Shut up and come with me.

New girl walks in

LILY

Look, I think that is the new girl.

EMILY

Come with me.

Walks to new girl

ALICE

Hello, do you know where room 6 is?

EMILY

OMG, LIKE, I’M GOING TO THAT CLASS TOO.

Everyone looks at them

EMILY

Lily, go and get me another latte, and make it a large.

LILY

Okay.

They walk up to Room 6. They walk up to the teacher.

EMILY

Mrs. Peters, this is my new friend, Alice.

ALICE takes a seat. Class starts.

MRS. PETERS

Okay, kids, take your seat. I’m not getting any younger.

LILY walks in with a vanilla latte.

EMILY

(to Lily)  You’re the best.

Later on….

EMILY passes note to ALICE. EMILY raises her hand.

EMILY

Mrs. Peters, can I use the bathroom?

MRS. PETERS

You need somebody to go with you.

EMILY

I pick Alice.

ALICE and EMILY exit.

SCENE 2

In the bathroom

EMILY

So did you get my note?

ALICE

Yeah.

EMILY

So do you want to be my friend?

ALICE

Sure, I really do need a friend.

EMILY

If you are my friend, it requires getting me whatever I want, which really means getting me Starbucks, and if you do that then that means that you won’t get paid, and if you fail one of those tasks you will NEVER be my friend.

ALICE

Oh uhh, no thank you. Who would ever fall for something that stupid?

ALICE walked out of the bathroom, but EMILY still followed.

EMILY

What about only for one day? I do need the help.

ALICE ignored EMILY and walked back to the classroom.

EMILY

Look Alice, you can get paid if you get me my phone from my locker.

ALICE

How much?

EMILY

15 dollars. Oh, and my locker number is 4,15,6,18.

ALICE

Just come with me then.

EMILY

Do you want the 15 dollars or not?

ALICE

Fine. (Walks to locker)

SCENE 3

The lockers

ALICE

What was the code again? 5,12,3,14? No… Was it 7,86,0,76?

LILY sneaks up behind ALICE

LILY

Hey

ALICE jumps.

ALICE

You scared me.

LILY

Sorry, sometimes Emily can be so rude.

ALICE

I know, she passed me a note saying, “Do you want to come to the bathroom with me :)” And the next thing you know, I am in the bathroom talking about forming a club and doing stuff for her.

LILY

I had it worst. Emily forced me to join this stupid thing.

ALICE

Then why didn’t you stand up to her and tell her “no”?

LILY

I am just scared.

ALICE

Why are you scared? She is a human being, just like you.

LILY

I know that, but she can be scary most of the time.

ALICE

Just give me the code to her locker.

LILY opens up the locker.

ALICE

(Grabs phone out of the locker.) Thank you.

LILY

Wait, let’s just go and explore her locker.

ALICE grabs a piece of paper that fell out of her locker and LILY reads it out loud.

LILY

“The tough kids of the school and I are going to team up on Lily.”

ALICE

(Gasps) I can’t believe she’s going to do that to you.

LILY starts to cry.

ALICE

Don’t worry, we’re going to stand up to Emily.

ALICE puts the paper in her pocket. They go back to class.

ALICE

Here is your phone. (Plops the phone on the table.)

EMILY’s note falls out of ALICE’s pocket. EMILY picks it up and gasps. The bell rings and they walk out of the classroom.

EMILY

Why did you take that note from my locker?

LILY

We didn’t do that.

EMILY

Yes, you did. Why did I see it on the floor when you walked into the classroom?

ALICE

When I gave you your phone, the note was attached to your phone.

EMILY

That’s not true.

LILY

Yes it is.

ALICE

Where’s my 15 bucks?

EMILY

Here you go.

EMILY shoves 15 dollars into ALICE’s hand.

ALICE

Thank you.

SCENE 4

The cafeteria

ALICE turns to LILY.

ALICE

Do you want to sit with me at lunch?

LILY

Uh, okay.

EMILY

What? No! You have to get me another latte!

Everyone looks at EMILY.

LILY

No, I don’t have to do whatever you want.

ALICE, LILY, and EMILY go to the cafeteria.

LILY

Come over here, Alice. Let’s sit at this table.

ALICE

Okay.

EMILY

What about me?

LILY

No.

ALICE and LILY sit at the table.

ALICE

Maybe you took it too far, Lily.

LILY

No I didn’t. Emily’s being rude.

ALICE

I know I’m the new girl and all, but I’m not gonna be rude to somebody.

LILY

Come on, Alice.

ALICE

No.

ALICE walks and sits with EMILY.

ALICE

Sorry about that.

EMILY

It’s okay. I never had a friend turn on me.

ALICE

Well, maybe it’s because you’re getting on people’s nerves.

EMILY

Well, I am so used to being spoiled.

ALICE

Well, this is school, it’s not your home, so you have to be nice to people.

EMILY

I want to be a changed person.

ALICE

I know. Maybe tomorrow you can act a little nicer to people.

The next day

ALICE

Hey, Emily.

EMILY

LOOK I GOT MY OWN LATTE TODAY

ALICE

Hi-five!

ALICE gives EMILY a hi-five.

LILY

Hey, rude much?

ALICE

Lily, stop. You are being rude.

LILY

But Emily was being rude yesterday.

ALICE

Yeah, she WAS being rude.

LILY

Well, I can make my own friends.

ALICE

Then go and do it.

LILY walks away and bumps into MIA. They stare at each not knowing what to do LILY looks shocked.

LILY

What am I doing? Introduce her to the school.  

LILY

Hi.

MIA

Hi.

LILY

Are you new here?

MIA

Yes.

LILY

I can show you around.

ALICE

We did it!

EMILY

Yeah, we did.

ALICE and EMILY hold hands and bow.    

THE END

Zachary and All of His Adventures

Once upon a time, there was Zachary and his little brother, Josh. They had gotten their new house near the beach with their dad and mom. Their mother told them they could go outside, but to stay close to the house.

Zachary and Josh went to the beach, and Josh said “I’m scared of the water.”

So Josh ran away from the water, but Zachary picked up Josh on his back, and they both went down in the water. As they went down in the water, a slimy seaweed hooked around Zachary’s foot, which made Josh tumble off of Zach’s back and made them to go deeper in the water. They tried to get out the water and swim up to the shore, but they noticed their bodies going into this hole.

In the hole, there was a cable that connected to the sand. Zachary and Josh got out the water, and both found themselves in a sand maze. So then, they held each other’s hands really tight and looked around to see if they could get out. But then, they realized it wasn’t a maze. It was ladder, so they climbed out the “maze” and then, went back home.

Zach told Josh to stay in his room until he got back, or they would be in big trouble. So Zach stayed home with Josh, and he heard a crocodile biting on the door!!!

So then, they looked in the kitchen, and they looked for any weapons to attack the crocodile. All they found were knives, forks, and spoons, so what they did was throw them at the crocodile. The crocodile got stunned by all of the knives, forks, and spoons. Then, Josh went into the back of the house, and checked if he could find a stroller to hit the crocodile. After the crocodile heard that Josh was getting a stroller, it went to the back of the house. Zachary pulled the crocodile’s, tail, used the knife to cut off the tail, and grabbed three more knives to stab it. After he stabbed the crocodile, it chased after him. Then Zachary went into the house again, locking every door. Then, he realized the crocodile could have crawled through the hole, but the crocodile was dumb enough that it didn’t crawl through the hole. It jumped on top of the house.

Josh found the stroller, but he didn’t see the crocodile because he was too busy looking for it. He gave the stroller to Zachary because he was older than him, and then Zachary threw the stroller. It knocked the crocodile off the roof. Then, the crocodile opened its mouth, big and wide, and tried to snap at Josh. But then, Zachary threw a plate into its mouth, and then it started choking to death.

After that, Zachary and Josh said, “We need to clean up this mess before Mommy comes back.”

So they picked up all of the pieces and went to the store to buy new pieces and get replacements for what was there. After they replaced them, their mother came back and said, “Good job. You kept the house, clean and nice. I’m proud of you two.”

After she gave the compliment, a big dragon came and breathed fire around their house, so they were surrounded by fire. They had one thing: a big, giant flamethrower gun. They used the flamethrower gun wisely. They burned the dragon’s tail, then used the knife to cut off his tail, then the flamethrower in its mouth until it was dead. After it was dead, they pushed it into the ocean.

Then, they went to the beach and built a sandcastle, jumped in the sprinklers, and had fun. But not a single piece of the house was broken after the dragon breathed its fire. They all got bits and bits of water and splashed it onto the fire, and then the fire was gone and turned into smoke.

While they were getting water, they fell on a boat and washed onto sea, and that was all of them. They looked under the water, and they saw a megalodon’s fin. They swam as fast as they could, and then the megalodon bit onto the boat. Everyone started using the paddles and hitting it in the eyeball. They still had their paddle steamer on, and they broke it so it went into the megalodon’s throat. They still had the flamethrower fully charged, so they burned the megalodon to pieces, and they sailed back to sea. They also took some fish.

Then, they had a good family dinner, and they had ice cream for dessert.

 

 

The Thief

Part I

One morning, I wake up. I go to get dressed. When I open my closet door, a guy wearing black jumps out of my closet with a gun! I am so surprised. I don’t know why he is in in my room, but I have no time to think of that.

I go and run to my desk and get my gun out of my drawer. He tells me to put my hands on my head, but I don’t listen. He does not shoot me, but I fire one shot, and I miss. He shoots a bunch of bullets. He misses me, but he hits my desk. One of his bullets breaks my light bulb. It shatters all over my desk. Then, one bullet hits my foot, and I yell out in pain.

My parents come into my room. They take my gun and shoot the person in the head, then in the stomach. He has blood pouring out of him from all directions. Then, my parents call 911. The police and an ambulance come. The police puts crime scene tape all over my house.

Then, the ambulance takes me to the hospital. They tell my parents they will be taken in for questioning, and when I’m finished recovering, I will too. Today is a crazy day.

After a month of recovery, they fix up my room, and I am taken in for questioning. But I am innocent.

Part II

Today is the first day of August. Today, I go to be questioned at the police station. When I get there, they tell me to sit down in the waiting room. After about 20 minutes of waiting, they bring me into an office and tell me to sit down. Then, an officer sits down at the desk and tells me his name, but I don’t remember it.

He asks me questions like, “What did the man look like? How old did he seem? Did he take anything of yours? Do you have any other evidence of who he is?”

I tell him what I know. Then, he shows me some pictures of some suspects, and he tells me to pick which I think looks the most like the criminal.

Part III

Today is the day the police call me to the police station because they found the guy that broke into my house. When I get there, I go to the front desk, and the receptionist takes me into the same office that I was in when I was questioned.

In one chair is the guy who broke into my house. He is handcuffed. Then, sitting at the desk is an officer. When I sit down, the officer tells the thief exactly what he did and why he should not have done it. The thief is told to say why he did it.

The thief says it was because he was forced to do it.

Then, the officer goes out of the room, and he tells two officers in the break room to come into the office and arrest the thief. They come in, and one of them puts the thief in handcuffs, and the other one shoves him out of the office and puts him in a police car. The officer tells us that the thief is going to the local jail before he goes to court. The cop tells us we can go home.

Part IV

Today is the day that the thief is going to court to see if he is guilty for breaking into my house. When I get there, the guy is there, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. I am right on time for the courtroom. The judge calls the case to order. The judge invites the city’s lawyer to present the case to the judge.

The city’s lawyer says, ”This thief robbed the house of the plaintiff. He almost killed the plaintiff.”

Then, the judge tells the defendant’s lawyer to present his side of the case.

The defense says, “That the thief was being blackmailed.”

The judge tells the jury to go into the deliberation room for about an hour and a half. I go to lunch right around the corner from the courthouse. After I am at the lunch place for five minutes, a security guard from the courthouse comes and tells me that the jury came out. I go out of the lunch place and back to the courthouse.

The jury is waiting for me. They have already talked to the judge. Then, the jury announces that they think that the thief is guilty.

Part V

The next day at school, everyone has seen what went on. Either they have read it in the newspaper or saw it on TV. When I get there, all my friends come up to me.

The first one says to me, “Dude, I heard you almost got shot. Are you ok?”

“Sure, yeah. I’m fine,” I say.

“What does it feel like to be in court?” my other friend says.

I say that it is pretty scary.

When I have my first class, the teacher has not heard that I was involved in the case.

So she yells, “Why have you been away for a whole month?”

I show her the CNN article on my phone that says, “Ten-year-old boy attacked.”

My teacher says, “Oh my God! I’m so sorry. I did not know.”

After that, she says that she will give me all A+s for the rest of the month!

 

Lonely

                               

I run through a forest
Of memories and
I see you there
Crying softly to
Yourself.
I watch as you gently
Reach out for
My hand
I pull away
Running back,
Away from that dark
And dank
Place.
I’m sorry
I left you there
Alone.
In a world
Where humanity buzzes
Around me
I watch as you
Turn away
And leave me
There by myself.
I see you at lunch
Twisting your hair
Laughing with the other kids
Ignoring me.
I don’t care.
I forgot you
Were there.
I apologize.
Maybe next time
You’ll understand why
I did that.
I was not myself.
I came up to you but
Said nothing.
I just walked away.
For now I’ll keep my distance.
The girls at school
Are cliquey.
And I watch
The girls talk,
Run around,
Tease each other
Playfully
And ignore me
As I sit down
Pretending to be happy
But broken
Inside.
I talk to my friends
About kids in our class.
Who’s nice
And who’s not.
I suddenly think about the girl
And change the subject.
The agony of watching
Her makes me
Restless.
Yes, restless.
Her hard,
Unbreakable outside
Only disguises
The truth of
Her soft inner core.
I’m tough now.
I don’t need
That girl, that popular girl.
I’m strong.
I’m not a baby.
I’m tough.
I don’t need you.
I don’t need anyone.
I’m not dumb.
I know you think I am.
Everyone thinks I am.
Just leave me be.
Just leave me
Alone.
I got
A 100%
On the quiz
In Social Studies
Like my friends.
I went over
To the lonely girl
And she said
She had a 99%.
I saw through
The paper though.
She got a 64%.
“Nice!”
I say,
Pretending not to know
Her actual score.
Patting her back,
She gives a weak
Smile
But I see
Her frown.
That girl.
She’s popular
And kind
And smart
And pretty
And funny
And all the teachers
Love her.
She already
Figured out
The square root of 41
In like
5 seconds,
Rounded
Of course
To the nearest tenth.
Everyone loves
Her.
That girl.
That popular girl.
It’s
Christmas Eve,
Tomorrow
Christmas.
Mom says to
Do something kind.
I try.
My friends say I’m perfect.
But am I?
What about that girl?
That lonely girl?
Was I ostracizing her?
I take out my phone.
I dial her number.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Please respond.
I hear someone calling
My phone.
Who, though?
Oh.
It’s that girl.
That
Popular
Kind
Smart
Pretty
Funny
All the teachers love her girl.
Should I pick up?
Beep. Beep. Beep.
She’s waiting.
Press END CALL.
Don’t call again.
Please.
I walk away.
Eggnog and gingersnaps
Make me feel warm and happy.
Not today.
Why does she hate me?
Why won’t she accept me as a friend?
Questions fill up my head
And I start sobbing.
Why?
I don’t know.
Ellie texts me,
Asks how it’s going today.
I ignore her.
Amanda texts me,
Tells me about some kid
In our class.
I ignore her.
Nadia texts me,
Asks about the math homework.
I ignore her.
I just want one call
Just one stupid call
From that girl.
That lonely girl.
Mom snooped in my phone.
Asks me why I didn’t pick up my “friend’s” call.
I simply respond,
She’s not my friend.
I’m different.
Brother calls me a meanie
For not being friends
With someone who wants to be
My friend.
Brother’s only five.
How come he is popular in his kindergarten class?
How come I can’t be popular?
And kind
And smart
And pretty
And funny
And all the teachers love me girl?
I dial that girl, that popular girl.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I hear my phone go off.
Probably Nadia.
Once she asks something,
She never stops.
I go up to my room
And pick up the phone.
Incoming call from lonely girl
The phone chants.
Okay, maybe I should change her name.
I pick up, and say
Hello?
Are you there?
This is Taylor.
I’m glad you called.
A little smile creeps up my face
As I cuddle on to my
Sheepskin blanket.
I hear a little voice say
Hello?
Are you there?
This is Taylor.
I’m glad you called.
I pause for a second,
Trying to figure out
If that was fake
Or genuine.
I don’t know.
I can imagine her face
With beautiful bright blue eyes
Glinting in the sunlight reflecting off the snow,
And her hazel hair
With a dark purple streak
And her perfect teeth showing as her lips curve up
Into a perfect smile.
Hi,
I whisper happily.
I’m Mabel.
I’m also glad I called.
I smiled softly.

 

Emoji Sisters

SCENE 1

MOM, KACEY, ELLA, RUFUS are in the house.

KACEY

Is dinner ready, Mom? Maybe we could go to the backyard and do the tradition that Dad did with us? I haven’t done it since Dad died in the car crash.

Mom is cooking.

MOM

Dinner’s ready, in like, two minutes. Um, I don’t think you should do the tradition without your dad. It’s not really a tradition without your dad.

KACEY

Okay, fine. I just thought that we could go out to the backyard again, just to see the stars to remind me of Dad, and what he did with us.

RUFUS is barking.

MOM

Kacey, sweetie, can you please take Rufus out in the backyard? Also, I bet your father would like to keep the tradition with him.

KACEY

Okay, I get it, I get it. Fine, I’ll take Rufus out to the backyard.

Kacey goes out to the backyard.

ELLA

Mommy! I’m hungry!

KACEY

Um, Mom?? Rufus is running away!

RUFUS accidentally runs away. KACEY and ELLA go after him.

KACEY

Rufus! Come back!!

ELLA

Kacey! Wait for me!!

KACEY stops.

ELLA catches up to KACEY, breathless.

SCENE 2

RUFUS leads them to the woods,  and she finds a piece of paper that was in the mud, all dirty, and stuff.

KACEY

Rufus, why did you go into the woods?

KACEY sees the paper, picks it up, and read it outloud.

YOU MUST GO TO THE EMOJI WORLD AND BECOME EMOJI SISTERS AND SAVE THE EMOJI WORLD FROM THE EMOJI VILLAIN. 🙂 YOU HAVE ONE EMOJI YEAR. COME QUICK. WE NEED YOUR HELP! THERE IS A VIAL. DRINK A DROP AND ONE DROP ONLY.

KACEY then thought of her father. All of her adventures that she had with her father.

KACEY

Ella, we have to tell Mom. Ella? Ella? Ella! Where are you?

ELLA
Kacey, I’m right here. Next to Rufus. Behind you.

KACEY

Oh, thank goodness. Thank goodness. We have to tell Mom that we found a note. We have to ask her if we can go.

ELLA

Kacey, we found Rufus. Now let’s get home. I’m hungry.

KACEY

Okay, fine. But, we have to show this to Mom. We could have dinner once we show this to Mom.

ELLA

Fine. We can show this piece of paper to Mom, but can we go home now? Please?

Kacey and Ella go home with Rufus and the piece of paper.  

Mom was very surprised when she saw it.

MOM

Wow, girls. Um, this is very strange. I think this is a joke, or something. It can’t possibly be real.  

Mom looks at the piece of paper one more time.

MOM

Yeah, I think this is a joke.

KACEY

But Mom, do you want to see? Look look, there’s a vial with this potion that brings you to Emoji World. I just know it.  

ELLA

Mom, I’m tired, can I go to sleep?

MOM

Sure, sweetheart, go get some rest. Now, Kacey, I want to talk to you about this piece of paper. If you can handle it, I will let you go to this EMOJI WORLD thingie, only if you take REALLY good care of Ella, and keep an eye on her always, and make sure you come back alive. For real.

KACEY

Oh, Mom! Thank you so much! I promise, promise promise that we will come back alive, and I promise that I will take SUPER good care of Ella. Thanks, Mom!! I also think you should pack food, clothes, blankets, pillows, etc…

KACEY goes to her room.

KACEY

Oh, Dad (sighs) I really wish you could come and have at least one more adventure with me and Ella. (sighs)

THE NEXT DAY………

KACEY woke up early to help MOM pack their bags.

MOM

Kacey, I need you to get your sleeping bags from the closet. Also, do you want chicken or steak? One more thing, can you get your blankets, pillows, water bottle, clothes, and shoes please? Thank you.

KACEY

Sure, Mom.

KACEY gets the stuff that MOM asked her to get, and brings it to MOM.

KACEY

Here you go!

ELLA comes downstairs.

MOM

Good morning, Ella!! How are you today? This is going to be your last morning here for an EMOJI YEAR.

ELLA

What? We’re going to EMOJI WORLD? But you know that it’s not real.

KACEY

It’s real! And I’ll prove it to you once we get there.

LATER THAT DAY……………………

MOM

Bye girls!! Love you!!! Be safe!!!

KACEY AND ELLA

Bye, Mom! See you soon!!!!!!! Love you!

Ella starts crying.

MOM

Don’t worry, Ella, It will be really short. One EMOJI YEAR is like, two months. You’ll see me very soon.

ELLA

Ok (ELLA sniffles) Bye-bye, Mommy.

KACEY

Bye, Mom!! Ella, don’t worry, you’ll have me!

ELLA

Yeah, but you’re not like Mommy.

KACEY

It’s going to be alright. I’m going to take SUPER good care of you, and we’ll have lots of fun. Plus, we’re going to be saving the EMOJI WORLD, right?

ELLA

Yeah. (sighs) Love you Mom, I’ll miss you.

KACEY

Bye, Mom! I will try to text you!!

KACEY and ELLA leave for EMOJI WORLD.

MOM goes back into the house, while the sisters are transported to EMOJI WORLD.

SCENE 3

ELLA

Whoa, Kacey, look! You’re an Emoji!!

KACEY

Ella, you are, too!!

It was true; KACEY and ELLA had turned into Emojis.

KACEY

Okay, we have to find a hotel or something.

ELLA

Look!! Over there!

ELLA pointed to a castle.

KACEY

Let’s go there.

KACEY and ELLA finally arrive at the palace.

KACEY

Whoa, this palace is huge!!

EMOJI KING

Welcome! It looks like you got our letter that we sent to you. We are SO glad you could make it!! You have to start your mission right away!! We are in a REALLY big hurry, and we need your help to save to Emoji World.

KACEY

Why were we chosen?

EMOJI KING

Your dad said that he wanted you guys to have an adventure when he was gone.

KACEY

What? How did my dad know about this world?

EMOJI KING

Because he’s traveled here. He travels to different worlds a lot and he meets new people so that you can have more adventures.

KACEY

How come he didn’t tell me?

EMOJI KING

That doesn’t really matter right now. I’ll tell you later. We need you to go to the High Emoji Mountains, find the Emoji villain, and kill him with this vial.

EMOJI KING hands KACEY a blue vial and she takes it.

KACEY

But which way? We don’t have directions to get to High Emoji Mountains.

EMOJI QUEEN

We have a map for you of all of Emoji World. You have to go on your quest now, or else it’ll be too late. Now you must go. You won’t be able to defeat him if you don’t go now.

KACEY and ELLA leave for the Emoji Mountains.

SCENE 4

ELLA

Are we there yet? My feet hurt.

KACEY

No, and plus, you don’t have feet!

KACEY and ELLA arrive at the High Emoji Peak, three Emoji hours later.

KACEY

Why don’t we take a rest?

ELLA

Okay, that sounds good to me!

KACEY and ELLA stop on the bottom of the peaks. They fall asleep.

THE NEXT DAY…

KACEY

Ella, wake up! Wake up! We have to kill the Emoji villain!

ELLA

Kacey, I’m so tired, though.

KACEY

Ella, get up!!!

ELLA

Fine!!

ELLA and KACEY find the EMOJI VILLAIN.

EMOJI VILLAIN

What? Who are you? Why are you here? Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I already have my plan to destroy Emoji World! Mwahahahaha! Wait, why are you still here?

KACEY and ELLA stand still, staring at the EMOJI VILLAIN, blankly.

EMOJI VILLAIN

What? Not good enough? Ugh, Fine!

KACEY

We are very hungry. Can we eat with you please?

ELLA

Yeah, we are very hungry. Please?

ELLA did the puppy eyes that she did when she wanted another cookie from MOM.

EMOJI VILLAIN

Okay, fine. Come eat. (whispers to the audience) And then I will destroy them!!

KACEY

I really want to cook. Can I? Please?

EMOJI VILLAIN
Okay, fine, sure, make dinner, and I really like red wine. Thank you very much.

KACEY and ELLA made the food and the wine. KACEY poured the vial of poison into the wine.

EMOJI VILLAIN

Thank you very much, Kacey, and Ella, I’m guessing.

KACEY

I just have one question. Why exactly do you want to destroy Emoji World?

EMOJI VILLAIN

Because I want to be alone. Also, I want my helpers to build a HUGE castle and so I can be the new ruler of EMOJI WORLD, just do whatever I want, by myself and my helpers. So that’s my plan, so yeah! Can we get finished with dinner now?

KACEY

Yeah, sure. Just drink your wine first, so we can get on with the other stuff of the meal.

EMOJI VILLAIN drank the vial of potion/the wine and died. Emoji World was saved!!

KACEY and ELLA went back to Emoji Palace and the EMOJI KING greeted them.

EMOJI KING

Kacey, Ella, you did an amazing job! Now you may go home.

The EMOJI QUEEN hands KACEY and ELLA the vial to go home.

KACEY and ELLA go home.

MOM is waiting for them.

SCENE 5

MOM

Oh, thank goodness you are safe!! Now, let’s go get some lunch.

KACEY
Sounds good to me

ELLA

I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap.

MOM

Ok, sweetie. Goodnight.(smiles)

ELLA leaves to to go to bed.

KACEY

Mom, can I talk to you about something?

MOM

Yeah, sure. What do want to talk about?

KACEY

Did you ever know that Dad knew about the Emoji World?

MOM looks down.

MOM

Um………….. No, what? No.

MOM stammers.

KACEY

Mom, tell the truth.

MOM

Fine. Yes, I knew that Dad had been to Emoji World.

KACEY

Ugh, but then why didn’t you tell me?

MOM
Because it was supposed to be a surprise. He wanted to take you there for your twelfth birthday, Kacey. But he died three years ago, remember? And now, look. You turned 12, two years ago.

Long pause.

KACEY
Ooooohhhhhhhhh. That makes much more sense. I’m glad I got to go, anyways. I still miss him, and I really wish I could go on the adventure with him, though.

MOM

Yeah, me too.

KACEY and MOM hug at the end.

THE END

Fred the Penguin

Chapter 1

A baby penguin named Fred wanted to make a nest, but he was too young. Young penguins don’t make nests; they collect rocks. When they’re adults, they make their actual nests. Fred lived in the North Pole. He was the best penguin at ice skating. He loved to ice skate. He ice skated with other penguins, and the other ones kept falling, but Fred didn’t. They were jealous of Fred. But still, he had different kinds of penguin friends, like adult penguin friends. The other penguins were better at catching food.

A seal named Bob always spotted Fred and wanted to eat him, but Fred was too fast. Fred was eating cheese puffs, when suddenly, Bob turned up. Fred swam very fast to the shore. He ran because Bob could bash and break stuff. Fred couldn’t be too close, because if Bob bashed into the ice, Fred could fall, and then, Bob could eat him. So Fred ran to somewhere safe.

Fred ran to other penguins. He called to them to go to Bob. The other penguins scared away Bob. There were too many penguins. The penguins felt excited, so they decided to have their own penguin party and invited their friends.

Chapter 2

Then, more seals came! They bashed and bashed and the ice kept on falling. Then, the other penguins went crazy. But Fred didn’t. He swam underwater, and then, he trapped the seals so they didn’t bash anymore. He was super fast. Then, he grabbed some cheese puffs, and he ate them — and then, shot them out of his mouth into a seal’s face. The seal went down. He crashed into the surface, and then, he died.

Fred swam away fast up to shore. The seals bashed, and he fell down. Fred fell down onto a seal’s back. He rode the seal and bashed into the other seals, and then, they fell down and died. The seal that Fred was on was Bob.

Chapter 3

Bob tried to get him off. Then, when he got Fred off … another penguin came, and his name was Flame. He distracted Bob while Fred swam up to shore. Flame swam very, very fast up to shore. Flame was an adult penguin. Flame liked ice skating. Bob was gone now.

Then, they saw a fin in the water. Flame said, “It’s a shark.”

Fred said, “No, it’s a dolphin.”

Then, they saw a shadow in the water. It looked more like a shark. Flame was right. It was a shark.

All the penguins panicked. They waved their flippers and ran around. They squeaked. Then, Flame swam underwater, and Fred and all of the penguins did too. They tried to kill the shark.

The shark said, “I’m good!”

So then, the penguins swam back to the iceberg.

Then, Flame said, “I see a fin that’s black!”

Fred said, “It’s a killer whale.”

Then, they swam underwater, and they saw two killer whales. One killer whale tried to eat the penguins. The penguins were too fast, and the killer whale swam away. The other one tried to eat them, but they were too fast, and then it swam away.

Then, they had another party. But then, another shark came and bashed into the iceberg, and a big chunk of the iceberg fell.

Chapter 4

The shark attracted other sharks. Five sharks came, and they kept on bashing until it was super small. The penguins swam underwater.

But then, a dolphin came and said, “Hop on!” and the penguins hopped on. The dolphin swam away. The shark followed, and then, more sharks came. There were a billion sharks.

The dolphin said, “Look!” And the other dolphins swam very fast. But they were underwater. Then, the penguins swam on the dolphins, so then, the dolphins went faster.

They went to a bigger iceberg, but then the penguins said, “There’s polar bears in there.” So they went to a different iceberg and they said “That’s good.”

They lived there, and the dolphins said, “Bye!”

Then, the sharks came and chased after the dolphins. Bob came. And then the sharks came, and Fred saved Bob from getting eaten by a shark when the penguins lifted Bob up onto the iceberg. So then, Bob became good.

Fred swam underwater, and then a lot of killer whales came. And then, Bob saved Fred’s life. He swam underwater, picked up Fred on his back, and then jumped onto the iceberg. And then, they became friends.

Since Bob was the leader of the seals, he said to the seals, “We’re friends with the penguins.”

And the seals said, “Okay.”

While Fred and Flame were ice skating, the seals guarded the iceberg because then, no enemy could come and ruin the party. The rest of the penguins were still jealous because they were not really good at ice skating. But Fred didn’t care.

 

The Smartest Gingerbread Man Runs the Marathon

Introduction

You’ve heard the other stories, I bet. Somebody makes a gingerbread man, he runs away, and eventually gets eaten. Well, my story isn’t like that. Maybe it’s the dough I’m made of, or maybe it’s my raisin brain, but I survived.

Chapter One

I was walking along the streets of New York, minding my own business, when I heard the clacking of teeth. The fox! I started running and heard the patter of paws behind me. Up ahead, I saw other running people. Maybe if I ran into that crowd, the fox would lose me. I ran faster into the crowd of running feet. I didn’t realize it then, but I had accidentally entered the New York City Marathon!

I felt the fox’s hot breath on the back of my neck, so I picked up the pace. I burst out of the crowd. Looking behind me, I noticed that the runners had numbers on their chests. Then I saw the fox’s gaping maw coming towards me. I turned my head forward and ran like crazy!

Chapter Two

We had been running for a long time. Ahead I saw a stand with water cups on it. I hurried past so none of it spilled on me, because water is my weakness. Then I looked behind me. The fox had a water cup in his mouth and an evil glint in his eye. To be fair, he always had an evil glint in his eye. I started zig-zagging because puddles of water had started to appear on my left and right. I knew eventually he would run out of water.

Up ahead I saw a black-and-white checkered stripe on the ground. I ran across and suddenly everything started getting really loud. I realized it was people cheering. I had won the New York City Marathon! But the fox was still coming.

Chapter Three

I jumped into the golden cup that was being held out to me and yelled, “Hoist me up!” in my squeaky little voice. The man looked surprised, but did as told.

Then he said, “Why are you a gingerbread man?’

So I said, “I was baked this way, mister.”

Of course he replied, “Mmm. You smell delicious.”

“Don’t you dare!!” 

“Don’t I dare what?”

“Don’t eat me, duh.”

“Don’t worry, I’m gluten free. What are you doing in the cup?”

“That fox is trying to eat me!”

The fox interrupted, saying, “Nyang nyang nyang!” Then he bit the man’s leg.      

Then the man yelled, “owww!!!”

“That’s gotta hurt,” I remarked.

“Get off my leg, you damn vermin!”

“Nyang nyang nyang!” the fox protested, not taking his teeth off the man’s leg. Then something went snap! There was a bright flash, and the fox was startled and let go.

“What was that?”

I didn’t know either, so I chimed in, “I don’t mean to agree, but yeah, what was that?” 

“It must’ve been camera,” the man replied.

“A cam-watzit?”

“Never mind. My name is Octavius, by the way.”

The fox interrupted, “What kind of name is that?”     

Octavius said, “I dunno.”

The fox said fancily, “My name is Cornelius Von Sigment.”

I said, “Wait, what?!” l never knew that!

Octavius said, “Ooh, fancy.”

While the fox and Octavius were talking, l slipped away. I needed to get away from the fox. I figured that the best place to go to get far away from him is the airport. I looked at the maps and decided to take the subway. The turnstiles were no problem for me — that’s one of the advantages of being short.

When l got to the airport, l hopped on the very first plane. I thought it was going to Vermont? I’d always wondered what that place was like. Anyway, l bet the two fancy-pants names (a.k.a. the fox and the man) were still talking. Haha!

E.V.I.L. Chronicles: The Opponent

              

SCENE 1

Setting: Manhattan, Writopia Lab.

ALEX
Who’s ready for sock-ball?

Rumbling is heard.
EVERYONE
Let’s go see what’s happening!!!

SCENE 2

Setting: Manhattan, Central Park. There is a big crater where the museum used to be. Inside it is a CREEP IN WIZARD COSTUME. He walks out to the benches, where a crowd has been forming.
CREEP IN WIZARD COSTUME
Listen to me, you fools! I am George, the wizard! I am here to take over your pitiful kingdom! Mwahahaha!!!

KID
I think he’s from New Jersey.

GEORGE, THE WIZARD
Where is this “New Jersey?”

OTHER KID
Actually, he’s probably from Fire Island.

GEORGE, THE WIZARD
An island made out of fire! You intrigue me! Where is this burnt kingdom?

SOME OTHER KID
Wait, what?

GEORGE, THE WIZARD
Oh, well. I will explore it later. I must find your king and overthrow him! Power will be mine!!!

Police cars enter. Siren is heard. They march up to him.

COP
What’s going on here?

KID
Just some creep from New Jersey who exploded the museum.

OTHER KID
You’re stupid! It’s easy to see he’s from Fire Island.

GEORGE, THE WIZARD
Who are you? Paid mercenaries? I can take you down with my magic powers!!!

COP
(Laughs.) Okay then, you’re a jokester, eh? Then let me introduce you to my “magic” taser.
COP “tases” GEORGE.

SCENE 3

Setting: Manhattan, in a courtroom.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
So, Your Honor… This creep here has exploded one of our best museums, traumatized millions of kids going to a summer camp called “Writopia,” committed serious fashion crimes, and can not decide whether he is from New Jersey or Fire Island!

JUDGE
What does the accused have to say about it?

GEORGE
Excuse me? I am an evil wizard, and I’m going to control the world! Show some respect! And, what do I have to say about it? Well, first, bow down to me. Second, my outfit is way better than yours, and, third, I don’t even know what a “Jersey” is — much less a “new” one!

JUDGE
Do you plead insanity?

GEORGE
Yes, I do! I plead you all insane!

JUDGE
It’s easy to see. He’s gone crazy.

GEORGE
(Crying) All I wanted to do was control the world!!! Wahhh!!!

JUDGE
Fine, you can roam free, as long as you are in the supervision of my friend here, whose name is Fred.

SCENE 4

Setting: Manhattan, outside Pinkberry Fro-Yo Shop.

FRED
I’m hungry, want some fro-yo?

GEORGE
What is this “fro-yo”?

FRED
It’s tasty, you’ll see.

GEORGE
What about taking over the world?

FRED
Uh… we’ll do it later?

GEORGE
Okay then, unpaid underling!

FRED
Underling?!

GEORGE
Would you rather be called “Minion”?

FRED
Let’s just get fro-yo, okay?

SCENE 5

Setting: Manhattan, Inside Pinkberry

GEORGE and FRED are waiting in line for Pinkberry.

GEORGE
Why are we waiting in line? I deserve to be first!!!

FRED
No, you don’t. Maybe if you yell that they’re having a sale on something good they’ll leave.

GEORGE
Very true. I shall try. (Yelling) Dragonhide laser shields on sale in the next kingdom!

No one leaves.

FRED
Seriously, let me try. (Yelling) Starbucks is giving caramel mocha lattes for free!

Everyone leaves.

PINKBERRY GUY
What kind of fro-yo do you want?

GEORGE
Well, that depends. What kind of that do you have?

PINKBERRY GUY
We have original, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mango, and super-extreme coffee caramel jumbo mega dumpling extra surprise.

GEORGE
I’ll have that last one.

FRED
I’ll just have chocolate.

PINKBERRY GUY
Do you want toppings?

FRED
Yes.

PINKBERRY GUY
Do you want gummy bears?

GEORGE
What? Why would I ever want to eat a bear?

PINKBERRY GUY
Do you want gummy worms?

GEORGE
Worms? What are you trying to do? Kill me?

PINKBERRY GUY
Do you want chocolate rocks?

GEORGE
Stone? What do you think I am? A gargoyle? What else do you have?

PINKBERRY GUY
Do you want the jumbo coffee choco-latte glaze with banana cherry dumpling sprinkles?

GEORGE
Mmm, that sounds yummy. YES!!!

FRED
I’ll have rainbow sprinkles.

PINKBERRY GUY
That’ll be $8.45 please.

GEORGE
Pff… that’s so cheap.

GEORGE drops nine gold coins on the counter.

GEORGE
Keep the change.

PINKBERRY GUY takes the gold coins, biting them to be sure they’re real. When he sees that they are, he jumps up and starts dancing.

GEORGE and FRED eat their fro-yo.

GEORGE
This is delicious!!!

SCENE 6

Setting: Manhattan, central park

GEORGE AND FRED are sitting on a bench near the ruins of the museum.

GEORGE
Unpaid minion!

FRED
What?

GEORGE
How do I become king of this kingdom?

FRED
Well… there’s an election coming up.

GEORGE
What’s an election?

FRED
It’s when the citizens vote for their president.

GEORGE
Is a president like a king?

FRED
Yeah, except he shares his power.

GEORGE
How do I become president?

FRED
You announce that you are running for president, and then you hope you win.

GEORGE
Where do you announce that you are running for president?

FRED
Points at a crowd of people in front of a presidential candidate.
See them? Set yourself up next to him, and steal those voters!!!

GEORGE
Okay!

George sets himself up near the presidential candidate.

Vote for me!!!

SOMEONE ELSE
And why would I do that?

GEORGE
Because I said so!

KID
Hey! I know you! You’re the creep from New Jersey who blew up the museum! It’s always nice meeting an old friend, isn’t it?

GEORGE
I don’t even have a jersey. I don’t even know what it is!

OTHER KID
Yo! You’re that dude from Fire Island! See ya later, bro!

GEORGE
Where is this island of fire?!

SOMEONE
Kiss these babies!

GEORGE
Why would I kiss a stinkin’ baby!

SOMEONE
Every good politician does it!!

GEORGE
Get out of my space. You disgust me.

DUDE
Are you gonna help us with our problems, and take care of our ecosystem?

GEORGE
No! Take care of your own problems!

DUDETTE
Are you going to take care of our economy?

GEORGE
Why would I do that? I have enough money already.

YOUNG DUDE
Are you going to improve our civil rights?

GEORGE
No –– I’m going to turn this into an absolute monarchy!

YOUNG DUDETTE
Are you going to help the homeless?

GEORGE
How about they help themselves instead?

TEENAGE DUDE
Are you going to improve peaceful relations with other countries?

GEORGE
No! I’m going to start wars everywhere so I can conquer the world!

TEENAGE DUDETTE
Are you going to stop racism, discrimination, anti-Semitism, and sexism?

GEORGE
Nah, I have better stuff to do, like going to Pinkberry and eating dumpling fro-yo.

SOMEONE
Will you improve international security?

GEORGE
No. I think I’ll improve my security instead.

SOMEONE ELSE
Will you improve our prisons?

GEORGE
Good Idea! I’ll let everyone free, and then lock in anyone who opposes me!

SOMEONE
Will we get longer vacations?

GEORGE
You’ll work every day of the year, while I take vacations.

SOMEBODY ELSE
Will you improve schools?

GEORGE
I’ll close schools, and put anyone older than sixteen years old in the army, ten to sixteen years old in hard factories, seven to ten years old in medium factories, five to seven years old in shops, and one to five years old in my future personal mines. Anyone younger than one year old will be shot with a ray that keeps them babies forever, so I can have a baby secret agency.

SOMEONE
Will you kiss them?

GEORGE
For the last time, I will not kiss any stinkin’ babies! With this I end my speech.

FRED faints. Everybody walks off.

SCENE 7

Setting: Manhattan, some room or other.

GEORGE
My speech was awesome! They are so going to vote for me!

FRED
Um… we might have to talk about that…

GEORGE
About how good I am at this, right?

FRED
Let’s turn on the TV.

GEORGE
What’s a “TV”?

FRED
It’s hard to explain. I’ll just turn it on

FRED turns on the TV. GEORGE gasps.

GEORGE
Someone is trapped inside that piece of glass!! He’s gone crazy!

FRED
Actually, it’s all projected because of electricity or something –– no one’s actually trapped.

GEORGE
Electricity? What sort of sorcery is that? Is that what Tasers are powered on?

FRED
Actually, yes, but —

GEORGE
Shh, they are showing the polls.

SCENE 8

Setting: Some room or other, on TV.

TV HOST:
And here are the polls. First I shall introduce the two candidates: Mr. Presidential Candidate, and George the Wizard. Second, I shall give the statistics: Mr. Presidential Candidate: 100%. George the Wizard: 0%.

SCENE 9

Setting: Manhattan, some room or another.

GEORGE
Oh no! I’m last in the polls!

FRED
(Knowingly) Well, what are you gonna do about it?

GEORGE
I’m going to murder Mr. Presidential Candidate.

FRED
That’s not really what I was going for. Are you sure you have to resolve this with violence?

GEORGE
Yes –– where I come from, if you don’t like someone, you murder them.

FRED
Wow, tough neighborhood. Remind me never to go to New Jersey. Or Fire Island.

GEORGE
Gaaah! I was not born on an island of fire! How many times must I repeat this?

FRED
Wow. It must have been a really tough neighborhood if you won’t even acknowledge that you’re from there.

GEORGE
I’m still going to murder him.

FRED
Do you have to?

GEORGE
Yes.

SCENE 10

Setting: Manhattan, Empire State Building

GEORGE and MR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE are standing on top of the Empire State Building.

GEORGE
From up here we can see future goals, future people, and the future goals of our future people.

MR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Yes, but I wonder, why are you still in the race if I have 100% of voters?

GEORGE
Because of this!!!

GEORGE pushes MR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE off the Empire State Building.

GEORGE
I won!!!

Sunflowers

Once upon a time, Alexandra planted a sunflower seed in early April. That’s me! She watered me for a long time, but I did not grow. I was so lonely in the garden. There were a bunch of roses in the garden too, but they were already grown! There were also some peppers, daisies, and tulips, but they were all grown up too! When I was first planted, I looked like a little round circle. I was the color brown when I was first planted, but now, I am light brown, and I am an oval.

Today, I am surrounded by dirt, and I got a little bigger!

“You are a really late grower, so you can’t talk to us!” the roses said to me.

“Well, it’s not my fault that I was planted late!” I said.

“It’s okay because we were planted late too! We’ll be your friends!” the peppers yelled. The five peppers were red and shaped like big triangles. At night, the peppers and I gossiped about how mean the roses were.

I said, “Wow, the roses are really, really mean to me.”

“Yeah, I’m glad I was here to help you and talk about it,” said one of the peppers.

The daisies were really friendly; they also said that they would be my friends. Usually, the tulips couldn’t say anything because they were asleep! They were always super tired because they all stayed up late at night talking to each other.

***

Now, I’m about an inch across. I’m still just a seed. It’s late April, and I’m not cold or warm. It’s super sunny out, but I need water to grow! It’s been ten whole days since it last rained.

“I’m dry, and I need water to grow,” I complained one day.

“Oh, you’re too dry, Sunflower? So you can’t play with us? If we touch you, you’ll crack and break into a million pieces!” said the roses meanly.

“Well, you’re not getting any water either! So I could crumple you into pieces too!” I said.

“Well, you’re just a tiny little seed, and we’re already flowers! So you can’t even talk properly!” the roses said.

“It’s no big deal, you’ll just have to wait until you grow up, Sunflower,” said one of the kind daisies.

Another daisy said, “You’re fine little sunflower. You’ll grow up soon!”

When night came, after ten days of no rain, it thunder-stormed over the garden at midnight. This woke up all the people sleeping in the house with rooms close to the garden. Since the rain woke Alexandra up, she looked out the window at her garden, and she saw the mean roses were leaning sideways from the wind. I woke up and saw the mean roses and laughed. I’m glad they’re gone. I don’t have to worry about those mean roses now!

The morning after the big thunderstorm, it was drizzling a little bit. At 10:00 AM it stopped drizzling, and I was almost full-bloomed! I had a big, green stalk, and I was three inches tall!  

“You’ve grown a lot!” the daisies said cheerfully. Alexandra came out and looked at me to see how much I’d grown.

“This sunflower is so beautiful!” Alexandra said. She went inside and went back to sleep because she was tired from being woken up at midnight by the rain.

“You should go back to sleep, because you were up all night. We saw you! You look tired,” the daisies said.

“Ok, I’ll head back to bed. I AM tired!” I said, and I went back to sleep.

***

I woke up to a lot of wind swirling around me! I am only five inches tall! I was scared that I might be pulled out of the ground. I’d never been in a tornado before! I had to see if the daisies and peppers were okay. When I looked to see where the daisies and peppers were, they weren’t in the garden! Then, I looked up and saw the daisies and peppers swirling around in the air. They landed on the ground with a THUMP. I cried when I realized that the peppers and the daisies were dead! I was so sad that I fell asleep.

***

The next morning, I woke up and saw more sunflowers and two tulips. One tulip is purple, the other is blue. Seeds must have dropped from the old sunflower, and new ones grew, and Alexandra must have planted the tulips a couple of days ago. Since they were still covered by dirt, they were protected from the tornado, but received lots of water from the thunderstorm.

“Hi! Can we be your friends?” the sunflowers said.

“Yeah, sure!” I replied.

I made friends with the other sunflowers and the tulips. Then, Alexandra came outside to water me and eat lunch. She ate cheese pizza while sitting on her white porch. Whenever Alexandra is outside, the flowers don’t talk because we don’t want her to notice.

Another day, two green caterpillars came into the garden and crawled on me.

“Hello! Would you like to be my friends?” I asked.

“No! We just want to crawl on you and explore you,” one caterpillar said.

“What do you want to explore about me?” I asked.

“We want to see if you are old or new. If you’re old, we’ll eat you! If you’re new, we won’t eat you,” they said.

Since I am now seven inches tall, when I sway from side to side, I can shake the caterpillars off. They got frustrated with me, and they went to bother the new sunflowers.

“Want to be friends with us?” the new sunflowers asked the caterpillars.

“We want to eat you! Are you new or old?” the caterpillars asked the new sunflowers.

“We’re new! So don’t eat us!” they replied. The caterpillars left and crawled onto the tulips.

“Get off us now! Or we’ll make you flop onto the ground,” the tulips said. The caterpillars finally left and went to another garden.

***

Later that day, I heard something buzzing, and I knew it was a beetle! A beetle came to me and said, “I’m gonna eat your leaves!”

“Well, I’m old, and I don’t wanna lose my leaves!” I said to the beetle.

“Ok, I’ll go to the other sunflowers then,” the beetle said.

“Oh no! A beetle is coming to eat us,” the new sunflowers shouted.

The beetle ate the leaves from the new sunflowers. The new sunflowers bent and died.

Poor new sunflowers.

Now, for the tulips. One tulip was sleeping, so the other one woke him up right before the beetle came.

The beetle said, “Hey tulips, I am going to nibble on your stem.”

The tulips said, “No, do not nibble on us,” but the beetle had already started nibbling the tulips’ stems.

The tulips started to tilt sideways because of the beetle. Suddenly, two ladybugs came flying into the garden and went to help the new tulips.

“Beetle, stop nibbling on our stems,” whined the tulips.

One ladybug piped in and said, “Yeah, stop nibbling on their stems because they are new, and they don’t want to be ruined really soon.”

“I’m not going to listen to you because you aren’t the boss of me,” said the beetle.

“Okay,” said the ladybugs. Then, they flew on top of the beetle and ate him!

“Thank you so much, ladybugs! You are really helpful,” said the tulips. The tulips also said, “You can come back here and visit us whenever you want.”

Then, the ladybugs flew away back to where they came from.

Then, some ants came. I said, “Hi ants! What are you doing here?

They said, “Hi, just exploring this place.”

“Can you go to a different garden?” I asked. Then, the ants left, and that was the end of that.

A couple years later, I died. It was so sad.

Before I died, Alexandra liked to look at me. She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

Linsay the Dragon’s Adventures in Fairyland, Part 1: The Only Dragon Left in the World

A long time ago, before your great-great-great-great-great-grandparents were born, there were millions and millions of dragons on our planet.

Some liked humans; some did not.

Sadly, a young boy hated dragons, even more than witches did, and everybody in Fairytale Land knows how much witches hate dragons. They would boil dragon bones and use parts of them for their horrid spells. And sadly again, there were many witches. You know, like the one in Hansel and Gretel, the one in Snow White, and the one in Rapunzel?

This young boy’s name was Elliot. He would catch dragons with his special dragon net. He would press a button, a huge net would appear, and he wouldn’t have to worry about anything because the net had a special sensor to sense dragons and throw itself. And he would cut the dragons into pieces and put them in the fireplace. Usually, dragons are immortal, but this young boy used a special potion to make them only have one life. That is why dragons would have rather had their bones boiled than visited this horrid boy.

Elliot hated dragons because his siblings told him that dragons always hated humans. The siblings thought that dragons always breathed fire. That is because the siblings did not know any better than to not capture dragons. They wanted revenge because a dragon killed their mother. They didn’t know that the dragon had had a sore throat, and when he had coughed, he had breathed fire, and this fire had accidentally knocked over a tree, which had hit and killed their mother. The dragon had tried to explain it was a mistake, but the poor dragon had already been put in the fireplace.

So, the sublings vowed to kill every single dragon in Fairytale Land. They got very close to succeeding, but they didn’t know that a mother dragon had just given birth to her first child. She’d named the little dragon Linsay. When she heard about the dragon kidnappers, and when she knew that she was close to her death, she put little Linsay in a basket and sent her down the river, hoping that somebody kind enough to take care of her would find her.

***

Many years later, when Linsay was about twelve years old, she suddenly realized that there were other dragons than her!

When she was a little baby, the basket had bumped into a tree. It sent little Linsay flying over to a forest. Luckily, a kind squirrel had found her. Her name was Taylor. She had always wanted to have a child, but she never had. Luckily again, she loved to take care of dragons. In fact, she was a nurse for dragons! So she took little Linsay to her tree and made a small shelter for her next to it.

Little Linsay had realized all those years that her friends and people she lived with were squirrels and deer and birds. But she had never seen a single dragon. When she asked Taylor about this, Taylor said, “Have you ever heard of the dragon killers?” Linsay said no. Taylor told her about the story of how Elliot’s mom got killed.

Linsay secretly felt a teeny bit sorry for Elliot’s family, but she didn’t think that every dragon deserved to be killed just because of one dragon.

Linsay asked, “Who’s my mom and dad?”

Taylor said, “I don’t know. I found you alone. It looked like you had just fallen. However, there was a note on you. I think you belonged to Lillian and Lucas. The note said, ‘Please take care of my Linsay. I believe she is the only dragon left on earth. Please make sure that she doesn’t get killed. Best regards, Lucas and Lillian.’”

Linsay had always wanted to meet her real parents. Even though Taylor said she was her mom, Linsay had never believed her about that, because she was green and red, and Taylor was brown and white.

So Taylor finally told her that she adopted her. She told her this when Linsay was five.

But unfortunately, that very same day, when Linsay was twelve, Taylor went to get food. An old, cranky deer heard about the squirrel adopting the last dragon. This deer, whose name was Derek, worked for Elliot. So, as you may have guessed, he went to Elliot immediately and told him that Taylor had adopted the last dragon. And he also shared the detail that Taylor was alone looking for food.

Elliot asked people in the forest where to find Taylor. He found Taylor collecting some leaves and nuts.

He asked Taylor furiously, “Where is the last dragon?”

Taylor knew immediately by the tone of his voice that he was Elliot. So she refused to tell. So Elliot locked her up in a cage, and kept asking the same question over and over. But every time, Taylor refused to tell him where Linsay was. Some forest animals were eavesdropping on this conversation. They wanted to help Taylor. Knowing Elliot’s character about asking people for help, they decided to trick him.

So when Elliot asked where Linsay was, they said, “Oh, she’s across the mountains. Make three lefts, eighteen rights, and the nearest tree on the left. You’ll find her there.” Elliot thanked the animals and went.

Again, knowing Elliot’s character, they knew that Elliot would soon find out it was a trick. So they went to Linsay’s tree and told Linsay to go somewhere else. The animals explained to Linsay that Elliot had captured Taylor. Linsay was very upset, and she asked, “Is she going to be alright?”

The animals did not want to say this, but they said, “We are not really sure. Elliot can be very harsh sometimes.” Now Linsay started to cry. The animals tried to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Elliot was still bothering Taylor with the same exact question. Every time, again, she refused. Elliot then had an idea. He decided to threaten her.

He said, “If you don’t tell me where she is, I will treat you with the same respect as I do with a dragon.”

Taylor still didn’t want to say anything. Every time she was tempted to tell Elliot, she remembered the note that was on Linsay when she first saw her. She kept remembering the line, “Don’t let her die.” She kept repeating that in her mind. So Elliot decided to throw Taylor in the fireplace.

And, in case if you don’t know, in Fairytale Land, people can communicate with each other by only using their minds. This includes animals, humans, and other fantasy creatures. So Taylor sent a mind message to one of her friends, who was a Blue Jay named Beatrice. First, Taylor asked Beatrice if Linsay was doing fine. Beatrice told her that they had everything under control. Taylor was relieved. And then, she asked if they could send help. She explained the whole conversation to Beatrice and said that she was going to be thrown in the fireplace. So Beatrice promised that they would send deer for help.

Soon, help arrived. They also had foxes with them because they knew that foxes were clever. The foxes helped them with a plan. They said that some deer could distract Elliot, and try to make a lousy attempt to get Taylor back. Then, deer behind Elliot would snatch Taylor and let her free while Elliot was distracted. So, they started this into action.

So the deer went to Elliot and said, “Oh, Taylor! There you are! We’ve been looking for you! Don’t worry, we’ll save you!” As according to plan, Elliot immediately thought that they were going to rescue her right there and then.

So, he put down Taylor’s cage and put both hands up in the air, yelling, “Oh no you don’t! She’s going to be right here with me. See?” But the deer had taken the opportunity to take Taylor, and then, as Elliot turned to look, he realized he had been tricked! Elliot was about to go after them, but they had already gone out of sight.

Elliot was very, very angry. He called for his siblings to bring heavy axes. The siblings agreed. They tried to track the animals down, but the clever foxes, knowing Elliot’s character, dropped a special trail which made it impossible to find them. Elliot was now steaming.

He yelled furiously, “I promise I’ll find you! I promise, I promise, I promise!”

But they were already out of earshot. Elliot was so angry that he threw everything he picked up, including his axe. His siblings had to duck in order to not have their heads chopped off. And, unluckily for the animals, he had picked up some and thrown them high in the air (and sadly, they were not birds). So some of the animals ended up getting sprained ankles and broken bones.

Meanwhile, Linsay was hiding in a den that belonged to a mole.

Linsay the dragon’s adventure in Fairytale Land Part 2:

The ONLY Dragon Left in the WORLD

In the mole’s den, Linsay asked her friends to help her think of a plan. They said, “How about you go on a quest to find them?”

Linsay thought that was a good idea. She asked a few deer, a couple of birds, and some of Taylor’s friends to come with her. The moles warned her to be careful of magical creatures and mischievous ones, too. They told her about the path of evil. They said that once she found it, and if she missed Elliot’s house, then she would never be able to find it again. They told her that the trail was bright, sparkling red.

Linsay started off on her journey. She took a map from the mole’s den to find her way through the fairytale forest. First, to get to Elliot’s house, they had to make five lefts, ten rights, fifteen straights, and pass the tenth tree on the left. After that, they finally encountered a strange creature. It spoke very weirdly.

“H-h-h-ello.”

Linsay asked, “Why do you speak like that?”

“I-I-It’s how I talk sometimes.”

Linsay asked again, “Why do you speak like that? Do you have some speaking problems or something?” Linsay did not mean to be rude. She was just curious. This time, the strange creature didn’t answer.

He had a head that looked like Pacman’s face, his body was like a lion on two legs, and he had paws like a lion’s on his feet, and his hands were like a human’s, but he actually seemed very cute. He had an outfit that was pink and frilly, and on his hind paws, there were torn ballet slippers, and his paws were showing.

Noticing that Linsay and her friends were staring at the strange creature, the strange creature said, “Why are you all looking at me like that? In case you’re wondering, my granny made me put this pink, frilly dress on. She thinks I’m destined for ballet! So she sent me out here to practice.”

Linsay began to giggle a little.

“Don’t you giggle at me! Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to giggle at strangers?” The strange creature’s voice was very high-pitched, as if it were an animal chirping its highest notes.

He said, “My name is Jiggleton the 58th. Yes that’s right, all my family members before me were named Jiggleton. Now, don’t laugh at me!”

Linsay said, “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

But secretly, Linsay thought he was very funny, odd-looking, hilarious, and everything else that would make you see him like a clown. Linsay bit her lips and cheeks to stop her from laughing again. She did not need any more trouble. Linsay thought that maybe the strange creature would help her.

So she asked him, “Have you ever heard of the trail of evil? We are looking for it right now.”

Jiggleton said, “Why do you want to look for such an evil path? My granny has told me about it, but remember, you always have to be aware of your surroundings. At least, that’s what Granny says.”

Linsay, again, had to stop herself from laughing.

“Okay, come on. If you promise to help me take off these itchy, frilly, pink ballerina clothes, and these tight slippers, I’ll help you.”

So Linsay and her friends took off the ballerina outfit, and the birds, using their beaks, cut the ribbon that was attached to the slipper to make it stay on Jiggleton’s foot.

Jiggleton said, “Come on now, do you ever hurry?”

Linsay replied, “If we hurry, we might not see the trail and we might not ever see it again! Once you find it, you will never find it again!!!”

“Oh! Granny never told me about that! How terrible!” So all of them went looking for the trail.

***

Meanwhile, at Elliot’s house, he and his siblings were catching more dragons. ”Ha ha ha!” they cackled.

The eldest was Tim, who was evil and actually the person who suggested capturing the dragon in the first place. He was very tall and skinny. He had many warts and bruises, and he was bald. His teeth were very crooked, and he had a single gold tooth.

The second, William, was very short and was the kindest of all the siblings. Sometimes, he even spared a few dragons, only to be caught by siblings again. He was fat and had a funny smile. He always grinned when he heard something funny.

The third one, Raymie, was actually very pretty. But she was very cruel and evil. She had encouraged Elliot to help them capture dragons.

The fourth was Elliot. In case you don’t know, Elliot’s face was shaped like a hexagon. He also had many warts, just like Tim.

The fifth was Carrie. She also had crooked teeth, and her face was as round as a circle. She loved to play tricks on her older brothers, especially Elliot.

The last one was tiny, little Tina. She couldn’t do too much (except throw rocks at Elliot’s face).

Back to Linsay and Jiggleton: they were looking for the path of evil. As they were looking, animals that passed by were muttering, “Who’s that strange creature?” Jiggleton was so happy to be out of that tutu.

He was prancing and skipping, and he urged them, “Come on, come on! Let’s not waste any time!” Poor Linsay and her friends had to run so fast to keep up with even Jiggleton walking.

Linsay asked, huffing and puffing, “How many more steps until we reach the path?”

“Oh, here we are. Oh no, no, that’s not it. That’s purple. Silly me,” Jiggleton said to Linsay. Linsay groaned.

“When are we going to be there?”

“Be patient… um… um… what are you?”

“Have you ever heard of a dragon?” said Linsay.

“No, actually I haven’t. I’ve seen so many squirrels and crocodiles and deer and birds, but I’ve never seen a dragon.” Linsay thought to herself, Oh right, I’m the only dragon left. So she told the story of Elliot and his siblings to Jiggleton.

Jiggleton replied, “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! That sounds horrid. We must put an end to this horrid beast, once and for all! And his siblings.” Linsay was very unsure about this.

“If I tried to stop him, he’d turn me into dragon toast! I don’t want to have butter on me. Nor do I want to have an evil boy kill me!” Linsay said.

To which Jiggleton replied, “Oh, my. Don’t you know the interest in trying?” Now Linsay was getting kind of angry.

“Then, why don’t you try ballet? Why don’t you try to do what Granny says to?” Jiggleton did not respond. He looked down for a minute, and then he said nothing.

***

Back at Elliot’s place, they were preparing a scheme in case, for some reason, Linsay appeared. He made his siblings stand guarding the area, and they made sure that no dragons got out of their cage. They wanted to have a lure for Linsay, which is why they didn’t kill from the past week’s hunt.

Meanwhile, a young bird (a robin, it was) was eavesdropping on this conversation. As you know, animals can communicate with their minds in this world. This robin knew that one of her friends was with Linsay, so she mind talked to her, saying what Elliot had said. The robin’s friend told Linsay everything. They valued this information. And they were mind talking for this. In case if you don’t know, in animal world, they can also read minds. Linsay was trying to get a signal from Jiggleton’s mind, but couldn’t get too much.

Back at Elliot’s house, his siblings were preparing a trap for Linsay and her friends. They decided to make a deep pit and put a cover over it.

Tim said, “When she comes, she will immediately try to find the dragons we captured. So if we let the dragons come right on top of the pit, she will immediately go to them.”

“How do you know that she even wants to rescue the dragons?” Elliot asked, who had caught the most dragons and knew their character.

“Because I do!” Tim snarled. ”Do you think that Linsay would want to go swooping up and grabbing the dragons and being the heroic hero she is? I think that that would be right, eh?”

Elliot was so scared by Tim’s snarling that he decided to keep quiet and agree with him.

***

Meanwhile, Jiggleton seemed to have forgotten all about their little argument and was happy and skipping again.

“Lalalalala,” Jiggleton sang.

“Jiggleton,” hissed Linsay. “Don’t sing so loud. You might wake the other animals up.”

“Huh?” Jiggleton yelled so loud that everyone had to cover their ears.

Some animals fell from trees, woke up, and started chasing them.

“See? I told you so!” said Linsay, “I’ve been living in the forest my whole life!”

“Oopsie daisy,” said Jiggleton, as he dodged a swooping peregrine falcon who had just woken up from its afternoon nap.

Linsay groaned. This person needed to get used to the forest, and learn better than to wake up baby chicks. Finally, as they ran, they found the rainbow trail. By that time, the animals had given up chasing them, so they were alone. In case you don’t know, the rainbow trail has all the color trails. For example, there’s an orange trail, and a green trail, and a blue fairy trail. So there had to be the evil trail. They kept their eyes wide open for a sparkling, big, red trail.

At last, Jiggleton whispered, “I found it.”

Linsay was delighted. She was about to squeal, but she remembered that there were other animals sleeping.

So instead, she whispered, “That’s awesome! Let’s go! What are we waiting for?”

So they sprinted towards the path.

The path was very wide. Extremely wide. As long as about three football fields. It wasn’t even a path! It was more like a big area, sort of. Indeed, there was a beautiful, red, glittery, sparkling path in the big area. It was more glittery than the rest. Linsay had learned from the moles that everybody in the wicked world had a different letter for their name, and it would spell that letter on its path to lead them to that person. There was an “S” and there was a “T” and there was a “W” and a “V” and there was an “A” and finally they found an “E,” for Elliot. So they took that path. The mole had told them that they could never find the same letter path. If they went down the “E” path, they would never find it again and someone else would, but they might find the “W” path, and then they would never see the “W” path again.

So they went toward the “E” path, being brave, being able to not see it again. If you were behind Linsay watching over, you would have seen them sprint with Jiggleton on their heels. DUN DUN DUUUN…

Linsay the dragon’s adventure in Fairytale Land Part 3:

The ONLY Dragon Left in the WORLD

So, as you know, the others had just sprinted to the path. They noticed that there were compasses everywhere, and maps, and spy cameras. And there were machines that were saying things like, “Three feet away,” and, “Eighty-five feet away.” As they got closer and closer and closer, the number decreased.

Finally, it said, “You are here, you are here, you are here,” in a robotic voice. And they indeed found Elliot’s house. All that time, when Linsay and her friends were trying to find the path, Elliot had a teeny surprise waiting for them.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my dear old friend, the last dragon.”

“Um, excuse me, the name is Linsay,” Linsay said.

“Ah, yes, yes, yes. The little Linsay is finally here. We have a little present for you, my dear.”

“Actually, I’m a dragon,” Linsay said. “You said so yourself.”

“I didn’t mean that ‘deer,’” Elliot snapped, “Now, come on. I’ll show you your present.”

Elliot led her to a big, big, humongous room. Linsay was shocked (well, actually, not too shocked) to see dragons hanging from humongous nets, as if they were cocoons, from the ceiling. The dragons were all caught up and tangled in each other’s tails and bodies. Linsay did not know this, but her parents were there in those nets.

A deer who was accompanying Linsay said, “Linsay, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Linsay?” said one dragon, surprised. “Your name’s not Linsay, is it?”

“Actually, yes ma’am, it is,” Linsay replied.

Lillian turned to Lucas, which was a bit tricky since they were cramped together. Linsay had stopped to listen to this curious conversation.

Lucas said, “I think this might be her.”

Lillian said, “Who do you belong to? Is it Taylor? It can’t possibly be Taylor, is it?”

“If you’re talking about Taylor the squirrel, yes ma’am,” replied Linsay in a very positive and proud tone.

Lillian’s mouth was wide open ever since she had heard the name of her child.

“Wait a minute,” Linsay said curiously and mysteriously. “What are your names again? I didn’t quite hear that.”

Lillian squeaked in a very soft voice, “Lillian and Lucas.”

“Are you my mom and dad?” said Linsay, cocking her head like a cuckoo bird, as if she were trying to remember if she had ever seen those faces before.

They did look like her, but again, didn’t every dragon look like her? But there was something special about their scales. Everyone in fairytale land knows that dragons have different colored scales down their backs. Lillian’s and Lucas’ were red just like Linsay’s, while others were green, and orange, and all those others. Every dragon was green, though.

Lillian answered Linsay’s question, saying, “I believe so. We do have red scales down our backs.”

Linsay was very happy, and she flew up, trying to hug her parents, but it was a bit tricky since they were in that net.

“Don’t worry,” Linsay whispered. “I’ll get you out. I promise.”

Lillian and Lucas’ eyes were wide with concern. They didn’t want to lose Linsay again, but they wanted her to be careful. Finally, Linsay gently stepped into the trap and fell.

“Hahahaha,” Tim cackled. “I knew you would fall for it.”

But Linsay grinned happily. “Oh, but you forgot I have wings.”

Elliot gently kicked his brother in the shin.

“I told you we should have added something!” he exclaimed. “I thought that just a simple pit wasn’t enough. I knew she was going to bring friends. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!”

“Ughhh,” Tim groaned. His face was big and fiery and purple as he watched Linsay hovering mid-air in front of his face.

“Oh, and you also forgot that I have fire,” she sing-songed.

“Mmmmmmmm…” Every sibling’s face was probably the angriest color it could get as they glared at Tim.

“Hehehehe,” said Tim, trying to calm them down. “Hey, we can always try again… hehehe?” But they were too angry to respond.

The other animals took this opportunity to use their beaks and hooves to cut off the nets and set the dragons free. First, a bird cut a net that was holding Lillian and Lucas. They flew free and hugged Linsay as hard as they could. If you were cramped in the middle of that hug, you would have had a heart attack, but luckily, dragons have a much stronger body than humans do, so the hug didn’t bother them one bit. Finally, Linsay breathed a big, big, big, big fireball with some other dragons helping her, and it was heading straight toward Elliot and his siblings. Unfortunately, all of them were burnt to a crisp.

Linsay yelled, “That’s a taste of your own medicine! Enjoy!”

Before they were burned, everyone was still glaring at Tim, and Tim looked really helpless, actually, but they had no time to examine because they were already burnt.

“I wish your mama had taught you to not burn innocent dragons, and you’re gonna learn your lesson, and I guess you did. I’m looking at your records right now, and you have killed 8,555 dragons, which is basically three quarters of the entire population. Luckily, one quarter of the population is right here. And since they have babies, it’s about half. So haha to you,” Linsay hollered again.

So everyone went back to their dragon homes, and, as you may have guessed, they all lived happily ever after.

 

Knight of the Chalice

Once upon a time, in the land of Jesteria, a wise king ruled over his country with his daughter, a vain princess. He needed to find a suitable husband for her, but no one dared come near her for her vain nature. Then, one fateful day, the princess fell ill. The king was very sad, but he knew about a way to cure her disease by getting the legendary gold chalice and having her drink from it. So the king set up a contest: whoever could bring the chalice to him could marry his daughter and get a share of the kingdom. However, if you returned empty-handed, you would die.

Many hopeful princes and knights attempted the long journey to the chalice, but all failed and were beheaded. The king had all but given up hope. He was sitting upon his throne, his head in his hands, when suddenly, a man clad in iron armor ran up to the throne and bowed.                                                  

“I am a knight come from the Kingdom of the West, here to attempt to get the golden chalice and your daughter’s hand.”      

“Very well, but you must bring me the chalice by sundown, for that is when my daughter will die.”                                           

So the knight set out on his quest to get the chalice. After traveling for many miles, the knight came upon a large gate. An old woman sat in front of the gate.

“Will you lend me some food, young man?” asked she.                  

“Why, yes, old woman, I shall share my bread with you,” said the knight.

As he did, the gate opened.                                 

After eating the bread, the knight passed through the gate. Many miles later, he came to a river. The river was flowing at an alarming speed. The knight knew he couldn’t get around it, judging from its length, so he doffed his armor and waded across the raging river. There were many moments when the knight thought he wouldn’t make it.

But then, after crossing the river, the knight came face to face with a demon knight. The demon drew his sword and swung at the hopeful knight. He dodged and kicked the demon, knocking him out. The knight then saw, in all its bejeweled majesty, the golden chalice. The wine that poured from the sacred cup could cure any illness.

With the chalice, the knight ran all the way back to the king’s castle, ten minutes before sundown.

The princess drank from the cup and got better, then said, “Is this my new husband? He is a ragged peasant! I shan’t marry him!”  

The knight was so overcome with anger, that he threw the princess from the castle, her bones shattering on the ground below. The knight then took his share of the kingdom, for a promise is a promise. Even if the knight killed the princess, the king still needed to give him some of the kingdom.  And the knight had many more adventures, but those are stories for another day.

                                                     

Rainbow’s Adventure

Chapter 1: Home

Rainbow is a scarlet macaw. He lives in Jungle Island, Florida. A lot of tourists come through it.There’s a bridge where cars can go from the mainland to the island.

On his left claw, two of his nails have come off. He is rainbow colored and has a really pointy beak.

He lives by himself on a stick. He just sits there all day. He interacts with a lot of humans who visit.

Rainbow wants to go back to the real Amazon jungle, but he can’t fly because the keepers of Jungle Island cut his wings so he can’t fly where he wants to. So, he calls his friend who lives in the jungle using his bird telepathy, to come over and pick him up. He wants his friend to come with his other macaw friends and carry him to the Amazon.

His friend responds, “I’m coming with  my friends.”

“There’s a gorilla show right next door to me,” Rainbow says.

They wait for the night to come, and then they fly over from the Amazon to Jungle Island and pick up Rainbow. The zookeepers see that Rainbow is missing on the security cameras.

The zookeepers put the alarms on, and Rainbow gets so scared he says to his friends, “You guys, bring me back to my branch! I have to get back. Or else I’ll be in big trouble.”

They said they would bring him back because they didn’t want him to get in trouble. Once he’s back on his branch, Rainbow pretends to be asleep. The zookeepers come out from where they were hiding and one says, “What’s going on around here?” It is a man with a mustache, brown eyes, and brown hair.

Rainbow pretends to wake up from his pretend sleep and says, “Looking for someone, fellas?” (Rainbow speaks English).

Then they say, “You, young boy, are in big trouble. What were you doing a few minutes ago?”
“I was just sleeping, but then you guys woke me up. You guys are so mean.”

They say, “No we’re not, you’re the mean one. You’re lying to us.” Then, they get into a big, humongous fight. Rainbow starts pecking them with his beak. Both of them say, “Ow ow ow ow ow!” and they faint because of the pain.

Rainbow says, “Come on boys, bring me up! Let’s go to the Amazon and go have fun.”

Then a girl zookeeper says, “Not so fast, little bird. First, you’re coming with me.”

Rainbow says, “Uh oh, you see what I mean?” His friends pretend to be statues while he talks to the zookeepers.

The girl zookeeper suddenly feels sick, but she doesn’t want to get Rainbow sick, so she goes to the bathroom. Another zookeeper walks up to Rainbow and she says, “Little bird, I need to have a talk with you.”

Rainbow starts crying and says, “All I want is to be in the Amazon and be free. Why’d you guys cut my wings so I can’t fly?”

“Rainbow, you can be in the Amazon if you want. But we thought this would be a safer place for you because the Amazon is getting destroyed right now.”

“Oh no!” Rainbow says. “I have to save my friends!”

The nice zookeeper gives Rainbow prosthetic wings so he can fly. She always has an extra pair in the first aid kit, just in case.

Rainbow says, “Thank you so much,” to the zookeeper.

“My pleasure, Rainbow. But please, try and help the Amazon rainforest.”

Rainbow says, “Of course. Why would I want to not protect my home? I love my home.”

The zookeeper says, “Of course you do. Now go out there and give them all you got.”

He says, “I got it,” and he leaves. He tells his friends, “Guys, we have to save the rainforest! It’s being destroyed, and the whole Amazon might be dead by the time we get there. Come on, we have to doubletime.”

They go as fast as they can, and they make it. They call every single macaw, bird, and animal they can find in the rainforest, and they go to the heart of the Amazon, where people are starting to cut down trees. They approach the people who want the wood from the Amazon trees and say, “What are you guys doing? This is our jungle, not your little playhouse that you don’t want anymore.”

Then, the people say, “Well if you want your rainforest, you’re gonna need to get it from us.”
Every single bird in the forest says, “We’re gonna get our rainforest back.” All of the animals start approaching the men, and the men start freaking out.

They finally say, “Okay, you guys can have the rainforest.”

They have a huge celebration in the rainforest. They actually make use of the heart of the rainforest. They make it into a party center. And, they live happily ever after.

 

Chapter 2: Getting a Job

Since Rainbow had so much fun in the party center, he wants to start working there. He thinks, Hey, since no one is working there, I could be the boss and the DJ. He figures he could charge one nut for one hour of partying. He finds a big leaf, some mud, and a stick to draw with. He starts planning for the center – how to make it a fun place where animals would really want to go. But how can I make all of this stuff out of nature? We need somebody to build it, thinks Rainbow.

Rainbow flies back to the city with the leaf he drew his plans on and he goes back to Jungle Island. He asks one of the zookeepers if they could make that happen and he says, “No.” The zookeepers don’t try to get him back, because they’re happy that he saved the Amazon. As a reward, they’re letting him live in the jungle.

He flies back to the Amazon, calls his friends, and says, “Guys, we have to build this in a couple of days, okay? And just out of nature.” Then he adds, “It’s literally impossible!”

“No it’s not. We can still try! It never hurts to try,” his friends say.

Rainbow groans, “Okay, you win.”

One of Rainbow’s friends is a white macaw. Rainbow has two more friends. One friend is a blue macaw and the other one is a scarlet macaw. The blue macaw is named Blue, the white macaw is named Snow, and the scarlet macaw is named Silk.

Rainbow and his friends start building the party center. Rainbow brought supplies for everything, and then, he and his friends start building.

Once they are done, Silk says, “Look at our progress!”

A few hours later, there is an earthquake. Everything that Rainbow and his friends built is destroyed. Then, all of his friends went back to the heart of the rainforest and say, “Uh-oh…”

“What happened here?” says Silk.

“Where’s our party center?” says Snow.

“Who did this?” asks Blue.

“The earthquake did,” says Rainbow in a mad tone.

“We have to fix this!” says Snow.

“But how?” Rainbow says.

Silk says, “Rainbow, get the supplies that you got before. We can build this thing again.”

“Okay…” groans Rainbow.

Rainbow flies out to get the supplies.

“We’ll help,” says Snow.

“Thanks, guys.” Rainbow says.

“Come on,” says Blue. “Let’s get those supplies and build another party center for fun!”

Then, other animals, like the lions and snakes and tigers, the other birds, crocodiles, frogs, and everybody else comes to that part of the rainforest, and says, “What has happened here? It was so nice before!”

“The earthquake happened,” says Rainbow, flying in with the supplies. “Would you guys please move so we can rebuild this place?”

Everybody else says, “No. We’re gonna help you.”

“Thank you so much,” Rainbow and his friends say to the other animals. Rainbow shows everyone the leaf that he wrote on for the plan. Then everybody says, “Whoooooooa.”

“Oh, cool,” says a baby lion. “Look, mama,” but his mom doesn’t not come.

Then Rainbow says, “We’ll take care of you until your mom comes, which will probably be very soon. It won’t take long.”

“I’ll start looking for your mom, okay?” says Snow.

“Okay,” the cub says. “Thank you, Rainbow.”

“Are you gonna help us build?” says Rainbow.

The cub says, “Yes, please!”

“Come on,” Silk says, “We have to start building or else we won’t open on time.”

“Okay, Silk,” the cub says.

Then they start building.

“This is fun!” the cub says. “I can’t wait to tell my mom about this!”

“One problem with that,” Snow says, coming back.

“What’s the problem?” asks the cub.

“It turns out your mom was captured by humans.”

“What?” the cub says with a confused face.

“It looks like we’ll be your new parents,” Rainbow says.

But the cub doesn’t respond. The cub is crying in Rainbow’s wings.

“It’s okay,” Rainbow says. Then, Rainbow whispers to his friends, “You guys continue working. I’ll stay here.”

“What’s your name, little cub?” Rainbow asks.

“Charlie,” the cub says.

“Come on, Charlie, let’s get some popsicles.”

“No, I want to look for my mama!”

“Okay, we can look for your mom,” Rainbow says.

Charlie snaps, “Thank you.”

“Here, let me give you a ride,” Rainbow says, spreading his wings wide. “I will take you to where Snow saw your mother.”

“Here we go!” Rainbow starts to go up.

“Weeeeeeee!” Charlie says.

“Right here,” Rainbow says. He goes down to where Charlie’s mother was. When they get down on the ground, Charlie sees his mom locked up in a cage with poison ivy around her so that the other animals can’t touch her.

“Charlie!” his mother calls.

“Mama!” Charlie calls.

Charlie runs up to his mom.

“Not too close!” says Rainbow. “You don’t want to get poison ivy on you!”

Charlie’s mom says, “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

“We have to get your mom out,” Rainbow says.

“But how?” Charlie and his mom say.

“This is how.” The hunters come out from hiding in a cherry bush. “You two are gonna stay in the same cage and be stuffed and put in the American Museum of Natural History.”

Rainbow starts beating up all the hunters. He uses his beak to peck at them and scratches them with his claws. Then, Charlie starts getting up closer to his mom. Charlie doesn’t care about the poison ivy. He wants his mom back.

“Ouch!” Charlie says. “The poison ivy stung me, Rainbow!” But Rainbow doesn’t answer. He is busy beating up the hunters with his claws, his beak, everything he has. He pokes them with a super-sharp stick he made. Then, the hunters faint from pain.

“Charlie, let me take the poison ivy off while you go get the key from the hunters’ pants.”

“Gotcha,” Charlie says.

“Three… two… one… go!” Rainbow says. Rainbow takes off the poison ivy while Charlie goes to get the key. Then, Rainbow unlocks the cage with the key so that Charlie’s mom can go to Charlie, and Charlie can go to his mom.

“Goodbye,” Rainbow says. “I’m going to go back to the party center.”

At the center, the animals can bowl, play games, chat with friends and have birthday parties. They use oranges and bamboo sticks for bowling. There is a kid’s section where they can play tag, bowl, and play games, just like everything that they have for adults.

Rainbow looks at his claws, and he has big spots on them. He can’t feel the poison ivy, because his claws are rough. It is nighttime, so Rainbow goes to his house and starts to sleep in his bed.

The next morning, he wakes up early to get to his job. When he is getting ready, he sees that his poison ivy is gone. Then, Rainbow decides to put up fliers for animals to work at the party center. He decides to name the party center, “The Heart of the Amazon.” Then, he takes a picture of the Amazon and puts it on the fliers.

 

Chapter 3: Getting to Business

When Rainbow gets to work, all the other animals who want to work start coming. They ask Rainbow if they can work. Rainbow says, “Yeah, of course.”

There are frogs, snakes, tigers, lions and birds. The frog is the greeter. The lion is in charge of the bowling. The tiger is in charge of the kids section. The snake is behind the register. The birds are the cops to check if anything is going wrong.

Rainbow gives everybody a membership and a nametag. The animals get paid with nuts. At seven o’clock, the center opens. Rainbow asks everyone to get in position.

Everyone says, “Yes, Rainbow!”

Then Rainbow screams, “We’re OPEN!!!”

No one comes in for thirty minutes.

The snake says, “Where is everybody? We’re still empty.”

The lion says, “This is a real big emergency! There’s nobody here!”

Then, everybody else screams, “WE know!!”

The tiger says, “How come nobody’s here?”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow says.  “Maybe because we didn’t hang the fliers, so nobody knows about it. You guys, I’ll have my friends hang these fliers, and we can just wait here for customers.”

Rainbow calls all his friends and asks them, “Can you hang these fliers?”

“Of course, Rainbow!” they say.   

“I’ll help you,” Rainbow says.

“Thank you,” Rainbow’s friends say.

“Come on, let’s go,” says Rainbow.

Rainbow and his friends grab the fliers and start hanging them in the jungle. Once they are done, Rainbow and his friends wait five minutes. Customers are coming in to the party center, so they can have fun.

Charlie and his mom come, and they get a membership.

Rainbow says, “I didn’t get your name,” to the mom.

“My name’s Claire,” the mom says.

“Very nice to meet you, Claire.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Claire says.

“Charlie can go in the kid’s section, if you like.”

Then, Claire asks if Charlie wants to go in the kid’s section.

Charlie says,”Yes, please.”

Rainbow says, “Come on, Charlie, I’ll lead you there.”

Rainbow takes Charlie to the kid’s section, which is next to the grown-up’s bowling alley. Charlie walks in the kid’s center. Later, he says, “I don’t want to go home” when it is time for them to go.

“Here, you guys can have a punch card. If you come here ten times, then you can come one time for free.”

“Thank you, Rainbow!” Charlie says.

“Bye!” Rainbow says.

“Bye!” Claire says.

“Wait!” Rainbow says. “I forgot. Every time a cub leaves, I’m supposed to give them a lollipop. So Charlie, you can choose a lollipop from here.”

“I’ll have this one,” Charlie says.  “Okay,” Rainbow says, “Bye!”

 

The Blood Bone

One sunny spring day, I was in my house with my older brother, Kevin, and my mom, Tally. Kevin and I are huge Lego fans. We have a massive Lego room in our basement, and we get Lego sets every week.

I asked Mom, “Can I go in the basement to get a Lego set?”

“Sure,” she replied.

Halfway down, I heard Kevin running down the stairs with me. He grabbed a Lego set and gave me the Legos I wanted. I then saw an old book on a rusty shelf, and the title was Mouse Time, with a painted clock without any hands on the cover. I thought it would be a cool book to read, so I decided to bring that upstairs, too.

***

The Next Day…

I asked Mom,” Can I read this book?”

Mom then replied, “No, because today, you have to finish this All About Alligators book first.”

I put it on a bookshelf at the left corner. I then put on the TV and played a game called “Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2.”

“Are you playing Minecraft?” asked mom.

“No, I’m playing PvZ Garden Warfare 2,” I responded. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is about this: You can be either a plant or a zombie. If you are a plant, you fight zombies, and if you are a zombie, you fight plants.

Suddenly, in Plants vs Zombies, a robot popped up and asked, “Do you wanna play ‘Mouse Time’?” I then stopped and realized that Mouse Time was the name of that old book that Kevin read! Also, this game is about plants and zombies, not robots! I thought.

The first thing I could think of was to ask Kevin what the book was about.

He then told me, “It was a weird book about a mouse in a strange place made of blue crystals. It was basically a book filled with logic puzzles, and it is over when the mouse solves all fifty of the puzzles.”

I thought, Strange, but not that weird. Also, is that all the book’s about? A mouse surrounded by crystals with a bunch of puzzles?

***

Two Days Later…

I finished my book and decided to read Mouse Time. I read the first five pages, and it said, ”Introducing: the Mouse!” Not exciting at all, so far, I thought.

“The mouse needs… HELP!!! There are puzzles that he can’t solve by his own! That is why he needs… HELP! The mouse needs some $! Why? Because he needs a home! He needs a friend! Then… BANG!! The mouse bumps into a wall, and realizes it is a … MAZE! He then knows that he can get money when he completes the maze!”

“Very… weird.” I said.

I then went downstairs in the basement and put the Mouse Time book where I found it on the same rusty shelf. I then went upstairs and went to bed.

***

In The Morning…

I woke up, ate my breakfast and decided to play a new game on the TV, called “Space Case.” The game was released yesterday. When I started to play, I saw a 2-D screen with a sandwich. Five minutes later, the screen said, “FIGHT!!!”

I then saw a weird guy who looked like a caveman, and he suddenly ran out of the screen and hit me! He somehow grew bigger!

“AHHH! Help! There is a guy in the house!!!” I screamed. He then cut a table in half with a hatchet and got ready to smash the sofa! I dashed to Kevin and Mom.

“Guys, come!!!” I shouted.

“Okay?” said Kevin, approaching the room.

“Look! I said, pointing to the table. It was not cut in half! I then looked at the TV. The sandwich was there, and the weird caveman disappeared!

“Yeah, what?” asked Kevin.

“No! There was a guy right here!” I shouted. Why does nobody believe me? He was standing right here! Also, when he cut the table, how did he not hear the noise? It was so loud, but no one heard it!

***

The Next morning…

I went into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and started to brush my teeth. When I looked up, there was a reflection of the same guy from the game!!! I looked behind me and saw nothing. I then looked in the mirror again and still saw the weird person! I broke the glass and opened the cabinet, but the weird guy was not there!

I then found Kevin, and he was looking up. “Mom, Mom!” He shouted.

“What?” I asked. Kevin pointed up. Mom was stuck on the ceiling! One minute later, Mom came down, got a fork, and shouted,“RHAAAAAA!!!”, and she stabbed Kevin!

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” I shouted.

I then woke up and realized that since I went in the bathroom to now, that was all just a dream! However, that weird looking guy could still be strolling around…I went into the room where I saw the guy run out of the TV, and then suddenly, I saw, Mouse Time!

Kevin was right by the book and said, “I saw you put the book in the basement! It somehow came back up!” I looked at the book and saw it disintegrate into thin air! When it was all gone, nothing was left but blood. The blood was in the shape of a bone!

“Kevin, let’s get Mom!” I said.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Kevin responded. We ran to Mom, and I showed Mom the blood bone, but instead, it was a real bone! I then said, “Mom, it’s nothing. Bye! Was my mind playing tricks on me?

***

The Next Day…

I went into the basement and saw a human body’s skeleton with a missing bone! I then bolted upstairs, grabbed the blood bone that turned into a regular bone, and got Kevin. We dashed downstairs, and I took the real blood bone and looked at the skeleton with a missing bone and attached the blood bone to the skeleton! It was an exact match!

“Wow, the blood bone fits into the missing space!” said Kevin.

“Well, duh, where else could it possibly fit?” I asked.

“Umm, not now,“ said Kevin, pointing to the Mouse Time book.

I thought, What? How did the book get down here again???

***

The Next Morning…

I brushed my teeth and decided to play “Space Case” again. Five minutes later, I looked out a window, and saw eight motorcycles, bolting ahead of one another. When I looked back at the TV, the same guy I saw a few days ago jumped out of the TV!

There was not even time to think; I hurried to Kevin, and said, “COME!” Kevin came over, and I realized that the guy wasn’t there! Instead, there was a bone.

“Huh?” asked Kevin.

“I don’t know, I saw that guy again, and… there’s a bone!” I said.

“Well, I guess there is another one!” said Kevin.

***

15 minutes later…

I was playing space case, and I then waited to see if that weird cavemen guy will appear again. I waited and waited and waited for the caveman to come, but he didn’t!

***

In the Morning…

I ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, and went in the basement with the bone that appeared when I saw the cavemen a few days ago and saw Mouse Time. I then thought, This must connect somehow, but how?

I then knew exactly how to connect it! I remembered that the book had a clock on it with no hands! I put the bone on the clock, and thought, The bone could be a hand for the clock, and — I then heard a loud noise, a clock spinning forever and ever, and I saw the giant bone on the little clock spin and spin. I saw the rusty old shelf blow up… and I saw a hole, so I thought, Why not go down?

When I went down, I realized that I was in the game “Space Case,” where the weird caveman guy lived! I realized that I was growing, just like the cavemen did when he was in my house. I went left and saw that there was that “fight” sign. I thought, He appears at this sandwich, so maybe you can go through the sandwich to attack him! I tried to go through the sandwich, and one minute later, I somehow went through the sandwich!

I then saw a spruce wood door, and I opened it. Suddenly, I saw the caveman, sitting right in a chair… I saw his hatchet right by the door, so I grabbed it, ran towards him and cut the chair in half!

He then quickly got out the chair and ran behind a desk. I then found some metal bars, put them around him, got the chair that was cut in half and put it on top of the iron bars.

“Hah, you’re trapped now!” I said. He didn’t respond at all. I then put the hatchet away and exited the sandwich.

***

Back in the House…

I told Kevin, “I went in the new game and defeated that weird guy I saw! That means that Mouse Time will never go anywhere ever again!”

“Also, today we got a new Lego set!” said Kevin.

“YAAAAAAAAAAY!” I shouted.

And that was the story of me and the menacing blood bone.                   

 

 

Mitten’s Story

Hello, my name is Mittens. I once was a cat who lived in the streets, but somehow I got to live in a house with fancy and delicious cat food. It was just such a miracle for me.

There is one problem — the problem is the big Golden Retriever dog named Billy. My owner’s name is Erica – she likes Billy a lot and plays with him a lot. But why would you even want to do that? Sitting down lazily is fun enough to spend the whole day with me.

I just can’t understand Billy’s perspective of everything. Once, Billy tried to play with me, but I was so annoyed, that I puffed my claws out of my hands and feet within one second and scared Billy away. I continued to do that almost every day. Can’t that dog learn?

One day, I was lying on the couch peacefully. There were no sounds coming out from Erica’s room. It was very unusual, because mostly every day, she turns on her favorite songs very loudly. Even Billy was very quiet. I guessed he was in Erica’s room, playing with her. I was so happy and peaceful until Billy ran down and barked at me like a million times. I just tried to shoo Billy away by scowling at him, but that didn’t work. Billy barked more loudly.

I just wish Billy could speak Cat, or I could speak Dog, so I could tell him to please be quiet and go away. He is such a nightmare! He almost never sleeps! Why, oh why, did I get chosen?! Why not some other cat?   

The next day, it was much, much, much more horrible. Thanks a lot to Billy the dog. Billy made a big mess with Erica’s favorite ingredients for baking chocolate chip cookies. When Erica came down and saw that mess, she blamed me! I do not know why, but Erica and all other  humans think that the dogs are more mature than cats. First of all, who even created dogs in the first place?  

But blaming me was much more than just blaming. She kicked me out of the door into the streets. This was just so mean. Well, it was better than being stuck with Billy the whole day. At least that’s what I thought. It might not have been that friendly in the streets because of my old cat friends who still lived on the streets, and those cats envied me since I had a home with delicious cat food. I had bragged that I was just taken by Erica when I was walking on the streets. That was awkward and not what I thought it was going to be like.

I did meet them in the streets, and I tried to say hi.

They said, “Get lost.” That was mean.

Most of all, I was heartbroken. Now, I had more than one problem that I had to deal with. First, I had to find a way to get back home (Well, I can stay out here, but my wild hunting skills and ways have gone out of my head since I didn’t have to use them for a long time. I think I have lived in Erica’s house about one year… And I just got food for free for a year.) And I had to deal with the street cats. One of which I once was.

I tried to find a place to sleep. The burning sun was now slowly sinking down into the city. I found a bush that looked like something that would make a good bed for me. And it did.

I woke up the next day, surprisingly surrounded by almost all the street cats that I know of. They looked very angry. I tried to tell the leader, Shumurgleburg, that I was kicked out of my home, and I was so sorry that I bragged before. They didn’t care what I thought, though. They only tried to take revenge by scowling and coming closer, step by step.

“Now he’s saying sorry? I don’t even want to believe him now,” one of the cats whispered. “He bragged to us, and now, he doesn’t want to get attacked. Such a betrayer.”
And then, Shumurgleburg said, “Quiet down, cats. We should decide what to do with him after we talk to him and discuss what he did. We will give him the chance to be one of us again.”

After those confusing talks and whispers, they gave me food. Food!!! But after that, I fell asleep.

I didn’t know how long I was asleep, but I surely knew that it was morning. I was in cage-like trees. They were encircling me, and I couldn’t get out. I tried to scratch my way out, but that totally didn’t work. I tried to peek out to see if there were any other cats that were guarding the trees, but I couldn’t.

But I heard one of the guards saying,”It’s until he says sorry. Right?”

And I was NOT okay with that. Unless they gave me food. But I wanted to go back home and sit on the cozy and comfy couch, even though Billy was annoying.

I tried to climb up and jump my way out. I tried a few times, and about the tenth time, I managed to climb to the top, but the problem was the next step. I had to make a plan to avoid the other cats that were guarding me.

Hmm, I thought. I might jump and run as fast as I can, but I don’t think that would work. I only have one chance, so I gotta think.

I had a perfect plan. Since I was already here and met all of the cats, I knew that only one of the cats guarding had good eyesight, but all of them could hear well. So I thought of jumping off to the side where the cat with good eyesight was.

Though I tried, the cat with good eyesight warned, “Catch him! He’s escaping!”

After I heard that, I had to run for my life because, as I knew, they all had sharp and strong claws. If I didn’t run for my life, I would be dead. I ran as fast as I could. I was crying.

They caught up with me real quick. I was scared.

But right then, Shumurgleburg saw me and said to the guards, “Stop chasing him.”

And I was so surprised that he saved my life. After that, he led me to his castle that had a lot of comfy-looking bushes. He asked me to sit down, so I did.

He asked me loudly, “Can you please tell me the truth of why you came to Street Town? Please?”

“Okay. The dog that belongs to my owner made a mess of my owner’s favorite things, but my owner blamed me, and she kicked me out of her house. So that’s why I’m here.”

And so, Shumurgleburg said, “Okay, thank you for telling me. Are you hungry?”

I said, “Oh yes.”

“Okay, I will get you some food. Please wait here.”

After I ate that delicious meal, I couldn’t believe that I fell asleep again. I was in the same place as before: the tree jail. I managed to get up to the top (again.) But this time, I climbed down, even though my claws REALLY hurt. In the last part, I quietly jumped off. I puffed my claws into my hands and feet. It hurt so much. I tried to run, but I couldn’t. So I walked quietly.

I just couldn’t believe it! I walked all the way home. Now, I was in front of my home!!! I went into the new dog door.

While I was going in, Erica grabbed me and said,”Thank goodness, Mittens! I am so sorry. I missed you so much! Are you hungry? Oh my, Mittens! Your paws! Their bloody! Ohhhh, I am so sorry!” She was being dramatic.

I’m okay, I thought.

“I will take you to the vet, sooner or later. Okay?”

She hugged me. It was the best thing that happened to me. I was happy.

After that, I sat on the couch and comforted myself. Billy was quiet, and Erica stroked my head.

I fell asleep.

 

P.S.

To the people who are curious about the Street Town and the street cats: I sent a letter to Mr. Shumurgleburg saying sorry about everything I’d done to them, and they sent a letter back that said, “We forgive you.”

 

The Boy Who Discovered Life

Once, there was a boy named Peter. He was a classic seven-year-old who lived in NYC. Peter liked his life, but thought it could be better. And for that, he had a dream. A dream to find a new life not on planet Earth! He was even more determined than his favorite football player, Eli Manning, was when he wanted to win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. There was only one problem. Where would he get a vehicle to take him far enough to discover a new life form?

One day, his parents asked him where he would want to go for vacation, since school was over, and it was a great time to go to a museum or something that would be less warm.

Peter told his parents, “I want to go see NASA.” He did this so he could find how rockets were made.

His parents said yes because it was a great idea and something they had never done. It was air-conditioned and had a good amount of tourist attraction. So one day, they set off by renting a car and drove all the way to the base of NASA.

After they had parked, they walked to the nearest hotel and bought a room for a week and a half. Then, they went back to NASA, and they bought a ticket for a tour of what Peter wanted: the making of a rocket.

“It’s good,” said his parents, “because it’s on display and very creative.”

After they got there, a tour guide took them to one rocket with about twenty other people. It was a model of the rocket that took off to the moon that landed Neil Armstrong. The NASA building, from the outside, looked like a big, white dome with a helicopter landing on it. Inside, though, when you went in, you would think it was a tunnel for big worms.  Nobody was scared, because they had a tour guide with them. But if you went one way or any of the others, you would find a room bigger than your apartment. Each room had a different section, but they were all related to discovering more about space in new ways.

One room showed how to launch a rocket. One room had instructions on how to build a rocket. In the room where Peter was, it was like two modern apartment buildings, and if you cut the apartment buildings in half, in one of them, you would find the rocket. The room smelled of gasoline, but otherwise was regular. If you looked in the other half, you would see a lot of big labels on all the parts of the rocket. The tour guide lead them towards the rocket. He took a key, different from all others, that looked like a big “N.” He turned a notch in what looked like the middle of the bottom part of the rocket. Somehow, a little hatch opened, and he told the visitors to come inside. He showed them the different parts, like the airbag compartments and the fuel holders. When they came out, he showed them the other side, where there were the big labels. He asked the visitors if they thought they could label all the parts of the rocket. No one could, except for Peter. When Peter went, he somehow named all of the labels in the right spots. When he did that, he thought he had a special connection with that rocket. He felt so weird that he couldn’t hear the tour guide congratulating him. After he had known, he had thanked the tour guide. It was so fun that they didn’t know that the day was over. So when they came back out, it was exceptionally dark. All they did was go to their hotel and brush their teeth and go to sleep.

The next morning when they woke up, they went right back to the NASA building. They asked for another ticket to another room where they would see how NASA launched rockets. When they were finished, they were amazed at how much work and money it took to launch just one rocket. They came back out to get a snack. They went to the Official NASA Snack Bar. In the Snack Bar, Peter bought a hot dog and gulped it down, and they went back to their hotel room to take a break.

While they were going back, Peter used some of his allowance to buy a little space kit with a rocket launcher and a rocket. It was a little, electric toy rocket with a little figurine space astronaut inside. You could put the astronaut in the rocket and put the rocket on the launcher, and it would go about five feet in the air. Peter thought that this was amazingly awesome, and that’s all he did the rest of the day. They thought this was so fun that they asked the hotel to extend their stay by one day, even though they still had a lot of time left.

When they woke up the next morning, they bought another ticket for NASA, this time to see another section on how scientists invented space suits for astronauts to get air and oxygen while in space. They also saw a mini rover, and Peter was amazed by what special wheels the scientists had to make so the rover could go on the moon. They even got to have a little ride in the mini rover.

When they went back, after the day, they had pizza. After that, they went back to their room and said that was one of the best days they had ever had, and that this was the best vacation they ever had.

When he went the next day, they went to yet another section, where he had fun touching fingerprints when he was not supposed to. He got in a little trouble, but not enough to get him kicked out. When he finally realized that this was not a good idea, he had fun just looking at pictures that scientists had just recovered from the robots on Mars. The fingerprints that he had touched were actually footprints from people that walked on the moon. When they went back, they asked to just see the room that they saw first, because that was where Peter wanted to go. They let him go for free. If you hadn’t known all this time, Peter always had his new favorite toy, the electric rocket launcher and rocket, in his pocket.

They went to the room, and accidentally, the little rocket that stuck out of his pocket touched the model rocket in the room. When this happened, a big red flash burst a hole in the NASA building. There was a big shout as the rocket sprouted from his pocket through the hole in the building. Peter was so amazed when the rocket launcher held up the rocket from his little toy. His toy rocket that sprouted became as big and as real-looking as the Apollo 11 rocket. His rocket launcher had also grown to hold up his rocket. Peter was so amazed and even more excited, because this was his chance to make his new life form. But he didn’t know how he would get into the rocket. Then, he thought of how the tour guide took that key from his pocket to open the model rocket. So Peter reached into his own pocket, and somehow, magically, the same looking key was in his pocket. He opened the door in his rocket, and he went about looking in his own new rocket.

It looked exactly like it had in the model rocket, but brighter, newer, and more real. He called from one of the windows, and he said to anyone, “Who wants to see a new life form with me?”

While this was happening, a big crowd of people had gathered around to see what the little boy did. They were so terrified and confused at what Peter had just shouted, but they were so excited that they just climbed aboard to see what adventure they would get into. Peter pulled his parents along and the crowd also, and ushered them all into the air tanks. He told them all to put on air tanks so they could get going on this miraculous adventure.

Now, Peter thought, all he had to do was see if this rocket actually worked. And he thought to himself his favorite saying by Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus book he used to read: “Make mistakes, get messy, and learn.”

So he did just that. He put an air tank on. He went to the captain’s quarters and fired up the engine. The rocket burst and fired up into the sky. It was the first rocket in history to go into outer space without any investing. But not actually literally, of course — he had spent that five dollar allowance for the toy rocket.

When they got into outer space, all the tourists who had now become the crew held a great party. Peter somehow knew how to drive a rocket by what the tour guide told him. And the rocket soared out into the blackness. They saw stars and went right through the Milky Way. Somehow, this was not an ordinary rocket. It could go way past the moon. Since he was still excited, he drove his rocket all the way to orbit Uranus. They went back towards Earth, and made a figure eight between the sun and the earth. And then, they orbited the moon and saw what looked like another moon. As they got closer, they saw that this was no moon, but the next planet that all the computers had been sighting since 2016.

So as they got closer, they stopped right in front of a big sign, and the tourists started to go to the Captain’s Chamber and tell Peter to go back to Earth. Peter tried to keep on saying and saying and saying that he was going to find a way to get there, and it would be the best thing since nacho chips.

But as this happened, there was a big thunderstorm and a bunch of lightning in his hometown, New York. Suddenly, there was a massive updraft, and a flash of lightning went up, up, up, farther than the eye can see, out into space, and hit Peter’s rocket. There was no stopping the rocket now, as it went faster than the speed of light into the planet. He landed safely in the middle of what seemed to be another New York. It was the same horizon, just tall, tall, buildings. He knew that this was not another New York — that this was the destiny he had been waiting for all of his life.

He was welcomed greatly by a man who seemed to be the president of the whole entire planet. The president said that he had been waiting for Peter his whole entire life to tell him how these two planets could be connected into a great, big, friendly universe. The president looked like all the people there. They were like humans, but they would only be up to your knee. Kind of like Oompa Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but a little more human-like and didn’t always have jackets on. They talked in a very high-pitched voice, but not in a bad way, as friendly as a high-pitched voice could be.

Peter and the rest of his “crew” believed this president, and the president’s idea went on to build a space bridge. It was covered, of course, by unlimited air, so no one would have to wear a spacesuit. Everyone from both planets said it was such a delight to have this great, big planet. If you were wondering, the president named the new land Herat and the city Yorkerneck. The language that these people spoke was English, and the state they were in was Yecen. There were no countries, but only continents because this was a much more friendly planet than our beloved earth.

As they started building the bridge right in between both planets and it reached the side of Earth, they could not make it go downwards because it was way too steep. But the only way to Earth was by going downwards.

They thought and thought, but then, the president said, “You could use your invention of what I think is called a bridge. No, I mean, stairs.”

This time, Peter thought it was the only idea, so he agreed. It was hard for Peter to agree sometimes because he always wanted to be the hero, as you can already see by his discovery of a new life form. The presidents and prime ministers of Earth and the president of Herat both agreed on the idea of the bridge way before this idea. Once the plan for getting to Earth had worked, they started building toward Herat. Once they had reached Herat’s atmosphere, they discovered that they needed to go faster than the speed of light to get into Herat. They thought and thought until Peter came up with an idea, like a hero, yet again.

“Why don’t we use your invention of those ball-like things, kind like odd squad portals, but they can go anywhere?”

“Great idea!” exclaimed the president.

Portals were fast balls that you squatted in that took you through holes and transported you. Once the portals had been built, a great charm shower came down to both worlds. It was totally like magic to Peter.There was a grand election of representatives in both worlds. Peter won for Earth two billion votes to none. (There were only about two billion people in the world, and children were allowed to vote.) In Herat, the president won for their side about three-quarters of their planet to one quarter. The two representatives ran the two planets fairly and were very well respected.

Since Peter was only seven (now soon to turn eight), his mother and father helped him. But it was hard, since Peter wanted him to run himself. This was not a smart choice, since kids could not think like grown-ups about all the problems in the world. With the help of two parents, two grown-ups and one child could deal with a lot of problems, while one person could only deal with about two. Three could deal with about six, which is a lot more than two when you’re dealing with crimes.

When the parents found out, they tried to speak up for themselves, but it was no use. So what they did was go to Herat, across the bridge, and tell them about this problem. The Herat people sent some police to help and say the point. The police told Earth that it would be much better if they allowed the parents to think of one thing to do.

Peter allowed this, and the parents said, “Why don’t we elect some judges for both planets, so in crime cases, we can figure out better ways of punishing people and knowing if they are innocent or guilty?”

Both planets elected a good judge that was skillful and kind to the jury and to the person put on trial. After a long time of training police, one person was finally sent to the judge on trial. The judge finally found, with the help of the jury, that the person was just expressing free speech, telling everyone that it would be better if Peter was helped by his parents.

Once he was released, more and more people thought it would be better if his parents helped him, since they were catching so few criminals and making so little changes to the Earth. This was also happening because they thought that, with the help of the jury, the judge made better decisions, so if the parents helped Peter, Peter would do better in making decisions.

While this was happening, Peter was in his capitol, which happened to be New York now. He was thinking whether he should do a little thing that was bad, just to keep him in control. This bad thing was to not let anyone have free speech of talking about something that has not happened. This was found out by the people. They found out because they were allowed to look through the little windows, and somehow, by eavesdropping with a cop, they heard him talking to himself about this new plan.

They started reporting this, and so Peter had nothing to do, but call a Grand Election to ask if he could do this law or not. A Grand Election is an election that’s not for a person or representative of state, city, or country. It’s for a law, a change to the city, state, or country. (Like if you wanted to make Yellowstone National Park bigger, you would have a Grand Election. People would vote on whether you could do this by taking out more and more buildings, or you could not do that so it would be a beautiful place, but not as big as it could be if they took out buildings.)

After this, people called for a regular election for whether Peter’s parents could help him until he became eligible in American terms for president, which is thirty five years old, and he would have to live in America for fourteen years. The people won yet again, and Peter’s parents went to help Peter with the Earth. This was a major help.

When the parents got to the White House, they asked to privately talk to Peter. They told Peter, “Until you grow up and start thinking as a grown up, we will help you. We’re not challenging you so we can be bossy, we’re not saying that we’ll help you do stuff that you don’t think that we need to do. We’re not saying that you can’t do what you want to do, we’re just saying that we’re going to do extra things that you don’t want to do.”

Peter actually liked this idea, and said, “Yes, I will.”

In his mind right now, he was not that concerned whether they stuck to their word. Out of the years he had been with them, they had never broken a promise.

After a while of this happening, Earth was so much better, that Peter started to realize that you don’t always have to be the hero. You just have to help and make decisions for everyone and be kind, which is what he had been doing for about the last three years. What had changed when his parents helped him was that there were so many other things going on that so much more things could be done and could be caught. The parents were doing things, and he was doing things that all overlapped with each other to make such good ideas, that they were better than what George Washington could do.

One thing that he couldn’t have done without his parents was that now, he had learned more about law and better laws to use. His parents told him to make a law that you couldn’t smoke. He learned more over time. He learned that help was better and better than he could ever imagine before he had ever launched that rocket.

In Herat right now, everything was better because they could use more and more of Earth’s inventions. They could help Earth, and Earth could help them. They had more parks and saw that they could have more fun running around and playing football than sitting at home and watching cartoons. The more and more that Earth and Herat shared help, the more and more inventions could be made. When more inventions are made, more things can be done.

A scanner could be made to scan if anyone anywhere had a fingerprint that they were looking for, because the scanner could go through a portal made by Herat. And the scanner that was in fact made by Earth could scan anyone’s fingerprint without them even knowing. This helped a lot. More crimes could be stopped in both worlds. It was so much more peaceful than it had once been, and finally, all crimes had been stopped. Since Peter had turned thirteen, about seven years ago, there had been no crime since. Everyone had more fun, more peace, more parks, and it was even legal to sleep outside. More and more buildings were torn down, since more and more people started sleeping outside, and all the buildings they needed were supermarkets and toy stores. And more and more parks were being made so that there was so much room for everyone, and it was negotiated so well that there was no need for fighting.

It was also like this in Herat. And more and more people crossed the bridge to see what both Earths were like and how it was so big in Earth that you would have to fly or be shipped around the earth, while in Herat, you could just walk around the planet. This was the most peace you could ever have. Even in my life, when I’m playing my favorite sport, football, I’m not having as much fun as you could ever have in this planet.

 

 

The Star, the Heart, and the Flag

 

Chapter 1: Expulsion

They didn’t appear to me as bullets anymore. They were worse than the enemy, worse than anything the Kaiser could summon up. They were mindless shards of destruction and death, able to kill a man without remorse or any thought to the matter. But, that is what comes with war.

I am now fifteen, and a proud American Jew, but still cannot kill with the same mechanical intensity. I cannot fathom a time when I could use plastic soldiers and pewter cannons as playthings that could die and regenerate themselves in the span of a few minutes. Sadly, that was my mindset when I entered this war in 1914, and worse, that was my mindset when I volunteered to go on this mission. It is late 1915, and my job, along with three other recruits and a veteran, is to infiltrate the enemy lines in slight discretion. Then we must do as much damage possible before the rest of the advance unit arrived. We are halfway there, and one of us is already dead in a foxhole in no-man’s land. The force now consists of Me, José, Wilber, my closest friend and honorary American, and a weathered veteran known only as Apocalypse’s Fifth Horseman for his chilly demeanor. All of a sudden, the world exploded, or so it seemed.

Shells were everywhere, and that was our cue to attack.

“GO!” Somebody shouted at me to interrupt my reverie, and I hefted my gun into firing position and, according to some crazy unspoken wartime rule, began to bellow like an enraged buffalo.

“Aieee!”

“Hold the position!”

“Charge them!”

“We need a doctor!”

The sounds of battle were everywhere, the sound of death, that everlasting shriek cut short by the worse sound of silence. We charged into a foxhole, but as I got in, I realized how much water there was.

“You okay?” asked Wilber.

“Fine. You?” I said.

“Russell, I’m gushing blood! ” he responded with fervor, blood flowing in a steady stream from his thigh. I suddenly realized that the water in the foxhole wasn’t water, but his blood. I knew that he needed a doctor, but I also knew that the expedition could potentially break the German support lines, a crucial target. My mind was made up when José’s body tumbled into the foxhole, eyes glazed and chest mangled.

“Let’s go,” I said solemnly. The enemy was almost upon us. I had no choice, and I headed back to the trenches only out of necessity. Sadly, that argument did not land well with my superior. As I began to explain to him the hole in his reasoning, that Wilber would have died, and just how wrong he was, his nostrils began to flare and I backed down, causing me and the sergeant to sit in such a silence you could almost taste its bitterness and slime. The tension was unbearable, knowing that botching this procedure might result in the loss of my friend, companion, and fellow warrior. The doctor invited us into the army’s hospital room with a hurried wave of his hand, and, ignoring all discipline, I shoved my sergeant aside. I gave a sigh of relief. Wilber was alive! But my relief didn’t last for very long. As we were reunited, the sergeant spun me around and shoved two pieces of parchment into my chest.

“You’ve been discharged. Now get out before I make you.” he said quietly, but with a rage burning in his eyes.

I tried to make a case for Wilber’s being delirious but no one would listen. We’d been given a dishonourable discharge for running away in the face of the enemy, and were left to wander the scorched landscape. Bodies were strewn carelessly across the line, no respect for their families, and evidently no respect for them. The week had passed. We kept walking, running, walking, running, alternating between the two, an eternal rock and hard place situation. Days passed, we tallied them on our shared canteen. Then finally, we went from the fire into the frying pan one hot morning.

“Hey Russell?” Wilber’s shrill voice called out from the small dirty lake that we’d found, and exploited.

“What?” I called back irritably. “Did you fill the canteens yet?”

“Well, yes,” he called back.

“Then what is it?” I walked over to the lake, which we had renamed the Hope Reservoir. It was definitely unclean, but it was water, and it kept our canteens filled. We had utilized it to its complete fullest, even with the easily perceptible mold and moss at the bottom.. We had decided to use the trees the to make wood canteens with our supplies, so we could walk back to Paris or some other town in France, but we did not have a map and so it was very important that we stay, lest we end up in some German town.

Then I saw what he was talking about. He lay in tears with the rock that we used to tick off the days in his hand. But in his other was a nearly shredded canteen. I was at a loss for words. Then he shook his head, and pointed to the Hope Reservoir. At this I fell to tears. Our food and supplies were disappearing down into the lake. A dim voice kept saying that the canteen was an accident while ticking off days, and in his misery had accidentally kicked the supplies in. That voice turned out to be Wilber. After this incident, we decided to get going, and time became a dim factor in my mind. We trudged onward, and we began to become emaciated. Blood soaked the ground. God, this hurt. Where were we? Probably somewhere in hell. Maybe somewhere in Germany. Pain was the only presence in my mind, my stomach was cramping, and it felt as if it was imploding. My thoughts were everywhere, yet always focused around one objective: home. The sun appeared to be a blazing ball of fire, making me nostalgic, and reminiscent of the war. The light began to fade. Darkness was my home now, enveloping me in its soft folds, tempting me to give in. “Wilber, do you have any ideas to pass the time?” I asked desperately.

Wilber stared at me hard. “There aren’t even any sticks here, we can’t even draw in the dust, because there isn’t any. We don’t even know where we’re going! Haven’t you noticed all the repeating landmarks? We’re going in circles! We have to just pick one direction and then go with whatever we choose.” He paused for breath. “If we’re to survive, you’ve got to be more attentive.” I stared back at him, dumbfounded. What repeating landmarks? I just saw bloodied dirt and randomly strewn bodies, which I didn’t think really qualified as landmarks. We started to walk forwards.

“No, I noticed them,” I said stupidly. Wilber stared quizzically at me.

“Russell–food–war–thirst.”

What was he talking about, I wondered.

“Ilow dathe water canty.”

Now he was just speaking gibberish, but the next part alarmed me.

“Garmy Russol. Garmen spak amy.”

I deciphered this one quite well. What he meant to say was that he wanted to stab me! He must have let that one slip, the cursed traitor. It is all so clear now! He is a thief! I did not drop the food, nor destroy the canteen! All I did was take care of him, and he has turned against me! I must admit, I didn’t see such cruelty in him. But he’s the dark one, telling this darkness to come for us, trying to get me to bend to his will the whole time. I saw right through his plans. He should know better than to mess with me. He is staring at me now, head cocked as if I am some kind of demented specimen. He is German. He must be. No he isn’t. He protects me. He is merely leading me to the slaughter. The psychological battle rages on in my head. I break down in tears. I feel as if I am hit, and I fall right in front of Wilber as he also collapses again. The darkness finally overtakes me, and I surrender to its might.

Chapter 2: Kurt

I look up into the face of a young boy, but he is distorted by some unknown substance. It is the evening, so is it just darkness messing up my vision? No, there’s some gurgling sound as well. Wait. That sound is water! I have never liked the stale army biscuits more than when he forced them down my throat at that moment. They tasted like a species of cardboard, and yes, I mean species. They didn’t taste like normal biscuits, they tasted like crap, but delicious crap that I was eternally grateful for. The water flows across my face, and since my lips are cracked, it gives such incredible relief that was unrivaled by any pleasure I had back home, until I see the Kaiser’s crest on his shoulder. Wilber! Is he okay? What happened? My mind was prepared to burst with questions.

“Where is Wilber?” I asked with a frantic air. Was he dead?

Wait, isn’t Wilber German? Maybe. Keep an eye on him, I guess. I was delirious, so no, he is my friend. Anyway, the real question is, what German would help Allied soldiers? We had the French symbol, and he was definitely German. Something didn’t add up. “Friend awake,” said the boy. “Vision too fuzzy, but I have pistol to your friend and knife that go any moment into stomach.”

So that was the catch, the German was after information. Well, the minute he looked to Wilber, I would take out my knife, and the positions would be flipped. Wilber knew this as well, and smiled briefly at me. He slowly edged out of the boy’s vision, and when his eyes flicked to Wilber, I had already sliced his knife hand and Wilber had preemptively jumped out of the way. The boy screamed and dropped his knife, which I grabbed, and Wilber quickly grabbed the gun, and stood uneasily with the firearm pointed at the boy who lay in a sort of turtle position, with his hands raised in a half-hearted attempt to protect himself.

“Who are you?” Wilber said with a now rightly earned air of superiority. Wilber didn’t really know how to talk to people, a thing that had begun in his childhood when he had lost his whole family to a German shell while he was at home. He was an orphan when I found him in the streets after his immigration from Britain, and we had become friends ever since I ran away and we joined the French Army together.

“Don’t have camp,” the boy stuttered out in his broken English. “Have piles of dirt.” He narrowed his eyes in anger and spat at our campsite. Me and Wilber shared another look. He may be German, but insulting your captors tends to yield worse results than complimenting or praising them does.

“You were trying to extract information from us. The least you can do is grovel,” Wilber retorted, spit flecks flying out of his mouth in rage. In the army, we were known as The Orphan Duo, and our ages had become a carefully guarded secret, and one that we kept with our lives. But this German boy seemed almost fourteen, way too young for an army man, even by our standards.

“I not bow.” He seemed more confident now. “I never betray Kaiser Vilhelm.”

“Then that will be your own demise,” said Wilber, as he leveled the gun towards him.

“Stop!” I shouted as Wilber aimed at the German. Wilber turned to me questioningly.

“Russell, this traitor to the world killed my family. You don’t have a say in this. This is strictly personal between me and him. Don’t you know Germans are the most filthy type of organism on the planet? They are lower than scum, not worth the dirt he says our camp is made of. I have every right on the planet and tens of thousands of grieving families to back me up. What do you have? Some foolhardy chivalrous code will get you nowhere but death by snakes like this one. You cannot blame this choice on lethargy. You have to capitulate to these instincts, Russell, they are there for a reason,” Wilber said heatedly.

I sighed. Wilber did have a point, but he made a mistake in telling me to capitulate. I don’t give in to anything, and I wouldn’t start now. I knew Wilber would let down his guard easily with a well placed stroke, and so I tried to put on an indifferent and apathetic air.

“Look Wilber–” I began, but Wilber cut me off.

“That was a rhetorical comment, you don’t respond to it. We can either waste time arguing over this and then kill him, or take advantage of the cool night to get back to the Hope Reservoir. Your choice.” I glared at him. It was hard to argue with someone who wouldn’t let you finish a sentence.

“Wilber, stop and think for a second. If we went from the trenches, to the Hope Reservoir, which was parallel to the battle lines, we then went in circles, then randomly picked a direction, and now we see a random German strolling–” I was interrupted again, but by someone different.

“Then you are in Deutschland, obviously.” The German boy smirked, resembling a gangster, what with his word choice and fake western accent he put on. I suddenly felt an urge to go with Wilber’s strategy, but I stopped myself quickly.

“As annoying as you are, sadly, we’re going to keep you,” I said to the kneeling teen as he slowly moved forward, now back in his turtle pose. Wilber now appeared resigned to the German’s fate, but still wanted to belittle the German one last time as the boy crawled towards them.

“You know, Napoleon once said that an army moves on its stomach. I’m now sure he was talking about German soldiers.”

I couldn’t help sniggering at that last comment, but immediately reproached myself as Kurt became flushed, got up and dusted himself off. My guess is that we are somewhere near the French city of Somme, but we could be more near to Verdun or Switzerland. “So, what’s your name?” We needed something to pass the time before I could figure out where we were.

“Kurt,” the boy responded. “What do you plan on doing with me?” he said, trying to stop my efforts at enjoyment before anything came of them, his usual strategy. Kurt was really getting on my nerves, but he was our only chance out unless we wanted risk a hit or miss in a random direction, and end up in Berlin. The sun was already pretty low on the horizon, and by the time it became too dark to continue, we had laid down in a cluster of rocks, and I went on guard to watch the camp. I turned around and saw Kurt staring at my back. I turned around to look at him.

“What?” I asked, feeling somewhat unnerved. He kept staring at me until he finally said something.

“Say it again. What you were muttering,” he asked.

“You mean my prayers?” He nodded.

“If that’s what you call them.” Suddenly, I was struck with a thought. What religion did this boy – Kurt – identify with? Wilber was an Atheist, I was a Jew, but what did this new member of our crew believe in?

“Are you a Jew?” I asked tentatively.

“No. And no other religion either,” he said. Ah, so the boy was an Atheist, like Wilber. Darn. I wondered why they hadn’t bonded over the fact yet. Something was wrong. I felt another pair of eyes boring into my back. I turned around, Kurt’s gun in my hand, and prepared to fire as I turned. It turned out just to be Wilber angrily staring at me.

“What?” I asked, in a slightly provocative tone.

“He is not an Atheist.” Wilber stared at me with such intensity it made me flinch.

“How can you be so sure?” I asked him. I wondered if there was some kind of vibe that Atheists give off, but a secret signal that only other Atheists pick up on. I tried to imagine Wilber with a halo, or some kind of invisible radio signal that he radiated from his head or something like that.

“He’s too devoted. He fights for something, I can tell. There is something he hides from us, and he had better come clean.” A small smile appeared on Wilber’s face, but one devoid of real happiness. It looked more like a grimace or a scowl, but really, it was just a smile with no life. I backed away from his menacing smile, so as to make him focus the spotlight on Kurt. His eyes, though, never moved. He remained fixated on Kurt, as if he were some kind of grotesque specimen. Wilber followed his instincts when he ran from the German shell, he followed his heart when he immigrated to Britain from France on his family’s money, and from Britain to America as a stowaway. He’d followed his heart when he gave up monotheism. Wilber had followed his heart his whole life, and he would never take orders from anyone, or for that matter, give them. But most of all, Wilber knew people. Wilber knew when people were lying and what they were hiding from him, but his gaping flaw was that he didn’t know himself nearly as well as he knew other people. WIlber could not, for the life of him, decipher himself, and had really only branded himself an Atheist out of necessity. He liked to say that he was a powerful disciple and devotee to the heart, and I was fully prepared to see this seemingly innocent conversation go up in flames because of him. Kurt gave him a wolfish grin and stood up, fully prepared to meet the obvious challenge of his loyalty. He stood close to Wilber and, without pause, began his comeback with bravo.

“I owe my faith to only Germany. Religion is passing thought, of no real importance. Loyalty to your nation is what counts. Nations will stand, but Atheists are fools, Jews will die out, but Germans will always remain the utmost on the egalitarian chain. We are the true heroes of the war, and all that doubt us will fall. Nationality is the only thing that will persist throughout the ages, where beliefs will fail and religion will fall. And yes, my broken English was a fake. You, Russell, believed me for every moment for your religion, and Wilber here overlooked it, forsaking his true ulterior suspicions for exterior ones. You people are too predictable,” Kurt said.

Wilber and I sat in a stunned silence, too dumbfounded to speak, the grin still inhabiting Kurt’s face, making it look as if he presided over all this. He then went back to bed using his kingly walk, making him look smugly royal, as if he had just expounded the answer to the meaning of life onto peasants who were struggling to comprehend life at its smallest.

Chapter 3: Rats and Rabbits

After the argument the night before, I thought that we really needed to watch more attentively while in the camp. We packed our, well, nothing, as our camp was only really dirt and shrubbery. That day, as we set off to make our way across the French border, a thought suddenly struck me. We had a German prisoner, which we couldn’t take with us across the border. We also couldn’t leave him stranded here, although the minute I told this to Wilber, he raised his eyebrows and muttered, “Why not?” under his breath. We always had the gun ready, so that he wouldn’t call out to the Germans, but we are still worried about him being somehow like a beacon to German troops, that his mere presence, unless somehow guarded by bushes and shrubs, would alert them. Hunger now began to gnaw at me, like a feral animal trying to escape the prison that was my stomach. Finally, our weary sights turned to the abundance of game that seemed to surround us.

Kurt was almost to the point of trying to shoot the both of us, and to the casual observer, he would have no premise to shoot us besides the fact that we had captured him. Crazily, that was not the case with him. When I had first brought up the irony that we had had nothing to eat since Kurt exhausted his rations nursing us to health, yet we were surrounded with game, he looked at me with a somewhat destabilised look of insanity, and started to yell.

“Why are you complaining about hunger when we have my gun, bullets, and rabbits, all around us? You are swimming in a freshwater lake, and you are complaining that there is no water to go around.” He shook his head half in disgust and half, truthfully, in shock. Where he came from, utilizing nature was a part of life, an accepted fact that everyone seemed to understand and did so without hesitation or thought to it. In the matter, I was somewhat influenced by Judaism, not a huge amount, but somewhat, in my wariness against killing and eating in cold blood another living creature. It seemed much more innocent to eat meat that somebody else killed, knowing in some form or another that it wasn’t my fault, that it would be eaten anyway. Now pictures of the rabbit frolicking in a field harassed my mind. When I turned around, Wilber and Kurt were arguing loudly.

“You have no respect for any life!” Kurt screamed.

“I’m not the one who wants to destroy your precious life, you are!” Wilber returned with fury.

“I mean life that COUNTS, you IDIOT!”

“Well, at least I’m not committing regicide!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re lower than a rat, I thought he had some authority over you! Frankly, I’d rather have the rat.” Wilber’s tension from the other day had boiled into today. Wilber’s grimace smile again resurfaced, this time in a more sarcastic form.

Suddenly, a bang rocked the ground around us. We were being shot at! Then I saw that Kurt, in a quick maneuver, had grabbed the gun, and shot the rabbit, leaving the rat to run away. Wilber stared at him with such an anger that I had never seen solicited from him before, and charged the few paces between them. He punched him in the jaw, and I watched Kurt crumble before Wilber’s stocky form. Then Wilber let out a cry of pain. Kurt had used a rock to hit him in the shins. He jumped on Kurt, elbow forward, and jabbed him straight in the nose, and I heard a crack. He got on top of Kurt and was immediately toppled off by Kurt’s hit to his right shoulder. He fell over, and as he tried to get up, Kurt slugged him in the stomach. But Kurt didn’t notice that Wilber’s left hand had moved behind him, and only realised the fact when he received a crushing uppercut that almost sent him towards Wilber, but he fell backwards. He then hooked Wilber’s leg and began to pull him downwards, all the while raining punches on his stomach, his mouth, and his cheeks. I suddenly realized that I had just been standing here the whole time, and I moved to intervene. I tried to break them up and received my fair share of punches in the process, but I finally succeeded in stopping them.

“What’s the matter with you!?” I asked heatedly, although I knew both their answer and the real one.

“Here’s the matter,” Kurt said.” You people are–”
“Would you shut up for just one damn second?” I said, then regaining my composure, went on.

“Here’s the reason that you two are squabbling like this: You don’t have any food.” Kurt started to get the gun, but Wilber stiff-armed him.

“Not yet Kurt. If I know my FRIEND…” He paused to slam in the emphasis. “He’ll have more to say on the matter, won’t you Russell?” He stared at me so hard that I flinched, for the second time in the last seventy-two hours.

“No Wilber, I hate to concur with Kurt, but he’s right. We need the food.” The dancing rabbit in my head began to bleed from the numerous bullet holes I now imagined him with.

“The rats will destroy the rabbit then.” He turned to me. “I thought it was the other way around.” It seemed like a very vague statement to anyone else, but to me it made perfect sense to me, and it hurt me to my core. Wilber sat down on one of the rocks in our den in disgust, and went to sulk in a corner. Whenever I came near him, he would show his front teeth, chitter, and turn his back to me angrily to prove his point. What he meant was that he thought that us, as pure creatures were rabbits to Kurt’s alter-ego of a rat. When I had joined with Kurt in their disagreement, I had betrayed him and became a rat alongside Kurt, allied against the rabbit that would allegedly always be Wilber.

Another crack rang through the air. I turned to Kurt, prepared to punch him nearly as hard as Wilber did, when I saw that the gun was lying on the floor near Wilber. My eyebrows creased in questioning, until I fell in pain as I felt my thigh implode on itself, my bone shattering almost instantaneously. The world began to go dark, and through my blurry vision I saw French troops coming in with machine guns from a group of trees, and a German sniper fall from an adjacent patch. Then I understood.

Chapter 4: Loyalty

I woke up in a bunker. Was Kurt just a dream? I feel sick. No, not a dream, because my leg is hurt. Then where is Wilber? Standing next to me. What?! I turn my head feebly toward Wilber. He smiled at me.

“Kurt ran,” he said gently. “You took a bullet to the left thigh, but the doctors say that they got it out, and fixed up your bone. We’re in Verdun, and if you’re better, I’d much rather fight alongside you.”
I smiled in return, and found that I could get up. Before I knew it, they had equipped me with the standard weapons, a Berthier rifle and a few grenades on my belt, and we were off again to the battlefield, with the same mission: maximum damage, minimum discretion. A storm of bullets were all around us, and Wilber and I faced them down together, as friends and allies once more. We were ordered to take down a particular bunker that had been a thorn in the side of the commanders for a while now, and we set off to storm it.

So far, so good. We were in the bunker, and we weren’t met with any resistance. We then went in with our new storming group of seven other men, but as we went through the tunnels and finally found the main one, two of our group immediately dropped dead to awaiting machine guns. There were about twenty Germans in there, but in the firefight that ensued, they lost sixteen, and all our men and reinforcements were dead. I had been shot twice, once grazing my ear, and once in my hand when I stopped a bullet from coming into my heart. Wilber was so far unscathed, but there was no way out of here unless these Germans either surrendered or died protecting the exit hole deep into their lines. Suddenly, two more Germans came from behind us and one used the butt of their gun to hit me in the neck, knocking me down, and Wilber, to avoid being hit in his own turn, fell as well. The Germans blocking the entrance approached us, with one of them walking forward ahead of the group

“Now you die,” the German said, holding a gun to my head. All of a sudden, another German came bursting out of the exit hole towards us, and shot the lead German in the back of his head. The soldier’s messy blond hair was all too recognizable to us. Kurt!

“Go!” he shouted. “There was a reason I didn’t shoot you when I had the chance. Follow your religions no matter how minor they are. I am happy to give my life to let two men realize their potential.”

He shot another German, and Wilber picked me up, slung me over his massive shoulder, and ran. I saw Kurt shoot another before receiving a bullet to the stomach. His face contorted in pain, he shot a soldier running after us. Now bullets peppered his body, and a bayonet appeared from behind him through his chest. He now fell, and the Germans repeatedly bayoneted him and shot him at close range. His eyes became vacant, an empty stare, as Wilber took me farther and farther out of the tunnels. My eyes fluttered rapidly as I started to lose consciousness, and I began to cry. Wilber, hearing my sobbing, knew what happened and also began to cry. I realized that Judaism and Atheism were powerful, but to have the strength and loyalty that Kurt had was beyond the power of any God or man on this earth.

      

The Mysterious Monster

One stormy night, a little, pink hamster named Tiny was looking for berries to eat with her family. Later, when she was sleeping, she got out of her bed to get a glass of water. But then, she saw a shadowy figure out the window. So she went outside in her coat and slippers, and she saw it moving closer to her. She wanted to go back into her house, but the door shut because of the strong wind.

“Oh, no, I am going to die!” she said to herself. Then, she ran as fast as she could like a car, until she stopped to catch her breath. Then, Tiny rushed home and unlocked the front door and went to bed. When she went to bed, she kept on thinking, What was the shadowy figure or monster outside?

The next day, she woke up early and ate breakfast. After breakfast, she went outside to look for the monster, and she left some food out. But when she saw nothing, she went back inside her house.

Then, her mom asked her, “What were you looking for?”

Tiny stood quiet for a moment, and then she told her a lie! Tiny said that she just needed some fresh air. But she was looking for a giant monster or figure.

One afternoon, Tiny was outside playing with her friend, Bun Buns. She was really nice to Tiny, and she was the color blue, and she was also a hamster. She had to leave Tiny’s house to help her mom. Tiny almost forgot about the giant monster outside.

When it was midnight, Tiny went outside in her coat and slippers to look for the monster. But instead of finding the monster, she found a giant cave!!!

“I think that’s where the monster lives!” she said to herself. So she went closer to the cave but she saw nothing. When she turned around to head home, she saw the monster! It was a big, hairy, humongous monster! Then, the monster grabbed her and went to his cave with Tiny!

The next morning, Tiny the hamster woke up and saw the monster still sleeping. She wanted to get out, but when she was so close, the monster grabbed her.

“You are not leaving until you tell me what you are doing in my cave,” the monster said.

“I did not come here, you brought me here,” Tiny added.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Can I just go home?” said Tiny.

“Okay,” said the monster. “But come here at midnight.”

So Tiny went back home, and when it was midnight, Tiny went into the cave and saw the monster.

She asked the monster, “What is your name?”

“My name is German,” German said.

“So why did you ask me to come here?” Tiny asked.

The monster stood quiet for a moment. “Because I need you to stay here with me.”

“What? WHY?”

“Because if you go home, then you will be saying that you have seen a monster, and they will capture me, and I will die,” said the big monster.

Then Tiny realized that her mom and dad were going to go away for the entire year!!! And they had already left! So she agreed that she was going to stay with the  MONSTER!

The next morning, Tiny the hamster woke up and saw the monster eating breakfast. Tiny didn’t have anything to eat for breakfast, so she ran to her house, brought some food from her house, and rushed back to the cave.

“Can you be my friend?” asked Tiny.

“Okay,” said the monster.

So Tiny asked the monster, “What are we going to do?”

“Nothing,” said German.
“I can cook something for lunch. What do you want?”

“Nothing, I can look for something to eat,” said the monster to Tiny.

After eating lunch, Tiny’s mom called her and said, “I’m coming back this week, because the hotel is horrible. Bye!”

“Oh no!” said Tiny the hamster. “If they come here next week, they will see you! But it’s going to be ok.”

The monster was worried, so when it was midnight, the monster woke up Tiny and said, “Are you scared?”

“No?” said Tiny. “Why do you ask?”

“Because people could kill me!” said the monster.

“It’s going to be ok,” said Tiny to the monster. So the monster and Tiny went to bed.

In the morning, Tiny the hamster woke up very early and told the monster what they were going to do, but she heard nothing. She saw that the monster was still sleeping, so Tiny woke up the monster to eat breakfast. After eating their breakfast, Tiny had a call from her mother who said that they were coming home today! In the afternoon!

Tiny the hamster hid the monster in a big closet in the cave. She heard a knock on the door, and it was her mom and dad coming back home from the hotel! Tiny rushed to the back door of her house without letting her mom and dad notice her. Tiny unlocked the backdoor and went in the house and opened the door to her parents. But then, the monster got out of the cave and went to Tiny’s house to look for her. Her dad and mom screamed at the top of their lungs!

“A monster!!!” screamed her mom and dad.

“WAIT!” yelled Tiny.’’Please don’t hurt him! He’s my friend!”

“What?” said the parents.

“He is really nice. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. Please do not kill him!” said Tiny to her parents.

“Okay,” said the parents.

“Yay,” said Tiny. So Tiny and German the monster were both best friends, and they were really happy.

THE END

Forever in My Heart

Jack was a boy living a life all alone on an island. It was so very sad. He was a boy whose parents had been abducted and killed. He had white eyes, red hair, but also chocolatey-black skin. He was tall, but he still needed help getting up from bed every morning. He had his animal friends. One was named Sky. She was a dog who lived with him and kept him company. Kervin, his other friend, was a gorilla who helped Jack reach tall stuff and let Jack ride him sometimes so they could all see the island.   

He lived with Sky in his hut. It was a very poor hut made out of mud and straw. He used to be very rich and also good. He had a perfect life every boy wanted, but now he was mysteriously mysterious. His parents got abducted by aliens, so he was poor now. He didn’t know that his parents were alive. Yet…

The next day, he found a letter in the jungle. Kervin helped him get it, and Jack realized it hadn’t been there before in this place. He knew he had to read it. It said,

Jack,

If you are reading this, we are alive and together. But not as us. We are aliens. Don’t ask why, my child. But we are alive. There isn’t much time. Find us please!

Love,

Mom & Dad

 

The Trials of a Boy
He cried, cried, and never stopped. At the end, he had cried tears, tears of blood, just blood…
He stopped. He knew what he had to do. He had to save his parents, and he had to do it now.

 

The Story You Never Knew
The aliens are a lie
A lie
The lie
They are a lie
They wrote the letter
Evil


The Trials of a Boy 2.0
As days went by, he had to do stuff he had never done before. He jumped in water. He was an idiot. A big one! He forgot he couldn’t swim, and he couldn’t go back. He then drowned in the great blue sea.

 

Forgot It All
He drowned. He could not swim, and he was at the bottom of the sea. It was harsh and cold, and it smelled like chicken wings, and he felt nothing, he heard nothing, he couldn’t see, he wanted to forget it all. He couldn’t. What was happening was, he couldn’t stop it, he was confused and scared. He didn’t know why or how. How could he forget? He never forgot anything. It was now. He couldn’t stop time, or could he?

He then remembered he could stop time, space, and earth. He had to use it, even if his parents warned him about using it. He had to, to find his parents. He had powers, but it was from the aliens, and he didn’t know. He used them, and he found some seaweed and climbed on it.

While this happened, Sky and Kervin were worried and tried to find him. They got very scared.

Meanwhile, Jack was in the ocean and climbed all the seaweed. It was hard, but he still tried, and he went up it, and it was fine. When Sky saw him, she licked his face. Then, Jack unstopped time in the sea, and Sky ran to Kervin. Kervin had been so worried that he immediately hugged Jack and cried a bit because he had thought Jack died or left them.

They went to the hut. They had gotten some more materials so they could build a better hut. They had to because they were getting cold, so they upgraded the materials. They turned the wall into stone and the roof to wood logs. They were proud of themselves.
They went to sleep. While Sky and Kervin slept, Jack heard something very loud. He wondered what it was, so he went out to explore it. He thought it was a bad idea, but it was something that would change his life…

 

The Final Call
While he went to the jungle, he heard louder and louder sounds. He followed these sounds, and he found it said something secret.
                                             Jack…
                                               Jack…
                                                Jack!…

He was scared, yet so very confused. He ran and ran till his heart had no energy. He was scared. He wondered why the voice or something knew his name. He was scared, but he wondered if he could find his parents because that voice might have been them. He had two parents, and there were two voices. He heard the a voice say, “The two of us should leave.”

 

Ending to No Beginning
Nothing
Nothing but black
Nothing but white
Blankness, nothing
The light and the dark
The two, all, the three            


Playing the Game

The real truth is that the people are not real people. We should never trust anyone because they might be people or aliens. Now, I can’t trust myself. I don’t know. Please tell me why. Nothing matters anymore. I feel like nothing, like trash. That cannot be a true life — I can’t understand what to do — Am I the lie? Do I play the game — making all the silly rules — Nothing means nothing — or do I mean something — a new life, a beginning with no end.

 

The Final Showdown
This was the final point. Now that he knew the truth and the lie, it was difficult. But then, he started to sleep. The next day, he was abducted. He felt proud because he could finally meet his parents. He now knew everything of his past and was a bit sad because he left everything, even his memories. When he moved to somewhere else, it felt like he left everything he loved behind to go on to something else. He was  brought back to his parents.

He was one of them, an alien, and he was okay even though he couldn’t go back to play with Kervin and Sky. He tried, but they didn’t allow him because Earthly things were not allowed on the moon, which is where all the aliens lived.

Please tell me where my friends are? Please tell me how to get there? Please tell me who I am?  


Final Thoughts
The final thing he wanted to do was to see his friends, Sky and Kervin, but he could not. He wondered if he could see his friends, and he couldn’t, so he made a choice.

Stay here, never seeing his friends
Or
Try to find his friends

He wanted to see his friends, even if he might go and get in trouble, even if it meant getting ultimate punishment from the aliens and his parents. So at night, he went to the landing stations, and then, he went on a UFO. He didn’t realize that it said: Warning! May Explode!
He didn’t care, and he just went on. It then turned invisible, and he could see in the inside while he was inside. He pressed a button, and then it left.

Zooooooooooooooooooooooooooom.

Then, he landed safely on Earth.

At the mother laaaaaand…

Then, he heard ticking, and he looked behind him and saw that the UFO was going to explode in at least fifteen seconds. He had to get Sky and Kervin and himself out of Earth because it was going to explode! The bomb was only linked to destroy Earth, but he would miss Earth very much because he loved Earth so much. Earth was where he met all his friends and had his own home and did some crazy things.
Sky and Kervin hopped on. They went onto the moon because that was where they lived, and then he could hear that the bomb was ticking. It was already at one second. They flew to the moon to be safe. And then, BOOM!

He didn’t know what he just saw. He just saw his beloved home get destroyed. He cried. Then, his parents showed up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“A bomb was on the Earth and destroyed it,” he sulked.

He just walked to his hut that they made, and then after another a day had passed, he remained calm about even losing Earth. He froze like ice.

Jack was on the moon with his parents, Sky, and Kervin. He was inside a small hut made of moon dust and moon rocks. Beside him was a black door that led to the outside, where the beds were. Aliens on the moon slept outside. The hut smelled like bacon. Sky and Kervin were sitting beside him.  

Sky said, “Let’s go out and have some fun.”

“No,” said Kervin.

“Why?” asked Sky.                       

“No,” replied Kervin.

“You’re no fun,” said Sky.

Suddenly, a flying hotdog appeared. It looked like a teacher. It had little glasses and a little bun.

Jack felt shocked, but very hungry now. Jack felt sad after all of his adventure because he loved Earth a lot, but had to leave. He could never go back, now that the UFO destroyed Earth. He didn’t feel like he fit in with his parents on the moon because he didn’t know how to behave like the other aliens on the moon.

He was the only person who loved Earth there.

He then went outside. He saw a big present tied with a green bow and blue wrapping paper. The green and blue reminded him of the colors of Earth. Kervin helped him open it while Sky licked it.  After they tore away the wrapping paper, Jack saw a fabulous playground, just like the kind earth used to have. He felt so happy and shocked that he cried tears of joy. His tears flew away into the moon air.

His parents popped out of a little box and yelled, “Surprise!”

“Even though we destroyed Earth, we wanted to give you this. We grabbed this before Earth got destroyed because we knew you would like the souvenir. Now you can remember Earth forever,” said his mom.

Jack hugged his parents. “Oh my God, thank you,” he said.

While Kervin played on the monkey bars, Sky played on the swings. Jack realized that even though Earth was destroyed, he could remember and cherish a piece of it in his heart.

 

The Suitcase in the Library

PROLOGUE:

In the middle of the night, the doors of the New York Public Library creaked open. Although it was called “The City That Never Sleeps,” everyone seemed to be asleep. Even the lions at the front doors seemed to be asleep. Except for one man. He stepped out of the doors to the library with an annoyed expression on his face. He was wearing a dark suit almost the color of the night sky. All of a sudden, a long black limousine pulled up. A short man stepped out of the car, whispered something to the man, and they both got back in the car. The car drove away. Two hours later, they were no longer in the city, maybe even the state. The car was driving towards a very, very tall building, almost three times the size of the Empire State Building. The two men stepped out of the car, and walked towards the building. As they walked towards the building, you could swear the car was driving away on its own. The car was taking the same exact route it took to get to the building, except the car was driving in the opposite direction.

***

“Wake up!” Lily’s three year old sister shouted.

“Why?” Lily mumbled.

“Because it’s time for school!” She screamed again.

“Rosie, you know I already have an alarm clock that works perfectly,” Lily said. There was a loud ring. “See?” Lily said with a smile.

Rosie started bawling. “Mommy! Lily wouldn’t let me be her alarm clock!” Rosie sniffled.

“Lily, be nice to your sister, she’s only trying to help” Lily’s mom said.

Lily grunted. “She isn’t as cute as you think. Thanks to her I was up in the middle of the night!” Lily said angrily. Her brown eyes were glaring at her sister.

Rosie started bawling again, and her blue eyes looked like they were made completely of water.

“Lily!” Her mom scolded. “Will you please stop tormenting your sister and get dressed?” Her mom looked like she was about to explode.

“Fine,” Lily said.

Her mom left the room. Lily put on her favorite shirt and threw her pajamas across the room. “Is it impossible for me to have one CALM day?” Lily sighed. In just two weeks Lily would leave for sleepaway camp for the WHOLE summer. No annoying Rosie, just her and her friends in a cabin far away from here. After Lily was done getting dressed, she ran to the kitchen to get breakfast. Out the window of the kitchen, Lily noticed a black car that looked a lot like the black car she saw out her window the night before.

“Lily, hurry up, you’re going to be late for school,” Lily’s mom said.

“Okay, fine.” Lily ran out the door as fast as she could. She got on the elevator and as soon as the elevator got to the lobby, she sprinted out to the bus stop. On the bus ride to school, Lily couldn’t help thinking about what she had seen out the window in the middle of the night. The man stepping out of the black car and the other man getting in. She wondered where the black car was driving. Just then, the bus got to a stop. Lily got off the bus and ran into the building and realized she forgot her backpack on the bus. She ran back to the bus as fast as she could and grabbed her backpack. As she got her backpack off the bus, she saw a man that looked a lot like the man she saw in the middle of the night. She ran back off the bus and back into the school building.

***

Lily sat up in her chair eagerly as she waited for the bell to ring so she could go home. Then the bell rang and Lily ran to her locker to get her backpack. After she got her backpack, she ran out of school and got to the bus stop so she could take the bus home. When Lily got home, she ran to her room so she could do her homework. She said hi to her pet turtle Green Bean and went to get a snack from the kitchen. When she got back she fed Green Bean and ate her snack. Like usual, at that moment Rosie ran into her room and almost knocked over Green Bean’s tank.

“Rosie please be careful with Green Bean,” Lily said.

“I want a turtle too!” Rosie said.

“But making Green Bean die doesn’t make a difference,” Lily replied.

“Lily, look! Long car, long car!” Rosie pointed to the window.

Lily looked over and saw that same black car, although it looked like it was driving on its own this time. Lily put on her shoes and looked like she was about to leave the apartment.

Rosie said, “Lily, where are you going?”

“To see that car.” Lily ran out of the apartment, went downstairs, and saw the black car about to turn the corner. She ran after the car and saw the car pull up in front of the New York Public Library. Lily saw the men step out of the passenger seat and she saw them walk into the library. Lily followed them inside. As they turned the corner into the nonfiction aisle, she noticed a small black suitcase sitting by one of the shelves. She kept following the men, and when she saw one of them about to turn around, Lily ran out the doors of the library and she kept running. She ran until she got to her apartment building and got on the elevator. She wished it could go faster to the eighteenth floor. She felt a little panicky because when she ran past the car, she saw that the car was driving on its own. She ran to her room, squeezed her stuffed teddy bear, and took a moment to calm down. Maybe I should go back to the library and see what was up with that suitcase, she thought.

***

“Did you hear those footsteps behind us in the library?” the shorter man said.

“I heard them thinking about the suitcase,” the taller one said.

“How come you get to be telepathic and I don’t?” the shorter one pouted.

“First of all, I’m telepathic and because I’m a better agent than you are, and second, don’t focus on that, focus on the suitcase,” the taller one said.

“So come on, let’s get the car and drive to the V.V.T.B.,” the shorter one said.

“Ah yes, the Very Very Tall Building. And please stop calling it the V.V.T.B.”

Two hours later

The men walked up to the front desk of the Very Very Tall Building.

“We’re here for the Suitcase Organization,” the tall one said.

“Okay, go up to the 304th floor,” the receptionist said. It was a very, very long elevator ride.

The men got off the elevator and walked towards a door that said Suitcase Organization on it. They opened the door and walked into a very, very big room full of rows of cheap plastic beach chairs filled with uncomfortable looking people. The men sat down on two pink ones with hearts on them.

“And I was expecting an inflatable baby pool,” the shorter one whispered to the taller one.

“Shh,” the taller one said.

A man almost seven feet tall and seven feet wide said, “Today we are here to discuss who the new ‘Suitcase Seer’ is. Does anyone have any questions or comments?” The taller one raised his hand. “Yes, Freddie Bob.”

“I heard the Suitcase Seer thinking about the suitcase in the library followed by thoughts about teddy bears, so I’m suspecting it was an 11-year old girl.”

“And did you see this girl?” the balloon man asked.

“No, she ran away before I saw her.”

The balloon man said, “Pathetic girls, always running away. Does Ricky Dave have anything to say?”

“No,” the shorter one whimpered.

                                                               

***

Making sure that Rosie was still asleep, Lily quietly put on her sneakers (in case she had to run away again) and her sweater. Lily made sure that she had her phone in her pocket (her mom had given it to her for her tenth birthday and she had only had it for a year) and she quietly tiptoed to the door. As Lily walked out of the apartment, she decided to take the stairs, even though it was a very long walk down. Lily looked at her watch. It was 10:30 at night. Lily was thankful that she didn’t live that far away from the library so it would be a short trip. Lily couldn’t see any stars since it was New York. But she did see the moon. It was a half-moon that night. After she was done walking the one block to the library, she was hesitant to go inside.

¨I am going to be in so much trouble for this,” Lily said to herself. She stepped inside the library and closed the door behind her. She walked quickly through the library to the nonfiction section. In that same spot, she saw the suitcase again. Not being able to resist it, she went over towards the suitcase and unzipped to see what was inside. She immediately saw a bright light. Then it was complete darkness.

Fifteen minutes later

“Hello?” Lily heard a voice say. Lily opened her eyes. She saw the figure of a woman over her.

“What happened?” Lily said.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I just heard a sound over here and saw you lying on the floor.” the woman said.

“Who are you?” Lily asked.

“Lily, don’t you know me? I’m the librarian here,” the woman replied.

“How do you know my name?” Lily asked.

“Don’t you have a library card here?” the librarian frowned.

“Oh. Don’t blame me, I was unconscious for- actually I don’t know if I was. Was I? But, you get the point.” Lily said.

“I wasn’t blaming you, and you were unconscious. For fifteen minutes.” the librarian said.

“I was?” Lily said, not sure if she believed the librarian.

“Yes. And may I ask how you became unconscious?” the librarian said curiously.

“Um, I looked in this suitcase-” Lily started to say.

“Suitcase?” the librarian interrupted.

“Yes, suitcase. Here, look,” Lily held up the suitcase to the librarian, unaware that out of the 7 billion people on Earth, only Lily could see it. The librarian, on the other hand, knew Lily was the one, and that the Suitcase Organization would be out to get her. Oh, if only they knew what was inside, it definitely WOULD NOT be worth it. The librarian chuckled to herself.

“What are you laughing ab-”

“Hide!” The librarian whisper-shouted as she heard the door creak open. The only people who would come to the library at 11:00 at night were either the library staff, the person who could see the suitcase, or a member of the Suitcase Organization. The librarian did NOT want it to be the last one.

***

“The wheels of the driverless car go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels of the driverless go round and round, to the New York Public Library,” Ricky Dave sang rather tunelessly.

“Will. You. Please. Shut. Up. You’re a  really bad singer,” Freddie Bob said angrily.

“Everyone in the Suitcase Organization is a really bad singer. You know Jeffrey Sam, Balloon man, founder of the Suitcase Organization? He can shatter a glass just by singing one note!” Ricky Dave replied.

“Ricky Dave, I told you to SHUT UP!” Freddie Bob yelled.

“Look, we’re here!” Ricky Dave said.

Freddie Bob took a deep breath… and punched Ricky Dave in the stomach. Ricky Dave threw up on Freddie Bob.  Freddie Bob pushed a button that cleaned his suit. Then he opened the door of the car and pushed Ricky Dave out. Ricky Dave blew a raspberry at Freddie Bob. Then Freddie Bob got out of the car. They both walked into the library and the door opened with a loud creak.

***

“Out of all the people the Suitcase Organization could have sent to steal the suitcase, it had to be Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave,” the librarian said.

“Wait, their names are Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave?” Lily asked.

“Yeah, everyone in the Suitcase Organization has two first names with a total of three syllables,” the librarian said.

“It’s so annoying to look for something that’s invisible,” Ricky Dave said.

“It’s not invisible, we just can’t currently see it,” Freddie Bob said.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the same thing,” Ricky Dave said.

“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“NO!!!”

“Okay fine, they’re not the same thing,” Ricky Dave said.

“Do you want me to punch you in the stomach again?” Freddie Bob said.
“Do you want me to throw up on you again?” Ricky Dave said.

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Let’s just keep looking for the suitcase,” Freddie Bob said.

“They’re weird,” Lily said to the librarian.

“Ricky Dave, I hear voices,” Freddie Bob said.

“Oh come on,” Lily said.

“And they’re coming from over there,” Ricky Dave said.

Freddie Bob looked right at Lily. Lily was so scared she could even smell her fear. “There!” Ricky Dave shouted.

Lily got so scared that she picked up the closest thing to her — which happened to be the suitcase — and threw it at Freddie Bob. Freddie Bob was very confused. He thought that a little girl had just thrown air at him, but surprisingly it hurt.

“Wait a minute,” Freddie Bob said. “That was the suitcase!” Everyone was running around the library looking for the suitcase. The only person not in the commotion was Lily, since she could already see it. When she thought everyone was most involved in the fight for the suitcase, she walked over to where she saw the suitcase and picked it up.

“She has it! She has the suitcase!” Freddie Bob yelled.

“GET HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ricky Dave screamed.

“Oh no oh no oh no, IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!” the librarian shouted.

Lily ran into the librarian’s office and locked the door behind her. She heard the closet door swing open and the librarian walked out.

“How did you-” Lily began.

“Secret passage. Be prepared to run, because I’m pretty sure Ricky Bob and Freddie Dave or whatever their names are saw me go into the passage. You still have the suitcase?” the librarian said.

“Yes,” Lily answered.

“Good. You’re going to need it. And not just for throwing it at Bobbie Fred,” the librarian said.

The librarian had her gray hair up in a tight bun, right on top of her head. Her glasses sat on the edge of her nose, like every librarian’s glasses should. Her green eyes were looking directly into Lily’s brown eyes. Lily’s mom often said Lily was lucky to have her dad’s eyes. Lily had never met her dad, apparently something happened to him around when Lily was born, and she had never seen him. She was a little bit jealous of Rosie, because Rosie didn’t need to worry about Lily’s dad, since she was adopted. Lily’s mom really wanted another child, but that was after her dad went missing.

After the emotional memory, Lily and the librarian heard the closet door swing open. “Run!” the librarian shouted. Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave were close behind them. Lily decided to throw the suitcase at them again.

“Ow!” Ricky Dave screamed. “She threw the suitcase at me!”

“Stop being dumb, pick it up,” Freddie Bob yelled.

Lily slid over and tried to get the suitcase before them. Lily had an idea. She ran the other way and ran towards the exit of the library. She ran out of the library and got into the driverless car. She got down and hid until the men came out. When Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave got out of the library, they didn’t see her. They decided they would get into the car and drive to the Very Very Tall Building. When the car started, Lily jumped a little, but she managed to stay hidden.

Two hours later

“Well, Ricky Dave, turns out we managed to get the suitcase after all,” Freddie Bob said.

“Not for long,” Lily whispered to herself.

After Ricky Dave and Freddie Bob got out of the car, Lily made sure they couldn’t see her, and then she got out. She couldn’t help staring at the building in front of her. It was almost three times the size of the Empire State Building. She decided to go into the building. She saw Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave go into the front desk and tell the receptionist that they were here for the Suitcase Organization. Since Lily wanted to follow them, she went up to the receptionist and said the same thing.

“304th floor,” the receptionist said. Lily got into the elevator and pushed the 304th floor button. It took about five minutes for her to get there. When she got there, she saw a door with the words “Suitcase Organization” on it in big print. Lily got down on her knees and opened the door and snuck inside. Lily was surprised to see many rows of broken rocking chairs. Some of them fell over about every two seconds. Lily went into the last row and chose the one that looked the least broken. A man that was seven feet tall and seven feet wide came up to a little stage at the front. He announced that there was some very important news from two of the agents named Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave.

“Please let me carry the suitcase up,” Ricky Dave whispered to Freddie Bob.

“Why should I?” Freddie Bob whispered.

“Because if I carry it up, maybe they’ll let me get telepathy too,” Ricky Dave said.

“Hate to break it to you, but that’s not a good reason,” Freddie Bob said.

“And now, without further ado, the two agents who have managed to get the suitcase,” Balloon Man said. Before Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave were even done getting up to the little stage at the front, Lily ran up to them and grabbed the suitcase.

“Freddie Bob, do you know her?” Balloon Man asked.

“Jeffrey Sam, I can assure you that she does not have good intentions,” Freddie Bob said.  

“Then I say, get her!”

The room was full of chaos. Broken rocking chairs became even more broken. Injured people became even more injured. And Jeffrey Sam accidentally swallowed someone. Lily managed to exit the room, but someone crashed into her.

“HI!!!!!” He shouted.

“Who are you?” Lily asked.

“I’M DANNY PHIL!!!!!!” He yelled.

“Uhh, hi?” Lily said with a confused expression on her face.

“HELLO!!!!!! WHAT’S YOUR NAME?” Danny Phil yelled.

“I’m Lily,” Lily said feeling weirded out.

“OH YEAH, YOU’RE THE PERSON WHO COULD SEE THE SUITCASE!” Danny Phil screamed, “HOW’D YOU GET HERE ANYWAY?”

“I snuck into Freddie Bob’s and Ricky Dave’s driverless car,” Lily said.

“I KNOW FREDDIE BOB AND RICKY DAVE!!!!! FREDDIE BOB IS MY UNCLE! HE DOESN’T LIKE ME THAT MUCH THOUGH!” Danny Phil yelled.

“Why doesn’t he like you?” Lily asked.

“I WAS LIVING WITH UNCLE FREDDIE FOR A LITTLE BIT AND I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO JOIN A BARBER SHOP QUARTET BUT HE WOULDN’T LET ME AND MADE ME JOIN THIS ORGANIZATION INSTEAD! SO I THEN I STARTED LIVING WITH RICKY DAVE BUT THEN HE JOINED THIS ORGANIZATION TOO!” Danny Phil screamed enthusiastically.

“Wow,” Lily looked at Danny Phil with wide-eyes.

“YOU KNOW THAT GUY WHO JEFFREY SAM SWALLOWED — CUPCAKE BILL?! HE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!”

“Wow, I’m sorry.”

“DO YOU WANT TO HELP ME PLAN HIS FUNERAL?” Danny Phil asked.

“Okay,” Lily said.

“DO YOU WANT ME TO DRIVE YOU BACK IN MY DRIVERLESS CAR?” Danny Phil asked.

“Okay, but can you drive me to the New York Public library?”

“SURE, BUT I’M NOT DRIVING YOU. MR. INVISIBLE IS!”

“You got it!”

Together, Lily and Danny Phil walked to the parking lot of the Very Very Tall Building, and Lily was surprised to see that Danny Phil’s driverless car was really just a punch buggy painted pink. But it did actually drive by itself.

Two hours later.

Lily walked up the steps to the New York Public Library. She couldn’t wait to see the librarian again.

“Hello?” Lily said.

“Hi Lily. How was your trip to the Very, Very Tall Building?” The librarian asked.

“Oh, it was good, and this is Danny Phil,” Lily said.

“HI!!!!!!” Danny Phil said.

“Um.. Hi Danny Phil,” the librarian said.

“I think I might try opening the suitcase again,” Lily said.

“Well, what’re you waiting for?” The librarian asked.

“Okay,” Lily said.

She put the suitcase on the ground and slowly opened it. Inside, she couldn’t have been more surprised to see…………

A LITTLE BABY UNICORN!

Lily’s eyes were about as wide as oranges.

“You also get to be immortal,” the librarian said.

“How do you know all this?” Lily asked.

“Because I was the first person to ever see inside the suitcase…”

EPILOGUE:

“We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of my beloved friend, Cupcake Bill,” Danny Phil said for the first time, not shouting. “He was a very nice friend and he baked amazing cupcakes.”

Unfortunately, they did not have Cupcake Bill’s corpse. Instead, they had some “remnants”  in a coffin (compliments of Jeffrey Sam).

Lily almost started crying at Cupcake Bill’s funeral. Jeffrey Sam was not there, luckily. It was almost time for Lily to speak, “He always knew how much frosting and how many sprinkles to put on every cupcake. Cupcake Bill’s cupcake shop will be left in the care of Danny Phil.”

“Wait, what?!” Danny Phil said.

“Yes you’ll be running Cupcake Bill’s cupcake shop,” Lily said.

“THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!” Danny Phil shouted.

Everyone at the funeral started staring at him, “I mean besides for Cupcake Bill dying,” Danny Phil looked embarrassed.

“Okay, and now for the crying break,” Danny Phil said and then he started bawling.

Everyone at the funeral was crying. It seemed as though every single tissue box in the world was empty.

“CURSE YOU JEFFREY SAM!” Danny Phil shouted while taking a break to blow his nose. “WE WILL MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU FOREVER, CUPCAKE BILL.”

Then a little girl wearing a little pink dress stepped onto the stage, “I have no idea who Cupcake Bill is, but my sister went to the funeral so I did too.”

“Rosie, I thought you wanted to go to the funeral,” Lily said.

“But I still don’t know who Cupcake Bill is… who is he?” Rosie said.

“Okay Rosie, why don’t you get off the stage now?” Lily said with a fake smile on her face.

EPILOGUE OF THE EPILOGUE:

Lily had to say it was pretty cool to have a pet unicorn. By orders of her mom, Lily was forced to give Green Bean to Rosie, since it wasn’t fair for Lily to have two pets and Rosie not have any. Lily could tell Green Bean hated Rosie, because he went into his shell whenever Rosie came into her room. Whenever Lily came into Rosie’s room, Green Bean came out of his shell and gave Lily a get me out of here look. Sparkly-Boo (Boo for short), as Lily had named her unicorn slept in Lily’s bed and gave Lily big pleading eyes to take her in Lily’s backpack to school. Rosie called Boo Shnoogie (Lily did not know why). For Rosie’s fourth birthday, Lily’s mom decided tell Rosie she was adopted. Rosie wanted to know where her “real mommy” was.

“Hey Lily, we’ve got new next door neighbors! Their names are Mr. Bob and Mr. Dave!” Lily’s mom said enthusiastically. Lily hoped she was kidding about their names.

“Oh, that’s cool mom, but do you know what their first names are?” Lily asked.

“Their names are Freddie and Ricky!” Lily’s mom said.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lily thought.

“Mom, is it okay if I go to the library?” Lily asked.

“Why not?” Her mom said.

Lily rushed out the door and ran the one block to the New York Public Library. She ran straight into the librarian’s office.

“Freddie Bob- Ricky Dave- Next door neighbors-” Lily panted.

“Okay Lily, what’s going on here?” The librarian asked. Lily took a deep breath… “FreddieBobandRickyDavearemovingintomybuildinginapartment18Cwhichisnextto18D

whichismyapartmentandcouldn’ttheyhavemovedinto17Cor16Cor15Cor14CandIwouldsay13Cbutthere’sno13thfloorinmybuildingbutmaybe12Cor11Cor10Cor9Cor8Cor7Cor6Cor5Cor4Cor3Cor2Cor1C? AndIdidn’tevenknowMr.Smithmovedout.” Lily said in warp speed.

“Slowly?” the librarian said.

“Freddie Bob and Ricky Dave are moving into my building in apartment 18C which is next to 18D which is my apartment, and couldn’t they have moved into 17C or 16C or 15C or 14C and I would say 13C but there’s no 13th floor in my building, but maybe 12C or 11C or 10C or 9C or 8C or 7C or 6C or 5C or 4C or 3C or 2C or 1C? And I didn’t even know Mr. Smith moved out.” Lily said normally this time.

“Well I have a plan. The Suitcase Organization has stolen all sorts of high tech devices from the government to find the suitcase.” the librarian said.

“So if we report them to the police…” Lily said.

“They won’t be your neighbor!”

Spat’s Big Adventure

Once upon a time, there lived a spatula named Spat. She lived in a fridge because her parents were a head of lettuce and a tomato. She felt like she did not belong in the fridge. She was not fed metal or other things a spatula would eat. She was fed vegetables or fruit.

Spat wanted to be used to make a cake, but before that ever happened, she had to get past the meat warriors. The meat warriors were all different types of meat, like pig, steak, and filet mignon. Something about Spat was telling her that she could never get out of the refrigerator, but she knew that she could, and she was not afraid of the meat warriors.

So one day, she had a plan to escape during the nighttime. She made a fake clone of herself so she could get out of the fridge. She made a fake by getting a cookie for the head with two pieces of black licorice, lettuce for the skirt, and a popsicle stick for the body. The clone was ready, so she went to sleep.

In the morning, she put the clone on the bottom of the fridge so the clone would draw attention and she could get out of the fridge.

Finally, she got out of the fridge onto the counter to be baked with, but she was not going to be baked with. She was going to be cooked with.

“Now I know why Daddy Lettuce and Mommy Tomato would not let me go out. There are so many ways to get hurt,” she said.

She thought it would be the same as in the refrigerator, but not at all. She saw a garlic being squeezed. She thought that it was a garlic squeezer and didn’t like the smell.

“OMG, the garlic is being killed, and ummm, did I see that garic in the fridge the other day?” she said. Spat thought this was terrible, so she hid from the cook.

The next day was not much different, so at the end of the day, she found a schedule for baking. She read that next week, on Sunday at nine o’clock in the morning, the chef would come to bake a cake. So she stayed out all night and all day for a week.

The day finally came, the day she would be used to make a cake. She was so excited that she would be used to bake a cake. She was really excited. When she was being used to bake the cake, she got really sticky, so sticky that it was peeling her skirt. Metal color was coming off. It was the worst thing. She checked the chart to see if it was cake day because she had never been used to make a cake before and didn’t think it would be so sticky.

So this was supposed to be a cake, but then she realized that the bowl the chef used to make chicken was clean. All of the food was off, and then she saw the sink and realized that there was nothing to worry about. At the end of the day, her wish was granted. Everything came off just fine, and Spat lived happily ever after out of the fridge. The End!

                                          

Emma

SCENE 1

EMMA and KATE are in EMMA’S basement. They are practicing their dance for the competition.

EMMA

The twist! The jump! The step-step split. Go!

KATE starts dancing,

EMMA

You did it! 

KATE

Yay!!! Emma, I’m so excited for the competition. It’s tomorrow. I hope we win.

EMMA

I hope so, too. The Silver Steps have won every single year. And we have lost every single year. We have to win!!

KATE

Do you want to practice it?

EMMA

Sure.

EMMA starts dancing until she falls and starts moaning.

EMMA

Ow, ow, it really hurts, Mom.

KATE runs across the stage, up the stairs, and rushes to EMMA’s MOM’s room.

MOM

What happened?

KATE

Emma hurt herself.

They both run to EMMA and her MOM calls 9-1-1.

MOM

Can you have an ambulance to Street Wood Road, number 236? (Ends the phone call.) Honey, are you okay?

EMMA

I think I’m fine but it really hurts.

SFX of an ambulance. Ambulance comes. They put her in the ambulance, and with MOM and KATE, they go to the hospital.

SCENE 2

DOCTOR, EMMA, KATE, and MOM are in the hospital. DOCTOR treats EMMA.

DOCTOR

She sprained her ankle. And she has to be off it for a week.

EMMA

But I have dance competitions tomorrow! And I can’t miss that.

DOCTOR

Well, you have to be off it or else that ankle of yours will get even worse.

EMMA

Ughhh!

KATE

It’ll be fine. I’ll video tape it for you. And besides, we won’t even win cause The Silver Steps win every single year.

EMMA

I know we’ll win this year. Good luck.

DOCTOR

Here’s medicine for her foot. Feel better.

They walk off, end of scene 2.

SCENE 3

EMMA and MOM are in MOM’S room.

EMMA

Mom, I want to perform. I’ve dreamed about since I was little!

MOM

But, sweetie, you can’t. Your leg is sprained and you can’t dance on it ‘cause you might injure it even more.

EMMA

But, Mom —

MOM

No buts, but we can still go and watch it.

EMMA

Mom, even if my group won, it wouldn’t affect me because I wouldn’t have been in it. Please, Mom.

MOM

No!

EMMA storms out of the room.

SCENE 4

EMMA and KATE are talking on the phone.

EMMA

Hello, Kate.

KATE

Hey, what’s up, Emma?

EMMA

I’m mad at my mom because she’s not letting me perform.

KATE

Well, you can’t because you hurt your leg.

EMMA

Well, it’s not like I broke it or anything. It’s just that I sprained it. But, I can still walk so I can still perform.

KATE

But Emma. Even if you didn’t hurt it that much, you could injure it even more. I can’t let you perform.

EMMA

Well, I’m still going, and you can’t do anything to stop me.

MOM listens in.

MOM

Emma’s still going. I must do something to stop her! But I must not tell Emma that I listened to the phone call, or she’ll get mad at me.

SCENE 5

EMMA is going outside.

EMMA

I’m going outside to talk a walk, Mom!

Mom, Mom where are you?

MOM

Hi honey, where are you going?

EMMA

Oh hi, Mom, what ya doing?

MOM

I’m just going shopping.

EMMA

I’m going to go out now. I am taking my crutches with me.

EMMA walks out and MOM follows

MOM
Where you going?

EMMA
I’m meeting Kate.

MOM

But Kate is at the competition.

EMMA

I know.

MOM

Why do you have a backpack?

EMMA

Because um…

MOM

Tell the truth.

EMMA

I want to go to the competition, because I know this year we’ll win, but if I don’t go, and we still win, I feel like I won’t have done anything because I won’t have participated in it.

MOM

What about if we go home, and I will make mac and cheese with broccoli — your favorite? We can call your dad when we get home. I know you miss Dad since he is away in Paris doing some work.                                                             

SCENE 6

MOM and EMMA are in the dining room eating dinner.

MOM

Sweetie, even if your team won, you would still support them.

EMMA

But Mom, even if they win I would be happy for them, but I wouldn’t feel happy for me because I wouldn’t have been in it.

MOM

But still, even if you weren’t even in the performance, it was still your team that won… You’re still part of your team, even if you weren’t there.

EMMA

I never thought of it like that, I guess you are right.

The phone rings

EMMA

Hi, Kate.

KATE

We won the competition!       

EMMA
You did? I’m so happy for you. I wish I was there, but at least you won, and our team has a trophy.                                                        

THE END

Man’s Best Friend

A bouncing ball of fluff hops your way, and comes to keep company. Although the day has been long and hard; tedious and boring, you feel a surge of energy rush through you, and immediately you feel joyous. Although a human can make your day better, you may have had undesirable memories of that person, and you may feel even more depressed or infuriated. On the contrary, a dog gives you joyous memories, for it respects you as its master. A dog is more suitable as a friend than a human in numerous ways.

Many years ago, dogs proved to be of great help to humankind. One example is a hunting dog. Dogs are said to have been evolved from wolves, so they have very sharp teeth like a predator, and an extraordinary sense of smell. Men soon found it imperative to take dogs hunting with them. If dogs hadn’t been loyal to their owners, meat would be hard to find, and the early humans could have died out. In other words, who knows if we would even be here on this planet if it weren’t for dogs?

Dogs are loyal to their humans today, too. On a cold and stormy night, Max the dog roamed around the house, going about his own business. All of a sudden, he perked up. A pungent smell filled the air. The smell was Carbon Monoxide! He raced to the room where his owners were sleeping, and would not stop barking and whining until everyone safely evacuated*. Carbon Monoxide is tasteless, odorless, and colorless to the human’s senses. However, a dog has an extremely sensitive sense of smell, so they are able to sniff out dangerous chemicals and substances.

Dogs also have very sensitive hearing. According to www.hearingreview.com, Nellie, a four year old dog, lived with her severely deaf owner. One day, Nellie heard quiet footsteps coming toward them, advancing very slowly. Nellie sprinted to her owner, and pawed and scratched at her until she was alerted of the intruder. As Nellie’s owner got him away from the house, Nellie stood between the man and the children, letting no one get to the 10 year-old and 15 month-old baby. Luckily, no one was hurt. I too have a dog; in fact, I have two of them. I sense their loyalty to the family, and they will try to protect the household (even though they are too small to do anything about it.) When I was about seven, one of my dogs jumped off the couch to try to protect us when someone knocked on the door, but ended up spraining his leg instead. This moment in time proved the fact that dogs would go to extreme measures to protect their family, no matter what.

Humans can also be loyal and trusting friends too. Barbara Bush said, “Cherish your human connections – your relationships with friends and family.” It is important to have human relationships too, so that you can connect with other people just like you, and not just shy away from the outside world. Additionally, humans can speak to their friends in an easier way to understand, unlike a dog’s barking and yipping at you. Many people have had the special experience of a friend or a loved one caring for them when they are sick, feel depressed or angry, or just in pain. Even siblings can be a friend (which is a little hard to believe for me.) Recently, I had a severe stomach ache, and each time I tried to walk I would crumple to the floor again. My sister cared for me through the whole thing, staying by my side and comforting me when I would start bawling my eyes out. However, once I healed, she wasn’t as nice to me as before. A dog would never do that, it would love me just the same.

Ultimately, a dog is the best friend that a person can have. In general, a dog is loyal to whomever it loves, and will always try to take extreme measures to protect everyone in its family. Through fear and tumult, pain and suffering, sadness and grieving, a dog is the best “medicine” that you can have. A dog will always remain loyal to its loved ones, and is the best acquaintance that one can have in life, even better than our fellow humans.

*Based on a true story

 

My Move

   

*Diary! Secret! Mia’s diary!*

Chapter 1: We are Packing

I was sewing in my room. My walls were pink with black and white polka-dots. The curtains in my room were pink with black and white polka-dots too. The covers of my bed were green with orange polka-dots. I was sewing a scarf. I stopped sewing and went to check what Lexi was doing. Lexi was sewing mittens.

“For whom are these mittens?” I asked.

“For me,” Lexi said. “Who did you think I was sewing it for?”

“Don’t know,” I replied.

“Anyway, what were you doing?”

“I was sewing a scarf,” I told Lexi.

“For who?

“For Kira,” I answered.

“Well, okay, get out of my room,” Lexi said. “I’m not mad, but I want my privacy!”

“Don’t be so mean,” I said jokingly as I was going out of Lexi’s room.

I went back to sewing my scarf. My scarf was blue, pink, and yellow. I kept on sewing for half an hour, and finally I was done with the scarf. I went out of the house to give the scarf to Kira. Just then, I remembered that I wanted to wrap it in wrapping paper.

When I went to get wrapping paper, Mom said, “Slow down, girl, where are you going?”

“To get wrapping paper,” I replied.

“For what?” my mom asked.

“For a scarf,” I replied.

“Where did you get a scarf, and who is that scarf for?”

“I sewed a scarf, and the scarf is for Kira.”

“Wait, I want to tell you some news,” my mom said with a smile on her face. “And also call Lexi and Dad to the living room.”

“Fine,” I said.

I was really happy we’d have family news again. Family news was always something good. Like, for example, one time, it was that Grandma Emma was in town, or that we were invited to a birthday party. I skipped happily to Lexi’s room, and told her to go to the living room. Lexi went straight to the living room. I skipped to my dad’s room, and told Dad to go to the living room. Soon, my family was all settled in the living room.

“Lexi and Mia, Dad and I have some news for you,” Mom said.

“What news? What news?” Lexi asked, really happy.

“We… we are going to move!”

“Move? Move… where?” said Lexi. Her voice wasn’t as happy as it had been.

“To New Jersey,” Mom replied.

“Is Kira going to move?” I wondered out loud.

“No, she’s not.”

“Then I’m not going to move!” I yelled.

“Is my best friend going to move?” asked Lexi.

“Did you forget your best friend’s name?”

“No,” Lexi answered. “Her name is Lily. And if Lily’s not going to move, then I’m not going to move.”

“Yes, you are going to move,” said Dad calmly.

“Are we just going to move for fun, or is it because Mom is gonna open a store?” I said.

“Not exactly. Mom’s going to open a new store and my work has a new location,” Dad explained to Lexi and me.

“BUT WE CAN’T MOVE! I’M NOT GOING TO LEAVE KIRA!” I cried.

“Yeah, we can’t move,” Lexi said. I was sure Lexi was on my side.

“But we are going to move,” Mom and Dad said at the same time.

“So I have to give the scarf to Kira right now, right?” I asked Mom.

“Right,” Mom said. “Well, wrong,” Mom corrected herself. “She can visit you and — ”

I interrupted my mom. “It’s a long ride to New Jersey, right?”

“Yes,” my dad answered.

“So, we’re going to end up not visiting each other, right?” I asked.

“We are going to visit Kira, just not so much,” Dad said.

“Is not so much once a week?”
“No,” Dad said. “Not so much means once every two months.”

“No! I have to see her at least once every two weeks!”

“You can use Facetime,” Dad suggested.

“Does she have Facetime?” I asked.

“Yes,” Dad answered.

“Yes,” Mom said, “we Facetimed Kira’s mom.”

“You sure?” I asked.

“I’m sure,” Mom and Dad said at the same time.

“Well, anyway, I got some boxes. Go pack your things,” Mom said. “We leave in two days.”

“Can we leave in three days?” I asked.

“Well… I’ll think about that,” Mom answered, giving Dad a look. “But let me get the boxes first.”

I whispered something to Lexi.

“Lexi, on one two three, let’s chant ‘we’re not moving!’”

Lexi nodded her head.

“One, two, three!”

Lexi and I began chanting, “We’re not moving! We’re not moving! We’re not moving!”

“Yes we are! Yes we are!” Mom began chanting. She motioned for dad to chant with her.

Mom and Dad began to chant, “We are moving! We are moving! We are moving!” Soon the whole family was chanting. Lexi and I were chanting, “We’re not moving! We’re not moving! We’re not moving!” and Mom and Dad were chanting, “We are moving! We are moving! We are moving!”

Soon Mom started chanting:

“Let’s be quiet! Let’s be quiet!”

The Kitaigorodsky family quieted down.

“Start packing already,” Mom suggested to Lexi and me.

“But we don’t have any of the boxes,” Lexi and I complained.

“Oh, I forgot about them. Let me go get some,” Mom said with a sigh. Then she added, “It’s hard to live here with you and Mia screaming that you’re not going to move. We’ll just move, and everything is going to be okay.”

 

Chapter 2: Moving Party

I forgot all about my scarf! I had to tell Kira that I was moving, and I could not move because I could not leave Kira at New York when I’m in New Jersey. I had to think of a way, and fast, to convince my mother and father that we could not move to New Jersey. I had to think fast, but I couldn’t make up at least one lame idea. I went over to Lexi’s room. Maybe she’d have an idea. I asked Lexi, “What are you doing?”

“What do you think?” Lexi answered.

“Doing nothing,” I answered.

“Well, what are you doing?”

“I was thinking of an idea to convince mom that we could not move,” I said.

“That’s exactly what I was doing!” Lexi seemed surprised.

“Have you thought of anything?” I asked Lexi. “Do you even have one lame idea? Why are you so quiet?”

“Nope, nope, and I’m not quiet.”

“Well, now you’re not, but you were.”

“Can we change the subject?” Lexi asked.

“To what?”

“To getting out of my room.”

“Don’t be so mad at me, girl!”

“I’m not mad! I just need my privacy.”

“Girls, are you packing?” Mom called from the kitchen.

“Um, we’re starting to pack,” I said as I was running into my room. But then I added, “I HAVE NO BOXES!”

“Go get some in the kitchen, Mia,” Mom yelled.

“Okay, okay,” I said as I as was rushing from my room to the kitchen to get some boxes. “You think I can pack all my stuff by myself?”

“Yes,” Mom said.

“Well, I need your help.”

“Okay, okay. Just put your boxes in your room, and I’ll pack them when you’re sleeping or tomorrow morning.”

I ran back to my room with boxes and put them right next to my bed.

“Now what should I do?” I called from my room.

“Now you should get your pajamas, brush your teeth and go to sleep,” Mom said.

“What time is it?” I called.

“8:30.”

“But my bedtime is at 10:00.”

“You know how long you brush your teeth.

“Oh fine.” I quickly changed into pajamas and rushed to the bathroom. There was a clock in the bathroom. I looked at it. It was already 8:45. I started brushing my teeth. Brush brush brush. I thought this was the shortest time I had brushed my teeth! But when I was done, I looked at the clock and it was 9:45. I had taken a whole hour to brush my teeth. Usually, I only took half a hour. This was a record for me! Actually, two records. One record was that I brushed my teeth one hour, not half an hour. And I never make such a big mistake like this. That was already two records! I rushed to the bedroom and plopped on my bed. Then I looked at the clock. it was still 9:45. I had a lot, well, not a lot, of time to read in my bed.

When it was 10:00, my mom called from the kitchen, “Turn the light off!”

“Okay, Mom.” I quickly looked at what page I was on, put my bookmark in, put my book away, and turned off the light.

The next morning, when I woke up, I looked at my bedroom. It was empty, except for boxes. I looked in drawers, but in only one of my drawers, I found some clothes. I quickly put the clothes on, and looked around. Boxes, boxes, and boxes. Boxes, boxes, and boxes. It was like I was a robber, and lots of police officers were surrounding me. I quickly stepped over all of the boxes (a.k.a. police officers). I looked in the boxes, and the boxes were actually, well, huge! Bigger than they were yesterday.

Suddenly the phone rang. I dashed to the kitchen with all my might, and right in time I got the phone. It was from Kira. She had already found out that I was moving from her parents. I didn’t know how they found out, so I asked my parents. You know what they answered? They answered that when they were Facetiming Kira’s mom, they told her. And Kira’s mom told Kira. And then Kira suggested a moving party! I was going to a moving party at Kira’s house! It was just going to be, me, Kira, and her mom. And it was going to start now. I went to Kira’s house and knocked on the door. Kira answered it.

“Welcome to your moving party!” she said.

I looked around her house. It was all decorated with pink, with black and white polka dots, just like my room is! I hugged Kira and said, “I DON’T WANT TO MOVE!”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t want to move either,” Kira said, and then added, “and I mean it.”

“Tell that to my parents,” I suggested to Kira.

“What’s your parents phone number?” Kira asked.

“Why are you asking?” I asked Kira.

“‘Cause then I can call them now,” explained Kira.

“Can’t you just walk to my house?” I asked Kira.

“Fine, I’ll tell your parents after your moving party!”

“Oh yeah, let’s start the moving party!”

I walked into Kira’s house and saw all my friends from school. I was surprised that all of them were here! Rachel, Pamela, Mallory, Areile, Kelly, Talia, Tara, and Nancy. I ran to Rachel, Pamela, Mallory, Areile, Kelly, Talia, Tara, and Nancy to hug all of them. After all, they were all my friends. Kira ran to get something. She came back with a blindfold. She tied it around my eyes. She led me into the dining room and then she took my blindfold off. On the dining room table was a big chocolate cake and in the middle it said with icing: We’ll miss you, Mia! All around the cake were ten cupcakes. One for each of us. Also in the middle of the cake it said:

Mia is nice

Inspiring

Amazing

“Thank you so much!” I yelled with all my might.

We all sat down and I found nine presents under the table. The first one I picked up was from Pamela. I unwrapped it, and inside was six sets of nail polish. There were the colors of the rainbow in each set. “Thank you so much!” I said to Pamela. “My nails will always be painted no matter what.” Next I grabbed Kelly’s present. I unwrapped it. Inside were two twin dolls! “I love them. They’re so cute!” I told Kelly. Next, I grabbed Mallory’s present. It was a picture of Rachel, Pamela, Mallory, Ariele, Talia, Nancy, Kira, Tara, Kelly, and a picture of just me. Next, I grabbed Ariele’s present. It was a gift card to Toys R Us. Ariele told me that inside there was $150. “Oh my gosh! That’s a lot of money! Thank you so much,” I told Ariele. “Now my parents won’t have to spend money. Next I took out Nancy’s present. It was a book and a diary with a pen. I tried to open the diary. I could not. “How do you open this diary?” I asked.

“There’s a password,” Nancy answered.

“What’s the password?” I asked.

“Mia,” Nancy answered. I typed the password Mia, and then I tried to open the diary. It opened! And then I could change the password to whatever I wanted. This was amazing! No one could look in my diary. Also, there was a book. it was Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Next, I opened Tara’s present. It was a cookbook, and things for me to sew. The cookbook was called Cookbook of the Year. I looked at  all the recipes. Amazing! There were recipes for cupcakes and cakes and cookies. Suddenly I got an idea! I could start a cupcake club in New Jersey with my new friends. If I got any friends, that is. We could bake cupcakes for people and get paid for that. They could be $5 a cupcake. So if someone wanted five cupcakes from us, they would pay $25.

Next, I saw two presents left. I picked them up at the same time. I unwrapped them at the same time. One of them was from Rachel, and it was a laptop. One of them was from Talia, and it was earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. I ran to Kira’s room to put on the earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. I came back with the earrings on my ears, the necklaces on my neck, and the bracelets on my wrists. Everyone stared at me with OMG eyes. I stared at them.

“What?” I asked them.Their mouths just dropped open. No one said a word.

”What?” I repeated.No one said a word. I ran into Kira’s room and looked at myself. Oh! I laughed. I was just so, so pretty!!! Then I came back and quickly logged into my laptop. I quickly downloaded things on my laptop. We started playing games on my laptop. Then it was time to eat. Kira’s mom came into the room, and sliced the cake into ten parts. She gave a piece to each of us. The cake was awesome. It was chocolate and vanilla cake, and the icing was half chocolate and half vanilla too. It was yummy! Delicious! I could eat this cake forever. I told Kira’s mom that. And then in my new cookbook, she found the recipe for that cake. it was called “Chocolate Vanilla Cake.” That was even better! I could eat that anywhere. Mom could just bake it, and then tada! We could have it. And I could have this cake for my birthday party. Awesome and amazing!

Then parents started to come to pick their children up. Before they even came into the house, I motioned for all of my friends, including Kira, to come into Kira’s room with me. I wanted to tell them something, and that had to be private without anyone sticking their nose into my business. When we were all in the room with the door closed, and I told them all how I felt.

“I feel very sad that I have to leave you, and I feel nervous that I have to go to a new school, and that I won’t get any new friends,” I said. “I don’t want to move. And I want you all to know that –– I will miss you all the same amount.” I motioned to all of them that I was done talking. We all went out of the room.

While we were going out of the room, Tara said, “Everything will be okay and we can Facetime each other, and I’m sure you’ll find new friends because this is your second time moving.”

“But this is different. The first time I moved, it was from Queens to Staten Island. That was just different boroughs. But I’m going to move to a different state. That’s way farther. And we’re gonna end up never ever visiting each other.”

Suddenly Tara’s mom told her that she had to leave this second because her sister had a ballet lesson. Tara hugged me and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll at least Facetime each other, and I think we’re going to visit each other.”

Tara hugged me, and I hugged her again. Then Tara and her mom left. In five minutes, Mallory’s parents appeared. We hugged each other, and Mallory said, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find friends, and even if you don’t, we can Facetime each other and visit.”

“I don’t know about that visiting part,” I said to Mallory. “It’s a long way from New York to New Jersey, or New Jersey to New York.”

“But anyway we will get to Facetime each other.”

“Are you sure you have Facetime?” I asked Mallory.

“I’m sure.”

“You sure?” I asked Mallory, because maybe she made a mistake.

“I’m sure,” Mallory said to me once again.

“Triple sure?” I asked Mallory.

“Triple sure,” Mallory said.

“Then, bye,” I said and then added, “I’ll miss you sooo much!”

“i’ll miss you even more than you’ll miss me,” Mallory said.

“Nuh-uh. I’ll miss you more, and it’ll be more harder for me because I have to go to a new school find new friends, and I have to leave. You just have to let me leave, and you can just keep playing with our other friends. You don’t have to do anything! You don’t have to worry, there’s no nerves for you!”

“Do we have Facetime, mom?” Mallory asked her mom.

“Of course,” Mallory’s mom answered Mallory.

“Gygygaga” Mallory’s little sister said.

“So cute,” I said to Mallory.

“You think so?” Mallory said. “Spend a week with her. Then you’ll find out.”

“I’m not going for that,” I said.

“There you go. You proved my point,” Mallory said. “You don’t want to live with her.”

“We have to go!” Mallory’s mom said.

“Gygygaga,” Mallory’s little sister said.

“Goodbye,” I said to Mallory. Mallory and I hugged again. Then she left. Everyone but Rachel and Talia left because their parents had the wrong time so we played some games until they left. Then it was just me and Kira. Me and Kira talked a little bit and played some games. Then, I left.

I looked at the time when I came home. It was 3:30 p.m. When I came home, I told Mom that my moving party wasn’t a moving party. it was a amazing moving party. And that was true.

 

Chapter 3: Texting in the Car to New Jersey

I was riding in the car to New Jersey. I didn’t know what to do. I’d already been in the car a half an hour, and the ride to New Jersey was two hours. A whole two hours and I couldn’t do anything! I took out my phone and started texting Kira.

MK: Riding in the car to New Jersey.

KM: What do u see around u?

MK: Nothing. 🙁

KM: What r u doing?

MK: Riding in the car to NJ.

MK: What r u doing?

KM:Texting u.

MK: What were u doing b4 u started texting me?

KM: Homework.

“Uhhh! This so boring! Am going to ride in the car for two hours doing nothing?” Lexi yelled. I ignored her. I kept on texting Kira.

MK: :p  

KM: For what are u sticking out ur tongue?

MK: U still have to do HW, and I’m riding in a car.

KM: I’m giving u a look through the phone. :/

MK: Well I’m giving u a look through the phone!

KM: I see u have less nerves about the move now. 🙂  

MK: No I don’t!

MK: I feel WAY more nervous because I know there’s no chance I’m NOT moving now.

KM: Look I know u’ll find a new friend.

KM: U’ll be happy with ur new school, and it’ll be like u never moved.

KM: U’ll just have no me, and new friends!

KM: The first time u moved here, u told us how nervous u were to move.

KM: But u found us! it’ll be the same adventure like last time.

MK: But this is different!

MK: I was moving from a different borough.

MK: Now I’m moving to a different STATE.

KM: Wait, what’s a borough???

MK: it’s like Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten island.

KM: Oh. Wait, then what’s a state??

MK: A state is NY, NJ, illinois, MA, and so on.

KM: Oh. Kk.

MK: So continuing.

MK: I’m moving further than I was this is totally different and it’s a two hour ride and we’re never EVER going to see each other again.

KM: I think we should end texting.

KM: I see ur getting upset, and I have to finish my HW

MK: Maybe we can text again soon? 🙂

“We’re here!” Dad said.

 

Chapter 4: The House

Mom had told me that she was going to unpack for me while I was sleeping. I had agreed, because it was good that I didn’t have to unpack. That would be hard. I wouldn’t had known what to put where, and it would take forever. But Mom seems to take only a minute or five when unpacking the family stuff. I looked in all my new drawers and everything. The room was completely empty. It was kind of like I was in jail, because in jail the person gets barely any stuff, and that’s it. There was nothing on the walls, just plain white. I had to remember to paint my room. Suddenly, I felt so sleepy. I lay on the bed.

That was a good nap. I looked all around my room.The walls were pink with black polka-dots. Everything was like my old room! Just my covers weren’t green and orange with green polka-dots. Wait a sec. This wasn’t my room. This was… Mom and Dad’s room. I went into my room. The walls were pink with white and black polka-dots and so were my curtains! Just like my old room! The covers of my bed were green with orange polka-dots. Mom and Dad and maybe Lexi had carried me from my room to Mom and Dad’s room! I took out my phone. I started texting Kira.This is how it went:

MK: at New Jersey

KM: When did u arrive?

MK: 10 minutes ago.                  

KM: exactly 10 minutes ago?

MK: About 10 minutes ago.

KM: U r a weirdo

MK: meanie!

KM: excuse me

MK: just joking

KM: I knew that

KM: u think that I didn’t know that

MK: I knew u knew that

MK: Whatever

MK: C u soon

KM: I want to keep on texting!

MK: fine we’ll say some more words and then we’re done talking

KM: do u not want to be my best friend anymore?

KM: we used to be twinsies.

MK: I want to be your best friend. Wait. let me correct that. I NEED to be your best friend. NEED.NEED.NEED.NEED.NEED.

KM: doesn’t look like it

MK: looks like it and I know it’s true

KM: o well. having fun in New Jersey?

MK: BORiNG

KM: what’s so boring

MK: well I don’t know a lot about this place. By the way, this looks basically like my old home

KM: o well.doing anything

MK: No

KM: I think it’s time that we should stop texting

MK: I think so to.

 

Hmmm. I think I should probably go out and try to make a new friend.

To be continued…

A Second Chance

 

a second chance pic1
Chapter 1: First Day

On her first day of tryouts, she got her gymnastics suit and her backpack and went on a plane. The plane was two hours. She was at the very back and there wasn’t anyone else next to her. She was feeling shy because it was her first day of gymnastics tryouts. She was wondering if she would get into the Olympics.

The teacher had said to them, “If you guys aren’t friends, I’ll kick you off the team.” Since it was a long time after the teacher said that, Maddie was thinking of Chelsea and maybe her other friends when Chelsea took the bus. Chelsea lived in Florida and Maddie lived in New York. When Maddie got out of the plane she took the bus. When she went to gymnastics, she saw Chelsea. She was shocked because Maddie and Chelsea actually weren’t friends, so she was extra shocked. Then they got teams, and Maddie and Chelsea didn’t have a team to go in, so they had to make their own group. But they barely got along. They kept saying mean things about each other’s ideas for the competition and they both wanted to win for the competition. So, they said sorry for real this time, because the wanted to win to go to the competition.

Then the coach came over and said, “Ready to start?” They both said yes and began. They worked on the floor and did the hardest stuff, because they wanted to go to the hard squad. They were glad that they were friends; it was better than just complaining. The only problem was that the other team was better than their group. They would never ever win, so they were really sad. They wished they would win but that would never happen. Well, maybe, but that would just be a dream.

Chelsea said, “What should we do about it?”

Maddie said, “Let’s both come up with an idea.”

The teacher said, “Come up with an idea, girls, quick! Before time is up and we practice.”

Chelsea said, “Quick, come up with an idea!”

Maddie said, “No, you are the one who comes up ideas. And I do it and you see if it’s right.”

Then Chelsea said, “Okay, I don’t want us to argue again. So, we should do what you say. You should do a handstand and a forward roll.”

Maddie tried to do it, but she kept on falling. They decided to switch places and Maddie had a good idea. She did a cartwheel, two back handsprings, and a fold-twist in the air. Chelsea did it and they both thought that they were going to get into the Olympics, and that they were better than the other teams. So, they kept on doing it over and over again until it was time for them to come up with a new idea and add it together.

Chelsea decided to do her routine from the last time she did gymnastics. They put it together and it worked out really well. Then, it was time for them to go home. Maddie called her mom and said, “Can we please have a sleepover with Chelsea? We need to practice our routine.”

He mom said, “Sure, just meet you tomorrow night.”
a second chance 2
Chelsea and Maddie went to the backyard of Chelsea’s home and practiced. Then they found out that the Olympics were in four days and they wanted to practice; but first they thought about each other and they thought it was nice to be friends. Then they hugged each other and then they went to work. They were really rushed so they both did the routine and they were so happy that they forgot when they were mean to each other. Then it was time for them to go to gymnastics and then they went and kept on practicing. Then it was time to go home and Maddie went home. Then four days later it was the Olympics day and they had to do the routine, and after the teams did theirs they found out that they won. Yay! Then the next day they went and the team was much harder so they worked their butts off. The teacher named Ella was so nice. Then they just found out that Chelsea’s mom is having a baby, so Chelsea had to sleep with the group and Maddie wanted to join. So the next night they went to the cabin and went to sleep. Then in the morning the teacher woke them up, except Chelsea and Maddie, because they were from her group and they needed sleep.

Then the teacher woke them up and they got dressed up and they went to work. Then they did hard things (well, kind of). Then they found out that the country they were in would have the Olympics in five days. So they really needed to get to work.

Then they picked a song called “Shake it Off” for the tryouts .

Chapter 2: Getting Ready for the Olympics

a second chance 3

Then they had lunch and they ate an apple and other great foods. Then it was time to do their gymnastics work. They had a hard time because they got it done and they were bored while they were waiting for others to finish their routines. Then it was time to do gymnastics. They did easy things like cartwheels. Then, it was time for lunch and they forgot their lunch boxes, so the teacher gave them lunch from the restaurant the teacher went to last night. They had pasta but it wasn’t as good as their mom’s. Then they went to sleep.The next morning, they practiced a lot.

Chelsea said, “Let’s do new things!”

Maddie said, “Okay.”

Then it was the day of the Olympics and they were doing the first competition. If Chelsea and Maddie won the competition they would win $1,000 and they would split it, $500 and $500. But, they wouldn’t be in the real Olympics — that happens once in awhile in that country. The next year, the Olympics would come. They almost didn’t win when Maddie was about to fall. Maddie felt disappointed for herself and for Chelsea. She was feeling that no one else would want to be her partner for the next competition. Her knees were shaking, but she didn’t fall and she was imagining her knees were shaking. Then, she hears Chelsea’s baby sister yelling and it wakes up her brain and she’s able to finish her routine. And they did their thing and they were on tv and they won. Yay! Then they got on the final team their moms and dads were watching. Then Chelsea saw her old friend.

Chelsea said, “Hi.”

Her old friend Zoe said, “I thought you did not like Maddie.”

Chelsea said, “Now I am her friend.”

Zoe said, “Well, now I am not your friend anymore.”

Chelsea said, “Why?”

Zoe said, “Well, I hate Maddie.”

But Chelsea did not care because she liked Maddie better than Zoe. The very next day, Chelsea went to Maddie’s house for a sleepover and they were doing their routine. They were doing a back handspring into a split and then a cartwheel. They wanted to go to sleep because it was getting late. The very next day they took a cab to the gymnastics place. They did their routine. Maddie said, “We should add more things to our routine.”

Chelsea said, “Good idea, but what should we add to our routine?”

Maddie said, “We should do bars.”

Chelsea said, “Good idea.”

“Thanks,” said Maddie. And then they tried it out and did a flip on to the bars and swung. But they didn’t like it: it was too short. Instead, they used the beam and did a dismount.

Chapter 3: Working on New Things

It was easy so they did it just fine. Then Chelsea went to Maddie’s house.  And they wanted to practice so they did it and they did it over and over again. Then it was time to go to bed but they could not go to sleep.

The very next day the teacher said, “We will be moving to a new class for the tryout team,” and they did. They got coach Mia. She is so nice; everybody likes her so she must be good.

The coach said to Chelsea and Maddie, “You are on the tryout Olympics.” Then it was time to practice, but they were bored.

They came up with a new idea. They were doing handstands into a roll. It was really fun, so they did that. Then it was time to have lunch, so they had a sandwich and an apple.

They had to eat healthy things because it makes you stronger. Then it was time for them to go home. So they went home together and they worked on a dance that was good. Then they had sweet potatoes for dinner. It was so yummy that they even had seconds. Then they went to bed and they fell right asleep. They were so sleepy. The next day was the competition, so they hurried to the gymnastics place and they hurried to change. They went to their teacher and they practiced. It was related to the Olympics. They forgot the competition was on Sunday and it was Monday, so they had to wait another week. Then they went to practice. And they added more to their routine.

Maddie said, “We should do a back handspring into a flip into a split.” That was the best idea she ever had.

Chelsea said, “Sure.” And they did the whole thing. Then they went home and they did their best to do well in the competition. Then they ate dinner. They had soup; it was yummy (Maddie’s mom is a great cook).

Before they went to bed, Zoe came in and said, “Sorry.”

Chelsea said, “It is okay.”

And then Zoe said, “Sorry,” to Maddie.

She said, “It is okay,” and they all hugged. Then they all practiced and they all went to sleep the very next day.

They all went to the gymnastics place and they said hi to the teacher and they went to work. They had to practice for the show but first they ate some cereal and then they went to work. After they were done they all chatted.

Maddie said, “I’m glad we’re friends,” to Zoe.

Zoe said, “Me too. I was wrong about you; you are nice.”

Chapter 4: Shopping

a second chance 4

Then they went to a shop to buy new phones. Maddie got a blue one, Zoe got a yellow one, and Chelsea had a red one. Then they went to buy some new clothes. They got the same things: green shorts and a black tank top. It looked great! Then they all went to Maddie’s house and they had a chance to go to the Olympics.

In the morning they went in the car and they drove to the gymnastics place: it was the day of the competition.

Then they changed and they did their dance and they went to do the best dance ever. When they were done, they won! They were the best ever. Then they all had treats: they had cupcakes and cookies and other treats.

Then they all did a high five. And they all were the best gymnasts ever. 

second chance 5

The next day they all got their picture taken and they were famous.

 

The End
second chance 6
This is when she is at the play date. The other picture is when Addie asks her mom to go to Chelsea’s house.

Atlas

The storm was raging. My mother and father ran to the lifeboats but they realized something was wrong –– my sister and I weren’t there.

“The children!’ my mother yelled at my father, and he quickly ran below the decks to find us. But we weren’t anywhere near the ship. We were far, far away from the boat, in the ship’s safest lifeboat. A while later my mother had no choice but to leave my father below the decks. But when the ship’s crew was lowering the lifeboat into the water, the ropes snapped in mid air and my mother’s lifeboat hurtled downwards towards the water.

“Mom!” yelled my sister. As the lifeboat went on its journey to find another ship that could bring us to New York my sister and I were crying over the deaths of our parents. A few hours later we safely boarded the Mississippi and heading toward Albany, New York.

Once we landed in New York, the Mississippi’s crew sent my sister and me to the nearest orphanage, but almost everything in it was so so old and dusty –– even the food! The only good part was the kids who lived in the orphanage they were all very very nice. But a few months later my sister and I could not stand the bad conditions of the orphanage so we packed all of our stuff, said goodbye to our friends, and left.

But that was about two years ago. Now we are working as doctors and scientists for the Atlas corporation. When we came to New York, we were wandering around the city until an undercover Atlas spy found us and took us to the main headquarters of Atlas. So far we have made dozens of grenades that unleash a deadly type of poison when they explode. We have also cured thousands of soldiers from wounds, poisons, and a deadly type of illness that will burn you alive. Ten years later, Atlas asked me to join the spies that go around bustling cities trying to find homeless children about at least ten years old, and I said yes. So my sister became a doctor, and I became a spy.

I still remember the first kid that I found on the streets. His name was Edward and he was fourteen years old. He started to live on the streets when he was ten years old because his parents died from a fire. It had started because their neighbor was cooking and he “accidently” lit a napkin on fire and dropped it into the pan that he was cooking with. It just so happened that there was oil in the pan. So yeah, his whole apartment exploded. So I brought Edward back to Atlas headquarters and the commanders trained him to be a soldier.

A few months later, I became a soldier and so did Edward. Now Edward and I are storming into battle at the Vespers main headquarters.

“Charge!” my general yelled at us. So we all charged into battle, thirsty for blood. In the next hour, bullets flew, men fell, and machinery exploded.

When we got back to base, my general quickly changed into his kitty pajamas and went to sleep. A few minutes later a group of Atlas soldiers snuck into the general’s bedroom. Inside the room, there were lots and lots of generals but their general was very conspicuous because of his pink kitty pajamas.

Suddenly all the generals inside the room woke up and started to yell, “!@#$%^&*”

Finally, when the founder of the Atlas calmed all the generals down, he told the soldiers very sternly that they should never ever sneak into the general’s room. Their punishment was to bathe in hot oil every day for every week of every month of every year for the rest of their lives. Edward and I both think the punishment was unfair but the general refused to release them.

A few days later my unit rolled into action at Bunker Hill. The first tent that my unit set up was the arsenal. Inside there were hundreds and hundreds of firearms. The next day, Edward, some of our fellow soldiers, and I boarded a battleship that took off towards the Atlas fleet. When we finally got onto the ship, we all took our positions. I probably got the most exciting job on the boat. I got to fire the gun! When we lost sight of Bunker Hill, we turned on the radar and the navigation device so we could see if any enemy ships were coming and where we were going.

A few hours later, our captain told us some big news. There was a whole fleet of enemy ships headed towards us. He told us to be ready if they suddenly attacked. When we could actually see the enemy fleet, we all opened fire. A few minutes later, we were surrounded by enemy ships and they blew us up. Edward and I were the only two crew members that survived.

By the time we spotted the island we were dead from thirst and water. We boarded the island and right away felt like it was better to die than to live. So right away we got out our army knives and tried to build a shelter so we could a least have a place to live in. By the end of the day, Edward and I had built the most magnificent shelter ever! (It was probably a lot better than Brian Robinson’s shelter.)

I told Edward to go and try to find some food, so he did. When Edward came back, I had already made the fire and was ready to cook the food. But when he came back he had some new cuts and also a huge claw mark on the side of his head. I asked him what happened, and he told me he had angered a huge chicken and it tried to kill him. Edward used his years of military training to kill the huge chicken. So after he told me the whole story he asked me to go with him to where he had killed the chicken so I could help him drag the chicken back to the shelter so we would have something to eat that night.

When we finally got back to the camp, the fire had already gone out so I had to make another fire which was pretty easy to make since I got first place in survival camp when I was fifteen years old. After we finished our magnificent meal, I told Edward to go to sleep while I tried to fix the radio transmitter and tried to call for help.

A few hours later, Edward woke and told me to go to sleep for a while. When I said no, he took the transmitter and started to do what I had done a few hours ago when he went to sleep. After a few minutes, I was so tired, I fell off the rock, hit my head on another rock, and blacked out. When I woke up, it was already morning and Edward was already back from the morning hunt with a bunch of wolves following him. Wait, what? A bunch of wolves!?

I asked Edward why he had adopted a bunch of wolves. Do you guys know what he said? He told me that when he was hunting, he heard the growls of the wolves and he seemed to understand what they were talking about.

In the morning, Edward confessed that the day before he had lied to me about the wolves. (Like I didn’t know that already.) He told me that the wolves had followed him back to camp because he had a hole in his bag of meat and the meat had dropped onto the ground. And then the wolves ate it and they followed him back to camp thinking they would get more food. But they didn’t, so they walked away.

In the morning, Edward’s loud cry woke me from my deep slumber. “Yay, yay, we’re saved, yay!!!”

I sat up and said, “Yo, keep it down, man.”

And he said, “But I need to signal that ship!!!” I took one look at the ship and wondered how Edward could be so stupid.

“It’s one of the Vespers’ ships!!!” I yelled at him. And then I saw her. Grandmama. “Stop it, Edward!!! That’s Grandmama’s ship!!!” I yelled at him. Then Grandmama turned her ship’s cannon toward our island and fired.

“Duck!” I screamed at Edward. He ducked and quickly fired back with one of the many coconut cannons that Edward and I had built. After a few seconds, I recovered from my shock and also started to fire back at Grandmama. Then I told Edward to stop firing because there was so much smoke we couldn’t aim correctly.

Five hours later, I said, “Hey yo, Edward, what do you want for dinner?”

And he said, “I’ll take some coconut water and that’s it.”

“Okay,” I replied.

In the morning old Grandmama ran out of ammo and ran to ask her fat son Samuel to deliver some ammo to her. While she was trying to radio Samuel, Edward and I took advantage of that and started to fire some coconuts at her ship, The Death Bed.

After a few minutes, Edward and I were looking at the ruins of old Grandmama’s ship The Death Bed, but I didn’t see that. With the last bits of her strength, she turned one of the ship’s last working cannons and fired at the island.

The next day, one of the Atlas ships found me and picked me up. When I got back to base, I learned that my sister had died of grief. Grandmama killed Edward when she fired the cannon in the last few moments in her life. My legs had been blown off in the explosion, so I couldn’t walk for the rest of my life. I hope I’ll be able to go for at least one more mission, but until then, Shadow Killer Out.

The Banana’s Life Change

Hello, my name is Banana, and this evening I was browsing the web on a website about trains. It is an amazing video game web. After that, I went into the bathroom to brush my banana peels. This was how I looked: I had really fluffy hair.

It was great to be a banana. I looked so beautiful… So I went to bed, and then I woke up. It was a really fast sleep. Bananas sleep really well. I looked in the kitchen to say “Good Banana Day’’ to my parents, but they were GONE!

This is how my parents usually looked:

They were two long bananas with furry lips and long hair they were hugging.

This was how they looked when they were gone:

They looked like NOTHING or ______. I was really sad.

Waaah!

But then a minute later the whole story zoomed right on my HEAD. I said, “Story, don’t zoom on my head!” And then I suddenly thought, I can go on a quest to find my parents.

I was going to have a super powerful spear and hair… hehe, AWESOME! So I took a stick from the garden and started training right away. I was swinging my stick at a wall, but then suddenly a massive lightning beam shot out of my body and vaporized the wall.

“WOW, that was new!” I shouted and vaporized another wall. “I am ready to fight anyone who stole my parents! They will get CHIP-CHOPPED TO A MILLION TINY LITTLE BABY PIECES BY MY SUPA BABY STICK!” I screamed extremely loudly. There was a strange creepy echo.

OH! I forgot to show you my stick. Here it is: it’s tiny and brown and little, and it looks like a baby little tree without the creepy eyes that glare at you and eat your soul. It destroys you and makes you die in less than two tiny little milliseconds. It makes you barf out yesterday’s breakfast (which was really yummy). Isn’t it AMAZING?! A second later I found out that the power wasn’t coming from the stick. It was coming from ME! That’s the last thing I remember before I fell asleep.

                                                              ***                                                                             
I woke up to the sound of grunting outside. It was like “GRAAA, GRAAA, GRAAA.” It was really annoying, ugh. Then I thought, All of that was a dream? But then I quickly flicked my arm, and a bunch of lightning flew right out. “YES, it isn’t a dream,” I said. Then I made my breakfast and ate it. This is how it looked: it had A LOT of amazing eggs and muscular pieces of bacon. Ooh, pretty good. My mom made it better. I was starting to miss her.

Then I went outside to check out the grunting noises. There was a massive donut eating my stick and saying, “BANANA WILL DIE! BANANA WILL DIE!” This is how it looked: it was really hairy and had FANGS!

It was REALLY CREEPY. He was also was holding a MASSIVE club. He was saying “HAHA, YOU HAVE COME TO FIGHT ME AND GET YOUR HEAD RIPPED OFF AND CHOPPED INTO TWO PIECES! I ALSO TOOK YOUR PARENTS!” in a really metallic voice.

I was OUTRAGED! I closed my eyes and then suddenly a plane just flew two meters by me. I looked down, and I noticed that I turned GIANT! And the donut still was pretty big. Then suddenly, the story zoomed right on my head. (Again, ugh.) So I thought, I am UNSTOPPABLE and I am going to get that evil, stupid, big, horrible, terrible, donut brat.

So I swung my big hand, and out flew twelve unstoppable blue lightning bolts. But the monster donut was quicker than he looked! He dodged the bolts and spat out fifty donut holes. I dodged and stepped on the donut monster. I squashed him, and then he turned into a thousand tiny donuts. The donuts jumped on me and bit me!  “MEAN TINY DONUTS!”

I summoned some lightning to take care of them (not in a good way), and they all got vaporized and turned to pink powder. And then I shrunk, and I was small again. “WEEE.” My parents were tied up to a tree. I went to them and broke the ropes. They hugged me, and we lived happily ever after.

Tim and Spud

When Tim looked back on it, he didn’t know when it started. Was it when Spud did the unspeakable, or was it when when his mother Leanne died seven years ago? No, he thought. It had started on his 12th birthday.

Sarah was in for the day. Sarah was his older sister, who was 18 and in college. Even Dad was in a good mood. Sarah had given him a scrapbook, and Dad was just cutting his cake (which was lemon, his favorite), when he paused.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Tim asked.

“Sarah will you get the present.”

“What?”

“Oh, wait.”

Just then, Sarah walked out with the strangest dog Tim had ever seen. It was brown and gold-specked with a long pink tongue hanging out of its mouth.

“He’s all yours,” Tim’s dad said. Tim looked at the dog and it pounced on him.

 

********************************************************************************************************

Down, Spud!” Tim tried to pull his dog down. He sighed and gave up. Then, the ice cream came. Maggie O’Connor, the kid of the rich couple next door, was nice, but her parents spoiled her. She wasn’t that bratty, but her parents would do anything for her.  

Maggie taunted Spud with her ice cream. Then, he broke free of his leash and jumped on her. Now, Spud was a pouncy dog, but this was too much.

“The blood!” Tim’s dad yelled.

The hospital monitor bleeped. Tim stepped into the room. Maggie was lying on the bed, her blonde curls spread out. Tim wished that she would be okay and that her green eyes would open again.  

Her mother sat with her head in her hands while her father sat reading the Bible. No one looked up.

“Um… ” Tim began. “I’m sorry about Maggie.”

Mr. O’Connor looked up. “That is enough, Timothy,” he said.

“Okay, well, bye,” Tim said awkwardly. He went home.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” Dad said.

“What?” asked Tim.

“The O’Connors are filing a lawsuit against us. I don’t want to have to pay for this. We have to get out of the country, Tim.”

 

Chapter 2

 

Dad’s plan:

  • Cross the border to Mexico
  • If anyone finds out, go to Cuba
  • If anyone finds out, go south

 

Tim packed some clothes, a picture of his family, some school supplies, a flashlight, and three tubes of toothpaste.

Then they left with Spud, of course. They climbed into Dad’s gray Porsche, and Tim smelled his old home one last time. Tim clutched the photo and the car drove off.

They drove on into the sunset, never stopping. Dad drove all night, or at least Tim thought he did. He fell asleep against his best efforts at 9:45. When he woke up, the sky was brightening again. It was almost as if the sunset was sinking again. His dad threw something in the backseat.

“Um, what is this?” asked Tim. He read the label:

SUPA-Cinnamon! Cinnamon rolls: three per pack. Microwavable. SUPA_YUMMY!

EW! Tim thought. He tore it open and ate it because he was hungry. It did not taste good — at all. It probably would have tasted even worse when it was heated. He saved one for Dad and gave the other to Spud, who ate it hungrily. He stared ahead and took out his math book. He made a solemn promise in his head to do three hours of schoolwork every day, except for weekends, and got to work on fractions.

A few hours later, Tim said, “Dad, I’m hungry.”

“Wait until dinner. No lunch on the road. We’ve only got 13,489 more miles to go.”

Tim wasn’t very good at math, but he knew this would take a while.

 

The road was dull. It was hot, and Tim was bored. Three weeks had passed, Dad stopping at delis at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Tim had been the proud digger of seven holes because of some bad sandwiches from delis.

Just then, they came to a big gate. A man was standing in front of it, looking bored. Dad drove up to him. To Tim, he hissed, “Say ‘YES!’” Tim had no idea what he was talking about. Dad handed the man two passports.

“Liam McKinley, history professor doing research on the social aspects on Mexicans?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Dad.

“Your son Adam McKinley is coming with you because his mother lives there?”

“Yes… ?” said Tim.

They passed.

“Could you have been more obvious?” Dad asked.

“Dad, what was that all about?”

“We did it. We’re in Mexico!”

They still had a while to go, and Dad stopped in a pub, promising he’d bring Tim back something.

Tim waited. At 1:55 a.m., Dad came.

“Dad!” said Tim, but stopped when he saw his dad. He was as drunk, but Tim did not know.

“Gotta go. Gave it away, stupid,” he slurred.

“Dad, you can’t drive.” Tim grabbed the keys, but his father grabbed them back. He looked at Tim with a fire in his eyes Tim had never seen before.

“GIVE THEM TO ME, YOU USELESS #%$@!” Tim leaned back, tears pricking his eyes.

He doesn’t mean it, Tim thought. But he wasn’t sure.

Dad drove a lurching five miles before he hit a sign and the car flipped over. Dad passed out, so drunk he didn’t even know what was going on. Tim helped flip back the car. No one was hurt. No one saw; no one was around for miles. Spud was in the grass. Tim knew what he had to do. He grabbed his dad’s phone out of his pocket. He went into contacts and saw the name Leanne next to a heart. Leanne was his mother’s name. Tim pressed Sarah, which was next to it. The phone rung. Please pick up, Tim thought. It rung again. Please, Sarah.

She picked it up and said, “Hello?”

“Sarah, it’s Tim. Dad is drunk, we’re in Mexico illegally, and the car is messed up. Come, Sarah, PLEASE come.”

“OH MY GOD, Tim, I had no idea. What town are you in?” Tim looked at the sign.

“El Diablo.”

“Ironic,” she said.

“I love you. Mom would never have wanted this.” The phone went dead. Tim slipped it back into his dad’s pocket and tried to think of a plan.

He didn’t need to. Dad was so hungover, they stayed in the car for two days, and then a taxi drove up. Sarah came out, Tim came out, and they hugged.

“Whassat? Dad said.

“Dad, we need to talk,” said Sarah.

“Tim, get in the car,” said Sarah. Tim got in the car and plugged in his iPod. He could still hear Dad and Sarah shouting at each other.

“HOW DARE YOU COME IN HERE INSULTING MY FAMILY?”
“HOW DARE YOU NOT TELL ME YOU WERE MOVING TO MEXICO?”
And on and on, just like that. Dad stomped off to the pub, and Sarah climbed into the car with Tim. Sarah took Tim’s hand.

“Timmy, how would you like to live with me?”

“You know, Tim, maybe you should, while I… get back on my feet,” TIm’s dad said.

They took a plane to Sarah’s house in California. Tim had convinced Sarah to let Spud come too.

“Well, we’re home,” said Sarah. “Here’s your room.”

Tim loved the blue room, which was perfect for a 12-year-old boy.

The school was also great. The kids were nice and they accepted him and Spud, who had mellowed down after seeing the neighbors’ dog, Felicia.

Maggie was fine, and so was her family. But one night, Tim couldn’t sleep. He went downstairs.

“Sarah,” he said.

She looked up. Her wispy blonde hair was in her face and her glasses were on the end of her nose. “Tim?”

“Is Dad okay?”

The words came tumbling out. It was not what Tim was going to say, but somehow he knew it was right.

“Oh, Tim,” said Sarah, hugging him. He hadn’t realized how stiff his body had been. “Dad is okay, he just needs to get a better life. He’s going somewhere where people will help him. I think he misses Mom.”

“I miss her too,” said Tim, “and I don’t even remember her.”

“I was only 11, but I miss her every day. But I see her in you, Tim, in your smile, in your laugh. Tim, Dad misses her, but it’s going to be ok. For all of us.” The siblings cried together until Sarah said, “I’m going to medical school to cure people with the disease Mom had.

Tim didn’t say anything, for he was asleep, and then Sarah lay down her head and slept with him.

Just a Girl, Part 1

Chapter 1: The Mechanic

Creak went the bulky android arm as I screwed it on.

“Here you go,” I said, handing an astounded old man back his newly-fixed android.

“Wow,” he said. “When old Darla broke, I never thought that she’d run again. Really,” he said, looking up at me with true happiness in his eyes. “Thank you, Julia”  

“No problem” I said, smiling.  The old man handed me 50 shonis, highly  overpaying me; but as I looked at him walking away with a bounce in his step, I thought I understood why.  Father had always told me, ever since I was a little girl, that being a mechanic is the best job you could ever have. You get to fix broken things and make people happy. Plus, it pays well. Father always got more than other mechanics even, because he was known throughout Newistonia  as being one of the best mechanics around. Back when Queen Maria still ruled, Dad would apparently sometimes go to the palace. But now that Queen Zarfina is in charge, everything’s different.

I straighten my long brown ponytail and put the CLOSED sign on the door of my small mechanic shop. I catch a glimpse of my bright green eyes in the glass and smile. According to Papa, my eyes are my best feature. I clamber into my hover. I turn it on and hear the familiar creak of the engine starting up. I pull back on the steer lever and slowly rise into the air. I love the feeling of flying above all the passersby without a care in the world. As I’m cruising along a memory floats back to me….

There you go,” Mom says. “Now, just put your arm on the lever.” I try, but let go of the startup drive in the process. The hover drops two feet in the air, but Mom swoops her strong arms behind me.

“You’re doing excellent,” she says, laughing. I smile as she carefully maneuvered our way down.

I frown and shake off the memory. Just after that fine spring day nine years ago when I was just nine, Mom had left to, “pursue her acting career.” Two weeks after that we received a sid link from the Speshona City Hospital, saying that Camilla Roberts had died of mental illness. We didn’t get any further information.

To get my mind off things I decide to send a sid link to Papa telling him I’m almost home. I’d already turned on my edonscreen when a maniac driver cuts me off. “$%&@#” I say and slam on the horn.

“Command unclear, Julia,” my edon, Ida, says.

“It wasn’t a command,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Okay Julia” she says as I pull into the spot outside of our small town house.

I get out of my hover and lock the door. I walk up the front steps and open the front door.  “I’m home, Papa” I call out.

 

Chapter 2: Home Again

I walk in and go to Papa on the couch. He greets me with his usual “There’s nothing on T.V.”

“I love you too, Dad.” I say, and kiss him on the cheek. Suddenly he starts coughing. I frown. This hacking cough is one of his many ailments. He used to be a fine, healthy, middle-aged man; but when he hit 50 he started, as he put it, “getting old.” I made him stop working. What he mainly does now is watch football on T.V. and go for walks in the park. He doesn’t need to do that, but I want him to. It must seem like I’m being overprotective, but I just want to keep him as healthy as possible. I couldn’t bear to lose him, too.

I’m about to go to the cupboard and grab his medicine, but he says, “I’m fine honey.” I smile weakly. I put my arm down and open the fridge. “Anything good?” he asks.

“If half a slice of pizza and two chicken wings counts as good,” I reply.

“Can we order Italian?” he asks, as if I’m the parent here.

“Sure,” I say and send a sid-link to Bonnie’s Italian for three plates of their delicious steaming hot spaghetti. Our family loves Bonnie’s. My great-great-great grandparents went there all the way back in 5050. Now, 200 years later, Bonnie’s is still our family hangout. I sit on the couch next to dad and smile.

20 minutes later, I hear the buzz meaning weight has been detected near our front door. Our creaky old android Annie rushes to the door. She opens it to reveal the delivery android, Frank. We see a lot of him here.

“That will be 30 shonis,” he says, handing over our spaghetti. I put the money in his built-in cash register and close the door as he’s rolling away. I turn around to face Dad.

“Spaghetti time” I say.

Half an hour later, full with spaghetti we plop down on the couch. We turn on the news. What I see nearly makes me jump out of my skin. BREAKING NEWS: QUEEN ZARFINA, DEAD.

Queen Zarfina, dead??? It can’t be. I pinch myself on the arm and blink. Nope, the headline’s the same. It was no secret that she had killed her sister Maria to be queen. Everybody thought that she would do whatever it takes to stay queen. She has dozens of the best doctors in the world working tirelessly in her research labs. But I guess karma has caught up to her.

I turn to Papa and see he is wearing the same shocked expression as me. “Wow,” we say in unison.

 

Chapter 3: The Surprise

As I climb into my hover the next morning I still can’t believe that Zarfina is actually dead. It seems like she’s still here. Now I wonder who is going to be queen. She never had any kids, but no one ever worried about it, because like I said, we all assumed that she was going to live forever. Curious, I say to Ida, “Turn on newsfeed.”

“All right, Master Julia” she says. I look at the screen and the hover almost skids out of the lane. HONK. An old man glares at me as he passes me.

“Sorry!” I say. But honestly, anyone in my position would have done the same thing. Usually, handsome newscaster Tristan Cooper would cheer me up, but today, I want to punch him on the nose.

“WAR,” he says. Apparently everyone wants to be ruler. The first battle was only 2 miles from here in the rural Commentoy. “It could be coming to Speshona next.” Tristan says, before it cuts to ads.

I curse under my breath. “Ida, send a sid-link to Papa saying that there is a war.”

“I can’t do that, Master.”

“Why not?”

“Adam Roberts’ edonscreen has been disabled due to the fact that he is now a patient at the Speshona City Hospital.”

“WHAT??

 

Chapter 4: At the Hospital

I shriek so loud the old man driving next to me says, “Watch it, kid.” I’m so confused. Papa, in the hospital? He was fine this morning… Or was he? I don’t know.

“Ida, I need the directions to Speshona City Hospital. Now.”

“Turn left on Bridge street….”

“Papa!!” I call out down the long sterile hallway of the hospital.

I see a kiosk on the wall and type in Adam Roberts. Hall 6, Room 4, it says. I rush there and bang open the door. I see Papa lying unconscious on a white hospital bed. It’s my worst nightmare. I see a doctor taking notes in a corner and say, “What-what happened sir?”

“Are you family?”

I nod frantically.

“Adam suffered from an unexpected heart attack. He might not make a full recovery.”

“Not a full recovery?”

“He had been unconscious for 30 minutes before our sensor picked up on his body. Because of that, he was getting sicker and sicker before he received help. But we will try our best. And what is your relation to him?”

“He’s my Dad,” I say weakly.

“We will keep you updated, Miss Roberts,” the doctor who I now see has a name tag saying Dr. Roth says. He briskly walks out of the room.

I collapse into a chair next to Papa’s bed and squeeze his hand tightly. “Please be alright,” I whisper. “Please.”

When I wake up the next morning I’m blinded by the bright white lights of the hospital. At first I’m confused and expect to see my pale blue wallpaper, but then I realize where I actually am. I quickly open my eyes and see Papa on the bed.

“Jules,” I hear him whisper.

“Yes???” I say and jump up out of my seat.

“If I…”

“Don’t say it, Papa, don’t.”

“Well, keep running the shop for me. The month’s rent for the house is 400 shonis. You must have that.” Then he breaks into a hacking cough and I rush to get him a glass of water, tears pouring down my face. I try to hand it to him but he’s too weak to accept it. I anxiously pour it into his mouth.

“Papa…” Than he squeezes my hand. But soon, I no longer feel the pressure of his hand. Tears slosh down my face like big, heavy raindrops as a beeping sound fills the room.

A white medical android rolls into the room. It says, “Mr. Adam Roberts of Speshona, Newistonia has, as of 10:32 a.m., died. I will now take his body to the research labs.”

I stand there, helplessly, as the android takes away Papa, my papa, to some foreign research lab. I rush to the bathroom, sobbing,

 

Chapter 5: Hank’s Message

An hour later, all cried out, I sit in the clean white bathroom stall and think about how alone I really am now. No parents, or even annoying little siblings. I start sobbing again, but pull myself together.

“What should I do?” I mutter. I take a deep breath and take out my edon from my back pocket. In a shaky voice, I say, “Ida, locate my hover.” My voice breaks and tears start flowing again. I wipe them away and follow Ida’s directions to Lot 12, Row 49. I climb into the hover and rise into the air. The wind hits my wet face, making it red and raw. I try to ignore it and think, Just wait until you get home, Julia.

Just then, Ida says, “Incoming sid-video from Hank Brennan.” This lifts my hopes a little bit. I’ve had a crush on Hank since elementary school. Now he’s moved to Acconio, the capital, to work at the palace. But I still get to sometimes talk to him, even if it’s not often. His face appears on the screen and I quickly wipe my tears away.

“Hey Jules,” he says.

“Hey,” I reply.

“Listen, I don’t have much time to talk, but I just wanted to tell you something.” I nod. “So, the other day I heard some royal advisors talking about you in the conference room. They said that ‘Julia should be notified soon, it’s getting late. She needs to be here, now.’ So I just wanted to let you know that you should come here, to the palace, ASAP.” Then the screen goes blank. Hank has hung up.

Great, I think. Just what I need, a 200 kilometer trip to the capital. Although, it does seem like I should be there, but…

I frown and pull into the parking space outside of the townhouse I now live in, alone. I slam the door of the hover and run to the family room, where I fall down onto the couch, hug my knees together and start to cry, my back shaking with sobs.

 

Chapter 6: Getting Ready

I walk to the small chest where we keep the blankets and pull out an old, ragged brown one. It was Papa’s favorite. Wrapping it around me, I walk back to the couch and curl up in a ball, inhaling his scent of the mint gum he’s always chewing mixed with a tinge of Bonnie’s spaghetti sauce, and I am filled with nostalgia for my pop. What do I do, what do I do? I think, rocking back and forth. Well, I’ll pack for Acconio.

I smile shakily, grateful for something to do. I slowly walk to the room I’ve had my whole life, and go to the brown dresser in the corner. I pull out ten t-shirts, one (shudder) skirt, and eight pairs of pants. I go to my closet and take out my blue suitcase. I throw the clothes, as well as sneakers, sandals, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and five big shirts for pajamas into it. I grab an orange waterproof sleeping bag and a small travel pillow and throw that in there too. Then I get the brown blanket from the living room. Satisfied, I zip up the suitcase and call for Annie. “I’m going on a trip,” I tell her. “And I’m bringing you with me.”

20 minutes later, I have put Annie in the seat next to me in the hover, thrown my suitcase in the trunk and given Ida the directions to Acconio palace. I pull into the air and have Annie turn on music. Suddenly I wonder how long it will take to get there. I ask Ida this who replies, “17 hours.”

Not too bad, I think. If I spread that over the course of two days, I could get there by Tuesday. Then I remember when Papa and I used to go on road trips to the ruins of the American cities each year for years. Tears well up in my eyes, sloshing onto the leather seat in big heavy drops. I try not to think about how I’m going somewhere far away solely based on something someone overheard but about Ally Clarkson’s new song, “Rainbows!!” I laugh, and am slightly cheered up.

Later in the day, I’m bored out of my mind. Even though auto-drive has caused many hover crashes, I still set the hover to it. As the wheel turns, I turn on Ida and begin playing Candy Crush. I twirl the candies together and my thoughts begin to drift. To Mama, Papa… I begin to wonder about my mother’s death. When she died, I was too little to really understand. But now I wonder, why didn’t they give us further information. Mental illness??? Sorry, hospital, but that’s not much to go on. But maybe Pop got more information and just didn’t tell me. Poor, fragile nine-year-old me. Now I think I know what happened. Had Papa been hiding something from me? As I pull into a motel that looks like it’s from 2050, I begin to feel upset. My father’s perfect untarnished memory is now being ruined. I settle into a restless sleep in my room with a twin bed that barely fits into the room.

 

Chapter 7: The Storm

I wake up at around six the next morning, used to getting up to go to the shop. I grab my suitcase and walk out of the room. Instead of the transporter usually installed at hotels, there’s just an ugly, hot pink, tiny elevator. Well, this looks like it’s the best I’m gonna get, I think, looking down the empty hallway.

I shove myself in, barely fitting with my suitcase and press LOBBY. When I get there, I see the concierge asleep at the front desk. I slip a 20 shonis bill onto the desk and hurry out. I clamber into the hover and rise into the air. I see some storm clouds ahead and steer away, thinking once again about Mom. Hadn’t I seen the sid-link from the hospital saying Ma was dead? I think. But maybe the hospital was lying to Papa as well. I sigh. Maybe she really did just die of mental illness.

An hour later, I see a storm about  20 feet away. I press the WEATHER PROTECTION button on the front panel as Ida says, “Incoming sid-video from Hank Brennan.” Hank’s face pops up.

“I know why they want you here!” he says in an urgent whisper. I gasp, but then the screen is filled with static. I look out the window and curse when I see that we’ve hit the storm.

“Annie, can you try and fix the receptor?” Although Annie is an old android, she’s still equipped with weather protection. Or so I thought….

As Annie climbs up the side of the hover, a particularly ferocious wind hits it. The water gets in her head cables and I gasp as Annie’s dark brown eyes turn black. She falls down the side of the hover. “No!” I cry out as Annie tumbles down into the raging storm. I yank out the brown blanket and collapse under it, mourning dear old Annie. I peer out of the sides of the blanket and begin to steer. Annie….

 

Chapter 8: Newsfeed, Water, Getting There

Annie. How could she be gone? She’s always been there. The comforting, ever-present friend. She had been Papa’s android ever since he fixed her up when he was a little boy. Even though Papa’s gone, I thought that I’d always have Annie. She was the only connection I had with Papa left. Now….. I cry and wrap the blanket around me. About half an hour later I begin to wonder why they want me at the palace. Wrapped up in grief, I hadn’t had time to really think about that until now. I try to send a sid-video to Hank, but then realize that the internet receptor is now permanently damaged. I could fix it, if only I had the tools. I never had the best forward thinking abilities. Well, I guess I’ll just have to make do with what I have. Which is… nothing.

An hour later, I turn on newsfeed, thinking about the war going on. It seems like ages ago that I was driving to work and my life changed forever. “Now we are deep into war,” Tristan Cooper says. “It is spreading, and the palace guards have yet to do anything about it.”

I think about poor Hank, who is a palace guard. Newistonians are very strong-willed, so he and his co-workers must be getting tons of angry letters this very moment. I tune back in to hear Tristan say, “And the battles are getting closer and closer to our capital each day. In fact, channel nine has exclusive information on the recent battle in our own Speshona.” I gasp and think about all my friends that might have been harmed. As Tristan goes over the list of casualties, I cling to my seat and am relieved when I don’t see Big Joe, who has been like a grandfather to me, or any of my other childhood friends.

When the show ends, I realize that although I changed into a new t-shirt at the hotel, it’s sticking to my chest. I feel like a little kid again as I say “Ewww,” and pull over the hover. I go to the back of the hover and put up the wash partition. I undress and press the WATER button. “Aah,” I say as the warm water pours into my dirty hair. I’m so glad that I installed the shower update two years ago. At the time, I found it unnecessary, but now, I’m so grateful that I did. Thank goodness for dear old Papa, who said, “You never know when you’ll need a shower.” I laugh at the memory. 20 minutes later I’ve wasted hot water and gotten back into the driver’s seat. Then, towering in the distance I see the tall spikes of the Acconio palace.

 

Chapter 9: Arrival at the Palace

When I reach the palace gates, a guard brusquely says, “Identification.”

“Julia Roberts.” I pull out my identification tag, which the guard harshly scans. I remember going with Papa when I turned ten to get registered and be given an I.D tag. By the age of 11, all Newistonians are required to be registered with an I.D tag.

I sigh as the guard opens the gate and I drive through. Unsure of where to park, I pull the hover down on the side of the parking lot and climb out. I take Ida and shove her into my pocket. Sadly, there’s no Annie any more, so I just take my suitcase and walk to the front door. I spot a familiar face and wave at Hank, who smiles and opens the door. Looking left and right, he deserts his post and ushers me inside.

“I’m glad you came,” Hank says. “Where’s your dad? And… where’s Annie?” Right. He doesn’t know. This is going to be hard. I shakily take a deep breath and begin to tell him everything. About Papa’s death, and the storm. In a way, saying it makes me feel better, but it also brings back memories I’ve been trying hard to forget. Hank looks at me, his bright green eyes filled with sympathy.
“I’m so sorry, Jules,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper. I smile weakly. Just then, his edon, which is clipped to his belt, buzzes.

Startled, I say, “Who’s that?”

He plasters a grin onto his face and says, “My boss, Royal Adviser Evan Patterson. He says to escort Ms. Roberts to her chambers.”

“How does he know I’m here?” I ask, clueless.

He points to the walls and I see that security cameras are on almost every single wall. “Well then, ‘Ms Roberts’ let me bring you to your chambers.”

I laugh, and hold out my hand regally. “Why certainly, Monsieur Brennan.”

He takes my hand and brings me down a long, carpeted (I would say hallway, but that seems too drab, sooo) corridor. He stops at a large, wooden double door. He pushes it open to reveal the most lavish room I’ve ever seen. Shocked, I stare at the queen size bed, large wardrobe and plush white carpet. I walk in, stunned, and plop myself onto the teal comforter. I’m ready to fall asleep, when Hank pulls me up and says, ”You havent even see the bathroom yet.”

“I have my own bathroom?!” I squeal like a kindergartener. Hank laughs at me, and I playfully punch him on the arm. “In my defense, I’ve never had my own bathroom before,” I say. He just keeps laughing, and leads me to the bathroom. A grin breaks across my face. There’s a separate bathtub! This bathroom is as big as my room back home in Speshona. I twirl around, taking in the shower with a thousand different settings on the shower head, the double sink…. I smile and walk back to the main room, noticing a door I hadn’t seen before. I push it open and see a humongous walk in closet, filled with ugly frilly dresses, but also, and I’m shocked to see this, a few plain cargo pants and about ten t-shirts. I happily pull them out. I only packed a few t-shirts, and have been running low on clothes.

Then I hear a buzz behind me. I turn around and hear Hank mumble something into his edon. I turn around and he says, “They want you in the conference room.”

Chapter 10: New Job, New Life

20 minutes later, I’m seated in at a long table with about 15 stern-faced men. They introduce themselves as royal advisers. The one name that I remember is Evan Patterson, Hank’s boss. “Julia,“ he says seriously.

“Hey,” I reply, unsure of how to address a royal adviser.

“We have some very serious matters to attend to….” It seems like he’s about to say something, but refrains. “Well, let’s just say that Zarfina never really was the true queen of Newistonia.”

My eyes widen. I mean, I knew she was never the best queen, but taking over someone’s throne… well that’s just pure evil.

“We unearthed some shocking information that some extremely upset palace doctors gave. We also found some files in her private quarters,” he continues. “We found out not only that she was never really the true queen, but also something more about her past. She was a poor orphan girl who Queen Amanda and King Andrew adopted. They took her in as their own,and raised her along with their daughter Maria.”
“Wait, so Zarfina was adopted?!”

Patterson nods angrily and I can tell he wants to get back to the story.  

“As time passed, most people grew to forget that Zarfina wasn’t their true child. When Amanda and Andrew died, the crown passed to their first-born, Maria. Zarfina became extremely angry at Maria because in her opinion the crown should have been passed to her.”

“Why? Maria was their first-born.”

“Zarfina was a mere month older than Maria, but the royal advisors of that time decided that the royal bloodline must prevail. As you may know, after just five months into her reign as queen, Maria mysteriously died. People have long suspected that Zarfina killed her, but there was never any proof. You probably don’t know that Andrew and Amanda did have another girl, Camilla.”

I gasp. “Like my mom Camilla?” He nods solemnly. “How do I know that you’re not lying? Besides, if that was true, everyone would know about this. Zarfina wouldn’t have become queen.” I say frantically, biting my nails.

Patterson smooths down his bright red and gold robes and sighs, “Alas, there is more to tell.”

I wrap my arms tightly around myself, worried about what Patterson is going to say. I take a deep breath as he continues with his story.

“Zarfina, that clever mastermind, blackmailed the palace doctors into inventing the most powerful brainwashing device that ever existed. She then used it on all of the citizens through parties and meetings. She made everyone believe that she was her parents’ only child, and that Camilla didn’t exist at all. Camilla herself is brainwashed. She now believes that she was the late queen Maria’s hand maiden. Now that Maria is dead, Camilla moves to Speshona and begins a new life.”  Shocked, I sit in the comfortable brown leather chair and begin biting my nails.

I think I know what’s coming.

“15 years later, she called Camilla back into the city. Camilla, having no idea about her true past, thinks that she is being called by the queen for some important business. She unknowingly lies to her family and travels to Acconio. Zarfina then –– ” he stops and says quietly, “I think you know what happens next.” I nod and tears begin to leak out of my eyes. All this time, my mother was the true queen. Which means… Patterson nods.

“You are the true queen of Newistonia.”

~ End of Part 1~

The Drum Set

Chapter 1

On a nice and sunny day, Stewart, the hero of the book, went to his uncle’s drum store called “Get Your Percussion Here!” So he went in, said hi to his uncle, then saw a drum he really liked. He looked at it every day.  And then finally, it was ten days until his birthday. Ten days later, he came back to the shop.

He asked his uncle, “Can I get a present here for my tenth birthday?”

His uncle said, “Sure, why not?” Then he went with his uncle to the drum he looked at every day. That drum didn’t only have the bass drum and the snare drum and the high-hat, and the low drum and the high drum, it also had the medium drum, cymbal one, two, and three, and the cowbell, and the main cymbal. He went to test the main cymbal. Once he hit it every thing that he saw stopped. Time stopped. Everyone around him stopped, even his uncle. The drums stopped. Something weird happened to his mind. It started to hurt. And he saw a picture.

Then he thought, maybe it could be the future.

He was like, “Why is everything frozen? Wait a second. Everything’s frozen! That’s awesome!”

Then he went outside his shop. Since the boy’s favorite food was candy, he went to Dylan’s Candy Bar and he looked at his watch to see what time it was. All he saw was 12:57 p.m. The seconds were 53 and they didn’t move one inch. Then he took some of his favorite candy bars, finished them, and threw them in the garbage. He went back to his uncle’s shop, went in and said these words: “Abra cadabra. I demand the world to unfreeze!” Then he looked at his watch. It was still 12:57 p.m. and fifty three seconds. Then he got a little bored. So then he wanted to go play the drums. After a while, he hit the main cymbal and then everything as he knew it started to go as if nothing had stopped.

His watch started to go, his uncle said, “Yeah sure,” and he didn’t know about Stewart stealing the candy bars.

Then Stewart said, “Wow!” with excitement. “Uncle,” said Stewart. “Can you please help me carry the drumset home?”

His uncle said, “Yeah sure, why not?” So they moved the drum to his house, said hi to his mom and dad, read a book, and went to bed.

The next morning he went to school. He had the worst day of his life. All his friends weren’t there and there was nothing to do, just him and all the girls in his class. He wondered where all of his friends went. When he came back home he rang the cymbal again. Everything as he knew it stopped. Time stopped. His parents stopped. And when he threw a book it didn’t go down, it just stayed in mid air. He went to his friend’s house and looked to see if they were home. Guess what he saw? He saw all his friends with chicken pox watching a movie, eating popcorn at Neymar’s house. That makes him feel he was just left out and they were not friends with him anymore.

He went back home. On the way, he went to the supermarket and took a snack or two. Then at home, he took his book, moved it back where it was supposed to be, and then rang the cymbal again. He thought, Should I keep this cymbal a secret, should I give to anyone, or should I just throw it away? You know what, I’ll just throw it away. And then he threw it out the window into the trash, read a book for a minute and went to bed.

 

CHAPTER 2

The next morning the first thing he did was look at his drumset outside. Then he was like, What the heck? Where is it? It was in the garbage. Where could it have gone? Then he looked at his room and right in front of him was his drumset.

Stewart said, “What in the world? How is my drumset still here? Didn’t I throw it out last night? This is so confusing. I wonder what happens when I hit them bottom of the main cymbal. I’m gonna do it now.”

Then Stewart hit the bottom of the main cymbal. A giant sized computer came out of the bass drum on the right side.

It said, “Hello Stewart, when would you like to go today?”

Then Stewart said, “I think you mean ‘where’ not ‘when.’ But anyway, how can you talk, Computer?”

The computer answered, “Oh, you programmed me ten years in the future.”

“Future? How do you know all this?” Stewart said.

The computer answered, “Because you made me. Ten years from now.”

“B-b-b-but how did you come from the future? This is just a normal drum set. I think…”

“But Stewart, it’s not. You made this drum set ten years in the future and then you came back here fifteen years ago and put it in your uncle’s drum shop.”

“Computer,” Stewart said in a confident voice, “why did I program you to come here?”

“Because five years from now there will be an alien invasion, and it’s going to destroy all of humanity and all of the world. You’re our only hope.”

“M-m-me? Why me?”

“Five years from now you’re going to survive the invasion, and in the future three years from now you are going to be super smart, but only if I tell you this. And Stewart, the next two years after those three years, you build something that can take you to space. You go there and look for aliens, ‘cause then they will still just be planning to take over Earth. You’re going to need to go to an alien, try to be friends with him and not say anything mean, and ask if you can take one of his hairs on his body. That will be some alien DNA. Go back home and make a machine that can make a forcefield around the earth to stop the aliens and in the next couple of months they can’t invade our planet and we can live our lives in peace. But don’t forget to test it in a little size on your alien friend.”

“But I’m not going to be smart enough to do that!”

“Remember what I said. Study hard for the next three years in school. Raise your hand as much as you want in class, and after school go home and do your homework and research on any device how to be smart. For the next three years. And also if you want to stop time with this drum set, just tap the main symbol and you can study for the next five hours of the day. And don’t forget, if you want to speed up time, which I don’t recommend to do, play the snare drum.”

“Okay, thanks, Computer.”

Now I will go and destroy the aliens that are trying to invade Earth! In the next book called The Drum Set: Alien Invasion!

The Revolution

“Your home planet, Planet X, was a very peaceful planet until it was invaded by aliens. You were just a baby and you were separated from your birth parents. You cautiously wandered into the town hall. You looked around and slowly started to walk forward, except after two steps you heard a crunch under your feet and you looked down. You saw that you stepped on the broken transporter tile, well, at least you thought it was broken. Slowly, you were enveloped in golden light, and then darkness. Suddenly, you appeared in the middle of a foster home on Earth. That’s when we found you. Being fellow aliens from Planet Y, we immediately understood your predicament and took you in. We brought you home and taught you how to improvise and how to survive. We taught you those things because when you are a survivor of a supposedly destroyed planet, and all of your family, relatives, and friends are dead, you have a target on your back. A big red one. Many monsters out there, or aliens, as you call them, would be rewarded by the Kraken, the one who destroyed your planet and many others, like ours. So we started to train you. We gave you lifelike illusions to teach you how to think on your feet. Then, in the middle of a practice session, when you were a little over thirteen years old, our little TV switched on and reported supernatural behavior and aliens being sighted on Earth. We were worried that they had come to get you, so we went outside to prepare. But we realized that preparing would do nothing when we saw what lurked in the shadows. And there he was. The Kraken. Waiting for us so he could kill us the second we stepped outside. As he crushed our puny little bodies, we shouted out to you, ‘Run, Warren! You don’t deserve the same fate as us!’ Remember, there can always be peace, you just need to find it. And remember Warren, wear your name proud, just as a true Peace would. To remind your enemies that they can never win, tell them your name, Warren Peace.”

Warren wanted revenge. His anger at the Kraken awakened his power to create things with his mind. He was thinking about his parents and what they said when he heard a voice in his head.

“Don’t worry Warren! We will always be in your head.”

Warren recognized that voice. It was the voice of his mother. Then Warren thought, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Then he heard his father’s voice respond, “You know we can hear you, son.”

“Sorry, but sometimes you can be a bit annoying.”

“Well, I guess every parent has their quirk. Well, back to the point. We believe in you. Now that you’ve discovered your newly-awakened powers, you should be able to build The Destroyer. But, it will take a year of work even with your powers. Once you’re done, you will have to shrink it to the size of a cup so you can put it in your pockets. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to move it because it will be the size of this whole house.”

“Ok, bye.”

The vision of them in his head flashed out of view. Warren mumbled to himself, “Ok, now I need to get to work.”

Two months later…

“Finally, I have all the equipment to build it,” he said as he’s walking into his house with the last of his supplies. Then he walked face first into a note that he wrote two months ago.

Remember, you don’t have to get supplies, you can just use your powers.

Then he remembered right after his vision, he had thought, “Wow, I need to take a nap.” But then he remembered that he always forgets things after naps. Therefore, he wrote a note so that he wouldn’t forget about his powers. But then when he woke up, he forgot all about the note. He should have put it in a better spot. And then a phrase that he heard on T.V. flashed through his mind: “Shoulda woulda coulda.” He slapped himself in the face and imagined that there were two hundred million dollars on his credit card. All the money that he just wasted back in an instant. He started feeling woozy and his knees gave way. He face-planted onto the cold wooden floor. It happened in a split second, but for him, it felt like it took an hour. Everything went black.

He woke up to the feeling of a cold washcloth on his head. He saw a kid about his age. He had the picture of Planet X and it’s many stars on his shirt (even though he had been a baby, he could still remember every single moment of terror that he went through on that day). He suddenly jumped up.

He screamed, “Who are you?”

The boy said, “How about a ‘thank you’? I just saved you from The Kraken.”

“Ok, thank you. I guess I was a little rude there. But seriously, who are you?”

“My name is Gagaroth. And I’m also from Planet X. It was very unfortunate what happened there. Now may I know your name?”

“My name is Warren. But how did you find me? And how did you even know that I’m here?”

“Well, our kind has a very special tracking system. All we have to do is envision the type of person, or even better, if that person has a name, and boom! We know the location of that person. You see, I’m looking for other survivors, and just happened to find you. I suppose you’re a little different from the rest of us. I walked in just as you conjured up the money out of thin air, and then you fainted. You realize there has only been one other that possessed the power that you behold.”

“So, what happened? Why did I black out?”

“You know, you need to be more careful. you should start with smaller things, if you use your power too much, then you start to get really sick. And it may cause death. But, with proper training, and it’s not that I’m recommending any specific trainers,” he gestured to himself.

Warren rolled his eyes.

“You can use more of your powers at any time without any consequences. I can help you with your problem if you help me with mine. Unfortunately, I haven’t found out a way to live life on Earth. You see, I just got here. Sometimes teleporting is a bit tricky, I suppose. Well, back to the point, I can’t seem to make a living, and since I don’t have your powers I can’t just make the money. Finding food, water, and housing has been a bit tricky. So the deal I’m offering you is for me to help you learn how to control your powers if I can live in your guest room. And you can spare a little food.”

“Ok. Seems like a good deal to me. But first, can I have some aspirin? I still have a bit of a headache.”

“Sure,” he pulled a bottle of Aspirin out of his supposedly empty pocket and held it out. “Here you go.”

Warren stared in wonder. “How did you do that? I thought you said you didn’t have the power to create?”

“Well, I don’t. But as my parents put me into the teleporter, they gave me this pair of pants. It allows me to pull small items, that would fit into a pocket, out of them. Conveniently everything except for money. Sense the sarcasm? Huh? Huh?”

“Calm down, man. I’ll get you some money. Except first you need to teach me how to do that without half killing myself.”

“Sure I’ll teach you. But I’m pretty sure you have 200 million leftover dollar bills from that incident from before. Doncha?” He held out his hand.

Warren looked around. He realized what Gagaroth was talking about. He saw piles of money everywhere. And when he said everywhere, he meant he couldn’t see the shining floor anymore. “Take what you want.”

“Really?” he responded into his pockets.

“Not a wise move, trust me.”

“Ok, b-”

“Nope, can’t take it back anymore,” he said as he rushed around the room, piling endless amounts of money into his pockets. Clearly, the effect was double sided, if you can pull anything out, then why not put anything in?

“Okay, now can you teach me how to use my powers?”

“Sure, let’s start next morning, 6 a.m. .

“Next morning?” Warren responded, annoyed for having to wait.

“Yes, next morning. Well, whatever and good night.”

He went downstairs to the guest room. Once he was gone, Warren felt a chill go up his spine. His head spun around and he saw what looked like a mix between a shark, octopus, hyena, panther, black mamba and cyborg. Suddenly, he heard a loud booming voice that echoed through his head. It said in a metallic voice, “I will do to you what I did to your planet, and your so-called puny ‘parents.’”

Warren said, “What the—”

The one thing he could see was a giant fist coming at him, and the next thing, darkness. When he woke up, the first thing that he did was rub the grogginess out of his eyes. It was a little blurry, but he could still make out that he was in a dark room with a giant figure looming over him. He heard the same voice that he heard before he was knocked unconscious.

“Good, you’re awake. You see, the reason that I brought you here is because you have something that I need. And if you don’t give it to me willingly, I’ll use force.”

He managed to mumble, “What do you want?”

The monstrous figure chuckled, “Huh. It’s not one thing that I want, it’s many things. The first thing that I’ll need from you is your employment.  And then I’ll tell you more about my plans.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Funny you should ask that. For your answer, why don’t you just look across from you.”

Warren looked to his right, he saw nothing. Then he looked to his left and he saw Gagaroth. He had wide eyes and a frantic expression on his face. There was one problem. He had a gag and his arms and legs were chained to a hospital bed. Just as he saw the chained up legs and arms, he realized that he couldn’t move any of his limbs either. When he looked down, all he saw were ropes and chains and a few red splotches here and there that he assumed were blood. The Kraken roared in rage and shouted, “Well, make up your mind! Are you going to work for me or not?”

The Kraken roared in rage and shouted, “Well, make up your mind! Are you going to work for me or not?”

“And if I don’t work for you?”

“I thought you would have guessed that by now, but I guess you’re even dumber than you look. But, I guess you do have the right to know. You see, if you refuse my offer, then I’ll torture your friend here. And don’t try to use your powers to stop me. I have an electromagnetic field that has momentarily made you helpless.”

Warren stared at him with his mouth hung so wide it looked as though he could swallow the Internet. He finally replied, “Ok. I’ll work for you. What is my first task, ‘Master’?”

“Hey. I’m not deaf. I can hear the sarcasm clearly. Keep it up, if you want your friend to die in front of your eyes.” He stood up and walked away, knowing that he had clearly won.

Now Warren wondered what to do. He was restrained and he couldn’t use his powers. Suddenly he heard, “Warren!”

He looked to his left and he saw that somehow Gagaroth must have gotten the gag off because it was now laying on the floor beside him. Warren said, “What happened? All I remember was his fist and then I was out.”

“Well, once he knocked you out, he came for me downstairs. He was so loud that I could hear your conversation all the way downstairs. But thankfully since I got that head start, I built myself a clone. And all offense to him, he’s stupid. He went after the clone even though it doesn’t look remotely like me.”

Warren suddenly felt embarrassed that he hadn’t realized that it was a clone. Gagaroth continued, “Then he walked into the room just as I put the microphone inside the clones mouth. And then he took the clone and I was just left by myself in the house.”

“So you’re really safe? You’re back at home? Where am I? Can you come get me? How are you able to make the clone so fast? Is this really all true?” He blurted out.

“Whoa there, one question at a time. So for the first question, if that was a clone, of course, I’m safe and at home. Also, you are currently a mile beneath your house. And, or course this is true. Also, I’m right behind you.”

“What! Free me!”

“Hold on, hold on, I’m not finished. I’m not literally behind you, but the little drone carrying an Ipad on Facetime is right behind you, so turn around and say ‘Hi!’”

Warren said, “I understand that you have a clone in here, but the drone…isn’t that a little much?”

“Well you see, I kept the drone in my pocket, well, my clone’s pocket, I mean. So when I noticed that we were clear I just sent it out so you could actually see what happened up here.”

“Well I’ll do that but first you kinda, you know, need to free me from my chains. How bout it, huh?”

“Sure.”

Suddenly the clone of Gagaroth broke free of his chains, took out an Adamant Knife and slashed the chains away from Warren’s body.

“There. Good now?”

“Yes,” Warren said as he hopped off the bed and spun around. He had a picture of what the drone would look like in his mind, but he never expected it would look like a cupcake with frosting.

Gagaroth noticed Warren’s confused look and said, “Well I didn’t really have much time, I only had a few times to pull it out of my pocket. You see sometimes I don’t control what the thing looks like, all I control is what it is.”

“Wow.” That was all he could say. His home looked like a construction crew teamed up with a bombing squad and his house was the target. The furniture was ripped to shreds, and all of his food was on the floor with bites bit into it. There were claw marks on the floor. Warren thought he might be able to fix things, but he would need some serious coaching from Gagaroth first. He wouldn’t want to faint again.

Gagaroth looked at Warren and said in a disappointed voice, “Yeah, I know, it’s bad. But it could be worse, at least we didn’t die.”

“Well, I guess you’re right, it could’ve been much worse. Wait a second! Did he steal the project that I was working on?”

“Yeah, why would you ask?”

“I need an advil,” he mumbled to himself. “Well, you see, that project I was working on? It was a thing that might be able to save our planet and bring it back to the way it used to be. And it would have been able to kill the Kraken.”

Gagaroth screamed, “DUCK!”

“Why is there a duck in my house? And if there is, why are you screaming at the top of your lungs?”

“No! I mean DUCK!”

“Seriously, what are you-” Warren suddenly caught his drift. He ducked his head a second before a boulder the size of his head slammed into the wall behind him. If that boulder hit him, he would be dead by now. It would’ve cracked his skull right open.

He muttered “thanks” to Gagaroth. Then he turned to his attacker. He expected to see the Kraken, but instead he saw a cute little butterfly…that was arming a catapult.

On the catapult, there was a sign that said: Oh you like my new little plaything?

Seriously, I hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely, THE KRAKEN.

 

Warren thought “How is he controlling that butterfly?” As soon as he thought that in his head, the old sign vanished and a new sign appeared.

This one said: So, you’re wondering how I controlled the little butterfly’s mind?

Well, here’s the simple answer. I got pro skillz yo.

Suddenly an image popped up in Warren’s mind. It was the Kraken stomping on this planet and saying “If you don’t become my servant, I will do to this planet what I did to yours.” Suddenly, someone said, “Drumroll, please! The mighty man himself: THE KRA-”

“Edward!” The Kraken roared. “It’s a little late for that.”

Warren said to the vision of the Kraken in his mind, “I’ll leave you two to discuss this. I’ll just go. So yeah, bye!”

He snapped his eyes open only to find another boulder flying at his face. He thought “It was a distraction!” but he didn’t have time to worry about the Kraken’s cleverness. He dodged out of the way and lunged for the catapult. He grabbed the butterfly in his hands, and he was sad to admit, he squashed it. He wiped away the guts and blood on Gagaroth’s clone’s shirt and then walked back to the catapult. He imagined he was holding a sledgehammer and then smashed it to bits.

Suddenly he heard Gagaroth’s voice saying, “Wow. You just imagined a giant sledgehammer the size of your body, and you didn’t even break a sweat. Seriously man, good job.”

Warren realized that for the first time, “Wow, that’s right!” Just as he finished celebrating, he took a step forward and fell on his face. Then everything was black.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. I did not recognize my surroundings, but I did recognize the face that was hovering a few inches from mine. It was the face of Gagaroth, my best friend, and my only friend. He spoke, “Yeah, as you were saying, you didn’t faint at all that time.”

“Quit it with the sarcasm, okay? But really, what happened? I don’t really remember much, you know with the whole being unconscious thing.”

“So once you fainted, I walked towards you, and me and my clone brought you up to the house. Once we got there, we realized we couldn’t leave you there because the house was a wreck. So instead, we brought you to the local hospital.”

“What? How could you? We need to be off the grid! It’s enough that we’re running from monsters, but we can’t have the police knowing who we are! I mean, come on man! We’re probably going to cause some destruction if we destroy the Kraken. And we can’t be arrested after all of that. That would ruin everything.”

“You mean WHEN we defeat the Kraken. When. Have faith my brother, we can do this. We just have to bide our time. Also, you need to rest, you hit your head pretty hard when you collapsed. It was a big bump, and it needs time to heal.”

Warren lifted up his arms and felt his forehead. Instead of feeling his usually smooth skin, he felt a lump the size a tennis ball and instantly starting to panic. But then he remembered about his powers and summoned a Med Kit out of thin air. But this wasn’t just any normal first aid kit. I was the special first aid kit from his planet. He faintly remembered what it looked like so he summoned it from his memory. When he opened it, memories rushed back to him. Learning how to ride a bike, when his father patched up his knee when he scraped it on the sidewalk. And how his mother gave him some medicine when he got sick. No, he couldn’t worry about them now. He had work to do to avenge his parents.

He went back to the present, took out some Grocklack, and applied some to his forehead. In moments, the throbbing stopped and the bump decreased to the size of a little teeny pebble.

“Wow,” Gagaroth said. “Kinda forgot you could do that. But that reminds me. I haven’t fulfilled my promise yet. I have to show you how to use your powers with all your possible energy, without collapsing from the exhaustion of it. Because it would kinda suck if you defeated the Kraken, and then fell off the George Washington Bridge and into the water. You know what I mean? So first thing tomorrow morning, 10 a.m. , you’re going to the training room so I can get you back on your feet and teach you how to use your powers with maximum power.”

“Wow, that was a mouthful. But okay, I guess so. Let’s find a table so I can summon us some food for lunch. I assume it’s time for lunch, right?”

“Actually, it’s time for brunch, so even better. I saw some tables on my way here, let’s go over there.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

They walked over to the seating area and while the employees weren’t looking, Warren summoned some club sandwiches and some Coke. They ate in silence. Once they finished their meal, they went their separate ways to do some daily activities and just have some fun. You know, if you’re going to live on Earth as a teen, you should have some fun doing it. They said goodbye and the first very, very fun activity Warren was going to do was to clean up his house. When he walked in, he officially decided the world was against him, so he blew up the rest of the house with explosives. It was beyond repair. All the furniture was shredded, there were dirt marks and claw marks every few feet. So instead, he just decided to get a new house. He decided the perfect one for him and Gagaroth was a 37 room mansion on a cliff in Florida overlooking the ocean. So he summoned up some money (this time only a little at a time) and bought the house. After he furnished it, he summoned some blank pieces of paper and some pens, and started to draw up a battle plan.

The first step was to map out the Kraken’s hideout so that they didn’t get lost, because that would kind of suck. Once he mapped out the lair, he started thinking of ways to take down the Kraken. So far, the best one was to torture him for ten years and then slaughter him. I know that might sound gross, but trust me, he deserved it. But then he had to figure out how he was going to get the Kraken in a defenseless position. So far, his best idea was this: Gagroth would make some clones of himself and Warren, and then while they were distracted, Warren would slowly be building up weapons and ammunition. And explosives. Finally, once they realized the clones were, well, clones, they would come in and blow the whole thing up, leaving the Kraken and his crew exposed. While they stood there in shock (assuming that the explosion didn’t kill them) Warren and Gagaroth would come in for the kill with the new and improved DESTROYER 2.0.

It was going to be like the rocket slash missile he built before, except Gagaroth would build a smart computer inside of it, and add arms and legs. The missile would launch itself at the Kraken, hopefully killing him, or at least weakening him. If he wasn’t dead by then, a metal shell from the robots midsection would rise and the robot would become a killing machine with two energy chainsaws, the sacred sword, and 37 machine guns and bazookas.

So now that that was over, he summoned himself some early dinner and went to sleep. Later that morning, both Warren and Gagaroth went inside of the local gym. They had talked to the manager, and I’m not saying they bribed the manager to let them have the whole gym to themselves for the day, but they basically bribed the manager. Once they were all ready and warmed up, Gagaroth said, “The first step: always be calm and patient no matter what. Second: always have your goal in mind, and never change want you want to happen halfway through. There will be consequences. Third: never, EVER use your powers for evil. Only for good. Fourth, you have to have complete concentration. Fifth, when you become super famous, always remember how ‘Uncle Gagaroth’ helped you all that time. Ok?”

“Har, har, so funny. And when you said there will be consequences, what did you mean by that?”

“Well, first of all, have you ever wondered how the Kraken became so powerful?”

“Well actually, I never really thought of it. How did he become so powerful?”

“I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a long one but I think that you have the time to hear it. Ok, it all started when the Kraken was born. He was born on a planet like ours except it was all different. You may have heard of it, the legendary planet A. It was like ours in the sense that everyone was trying to make peace, except that it was also different in the sense that they expected so highly of everyone that when the Kraken, aka ‘Johnny’, was playing around with his friends and having some fun, he accidently cracked the portal and it sent a beacon out into space. It attracted all the monsters in that galaxy to the planet, they banished him to the planet of Askard.

At the planet of Askard, he was mutated, turned into a monster. He was stranded there until he came. He taught the Kraken how to have a thirst for revenge, and taught him how to live the life of a criminal. That was when he started his journey. Your planet was the 13th planet that he conquered. If you can’t stop him, then Earth will be the 15th.”

“That just means that we have to take him out soon,” Warren said.

“Agreed.”

To Be Continued.

The Wedding

It all started with my parents’ umpteenth wedding. Yup. My parents have been divorced more times than I can count. They do all of the divorce papers and everything, and then, about two weeks later, they both feel lonely and get back together again.

At first, I got sad when they get divorced. But now it’s just normal. Yesterday, they got divorced. I happened to have my best friend over, Jonny. So when he heard them saying they were getting a divorce, he looked at me with that I’m-so-sorry face. But I said I didn’t care and it was totally fine.  

Back to the wedding. I think this is their 100th wedding, so they made a big deal about it and invited everybody they knew. My mom started to get really anxious, as if she had never been married before, and started ordering me around.

We live in the suburbs of Chicago. I think it’s really boring, but my parents love it. My name is Jones. My mom, Josephine, got divorced with my father for the first time when she went into labor with me. I have brown hair, some freckles, and am five feet tall. I am 11 years old. My dad, Jack, looks exactly like me, except he’s six foot eight.

“Help Aunt Jo Jo in, okay, Jones?” my mom asked me.

Right then my world started ending. Let me tell you that she is not old, and that I don’t need to help her because she is frail. I have to help her by moving things away from the entrance, because she is too fat to fit in. So when I got down, things got embarrassing. It started like this.

“Aw, look at my baby boy! For some reason, you seem smaller!” she bellowed.

Actually, she probably just got bigger.

She then ran to me to hug me. I swear, I could see my life flash before my eyes. She basically tackled me. I fell to the ground.

I stood up, and asked, “Can you maybe be a little less rough?”

“Oh, of course, baby boy!”

So then it was sort of a real hug. It must have looked pretty weird because I was about as big as her finger, and I’m tall for my age.

“Now, be a good boy and remove all the flower pots and anything in my way so I can budge through the door.”

“Yes, Aunt Jo Jo.”

Well, it took, like, 20 minutes to get her in. But besides that, the wedding was good. People were a little cramped, because Aunt Jo Jo took up about twenty seats, but it was mostly okay. Until the vows. Here’s what happened:

The minister said, “Now it’s time for the vows.”

My father said,“Oh, we can skip that. We have done this tons of times, and it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

My mom said, “What do you mean? Is this just an excuse, because you forgot to write yours?!”

My dad said, “It doesn’t matter, Josephine! We have done this millions of times!”

My mom said,“You are always like this! Why would I even think of marrying you?”

I’m just gonna skip a lot of the conversation, because it got pretty ugly.

So ten minutes later, my mom and my dad said:

“We’re getting a divorce!!!”

They both stormed off. Wow. They have been divorced many times, but they have never gotten divorced at their wedding! That’s a new record for them.

Nobody in the audience was surprised. They just left. I left too. I wasn’t gonna help Aunt Jo Jo out. Not again.

………………………………..

My parents were divorced for about a week, and I thought it ended when I heard flirting coming from the backyard of my mom’s house. There are around ten houses on my block, and all of the backyards are attached. My dad’s house is actually right next to my mom’s house, so they were probably the ones flirting.

But when I went outside, my dad wasn’t there. My mom was flirting with the village drunk, Joseph. It was pretty hard to believe. Joseph is a heavy drinker, has a beer belly, and owns five mean pitbulls. And his house is the one that my mom says to always keep my distance from. He’s been married, like, five times before, and every one of the girls that he has married were huge and fat. And he is VERY conservative. My mom is a proud liberal. And guess what. My mom seriously just asked him out. Maybe this divorce is serious.

Apparently, the date went well. Joseph drank five beers, and got really drunk. He was polite and let my mom pay for it, and then they both came to my house. I finally got to meet him.

“So, this is the Jones I’ve heard all about, eh?” he said, not soberly. He then said, “You seem like a pretty good guy!”

I got a closer look at him. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in about six years, and there were tons of food scraps in his beard. I did not like him. Not at all.

He helped himself to a beer in the fridge, and then lay down on the couch with his shoes still on.

“I’m gonna teach you a life lesson,” he said. ”Education doesn’t matter. Just play football and get paid millions of dollars, and that’s all you need.”

My mom would usually be super against that, but she tried to ignore it. I saw her face turn red though, like she wanted to punch Joseph.  

So this was not good. I need to get him out.

……………………………………………………….

I woke up and went to my secret stash of candy and sweets for breakfast. Without sugar, I cannot stay awake, so I always need sugar at every meal. So, I opened the cabinet, unscrewed the loose screw, and opened the secret door.

But here’s the problem: all of the cakes and candy and food were gone. I glanced over at the couch, where Joseph was sleeping. On his shirt were cake crumbs, and by the side of the couch were candy wrappers.

I started to freak out. I would fall asleep in school, even during gym class, without sugar, I thought. I went to the fridge, and looked for some orange juice. At least that had some sugar in it. But when I looked in the fridge, instead of orange juice, there was a note. Here’s what it said:

 

Dear Kid,

Here’s a life lesson. Don’t eat too much sugar. That’s my job. If you are looking for the orange juice, it’s in my stomach and it’s not available. That’s all I have to say.

Signed,

Gosef

 

Wow. He was too drunk to even remember how to write his name.

I searched the whole house, and everything with sugar was gone. I was desperate.

I ran out to the deli, but it was closed, so I was forced to go to school without my morning dose of sugar.

First period, I have gym. We were doing the pacer test, which is basically running from one wall to another, but I was too tired to listen and did the endurance, which is just running. So while everybody was running from one side of the gym to the other side of the gym, I was running in a circle around the gym. The gym teacher shouted at me, and I didn’t hear a word he said.

I finally realized that I was running wrong, so I started the pacer. I ran back and forth about four times, and then I collapsed.

I was fast asleep, so the gym teacher had to carry me to my next class. I slept all the way to the end of lunch. But here’s the worst part. If I had been awake for lunch, I could’ve gotten candy. I missed my chance to not only have sugar, but my chance to eat too! So now, I was an incredibly tired boy, who was also incredibly hungry! I was even more screwed. It was all Joseph’s fault. I need to get him out.

I slept through science, and my classmates were tired of carrying me, so they just left me there. And I slept there until 5:30 p.m. Apparently the teachers had tried, and failed, to wake me up. They were getting pretty desperate, so the custodian punched me really hard in the arm, and I finally woke up. That custodian really can punch! I went home rubbing my arm.

When I got home, my mom was really mad at me for coming home late. I explained everything that had happened that day, and I asked her why Joseph was here and that I hated him. It took her a long time to say something good about him so she could prove me wrong. She ended up saying, “You just have to accept the way he is.”

Wow. We all know that she was dating him to get back at my dad and make him jealous. I went up to my room and went to sleep.

…………………………………………….

That morning, I got up early. I was ready to fight back. I knew the minute Joseph wakes up, he heads straight to a fridge to help himself to a beer. So I decided to pour oil right in front of the fridge. This was an easy, good solid prank – he would slip and fall on his back.

I waited for him to get up. Sure enough, he went straight to the fridge. But it didn’t work. He walked straight over it. He didn’t slip one bit. That was weird.

I tried again the next day, but with a different prank. I replaced one of the beers with maple syrup and cough medicine. But when he opened the fridge, he accidentally dropped that beer, and he just chose another one. Was he prank resistant?

Another day without sugar –– it didn’t go so well. At least I was going to live in my dad’s house for a week. He’s pro-sugar.

When I got home, something wasn’t right. He’s usually chipper.

“Dad?” I called out.

I heard a groan from his room. I ran up. He was lying in bed, miserable.

“Whats wrong?” I asked

He answered with some more groaning. I saw that the pillow was tear stained. Then I figured out why. He was sad because my mom and Joseph were together. He still loved my mom!

“Is it because of Joseph?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, I hate him too. He took all of my sugar!”

My dad sat straight up. He knew that I had to have sugar. He was the same way. “He couldn’t have!”

“He did. You know what, Dad?” I asked him, “We should get him out. Together.”

“How?” he asked.

“I think I have an idea,” I told him

………………………………………….

Joseph came home from a long day at the bar. He had to leave because the barkeeper kicked him out for starting a bar fight. He opened the door of his girlfriend’s house and was ready to pass out on the couch. He sat down on the comfy couch and was happy until…

“YAAA!” The couch popped up!

“AHH,” Joseph screamed.

He ran out of the house and sprinted to the bar to get away from the haunted couch.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

My dad and I high-fived. He had dressed up in a couch suit, and we waited for Joseph to sit down, after which my dad popped up. We scared the crap out of him!

One of the few things Joseph loved in life (his couch) was taken away from him –– at this house, at least. Maybe he would leave now! He did not really love my mom, I don’t think, he just loved our couch and our food. He didn’t like our couch anymore but maybe he would love….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Joseph finally built up the courage to go back into his girlfriend’s house. He opened the door and found someone sitting on the couch. She took up the whole couch. Her waist was the size of the couch. Trust me, it was an extra large couch too. Her finger was as big as his arm. There were crumbs all over her face and shirt. To Joseph, she was beautiful.

“Hello,” she bellowed. “My name is Jo Jo.”

“Do you like beer?” he asked her.

“Yes,” she answered

“Do you like food?” he asked.

“Hell yeah!” she said.

“Take me with you!” Joseph pleaded. “You’re perfect for me!”

“Okay, honey bun!” she said. She picked him up and squeezed through the door. They ran away together.

And those two lived happily ever after. They were almost the same people! As for Jones….

Both my dad and my mom watched the whole thing. When Jo Jo and Joseph left, both of my parents started kissing.

“That was horrible, Jack! I hated Joseph so much! All he loved me for was my fridge, my couch, and my food!” my mom said between kisses.

“I missed you so much!” my dad said.

“I never want another situation like this again! Let’s never get divorced again!” my mom said.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

After that, my parents didn’t get divorced any more. They didn’t want to have such a bad situation again.

We all lived happily ever after. As for Jo Jo and Joseph, they were happy too. Everybody was happier.

I was happier to not be around Joseph. My dad was not miserable anymore. My mom didn’t have to deal with Joseph anymore. We were all happier.

THE END

 

Epilogue –– Ten years later

 

We were all sad yesterday. We had to attend the funeral of Joseph John.

Yup. Joseph died. At the age of 73. He was drunk and climbed on Jo Jo’s back. She lost balance and fell out the window. Joseph died, but Aunt Jo Jo was saved by her fat belly. She started bouncing when she fell, but she didn’t get hurt. Aunt Jo Jo was very sad that day. They had been perfect together.

 

The author that inspired me to write this genre was Jeff Kinney, the author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. The Genre is Realistic Fiction, but with Comedy in it too. In both my story and his book, Something bad happens to the main character, and they plot many schemes to stop it. None of the schemes work, but in the end, the bad thing goes away and they live happily ever after. Although it is a serious topic, I made it funny, because I like comedy.

Star, My Doll

Star is nice.

She looks like and feels like rose petals.  

She makes me feel home.

When I go to sleep I go to sleep

with my little Star

that cuddles me tight with love and joy.  

Sometimes I feel like I’m alone and I remember

she is there.

You might think this is crazy but

I think Star is my Sister and she is my

Superstar

Superhero

Superlove.

 

If people say she looks crazy

I don’t care,

I love her because of the way she is.

 

If I know I’m in danger

I run back to her

and she makes me calm.

If you think she’s just a doll

you should get to know her.

 

You’ll see, she feels like a human.

The Titanic

One day Bob woke up. He remembered he was going to go on the Titanic. He was rushing because he was late. He got all of his stuff, grabbed his ticket, and he got some food and materials. He was going to play jacks and some cards with people on the Titanic.

Then he got in a taxi, and he told the driver to go to the Titanic. He got on the Titanic.

He was in room 100. He wanted to look outside to see a nice view. He met somebody outside on the deck. Her name was Scream. So he asked her, “Do you want to play jacks?”

She said, “Yes!” Ten minutes later, the ship crashed into an iceberg, and it was sinking.  They tried to get in a lifeboat, but it was too late. They tried to get in another lifeboat, but it was full. There were no more lifeboats. They were all full except the captain’s, but it was too far away. It had sunk already. It was near the end of the ship, but half of it was already sunken.

It became really cold. They had to get in a lifeboat! They tried to make a lifeboat, but it didn’t work! Bob took his axe and chopped some wood off the Titanic, so they could make a lifeboat. They quickly made it. They got some paddles, and they lifted it off. Then they jumped in it.

They got back to England and went to their houses. Then Bob said, “Do you want to go on another boat, the Titan?”

Scream said, “Sure! What day are you free?”

“Saturdays and Sundays.”

“How about Sunday?” Scream said.

“Sure,” Bob said. So they went back to their houses and they rested. They lived happily ever after!

Alexander Percy Lawrence Peter Henry Winkharp’s Cellar Peddlers (Excerpt)

The girl holding a basket on the street.

Filled with neatly rolled newspapers, plain white rags, and red apples without so much as a speck of yellow or green on them, the woven container is in almost perfect condition, as if someone has worked hard every night to repair its every scuff and scratch. All strange things, considering the fact that she is obviously homeless and extremely poor. There are many other girls much the same as her in looks, except of course for their patched-up baskets filled with newspapers, green apples, or white rags with remains of old stains showing through, but never more than one of these options lies in their contraptions. These children are scattered around quite a lot, almost hiding this strange girl if it were not for the calls advertising her goods. It is also evident that she is better-dressed than all of these forlorn-looking creatures, who are letting their last morsels of hope shine through small cracks in iron barred windows, hoping that the bits of golden warmth will be enough to attract customers on the crisp day. It is not. But she, just this one girl alone, with the blue-gray rag around her head and the simple sweater and skirt that must have once have been red, does not seem to be having any trouble attracting the busy passerby crossing the narrow street to her small walled in corner, surrounded on two sides by solid brick, drenched in a stench of rotten fish and murky fog from the old days. Yet the girl always seems to be standing on, or perhaps next to, a clean sheet something like a welcome mat that she invites her customers to wipe their feet on, perhaps to increase her chances of customers. But is this really the cause of the steady stream of pedestrians hurrying over from the street, not a rushing river, not any real type of river, but a forest stream, a stream just the same? I think not. Perhaps it has something to do with the extra coins dropped at her feet with a quiet whisper, “For your master, dear, blessings to him for all he’s done for our world.” the girl’s quick nod is a gesture of thanks, almost a “The same to you, for all your generosity.” Perhaps this has something to do with the words embroidered, neatly enough, on one of her sweaters:

Alexander Winkharp’s Cellar Peddlers

Chapter  1

It was quite a while ago when the first of what came to be the cellar peddlers sprung up, scattered through the narrowest streets of London, of which there remain many. It was the revolutionary idea of the great Alexander Percy Lawrence Peter Henry Winkharp, though few knew of his middle names. As one of the most generous of his time, Alexander had felt compelled to help those whom he saw every day standing in rags on the street. For a while, he did what one would expect from someone with these motivations: daily he would go out, delivering food and blankets to the poor. But Alexander did not feel satisfied. He wondered, rightly, why, if he happened to spill a bottle of shoe polish at the shoe polish factory where he worked, and had to pay for it out of his salary, and if he couldn’t afford extra food for the day, why should someone else suffer? For days and nights, Alexander wracked his brain for a solution. What he came up with was what would grow to become the Cellar Peddlers.

Alexander saved up enough to buy a few small cots at a junkyard sale. After fixing them up quite a lot, he sold them off again, making a reasonably sized profit; then again, these were cots. This simple process of buying, fixing, and selling once more to make a profit has been titled over our many years of existence as “Flipping,” and is indeed considered a distinguished profession in its own right. Alexander, though he would die before sinking to the level of his day’s low down “Flippers,” discovered that the art came quite naturally to him and made a mental note of doing it some more, secretly, of course, in the future. Now, enough on the subject of flipping, as this is not a matter that should venture to the center of your attention.

With a fraction of his small wages and the profit from the cots, Alexander did the most surprising thing you could imagine: he bought another four tiny, dirt-strewn cots that reeked with a vigorous stench of garbage. Alexander hurried to clean them up as fast as he could, for winter was approaching, and the extreme generosity of this person who challenges that of any other could not possibly permit his less fortunate friends to be forced to bear the harsh conditions of the winter, entirely out of doors and in the snow and slush – especially, with his plan in the workings, they might possibly, for perhaps just a couple of days, have a warm place to sleep and food for a day or two.

This done, on the very next Saturday when Alexander left his respectable shelter for his usual route – on which he often brought food to and dropped coins around the small community of beggar families where that rumor of his kindness had assembled – he stood atop the low rickety stoop of his building, scrutinizing the dusty, rat-ridden landscape beside the Thames, searching for just the right subjects on whom to test out his new plan, namely any groups containing children. He took a deep breath before taking a single step, remembering the long hours he had been up the night before, and thinking of the perfect way to do this. An announcement would not work. The ragamuffin families were not acquainted with him enough, and speaking to them as if he were their king would no doubt be dangerous. Nor would flyers, he knew, as many of the destitute population could not write their own names.

At last, though, in the darkest hours of night, Alexander knew that what he must do was speak to the groups he chose individually, to decipher the slang that made up their distinct tongue, and to convince them that he could indeed brighten their family’s’ futures. That he, though he lived in a tenement, lived throughout the entirety of its three low-ceilinged floors as its owner and was more than willing to share, if it were for the better.

So out and onto the roughly paved streets went he, out went the man with a heart as soft as silk and as big as an elephant. Out as a hero he would go when he was set to save the world, a feat which there is little doubt that Alexander achieved throughout his life. Out with long strides toward the first group he had set his sights on, whilst laying out the usual things he laid out on these trips: piles of food wrapped in thin blankets, dumpster clothes fixed up good as new, rusted trays nobody wanted except those who were sensible enough to know how to fix such a simple thing. But oh, save the sensible, for by the time any one of those poor souls who live in a world that seems so cold and far away from them got ahold of one of those trays, the once fine and shining metal under the rust was scratched and scored, and the crevices that lined the surface were filled with dirt. It was in this sort of moment that Alexander wished dearly that he had prepared much more. Through his head that seemed to be turning on and off repeatedly, he searched for the words he had planned so carefully in the night that seemed to have disappeared, calling to them and begging them to stay.

In vain Alexander tried to delay each placement of a gift, in vain he tried to ignore the ever-nearing lamp post, under which lay a few ratty blankets and tin cans, a home not fit for a hog, nor any living being. But a home it was, for a poor threesome of the human race itself: a man, a woman, and one small girl who had barely a scrap of cloth in her possession. They had lived in the shadow of the same post since before Alexander moved into the neighborhood, and the two groups were something close to friendly neighbors, but never daring to admit it and make the friendship official. However, it was truly because of them that any of the new arrivals had any trust for Alexander whatsoever, and they, of all people, he thought, as the lamp post grew nearer, would help him with his plan even if no one else did. Slowly, Alexander walked closer, comforting himself with the fact that he often stopped to talk with little Nellie and her family, and they would most definitely not be curious if he did so once more.

So Alexander took one last package from the sack he was carrying, and he knelt down to place it down. He recalled wrapping a thick shawl around a stack of warm cakes, then enclosing the package in old rags. Knelt in the same way as all those around him, the most generous man in the entire city lowered his head to exchange a few murmurs with the lamp post family. Nellie tugged at her mother’s dress and the two engaged in even quieter conversation before Mrs. Ledwell raised her head.

“It is true. You do seem to have something on your mind.” Then little Nellie raised her eyes and whispered in her own small voice, light as a feather.

“Relieve us of our curiosity, oh, if you could!” Nellie’s voice had always been subdued, her face always lowered, causing many to believe that her time of dreams and fantasies were over. But day by day, Alexander saw a glint in her eye, and knowing that the flame would hurt its master if extinguished, he liked to replenish it by slipping her a package of her own – a coin wrapped in a rag – which she would slip into the small brown box that the first coin had come in. Alexander often wondered how much she had saved up, for that was the only way a poor child knew how to use money. He believed she must be fit to be rich now, with all the little copper pieces filling her box. Then Alexander saw the faces of Nellie and her mother, and remembered their question. He recalled his thoughts and the plans he had made, just for this moment.

And Alexander spoke.

Tornado Boy

Hello, I am Emy, the main character of this story. My grandfather died reading a book (I do not know the title) because a tornado came out of the book. Now, let me tell you the story.

So, it was a regular day at school (Friday, if you want to know) and my friend Elvis kept reading this weird book. Because my name is Emy, he calls me Emmanuel.

Back to the book: it was all ripped up, and the title was Bressling. The pages were dark, the words were light. You could tell it was a very old book. One day, during recess, Elvis was reading this book. He said that he liked this book. I sat next to him, reading my own book. Suddenly, a tornado came out of the book and sucked Elvis in. I got so scared that I ran home.

I asked my dad, “What was the name of the book that Grandpa was reading when he got sucked in?”

“Oh, I don’t know… Bressling, I think. Why do you want to know?” asked my Dad.

Without answering my Dad, I ran to school terrified and breathing heavily. When I finally got to school, I took the book from Elvis’s desk. I looked. The title was “Bressling.”

“I knew it!” I said. I looked at the page where Elvis stopped because the book was still open to that page. I knew it was the correct page. Then, I looked at the sentence where he had gotten sucked in: “Then the book took in a man and a boy, Albert Senstein and Elvis Toddler.”

Albert Senstein was my grandfather. Elvis Toddler was my friend. “This book’s haunted!” said my friend, Nate. He was sitting in the room the whole time paying attention to his work until I ran to Elvis’s desk. Then I thought, The only way I get to Elvis is to read the book until a tornado sucks me in.

I started reading the book from the beginning. Then, a tornado came out of the book and sucked me in. The last thing I saw was Nate running out of the room. Next, I was falling from the sky and landed on the floor of a desert. Next to me was Elvis. He pulled me up and started talking.

“Hey! Emmanuel! Look at this old man. This is a character from the book.” He pointed at a white-bearded man. “His name is Zalen.”

“Hi, Zalen, I’m –– ”

“Emmanuel, I know. Hello, Emmanuel,” said Zalen, in an old, old voice that reminded me of my friend’s grandpa. That’s when I realized there was another man who looked about 72 years old.

I didn’t even know him, but he must’ve known me because he came up and hugged me and said, “Emy, I only saw you as a little baby. I always wanted to see you when you were nine years old. Now look at you –– you have grown. I am your grandfather who was sucked in by a tornado from a book.”

Then Nate came plopping on my head and said, “I started reading the book and then a tornado came out and I ended up here!”

I was annoyed. “So not only did I come here, but you did too. Now I have to get all of you out!”

Then my grandfather Albert looked at me. “Hey. Who put you in charge? I’m the oldest… I’m supposed to be in charge.”

Zalen looked at him as if he were blind and said, “I’m the oldest. Look at you. You’re 72. I’m 137!”

Then Albert said, “You’re in the book! You’re supposed to be inside the tornado!”

Zalen said, “Right, yeah. I wish the author of this book had never written it. Now I’m stuck here for the rest of my life!”

“It’s fine,” I said, “but how are we going to get out?”

Then Zalen said, “I know this witch that lives in the north. All we have to do is walk 100 miles to the north and then we’ll find her. She is the author of this book. She’ll know how to get us out.”

“Okay, not helping. 100 miles?!”

Zalen said, “Okay, fine, fine. But it’s better than nothing. What other choice do we have?”

“Good point. Isn’t there any faster way to get there?”

“No, sorry. We could camp. I have tents and food –– a whole lot of food!”

“Ok,” said five-year-old Nate, who did not know what was going on. He was only pretending to know what was going on.

Then, we heard a strange noise. The next thing we knew, Nate was gone.

We looked around for Nate, until Zalen said, “Where could he be? In this desert, there’s nothing but sand. There’s no hiding places.”

Albert said, “I disagree. There are cactuses all over this place.”

He was right: the desert was full of cactuses. I got an idea.

“How about the four of us split around and look for him? He always plays around with jokes,” I said. Then we heard the same noise again.

“It doesn’t sound anything like Nate,” Elvis said. “I think he is making one of his stupid noises.”

Suddenly, a little dwarf came out holding Nate.

Elvis said, “How much do you want for that stupid little boy?”

“Five hundred bucks,” said the dwarf in the same voice they heard earlier.

Zalen said, “You came to exactly the right person! I’m a billionaire!” Then he held up a wallet, which was not exactly a wallet. It was a big bag of money and gold. “I got it from my father!” he exclaimed, pulling out five $100 bills and giving them to the dwarf.

The dwarf said, “Give me another $500, or I’ll kill the boy.”

Then Elvis said, “Oh, whatever… Hey, dwarf, I know dwarves like big hats. Do you want this hat?” He took off his own hat.

The dwarf said, “No!” and pulled out a knife.

Then Elvis said, “I go to karate!” He wrestled the dwarf to the ground, took the knife, and threw it into one of the cactuses.

“I knew it would become useful someday!” said Elvis. He got off the dwarf and grabbed Nate. Then he said, “Don’t mess with me again!” The dwarf ran away.

Zalen took out a compass and said, “Go that way. Let’s go!” He pointed North, and we started walking. After 50 miles (we walked really fast) Zalen said, “Okay. My feet can’t walk anymore. Let’s rest.”

“Okay,” said Albert. “Do you boys agree?”

“Yes!” said Elvis and I.

“What about you, Emmanuel?” asked Elvis.

“I said yes!”

“Oh,” said Elvis.

Zalen pulled out a big tent and sticks from his backpack and started unfolding it. Then he put the sticks up and put up the tent and it was standing.

Zalen said, “Get inside the tent unless you want to stay outside. It’s getting dark.” Albert tried to go inside the tent but Nate pushed him aside and went in first.

Then Albert went in and said, “Nate! That was rude.”

Elvis got in next and asked, “Emmanuel, are you coming in?”

“Yeah,” I said, climbing in.

When I woke up, I was not in the tent….

 

I was not in my tent, and I was not even lying down –– I was in a chair. I looked around. There were other chairs, and Zalin, Elvis, Nate, and Albert were sitting in them. I tried to stand but could not because I was in front of a desk. So were my friends.

A man came into the room. He had dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, yellow teeth, black skin, black glasses, black pants, white t-shirt, and white sneakers.

He said, “Why don’t we take a test? Why are all of you the same? I’m not included.”

Then Nate raised his hand.

“Yes?” said the man. “Oh, by the way, if you cheat on this test, you will be eliminated. Oh, sorry –– did I say eliminated? I meant executed. Now that will calm you down.”

Nate said, “We all have to answer your stupid questions?”

“Um, no,” said the man.

Albert raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“We all have white teeth.”

“No.”

Then I raised my hand. “Yes, we are all captured, but we don’t care.”

“What do you mean?”

“You captured us, but none of us seem to care.”

“OH, now I get it. No. Now I will kill you…. Actually, no. I will spare you and give you one more chance. When I say ‘hey,’ you will race to the end of the room. I will kill the loser.”

We lined against the wall.

Then Albert said, “Hey!” and ran. When he got to the other side of the room, everybody looked at him, surprised.

Then the man said, “Look dude. I didn’t say ‘hey.’ You did. Get back to the other side of the wall. And when I say hey, you run. Is that understood?”

“Yes,” we all said.

Then the man said, “Hey!” and we all ran.

To Elvis’s luck, he got to the wall first. Then I got there and then Albert and then the limping old Zalin. We all looked at Nate, but he wasn’t running –– he was looking at the man.

The man said, “Okay. The little boy in the pajamas will be killed.”

Elvis wrestled the man to the floor and took the man’s gun and pointed at his face.

Then the man said, “Shoot, you stupid idiot.” He smiled a creepy smile that showed his yellow teeth.

Elvis shot. There was a great big sound that sounded like a bomb exploded. We all looked at the man, but the man was laughing. The gun was blank.

So, Elvis punched the man in the face, and the man fainted. Then, we found a bucket of bullets in one of the corners of the room. We loaded the gun and Elvis shot the wall. The gun worked because there was a hole.

“Let’s go,” he said.

We all stepped out and Zalin said, “What? This was the desert we were walking through until we woke up in that stinking room that smelled of rotten poop.” Then, we saw the tent. We all turned around and saw the room. But it wasn’t really a room –– it was a few cactuses built up into a room. We saw the hole we had gone through and then we understood everything: the man had taken cactuses, built up the room, and dragged us in there.

“I am keeping this weapon,” said Elvis.

“Listen, you kept the knife. Now you’re keeping the gun? You gotta be kidding me,” I said.

“Okay, fine, fine. You get the knife. I get to keep the gun.”

“No, I want the gun. You get to keep the knife.”

“No, I do.”

“No, I do.”

“Nope, I do.”

“No, I do.”

“No –– ”

“OK, can I say something?” asked Zalen.

“No!” Elvis and I said in unison.

“Okay,” said Zalen, and he walked away.

“Fine –– you get to keep the gun. I keep the knife,” said Elvis. He put the knife in his belt and handed over the gun. I put the gun in my belt (we both had belts because they were part of the school uniform).

Then we started walking. Soon, we had walked another 50 miles, and Zalen said, “Stop!” If we’d walked one more step, we would’ve crashed into a big hut with a roof that looked like a witch’s hat.

“This is it!” said Zalen. We knocked, and a very old woman opened the door.

She had a hat that looked exactly like the roof.

“Come in, dears,” she said in a very kind voice. Inside the hut there were many pictures. In the middle of the room there was a small black table, with pot of some green liquid on top.

“Can I drink that?” asked Nate.

“If you want to explode, yes,” she said, pausing. “Ah, yes, you don’t know my name and I don’t know yours. I’ll go first: my name is Minerva. What’s yours?”

“Zalen,” said Zalen.

“Albert,” said Albert.

“Emy,” I said.

“Elvis,” said Elvis.

“Poopy Pants!” said Nate.

“His name is Nate,” said Elvis.

“No, my name is Poopy Pants!” cried Nate.

“Alright,” said Minerva. “I believe that your name is Nate… but I am going to call you Poopy Pants.” Then she asked, “Why did you come?”

“We want to get out into the outer world,” I said.

“Who? All of you? And what do you mean by the outer world?”

“The answer to the first question: Nate –– well, Poopy Pants –– me, Elvis, and Albert want to get out. To the second question, we were trapped in a book called Bressling…” And I told the story about Bressling but kept forgetting to say Poopy Pants instead of Nate.

“Ah, yes, Bressling. I wrote it, and I cast a spell on it. And I read it and I got sucked in because I wanted to. And then I forgot something, so I cast a spell to write in the names that got sucked in. Now, all you need to do is drink this little potion that I am going to make right now… Here it is. Hokatee pokatee lokatee pookatee shokatee nokatee sokatee… ah, where was I…?” she interrupted herself. “Oh, right, yes. Noopatee kloopatee crumpatootatee, and, last of all… compoopatee! Oh, how dumb am I? I forgot the bowl, the water, and my wand.” Minerva got the bowl and the wand, and pointed at the bowl and said, “Shoompatee, gloompatee.” And then some water burst out of the wand and flew into the bowl. “Enough! Enough, you stupid spray!” The wand stopped the water and she said, “Now, what was the spell? Hokatee pokatee lokatee pookatee shokatee nokatee sokatee noopatee kloopatee crumpatootatee!” Then the water turned red, then orange, then yellow, then light green, then dark green, then light blue, then dark blue, then pink, and finally purple. And then it turned every color, in a mix. She took four cups and put them on the table. She took the bowl and poured equally into each cup.

“Alright. All of you who want to go back to the outer world, please drink this.” We all drank it except for Zalen. Then Minerva said, “Alright. Now, in ten minutes, you will go back into the outer world, in front of the book in the place where you were reading when you got sucked in. Why don’t you find something that’ll entertain you for the time being?”

Then, she pointed her wand at the table and said, “Shoompatee, loompatee, gloompatee, foompatee!”

A chessboard with chess pieces appeared on the table, and Elvis and I sat down at the table and started playing. “Thanks for the chess board,” I said.

She conjured a magic carpet using some other words I couldn’t hear correctly.

“Here you go, Poopy Pants,” said Minerva. Nate jumped onto the magic carpet and started flying around, and he went out the window and flew around the yard. Nine minutes later, the magic carpet landed. Nate got off. Elvis and I finished the chess game with a stalemate. Elvis was so close to winning –– he had a queen up –– but I drew into a stalemate.

Minerva shouted, “One minute to go!”

Sixty seconds later, we appeared in the classroom where we’d started.

“I miss Minerva and Zalen,” I said.

“I miss them too…. If we want to see them, we have the book.” Elvis pointed at Bressling. Then Nate started crying. We looked at him.

“What’s wrong now?” we asked him.

“I miss my flying carpet!” he cried.

I slapped my head. “He’s so stupid!”

Elvis and I ran home with Albert. We came home (by the way, I forgot to tell you, Elvis was my neighbor. I lived in apartment 5D and He lived in 6D).

My father sat up and said, “I do recognize you, Daddy. How the heck did you get here from that book?” He pointed at Bressling, which I was holding in my armpit.

Then Albert said, “You should’ve met Minerva.” And the three of us laughed.

 

The Ice Cream Monster

Jack was at the park eating ice cream. He was alone. He was sitting on a bench. He finished his ice cream and decided to play on the swings. He was feeling good. He was joyful. When it was night, he started to become worried because a big ice cream monster tried to attack him. The ice cream monster had a big mouth with goopy ice cream in his mouth. He had an ice cream ninja sword, and threw it at Jack.

Jack ran away. He ran to Manhattan, but the monster followed him. Jack stood up in a big tower, and he told the people, “Help! A monster is coming!”

They said, “We’re going to attack the ice cream monster!” They were getting ready to attack the monster. They used a lot of ice cream with a big pile of ice.

Jack was doing something different. He was trying to get an ice cream shooter. He got it from the ice cream material store. It was near the ice cream shop on Sesame Street.

He went back to the group. He said, “We’re going on the train to find the ice cream monster. He is always in the ice cream store next to Toys R Us.”

All of the police were blocking Jack when he went to the ice cream shop because the store was closed. One of the teammates distracted the police. Jack was distracting the police too. All of the teammates went inside the shop and the ice cream monster was inside. The teammate shoot the ice cream monster with a lot of ice cream and ice. It caused him to vomit ice cream. It caused him to have a broken eye and slime was going over him.

He fought back with a ninja star and one of the teammates fell down. Jack had sleeping potion and put it on the police. The police fell asleep. Jack came in in slow motion. His body is like he’s actually cool. His arms and his legs are moving slow and his arms are in his pockets. The ice cream monster had melted. And all of the teammates were happy and they went back home. Jack went to his mom and he told his mom that a big monster came, but Jack attacked the monster. All of the teammates said bye to Jack and Jack went back to sleep. And the teammates went back to sleep. And it was the next morning, and another monster came. They cooked up a plan. They smashed the monster with a big giant hammer and he was dead. THE END!

The Adventures of Digger and Scrappy

Chapter 1

“Hi, my name is Scrappy, and this is Digger. We’re in the shelter with all the other dogs. WOOF WOOF,” Scrappy said.

The shelter door opened, and two girls came in with their dad.

“Their dad looks like the president!” said Scrappy.

“He is!” said Digger.

“Wow!” said Scrappy.

The two girls came over to their pen and said, “I want those two!” Digger and Scrappy were so happy. The girls took them out of the pen and picked them up. Then their dad paid for the dogs, and they went to the car. Scrappy wondered if they lived in a house, so he asked Digger. Digger thought that Scrappy had lost his mind.

“Scrappy, they live in a mansion!”

“Oh, yeah,” said Scrappy.

Then they tried to guess the girls’ names.

 

Chapter 2

“Maybe Fuzzy!” said Digger.

“Or maybe Coco!” said Scrappy.

“Wait!” said Digger, “What about human names? We’re saying dog names.”

“Maybe Megan!” said Scrappy.

“Hey, Megan, are you excited that we’re going to Hawaii for Christmas?” said the dad.

“Yeah!” said Megan in an excited voice.

“Score!” said Digger. “Bridget, are you going to go in the pool in Hawaii?”

“Yes!” said Bridget.

“This is going to be great!” said Digger.

 

Chapter 3

They were in the park when Scrappy saw another dog. He wanted to play with the dog. The dog was a golden retriever like Digger. Digger was right next to Scrappy, so Scrappy started to walk over to the other golden retriever. Digger followed. Scrappy asked if they could play with the golden retriever.

The golden retriever said nothing. He couldn’t hear Scrappy because Scrappy was so small. Scrappy felt sad and began to walk away.

Digger asked, “Why are you sad?”

Scrappy said, “I feel tiny… That dog couldn’t hear me, and I wanted to play with him.”

“That’s sad,” said Digger. “I’m going to go talk to the dog and tell him that you want to play with him.”

Digger started to walk over to the big dog. He asked, “Can Scrappy play with you? By the way, my name is Digger, and this is my best friend Scrappy.”

“Hi!” said the big dog.

“Oh, I forgot, what is your name?” Digger asked.

“My name is Whiskers,” the big dog said.

“Good name!” said Digger.

He whispered to Scrappy, “Funny name.”

“Yeah,” said Scrappy, giggling.

A few minutes later the girls called them to leave, so they ran and jumped on them, knocking them down. They started to lick their faces. Then their dad called them from the front porch of the house. The girls stood up, with Scrappy still holding on to Bridget’s leg. Digger told him to get off Bridget’s leg, so he did. They started to run up to the house, and they went through the doggy door upstairs to their room.

Chapter 4

When Digger got up the stairs, he and Scrappy talked about what they were going to do the next day.

The next day, when Digger woke up, he looked around, but Scrappy wasn’t in his bed. He washed his paws in the little doggy sink and went down to have breakfast. When he got down the stairs, Scrappy was there waiting for him.

“Did you hear the news, Digger? They’re going to Hawaii!”

“Who’s going to what the what?” asked Digger

“They’re going to Hawaii!” said Scrappy.

“Who is going to Hawaii?” said Digger.

“Bridget is going and Megan is going and the president is going,” said Scrappy.

“Ohh!” said Digger. “Are we going?”

“No! Of course not. I wouldn’t even want to go. Get stuck in the airplane for, like, 100 hours? I wouldn’t even be able to stay alive for two minutes!”

“What did you say?” said Digger.

“Oh, whatever,” muttered Scrappy.

That night, Digger and Scrappy helped the girls pack their bags. The next day, Digger and Scrappy said goodbye to the girls. They felt sad and confident at the same time because they were going to be left alone.

 

Chapter 5: The Robbers

For the next few hours, Digger and Scrappy slept. The doorbell rang. They started to bark – a package for the president! Digger opened the door. The delivery man ran in, stole everything, (chairs, tables, and the medal that Megan had won) and tried to get out. But, before the robber got out, the dogs already had a plan. They got the rope from the basement, tied it to the staircase, ran across the room, out the door, put the doorstop in, and waited. Then, they took the table and chairs and smashed them into the door. A few minutes later the dogs were fast asleep again while the robbers were taking all the stuff, but they were faking it. The robbers got out the back door by cutting a hole in it with their knife. Digger and Scrappy woke up, and they climbed up the wall and wrapped the rope around the door. As soon as the robbers opened the door, a big punching jack-in-the-box punched them in the face. They fell down and landed on the table.

Digger and Scrappy called the other dogs from the neighborhood. They ran through the door and started licking the robbers’ faces. Finally, Scrappy came out and gave the robbers a supergalactic lick. The robbers got up as soon as they could and left.

 

Chapter 6: The Return of the President

Twenty minutes later, the president parked the car in the driveway. Digger and Scrappy climbed on the heater and started to bark. Bridget and Megan ran to the door, swung it open, and picked Scrappy and Digger up and twirled around.

“My little fluffies!” said Bridget.

They squirmed like worms until they finally put them on the sofa. Digger and Scrappy rolled around amd couldn’t see anything. Then, Digger bumped into Scrappy and he almost fell off, but he caught him with his paws. They ran up the stairs and jumped onto the girls’ bed. They ran after the puppies but went to the wrong room. Then Digger and Scrappy went to another room because they were coming to their room. Eventually, when they found them, the puppies jumped on their legs.

“Arf, arf, arf-dee-arf,” said Digger.

“We can talk, Digger!” said Scrappy.

“Oh yeah!” said Digger.

From that day on, Digger and Scrappy had the best life any dog could wish for.

My Life

Chapter 1

I hear my mother making breakfast. The sun’s warmth is on my face, opening the morning to another wonderful day. I walk out of my room down to the kitchen to get breakfast. I eat my breakfast, nice warm pancakes topped with strawberries.

“Ellie, wake up!” I wake up to my friend Claire lightly shaking me to get me up. All the wishes I’ve ever had were in my dream, disappointing me, waking me up to a day trapped in a building I don’t like. I am in an orphanage with other people, people who wish their lives were better. I get out of bed get dressed in the ragged clothes that the orphanage provided for me. I walk out my room, go downstairs to another disgusting breakfast of cold eggs that haven’t been cooked fully. Staring at the eggs, I get the feeling that I should eat them. I have gotten used to it. I’ve been here since I was five. I am fourteen`now, and still stuck in the orphanage.

I remember the day when I was five, waiting for my parents to pick me up at school. It was rainy and foggy. The only person who picked me up was this creepy woman, named Ms. Kunzier. She told me to come with her. She brought me to my house and told me to pack my bags. Then she drove me to this building covered with vines. “You’re staying here now,” she told me. A burst of pain shot up my back; a tear rolled down from my eyes, making its way down to my cheek. She opened the door and walked me to where I was staying. I remember thinking that I would be home soon. But I never went home. An hour later she came back to my room and told me that my parents had been in a car accident.         

***

I used to play outside in my backyard all the time. Now, I cannot go outside whenever I want. The only outside I have is my imagination. I imagine being outside, running free. No one to tell me what to do and what not to do. A big field of grass, trees swaying, the smell of fresh grass. The wind blowing on me. Running away so that no one can find me. Growing up on my own.

No one ever visits this orphanage. I guess it’s because of how creepy it looks. Only once a while someone comes around and takes a tour. I’m probably going to be in here until I’m 18, and then I’ll start a life of my own.

In the orphanage, my life feels a video game, with someone outside the machine controlling every move I make. When the video game gets too old or out of order, I will get out. The video game of life. Obstacles here and there popping up in my face. I wish I was like someone not in an orphanage, someone who has a perfect life.

***

I go back to my room, get into my bed and lay my head on the pillow. My eyes slowly close into a nice soft sleep. I slowly drift off into a weird dream, where Ms. Kunzier is pulling my arm and taking me to a tiny walk in closet. She ties me up in a chair. I jerk my body away from the chair to brake the rope. but the chair gets up with me and follows me wherever I go. I go to the door of the closet and try to get out, but Ms. Kunzier locked the door to keep me in. My eyes slowly open. It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, I keep telling myself.

 

Chapter 2

“Hey, people!” Claire says.

“Hey!” Molly, my other friend, replies.

“What’s up?” I say.

“You know, the usual, nothing much,” Claire replies.

“Wait!” Molly shouts.

“Shhh,” Claire and I whisper.

“Sorry, but wait — I have an idea!” Molly says.

“Then what is it?” Claire replies impatiently.

“Um… I forgot,” Molly says.

“Ugh” Claire sighs.

“No, really… what were you going to say?” I ask.

“Well, it was probably a really stupid thought,” Molly hesitated.

“Just tell us,” I reply, ignoring Molly. “We’re your friends.”

“Okay, fine,” Claire says.

“It’s impossible, but it’s sort of about how we can escape from here. I mean, I never wanted to be here in the first place,” Molly blurts out.

“Same,” Claire and I say in unison.

“I’ve just always felt blocked up in a jail cell here.”

“Let’s think about a plan. Meet me in Secret Headquarters after lunch,” I say.

Secret Headquarters is a secret place that no one has discovered yet except for us. There is a little door in the bottom of the wall… actually, it’s not really a door, but a little square shaped hole in the wall that functions like a door. When you go inside, there is a little space where you can sit. When Claire and I met, we found a hiding place, and our friendship began. Six months later Molly came along and joined our little friendship. Claire and I showed her Secret Headquarters, and that is how we all became close friends.

When I get to Secret Headquarters, I find Molly quietly reading. “BOO!” I scream.

“Ahhh!” she screams, but then she sees me and starts laughing.

Shortly after, Claire barges into the room. “The worst thing almost happened… well, one of the worst things.”

“What?” I ask.

“Well, Ms. Kunzier stopped me and asked me where I was going, but I said I was going to the bathroom and she let me go,” Claire explains.

“Good thing she didn’t find out about Secret Headquarters,” I say. “Okay, anyway, let’s get started. First, let’s think of a plan.”

“The only way for us to get out of here is to get the key to unlock the main door,” says Claire.

“Well, I know where the key is kept,” replies Molly.  

“Where? How do you know?” I question.  

“Let’s just say that I went into her room once,” Claire answers.

“Was there actually blood and spider webs in her room?” I ask. Everybody says that Ms. Kunzier’s room is filled with blood marks and spider webs.

“Not at all, surprisingly,” Claire replies.

“That’s good to know,” I mutter. “So, back to the planning… How does tomorrow night sound to you guys for the first attempt of the escape?” I ask.

“Sure, I’m fine with that,” says Claire.

“What do you think, Molly?”

“I’m also fine with that,” says Molly.

“Okay, maybe at 1 in the morning, since Ms. Kunzier is probably going to be asleep… even though people say she sleeps with one eye open,” I add. “So, when she is about to close her door to go to sleep, let’s run up to it and push it a crack open. About one hour later we can get the key to open the front door. Sound good?”

“Yes!” says Molly.

“Sure!” says Claire.

“Okay, remember… tomorrow,” I confirm.

We walk out of secret headquarters, quietly chanting, “Escape attempt number one!”

I go to bed thinking that finally I will get out of here.

 

Chapter 3

The next day, Molly, Claire, and I try to get as much sleep as we can so that we’ll be ready for our big night. We pack what is really special to us. I get an old sack and put my stuffed bunny in it. My stuffed bunny’s name is Bun-Bun. I have had Bun-Bun since I was born. In the sack I also pack a bottle of water and some clothes.

At midnight, Molly, Claire, and I sneak to Secret Headquarters. We discuss what we are going to do, and prepare ourselves for the things coming ahead. At 1:30 in the morning, we hear Ms. Kunzier walking down the hall and going to her room.

”Oh my gosh, she is coming!” Molly blurts out. Luckily, in this case, Secret Headquarters is about a meter away from Ms. Kunzier’s bedroom. We hear Ms. Kunzier approach her bedroom door. We rush out to near the entrance of Secret Headquarters. When she opens the door, we quietly run out and slowly close her door until it is open just a crack. Exactly 45 minutes later we take a peek through Ms. Kunzier’s room and see that she’s snoring.

“Okay, Molly, since you are the quietest and you know where the key is, you are going to get the key,” I whisper. Molly tiptoes down to where the key is. Molly sneezes and Ms. Kunzier turns and moans a bit. Molly runs out of the room.

“That was close!” She whispers, relieved. When we get downstairs to the main door, Molly places the key into the key slot.

“Who is that?” a voice says. Molly, Claire, and I jump up in unison. Ms. Saltine, the orphanage maid, comes into the same room as us. “Found you! Girls, you know you should not be down here at this time of night,” she says.

“Sorry, we didn’t mean to–”

Ms. Kunzier cuts me off by coming into the room. “Girls! Go to your room. All of you will have to wake up extra early tomorrow and help make breakfast. We will be having fresh pancakes, and you girls will have fresh leftovers. And bonus! You will clean up all the dirty dishes!” She walks away and cackles her very annoying cackle. She never gives us orphans fresh food – we always have leftovers.

“Ugh…” We all walk back to our bedrooms.     

***

“Try again on your adventure,” Ms. Saltine says to us the next morning. We are all shocked. We do not understand what just happened. It takes us time to understand what she meant. Even though we just did a lot of work by cooking a meal for 25 orphans and are now eating food scraps, we feel like we just accomplished something. Ms. Saltine is on our side.

loser.com

“Donald Trump is a big fat loser because his facial expressions are not good,” said Peaches.

“Well, you need to pee every second,” said Donald Trump.

“Well, actually,” Peaches said, “I only pee every sixty-one seconds.” Peaches hated Donald Trump, because once, Peaches was on loser.com. He loved being on it because he wanted all the media, but Donald Trump took his place. They were enemies.

“You are a peach. You should be ashamed of yourself. And I am a real person.” Donald Trump made fun of Peaches.

“Excuse me? Hold up here. Your face is so ugly that when you wanted to join the ugly contest, they said no pros allowed.” Peaches stood up for himself.

“Donald Trump! Can I take a selfie with you?” a fan of his said.                                                              

“See, Peaches? People love my face so much that they want to take pictures with me,” Donald Trump said.

Peaches grunted, and Donald Trump went to take a selfie with one of his fans.

Donald Trump said, “You’re so fat that when you got locked in Sleepy’s, you had to sleep on the floor.”

Peaches said, “Shut up. Bye.”

Donald Trump said, “I have to go to a party with all of my fans.” Donald Trump threw Peaches in the garbage.

There was a homeless person named Calvin Klein. He was in the military, and he had no legs. He decided to help Peaches, not because he wanted to eat him, but because he wanted to help people who are hurt like him.

Calvin Klein took Peaches out of the garbage can and threw him at Donald Trump. Calvin put padding under Donald Trump just in case Peaches fell. Peaches and Calvin Klein high-fived each other.

Peaches started to have a population of fans walk toward him. The people were making a heart shape.

“Boo, Donald Dump.”

After, Donald Trump said, “I am walking towards my fans’ party anyway, so bye.”

A minute later, Donald Trump saw all of his fans coming toward the heart shape.

Donald Trump and Peaches started a debate.

Donald Trump said, “If anybody wants to marry me, I’m rich.”

And everybody except the man with no legs went to go from a heart shape in front of Donald Trump.

Obama came in, and since he was president, he had the right to put Peaches on loser.com. Now all of Donald Trump’s fans became Peaches fans. Peaches was so happy that he gave each homeless person $500 for food.

“My plan for 2020 is to get every homeless person a home and food.” One thousand people clapped and two people booed. Since the clapping was so loud, no one heard the boos.

So now, it was time to vote, and 90 percent of the whole world voted for Peaches except for Donald Trump’s wives and daughters. (The reason it was 10 percent was because Donald Trump married so many people.)

Untitled

Chapter 1

I admired the little brown houses as I walked through the quaint village. I stopped at the end of the road and saw a beautiful valley in front of me with a tiny stream. I could smell the jasmine and honeysuckle in the air.

Then a stranger with silvery blond hair approached me and with a welcoming smile. She said, “Welcome to the City of ––

Suddenly, she got shot in the back with an arrow. Slowly her eyes turned black, her skin turned grey, she looked at me with a disturbing smile and ––

I jolted up, banging my head on the wooden headboard of my bed. When, I wondered as I rubbed my throbbing head, are these visions going to stop? Although the beginning of the vision felt safe and slightly familiar, I did not like the end when the lady transformed into a creepy creature. Out of all the visions that I’d had, I felt that this one was the worst. Many questions started popping into my mind. How come these visions only started two months ago? Where was the beautiful valley that I saw? And most importantly, what do the visions mean?

“Kayla, the school bus is here!” yelled my mother.

I groaned. Those six words were the words that I dreaded the most every morning. The thought of walking into a seventh grade classroom full of judgmental kids and strict teachers made me shiver, especially when I could have a vision at any time. I grabbed my schoolbag and headed downstairs. Of course my brother was already waiting for me, tapping his foot impatiently when I walked into the tiny kitchen. Why was he so excited about school? I guess because he still was in first grade, and in first grade all you do is play games and read books. Sometimes I wished I was still a little kid: oblivious, carefree, and vision-free.

“Hurry up, Kayla!” My mother snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, Kayla, hurry up!” Henry (my brother) mimicked. Rushed, I shoved

a muffin in my mouth, grabbed Henry’s small pudgy hand, and hurried toward the dreaded school bus.

I dragged him into the seats in the front row as fast as I could. The kids in the back could be dangerous. They had bullied Henry before (he is very gullible) and I wanted to keep him as safe as possible. The ride to school seemed to go on for a long time, even though it was actually quite short. As we passed the fountain near the park, I thought about the memories of my father there when I was just a little bit younger than Henry.

In books where the protagonist’s mother or father dies, the character always remembers only a snippet or two about their parents. But I could remember every little detail about my dad. Weirdly, my mother never appeared in these memories, it was just me and my dad. Me and Dad racing down the streets of New York. Me and Dad sliding down the slides in the park. Me and Dad reading a book together. I also remembered the night he left. Before he drove off into the foggy night and left me with my mother he said, Reach deep down into your heart and remember.

Before I knew it, hundreds of children were rushing out of the bus. Grabbing my brother’s hand we pushed our way to the exit.

“Bye Kayla!!! See you after school!” Henry bounced away into the small building on the left side of the field of grass. Sighing, I waved goodbye to him and walked to the huge building on the right side. After putting all my books away, I found the English classroom. It was covered with school projects and decorations that brought back bad memories of the past years: Ms. Gutter’s attempt to make the classroom seem like a ‘happy environment.’ Ms. Gutter finally walked in, wearing her long weird robes (where did she buy those from?) and lipstick. Even though she was very cheerful, she always gave us a quiz every three days.

“Oh no! I forgot the classical music today! Why didn’t you kids remind me?”

… No response.

“I see, aren’t we all tired today!”

… No response. That’s basically how the whole class went.  

The morning flew by and soon it was time for history class. History class was the most boring class ever!! Ms. Rath drones on and on during the whole class, so you would understand my ‘excitement’ for history class. I walked into class and took my usual seat in the middle. Ms. Rath started her lecture about World War II (or something). She started talking about the book we were going to read when I felt a nauseous feeling in my stomach and the desks in front of me started fading to white. The whole world around me changed into diluted colors. I always felt this familiar feeling in my stomach when I was about to have a vision. Panicked, I stumbled out of my seat and trudged to the corner of the faded room, attempting to hide from the other people in the room. I looked out the window and saw…

the same breathtaking valley. But this time a dark, curly-haired little girl pranced through the green grass and spun in circles. Then another figure appeared beside her and lifted her up on his broad shoulders, let out a deep rumbling laugh that vibrated through my chest. I then felt a pang of familiarity that disappeared as fast as it came. When the little girl ran into the small cabin the whole vision flickered into a dark, cloudy scene with demon-like arrows flying into people’s hearts, but then the beautiful landscape came back.

A moment later, the desks materialized again and then the shocked faces of my peers popped out from the fog, and lamely I replied, “I have a stomach ache.”

… Silence.

“Of course you do!” Ms. Rath cut in, “Let’s get you to the nurse. Don’t worry, Kayla!”

Ms. Rath dragged me into the enclosed hallways and once we got to a small corner she stopped and faced me, her cheerful and serene smile twisted into a dark frown. “What were you thinking, going to school without consuming the right medication this morning? You never had a vision before during school, are you running out of the pills?” She scolds, looking down at me. I was shocked.

“Uh, I, um, what?” Ms. Rath’s anger bubbled down to confusion.

“Your medications, the one you take to prevent the visions. Your father gave them to you! You will obviously be getting visions when you are this far away from the City.”

I paused for a second, the shock of finding out that Ms. Rath knew about my visions faded away and was replaced by the realization that the question that had clouded my mind for almost a month had been answered.

“You know why I’m getting these visions? You know?”

“Of course I know! I was assigned as your father’s advisor when he took you and left the City. You grew up there, that’s why you’re getting visions. Why didn’t your father tell you all of this?”

“My father left me and my mom, and from what I remember, he never told me anything about this ‘City’!” After saying this, it felt like ten weights were dropped on my heart; I couldn’t take all this information. “Okay, I think I feel a little — ” I searched for the right words to say to Ms. Rath’s impatient face, “overwhelmed.”

Without saying anything else, I pushed past her to get inside the classroom to grab my stuff, ignoring the weird looks with confidence. Then I called my mom, saying that I had a headache and I wanted to walk home.

I finally took my first full breath of air walking outside onto the bumpy sidewalk; watching the big puff of air dissolve into the cold winter sky. This was how I escaped: I had to be by myself, outside with no walls surrounding me. I started to think about what Ms. Rath had said. She used to be my father’s advisor in this whole different city (that I didn’t remember), why would my father need an advisor? She had also mentioned that I grew up there.

That was why these visions seemed so familiar! There was also a medication I could take to prevent the visions? How come I didn’t remember all of this? By the time I passed the Choo Choo Train Park, where I had fallen and broken my knee a while back (I never played in there ever again), I figured out the answers to my questions, I needed to see my father.

I climbed up the stairs two steps at a time up to my room and flopped face down onto my old worn quilt. My aura of peace quickly faded away once I was inside my room. After a few minutes of silence, I heard the steps of my mother’s soft slippers climbing up the stairs. I sighed ready for her to interrogate me. She walked in and looked at me for a good ten seconds and then walked over to sit beside me. Her blond hair tickled my cheek.

“How was your walk?” She looked at me with kind eyes. I laughed. My mother always asked the smart and unexpected questions, I loved her personality.

“It was relaxing and it cleared my mind,” I told her, smiling. My mom nodded with an understanding face and we just sat there quietly. I then thought about my idea to find my dad. Should I tell her? No, then I’ll have to tell her about my visions and I can’t do that, there must be a reason for why my dad left. I then crawled into my bed to lay down and calm my pounding head. Soon after that, I felt the weight of my mom leaving the bed and walking out of my room.

 

Chapter 2

I loved little children. They were so innocent. Henry was innocent but he was also very smart and educated about the world. Kids were not judgmental at all. That was why I was excited when my mom told me that my baby cousin Maureen was coming over to barbeque with us. Finally, I had somebody to spill my problems to! I felt like telling Henry about our dad might be too overwhelming. I didn’t want him to feel the same way I felt and I didn’t want to frighten him.

After hearing the shrieking of my two little cousins entering our quiet house, I rushed downstairs. Immediately guilt crept over me when I saw Henry realize that he had gotten home on the bus by himself.

“Oh Henry, I’m so sorry I didn’t come down earlier when you came home!” I reached over to ruffle his fluffy blonde hair.

“That’s okay, I know you have a bad headache,” he replied. I felt lonely realizing that he and my mom didn’t know about about the visions, or about this whole other life in this crazy demonized city that our dad potentially lives in. A high-pitched squeal broke mye away from my thoughts ––

“Maureen!” I looked to the doorway and saw my tired but bright-looking Aunt Pearl (I had always loved that name) and Uncle Thomas carrying little two year old Maureen and her brother, Peter, who was two years older than her.

My mother shrieked as she ushered the small group of people into the living room.

“Hi! Come in, come in! I missed you so much.” That was probably true, my mother’s whole family lived in Brighton so having them come to visit us in New York state was only a once-in-awhile type of thing. Aunt Pearl nodded and followed my mom into the cheerful room chattering excitedly and admiring Henry’s artwork from school hanging on the walls. Henry makes a beeline to Peter soon after the family settles down. I think Henry liked to boss him around after being bossed around by me (I tried my best to not tell him what to do, but sometimes the orders just slipped out!) so he chosed to play with Peter. I brought Maureen to the small playroom filled with random toy trucks and cars that Henry played with. I watched her grab and whack a small purple car. I sighed remembering the happy carefree times before I got my visions, two months ago, I didn’t have to take some medication to be able to go to school and there were no gaping holes in my life.

“Maureen, do you know who my father is?” I asked her.  Her little blonde head perked up after hearing her name and she stared at me blankly. “That’s okay, I don’t know who he is myself. I don’t even know where he lives. I mean, is he still alive?” I rambled on and on about my dad not caring about what the little girl next to me was thinking. Suddenly, Maureen pointed at the window behind me, her face pale. Whimpers started to come out of her tiny mouth. I stopped, my mouth seeming to zip up like the jacket hanging on the wooden rack. I turned around slowly, this was probably how the characters in horror movies felt; that rush of panic in your stomach.

The person standing –– no, floating –– was smiling at Maureen with black, empty eyes. His skin was grey, and there was a black arrow that seemed to vibrate stuck in his back. A picture flashed through my mind: the woman who approached me in my vision. I shrieked when I made eye contact with his ghostly eyes. Weirdly, fear appeared in his eyes and the man started to disappear, limb by limb. I looked at Maureen, she stared back at me, and screamed.

My mother rushed into the room. She stopped when she saw my eyes. I looked at her, scared and confused. After she grabbed Maureen she walked toward me slowly and almost cautiously. I followed her gaze to the antique mirror that hung above the small table on the wall. I rushed to it and stared at myself. Frizzy brown hair, pale skin, orange eyes –– WAIT! I do not have orange eyes! I started to panic, I looked down at the scratched wooden floor and then stared at the mirror again. The fiery orange faded into its usual, normal, dull brown color that I saw every time I looked at myself in the mirror. I heard Aunt Pearl and Uncle Tom walk over and turn silent in the back of my mind. I looked to the left and saw Henry staring at me, his mouth wide open. I just stared at the mirror in horror, what am I? What thing did I become?

 

The night went by in a blur, and all I saw was the fear in my mother’s eyes, imprinted in my mutant eyes. Never in my life, had I felt so terrified and uncomfortable. My visions started to come into the world; they were actually real. So that meant that this city was actually real, this whole mess was real. There was a hole in my chest –– you know, that sour feeling that you get when you drown in panic and confusion. The feeling that I got when I was lost in the new gigantic building in the beginning of middle school? That feeling was taking over my heart.

My mother stopped talking to me altogether. I think she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that I’m a creepy mutant person with wonky eyes. I’m also trying.

I realized that I was the only person in this realistic world who knew about these visions. Except… except for Ms. Rath. Ms. Rath knows about the City. She was my father’s advisor. It seemed like my teacher had more to tell me before I ran away.

 

During the evening, we went out to our well kept lawn to stargaze. I tried to make out each constellation but failed. How are you able to organize so many stars into one constellation?

I sighed when I went under the covers. Another day of potential visions. Another day of fear. Another day of confusion.

 

Chapter 3

My next mission was to find Ms. Rath and make sure that she told me everything she knew about my dad and my eyes. Without going to school. Do you really expect me to be able to go to school the day after having a frightening (and embarrassing) ‘stomach ache’? No you don’t. That was why I was never going back to that history classroom. Fortunately, I didn’t have a vision last night, and I was granted permission miss school. That means I had a whole day to think about my eyes. My weird eyes.

My mom and I were both a little bit rattled after the incident last night and I got a refreshing vision-free night to let the idea of my mutant facial body part sink in. I hoped my mom was as understanding as she always was. I sighed as I walked down the hall to the bathroom. It seemed like I’d been sighing a lot lately. I wondered why. I was stopped by Henry.

“I have been having dreams.” That sentence that came out of my brother’s mouth stopped me on my tracks. “Weird dreams. Weird dreams with big orange eyes staring at me, with Dad telling me to ‘remember’ or something like that.” Henry seemed to get more frightened with each word.
You have been having dreams about my eyes? Since when?” My brother may know more about me than I do.

“The first dream started two months ago, but I have only gotten three in total.” Henry paused, it seemed like he wanted to tell me more, but his emotions were holding him back. A few seconds later Henry whispered in a timid voice “I’m worried, Kayla.” My insides crushed. I was able to deal with my visions but the thought of Henry having to go through them too made me feel horrible.

“It’s ok to be afraid, Henry. I’ve been having visions too. They’re about our dad and a city where demons are invading. I’m trying to find out more about this mess and I think I know someone who might know more about our dad and my abilities,” I told him, trying to help Henry understand.  His eyes lit up, he probably saw this as some sort of adventure in the comic books… Kayla and Henry’s Adventure to Find Their History Teacher to Find Out More About Their Father!!!

I want to read that comic.

“Kayla, you may not think so, but I think your powers are really cool. In my dreams, your eyes have saved lives, actually, they called it Kratos?” Henry said thoughtfully. I saved lives? Me?

“You know what? We are going to find out more about this whole situation. My history teacher, Ms. Rath, knows about our father and ––

“Wait, your history teacher, the one who is friends with Mom? She babysits me while you’re gone!” Henry interrupted me. Ms. Rath babysits Henry? Knowing that she has been inside my home for something not related to school creeped me out. A lot. But that also meant that I could talk to her about everything. Finally, I felt so relieved to talk to someone about my visions.

 

Chapter 4

I stared at the demon towering over me, trying to get into its ugly mind. I snapped my fingers and the demon, with the five demons behind it, disappeared into ashes. I felt a fraction of my energy fade away as I stumbled to the safe house nearest to me. My energy seemed to be dissolving more and more every time I destroyed demons. I moved around the many injured people and went to go find my sister who told me specifically to meet her in the safe house near the Lily River after three in the afternoon. I heard shouts from out of the window and the whistle of an arrow. I wanted to scream in frustration. Why wasn’t General Lucien sending in the city’s powerful troops? Was he only relying on the talents of the Mutatia? The General’s intelligence seemed to be dimming after his advisor left. Our proud and beautiful city cannot be turned into a wasteland of demons.

“ Clairementine! Over here!” I turn my head to my sister sitting on the bench, finishing up wrapping a big bandage around a wounded Mutatia. I sighed at the sound of her childhood nickname for me. “Finally, I was so worried after the General sent the alarm to the Mutatia and you didn’t come back!” Her gentle face was eerily calm as she stared me down. I avoided her look by looking at my small signal panel on my wrist that was buzzing with an alert –– ALL MUTATIA MUST RETURN TO THE SAFEHOUSES BY THE FOURTH HOUR.  –– General Lucien. Oops. That’s why I did not recognize anyone on the battlefield.

“How did you even know about the alert, Grace?” I interrogated my sister. She sheepishly pointed at the wrist of her old Mutatia patient. I sighed and slumped into the dated, out-of-place, armchair. The springs squeaked under the new weight. I ripped of the silver mask that proved my status.

“Claire!” I just closed my eyes, not wanting to deal with anyone at this moment. “Claire! Wake up!” I inwardly groaned and opened my eyes. I see Brendan’s concerned face staring down at me. “Oh, good you’re awake.” I really wanted to laugh but I knew it would be unseemly for this situation.

“The General wanted all the captains to repower in the safehouses.” I nodded and dismissed my messenger. He still lingered. I turned my head and was about to question it when he said, “Most of your Saplings died overusing their power and the general was very angry.”

WHAT!!! Okay, calm down. I’m the leader I have to stay calm. “Oh! That’s awful! I will have to speak to him later to get some advice. Thank you so much for the information.” I said through gritted teeth. Brendan seemed to be disgusted at my lack of sympathy for the young Mutatia who died, but still understood my cue to leave. Even though he was almost a year older than me, it didn’t matter, he would still take my orders –– I was his captain. All of us trained and fought together equally. Anyone could also be your group’s captain, if you worked hard and wanted the responsibility. The responsibility. That was probably the worst part of my job. I was good at battle plans and organizing everyone and I loved being a leader; someone people could respect and look up to you, but I disliked having to always be bothered, always having to discuss things with other leaders, saying the right thing to be a good role model for my Saplings and, of course, making sure that they were trained the right way and using their privileged powers correctly. The young fighters were always so passionate about defending their city, they overused their talents, some were more powerful than others, and didn’t get to recharge in the madness of battle, therefore, they died.

I was used to all these tragedies –– people dying, turning into demons, etc.

I followed the signs of the safehouse to the repowering station, slipping my mask back on, and feeling a bit self conscious, as I do each time I put it on. Once I saw the small enclosed room, I waited on the line of Mutatia. Energy was extremely important to us. No energy? No powers, and no defending our city. Some Mutatia used different types of energy, but most used electricity. The general tried to experiment with other types of energy; water,  fire, wind, and solar. Different Mutatia reacted to different types, so the General decided to just use all of them. I was assigned to do tests on the energies for my project as captain last year. It took maybe about ten million years and ten million pounds of hard work to complete it. But the outcome was useful for my group and my battle friends. I figured out that the most powerful type of energy is electricity, and the least powerful was solar power. The line shuffled forward.

When I finished charging up I set off to find the General to talk about the situation. I tapped my wristband on my arm to to turn on the green light in the corner of the screen, to turn on my tracking device so my leader can know where I am. (You have to turn it off while in the power station). Every time I saw the lime green light flash on, I  felt a vibration between the vertebra of my neck which sent shudders down my spine. I seemed to be the only captain who has not adapted to this feeling, the feeling of people watching you and your every move. Maybe if they had chosen somewhere else to place the device, like my arm, I would not feel the vibrations.

Even though the battles outside my window are ruthless and bloody, the enemies do have some sort of organized plan that we have learned to live around. It goes mostly by hours. Because I have gotten used to the war scene after many years, I had learned the “schedule” and memorized it. I had to, all captains had to. Out of all the inhabitants of this city, the ones I pitied the most were the newborns, the toddlers. They have to grow up and figure out who they were while this war was raging outside their windows. While they took their first steps, and babbled their first words, there would be sounds of battle and demons in the background. Their first memories would be of having to hide in their shelters, and they would not be able to enjoy the amazing landscape of the city. While my childhood was full of oblivious, carefree, and battle-free memories: bounding down the valleys with Grace and spending time with my mother baking goods for our neighbors, (our city prides ourselves on the value of community that all children are being taught in their daily lives). There were little of these precious memories but I kept them close to my heart.

Sometimes I wondered if inhabitants of this city were actually going to experience that kind of life now that it has changed so much. Instead of superiors being the mayor, politicians, educators, the most important leader of our society was the General and people here looked up to the military: the fighters and their captains, and at the moment it was the Mutatia.

I wondered what the change “back to normal” will be like. Hard? Quick? Or will things slowly start to change. How will we ever forget the hours of when the demons will strike or when they rest and we can finally run back home that are lodged into our brain? I would never be able to stroll across town in the middle of the fifth hour (when the demons fight their second to last attack) calmly, weaponless.

Getting rid of these thoughts that came across my mind daily, I readjusted my mask that never seemed to form comfortably over my skin like it did for my fellow leaders. I then took a sharp turn left in a small alley way, ducking my head to avoid eye contact with anyone else.

 

Chapter 5

The General’s office was right in the middle of the city, for easy access. Usually he had many visitors, but at that hour, most inhabitants were “enjoying” their time in their homes. As I walked up the steps, a figure came into view. She had a silver mask on, covering her face the same way mine covers my face. The long dark braid that tumbled gracefully down her back was the only way I recognized the captain. Rayna. Funny how it took so long for me to determine who someone, that I have worked with for many years, was. She rudely bumped into me to acknowledge me.

“Oh, Claire, I did not see you in any of the safehouses. I was worried,” she said in a polite manner (but fake), even though she was obviously trying to embarrass me for not paying attention to the alert. She had always been like this, since we were younger and we just started learning how to be captains. Once, I smuggled in a bag of chips during a training to eat during break and, of course, Rayna was there and saw me take a bite out of a crunchy, greasy potato chip. She immediately told our trainer and he has hated me ever since. I have hated her ever since.

“I did not notice the message,” I replied stiffly. I did not want to give her any satisfaction with my tone.

“I heard what happened to your group,” she smiled. Wow, she just went straight into it. She didn’t even try to be polite this time. She was with me during the lecture about how keeping the fighters in your group safe and by saying that, she reminded me of why I should be ashamed. For once I was glad my mask was over my head because I am not good at hiding the emotions on my face. I roughly shoved past her, and strode up the rest of the stairs.

Lost Kids

Once upon a time, there were two boys who hated school. They went to recess and decided they wanted to run away, so they ran off into the forest and got lost.

 

SCENE 1

ALAN

I don’t want to go to school! I don’t want to go to school!

 

ALAN’S MOM

Too bad, so sad. You. GO.

 

ALAN

I left my homework at school and I don’t want my teacher to be mad at me.

 

ALAN’S MOM

Tell me the truth, I saw your homework at home.

 

ALAN

Fine. The teacher said I have… (takes a deep breath) D-Y-S-L-E-X-I-A.

 

ALAN’S MOM

No, you don’t! When you were three you told me you read the whole series of Harry Potter.

 

ALAN

No, I didn’t, I actually lied to you.

 

MOM

I’ll call your teacher and ask.

 

ALAN

Fine, go ahead.

 

MOM

        She picks up the phone to call, but then puts it down. 

Actually, I believe you. Maybe you do have dyslexia. But you still have to go to school.

 

ALAN

Ugh. Fine.

 

Lights out.

SCENE 2

        In reading class (ELA).

 

TEACHER

Write a whole paragraph on what we just learned.

        The TEACHER turns to write on the board.

 

ALAN

(To himself) Should I try or should I sleep? I’ll just sleep, I don’t need this rubbish.

 

He falls asleep. The TEACHER comes to him and pokes him on the shoulder. Then the recess bell rings. ALAN wakes up.

 

TEACHER

Just keep trying! It’s okay to mess up, just keep trying!

 

Everyone else has gotten up to get their coats and walks out of the classroom, JACK looks at ALAN with understanding and pity. ALAN rolls his eyes at the teacher and leaves, with JACK following behind him.

 

SCENE 3

        ALAN sits on the bench crying at recess.

JACK

Are you okay?

 

ALAN

No. I just went to sleep because I didn’t understand.

 

JACK

You don’t understand what?

 

ALAN

Don’t tell anybody, okay?

 

JACK

Okay, I promise.

 

ALAN

(whispers) I. Have. D-Y-S-L-E-X-I-A.

 

JACK

Let me tell you a secret. I have dyslexia too.

 

ALAN

       ALAN looks at JACK in awe, and then gives him a big hug.

 

JACK

I have always thought of getting lost and not going to school.

 

ALAN

That is a great idea!

 

JACK

Since we’re at recess, let’s do it now!

 

ALAN

Wait, but the teacher wants to talk to me after school.

 

JACK

Oh whatever, forget about it.

 

ALAN

Where should we go?

 

JACK

       He writes down “Bahamas” and shows ALAN.

 

ALAN

What’s Bamahams?

 

JACK

(gently) It’s called the Bahamas.

 

ALAN

That would be too hard, let’s go somewhere else. Oh, I know! The forest!

 

JACK

Uhh, I’m a little scared of bears, and like cats, and like bunnies, and like trees.  But… okay.

 

ALAN

Are you scared of something?

 

JACK

(lying) No, not at all.

 

ALAN

Whatever. Let’s get the heckster out of here.

 

SCENE 4

        In the forest, the sounds of birds and animals can be heard. They’ve just arrived.

JACK

Oh. T-t-trees!

 

ALAN

Okay? Dude, are you scared of something?

 

JACK

Fine, yes. I’m scared of the things I mentioned before we left to go to the forest.

 

ALAN

Dude, why didn’t you tell me this? Before, you said that you were not scared of those things. We could have gone somewhere where you wouldn’t be scared.

 

JACK

I’ll be honest next time.

 

ALAN

Okay.

 

JACK

(looking up at the sky looking at the birds) I wish I was a bird and I could be free and not have dyslexia.

 

ALAN

(standing there in silence with his arms crossed looking up at the sky, talking to himself) That was my dream when I was little, to be a bird.

 

JACK

Oh well.

       JACK walks with his head down, sad. JACK bumps into a tree.

 Ahhh!

 

ALAN

Jeez, Jack! Calm down!

 

The boys see something on the tree.

 

JACK

Oh my gosh! The t-tree said something.

 

ALAN

Let me read it. Hmmm… Pelh pere.

 

JACK

I don’t think that is was it says. Our teacher told me a trick. Let me try it. Hmmm. I think it says, “Help here.” Yes, that must be it.

 

ALAN

Who wants to help us?

 

JACK

Alan, I have one question. Why does it say it on the t-tree and not the mud or something?

 

ALAN

Well, maybe somebody was scared of the trees and they needed to escape very fast because they just can’t handle trees and they said “help’’ because they just can’t find the way out of here.

 

JACK

O-o-okay. How can we help?

 

ALAN

Oh my gosh. Look at the footsteps on the floor that are right next to the tree. Maybe that’s where the man tried to escape.

 

JACK

Should we follow them?

 

ALAN

Okay. I hope these footsteps don’t lead to a dangerous place.

 

JACK

Wait, what do you mean a dangerous place?

 

ALAN

Listen, dude. We are in the middle of a forest. Anything can happen.

 

JACK

I’m starting to think that what we are doing is very bad. I mean, we’ve been in the forest for two days now. Don’t you think our parents will worry? Our parent sent us to school to learn right? If we are struggling we should tell the teacher and learn together. We can learn to read with dyslexia.

 

ALAN

Are you alright, man? But…

        JACK starts crying.

 

ALAN

I forgot about going back home and being in my mom’s arms. And her kissing me good night.

 

JACK

Let’s go back.

 

ALAN

Go back were? We are in the middle of the forest and it’s 3:00. By the time we get to school, it will be tomorrow at 1:00 in the morning.

 

JACK

How do we get out?

 

ALAN

The same way we came in.

 

JACK

Which is…?

 

ALAN

Man. We’ve got to be brave and follow the footsteps.

 

JACK

I don’t know about that.

 

ALAN

Jack… man up you have to face your fears.

 

JACK

I guess.

 

The boys walk more into the forest.

 

ALAN

Looks like the footsteps we saw earlier lead into a cave.

 

JACK shivers.

 

ALAN

Dude, this is the last time I’m telling you to man up and face your fears.

 

JACK

But…

 

Trees make sounds.

 

JACK

Ahhh. T-trees.

       JACK runs straight into the cave.

Uhhh, Alan you here, bro?

 

ALAN

JACK!!! Where are you???

 

JACK

I’m in a cave without t-trees.

 

ALAN

Ummm, is this the cave?

 

JACK

Hurry up! I am suffering in here!

 

JACK

Oh Alan, I see you!

 

ALAN

I see you too! But why are you holding a leaf in your hand from a tree?

 

JACK

Wait… WHAT?! Oh, this isn’t that bad.

 

ALAN

Oh look, there are more footsteps.

 

JACK

Let’s follow them.

 

ALAN

Okay.

 

ALAN and JACK follow the footsteps.

 

JACK

Oh look, there is our school.

 

ALAN’S MOM and JACK’S MOM are looking for them and crying.

 

JACK’S MOM

Jack, where were you? I was worried sick.

 

JACK

Well, we just couldn’t do it anymore.

 

JACK’S MOM

Couldn’t do what?

                

JACK

Well, long story. Well, actually, first thing’s first… I have dyslexia. Let’s talk about what happened at home. Just one thing…. All Alan’s fault.

 

ALAN

Dude, you agreed to it!

 

ALAN’S MOM

Agreed to what?

 

ALAN

Never mind.

 

JACK

Just saying, it’s you who should be blamed.

 

ALAN

Jack, I’m not talking to you anymore if you are going to blame me for it.

 

JACK

Fine.

 

ALAN

Good.

 

JACK

And one more thing: it’s Bahamas, you idiot.

 

ALAN ignores JACK.

 

ALAN

Why are you bringing that up now? Bye.

 

ALAN goes home with his mom.

 

SCENE 5

        The next day.

 

JACK

You know what? I was a huge idiot yesterday for blaming you.

 

JACK looks into ALAN’s eyes and cries and gives him a huge hug.

Never Betray Someone

Yesterday, my friend betrayed me. The teacher asked her if I was talking. I don’t know why. He must have thought I was talking because my hand was placed over my mouth. I was really uncomfortable in my chair. I didn’t want to get in trouble. I had already had a bad recess, and now I had a headache because my friend was really inappropriate at lunch. I don’t want to say what happened, because it was too gross.

Mr. Monserati asked my friend, “Is Matthew talking?”

My friend hesitated. She laughed and said, “YES.”

I really wasn’t talking. She betrayed me. She was no longer my friend.

Because I am not God, I did not forgive her for getting me in trouble. I felt mad at my friend. God would have felt sad for her because she committed a sin by betraying someone. Judas turned his master in for thirty pieces of gold. Judas saw his sin and hung himself. My friend did not do that – all she did was hang out with other people. Judas had also betrayed him. It is bad to betray. I hope she will apologize. If she does, I will forgive her. Amen.

A Vehicle That Can Fly: The War Against Syria

Chapter 1

We were in a big fight with Syria. One day, when I was flying to Syria to defeat them, I was talking to my pilot, Matthew. Matthew was my first friend.

“Take a left turn and shoot a missile,” said Matthew.

“Roger that,” I said.

Sometimes I would just get bored and talk to my pilot Matthew. We had nothing in common because I am a vehicle and so is he…

Matthew wanted a special army helmet. I wanted to help him by forcing the U.S. Army to give every soldier a helmet. It could save him from dying. It was bulletproof, and when he put it on, it would make the whole suit bulletproof and create a facemask.

I looked down, then up. I saw a whole group of Syrian army planes. They were green with army waves. So I talked to the captain, but he didn’t really agree with me. I said that it would be very good –– we could win everything. He still didn’t believe me. Finally, I convinced him, and he believed me. So he gave me and my pilot a helmet, but not anybody else. I didn’t really care. Everybody else cared. They said, “That’s not fair at all!”

They said, “That’s not fair at all!”

I felt sad. But the captain said, “Hurry up, get in the sky!”

I was too busy daydreaming, so he hit me. I finally stopped daydreaming and took flight. Maybe you don’t understand what that means … neither do I. But what I mean is that I took off. Now, let’s get back to the story.

 

Chapter 2

After that, there were a whole bunch of army planes pointing at me because they thought that I would start daydreaming again. I got mad and told everybody that I would stay focused. Finally, they left.

It was daytime and kind of windy. I started to run low on gas. There was still one plane next to me who didn’t believe that I had stopped daydreaming, so it passed over a tiny bit of its gas to me. I went as high as I could. I became frozen and I couldn’t control what I was doing. I was a little bit curious, especially about how to control myself again. I turned my jets on and was finally able to control myself again. We were all so happy!

 

Chapter 3

Then I started going so high, I almost touched space. I couldn’t go down. I tried and tried.

I asked Matthew to help me, but he was too busy watching TV on his phone. (He thought that I was controlling myself). He was watching CNN news.

I yelled, “Matthew!!!”

I realized that he was asleep and felt disappointed.

He eventually woke up.

“Where am I? Is it already night?” asked Matthew.

“Now we’re in space,” I said.

“What?? Why did we go into space? I thought you would be controlling!” he said.

“No! You never said that.”

“I did, but you were just daydreaming.”

I really was daydreaming. I was in big trouble. I just knew we weren’t going to win the war with Syria.

There were 300 stars all over the place! “Wow! I never thought that was actually true!” I said.

As I got back from space, I heard a reporter say that we had won! I got back and landed. I got pushed back by an airplane.

“Wow,” I thought. “I never knew that would happen.”

“Well, you know, it wasn’t really as bad as I thought it was,” I said to Matthew.

Matthew said, “Seriously, I don’t care.”

He was still watching CNN.

Creme Brulee

Characters:

CAT

SOPHIE

MYRTLE

JAKE

BAKER 1

BAKER 2

Scene 1

In a dark room with trash all over the floor.

JAKE is right outside the window of the dark room. He’s standing protectively outside of the house, so the BAKERS don’t enter.

JAKE

Nothing here, you Bakers. Now get a move on!

The BAKERS don’t move.

Sophie is standing in the dark room. She sneakily looks out the window, so they don’t see.

SOPHIE

The bakers are here. We have to hide!

CAT

Well, maybe you have to, because you stole that magic cinnamon from the spice stand.

SOPHIE

Well, you helped!

CAT

No, I did not!

SOPHIE

The bakers might come in.

CAT

I’m scared.

SOPHIE

I’ll be on the lookout.

SOPHIE looks out the window again.

SOPHIE 

The bakers are probably looking for that creme brulee recipe.

CAT 

Cool.

BAKER 1 is standing outside the window.

BAKER 1

Let us in, farm boy!

JAKE

I’m not a farm boy! Also, I don’t even know how to make toast!

 

BAKER 2

Let’s go. He’s innocent.

BAKER 1

Copy.

In the dark room.

SOPHIE

The bakers are gone.

CAT

I’m going to work.

SOPHIE

Work? I thought there weren’t any jobs to go to. I thought you could only –

CAT walks out of the room with some pep in her steps.

SOPHIE

I need to get to Kimmy’s house.

Scene 2

A cobblestone street. The very few people that are there are looking very scared. CAT is walking down the street.

CAT

Hello!

CAT tips her hat.

CAT

Have a very nice day!

Scene 3

A dusty shop with many old things in it. MS. MYRTLE is standing behind a desk.

 

CAT

Hello, Ms. Myrtle. How are you?

MYRTLE

I am very good, Cat. How are you?

CAT

I’m good.

MYRTLE

There are some new things in the back. Can you please unpack them for me? Take the creme brulee recipe from the pile. Also, can you give a message to the cook and say that I don’t have the recipe?

CAT

Okay.

CAT walks through the piles of junk.

Scene 4

A dusty room with bags of things.

CAT

Where is the new delivery?

Shows a bag that says “New Delivery.”

CAT

Oh. There it is.

CAT opens the bag.

CAT

Whoa! That’s the recipe!

A picture of a creme brulee is on a scrap of paper.

CAT

Whoa! I understand why the cook wants this so much!

One cup of sugar

Four egg whites

One teaspoon of flour

One half cup of cream

Cook for as long as pleases you.

(It will come out perfect only if you cook it as long as your favorite number.)

MYRTLE

(distant sounding) What are you doing back there?

CAT

Just being a good assistant! Hehehe.

MYRTLE

Okay.

CAT

This is gonna rock!

Scene 5

The Bakery. Many sweets are being eaten at pink tables. Happy music is playing through hidden speakers.

COOK

That recipe is mine. Well, I hope it is.

COOK stops waiter.

COOK

I’ll be right back, I just forgot something.

WAITER

Okay.

Scene 6

The street. Same as before. Because of COOK’S huge ego and her huge mansion, people on the street are staring in awe at her.

COOK goes into the old shop

COOK

I want the recipe right now!

MYRTLE

Why would I have it? I’m an innocent old woman! You are acting like some stupid recipe is a matter of life and death!

COOK

It is a matter of life and death. It’s magic. According to legend, it can bring people back to life.

MYRTLE

Why are you relying on a legend?

COOK

Well, legends are sometimes real.

MYRTLE

Okay, but don’t blame me if you go through this entire pursuit of trying to find something that isn’t real.

COOK

It probably is real, but don’t blame me if I become richer from this recipe.

CAT and COOK walk out of the shop at the same time.

Scene 7

CAT and COOK are on the street outside of MS. MYRTLE’S. CAT is standing a few feet away from COOK and muttering to herself.

CAT

(whispering to herself) I can’t let the Cook have the recipe. She already has too much money as it is.

COOK walks up to CAT.

COOK

Are you sure that Ms. Myrtle doesn’t have the recipe?

CAT

Yes, I’m very sure. Hehehe.

Scene 8

SOPHIE and CAT are in their dusty kitchen. On the table, are the special ingredients for the magic creme brulee.

CAT is stirring all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

CAT

Come on, Sophie. Let’s try the batter.

SOPHIE

Okay!

They try the batter.

SOPHIE and CAT

It’s so good!

They put in the oven to bake.  

Scene 9

SOPHIE and CAT’s dusty kitchen –– fifteen minutes later.

CAT pulls the creme brulee out of the oven.

CAT

Whoa….

SOPHIE

Let’s try it!

They both take a bite.

COOK opens up the kitchen door and slams it shut.

COOK

I know you have the recipe! Now give it to me!

SOPHIE and CAT are bouncing around, giggling.

SOPHIE and CAT

I think this made me really happy!

COOK

You are stealing something really powerful!

The girls continue to bounce and laugh.

CAT

(to COOK) Really?

SOPHIE shoves a mouthful of creme brulee into COOK’s mouth. COOK starts bouncing around and smiling.

COOK

This is magic!

SOPHIE

Why?

COOK

Because it’s so good! Let’s open a new bakery together and live eating creme brulee forever!

SOPHIE and CAT

Yay!

THE END

Trees

When I think of trees

I think of leaves, bright green.

When I think of the leaves

I think of the branches that hold the leaves

Steady and strong.

When I think of the branches,

I think of the trunk

That holds the tree up

Straight and true.

When I think of the trunk

I think of the tree.

When I think of the tree

I think of the air it gives

Us to breathe.

The One and the Best Girl: Book III

Chapter One: Shopkins

Hi, my name is Daisy and I am ten years old. I have one Shopkins toy. My sister is only a year old and has twenty eight Shopkins. This is not fair – I hate that my sister has twenty eight. I like Shopkins because they’re little, and my dog doesn’t eat little things. I like playing with them with my mom and sister. For Easter or Valentine’s Day I can get more. Valentine’s day is next week!

 

Chapter Two: Valentine’s Day

I woke up with a basket on my bed! Inside the basket were shopkins! I opened them… I got the worst one! I looked at its name without noticing that it was a limited edition. It was called Roxie Ring. My sister came in and screamed, “Ahhh, you have a limited edition?”

That’s when I realized I got a limited edition Shopkins!

I opened the other one that was in the same basket. It was Sally Scent. My sister screamed again, “Ahhh! Sally Scent! That’s not fair!” (That time she knew from the beginning that it was a limited edition. Now, whenever she screams, it means that I have a limited edition.)

I opened the other one, which was –

“Ahhh!” My sister screamed again. “Sunny Screen! That is not fair!”

Before I could stop her, she opened the other one. It Papa Tomato. She hesitated before moaning again.

I went downstairs and found the pups still sleeping. Me and my sis found another present with both of our names on it, so we opened it together. It was from Mom and Dad, and it said that we were going to move to a bigger house because we were going to have four new siblings!

My mom was pregnant with quadruplets!

Crying, I went to my room. I was shocked. I called my best friend, The Hair.

“I am moving to NYC,” I said.

“What? That was what I was going to tell you! I’m actually moving to New Jersey,” he said, “but I’ll be right across the George Washington Bridge!”

 

Chapter Three: Moving Day

I woke to a moving truck outside of my window. I did not know that we were moving today (I thought that we were moving this weekend), but whatever!

We drove to the apartment. My sister had a blue and pink bedroom, and I had a hanging bed. There was even a playroom with a whole collection of Shopkins! I found seventy seven Shopkins outside of the box and forty four inside of another box, and I opened them all. They were limited edition! And, I got all the Shopkins from seasons one and two!

After, we went to the Empire State Building. It was so cool! The Hair came with us!

 

Chapter Four: School

The next day, I discovered that The Hair went to the same school as me. I could not find him, so I went to the principal’s office to see if he knew where he was. The one problem was that the principal was not in his office at the moment. I looked on each floor.

The principal was still not there when I went back to class, so I asked my teacher if he knew where he was. It turns out that the principal was in the classroom the whole time! I asked him if I could transfer to The Hair’s class. He looked scary, but luckily he said, “Yes, of course! Are you new?’’

I told him I was, and then I looked for The Hair next door.

That night I learned that my mom had had her babies when I was at school. Their names were Hayden, Molly, Hudson, and Sarah!

We lived happily in New York.

The One and the Best Girl: Book II

Chapter One

Hi, my name is Daisy. My sister’s name is Chloe. My dog’s name is Olivia. We have a playhouse that we like to hang out in. You need to put a cover on it overnight, or else it will get wet. Last night, I forgot to put the cover on the playset, and it got soggy and wet and nearly fell over. Now we’re going to get a new piece of cardboard to start off our new playhouse. But, I’m torn because I don’t know what color cardboard I should get! I’m thinking of getting blue, but I don’t know… I’m also thinking about getting yellow because that’s my favorite color, and whenever I think of the color yellow I want a banana. I started to get stressed out because I didn’t know what color to get.

I asked my dad, “Surprise me: yellow or blue?” So he ordered the cardboard, and we went home and waited for it to come in the mail. When it arrived, I opened up the package and saw the cardboard – it was awesome. We set up the new playhouse and my sister went in first. It was her first time walking. She walked because she was so excited. And the color was… dun-dun-dun… BLUE!

Meanwhile, it was time for Halloween. We had to get our Halloween costumes, so we went to the Halloween store. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a journal, a pencil, or a playhouse, so, as usual, I asked my dad to surprise me. And, as usual, to get the costume in the mail.

After, we went home, waited for it for ten days, and by then it was already the day before Halloween. We got it, and it was a… dun-dun-dun… a pencil! I tried it on, and it fit me perfectly, so now I had to go and find something for Chloe.

So, we went to the Halloween store again. She seemed to like Elmo but I said, “Nah, not for you!”

I asked if she wanted to be a matching pencil but my dad said, “No, too cute,” but then I had an idea.

“Even better! You can be a piece of paper!” I told my dad, as usual, to mail it to me. We got it that day. We opened it up and it was a piece of paper. Then it was time to find a costume for Olivia. She’s a mini-Golden doodle. We went to the store and looked for different stuff, like Cotton Candy, Robots, People… but nothing seemed to work! Then, me and my dad ran to a different Halloween costume store, and it was the best one ever. It was ice cream with a dog cone!

 

The next day…

 

It’s Halloween! We got all dressed up and started with a nice, simple halloween set-up for the party. Then, at around – hmmm –  two o’clock, we started the party. At around five o’clock we had dinner. Then we went out, all dressed up.

I carried my sister, and we went to one house that had a sign that said “We have a sale!” There was something for Nick Jeff that I wanted to get. If you all don’t know, Nick Jeff is the Hair’s brother. I got it and, as usual, I said, “Ship it to Nick Jeff.” I gave his address and after that I was pretty tired. I went home and went to bed.

While I was lying in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about how badly I wanted a phone. I’m going to ask her for one for my birthday. If I haven’t told you yet, my mom said that for my birthday – which is around the corner – I can be on the cover a magazine!

The next day, I went to the playhouse with my sister and my dog. My sister helped me with my homework. My mom told us that we could play after I finished my homework, so my sister helped me with it, and soon it was time to play!

 

Chapter Two

It was the morning of my birthday and my sister was awake. She woke me up. She says “Happy Birthday!” in her baby voice, and then she brought me downstairs. There were so many balloons and presents. My mom said I could open up one, so I did. I opened the smallest one, and it was a ring! It had a golden diamond shaped like a heart and a golden band. I was psyched! I ate cake for breakfast. It was my favorite kind of cake: ice cream cake. My sister got it all over her face and her nose. She had ice cream snot all day.

Guests started to come, and I got more and more excited. I like to start opening my gifts before we do all the other fun stuff, so I opened them. I got lots of stuff, but my favorite two were a phone and an interview at an agency to see if I could get on a magazine cover.

Once everybody left, I opened up a small gift. It was a card that said Olivia was pregnant. There were going to be puppies in the house.

 

A few months later…

 

Soon enough the puppies were here! We went back to the old list of names, and decided that the names would be Liz, Hayden, Emi, and Rose.

The pups got big, but not too big! I wanted to get an interview for the puppies for Weekly Magazine because they were so cute, but I couldn’t because it was too much money. The interview cost $15 per hour.

When I finally saved up enough money, I told my parents, “I think today will be the day I go to the interview.”

They said, “No, because you have to practice for next week’s skiing race.”

So I went to the mountain to practice, but the next morning I went to the interview. It was a small room that felt like a lobby. The butler offered me water, and then I went into the room, which smelled like puppies.

The butler hadn’t told me that this week was puppy week, which I discovered when I sat down (in this beautiful hard wood chair) and one of the thirteen writers told me. He also told me that on January 20th next year they are going to feature my pups in the magazine! By the time I left it was dark outside, but I was so excited!

When I got home, I ate dinner and went to bed.

 

The next day…

 

Emi was not in bed with Olivia.

Olivia came in and told me she was missing. We looked and looked but could not find him. It felt like we’d looked all over the world. But then, I remembered that there was one place left to look: the interview room.

The next day we went to the interview room. He was there! I said to him, “Emi, you cannot do that ever again!”

On the way out, I learned that we were to come here next month.

 

Next month…

 

Me and my mom went to the agency, and Olivia and Chloe came a bit later with Dad. They did it – we saw all the magazines the puppies were in!

The One and the Best Girl: Book I

 Chapter One

This is Daisy. She is the best student in the whole class – she wants to go to school every day.

It was the first day in 3rd grade, the best grade, and Daisy was jumping up and down (Daisy loved school). She told her mom that she did not need lunch because she could get it at school.

‘’Ok,” said Mom, “let’s go!”

“Yay!’’ exclaimed Daisy.

 

12 hours later…

 

“I’m performing my first science experiment!” Daisy told her mom. “I’m gonna go upstairs and start.” She worked and worked, and then she worked some more. She skipped dinner and she went to bed at 10 p.m. – which was late for her. She fell asleep on the table while working on her project.

When she woke up, the table, which used to be blue, was gluey and full of red feathers. She cried and cried because she hadn’t finished her project, but then her mom said, “Believe in yourself, you can do it.”

Daisy tried and tried and tried. She went to school with a frown on her face.

“Why are you so sad, Daisy?” asked her friend Sofia.

“Because I didn’t finish my science project,” she moaned. “I’m so disappointed with myself.” Daisy’s stomach hurt.

“Why don’t you just go into the science room? You have half an hour to work, which means that you could probably finish it.”

So Daisy did, and half an hour later she was done with her project.

The next day, she went to get the table. She put it in the van and drove off, and told her mom that she hadn’t been able to finish her project.

Her mom said, “It is what it is,” and dropped her off at school.

Then, the school bell rang, but it turned out that someone was messing around and had rung it accidentally. Daisy was glad it was a joke, because she was counting on getting to school a few minutes early so that she could retrieve her finished project.

Daisy jumped up and down until her stomach didn’t hurt anymore.

“Wow!” exclaimed her teacher.

“I can’t believe I did it!” she said with a big smile on her face.

The first class was science. Daisy went to the science room and shared her project, which was a feather table on which she would see if sugar would dissolve in gatorade. She did it, but the feathers that were going to go on the gatorade to make it look pretty had just been glued. The jar of feathers fell over and stuck to the table. Finally, she put her project on the table and it became fixed to the surface, making her experiment easier to perform (and prettier).  

The next subject was writing. Daisy wrote about her science project.

Five hours later, she came home through the back door and saw a puppy! “Why is there a dog in the back of our house?” she asked her mom.

“Because you did it! You did it – you finished your project! The puppy is my reward to you.”

“Mom, I have something to tell you.” Daisy hesitated. “I wrote it all down and asked my teacher if I could bring it home, and she said yes, so I brought the note home so that I wouldn’t have to explain it to you. Anyway, I’ll be up doing my math homework.”

One hour later, her mom came up, and she didn’t look that mad. “That was the best story ever! I’m not mad that you glued the table, but I didn’t like that table anyway, because your dad picked it out. Now, let’s go out with your puppy, and while I’m looking for a new table, you can think of a name for him.

Daisy made a list of possible names for the puppy:

Rose

Kate

Hudson

Olivia

Jessie

Jess

Hayden

Emmy

Chloe

Liz

Elizabeth

“That’s enough, that’s enough…” her mom said. “Let’s think of less serious names, cuter names, like Dandelion, or Cloudy, or Bubbles, or something like that.”
“Let’s name him Olivia! I love it, I love it! Please, please, please?” Daisy pleaded.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go to the pet store and get a collar for him. What’s his middle name going to be?”

“Let’s make it… Cloudy!”

They went and got him a sparkly pink collar. Then they went to the furniture store and ordered a new table. It would come that afternoon.   

Later that day, the table arrived!!! Daisy and her mom opened the package… and it turned out to be a bed!

“What?” cried her mom. “This is not a table. This is a bed!‘’ Her mom shouted.

 

Chapter Two

The next day was Saturday. They sent back the bed and ordered the right piece of furniture this time. When it got to their house, they opened it up and discovered it was… a… nothing.

’What?’’ exclaimed Daisy.

They gave up on looking for a table. Her mom asked her, “Did you love that table?”

“Yes, I loved that table! But it’s okay if I don’t get it back.”

“You can get it back your own way! What do you want?”

“Let me think about it… let me go to the Hair’s house.”
When Daisy got to the Hair’s house, he said, “You should get a brand new rainbow TV!”

Daisy was about to walk out the door. She had been thinking for a while and did not have the patience for the Hair.

“Wait, what do you want?” the Hair chased after her.

“I want something, but I don’t need it… ” Daisy sighed. “Actually, for a long time I’ve wanted a rainbow shelf that gives me everything I want while lying in bed. But Nick Jeff never gave it to me. My mom says that Christmas is around the corner and I might get one for Christmas, but who knows? I might not.”

She ran back home and asked her mom to buy her a rainbow shelf that would give her anything she wanted while in bed. “And the Hair also said I should get a rainbow TV!”

 

Chapter Three

The next day, a big, big box was delivered to Daisy’s house. The box was almost as big as the house! She opened the package and found the biggest, most ginormous rainbow TV she’d ever seen! That was only the outside. In another box, she found a tiny rainbow TV, which was awesome. Opening the third box, she discovered the rainbow shelf.

Forty six hours later, it was Christmas. Daisy marched downstairs. The Hair came over. They started opening presents. The sad thing was, he wanted to open the rainbow shelf last. Nick Jeff got a new wand, Daisy got clothes for her dog, and then she found a note saying “Go to Mom.”

Daisy went to Mom. Mom said, “Go to Dad.”

Dad said, “Go to Grandma.”

Grandma said, “Go to Grandpa.”

Grandpa said, “Go to Mom.”

So, she went to Mom, who said, “Go get everyone who was in the circle.” When everyone came, she said, “We’re going to have a baby!”

All of them had the best day, and celebrated the coming of a new family member. Daisy’s mom had been hiding this for two weeks!

 

Two Months Later…

 

Daisy went to school, and she told her class that she would have to miss some class in nine months, because of the new baby. She didn’t tell her class that she was going to have a new sibling, but she went to the Hair the next day, who was very excited for her. Two months after that, the Hair began to visit every day to see if the baby had arrived yet. One day, when he asked if the baby had come, Daisy’s family, sick of his questions, groaned, “Nooo.”

 

Chapter Four

Daisy and her mom started thinking of names. They went back to the list of dog names. Then, they went to the doctor to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl, and they found out it was a girl. Her name would be… Chloe! The idea came to Daisy, and her parents loved it. Two months after that, her mom’s belly was as big as two watermelons. It felt like just yesterday Daisy learned that she was pregnant!

Two weeks after that, her mom went to her seven month check-up. The doctor wasn’t sure if it was a girl anymore. Daisy and her mom would find out for sure when the baby was born. Two weeks after that, she went back to school, and finally told her class that she was going to have a sibling.

 

Chapter Five

Two months later, it was time! It was 9:45 A.M. Daisy didn’t go to school – instead, at 10:30, she went to the hospital to visit her new baby sister.

“Hi, Chloe!” she cried. It was a girl. Daisy was so excited.

Chloe’s first birthday was September 12th, 2239. It was the best day ever. Her first word was “Daisy.”

 

Pure Blonde

“TESS! TESS, GET DOWN HERE! SET THE TABLE!” Mother yelled from downstairs.

I groaned. I brushed my long brown hair off my shoulders and face. I sat up on the hardwood floor and pushed my only blanket off. It was the middle of winter, and this was Angelica’s first baby blanket. By now it was worn and faded, torn at all four edges. It didn’t even cover my legs anymore, and came down to about my waist.

If there was one more snowstorm this season, I would most likely get frostbite or even hypothermia.

I climbed out of my faded red nightgown and put on an ugly dark dress the color of a half rotten orange. Then I put a gray apron over it. The apron had been originally white but Mother refused to wash it because it was mine. I now looked like a pilgrim.

I guess this is what you get if you are born a Moreno. A Moreno is someone born with brown hair to a pure blonde family.

A pure blonde family is extremely rare and extremely cherished. If you are pure blonde, you are very rich and every relative in your family is blonde.

I “ruined” our family. Our family wasn’t pure anymore because of me, the Moreno. At first, when I came to understand what I was, I was ashamed and never showed my face to anyone. But now, I was changed. I didn’t really care anymore because I’d adjusted to their cruelty. I was used to it by now.

I rushed down the stairs from the attic. The small, cramped, slanted attic was the room where I slept. I wouldn’t even consider it mine because Annie shared it with me. Annie, the terribly annoying, noisy, clumsy cat.

I kept on going down flights and flights of stairs of our huge house, zigzagging past maids and butlers, who served my family members but did nothing for me, the Moreno.

I sighed. I ran into the dining room to face Mother.

“TESS! You took longer than you should’ve. Now set the table for me and your two sisters,” Mother scolded, and shoved me into the kitchen. Mother and my sisters had never stepped one foot into the kitchen –– they’d never even breathed near the door of it. Only maids and butlers went in there. And me, the Moreno.

I grabbed the fancy and expensive white lace tablecloth and spread it across the table. I started to walk back into the kitchen but Mother stopped me.

“Tess! You know that there aren’t supposed to be wrinkles in the tablecloth!” Mother shouted. So I fixed all the little tiny wrinkles, even the smallest ones that weren’t noticeable at first. Then, I finally set up all the plates, utensils, cups, napkins, food, and drinks. I waited for my sisters to file in.

“Good morning Mother. I thought you were going to get rid of the little Moreno?” my oldest sister, Angelica, said. She was wearing her flowing white dress, and her luxurious, silky hair was tied back in a french braid three-quarters of the way down her back. She scowled at me.

“Mother! I am terribly hungry. May we have breakfast now?” my other older sister, Evangeline, asked.

“Yes, darlings, sit around the table,” Mother said, and they all sat down. I started to sit in a chair but Evangeline stopped me.

“Tess, you have to sit on the ground over there. You don’t deserve to sit with us.” Evangeline gestured to the corner where the kitchen wall meets the dining room.

Angelica handed me a plastic plate with a plastic fork, two strawberries, and a mini waffle. They get more food than I do because they are blonde.

I took the plastic plate. They didn’t want me to make their fine utensils and plates as impure as I am, the Moreno.

I sat down in the corner where Evangeline told me to sit. I looked down at my food. I shoved the two strawberries into my mouth because I was beyond starving. I quickly ate the mini waffle and then threw out the plastic plate, which was now pink from strawberry juice, and took the garbage outside and left it in the bin for the garbage men to collect.

“TESS! GO TO TOWN AND BUY SOME MILK AND EGGS!” Mother yelled, and I made my way through the rocky path without shoes. Mother never bothered to get me shoes; she thinks I’m not worth it.

I saw the town coming closer and closer. My feet hurt. All the little pebbles, sharp stones, and tiny pieces of broken glass were unavoidable and dug into the soles of my feet.

Then the town came full into my sight and was right in front of me.

I ran to the paved road. I sat down and started picking all the sharp things out of my feet because I couldn’t stand it any longer.

I stood up and was relieved. There was no pain at all anymore.

I walked down the road to the farmer, Farmer Greene. He always sells milk and eggs.

“Hello, Mr. Greene. May I please have some milk and eggs for Mother?” I asked.

“How many, Tess?” Farmer Greene asked.

“Five milk cartons and five boxes of eggs,” I responded. If I got fewer than five, Mother would kill me and send me out on that horrible road, and if I got more than that Mother would send me back to return it. Either would involve going back on that horrible, sharp, painful road.

“Here you go, Tess, have a nice day. My wife noticed that whenever you come to town you never have shoes, so she decided to go out and buy you some,” Farmer Greene said thoughtfully.

“Oh, I am sorry, but I can’t accept that. You see, I am a Moreno, and Mother would kill me if I did. I truly appreciate it, but you see, Mother… ” I started to say, but Farmer Greene interrupted.

“It’s okay, take them –– I will escort you home. When you are done shopping, come here when you are done, Tess,” Farmer Greene said. I walked down the street into the heart of town.

I continued walking down the side of the street and came face to face with Mr. Warner.

“Good morning, Mr. Warner,” I greeted him. Mr. Warner was in his 70s and was the sort of man who was very prejudiced against anyone who wasn’t blonde, especially Morenos.

“Shut up, you foolish child! Your mother should have sent you away, little Moreno. She is stupid enough to keep you! You are a disgrace to the Faircastle family name! You are as impure as ever! Get out of my sight!” Mr. Warner screamed, and everyone in town stared. He threw me to the ground and all my groceries flew everywhere around me.

I recovered and knelt down to pick them all up. Then a boy kneeled down and started to help me.

“It’s not fair for Morenos to be treated like this,” the boy said.

“Are you a Moreno?” I asked, and then I looked up to see his perfectly blonde hair with not even one hint of brown in it. He was very tall and had small freckles covering his nose. He was wearing the most expensive pixelgram t-shirt you could get and fancy jeans.

“No, I’m pure, but that shouldn’t make a difference. It is just hair color, people, come on! This is like 20th century discrimination all over again,” the boy said.

“I know!” I agreed, and stuck the last of the groceries back in the bag.

“I am trying to stop all this stuff. It isn’t really working. My father won’t change the law. He just won’t do it. He likes people to be separated,” the boy said.

“Wait, you mean your father is the king?!” I was surprised. I mean, really surprised.

“Yeah. By the way, I’m Brad,” he said. He looked sort of embarrassed at my reaction to him being the prince.

“ I’m Tess. Just Tess. Mother won’t even let me use my last name,” I sighed.

“Oh, I am so sorry. Maybe I can convince my father to change the law and make everyone equal. It’ll be hard but I’ll try. Meet me by that rock tomorrow, same time,” Brad called and turned to go.

I stood up and walked back to Farmer Greene.

“Here you go, Tessie,” Farmer Greene said kindly, as he helped me slip on my new shoes. They were the softest, best-fitting, most soothing things I had ever put on. I had never really felt comfortable being a Moreno and all, but this was great. I guessed this was what normal feels like.

We walked back home together.

“TESS! WHY ARE YOU WEARING SHOES?” Mother yelled furiously. She was like a lion and I was a defenseless lamb.

I quickly ran into the kitchen and put away the groceries. I left Mother to talk this through with Farmer Greene.

I finished up my daily duties. I am never allowed to have lunch.  At most I have two meals a day, if I am lucky.

I did the rest of my chores and was sent up to bed.

I sat down on the creaky floor of the attic and crawled under the blanket. Actually, I couldn’t crawl under it –– it was way too small for that.

I lay down. Annie jumped on the floor from the top of the ancient bedside table Grandma Bessie so “thoughtfully” gave to me (she just wanted to get rid of it), and an antique vase from 2017 was sent into the air and came down with a smash.

“Oh, you clumsy little cat. Annie! Look what you’ve done! I am going to get in trouble with Mother now. Annie, I wish you weren’t so clumsy… move into Angelica’s room and annoy her! I’d like to see that,” I said and shooed Annie away from the mess.

“TESS! You darn Moreno, stop being so clumsy and clean this mess up. When you are done, get into bed,” Mother scolded, and went back down stairs. I swept up the mess and fell asleep.

The next day I was sent to town. I walked there happily in my extremely comfortable shoes.

I met Brad at the rock. He seemed excited.

“TESS! Guess what! Look at this!” Brad squealed happily and showed me a hologram of the show News On The Go.

“Hello, citizens of Carolina! Today the King has changed a law. The law has been changed so Morenos will have equal rights and will be treated the same as Pures. If you are not treating Morenos the same, you will go to prison,” the hologram said.

I was beyond excited. Mother would finally treat me the same as Evangeline and Angelica. I would get new blankets, and I would actually get a bedroom and I wouldn’t have to share with Annie anymore. The best part was that I wouldn’t be a servant or slave anymore.

“That is amazing! Thanks so much, Brad! But, I guess that means I won’t come here much anymore,” I said sadly while looking at the ground. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

“You don’t have to be sent here –– you can just come here on your own and sit at the rock, and I’ll be there,” Brad suggested, and that brought my spirits back up.

And that is what I did. I was still despised by my family, who held onto the old prejudices, but outside I was treated as an equal. Life was great. Every morning I would head into town, but instead of looking like a pilgrim, I looked like a normal girl.

That was all I had wished for, and it came true.

I was free.

The Secret Case File of Donald Trump

Case file noted by Guy T. Bloom of the paranormal branch of the FBI.

Prologue

Donald Drumpf was an ordinary man… NOT! He is by far, the best candidate that you can vote for…. but there is a dark secret about him that nobody knows…. and this secret is about to destroy the world.

Chapter One: What happened?

Donald Drumpf was sleeping in bed. And he woke straight up. He was having a nightmare about his science test at school tomorrow.

“At least I don’t have the pressure of running for president,” he said to himself, and went back to sleep.

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” said the ghost of a rogue wizard, before using his magic teleportation powers to go into Drumpf’s room. He started chanting a Darke spell while waving his hands over Donald Drumpf. There was a flash of light, and Drumpf woke up to a man in black wizard robes from the fifteen hundreds waving his hands over Drumpf.

“It’s already over,” he said. “YOU WILL AVENGE MY FRIEND!” There was a flash of light, and the wizard disappeared.

“Ah, whatever,” Drumpf said to himself. “I’ll just go back to sleep.”

Chapter Two: The Unknown Effects

That morning, when he woke up, he was worried about his test again. What are all the parts of the Bohr diagram again? he thought to himself. He went to the kitchen and poured himself some milk for his Captain Crunch cereal. When his parents got up and went near their son, strange effects started happening in their head. They wanted their son… to win some sort of election. They weren’t sure that he was going to, yet at the same time they were.

“Hey, son?” Mr. Drumpf asked. “Is there a class president election in your class going on?”

“Yes,” he answered. “But I didn’t tell you…. How did you know?” Now there was even more pressure on him. His parents wanted him to be class president? There were 43 kids in his class… that meant he had a  3.333…  percent chance of winning, because only 30 kids were running. At least he was good at math…

“Well, son, I expect you to win this,” Drumpf’s dad said.

“Look, Dad,” Drumpf started. “I already have a test today, and winning the election is even more pressure.”

“You will be grounded if you don’t get at least second place.”

“GROUNDED?! THAT’S INSANE! THERE ARE 30 KIDS RUNNING!”

“No arguing, Donald,” Mr. Drumpf started. ‘’You will win!” There was now a faint red glow from his father’s eyes.

“Dad? Are you oka –– ?”

“SHUT IT SON! YOU MUST WIN THE ELECTION!” his father said angrily, his eyes glowing a very bright red. Donald looked at his mother, because she would obviously be on his side. To Donald’s surprise, his mother had the same red eyes as his father, and she was pretty much just glaring at Donald for a few seconds.

She broke the silence by saying, “Must have son election win,” in a deep zombie like groan.

“What’s going on?!” Donald screamed, before running out of the house to his schoolbus. On the schoolbus, he met his friend Harry.

“Dude, my parents are going ins –– ” Donald started, before screaming. He saw the same red eyes he saw on his parents.

“Win election Donald must,” his friend groaned like a zombie, no… like his parents.

“Oh, shoot,” Donald said.

Chapter Three: The Deal

When Donald got to school, there was a crowd following him, all groaning like zombies.

“UURGGGH!” the kids repeated. From an aerial view, it looked like Donald was a powerful magnet, while the other students were magnetic sand.

“Win election Donald must,” they all chanted. Donald noticed that they all had red eyes.

“Um…” Donald started. “I gotta use the bathroom.” He dashed to the bathroom, and locked the door. He could still hear their constant groaning.

What is going on!? he asked himself. The ghost of the rogue wizard was right in front of him, yet Donald didn’t see him. The ghost then appeared to Donald. Donald flinched.

“Whoa!” Donald screamed. “Who are you?”

“I am the ghost responsible for everything happening to you.”

“Why did you do this?”

“Donald J. Drumpf,” The ghost started. “Be my apprentice.”

“Okay, rewind,” Drumpf said, confused. “WHY DID YOU NEED TO PUT THIS DUMB CURSE ON ME!?”

The wizard smirked. He then snapped his fingers. The constant groaning stopped. “You see, that’s what you can do to people if you get trained as my apprentice.”

“Why me?”

“Because I saw what a Darke heart you have.”

“Okay, you know what?” Donald started in a ‘smart alec-y’ voice. “I would have been your apprentice, but I was seriously going insane after you put that spell on me. If that was you, because I mean –– ” He was cut off.

“I was the person who put that spell on you, and you didn’t really freak out that much.”

“Well, give me some proof that I didn’t fre –– ” He was cut off by the wizard snapping his fingers. A misty projection of the scene popped up- He started chanting a Darke spell while waving his hands over Donald Drumpf. There was a flash of light, and Drumpf woke up to a man in wizard robes from the fifteen-hundreds waving his hands over Drumpf.

“It’s already over,” he said. “YOU WILL AVENGE MY SON!” There was a flash of light, and the wizard disappeared.

“Ah, whatever,” Drumpf said to himself. “I’ll just go back to sleep.” The projection turned into golden dust and fell to the ground before disappearing.

“Okay, maybe I didn’t freak out that much,” Drumpf said. “But I was really freaked out when the effects started happening.”

“I can’t disprove you that time.” The wizard said. “But will you be my apprentice?”

“Um, I don’t know. Let me think about –– NO,” Drumpf said. “You put my through the most dramatic night and day of my life.” Drumpf started walking toward the bathroom door.

“You know you haven’t suffered all the effects of the spell, right?” the ghost smirked. Donald stopped walking.

“What’s next, you make it so I actually fail everything that I do?”

“No, I made it so every single election you run, you win.” Drumpf thought he saw him mutter something under his breath, but disregarded it.

“And that’s a curse because?” Donald said. He could win EVERYTHING. This was insane.

“If you ever lose an election, the world will come to an end and everyone will be alerted it was you.”

“I mean, that’s kinda –– whatever.” Drumpf walked out of the room. What Drumpf didn’t hear in that conversation were the most important parts.

“No, I made it so every single election you run, you win. But the flaw is, you lose the power for your biggest election,” was what the wizard actually said. His next line? Here’s all the secrets: “If you ever lose an election, the world will come to an end and everyone will be alerted it was you. So be warned about your biggest election.” He was just following the code of conduct: You must state all of the effects of your spell. He started chanting a Darke chant to summon his master. A ghost of an old frail man appeared. He was also wearing robes.

“The deed is done, my master. But Drumpf didn’t accept the offer,” the Rogue Wizard said, bowing down to his master.

“The offer is meaningless now. So you did the deed, huh. Good,” the Wizard’s master began. “Very good.” The master then snapped his fingers. His apprentice began to shrink.

“What… WHAT IS GOING ON?!” the apprentice screamed with a feeling of betrayal, but he was more surprised than anything. “STOP THIS RIGHT nooow!” His voice was drowned out while he shrunk. His master created a bubble with his hands, and pointed his finger at his apprentice. The bubble traveled in the direction of his apprentice. When the bubble got to his mini-apprentice, he was encased in the bubble. The master then used telekinetic Darke powers to lift his apprentice bubble into the air, to eventually land in his hands. The apprentice  repeatedly smacked and punched the inside of the bubble. The master held the bubble in his hands as if it was a valuable vase…. then he crushed it with his bare hands.

“I didn’t need him,” he said to himself. “I looked into his mind… he was going to betray me… side with Drumpf. It’s over now. The world will fall to ashes. And all of it will be Donald Drumpf’s fault.”

Chapter Four: The Meeting

When Drumpf went out of the bathroom, he didn’t have a mob following him. He didn’t have zombies groaning “Election Win Donald Must” with red eyes. All the kids were back to normal. He wasn’t sure he could trust that wizard.

After school, when he got home, he did his homework in his room. Little did he know, the ghost master of the other Rogue Wizard was floating right beside him. He chose to appear to Donald. Donald flinched.

“Why do people keep –– ” Donald began, but was cut off by the Wizard.

“I hear that my apprentice has given you the offer of being his apprentice. Well, he said his apprentice, like he was supposed to.”

“What do you mean?” Drumpf asked.

“I mean you really would have been my apprentice.”

“Okay… you came here just to tell me that? I declined.”

“Well, he told you about the other effects, right?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Well in order for those effects to work, you need to shake my hand. I made a change to the effects.”

“What?”

“They won’t be zombies anymore.”

“Who?”

“The people who are around you, idiot. Everything else he said is still intact.”

“Okay, do I need to sign a paper or anything?”

“Nope, you just need to shake my hand.” He took out his hand for a handshake. Donald took out his. Then he made the biggest mistake of his life: He shook the hand.

Chapter Five: Cause & Effect

Donald then got used to winning everything –– he didn’t have to fit any requirements. He got cocky. He started going under those requirements on purpose. He started having bad debates for the debate club, he brought a stuffed animal for a dog contest, he didn’t even try. And he is being faced with the biggest challenge of his life right now –– becoming president of the United States. Little did he know that the wizard was rubbing his hands together, laughing so hard he fell to the ground. He had almost succeeded in avenging his son who tried to destroy the world himself, DomDaniel. The effects of the spell were going away. In only a few months, the world will be ashes. If only he had accepted the offer as his apprentice. Then they would stay together on the planet Dorghast, the planet of Darke ghosts. You could come in if you are not a ghost, but you needed a Supreme Darke Ghost to escort you. You get there via Darke flying, or using the NoAir spell in space, what he was planning to do after the world explodes, maybe after using a Shield spell for the explosion. The presidential campaign is still going on, so if you don’t want the world to explode, VOTE FOR DONALD DRUMPF!

The Terrrerian

Once upon a time, there was a terrrerian that consumed stars. The terrrerian consumed stars by piling dirt up until he was at the stars. Then, he ate the stars after they fell from the sky. To get down from the dirt mountain, he flew from tree to tree until he found maple syrup. Then, he boiled the maple syrup to make sand. He used the sand in a mixifier with stone, and he got sandstone. He ate the sandstone, and then jumped from the mountain and landed safely.

He used the extra sandstone to greenify the hooligans that were smashing the buzzlight bottles, that were made by the magical buzzlight fairy, who made the buzzlight company. When the terrrerian greenified the hooligans, they turned green and stopped moving. The buzzlight fairy was very happy, so the terrrerian got a bunch of green bobbleheads that yelled at greenery. The bobbleheads were magical, so they could grant wishes. But, when the bobbleheads granted wishes, the bobbleheads yelled even more at the greenery, which would make the greenery sad. The greenery would cry, which made the greenery grow. When the greenery grew the bobbleheads evaporated slowly till there were no bobbleheads left. The greenery somehow had magic powers because the greenery absorbed the bobbleheads.The bobbleheads reproduced because one bobblehead refused to grant wishes, and then there were 100 bobbleheads again.The terrrerian accidentally wished that he had an obsidian skull, and then he got his face stuck in a skull made of sponge marshmallows. The terrrerian wished the skull off his face and wished for a walnut salad, but when he ate the walnut salad he turned blue. Luckily, he had one wish left, so he wished that he was back to normal again.

But then there were no bobbleheads left. He still had some walnut salad left, so he fed it to the stars, and the stars fell all the way down to earth. Then the earth dissolved and became a star planet. He jumped off the star planet and turned it into a huge sponge marshmallow that broke gravity. He made three-dimensional televisions, took them to the sponge marshmallow planet, and ate them.

When he ate the three-dimensional TVs he could travel into the three dimensions. Then he traveled into the world of Potonia and bought a reversal potion. Then he travelled back into his own dimension. He threw the reversal potion at the sponge marshmallow planet, and it turned into a regular planet. He jumped back down to his planet and realized that the hooligans that were smashing the buzzlight bottles. They were still smashing them because they were ungreenified.

The buzzlight fairy was really angry, so she tried to destroy Jupiter, but instead she turned Jupiter into a firecracker. The firecracker exploded into the sun, which sent the whole galaxy hurtling into space.The galaxy crashed into a humongous spiderweb and there was a galaxy-wide spider apocalypse. But the spiders were peace loving creatures, and said that they would forgive the humans if they made it illegal to hurt a spider. Then the humans outlawed hurting a spider and outlawed spider farming. The humans were happy living in a world with spiders. Everyone had no fear because the spiders would protect them.

 

SADLY, TH
you

ERE WAS

want

A MAN

THAT

LIKED TO

to

SUBLIMIN

eat

ALLY

carrots

MESSAGE

People, and he subliminally messaged everyone to eat carrots. When everyone ate the carrots, they had super eyesight. The terrrerian still needed to remove the hooligans that kept smashing the buzzlight bottles, so he ran around the earth really fast, and that turned the earth into a super-friction planet, which only a few creatures would not survive. One of those creatures were the buzzlight-bottle-smashing-hooligans. After that, the buzzlight fairy was happy, so she gave the terrrerian time in a can. When the terrrerian opened the time in a can, there was a potent poultry powered popcorn machine that exploded exactly every elephant Ecuador ever executed. Then there was a worldwide Ecuador-executed elephant deficiency, which started a nuclear fallout. Because of the fallout, the spiders started spewing superheated spasm gas. The gas disabled the nuclear fallout by personifying it and sending it on a trip in its favorite rocket ship.The only side effects of the superheated spasm gas is that baby chickens turned green, and all the spiders shrunk again.

When the terrrerian saw the green chickens he thought he had greenified them by accident. So he fed all the baby chickens his spare walnut salad, and the baby chickens turned yellow again. The unbalance of color was balanced, so everything that was green turned yellow. The terrrerian realized that he didn’t greenify the baby chickens, and they were green before. Then, thanks to the transdimensional televisions, the terrrerian totally consumed, he transported himself into the rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet dimension.

In the rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet dimension, everything was rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet. In the dimension, the terrrerian went into the color utility store and was going to buy a color unbalancer, but when the terrrerian walked in, he saw that a thief stole all the color unbalancers. Then everything in the rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet dimention turned green because color spectrum looked like this: rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet instead of this: rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet. Because green was the same in both spectrums, the rainbowredorangeyellowgreenblueindigoviolet dimension turned green. Then the terrrerian bought a cannon and it hit the thief.

The terrrerian then put the color unbalancers back, and then got one for free because he got the color unbalancers back. Then the terrrerian went back home and used the color unbalancer. Then the color was unbalanced again. One side effect of the color unbalancer was that the hooligans were ungreenified, so they were yelllowified. Yellowifing something made it faster, stronger, and greenify resistant. When the terrrerian tried to greenify the hooligans they just smashed the buzzlight bottles faster. So, the terrrerian used a purplify potion to normalify the hooligans, and then the terrrerian greenified the hooligans using a green explosion.Then the terrrerian was hungry again. The terrrerian destroyed all of the stars near earth and destroyed Jupiter, so he visited buyyourownstar.com and bought a star,but the shipping was  $100,000,000,000,000,000. The terrrerian called Subway Steve and asked him to come to the terrrerian. Then Subway Steve came and the terrrerian rode him to planet with a realy confusing name: hfdjmzcnjnbvmcfk,l.kjhnmlkdfgjfkvlijbnndmgjbrn gnkhb5rilkfnghnktuhbnjhutjhutktjnbjknufmjrknvbtmbnhjkvthukbtnjkukidvmnkbktjhbvgrjnvnjxjkrmthn, AKA Planet 9.

The terrrerian went to planet 9 to get the star, but they ran out of stars, so the terrrerian used a crazily confuddled corn cob powered cod liver oil cannon to shoot cod liver oil at a star. Then the star was supercharged and spun to Earth. The terrrerian walked to earth and saw that the hooligans were ungreenified. The terrrerian realized that greenifying the hooligans wouldn’t do anything, so the terrrerian created a giant Buzzlight bottle and sent the hooligans to it. The hooligans stayed there and never bothered the buzzlight fairy again.

 

Or did they…?

The Buzzlight Fairy was just minding her own business, drinking a cup of tea and  watching buzzlight-bottles network. Suddenly she felt a massive pain in her side. She dropped her tea on the floor and the china shattered. This was no ordinary pain. It was as if a thousand knives appeared in her side. Suddenly the pain stopped. The Buzzlight Fairy then envisioned a being with immense capabilities, known as “the terrrerian”, creating a massive buzzlight bottle in place of Jupiter, which had been destroyed. She then saw the being place four hooligans on the planet who started smashing it immediately. The Buzzlight fairy became frustrated. Why would one make such a beautiful thing only to have it destroyed? It was then when the Buzzlight fairy swore she would get revenge against this being.

The terrrerian smiled gleefully as he saw the hooligans smashing the buzzlight bottle,without paying the slightest bit of attention to the buzzlight bottle that the terrrerian was holding. Then the ground started to shake as bits of the buzzlight bottle rose into the air. A blinding ball of light appeared. As the light faded,the terrrerian saw a fairy whose eyes were flaming. The buzzlight fairy.

“The buzzlight bottles you’ve destroyed. That you’ve sacrificed to the void. You must stop destroying them tonight or else your soul will take flight,” the buzzlight fairy said cryptically before disappearing in a ball of light.

The terrrerian then took the hooligans in a net and moved them to MarZ. On MarZ, there was zombies everywhere.When the terrrerian dropped off the hooligans off on MarZ, he expected the hooligans to get zombified, but they turned the zombies into Buzzlight Bottles! It turns out that the hooligans absorbed the magical powers from the bobbleheads, like the greenery, in The Terrrerian. Now the hooligans could turn anything they wanted into buzzlight bottles and smash them! The terrrerian tried to talk to the hooligans and asked them to stop smashing buzzlight bottles. All the hooligans said was “rfgfhtvfdzycuy,” and they walked away. Then the terrrerian felt a pulling force, like a vortex. A ball of light flickered to life and started to expand.Then it faded away and the buzzlight fairy hovered in its place.

“Hello, terrrerian. Now before you say anything, I must ask you; why did you make a giant buzzlight bottle just to have it destroyed?”

“I didn’t know that you existed before. If I knew, I never would have made it. I tried to stop the hooligans, but apparently they can turn anything they want into buzzlight bottles,” the terrrerian telecommunicated

“Can they turn each other into buzzlight bottles?” inquired the buzzlight fairy.

“I don’t know.”

The terrrerian then flew to MarZ. He took the hooligans to the nearest planet that didn’t turn into a firecracker and explode, SaTURN. On SaTURN everyone fell sideways.The terrrerian placed the hooligans in a small room and hoped the hooligans would turn each other into buzzlight bottles. What the terrrerian didn’t know, is that they placed the hooligans above the six percent helium that was on Jupiter. The hooligans turned the room into a buzzlight bottle and escaped. Before the terrrerian could react, the hooligans turned the helium into buzzlight bottles.Then SaTURN, with all the hooligans on it, started falling sideways. The terrrerian and the buzzlight fairy, who was with him, chased SaTURN. Because SaTURN was falling sideways, it crashed into Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Out of the disproportionate mush of planets the terrrerian and the buzzlight fairy saw the trapped hooligans.

“I got it!” said the buzzlight fairy, racing towards the hooligans.

No, I’ll do it, telecommunicated the terrrerian, speeding up. The terrrerian raced the buzzlight fairy to the hooligans but the terrrerian took them out of the planets first with a net.

I told you I could do it, the terrrerian thought.

“This time, my attempt will work,” said the buzzlight fairy.

The terrrerian and the buzzlight fairy went to MarZ next. There, the buzzlight fairy tried to put a zombie mask on a hooligan, but the hooligan kept resisting. Finally, when the buzzlight fairy was able to put the mask on the hooligan, the other hooligans turned the mask into buzzlight bottles.

See? I told you it wouldn’t work, the terrrerian communicated telepathically.

“Why don’t we work together? It might work, ”said the buzzlight fairy defeatedly.

Fine, the terrrerian transmitted.

The buzzlight fairy and the terrrerian then created a plan. They were going to summon a magical warlock called Asmoth. To summon Asmoth, you place candles around an altar made of stone, place an axe on top of it and chant “htomnomsamusyberehi” three times. The thing about the axe is that it has a buzzlight bottle hidden inside it. When Asmoth is summoned, he will grab the axe and yell, “WHO SUMMONED ME?” When the hooligans see Asmoth pick up the axe, they will start attacking him. Then Asmoth will get angry at the hooligans and destroy them.

It was time to put their plan into action.The terrrerian and the buzzlight fairy set up the altar and brought all the hooligans to it.Then they put the axe on the altar and chanted the word three times. Then they flew away to a safe distance.They saw a tornado of axes which then disappeared, with Asmoth the warlock in its place.

“WHO SUMMONED ME?!” inquired Asmoth. He then picked up the axe. The hooligans attacked him. From the distance that the terrrerian and the buzzlight fairy could only see explosions of dust and massive mushroom clouds. Then they heard Asmoth say “I AM ASMOTH THE WARLOCK,YAS YAS YAS!” before his shape blurred, and disappeared. When they inspected MarZ they saw that the whole planet was no longer there. Another planet had been destroyed. Now the only planets left were Earth,Venus,and MerCUREy.

“Guess my job’s done here,” said the buzzlight fairy.

“See you around,” thought the terrrerian.

“Bye,” said the buzzlight fairy.

Then the buzzlight fairy disappeared in a puff of smoke. The hooligans were gone forever.

Or were they…?

One month after the disintegration of the hooligans, the terrrerian was on a beach walking past a tree. He kicked a rock at it. The rock hit the tree. Unluckily for the terrrerian, that tree was a palm tree. Palm trees have leaves filled with greenify potion, which is what makes them green. Normally, this wouldn’t have any effect on anything, but because of the Earth’s brief moment as a sponge marshmallow planet, the palm trees, which become super absorbent around sponge marshmallows, retain their sponge-marshmallow-like insides. The combination of the vibration of the rock hitting the tree, the sponge marshmallow minerals, and the greenify potion create a silent propulsion system for the palm tree. The palm tree then silently rocketed into the atmosphere, without the terrrerian noticing a thing.

As the tree zoomed past Earth, it passed the previous location of MarZ. The sponge marshmallow, which is a superabsorbent material, absorbed the disintegrated hooligans. The palm tree rocket would have crashed into Venus, but because Venus is made of iron and rock, which boost the effects of greenify potion, the palm tree rocket blasted straight through the center of Venus, leaving a cylindrical hole in the middle of it. Then the rocket, burning through the last of its greenify potion fuel, crashed into MerCUREy. The minerals on MerCUREy started to cure the hooligans of their death, reviving them.The hooligans combined with the palm tree, the sponge marshmallows, and the last of the greenify potion. The hooligans combined into one hooligan who could jump higher, was immune to greenify potion, and was extremely smart. The hooligan didn’t want to smash buzzlight or buzzlight bottles anymore.

The terrrerian, oblivious to the fact that he caused the resurrection of the hooligans, turned around towards the glimmering ocean and saw out of the corner of his eye the empty place where the palm tree should be. Then the terrrerian thought Wasn’t there a tree there? Then the terrrerian kept on walking.                                                                                                    

 

Two days later…

 

For the past two days, the hooligan had been working on a way to escape the nonexistent atmosphere of MerCUREy. The hooligan cooled the small amounts of hydrogen, helium, and oxygen in the air until they became a liquid. Then the hooligan put the liquids in a bowl and mixed it with the merCUREic sand. This created a gigantifier. The hooligan consumed part of the mixture and grew to the size of ten giraffes. Then he jumped to earth (with his super jump ability) and started to smash everything. The hooligan left smashed trees and upturned grass in his wake. Then the hooligan did something terrible. The hooligan combined the nitrogen in earth’s atmosphere with the merCUREic mixture he had, and threw the mixture to the moon. This caused the moon to enter a sped up orbit, making the moon go into a solar eclipse. Because the moon used all of its orbital energy in those five seconds, the moon couldn’t move for the next 100 years. That meant there was a solar eclipse for the next 100 years. MWAHAHAHA!!!

The eclipse was the first thing the terrrerian noticed. Then the terrrerian heard the smashing of trees and grass.

“TERRRERIAN,” said a voice.”I’M COMING FOR YOU!”

The terrrerian saw a massive figure stomping toward him. Then, he saw the figure was a hooligan, combined with greenify potion and palm tree wood. Then the terrrerian realized what he had done. The terrrerian realized that kicking the rock against the palm tree caused it to rocket into space and collect the hooligan dust. The terrrerian realized that the palm tree rocket landed on MerCUREy and revived the hooligans. The terrrerian realized that this was all his fault.

The terrrerian needed to defeat this monstrosity. He teleported to Potiona and back and threw a greenify potion at it, but the hooligan absorbed it and only seemed to grow more powerful. Then the hooligan picked up a star from earth’s sky and smushed it in his hand. He poured the starjuice on another star that he picked up. This made a starbomb that would explode and suck all the air out of earth’s atmosphere.

“I HAVE A STARBOMB,WHICH WILL SUCK OUT ALL THE AIR OF EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE,” the hooligan said. “IT WILL EXPLODE IN three… two… one.”

The bomb exploded and there was a blinding flash of light.Then all the air was sucked out of earth’s atmosphere.The terrrerian saw the plants withering, and turning brown.

Somewhere, somewhen, there was a Star-god. Star-god envisioned the hooligan exploding a starbomb, with the terrrerian standing frightened in the background. I must help this being, the Star-god thought before he teleported to the terrrerian.

The terrrerian turned around and saw a blinding flash of yellow light.

“I am Star-god. I am here to help you,” said the Star-god.

Then the terrrerian and the Star-god started fighting the hooligan. First, the terrrerian built a missile made of maple syrup and shot it at the hooligan, but the hooligan grew stronger and absorbed the maple syrup. Then the sun god tried to ignite a mini star and throw it at the hooligan,but the star couldn’t ignite because there was no oxygen. Then the terrrerian used a return-oxygenizer 5,000 to return the oxygen to earth, but he accidentally returned 5,000 times as much as there was before. Because there was 5,000 times as much oxygen, all the spiders became huge. Then the terrrerian saw his best spider friend Aragag.

“Aragag!” the terrrerian called. ”It’s been so long.”

“Terrrerian!” Aragag greeted. ”How are… BLEEEH!”Aragag said as he barfed on the hooligan’s shoes.

“HEY!” the hooligan said. “THOSE WERE MY NEW SHOES!”

The hooligan, in a fit of rage, lifted his foot to stomp on Aragag, but Aragag was quick. Aragag shot a web at him, but the web wasn’t strong enough. Then the Star-god extracted hydrogen from a star and coated the web with it. Then the Star-god lit the rope on fire, so if the hooligan struggled, he would get burnt. Then Aragag shot the hooligan at the moon. The hooligan flew into the moon, Venus and MurCUREy, sending all three planets hurtling into the sun with the hooligan. When the moon went into the sun, the sun absorbed the moon which caused the sun to send out a radioactive shrinkamatronization asteroid that fell on earth, which caused all the spiders to shrink and caused the oxygen level to return to normal.

The hooligan was never seen again.

Through the Woods (Excerpt)

Chapter One:  The Encounter of Sorts

Pat stared out of the thickly layered window pane at the flurry of small white flakes of snow that were quickly piling up upon the rough ground. He turned to look at the clock that he had nailed to the wall.  Its thin hands read 4:35. He knew he should be asleep, but something about the snow fascinated him. He thought of what Sam would’ve said. “Not surprised. You’re probably the strangest boy in Arkansas.” He would’ve chortled absent-mindedly in his thick Irish accent while cleaning his bowie knife that everyone in the whole town recognized. That’s what he would’ve said. But Sam was taken by a bear while hiking in Blackwood forest two months ago. Everyone assumed he was dead. Pat had gotten an entire lecture from his father about being safe when hiking alone in the wilderness, but Pat didn’t care. He loved Blackwood forest, and nothing would stop him from hiking there.  

Suddenly, Pat straightened his back. He thought that he must be seeing things because he had been awake for half the night. This species was rare around these regions and should be hibernating, but no. A black bear was trudging through the snow, its thick fur flecked with white.

Pat slung his satchel, with its fat four-hole button he’d found on the wooden table in the tailor shop, over his scrawny shoulder and rushed outside.  The cold immediately shot through his small stature and overcame his body. Still, Pat fought on and pulled forward toward the corner of the town with the big hill.

Once he had gotten there, Pat pulled his binoculars from the bag and raised them to his squinting eyes. The bear wasn’t very far off.  A mere twenty minutes north east. Pat’s hands were shaking.

Suddenly, his bony arms lost grip of the heavy binoculars, which swung down to his chest.  They knocked him backwards and the satchel flew to the bottom of the hill, making a loud clunking sound. He climbed back to the top of the hill and raised the device to his eyes. The gear that focused the vision of the lenses had been pulled far right. Pat saw a blurry black shape rushing toward him. Lowering the lenses, he saw the bear galloping towards him. A bolt of fright shot through Pat’s entire body and, in a wild state of mind, he dropped everything and sprinted toward Blackwood forest. The binoculars bounced against his chest and he turned to see the Bear gaining on him.

Pat caught a glimpse of the treehouse he had made thick in the trees of Blackwood forest one summer. It was constructed from the strong oak in one of it’s famous dark-wooded trees. Pat dashed through the thistles and brambles as they cut against his arms and legs. Finally, the treehouse was straight ahead of him. He struggled and climbed up the thick rope leading to the small cabin. Pat made it and felt the tree shake as the bear clawed against the bark. He sat on the wooden floor and panted breathlessly. He glanced to the corner of the room to see his BB-gun with it’s wooden frame and black markings smudged onto the end of the steel barrel as it glistened in the sunrise. He scooted over to it and reached for it, then propped it up against the balcony overlooking his small town and the barren wasteland of snow riddled with foot prints.

Pat peered down the end of the barrel and at the black bear who was retreating back north. He pulled the trigger and a brief burst of flame and sparks spurted from the gun. This was followed by a sluggish trail of smoke and a whistling sound. The small pellet flew through the air and easily punctured the bear’s thin flesh. It fell on its side, but Pat knew a single BB couldn’t’ve killed a bear of such power as a black bear. He pulled the binoculars to his eyes and squinted to see the bear up close.  It was a female, her thin flesh was dark in places, and her ribs were visible. Now Pat understood. The bear had been hunting for food because it was starved. Even though it had attacked him, Pat felt bad for the animal. He cared for and loved all nature.  

Pat lowered himself down from the tree on the knotted rope, dug into the emergency knapsack he had sewn himself, which was safely nestled in a secret compartment in the wall of the treehouse, to find a small jar full of salted pork. He dropped a juicy piece of the pork in front of the bear.

Afterwards, Pat decided to stay in the forest one night until the snow storm let up. He wasn’t worried about his parents. They were probably relieved he was finally out of their hair. Pat was content as he drifted to sleep on the floor of the cabin suspended in the tree.  

He awoke at sunrise to a horrible sight.

The ground was damp and littered with pine needles. Pat stopped to see it. A Blackwood was on it’s side. The lower half had been splintered by lighting, Pat gathered from the blackened ash-stained wood.  He counted the seemingly endless rings in the tree to see that this “Blackie,” as old countrymen say, was about 27 years old. A tree of that age could be the strongest wood in any market. This tree had fallen and covered hundreds of feet of land –– including Pat’s escape route. Pat muttered a curse, but he knew that he had always been preparing for a situation like this.

He climbed up to the treehouse and reviewed his inventory. He dumped the backpack onto the floor to examine his belongings. A six-inch Kings matchbox with 46 matches. A roll of thread with a pin jabbed into it. A thick hunting knife with a leather cloth wrapped around the blade, and a week’s worth of salted meat and a few onions that had grown deep underground while Pat was treasure hunting. In the treehouse itself, Pat had a 6-48 mosquito BB-gun with it’s signature long and thin barrel. There was also a small shelf with a jam jar of pellets, and 3 books: The Hardy Boys: murder in an alleyway, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and Robinson Crusoe.

By mid-afternoon, Pat was bored and scared. Powerful winds made him shiver and dig his feet deeper into the mossy ground. He was sculpting a rock with his hunting knife. The rock was thin and had a needle-sharp tip. Many curves bore through it because it had been sitting at the bottom of Ratchet creek,  a playful brook that flowed through most of Blackwood. Pat suddenly dropped the rock as he heard a faint growl. He turned to see the black bear awakening, it’s eyelids slowly reaching toward the thick, dirty fur of the forehead.  Pat knew he was supposed to be frightened, but somehow he wasn’t. He edged closer to the bear and picked up the dew-stained piece of pork, then threw it closer to the bear’s mouth. She immediately gobbled it down and slowly pulled herself from the dirt, a swarm of fleas quickly succeeding from her thick fur. For the next few days, the bear would lumber alongside Pat, not making any sort of violent movements, not really interacting with Pat at all. Pat was a bit jittery about the presence of the bear, but thought about all of the incorrect things his father had said to him, and that this was fully indulging in nature. However, he lied awake at night wondering, what his friends would say. Bear boy! You love animals so much you’re practically becoming one! He drifted into an uneven sleep.

Pat sat on a small boulder, motionless.  He didn’t talk much and barely ever tried to socialize with others at school.  At his small school house, there were eleven boys and ten girls.  The two genders broke into separate groups and nobody in the boys group really had specific friends.  To Pat, all of the boys were pretty much the same.  But he was different.  

The bear scratched her paw against her flank to rid herself of what seemed to be a very annoying parasite. Pat found his eyes drooping and climbed to the treehouse to take a nap. Suddenly, his eyes were open again, and the blurred tint of his small wooden life force faded into focus. He peered out the frame of open air to see the sun glint through clumps of leaves. It was about 3:17 in the afternoon, according to his calculations from examining the sun.  

“You drool in your sleep,” said a voice suddenly from behind him. It made the hair on the back of Pat’s neck stand up straight. He immediately jerked his head around to see a girl. She was tall, with brown hair, and was staring at him with penetrating eyes.

Pat ignored any sort of salutations required for a situation like this, and blurted, “Who are you? What the hell are you doing here!?”

She tilted her head to the left and looked at him, unfazed. “Well, you seem very polite. I was out exploring here in Blackwood, when I noticed a Blackie on it’s side. I climbed over it, because I’m not a midget, and saw your treehouse.” She paused for a reaction and then pointed to the corner of  the treehouse. “Nice mosquito, by the way.”  

Pat stared at her in disbelief. “First of all,” he began, “people who can’t climb over 6 ½  feet tall trees aren’t midgets. Second of all, you just barge into someone’s home?  You’re the one who should be working on politeness.”  

She brushed her hair out of her eyes and said matter-of-factly, “I thought you would be an interesting person to meet.” 

Pat rubbed his eyes.  

“My name is Aliza, by the way,” Aliza said, sticking her hand out toward him.  

“Pat,” he said, simply swinging his hand out to join hers.  They sat there together on the wooden plank floor for a few empty minutes before Pat broke the silence by saying, “Well, time for you to go back to your jerk parents. I’m not going to be able to use you for anything.”   

“Excuse me?” Aliza said, raising her eyebrows. “What do you expect?”

Pat almost yelled, “You’re a girl. I’d like to see a girl hunt.”

Aliza huffed with anger and slapped Pat across the face. He was stunned as his cheek stung with pain. Aliza picked up his gun from the corner of the treehouse and said soberly, “Well, then, try and stop me.”

Pat walked behind Aliza uneasily as they stepped along the wet grass and dirt. Aliza raised a finger to her lips and rushed quickly to another, much younger, fallen Blackwood. She stabilized the gun in a ridge of cracked wood. She squinted one eye and steadied the barrel. Pat walked up next to her to see she was aiming at a rabbit, which was nibbling on some beige fungi.  She fired the gun briefly and it released the same flurry of sparks as before. Pat heard the whizzing sound once more, but the rabbits ears perked up and it ran stubbornly into a nearby patch of bushes.  Aliza cursed and Pat laughed, “You’re a good shot, but you don’t know anything about nature. Rabbits have some of the best hearing in the entire animal kingdom. They would be able to hear a BB coming easily.”  

Aliza jerked to attention before letting out a response probably littered with swears. She moved back into her hunting position, but angled the gun upwards and fired it a second time. An ear piercing squawk was heard and a small bird dropped from a branch above to the soft soil below. Aliza turned to face Pat and smirked. She jumped over the tree trunk and snatched the small bird from the ground, then walked back to the treehouse. Pat followed her reluctantly and grabbed some of the few dry sticks lying on the ground near him to start a fire.

“So, sure, you can hunt, but that is my treehouse that I assembled myself. I am not letting you sleep there,” Pat remarked by the fire late at night.

“Fine,”  Aliza responded soberly, “I’ll sleep on the ground.” Pat stomped his foot onto the dying fire, which made a slow hissing noise as it was quenched.  

“I’m turning in,” he said, lowering his voice unnecessarily and then marched off to the treehouse. Aliza patted the sleeping bear besides her whom she had been introduced to by Pat, and it growled in its sleep. She turned to a nearby patch of moss and lay onto it.  

That morning the sun shot through the old wood of the treehouse, spreading slats of masked light across the small room. Pat’s eyes adjusted to the smaller flurries of snow floating lazily down from the sky. He snatched his cracked glasses, which were sprawled on the ground, and fitted them onto his face. Suddenly, as Pat’s foggy vision subsided, he noticed his gun abandoned from the usual spot. Groaning, he looked out the window to see Aliza tanning a deer hide with the rock he had been sharpening the day before.

“Good morning!” she yelled up to him, her voice echoing across the sleepy forest.

“What have you been doing?” bellowed Pat.

“I woke up early, grabbed your rifle, and went out hunting,” she smirked. “The deer like eating the frozen dew. Then I cooked the meat and gave it to your bear.”  

“It’s not my bear,” Pat retorted.  

“Well, she basically lives with you,” countered Aliza.  And, how long have you been here? Who would want to live like this?”  

Pat scampered down the ladder.  “About 2 days, and I’m the one who would want to live here,” he paused. “My parents give me these boundaries –– I feel like I’m just an obstacle to them.”  

Aliza frowned. “Sorry about that.”  

“Well, that’s the real reason I’m out here. I could’ve climbed that tree, but I want to prove to them that I could survive by myself.”

“You can’t just stay out in this forest forever,” she looked Pat in the eyes. “You’re eventually going to have to go back.”

Pat turned away from her and looked up to a tree. “Well, I’m going to stay out here as long as possible. If my father was out here, he wouldn’t survive a month.” Pat chuckled, “He only hunts for sport and doesn’t care at all about the effects it has on this forest. We’re lucky that no one has tried using this forest for lumber.”  

Aliza tilted her head, “But you hunt too!”  

“I only hunt for survival,” Pat responded condescendingly.

“Thanks for telling me, that explains your attitude,” she said.  

Pat should’ve been offended by this, but he ignored the comment.

Aliza looked down and began, “Well, I have the opposite situation. My parents, they don’t care about me. I barely ever go to Blackwood, all I’ve heard about was when Sam went missing. Ever since, I have wanted to go out here and see if they would care. Seems as though they don’t.”

Pat glanced at her and smiled grimly. Suddenly, a noise in the bushes startled the both of them. They swung around to see a swaying light emerging from the clearing. Pat quickly grabbed his gun from the mossy earth and aimed it toward the noise. A figure came into view. He was bulky, had a crippled and grizzled face slashed with a long scar, and had short, darkened hair. It was Pat’s father.  

“What are you doing here, Pat?!”

“Father, I ––”

“You left me in the middle of the night to go to Blackwood?  You’ve been living out here for three days!” Pat opened his mouth to speak, but his father interrupted him, “We are going, right now,” his father gestured to Pat.  

“No,” Pat responded stubbornly.

His father stopped abruptly and turned to face Pat. “What did you just say to me?”  

Gaining confidence, Pat stood and rooted his feet into the ground, “I said no.” He paused. “You have been giving me obstacles and rules for my entire life! Will you for once just leave me alone!?”  The father looked disgruntled, as if this had never occurred.  

“Fine,” Pat’s father said, containing a bloody outburst of anger.  “Do you really want me to just let you die alone in this forest? Fine, then I will.” He looked livid.  “Sooner or later, you’ll come from this retched place and you’ll be begging me for a real home and food.”

A tear trickled down Pats face as he held an indescribable expression of sadness, anger, and hatred.  

The father trekked off into the darkness of the night and soon vanished. Pat sat back down as Aliza stared at him, dumbstruck with her mouth gaping, “What in the world just happened?”  

Pat leaned down towards the ground and said, “That was my father.”

Aliza responded candidly, “Well, yeah, I got that from context, but there is a girl and a sleeping bear right next to you, and he didn’t notice?”  

Pat looked up and said, “That’s because he’s a self-centered ––”  A gust of wind made the trees creak and sway, shielding Aliza from the curse Pat emitted. “He gets very unreceptive of thing that are going on around him when he is involved in certain exchanges.”  

“Okay… ” said Aliza, tilting her head, “but that doesn’t explain why he didn’t notice the bea ––”  

“Listen, Aliza,” Pat snapped, “My father’s an idiot.” Aliza raised her eyebrows and frowned.  “Now, it’s been a long day, so good night.” Pat croaked. Aliza scratched the bear once more in it’s favorite place, behind the ear, and went to sleep.  

To be continued…

Haunted House

Once upon a time, there was a haunted house. Inside, there were a lot of monsters. A little girl went inside the house. Then she saw a skeleton, and then the skeleton put a knife in her. She died. The little girl turned into a ghost. Now she was a monster! She had sharp teeth, eight legs, and was purple.

She called all of the monsters. The monsters came, and then they left the haunted house with their powers. They destroyed the EARTH. Then they made a huge time machine!

They all went inside of the time machine. They went to a nice world in the future! It had palm trees, flowers, trees, and bees.

The monsters said, “Ew, I don’t like this world, it’s too nice!”

They went in the time machine again. They went to Evil Place. There was goo and webs and slime everywhere. The monsters loved it. There was a lot of evil, and there was an evil guy who had sharp teeth and a knife! His name was Mr. Killer.

They were all evil too. They all worked together to make the biggest evil potion. Then they ran around in a circle and made a huge EVIL TORNADO!!!

In the evil tornado, they went back into the time machine and took their evilness into the human world. Then the tornado turned the humans into evil humans. They formed an army!

The army took over the world. After that, there were webs, trees were broken, and there were bats and skeletons.

They lived evilly ever after.

Battle of Revenge II: Traitors

Prologue

In the last story, Max, Finton, and Freddy had defeated Lord Robbers and were free of his threat… for a while. They were trying to figure out the medical potion to heal all of the men lost in the last battle. Their fleet needed to be repaired too, so there were lots of repairs that needed to be fulfilled. Meanwhile, Lord Robbers was also preparing his little surprise….

 

Chapter 1: Evil Meeting

Zilbon, Lord Robbers, Quantuo, Xanga, Jumba, Kaka, and Strangehead (members of the Red Strikers) were sitting down on a table back at Larbazako. Lord Robbers was showing them secret plans for some strange secret weapon that they were going to use to crush the Blue Lions and the Squag, which now was named the Blue Squags. The strange secret weapon was a laser, a very powerful laser that could destroy a whole base with one blast. They were going to go to Slankamos to destroy the Squags’ main building. The Squag’s main building was guarded by the Blue Lions’ troopers.

The 105th Legion was very powerful. It was the highest ranking troop squad of the whole Blue Lion space. The 301st Legion was the second highest ranking squad. They were planning to send thousands of Quinns, evil henchmen of Lord Robbers, to attack the place, but Lord Robbers knew that wouldn’t work. He needed more. He told all of his people that they had to lead the Quinns into battle. They all agreed to do it. At the mention of this, every person at the meeting turned on their superswords and stabbed them into their slots, making a blue hologram of their grand master appear in the center with all of the secret information. The only thing that could power this strange source of different blueprints was the super swords from every Red Striker. The master was very happy, but also extremely mad because they hadn’t killed the person the master had said to kill. The master’s name was Extreme.

“You have done well, my apprentices. But that battle we could not afford to lose.”

“Sir, they were outnumbering us,” said Xanga.

“I do not care,” screamed Extreme.

“Many of our troops died out there, master,” said Zilbon.

“We shall win our next battle,” said Jumba.

“Why don’t we discuss our next battle plans?” asked Extreme.

 

Chapter 2: Squad Healing Center

Max was very worried about all the injured soldiers because there were so many of them. Fortunately, a recipe could stop death, but it was far away in another land, guarded by many enemy soldiers. That was their next mission. They needed to pack up for it. Finton and Freddy were also coming. Trevor wanted to help, so he came too. Erin decided to drop them off at the spaceport. This is what Max packed: a gun, extra ammunition, lunch, a lot of food (food from different planets like Sakalato and Yfdghh,kb c), an extra bottle of hydrating juice, and a bottle of lava in which he would cook the actual food. In addition to providing a place to prepare his meals, the bottle of lava would keep the food from cooling, thus preventing rock from forming on it.                                      

Trevor also packed a super sword, a charge plug, two extra charging stations, food that Lulu had cooked for him, a training droid, and an extra robe.

Finton packed a rifle, extra ammunition (like Max had), frozen food, a blender to liquefy it, a bottle to drink to drink it from, some roots from trees you could eat, and vegetables.

Freddy, of course, packed five boxes of trick stuff, a mobile toilet, toilet paper, and a baby seat for the toilet. He liked copying other people, so he bought two packs of frozen food, sixty-five miniature trees, a giant lava bottle, and a twisted gun, bubble gum instead of ammunition packs, an extra pair of dirty socks, two extra underwears, a giant piece of metal, a soldering kit, and a second twisted gun.

Suddenly, Erin came into the room. “What’s going on? Time to leave, people. Rise and shine. We’re leaving,” he said. “The crawler’s here. Hello!?”

Suddenly everyone grabbed their packs and hurried out the door.

“Move it, move it, move it! This no drill!” Erin was obviously not happy.

Trevor followed his mentor out the door. When they got downstairs, the guards opened the door. Like Erin had said, the crawler was waiting outside, along with other Squags, who said said “Good luck“ and “Be safe.” Max and Trevor said goodbye to Lulu and Lucy. When they got on board the crawler, the driver helped them with their luggage.

“To the nearest spaceport,” said Erin. The driver turned the crawler onto the road as fast as it could go and zoomed away.

On the way there, Freddy took out one of his miniature trees and asked Finton, “¿Para qué se usan esos árboles?”

“You use the roots to make smoothies, dummy!”

Freddy suddenly had an idea to lift the humor. “So, waz sup, dude?”

Trevor and Max burst out laughing.

“It’s pronounced What’s up,” Trevor said.

Finton whacked Freddy.

“Waz dat for?”

“Stop fooling around, Freddy! This is real stuff, bud! We’re going all the way to the center of the whole enemy core,” said Finton. “And in your language, daz foi yo foolin’ around.”

 

Chapter 3: Second New Planet

When they arrived, they got a cart and put their luggage inside. Since Freddy was a weakling, Finton had to help him. Max was nervous. Trevor wanted everything he saw.

“Hey, look at that! That’s the new kind of bubble gum that came out precisely three seconds ago,” shouted Trevor.

“We have to walk three platforms,” said Erin. “No fooling around here.”

The stairs were as high as skyscrapers. Max and Freddy had never been to a spaceport, except for the one back at the base.

Suddenly, the stairs started moving. “Look at that! We don’t need to climb it!” said Max. The elevator ride was awesome. You got to see the whole spaceport from up there. There were thousands and thousands of platforms. There were starships floating in midair anchored with chain to keep it on the platform. There were millions of people and different aliens. There were guards keeping order. The restaurants served exotic foods of other planets. There was even a pilot diner.

Unfortunately, the gum Trevor wanted was sold out. There was a giant starship in front of them with big letters on it that said: Destination to Main Government Planet. Thousands of guards were guarding the top level. Erin ignited his super sword and the guards stepped away.

On the side of the platform, a little sign said: “Rating: ★★★★★ Food Served: Every Planet Known to The Government Space Possible: ∞.”

The doors to the ship opened. Trevor, Max, Finton, and Freddy walked through them. Erin said goodbye and the doors closed. The ride was on!

 

Chapter 4: Battle at Fortress Destroy

The juice was delicious, and the space cruise was going smoothly. The ride to the capital of the Government was nearly over, and Finton, Max and Freddy were at the diner eating, while Trevor was discussing how he loved to train. He said the battle was gonna be hard, so they all had to train their best.

“Hey, Finton! Mind passing me the — ”

BOOM!! Erh, erh, erh. The alarm had gone off. The space cruiser was under attack… Outside, thousands of enemy cruisers had just come out of the turbo engine, which was going at the speed of light. They were firing at the cruiser at full blast. Aboard the cruiser was Freddy’s greatest enemy, the dreaded Trick Destroyer — a gun that turned off every trick onboard the spaceship. Two soldiers came out of the hallway.

“Please report to the main deck,” said the soldiers. Trevor, Max, and Freddy rushed up to the top deck. Finton was commanding a huge army of soldiers. Every enemy cruiser was shooting at our cruiser.

“Fire at sector ten!” BABOOM!!! Smoke was coming out of the hole where Finton used to be standing. “Darn, that cannon!” Finton came out of a smoking hole. Two enemy cruisers were on fire. The cruiser had fire all over. Every battle station was smoking. The laser fire rained through the sky like flies at a garbage dump.  As the cruiser returned fire, Max, Finton, and Freddy went under the deck to ignite the turbo engine. Trevor tried to deflect the laser fire with his swinging super sword.

“Hit the turbo engine button, Freddy!”

“¿Cuál es eso?”

BEEP!

“Self destruct engaged.”

“Freddy!!!”

“Incorrecto.”

“Run to the escape pods!” said Max. Everyone was running to their escape pods.

“Where’s Trevor?” asked Finton. Trevor appeared right next to them. Smoke was all around him. His face was black.

“Stupid cruisers,” Trevor muttered. Two guards were standing around the last escape pod available.

“Run for it!” said Trevor. Beep. The escape pod was launched. Chances were lost.

“No!”

“Self destruct in ten… nine… eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two — ”

Finton pushed Max outside. Freddy and Trevor fell into space. Finton jumped out. The explosion pushed them forward, and a great big ball of fire behind them that used to be their cruiser was now debris fluttering around them. Now they were lost in space.

 

Chapter 5: Evil Knows How to Plan

“Success achieved! The boss will be extremely happy!” The members of the Red Strikers were having a giant party.

“They died! Three cheers for the trick destroyer!” There were all types of food at the evil feast.

BAM!

The door burst open. Jumba came in.

“We’re under attack.” Rocks started falling from the ceiling.

“The feast is ruined!” cried Lord Robbers.

“Send all units!” cried Xanga.

Diong, diong, diong.

The battle outside was tremendous. Thousands of wounded Quinns were lying on the ground. Few were left. The other side was looking much better than its evil match — only a few soldiers were down.

“Send more troops!” ordered Kaka. More came rushing out, only to be killed.

Suddenly, sides changed: the Quinns had taken control of the battle. They were forcing the 105th legion back to their ships.

“Retreat!” ordered the 105th general. The troops rushed back, and the Quinns fired the cannons while the 105th legion tried to escape. Many ships fell from the sky.

Despite their heavy losses, the Quinns had won.

“Now we can’t have a feast about anything! We didn’t win or lose!” Strangehead said.

“I wanted more of that candy bread!” cried Lord Robbers.

As they went back inside, a war drum sounded in the distance.

“What the heck was that?” said Zilbon.

“Quinns into battle positions!”

Ten rows of Quinns stood strong. Twenty spearmen were in the front guarding for any close combat intents. Out of nowhere came a band of aliens with swords, guns, and spears. They were green and had eyes like those of a fly, a green snout in the middle of their head, and brown robes.

AAAheee!!! Chang! Blahg, wago dapo boom! Chang wayyyaaagggooo! Tambow!!! Mwakamaka! Dwaga! Traga! Die!!! BOOM! Weheee!!!

“Now we have something to celebrate about,” said Lord Robbers, “I get my candy bread!”

“No, I get it,” said Xanga.

“Don’t fight, guys!” said Jumba

 

Chapter 6: The Continuation of Chapter 4

“Now what?” said Max. The space around them was peaceful. They had been floating for hours.

“¿No crees que va a venir una nave para salvarnos?” asked Freddy. Suddenly, a bright light interrupted their conversation, and Trevor turned on his super sword. A ginormous space cruiser appeared out of nowhere. Its shiny decks looked as beautiful as gold, and its twenty-six engines looked super shiny with flaming blue jets shooting out.  

“It’s a Model 58.73 Code 97597.725.7000. I used to have a bunch of those in my room,” said Max.

“Uh, looks like we’re boarding, people.”

Trevor was right. The airlock on the 27,000 foot-tall, 123,000 foot long, and 29,000 foot wide spaceship was opening, letting out seventy-five spaceships that were ten feet tall and twenty feet long.  

“Now that’s an airlock,” said Finton.

“I guess we board one of these ships!” said Trevor.

Max, Finton, Freddy, and Trevor boarded the nearest ship. There were fifty-seven Quinns  on board. “Ahh! Battle positions!” yelled Finton. He loaded his gun and aimed at the Quinns. That was when they realized the Quinns were all tied up.

¨Greetings, noble Squag Trevor!¨ said the mysterious, double-mysterious, even more mysterious, superbly mysterious, totally mysterious, amazingly mysterious, terribly weird, with a terrible face, weird, antennae-headed weirdo named Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota. “Welcome aboard my spaceship. We shall take you to meet my master.  Meet my loyal assistant, Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta.¨

When they arrived at the spaceport, the first guy they had met led them up the stairs to a door.  And when the door opened, what they saw was unimaginable.

 

Chapter 7: Normal Day for Erin

Erin was pacing through when he bumped into Simon.

¨Want to duel?” said Simon.

“Pleasure,” said Erin.

Erin pulled off his glasses. Simon did, too. They extended their glasses. Then, they burst out laughing!

“Hwahwahwahwa… dueling with glasses! Blahaha,” laughed Erin.

“So funny! So funny!” said Simon.

“This is serious,” said Erin. He turned on his super sword and slashed at Simon’s legs. Simon flipped backwards and extended his super sword in 0.3 seconds. Erin attacked. Simon counterattacked. Erin flipped backwards and lashed the air with his extreme super duo combo, stabbing into the middle of the air where Simon was supposed to be. Simon was actually behind him and Erin sensed him. He arched his blade backward, deflecting the jab. Then Simon and Erin burst into a two-hour laugh. Hahaha! They laughed hard because their swords were only styrofoam training superswords.

Erin waved goodbye to Simon and walked into the library. He loved to study, and he also loved to read. Erin had a lot of favorite series. He remembered that he needed to see how the mission was going. When he turned on his mission tracking computer, the screen turned blurry and his mission tracking computer exploded!

“Something must be going wrong!” thought Erin. He went to the main communications system to speak with Eramag, Sofia, Mateo and Aaron.

“Eramag,” Erin said. “I have lost communication with mission 5.0.2600261000.”

“Find communication with mission 5.0.2600261000 and increase to maximum capacity to see if there is any sign of this mission,” Eramag yelled at nearby communications officers.

“We’ll find ‘em,” said Sofia.

 

Chapter 8: Getting to Zanklazumos

Inside the doors were hundreds of troops of the 576th legion troopers.

“What the…?” said Finton.

“I didn’t know this!” said Trevor.

“Cool!” said Max. “I thought all of you guys perished!”

“Esto es assustador,” said Freddy.

“Welcome to the 576th legion troopers headquarters!” said Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota.

“Let us show you around!” Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta said.

Around them was a large room full of computers. There were three floors to it and probably more because of the elevator. Lots of different troopers were working around the computers. Different things kept on popping up on the screens that they couldn’t even read. The computers were flat touchscreen pieces of transparent glass that showed what you were working on in the center. There was a lot of talking. It sounded like they were on a completely different planet… but they knew they weren’t.

Freddy secretly reached into his pack and pulled out a canister. The canister read “Super Stinky Fart Gas.”

“Esto va a ser bueno,” whispered Freddy.

There was a hissing sound in the air.

“What’s that sound?” said Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota.

“I don’t know, sir,” said a nearby trooper.

Suddenly, the air smelled bad. Freddy pulled a whoopie cushion out of his backpack. Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta said, “Sorry for the stinky smell.”

Freddy placed the whoopie cushion under Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta’s behind. When Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta sat down a loud fart filled the air. Suddenly, another fresh coat of stinky air flew out. Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota says “Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta, how dare you fart in front of our visitors?”

Freddy couldn’t help but laugh.

“Freddy!” yelled Finton, Trevor, and Max.

“How dare you do that in front of our hosts! I am so ashamed of you!” yelled Finton.

Then they turn toward Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota. “Sorry for this misunderstanding. My friend is a joker,” said Max.

“And he won’t do it again,” added Finton, clenching his teeth and staring so hard at Freddy that Freddy started to sweat.

“Quieren prender el aire acondicionado,” said Freddy.

After a bunch of sorrys, the ship started to move.

 

Chapter 9: Mass Invasion

The fleet contained fourteen starships. Each one had one hundred billion troops, small blockade runners, blockade ships, troop deployers, troop transports, crew transfer shuttles, supply carriers, and X-class escorts to make a billionaire die of the zeroes. The fleet was an exquisite combination of different capital ships, frigates, and flagships, and all of them were prepared for a mass invasion of the planet Zanklazumos, one of the outer rim planets of the Red Strikers’ force. It contained the recipe to heal the lives of dead troops. It was guarded, but with strategy you could break in. They were going to use the plan below.Copy of Battle of Revenge II- Traitors (by Diego Gonzalez)

“This is going to be great!” said Finton.

“We’re going to have so much fun invading them!” said Max.

“Esto va a ser excelente!” said Freddy.

“What ship are we boarding?” asked Finton.

“You will be on board the troop transporter,” said Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota. The troop transport descended. It was a steady, low descent. Freddy, Max, and Finton were aboard the troop deployer. There was very little light. The ambience was silent. Everyone was ready to deploy. The suspense was unbearable.

“Suddenly, the troop deployer blew up and everyone died. Even our main characters. Yes, I know you people say we can’t kill our main characters, but this story says otherwise. Yes, people, we killed them, get over it,” read the crew report aboard the troop deployer, named ALADA (which stands for Air Land Action Depositor A-transport).

“Ha, what story? And how could the main characters die?” asked Finton.

“Ja, eso fue lo mas chistoso, no se pueden morir los personajes principales,” said Freddy. The troop deployer safely landed on the planet and deployed the troopers. The air was smoky. Suddenly two Red Strike guards walked up.

“Identify yourselves!” they said. Suddenly, a crew transfer shuttle zoomed into its landing site. A figure dropped right in the middle of the two guards. A super sword extended from its hands and the two guards dropped dead beside him. Max and Finton drew out their blasters and aimed at the unknown figure. Suddenly, the blasters flew out of their hands and the ground erupted in front of them. Dirt flew and then it was all silent. The figure turned around and took off its hood.

“Seriously? You were trying to kill me?” said Trevor. “Not nice!” Trevor’s hand stretched out to reveal the electromagnet. He moved his hand up and Max and Finton instantly rose. He moved his hand to the side and back in the direction of Max and Finton. The blasters dropped into their hands.

“Sorry, Trevor,” said Finton.

“How could you scare us like that?” Max asked.

“It seemed like the right thing to do to save you lives,” said Trevor. They walked a long time til they reached the evil fortress. The door was bolted shut. Trevor placed some detonators and got out of there real quick. The door blew open.

“Aren’t you scared that they’ll find out we’re here?” asked Max.

“It’s not a stealth mission,” said Trevor. “They told us to get in there, get the recipe, and get out.”

“Yeah, but we shouldn’t warn them of our presence,” said Max.

“Of course we should! That way they’ll all come out and get their butts kicked,” said Trevor.

The massive capital ship landed, two turrets dropped out of the front. Trevor screamed at the camera that had also dropped down. “What! I thought you had enough arsenal to blow this planet to shreds!”

“That is understood,” replied the robotic voice. 4,000 other turrets came out of the bottom.

“Fire!” yelled Trevor. The turrets released so much laser fire that all three walls surrounding the base were smashed to splinters — or, more accurately, goo — because they were metal. And then, they walked in.

 

Chapter 10: Kill Them Now!

Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota clicked the walkie-talkie.

“Prepare to destroy those crazy heroes!” said a creepy voice.

 

Chapter 11: Destroy Them

Back at the Red Strikers’ evil base, Lord Robbers was preparing the super weapon for transportation to Slankamos, and the massive weapon looked like a giant needle. It was seventy feet long, forty feet wide, and twenty feet tall. The big needle was being carried by a huge robotic arm into a spaceship that was going to carry it to Slankamos. Then, Lord Robber would look through the little screen, move his little joystick until the little mark was over the right place, and click the button that said FIRE. And then the giant laser beam would melt his enemies and he would defeat them once and for all.

Lord Robbers cackled, “HA HA HA!” before getting his little pad that fired it and testing the weapon by firing randomly into space. Lord Robbers clicked the big button that said fire. Suddenly, the hangar around them exploded in flames.

FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, the alarms blurted.

Lord Robbers cleaned up the mess and tried again, clicking the FIRE button a bunch of times. Water came down from the ceiling and a bunch of fire bots came out looking for the fire. He cleaned up the mess again and tried once more. He clicked the BIG red fire button and the giant green laser beam cut through the sky and KABLAMO — they heard an explosion.

“Was that supposed to happen, Commander?” Lord Robbers asked.

“No. It was not,” said the commander. Suddenly, a little screen popped out of the ceiling. There was a scared Quinn commander on it.

“OUR BRAND NEW SHIP WAS JUST BLOWN UP!” yelled the Quinn commander.

“Wait! Was it that one that I just wasted all my money on?” asked Lord Robbers.

“I think so!” said the Quinn commander.

“No! No! No! How could this happen?!?” said Lord Robbers. Lord Robbers accidentally stepped on the self destruct button and his brand new weapon blew up.

 

Chapter 12: Funny Does Not Mean Good

Every single computer screen on every Government-controlled planet showed a message:

“Haha! I am Lord Robbers and I will eat all your food by using this teleporting device! HAHAHA! I will also blow up your planet for the sheer fun of it! I will also achieve universal domination, and if you astrophysicists down there say that it is impossible because the universe goes on forever, and you quantum physicists thinking about the Schrodinger’s cat say that I have a 50 percent chance of world domination and a 50 percent chance of getting my butt kicked, let us change that principal to having 100 percent of world domination. Shaboom, suckers! So for the big shazam, I will blow up your planet!”

When the Government planet saw what was happening, they immediately reacted by calling forth an entire fleet and prepared to destroy Lord Robbers once and for all.

 

Chapter 13: The Preparation of the Super Weapon

Lord Robbers had decided to demonstrate his super weapon to the rest of the Red Striker leaders, by destroying a random civilian planet. He walked to his live feed media room in his ship, hovering above the main base (the cannon was actually on the planet below him and not on the ship.) He went to his console room and clicked the big red firing button (this was the right button). The green laser bolt flew toward the planet and detonated a whole entire city. The Red Strikers clapped and Lord Robbers said, “This laser is the emblem of our destructive name. We are called the Red Strikers. We strike and destroy! Clunk clunk clunk!” (He is a cyborg, so that is how he laughs.)

 

Chapter 14: The Deep Dark Hallways

Trevor, Max, Finton, and Freddy walked into the base. There was no one. It seemed abandoned. There was no light; the electricity was cut off. You couldn’t even see your hand in front of you. Trevor turned on his supersword. The sword extended from its hilt and started buzzing, glowing green in the darkness. They walked down the steel hallways, their footsteps resonating on the ground. There was a red light glowing in front of them in a circular chamber and a dark figure hovering over a panel. Max, Finton, and Freddy silently drew their guns. They were all holding Maf 2345’s (Maf is short for MFLP, which stands for Multi-Function Laser Pistol). The Maf had a tiny viewscreen in which you could select the good guy or the bad guy. If you accidentally pointed the gun at the good guy, it would lock the trigger and not allow the laser to pass. If you did, for some reason, sweep the gun over the bad guy and not pull the trigger, it would automatically do it for you. It also had a stun mode, a knockout mode, a kill mode, and a melt mode. They selected the dark figure in the chamber on their Mafs as a bad guy, and put it on knockout.

The man turned around and they finally realized who it was. It was Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota.

“Oh, I see you have come to my greetings party. Or garage sale, since I’m selling proton grenades! MWAHAHA.”

“You’re actually evil?” Finton said. “I didn’t know that!”

“No, but I have just told the secret location of your base to Lord Robbers! HAHAHAHAHA! And now that I am done with you guys, I will kill you all with a single proton grenade while I escape, smooching my crazy girlfriend who is dressed in a sports bra, even though it is extremely cold in here and she will probably freeze to death… which is sad. Now you will play your part. Please stand right where you are while I go click the button to deploy my hovercraft.”

Meanwhile, Freddy had gotten distracted. He had gone to the basement and captured the healing potion, which was why they were there in the first place. He went upstairs again and appeared behind Trevor.

“Ya tengo la poción!” said Freddy.

Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota said, “How did you get that? It was covered by the maximum security fence.”

“Creo que fumigue” said Freddy.

“You farted, Freddy?” said Finton.

“Whoa, I didn’t know your farts were so powerful,” said Max.

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” said Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota. “You just stay where you are and let me click the button.”

“Hello, honey pie,” said Yamakazamotamotamotadomanota Xambagotamezinitabedagota, Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota’s girlfriend.

“Ah, hello, sweet pea. I was just about to assassinate these evil people,” Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota said.

“Aw, but that guy looks really cute!” said Yamakazamotamotamotadomanota Xambagotamezinitabedagota.

Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota set the proton grenade to fifteen seconds. He then clicked the button for the escape craft. Fortunately, Max and Finton weren’t stupid. They still had the Mafs, so they pulled the trigger. Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota and Yamakazamotamotamotadomanota Xambagotamezinitabedagota fell to the ground, stunned.

Trevor, Max, Freddy, and Finton ran to the hovercraft and clicked the escape button. The explosion of the proton grenade resonated behind them. Unfortunately, they had to get out of there quickly, and since Yamakazamotamotamotadomanota Xambagotamezinitabedagota, Wamakazamotamotamotadomanota Zambagotamezinitabedagota, and his assistant Wombazengasambataheenga Zambeegotosanjamotameta were traitors, and so was the whole fleet. So they decided to escape in the stealthy way, a way which I will not explain right now. They hijacked a capital ship, went out into space, proton torpedoed all the other ships, and hit the megadrive button.

 

Epilogue

Lulu and Lucy were sitting at home for a girls night in when Lord Robbers snuck in. He grabbed them both by the neck and smashed them into his craft. Both of them were knocked unconscious, and Lord Robbers put them into his craft. The iron bars lit up and you could see Lord Robbers creepy cyborg face.

“Clunk clunk clunk!”

The cyborg’s laugh faded into the cool night air.

 

Immigration

My family is almost all made up of immigrants. My mom is an immigrant, and my dad’s grandma is too. Everyone in my family came here to find a better life. Some people are against immigration and think that immigrants are drug dealers or terrorists, but this is not true. Every family has an ancestor who was once an immigrant, so everyone should respect immigration and realize that immigrants help build community in a positive way.

It started when my great-great-great-great-grandma came from Spain to Colombia. She married a Native American, and they created a home in Colombia. Generations later, my grandma was born and had my mom, who immigrated from Colombia to the United States. My mom went to college in Bogota and got her degree in engineering. After college, my mom was going to move to Germany in order to be an engineer, but my grandma said that Germany was too far from home. So my mom moved to the U.S. instead, in order to be an electrical engineer and get a better job. Her arrival the U.S. was a step toward building our family.

My dad’s great-grandma came from Italy to Ellis Island and then moved to Oregon. For college, my dad moved to New York. He met my mom in New York, but then left for Paris. He came back from Paris to be with my mom in New York. Eventually, I was born in New York with dual citizenship in Colombia and the United States.

My mom and dad are only two of millions of immigrants in the world. Many immigrants come from Mexico to the U.S through the border into El Paso. Some immigrants go through illegally and others legally. The legal immigrants get through the border with a passport.

Illegal immigrants who escape from Mexico to find a better life in the U.S. shouldn’t be kicked out of the country just for crossing the border. The majority of illegal immigrants are not harmful to society; rather, they get jobs and work hard. Some illegal immigrants commit crimes, but so do some citizens of the U.S.

A lot of people are against immigrants coming from Mexico and the Middle East, like Donald Drumpf. Drumpf insults Mexicans and Muslims. However, most Mexicans and Muslims really help the U.S.; some help by working at restaurants, others are painters, doctors, construction workers, etc. Furthermore, a big percentage of the U.S. population is Mexican and Muslim.

All in all, we should think about immigration optimistically, because everyone’s family is made of at least some immigrants. Without immigration, most of our families wouldn’t exist. At their core, everyone is an immigrant –– including myself.

The Subway Tragedy

CHAPTER 1

I was walking toward the subway station with earbuds ringing with the sound of 50 Cent in my ears to help me walk on. When my tired legs got to sit down on the subway seat…

“Kasye,” Mom said.

I looked up to see Grace (my sister) holding her hand out. I rolled my eyes to Mom. Her green eyes pointed at my hand. I knew what my sister wanted. I stopped the music on my phone, pulled out my earbuds from my ear, and handed everything to Grace. Grace played a game while listening to Justin Bieber. Grace says she’s a “Belieber” (she’s obsessed with Justin Bieber). Then, all of a sudden, the subway lights went out. I heard someone scream, then the subway car stopped. I heard a huge CREAK and then the subway car fell sideways.

 

CHAPTER 2

My head throbbed. I heard my sister cry. People were holding up their phone flashlights for light.

“Listen up!” a man’s voice said, “Point your flashlights at the subway door. We’ll try to open the doors.”

“What will happen after that?” a voice said.

Everybody was silent, shining their flashlights on the door.

“We walk,” he said.

“One… two… three… push!” Creeeak went the door.

“Oh –– ” I covered Grace’s ears.

“It’s open,” the guy said.

The silence broke and everybody started toward the door. I went out into the track and saw more closely the guy who opened the door. He had light, straight, gold hair, sky-colored eyes with a hint of jade. Tall and strong. Right when I walked out of the car, he started to walk with me.

“Hi,” he finally said.

“Hi,” I said back.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Should I tell you my name?” I asked.

“I’m Carter,” Carter smiled.

“I’m Kasye.” I said.

“Cute name,” he said.

“I look like a poppy,” I blushed.

“No, you look more like a rose.”

I blushed more.

 

CHAPTER 3

I was scared. It was cold. I squeezed my sister’s hand.

“It’s okay,” Carter said, rubbing my back.

People tried to call 911, family, police, but there was no wifi. The driver was dead and his walkie-talkie was broken.

We were stuck.

We had to walk.

And I wanted to survive.

I put Grace on my shoulders to try to call 911. I shivered. Walked to the right of the tracks where there was a hill in the middle of the tracks going down, so we didn’t get electrified. Mom was helping an old woman whose leg was broken. 

“I’m scared too,” Carter said.

“Can I trust you?” I asked in my serious voice.

“Yes,” he said, not smiling but looking me in the eye.

I put Grace down. Then I hugged Carter and cried on his shoulder. He hugged back. And in that moment I felt safe.

 

CHAPTER 4

Dead mice and trash covered the area, sewage and mud pooled into my shoes, and the worst part, I was in love.

Yes. Carter. My heart thumped in me as he came closer.

“It’s so hot in here!” Grace complained.

“Go ask Mom for water,” I said.

Grace was right. People had bare skin showing right now. Even Carter had his sweater off.

“STOP! Don’t drink that, honey!” a woman’s voice shouted.

I turned to look as a kid found a puddle of swampy, muddy, sandy sewage water. The worst part was the kid put a scoop in his hand and gulped it down. The mom ran over as the kid threw up on the track. This was getting bad. Luckily, there was a doctor with his tools in his bag. The doctor made the kid throw up again. And the problem was that more people got sick. Even Mom did, and Carter said he would wait with us until she got better.

You might think I was crazy, but I met a stranger who was crazy cute and I now was crazy in love with. That’s a lot of crazy.

“Over the past hours,” Carter said, “I feel the need to admit something… I…” he blushed, “lo –– ”

“Love you,” I finished.

“I love you too,” Carter said.

Then I learned up and looked him in the eye and we kissed.

 

Chapter 5

We walked and walked.

And when we saw a bright light behind us, I thought it was heaven. There was screaming. I heard Carter yell, “TRAIN!”

He pushed me right as the train flew over him.

At first, I was confused. But then I saw red. A puddle of red. And then I saw legs, feet, arms, more red.

“NO!” I said as I realized it was Carter’s body.

He was dead.

Mom put her hand on my shoulder. “Let’s keep going,” she tried to sooth my wrinkling heart but like a sharpie it stayed.

We walked three more hours. I was devastated the whole way, crying and barely able to keep my balance. But then we saw another bright light, this time not coming toward us.

 

Chapter 6

“Yes!” people yelled, rushing toward the light. I did too.

Finally, we jumped off the tracks and on the platform.

“Ahh!” people yelled. And then everything went blank.

I woke up to beige walls and curtains. Hospital. I felt rested, calm, but I remembered Carter and his body sucked in a red bloodbath. Mom and Grace walked in and gave me a kiss on the head and a heart-warming hug. I got out of the hospital and looked up at the frostbite sky and thought, Peace, finally, peace.

I walked home, my feet crunching in the snow. Although Grace had crutches, we were fine. And although Mom was in a wheelchair, we were fine. And although my heart had one huge piece missing, we were fine. Fine, or good, or okay, or not too bad. Like a bird flying and soaring… and then falling in an ocean, drowning, and dying, never to see the light again. That’s fine to me.

That night, I met Grace in Mom’s room for nightmares haunting me, reseeing the horrors I saw. And then we all woke up and played Sorry the game.

 

Chapter 7

Three Days Later…

I woke up to the chirping of birds. I put on my robe and grabbed a mug and made coffee. Mom was in the kitchen making blueberry pancakes. I grabbed some and sat on the couch. I watched the news and finally something caught my attention.

The headline: “One More Boy Walks Out From Subway… A Boy Named Carter.”

“Carter!?” I yelled. I ran to the hospital, only to see Carter outside in the snow staring at me.

I ran and threw myself into his arms. We fell in a pile of snow and rolled around, hugging.

“How?! What?” I said.

“You left me there!”

“What? I thought you were dead!”

“Didn’t you want a funeral with MY BODY?”

“We were scared! You would’ve held us behind!” I said, crying. Carter looked at me with a bitter face. The tears burned with flames and then froze in the cold.

“Do you love me?” I asked with the bitter face mask still on.

He didn’t seem to know how to answer.

“I….” But I knew his answer. “Don’t,” he said.

My face softened and turned from surprise to pity.

“What did I do!?” I yelled.

“You left me. I’ll never be able to play football again!”

He walked away.

“Do you… hate me?” I said out of breath.

At first, I thought he didn’t hear me, but he stopped. He turned and he was crying too. Then he walked away.

 

Chapter 8

My legs ached, my head ached, and my heart ached. I went to the hospital and I waited for my appointment. Outside, in the silent waiting room, I heard, “… you know you’ll die soon.”

“I… know,” said a voice I knew was Carter.

Then crying. His mom. And I was tearing up the memories of Carter.

One Week Later…

Carter was dead. Gone. And I was at his funeral.

“We will remember Carter…” I was sick in the belly. Hurt, and dissolved. My life, my heart, gone.

I Never Wanted a Coffee Shop

“I never wanted a coffee shop, Dad! Why do I have to work here? It’s not fair. This coffee shop doesn’t even look good, or have my favorite color, pink. Plus, it has weird drawings of coffee, and the tables are made of coffee beans. And I don’t want to work in a weird place without the color pink. Everything is brown! The walls, the cups! I just want to play outside with my friends. Look, they’re all playing out there,” I said with my arms crossed, standing beside the line. We had just opened the coffee shop and there was a huge line outside. We only had three employees and I had to be the fourth. It wasn’t fair.

My dad yelled back, “Well, you have to work here. Plus, you’re embarrassing me in front of the customers. Go to the counter. Look, there’s a HUGE line. And you’ve got to buy everything and make the recipes. And it’s not a joke. So have fun, goodbye.”

Some people in the line were staring at us. Other people were covering their children’s ears and eyes. And other people were just trying to not look, and looking at the walls. I couldn’t believe they were looking at the walls and not at us – the walls were really ugly. I went to the counter and started taking orders. There were a lot of orders.

The only employee who helped me learn all about the coffee making was Serina. I was in charge of buying everything at the supermarket and taking the orders, and she was in charge of making the coffee. She would always make hearts and pretty things on the surface of the coffee if it had milk, like lattes, frappuccinos, cafe con leche, and things like that. She told me that she wanted to be an architect or a painter when she grew up. She had always painted at her home. Now she was painting at the coffee shop. She painted the entire coffee shop and the tables (more like bought them, but don’t tell her I told you that).

At the end of the month, it was payday. We had enough money to pay everyone, but we didn’t win a lot for ourselves –– each one of us had earned only $10. This time, we bought new ingredients, and we knew exactly how our customers liked it. The first time I made a coffee, the customer asked for half the amount of sugar. I put way more than half the amount, and he spit it out and said he thought it was disgusting. But then, when I made the same coffee for another customer, she loved it and said she would come every day. The line eventually got bigger.

Now we had planned out each recipe and made a new menu, with new employees whom we had hired. Their names were Emily and Joey. They were our coffee servers. By the end of that month, each one of us had made at least $40.

Finally, the two months were over, but I had had a lot of fun. I kind of did want to stay in the coffee shop with all my friends; the friends that were always playing outside had all gone to New Jersey. I hate New Jersey. Don’t tell them I told you that. Basically, I hate everything. Don’t tell me secrets –– I’ll spit them out easily, just like I did to you.

So, I decided to stay in the coffee shop. My friends were so happy that they made me a special coffee which, instead of a heart, said “Best Friends Forever.”

The day after, I told them my plan: we could make little cupcakes that said “Best Friends Forever,” and each would come with a note that said: “Give this to your best friend: the person who never treats you badly and whom you also treat nicely.” When we made those cupcakes, everyone was so impressed that about ten people bought them after school. We made a special offer that said if you bought a “Best Friends Forever” cupcake, you would get a “Best Friends Forever” coffee.

Finally, we all got tired of the coffee shop. It showed: when the month ended, we got just $20 each. We had done something wrong, but I didn’t care. I liked the coffee shop a lot more because I had new friends, who all moved closer to the coffee shop.

Every morning we would go get a coffee. We thought about it and, entering as employees, we made friends and got a “Best Friends Forever” cupcake and coffee. We worked in the coffee shop until we were old enough to get another job.

My First Year of Middle School

Jen

“Get up, Honey!!!” my mom calls from downstairs. Today is going to be my first day of Middle School. I should be excited. I bet even Vanessa Chadwick, who hates school (probably because of the homework), is excited. But, the thing is, I bet Vanessa Chadwick’s BFF isn’t leaving for New York for a whole year.

Julie, my best friend, has left for New York for the first year of middle school because of her dad’s job. Yeah, I know she’ll come back next year, but I feel that the first year of middle school is when we’ll need each other the most. And yet, that’s the year that she has to leave.

I don’t get up, so of course my Mom has to climb up the stairs and drag me out of bed. “C’mon, Jen, honey,” she says, stroking my plain brown hair. Nothing compared to her silky blonde hair. Luckily for my older sister, Kylie, she inherited it. Kylie and Mom look a lot a like. Pretty and perfect. I look like my Dad. Average.

“I know that Julie’s gone for the year, but hey –– at least she’s coming back! And you can always FaceTime or Skype!!! You know in my Yoga class they said you should always look at the positive side of things.”

I look at my Mom like she’s crazy. How can I look at the good side of this?! There is no good side?! I sit up in bed. There’s no use of trying to stay at home. My mom and dad are probably gonna drag me out of bed anyways.

I trudge out of bed and walk towards the bathroom to freshen up. I look at myself in the mirror as I brush my teeth. I think about Julie. Our personalities are completely different. She is extremely girly, like the mean girls in our school, Jessica, Cassidy, and Emma. But she isn’t mean like them. She is one of the best friends anyone could have. I am completely different. I’m on the girls soccer team and I absolutely detest anything girly. Except my Mom, Kylie, and Julie. But they’re not exactly things… they’re people. I get dressed and walk into the living room.

“Honey, you’re running late!!!” I hear my mom call from the kitchen. I grab a piece of toast and get onto the bus. I am not looking forward to the first day of school without Julie.

Julie

I can’t wait for the first day of school!!! I miss Jen, but hey, always think positive!!! I get on the bus.

“Hi!” a girl says to me. She has brown silky hair and she seems nice.

“Hi!” I respond back. “May I sit here?”

“Sure!!” she responds cheerfully.

“Hey, are you wearing mascara?” she asks.

“Yaa,” I reply. “Are you wearing lipstick?”

“Mmhmm,” she responds.

We talk and laugh the whole trip. And the best part is that she is in my class!!! Life is amazing!!!

Bringgg! I hear my cellphone ring. Jen is calling from Skype.

“Hi,” I say, pressing the Skype app.

“Hi, Julie!!!” she says. “How was school?”

“AMAZING!” I exclaim. I can’t wait to tell her everything!!! But she looks taken aback.

“Had fun without me?” she asks in a completely different tone –– one that she never spoke to me with.

“Uhhh,” I reply. What had she gotten into?!

“You know, I thought we were best friends!” she says.


“We are!!!” I say, holding up the friendship bracelet on my wrist.

“Ya, sure!!!” Julie says and throws her friendship bracelet into the garbage. And after that, she just disconnects. What did I do wrong?

Then it hit me: I am supposed to say that my first day of school was “horrible” and that “I really missed her.” I do really miss her, and I was gonna say that. That part is true. But she asked me how my first day was, and it was AMAZING! She couldn’t have expected me to lie!!! Or did she? Friendship can be so complicated!

Jen

She should say that she missed me and that her first day of school sucked! Okay, maybe my mom thinks I’m being unreasonable… but I’m not. It’s been a month since that crazy Skype fight and Julie is sending me weird texts like “Are you okay?” Ugh, she annoys me so much!!!

School seemed especially long today because of the math test. But hey! Tomorrow’s Halloween! I’m going to be zombie! Can’t wait!!! I bet Kylie’s going to be a black cat. Whatever, I’m happy because I’ve been invited to Drake’s party!!! He’s the most popular and cutest boy in the whole grade!!! I got invited! That’s a big thing!!! He invited me!!! No need for trick-or-treating this year!!!

Yay!!! Today’s Halloween!!! I’m about to leave for Drake’s party!!

“Honey,” Mom calls before I go, “are you sure you don’t want to dress into something cuter?”

“Nah,” I say and leave the house. I don’t care what she says now.

Julie

This is exhausting. This is stupid. Whatever. I’m having a great time at my school. And for Halloween I’m being a black cat!!! But I still feel that although Jen can be immature at times, she is an amazing friend –– my best friend.

I walk downstairs to the kitchen.

“Mom!” I call.

“Yes, honey!!!” She says while baking her amazing lasagna. It is Saturday. My mom never cooks on weekdays. Never has the time.

“When are we going back home to Minneapolis?” I ask.

“Winter break, honey!” she replies.

“Thanks,” I say.

“Why, honey?” my Mom asks.

“No reason,” I respond. But there is a reason… maybe this fight between me and Jen is stupid. Nevertheless, it’s still a fight. And if there’s a fight with my best friend, it needs to be resolved. Christmas is the best time to get it resolved.

Jen

Why does she have to come for winter break?! Ugh… Mom had to invite her for Christmas Dinner and now I have to buy her a present!!! But she is my best friend and always will be 

I go to the mall with my Mom. I hate the mall, but Julie loves it. I go into the store Claire’s. Julie loves that store. I walk inside. Sooo girly, sooo Julie. Inside the store are flower hairbands, hair chalk, earrings, make-up bags, make-up, and more. And then something catches my eye –– a friendship necklace. Perfect.

Julie

I walk into Nike. Jen really wants new shoes. Her old ones are worn out and dirty. I look and look and then I find the perfect ones. Blue sleek ones. The latest model. Air design. She’ll love this. Christmas has magic in the air. Not because of the presents. It just has magic in the air. It’s the best time for us to become besties. Forever.

Jen

Christmas time is here!!! And so is Julie!!! Well, I mean, she’s not here yet, but –– ding dong! The doorbell rings. She’s here. Yay!!! This time I really mean it. Yay!!! My mom opens the door.

“Hi guys!!!” she says. I sit on the couch. Then I see Julie in the living room.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey,” she replies.

We sit at the table and have Christmas dinner. We say our prayers.

After our dinner we go to the living room to open the presents. The grownups are all laughing. I hand my present to Julie.

“Sorry,” I say as I had her my present.

“It’s okay,” she says as she hands me hers. True friendship never ends.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

The Life Cycle

Chapter  1 : Sisters

Mia was brushing her hair and she just remembered that her friend Matilda was coming over for a playdate. They were best friends. When Matilda arrived, they took turns braiding eachother’s hair. Since they both had the same length hair, they saw what their hair could do, like make scarves out of their hair, and they saw how many times they could wrap their hair around their arm, which was about a thousand.

Matilda had blonde hair and Mia had long dark brown hair. They both had long straight hair to their knees, which was about five feet. They both loved their hair because they didn’t want real scarves, but the only thing that drove them nuts was their mother telling them, “Cut your hair! Cut your hair!” She wanted them to cut it because it was really hard to wash.

They were like, “No! Imagine you don’t need to buy me a scarf! And I’ll brush it more often!”

Since they went to the same school, they spoke about what they should play the next day at school. They thought about maybe playing hide and seek, or tag or, as Mia suggested, “Maybe let’s play cops and robbers!”

Matilda also suggested, “We could also play hide and seek after cops and robbers!” Normally, nobody really asked if they could play with them. Once a month, someone would ask. They actually liked it, just the two of them.

They talked about doing the butterfly one because she thought that they would fight a lot, like very often.

“That’s very sad. I wish we could get a way to get your mom to agree,”  Matilda hoped. “After that we will.”

“Oh, yeah. I think so too. Let’s think of a way to convince my mom to get me a younger sister.”

They started a whole other conversation on how they could get Mia’s mom, named Lauren, to get Mia to have another sister. Mia convinced her why she wanted another sister. Mia told her that why she wanted another sister was because she was a little lonely in playing and her mother used to get very annoyed, because she didn’t have any company.

Matilda explained that she knew how Mia felt. “I know because I’m an only child, and I also want a little sister.”

“We have a mission!”  Mia and Matilda said.

“First, let’s convince your mom,” explained Matilda.

“After that, the next time we have a playdate, I’ll come to your house and we’ll convince your mom!” said Mia. After that they started a whole new conversation, again, on how they were going to conquer their moms. They were sitting on the couch in Mia’s room.

They started their mission that day. They said, “Maybe we could convince my mom by saying, if you get me a little sister, I could start a job and earn a thousand dollars for you.” So they tried that.

So when Mia’s mom was working, they snuck up on her and scared her by saying, “Mom!” in a funky kind of voice tone.

And after that their mom was like, “Hey, you guys! You scared the bejeezus out of me!” She was texting Mia’s dad.

After that, Mia asked, “If you let me have a little sister, I’ll get a job and you could have a thousand dollars!”

And after that Mia’s mom was like, “I don’t need that much money. I’m sorry. And why do you even need someone to fight with?”

Mia thought, Well, that didn’t work. She felt disappointed that it didn’t work, because they weren’t very rich anyway. It was the first time she’d asked her mom for a sister. She felt disappointed and she stomped back to her room with Matilda and started thinking of another plan. She looked in one of her books of the chronicles of How To Convince Your Mom To Get A Little Sister. She did that because she had a lot of books and she knew she could find one book like that. Mia loved the color purple, so her bed was purple. Her walls were purple. The ceiling was purple. The floor color was purple. Everything was purple. Her two bookshelves were also purple.

Mia and Matilda sat on Mia’s bed to think of another little idea to convince Mia’s mom to get Mia a little sister.

“What about if we sneak up on my mom again but only this time, a little less money,” Mia suggested.

Matilda said, “That’s a great idea! Let’s try it.”

So they snuck up on Mia’s mom who was doing work; she worked from home but she used to work at work. Mia’s mom was a doctor.

After that when they snuck up on her they told her, “Mom,” in a friendly tone of voice but Mia’s mom didn’t get startled like last time.

“Oh hi guys, what do you want?” Mia’s mom asked.

“We just want to ask you a question. If you give me a little sister, after that I could get a job and earn you forty dollars.”

And after that Mia’s mom told them, “Yes, but I’m not going to give you a younger sister.”

After that Mia felt the same way as before, and told Matilda, “After this I’m not going to get a job!”

They went back to their bed. “Maybe we could talk to her about how we’re feeling!”

Matilda suggested, “I really think we should tell her because she does not know why we keep asking her and she is probably getting really annoyed because we’ve been doing this for quite a while now.” She was feeling a little nervous.

After that Mia and Matilda walked over to Mia’s mom in her chair near her desk. Mia said, “Mom, the reason why I really want a sister is because I don’t really have any company. You sometimes have work when I want to play, and I don’t like doing homework. And I just feel a little lonely. So can you please get me a little sister as soon as it’s possible?”

Mia’s mom said, “But I thought you guys would fight!”

“Maybe once in awhile, but not often,” said Mia.

After that Mia’s mom told them, “Okay. As soon as possible, I’ll get you one. As long as you don’t ask me so often.”

Nine months later, she got the sister from her mother! Mia’s little sister was named Monsoon. She had frizzy curly hair, it was dark brown to her neck. And now Mia felt so special to have a younger sister.

Mia said, “Yay!”

Later in the afternoon, Mia started playing with Monsoon. Mia taught Monsoon to play chess at such a young age. Monsoon became very good at it by the age of one. Monsoon was learning how to talk from Mia. Mia and Monsoon never fought. Mia’s mom was impressed by how much Mia taught Monsoon.

After that Mia left for a playdate with Matilda, but only this time, it was at Matilda’s house. Matilda was excited to try and get herself a younger sister as well. When Mia got there, Mia was like, “Are you ready to get a younger sister?”

After that Matilda said, “Yeah, I’m very ready! I’ve been waiting for it all week long! And three days more!” in an excited tone. So after that, Matilda said that she loved the color orange. The walls were orange, the ceiling was orange, the floor was orange and her bookshelves were orange. And her bed was orange.

Matilda told Mia why her mom didn’t want her to have a little sister. It was because Matilda’s mom, named Isabella, thought it would be too hard to brush both of their long hair. Both Mia’s and Matilda’s moms had long hair and younger sisters and their mom used to go bonkers brushing their hair.

Mia and Matilda sat on Matilda’s orange bed. It was very smooth, silky and soft.

“If you give me a sister, after that I can make extra special stuff for Thanksgiving, mother’s day, and father’s day for you and Dad and all family members, like presents, pop-up cards, and food, and awesome drinks.”

Matilda’s mom said, “Only if you do all of that every holiday, I’ll get you a sister.”

“I promise I will,” said Matilda. She was excited to have a new sister.

Ten days later, Matilda got her sister. Her name was Malla. Both Matilda and Malla had blue eyes and both of them had blonde hair. Malla had hair to the neck. Matilda felt very joyful that she had a younger sister. Matilda taught Malla how to play checkers at such a young age, at the age of one.

After that Mia came to Matilda’s house and asked how the baby was going. Mia asked, “What did you teach your little sister?”

Mia and Matilda sat on Matilda’s orange bed. And Matilda said, “While I was teaching Malla how to play checkers, she wouldn’t listen. I need her to listen to learn. The reason why I want her to listen is because she might feel more special next year at school.”

“Same with me,” Mia said.

“I feel kind of disappointed in her when she doesn’t listen,” said Matilda.

Since Mia and Matilda’s little sisters knew how to talk, they could talk to them and whenever it came to conversation, they would definitely listen. So they walked over to Malla and said, “If you will listen, maybe I could make you something yummy once a week, like a salad with grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce.”

Malla was like, “Okay. As long as you do that.” She just stopped playing checkers because of the yummy food.

It was Tuesday and the next day was Wednesday. Matilda said just for a test, “If you stand up on your feet for a minute, after that I could give you one of my yummy cookies.”

Malla said,“Ooh! Okay, I’ll stand up on my two feet for a minute. Okay?”

“Well, you better promise!”

So she stood up on her two feet for a minute.

The next day, the first thing in the morning, Matilda made a salad for Malla. After that Matilda said to Malla, “You’ve got to listen to me, and Mom, and Dad when we tell you to do things or stuff. Because it makes us feel disappointed and upset when you don’t listen to us. I want you to listen because if  you work hard you could feel special next year in school if you listen to us. You might even get the highest grades.”

Malla said, “I will listen to you, Mom, and Dad from now on.” After the conversation, she hugged her older sister.

Ten days later, Matilda had another playdate with Mia again. And they sat on Mia’s purple bed and Matilda asked, “How’s your younger sister doing?”

“Again, she’s not listening to me when I teach her how to play chess or other things,” Mia said to Matilda, “I feel upset.”

Matilda said, “That’s terrible! In what way do you think I could help you?”

Mia said, “If you could find a way how to help me in getting my little sister to listen, would be a great help. I don’t want to talk to her because she won’t listen, because she is not listening.”

“That’s a good reason,” said Matilda.

“Thanks,” said Mia.

“What else can we do?” said Matilda.

Since Mia’s cousin was also there, they asked, “How do you think we could get Monsoon to listen?” Mia’s cousin was a girl and her name was Jessica.

Jessica said, “Maybe you should just talk to her!”

Mia said, “But I don’t want to, because she won’t listen!”

“After that maybe you could draw her a picture and maybe she could figure out what it meant, or write her a message or you could write her a story on how to listen to your family,” said Jessica.

“Maybe I’ll go with the book on how to listen to your family members,” said Mia and Matilda. Mia felt very joyful.

So after that Mia and Matilda wrote a story on how to listen to your family members. Matilda was the illustrator; Mia was the writer. Mia wrote first. After that, depending on what Mia wrote, Matilda read Mia’s writing. After that depending on what she wrote, she drew the pictures. The story told little kids how to behave themselves and listen to their older siblings. It said, if your family members told you something, you should respond to them, you shouldn’t just ignore them.

So they gave the story to Monsoon and Monsoon read it. Before Monsoon read it, they said it was by the best writer in the world. They were trying to trick her. Since they didn’t know who that was, they just said that.

After that Monsoon said, “I thought this was going to be by you!” And they were like, “Oh, no no no! It’s by the best writer in the world. But you better take notes.”

She read it and she was like, “Why do I have to take notes?”

“Because this is an important book. We read it before you and we know the truth,” said Mia.

Monsoon was like, “All right. I’ll read it with notes. But do I need to?”

Mia was like, “Yes, you need to. Now just sit on the couch and read it. Bye bye.”

So they went upstairs to Mia’s room and they waited there for five minutes. After that, they peeked and they were like, “She’s not done? It was a very short book!” After that they went upstairs again and waited for five minutes and peeked and said, “She’s not done?” After that they went upstairs for another five minutes and said, “Oh, finally, she’s done!” And after that Mia and Matilda went downstairs and asked, “Can we see your notes?”

“I have the notes in my head, since I don’t know how to write,” said Monsoon.

“Can you explain them to us?” asked Mia and Matilda at the same time.

After that Monsoon was like, “Alright!” Monsoon said that it was all about listening to your family members or whoever, except for strangers. Of course. She was feeling kind of weird because she didn’t realize that she was not listening and stuff. “But I am already listening,” said Monsoon.  

“You think you are, but you’re not,” said Mia.

“Remember chess?” said Mia.

“When did we play chess?” asked Monsoon.

“Well, you were to busy playing with new toy Mom got you,” said Mia.             

“Well I didn’t know you were teaching me how to play chess,” said Monsoon.

“Oh!” said Mia, “I thought you were paying attention and weren’t really doing it.”

Matilda said, “But why? You should listen to people when they’re telling you to do something, even though you’re paying so much attention to your little opening-up dollhouse.”

“That is the truth,” said Mia, feeling kind of disappointed and depressed.

“Well, I was kind of paying attention but when you told me to do something, I think I was looking at something else, so…” said Monsoon.

“But still, you weren’t listening,” said Mia and Matilda at the same time again.

“Now I understand,” said Monsoon. “I will listen.”

“You better,” said Mia.

“I will,” said Monsoon.

The next day at school, somebody asked if they could play with them. But normally that happened only once a month. They were in the same class as her. It was her birthday so she really wanted to play with them. Her name was Andrea.

Andrea asked if she could play with Mia and Matilda because it was her birthday.

“How old are you turning?” asked Matilda.

“Well, I’m turning eight,” said Andrea.

“All right, you can play with us,” they said, because they were also turning eight. Mia was turning eight five days later and Matilda was turning eight ten days later.

They played hide and seek. After that they played tag, and after that they tried playing both of them combined, and after that they played charades. And after that, one wanted to play charades again, another wanted to play hide and seek, and another wanted to play tag. So what they did was they said, “Eenie meenie miney moe,” and it landed on Andrea. And Andrea was voting for hide and seek, but Mia wanted to play charades. So they played hide and seek first, charades second, and tag last.

Andrea was really funny and pretty nice. She normally played with somebody else named Sophia. And whenever Sophia didn’t play with Andrea, she played with Elizabeth. And whenever Elizabeth didn’t play with Sophia, she played with Andrea. And whenever Andrea didn’t play with Sophia, she played with Elizabeth.

When Andrea wasn’t playing with Sophia, Sophia didn’t want to play with Elizabeth because she got bored just playing with her when Andrea wasn’t there. Anyway, Elizabeth wasn’t as very funny as Andrea. Sophia wanted another friend to play with.

But she was always very quiet. She never used to talk. She wanted to get over her shyness, but normally her mother wasn’t there and normally her mother used to introduce her to friends.

So she made a cardboard picture of one of the girls that she saw in her school and she tried talking and saying her name, but she couldn’t, even to the cardboard. She was like, “Oh, man!” She felt kind of weird, because she can’t even talk to a cardboard person that she made!

After that she tried doing it with her cousin, named Kira. Kira was 17. She loved beanie boos. She was very smart and pretty and she liked helping people and she had a beanie boo of happiness.

Sophia told her what had been happening in school and what she needed help with and asked if she could practice on her. Kira said, “Of course you could practice on me! I just have to think of a new name.”

Kira and Sophia went into Sophia’s room. Sophia loved the color blue, light blue. The ceiling was light blue, the walls were light blue, the door was light blue, the floor was light blue, her bed was light blue. Everything was light blue.

So after that Kira stood up and said, “Hello, my name is Melissa.” And after that Kira said, “What’s your name?”

“Hi Melissa, my name is Sophia.” She felt pretty excited that she did it.

Kira said, “What’s your favorite thing to do?”

“My favorite thing to do is… to just sit on the couch and pretend to be bold,” said Sophia. “What’s your favorite thing to do?”

“My favorite thing to do is draw,” said Kira, who was pretending to be Melissa.

Sophia was a little bit shy to start the conversation. She wouldn’t say her name first.

The next day, Sophia went to school and asked two girls named Melissa and another girl named Sophia as well, so there were two Sophia’s and one Melissa.

“Can I play with you?” asked Sophia number 1.

Sophia and Melissa said, “All right!”

“What’s your name?” asked Sophia and Melissa.

“My name is Sophia. What’s your name?” asked Sophia to Sophia.

“My name is Sophia,” said Sophia.

“What’s your name?

“My name is Melissa!” said Melissa.

Five days later, Mia and Matilda saw Sophia playing with Melissa and Sophia number 2. Sophia #1 was Sophia S. and Sophia #2 was Sophia B.

Mia and Matilda walked over to them and asked if they could play. They were playing a game of hide and seek, so after that they asked someone who was seeking so they wouldn’t give it away.

Melissa was the one who was seeking so Melissa shouted, “Pause game!” and everybody ran to Melissa, who was playing hide and seek with them. And Melissa said, “Mia and Matilda and Andrea want to play with us.”

“All right,” said Sophia B.

“What do you want to do? asked Melissa and Sophia S. and Sophia B.

Mia said, “I want to play hide and seek because we were going to play Andrea’s idea, because she’s also the birthday girl.”

They played hide and seek for another five minutes. But right after they were done with hide and seek, recess was over. Andrea really also wanted to play dodgeball. But they didn’t have the money to buy the net.

 

Chapter 2 : Lemonade

The next day at school, they talked about how to get a net, but after that Mia said, “Why don’t we make a lemonade stand?” The net cost 50 dollars.

Andrea got the lemonade, since Mia had a little table she brought her table, Sophia S. brought the lime, Sophia B. brought the lemon, and Melissa brought the sugar and water to make it. Matilda knew how to cook, so she made chocolate chip cookies for whoever had lemonade.

It was Sunday afternoon when they all met at Central Park to serve the lemonade and cookies. Mia and Matilda’s sisters were there. Sophia B.’s cousin was there. The lemonade cost one dollar and the cookies also cost a dollar, so whoever bought any of those would pay one dollar or two.

Before they started, they had to set up everything. So they had the table and they put chairs around it for the kids to sit in. And they put the lemonade bottle onto the right and the lime next to it, the lemon next to the lime, the sugar next to the lemon and in front of the lemon the cookies. And next to the cookies, the water. And next to the water, the cups. It was quite sunny, a little bit breezy, 82 degrees and they were at the edge of Central Park. And whenever people came by, they said, “Lemonade! And cookies! One dollar each!”

Everybody who passed by got lemonade. And before anybody got some, they drank some. And after they got to their third customer, they checked on their sisters and they weren’t there. So everyone went on a sister hunt for the sisters, Malla and Monsoon.

Mia and Matilda felt weird because their sisters never really went anywhere. They felt very scared. And they had to tell their parents, since they knew they had their own phones, they called their mothers and fathers.

“Our sisters are gone!” said Mia and Matilda in a very scared tone of voice.

Everybody helped to find them. They looked for an hour, and after that for another hour inside Central Park, outside Central Park, and in New York City, but they weren’t there! They felt super duper nervous that somebody took them, because they didn’t look in houses.

They didn’t look in any houses because if somebody was doing something, they would have disturbed them. They alerted the police. Somebody must have taken their little sisters!

Mia and Matilda and Sophia B. and Sophia S. and Melissa and Andrea took a plane to South America to go and see if their little sisters were there. They looked in Brazil and then, they looked all over South America. After that they went back to North America, after that they looked all around North America. After that they went to Africa and looked all around Africa, in Uganda they found their little sisters!

A robber named Uganda went to Uganda for the little sisters. He thought they were dolls, and he was on a trip, so he took them home. He was pretending that he thought that.

The police were like, “Why did you steal their little sisters?”

“Because I thought they were dolls!” said the robber named Uganda. Malla and Monsoon said to their older sisters, “If that ever happens again, I will definitely shout help!”

Uganda ran away for the rest of his life and never robbed anybody ever again because he knew what would happen if he did, go to jail. But he anyway went to jail for two years before he ran away.

They went back home to finish their lemonade stand. The search had taken two weeks because they had to search everywhere. They left their sisters home, just in case anything happened. And while they were gone, people gave them money and took the lemonade and cookies. They did all the stuff by themselves. For two weeks! And after that once they got back from Uganda, they saw how much money they got. They got $172! So they spent 50 dollars on the net, and Isabelle, Matilda’s mom, got the net for Andrea. And she also spent two dollars for the ball. After that they shared the money and gave $20 to each of them.

Next year, in seventh grade, they played dodgeball at recess with the net and the ball. Mia, Matilda, Sophia S., Sophia B., Andrea, and Melissa had played dodgeball finally in seventh grade. After that, Melissa wanted a sleepover with all her friends at her house. So, once she got home, she sat on the bed and called each one of her friends that she wanted to have over. She asked them to come over for a desperate, important meeting. So after that, in five minutes they were all there, and Melissa said, “How am I going to convince my mom to let me have a sleepover?”

“How?” Mia asked.

“Maybe if we do all her chores she may let us have a sleepover.”

“That’s a great idea,” said Nicola. That was Melissa’s new friend. She met her last month. Melissa also wanted to have a sleepover with her.

So, they tried doing the chore idea. They finished all of Melissa’s mom’s chores. They had to clean the bathtub, set the table for dinner, and if their mom agreed, put out beds.

“Well… we’ve done all our chores!” said Melissa and her friends, adding Nicola. They checked all the chores. It was all done.

They had so much time left that they thought they’d watch a movie. They all had a vote: Inside Out and Descendants.

“I hate Descendants! I want to watch the great and awesome Inside Out,” said everyone. So they watched Inside Out. So they watched, watched, watched until it was eight p.m. Thankfully, Melissa’s mom came back at nine p.m.

So they watched and watched and watched until Melissa’s mom got back from work. So after that Melissa’s mom said, “Was this what you were doing?”

“No no, Mom. We want a sleepover.”

“Well, what have you done to earn it?”

“Well, I’ll weird. Oooh, I get it. Five hours of TV. Yay! Let’s go.”

They went to watch TV for five hours in Melissa’s mom’s room. They watched it silently other than once in awhile, they would pause and retell an entire movie. They were feeling quite happy because they knew how Melissa’s mom was. She would say “okay” to almost anything. For three hours they watched Inside Out and after that the rest of the two hours they watched Descendants even though they all hated it.

“Okay, it’s time to go to Mom,” said Melissa.

Melissa’s mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Everyone was surprised because they thought Melissa’s mom would be on the couch thinking. So after that Melissa and her friends walked up to Melissa’s mom and asked her, “So what is your answer?”

“Okay, as long as you go to bed on time.”

“Okay, I will, I will, Mom.”

“Now come on. Eat your dinner.”

“But what is for dinner?” asked Melissa.

“Your favorite. Pesto pasta,” said Melissa’s mom.

“YAY,” cried Melissa.

After five minutes, everyone was ready to eat dinner.

Everyone liked it so much that they took around two or three helpings.

After that everyone but Melissa ran back home because they needed to get their pajamas and toothbrush and five minutes later they were all ready for the sleepover with all their stuff.

But Mia was really scared to sleep the night because it was so hard for her to wake up the next day because she always gets the worst nightmares. But that’s why she brought her teddy bear and all her other stuffed animals to protect her and took off her prettiest earrings that she wore and let out her hair and puffed her cushion up with it when it was time for the sleepover. But that was like three hours away. So, all she did was watch TV for three hours with the girls. And after that that’s when the terror of the sleepover happened. And also when Mia started getting terrified by the sleepover and sleeping. But she did her normal routine, which was take her fanciest earrings off, let out her hair from her braid, and puff up the pillow with it and go to sleep with a terrible nightmare and thought it would come alive!!! But this time she thought of a plan to not think about it. YAY! But it was good that she had THREE hours until the sleepover started.  

“PHEW!” Mia said in a relieved tone of voice.

She hoped no one heard her. Meanwhile, at Mia’s house, everyone, literally everyone, was so worried that she was gonna get the creeps. “She’s gonna get a nightmare. She’s not gonna wake up! Noooo!!!” they all shouted.

“But if we get there early we could wake her up!” said Simona, Mia’s favorite cousin.

“Ohhh,” everyone said with a grin.

Meanwhile at Melissa’s house, after the last three hours, everyone went to sleep and still Mia did her normal routine and went to sleep.

Unfortunately, she was at the top bunk and whenever she was at the top bunk at a sleepover, more of those bad dreams came to her head. But anyway, she had her big plan, which turned out to be a little plan. And now she went to sleep with all her bad dreams.

 

To be continued…

Mom’s Story Book

Hampton the Hamster

Once there was a hamster named Hampton. He wanted to leave home to go to the fair. He went to the fair, where he saw a movie theater and decided to watch a Star Wars movie. Then he saw an ice cream machine and felt tired. He went home on a magical pony that farted rainbows and feel asleep on his magic carpet. The end.

 

The Gnome.

The gnome was a happy fellow guarding gardens and watering plants. He wore red pants and a navy blue shirt. His eyes changed color and he had a long red hat that was shaped like a street cone. The gnome was short, about the size of a pen, and was a medium weight. He laughed and cried until the day he died. The gnome had a magical life in the garden of heaven’s light.

 

I Need to Go to the Bathroom!

I was in class and I needed to go to the bathroom. So I went to the bathroom and I turned on the light but then… There, standing in the dim light of the light bulb was the Ultimate Toilet Plunger, dun dun dun! The toilet plunger splashed dirty water and wiped toilet paper at me, but I outsmarted the plunger by bribing him to follow the toilet paper. Finally, I went to the bathroom. THE END.

 

Yoda Goes Rocker Mode

A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far Away… One day, when Yoda was in the temple meditating, he heard a voice say, “Yoda.”  

“Wha…” said Yoda. “Dreaming I must be.”

“Yoda,” the voice said again.

“Dreaming I am not,” said Yoda.

“Yoda, be a rocker.”

“Be a rocker I will,” said Yoda. So he got up from his chakra chair and set out on his journey. Finally, Yoda found a poster that said “Green Tall Guys,” but he thought he was too short. He tried to get in anyway, and said “Join I must,” in rocker mode.

The guys said, “You are too short.”

Then Yoda went ninja Jedi style on the dudes and they said, “Fine, you can join. But first I need to put some stuff on you.” So, till this day, Yoda looks like a green monster with headphones and sunglasses. His hair is the same and he plays drums on his high chair. The end, or, as Yoda would say, the end is now.

 

John Cena Prank Call

One day, John Cena wanted to do a prank call, but he couldn’t decide who to call. He made a list:

  • Luke Skywalker
  • Marine supporter

Two hours later after deciding, John Cena called Luke Skywalker. Beep beep beep.

“Hello, who is this?” Luke said.

“No, Luke, you should know,” said John Cena.

“Are you my mom?” said Luke.

“No, Luke, I am JOHN CENA,” said John Cena.

“NOOO!!!” moaned Luke, for about three hours.

“Well, time for my next prank,” said John Cena. So he called a marine supporter. BEEP BEEP BEEP.

“Hello, who is this?” said the supporter.

“Is this a marine supporter?” said John Cena.

“Yes, who is this?” said the supporter.

“A former marine needs your help and his name is JOHN CENA,” said John Cena.

“What the @#$^?” said the supporter. After the prank calls, John Cena felt good and fell asleep, but not before thinking about what he did. The end.

 

Baby Karate

Once upon a time, there was a child named Jeff, who was two years old and lived in Arizona in a mansion with his mom and dad. His dad and mom went out for dinner and they put an untrained babysitter with him. This babysitter was named Alison. She forgot to bring diapers, so she put little Jeff to sleep and plopped onto  the couch to watch TV. She saw Jeff on a little router. Jeff really, really needed to go to the bathroom, but he didn’t have a diaper.

There is one thing you didn’t know about Jeff: he had ninja moves. So, he flipped out of his bed, but on his way out he saw Mr. Teddy. Mr. Teddy was his very, very freaky teddy bear that was like the Five Nights at Freddy’s guy. He had to go through a lot of fighting, backflips, and rattle-throwing until, finally, to finish Mr. Teddy off, he took the block of wisdom from the mixed block box and struck him down right in the button.

Then, Jeff backflipped into the bathroom, closed the door, and went potty. The journey back to the crib was harsh. It was filled with Mr. Teddy’s babies. They had metal teeth and sharp claws. So, same thing all over again: backflips, hi-ya! Karate chops, hi-ya! Rattle-throwing, and finally, the Block of Building Steps. So, he took out every single one, until there were none left, and once he did that, he realized that he had one extra rattle. He knew what that meant – he had a magical wish from his rattle. He wished to be back in his crib. Then, finally, he got in his crib, but Alison called, “Jeff! Come down!”

Jeff was like, “NOOO!”

The same thing happened. Little Teddy’s babies turned into more Little Teddy’s babies, which meant that he had to make a new block to defeat the little teddies. After he did so, Alison said, “Jeff, I actually don’t need you go to bed.”

“Are you kidding me??” said Jeff.

THE END.

The Fire Prince

“Ohh no you don’t,” Kai argued. “I’m not doing that! You know that Elder John told us to only go in in case of an emergency.”

I gave him the Look. “This is an emergency! The Black Knights are attacking!!!” I whisper-yelled, “Go, go, go, hurry they’re coming, go!!”

“Okay, okay!” he said he climbed up the side of the rock wall and jumped down.

I followed. We ran as fast as we could through all of the shrubbery and trees; we had to get the the other side of the forest as fast as we could. We’re the king’s messengers; that means that when something bad happens, we have to get to the king’s castle as fast as possible to tell the king that his kingdom is under attack. Each village has a boy and a girl messenger. They have to be fast, and they have to be orphans, so they have to be from an orphanage. They have to have a good sense of direction, they need to be smart, athletic, sensible, and have to be a good team.

We had been running through the forest for almost ten minutes and I was starting to get cramps so we came to a stop at a small spring. We put down our stuff. We decided to make camp there, it was about two miles from the village where we lived. It’s called the village of Dragon Burrow. It got its name for all of its dragon nests.

I have an all-elemental dragon that was just born a couple months ago. Kai has a fire-water type dragon that is just a year old. It has already been trained by Elder John. The only reason why his is trained and mine is not is because dragons don’t open their eyes until they are exactly one year old and they won’t be able to understand you if they can’t even see you.

We started a fire and put some stones around it. We got out the food, only enough food for tonight, the breakfast, the next night, and the next breakfast. Well, we ate dinner that night and it was dumplings.

“Ew,” we both said at once. They were all soggy and uncooked dumplings with wet meat inside. Yuck.

Well, we had to make a fire with the help of the few remaining dry sticks left from Kai’s dragon. After we ate dinner, we put out the fire also. Using Pine’s help, we told the story about the Fire Prince. It’s a good story, about a boy who found that he had the power to control the flames and was able to use them to…

After that we went to bed in our tents we set up and fell asleep.

•••

We awoke to the sweltering heat. “Wake up!!! Wake up!!!” I shouted while shaking Kai’s tent.

“What’s going on? Why’s it so hot out there?”

“There’s a fire come on get out of there!!!” Suddenly, the back of Kai’s tent burst into flames.

“Get out of there NOW!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I pulled him out.

“Where are Pine and Evie?” Kai shouted over the the burning trees falling to the ground. My heart literally skipped a beat. Pine, one year old, and Evie, five months, were lost in a monstrous fire. Kai’s eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets, that’s how shocked he was. If he bent over, they would probably fall out. Then we heard the most high-pitched scream ever combined with the average puberty scream of a teenaged boy.

My dragon screaming in the fire sounded like: “AHHH!!!” And then plus the high pitched scream: “EEE!!!”

Suddenly there was a hand on Kai’s foot and a hand on my foot then there were four little stubs on the sides of my head. It also felt like there was a balloon sleeping on my head. Anyway, when I felt the hand on my foot, I screamed, then Kai screamed, then the hand screamed. Then we all stopped, including the fire. Which is weird because it’s a fire. Meh…  so the hand that was on my foot got up and so it was then that I realized that it was a human. Boy. Teenager. Looks. Like. King’s. Lost son. Whoa.

Good hair. Black armour? Bad person. Good hair. Questions go bop.

Bop. Bop. BOP!

“Uh, hi!” he said. He seriously looked like the lost prince, right down to the perfect teeth. Kai looked at him and made a face. “My name’s Ivan.” He held out his armored hand and put the other hand on his sword.

We backed away from him. Pine let out little rings of steam around his body. I felt Evie sink onto my head. I picked her up and held her up to my chest. She nestled in toward me.

“Why are you wearing the Black Knight armor?” I asked the boy. “You’re the lost prince!”

“Says who?” he asked, clearly confused.

“Who are your parents then?” asked Kai

“You mean my dad? Oh, he’s the king of the Black Knights,” the boy said, sounding rather casual.

“Then why aren’t you trying to kill us?” I asked. This was confusing enough with just waking up in a fire that suddenly stops right before your eyes. Then you meet the Lost Prince but he says that he’s not him, and that his dad is the king of the Black Knights.

“Well, I don’t really want to because it’s the world law that you are not allowed to kill any children or women, only men. And since you are both children, I can’t kill you,” he said with an uncertain glance every which way.

“Well, we’re going to the kingdom to see your dad. Do you want to come with us?” Kai asked.

“Sure!” said Ivan. We made our way through the forest to Fairy Way, which is a small city infested with man-sized fairies with giant wings. Next we had to go undercover through the City of Barbarians, which was followed by the Nice City of Everyone. Then on our ninth day, we entered the kingdom of King Edmund the II. We entered the kingdom with tons of guards. We entered the castle, and there were tons of other messengers. Some of which I had never seen, but some we had seen passing by our village for parades. One of the messengers had no shoes, but instead had bandages around blistered feet. Fire blisters. All of the other messengers had some sort of  sign that they had been in some sort of fire… even us. All of our clothes had been singed from the fire that had happened more than a week ago.

Suddenly King Edmund came bursting out of the hall doors muttering something about his evil brother. Two other messengers came out following him with troubled looks on their faces. The king stopped short once he opened the door. There, standing at the door, grinning the evilest, wickedest, grin ever. His dark hair was matted by sweat and revenge, his beard half shaved, and a giant scar running straight down his face. “Nice to see you again… brother!”

At that the wicked man jabbed his “brother” in the jaw, sending him flying back and landing his head on the step up to his office. The man (although he was more of a monster) walked straight up to the king and stomped on his stomach. At that horrid sight everyone in the room cringed and winced as we all grabbed a heavy object from behind us.

This is not going to work out the way we planned, I thought. This is NOT going to work out the way we planned. Now of course, you may be wondering about all this planning. Well, we kids just are special. We are all the same person, just in different bodies. We all have the same minds. It’s fun being a kid for many reasons, one of which I will tell and show you about very soon.

Finally, the horrid thing that called itself the king’s brother bent over the king’s half alive body. “Well, I’m going to take over your kingdom. How about that?” it muttered under its breath. That was when our child anger took over. We charged at the wicked thing, we had our chairs, poles, and parts of the crumbling pillars. In mid-charge, the master of evil made the loudest whistle but we kept running. Suddenly, an army of weirdos busted in to the room. That was when things got real. And I don’t mean like real, I mean like real real, like, real. People started hitting each other on the head! It was every man for himself. By that I mean everyone for themselves. I looked for Kai. When I couldn’t find him standing up I got a pit in my stomach and looked down. There he was, lying unconscious with blood spilling out from his leg. I checked for a pulse. His heart was barely beating.

I ran over to find someone Jack!! His name ran through my mind. Finally, I found him whacking some ugly guy with a chair. I smacked the guy in the head with a piece of wood lying on the ground. He fell flat on his face. He, he. “Kai’s out and we have to get the king to safety. C’mon!” I shouted over the roaring of the war.

We ran over to Kai and I dragged him by his armpits. We dropped him off in the king’s office. Then we went to get the king. I took his upper body and Jack took his lower. We dragged him into the office with Kai. “Jack, grab me that pitcher!” I took the pitcher from Jack and poured the cold water onto Kai’s face. He woke up spewing a fountain of water everywhere!

“What happened?” Kai asked. I passed the pitcher back to Jack and told Kai what happened.

“What happened to your leg?” I asked him, eyeing the gash on his left leg.

“You know, they say that if you don’t look at your own cut then it won’t hurt as much. So now that you reminded me that I will now scream in pain.” And with that he let out an extremely loud roar of pain that made the battle outside sound like a cool breeze.

But something else happened besides everyone in the room losing their hearing, the king woke up. But when I said everyone in the room losing their hearing, I meant everyone in the room. “WHAT IS IT, YAPPERS!!??” the king yelled. He sat straight up with his eyes peeled wide open. I do not know who Yappers is, so I guess that was just a side effect for being nearly killed: going mad. He stood up and with one long stride he reached out to Kai and said, “Take my hand, Marida. And we can ride away to freedom!!” Then he pretended to be a singer. Not good. He took one step forward in slow-mo while pulling up a fist, and then made a face like he had just bit his lip but tried to make it look good. It did not look good. Then he pretended to be a rabid cat. “Heaaasss!!” Then he tried being an evil witch stirring a cauldron but he got it all wrong: “Toilet, toilet, boil and trouble.” Then he was a soldier. “RUN! RUN! RUN! SHE’S GONNA BLOW!! TAKE COVER!!!”

After this went on for a little while more, I realized that the fighting seemed to have stopped. I opened the door to see a giant heap of hideous people and a group of kids brushing themselves off from the previous battle. Although the people in the heap were pretty unconscious the thing that called itself the king’s brother was still get kicked in the gut by some of the other kids. Suddenly, a fire flew up around the people lying on the floor, and a deafening screech filled the room. One moment there were a pile of weirdos. The next, they were gone. Strange. Evie came down from her hiding place and landed on my shoulder while Pine landed on Kai’s.

Now of course you may be wondering about Ivan: well, we hadn’t seen him all day. Oh and here’s the weird part: standing where the heap used to be was… Ivan. This was strange. The fire only appeared when when Ivan came! Like when we were in the woods, the fire came and when it stopped Ivan had appeared! Something rung in the back of my head: the Fire Prince!

The tale of the Fire Prince was a story about a boy who was able to make himself disappear into fire and was able to make others do the same. He could also appear in fire. He never learned how to control his powers until he was in a war and killed everyone in it on both sides. That’s what Elder John told us. But he also said that if the Fire Prince would be able to learn to control his power, no one would get hurt and he would banish the bad to the Horrid Lands. If he really was the Fire Prince, then we needed to teach him how to use his powers the right way. Every day he would become more powerful until the day the war was meant to come.

“Ivan? Is that you? Is it really you?” the king whispered. “After all these years, is it really you?”

“Dad?” Ivan said, getting just a bit teary. Okay, fine, very teary.

After that we all left. It was father-son business, not ours, and anyway, it would have been a bit awkward if we had stayed.

We all huddled out the room and into another room, almost as big as the one before. It was the king’s study. All of his notes were packed into hundreds of notebooks and papers. There was a desk at one end and the big oak door that we had come through. We all looked around in awe. There was a ginormous chandelier hanging by a small chain on the ceiling. After another hour or so, we had found many things such as old maps and other stuff like that. The servants came looking for us and ushered us out the big oak door and up to our rooms. We fell fast asleep, finally being able to feel comfort at last.

The next morning we awoke to the smell of scones and rolls. We went downstairs after getting changed into our new clothes, only to find the king and Ivan laughing and telling each other jokes and Ivan showing off his fire powers. We sat down and had the best meal of our lives: the food was delicious and perfectly cooked over Ivan’s fire that he summoned into the stove. It was a cold morning and no one really wanted be awake. Kai’s leg had been bandaged up but you could still see where it was. The blood had leaked through the cloth.

One of other messengers named Murie had walked over to the big glass window and peered through to reveal about forty giant troops of men lined up about a mile from the castle. It was a terrifying sight to see. “Uh, Your Majesty, th-there seems to  be someone outside,” Murie stuttered. She pointed out to the crowd while the king and Ivan looked out. Ivan looked fine, as he never knew the Black Knights to be evil, while the King looked about as worried as a turkey during hunting season.

“What?! I thought we got rid of him yesterday! When you made him switch places with you! How is he back so soon?” The king groaned. “What does he want now? George! Would you do me the favor of getting me my horse? Oh, and Flynn, go tell the men to get their gear on, and tell the people to go to William’s Church on the countryside. Go! Go! Go! Hurry!!!” he shouted without looking away from the window as the men marched toward the castle.

This wasn’t going to end well. They had obviously way more men than we did. This, we could tell, was not going to be an easy battle against the evilest (by far) person on Earth.

Suddenly, as the king rode out on his horse, five monstrous dragons galloped forward, about the height of the gallows on the other side of the field that were now being trampled by the dragons.

I grabbed Kai and led him outside and onto the steps out front, As soon as the dragons came close enough, Kai muttered, “The Titans.” He stared out onto the field as the king’s horse galloped towards them. Titans. Of course they would be the first choice of the evilest man on Earth. Of course. Why hadn’t we known that he would do this. Kai went back and came back with his sword in his hand. I turned towards Kai only to see him sprinting down the field, chasing after the King, chasing after death itself.

Suddenly, one of the Titans fired a massive fireball the size of a cannonball, and going as fast as one too. Kai took out the sword from the sheath he had been carrying it in and used it to block the fireball. He had already run about a mile from the castle when he jumped up the side of one of the Titans and dragged himself up the beast, it was about forty feet high and wide. It wasn’t long before he reached the top, barely even a minute. The Titan started to buck and kick and finally stood on its two hind legs, forcing Kai to hang on its head armour. The beast stood like that for a long time. Soon Kai began to slip, and he let go.

An amazing thing happened: the Titan caught Kai with one giant palm. The Titan brought Kai up to his face and breathed out, knocking Kai on to his back. The dragon placed Kai on the back of his neck and kept on walking forward. No one dared to move, not even the other Titans. Kai’s Titan walked the rest of the way, and pretty slowly too, until he reached the king. The Titan bent down slowly and plucked Kai from the back of his neck and gently placed him on the ground. The massive beast turned around just as Flynn’s men came onto the battlefield.

Kai had always had a way with dragons. He was always so good with the dragon babies back at home. Elder John used to call him the dragon master, and everyone in the village of Dragon Burrow knew that if anyone would be able to tame a Titan, it would be Kai. So to be honest, it wasn’t much of a surprise to me that he had tamed the Titan.

What did amaze me was how he could have done that with a badly bruised and scraped leg that had a cut about an inch deep. Kai was able to talk to the beast, and it seemed that the Titan could understand him. He directed the beast toward the opposing side, and the beast blew a massive hole in the ground. It sent the front half of the troops flying backward toward the end of the field. That was when the war started, and the remaining soldiers charged forward.

To be honest, it was a pretty hilarious sight because all you saw was a group of five enormous dragons chasing a little person on a gray horse riding as fast as it could with an even smaller boy running next to it while a sixth dragon was trying to bomb about a million people behind the dragons. The dragons stopped when ordered, and the men advanced charging at the opposing side. They fought for fifteen hours, timed until half the men on each side were dead and the other half wounded.

The only ones that remained were the two brothers. They walked toward each other. Once they were close enough, they each picked up a bow from their sides and took their stances. They pulled the arrows back as far as they could, aimed, and the Dark King fired first, shooting a black-silver arrow into King Edward’s chest. It sent him staggering backwards until he finally fell to his knees and fell flat on his chest. A puff of smoke rose from where the arrow had hit him. It was black magic.

From where he stood, Ivan raced about 30 yards before kneeling next to the dead king. The Dark King turned away and walked back to his side. He was halfway there when Ivan stood up and yelled at him, “YOU MONSTER!!!” He ran after him and tackled him to the ground. We were all too stunned to move. We stood there on the steps of the king’s castle. What used to be King Edmund II’s. It wasn’t a good feeling to know that your king gave his life to save the entire kingdom.

No one wanted to do anything. We all stared at our feet, not wanting any part in this madness. Our king was dead, there was nothing good we could do or say. All we could think about was how we failed. We were sent by our village to come to warn the king that the Black Knights were coming so that he could be ready to protect his kingdom and all that surrounded it. Now he was dead, a quarter of the other people with him. It shouldn’t have ended in a battle of the brothers. After all, they were brothers. They suffered through their mother’s death when they were born and had to live alone with their father who later died in a battle when they were five. It was Edmund’s shoulder that his brother cried on. It wasn’t just a sin that the king’s brother, Rith, had made, it was a betrayal, a deception. Broke a brotherly bond between the two.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot up from the middle of King Edmund’s chest. The very top of it turned into an eagle. For ten seconds, it stood there beaming a blue-ish light into the blood-soaked sky. Then, as soon as it came, it vanished, taking his body with it. In its place laid a thin crown made of a worn silver, no longer shiny of the new creation, but dull and scratched from life’s hard work and pain. From a lost mother, a lost mather. And a lost brother. Rith shook the crying Ivan off of him and gently picked up the small crown.

As soon as he touched it, it seemed as if he had been relieved of a pain or a curse. The expression on his face turned from a hard, stern, frightening look, to a gentle, warm, soft look as he held the crown. Then a sudden look of realization and worry come to his face as he whispered, “The old witch at the end of the woods.” He dropped the crown and jumped back. The whole evil king thing was just some weird witch’s fault. It was only a curse. Only a curse. Just a simple spell on a poor man’s mind to make him do evil things for an evil one’s liking. It wasn’t right. But it was over now that the curse was gone. The king was gone too. Rith was left in a haze and we all went to the center of the field where Rith stood staring at the crown.

His eyes weren’t dull like they seemed before. In fact, now they were shining. They were gray with small flecks of gold, like the king’s except his were green. Now Rith only looked like a scared young man, no longer the vengeful demon that had killed his own brother. We walked over to him and we crowded around in a circle around him. We stood there for a long time.

Soon, Rith broke the silence. “Did I kill him?”

I nodded. He turned and cried. He later disappeared with Ivan. Ivan wanted to be with his newfound and good uncle. After all, he had no one else to live with.

We decided to leave. It took almost two weeks to get back and what we saw was amazing, though burnt. The people had begun to rebuild, though it seemed impossible. Evie and Pine had beat us home and left when the war started. It was amazing to get back to help the other people. When they heard the news about the king, we celebrated all through the night. Little pockets of bright green grass came out of ash. Right by the entrance to the village, there was a rose.

The Video Game

Characters:

Adam, Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Brother, Viegas 

One day, there was a kid named Adam. Adam was very smart and he loved to do technology and he also loved science. Adam was in fifth grade. One day, Adam wanted to play a video game, so he went to the app Minecraft, and then he saw that someone had hacked into his account. He went to see the village and the village was on fire!

Then he shouted, “Darn!” But, he said, “Oh right, I know how to go back to what I’ve played so far or what happened in Minecraft.” He rewound the game. He sighed and said, “Phew.” But he thought, “Oh, I really want to go into the game and see the experience.”

He knew that he had blueprints that he could use, so he took out a piece of blueprint and started to plan out how to go into a video game. The plan looked like a door with wires connected to it and said “Computer must be needed.” So he biked to the recycling center and got all of his pieces. But, Adam forgot to bring the box with him. But, he found that there was a string on his bike and he thought, Huh, I see some trucks that load things and wrap them with strings. I should try that. That was close, he thought.

He was biking home, but then he found that his grandparents were there. Adam loved his grandparents, but he also wanted to go into a video game. He had to choose one. Since he loved his grandparents he decided to make the videogame teleporter a little later. He found out that his grandpa was a technologist so he whispered in his ear, “Grandpa, come to my room.”  

Since his grandpa couldn’t hear that well, he said, “What?”

So then Adam slowly repeated the sentence loudly, “Grandpa, can you please come to my room?”

Since his grandpa heard the question this time, he stood up, took his cane, and started to slowly walk to Adam’s room.

When his grandpa got to his room, Adam asked, “Grandpa, can you help me make a portal to go into a video game?”

His grandpa asked, “Which video game?”  

Adam replied, “Minecraft! We also need to let our whole family know, because there’s the video gamegoing to be an ice age in a week!”

“Hmm… It appears that our whole family has to go into Minecraft.”

“But why, Grandpa?”

“Because, if we leave the whole family, they’re going to die and not gonna survive,” said Grandpa.

“Then first we need to tell my mom, my dad, my brother, and Grandma, okay?” Adam said.

“Okay,” answered Adam’s grandpa.

They started to build the teleporter. Adam went down to tell his whole family that the ice age was coming in a week. They all got confused.

“Honey,” said Adam’s mom. “It’s the middle of summer.”

“It’s 2032, we need to go.  The ice age is coming in a week, and I know it’s crazy, but we need to go into my favorite video game, Minecraft. I know it seems crazy, but it’s the only way we can survive even though there’s an ice age there. We just get covered in snow and all we need to do is make a house quickly.”

They took all the pieces that Adam got from the junkyard. His grandpa went to the backyard and dragged the pieces to the backyard in a wagon. They got a screwdriver and a drill and a hammer and a lot of nails, and they started to build the machine. They started off with the door and then pieces of metal, and it took them about five days. Max mentioned that there was only one day left until the ice age happened. 

Everybody said, “What?” They all were confused, but they still followed Adam’s lead and they went to the backyard. They found a weird looking door. They shouted, “Woah!” So they quickly ran into the door and opened the door and saw a whole new Minecraft universe.

So they all started to mine wood and get some wood. After a few days, they all got a lot of wood and they built a mansion made out of wood. Since his grandma didn’t know how to build so well, his grandma just made blueprints. Once they finished the mansion completely, they started placing items in their mansion, for example: beds, shelves, crafting tables, chairs, tables, etc. Max’s favorite part about the house was the attic, because the attic was big enough to play football in it.

Then, a few days later, someone hacked into their world and took flint and steel and touched a block of wood on their mansion. The fire spread and the whole mansion was on fire. Adam’s grandpa took a bucket of water and went to the top of the mansion and poured the water on the mansion and the fire vanished immediately. Max crafted a force field on the enchanted crafting table and his grandpa said, “Good job!” The whole family found a big chunk of iron and re-made the mansion. When they made the iron mansion it took about six weeks to make the mansion. But they made the mansion bigger and better. Adam also upgraded the force field he had made before.

A few weeks later his grandma went to the woods with the whole family to to get some fresh air. His grandma opened an unexpected door to see what it was. The whole family shouted “NO!!!” But it was too late. His grandma already opened the door and when the snow came through, it turned into snow blocks. The wind was very strong, and his grandma wasn’t very strong, so she accidentally slipped into the ice age universe.  Two glaciers were quickly coming toward his grandma. They all shouted “RUN!” but the ice was too slippery.  She couldn’t stand up, and the glaciers were going faster each second and unfortunately squashed his grandma.

That day it was the darkest day ever in their life in Minecraft. The family made a graveyard for Adam’s grandma in Minecraft. Suddenly, a shiny colored looking Steve came to his room at night. Adam realized that it was his grandma’s spirit. That night, Adam had a conversation. At the end of the talk, Adam’s grandma told him not to tell his family. Adam didn’t ask why. Instead he asked, “Where are you going to live in the day?” She said that she would hide in his Minecraft picture in his room.

The next day came and the whole family woke up saying, “Oh! It’s a new day!” They were acting as if they didn’t remember that Grandma had died!!! Then Adam’s dad mentioned, “We don’t have food, so why don’t we go out and get some food?”

Adam wondered, Why is everyone acting so happy? The whole family went out to kill a wolf and Adam’s brother suffered, suffered, screamed in pain because the wolf bit his leg off. Blood was all over the place. They had to take his organs and stuff them in his leg. Then they dragged his brother back to the mansion and went to the emergency room. They got stitches and a metal wire. They connected their wire with the blood vein on his thigh and the blood vein on his leg. They sewed the leg to the thigh. Adam’s brother tried to move his leg and … he moved it! He tried to walk on his leg, but he had to learn how to walk for about two weeks. SUCCESSFUL SURGERY!!!

Once Adam got home, he went to his room. He locked the door of his room. He talked to the picture and said, “Grandma, you can come out. I locked the door.” Suddenly his picture began to shine and spin and his grandma’s spirit came out of the picture. She said, “Ahhhh, that was a long sleep. Thanks for waking me up, Adam.”

Adam replied, “It’s nice to see you too. I have to tell you that my brother has to learn how to walk because his leg got chopped off by a wolf.”

His grandma said, “Oh, there’s a knock on your door! I’ll hide back in the picture!”

Adam replied, “Okay.” He opened his door.

His mom said, “There’s a guest who wants to see you. His name is Viegas. He is waiting in the living room. He wants to show something to you.”

Adam said, “Sure, he can come up to my room.”

Five minutes later, Viegas came to Adam’s room and said, “Quickly, lock the doors and pull down the shades.”

Adam said, “Okay, but why?”

“Just quickly do it!” said Viegas.

“Okay, okay, jeez,” replied Adam. So Adam did as Viegas said.

Then Viegas pulled out a paper. He said, “This is a map, a very ancient map. I asked your mom if I could go out with you into the woods. Your mom said it’s fine, but to come back by dinner time. She said that the dinner is wolf stew.”

Adam said, “Okay. Where does this map lead to?”

Viegas replied, “It leads to an ancient castle with treasures.” So they went downstairs and Adam told his mom that he was going out into the woods. So they opened the door and they started to walk into the woods. They ran in the direction of the map and Adam and Viegas had a compass and a clock in their chest just to check the time. So they started running.

They came up into the middle of the woods until Viegas tripped on an old gray brick. Viegas said, “This is the castle! I know that it’s a castle because I’ve been here, but be careful because there are monsters such as creepers, endermen, zombies, and skeletons. But the most dangerous thing of all that we need to kill is Mobzilla. Dun dun dun!”

Adam asked, “Why do we have to kill Mobzilla?”

Viegas replied, “To get the armor and the treasure.”

So they started to head into the castle. Once they got to the castle they found two zombies. Viegas said, “Quickly! Go to the furnace and try to melt the compass and the clock to make a time sword.” They pressed a button on the time sword and went to the time after they killed the zombies and had zombie disguise suits.

Both of them fell silent and started to make zombie sounds. Both of them ended up in a narrow pathway and started to come up to a tunnel where they had to crawl. Then they came to the part of the tunnel where there was a fork in the road. Then Vegas said “We have to split up. We’re close to Mobzilla’s throne.”

“Okay.” said Adam. So they split up.

They ended up right in front of Mobzilla, gladly still in disguise.

Mobzilla was a big and tough guy. He was strong enough to kill one hundred mutant zombies in one punch. He had poisonous spikes and magma hot leather. Just then, he started to moan out something that Adam didn’t understand. Then, Adam and Viegas, out of nowhere, took out a enchanted king-scale battle axe and duplicated the king-scale battle axe. Both of them started hitting Mobzilla. Mobzilla tried to dodge the hits, but he was too big to dodge the hits. Mobzilla eventually died and both of them got the Mobzilla armor. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a portal to the Ender World!

Before the two jumped in, they decided to visit their families. Viegas had lost his family because Endermen took his family, so he was kind of glad that the portal was an Enderportal. Anyway, they arrived at Adam’s home and told them that they had defeated Mobzilla. But of course they didn’t believe that they defeated Mobzilla until Viegas took out his Mobzilla helmet.

They talked for a while and decided that Adam and Viegas could go to the Ender World, so Adam’s mom packed their inventory full of food. Then they ran back to the portal and got their armor on and counted down: Three, two, one! They jumped inside the portal with their eyes closed…

The Boy, the Woman, and the Forest

Today was an average spring day. Even though (here in Alabama) spring days like those happen to pop up a lot here, it was still brilliant. The sky was more than blue. It was full of shadows and highlights and so many hues. The air out here in the country filled my lungs, heart, and soul. It was that fresh. And out there in the wilderness, there was the constant circulation of life. And that life was as much in the air, as the oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Today, however, I heard something other than the slow breeze. In the brush, there was a small boy. He had short hair that was so blond it was almost white. The poor boy had a mixture of dirt and tears on his face, with puffy eyes, that under normal circumstances, would be a brilliant blue. But today, his eyes were red, with small amounts of blue shining through. He had a torn red shirt with splotches of red and brown. His tearstreaked face screamed “innocence,” so I guessed that he might be from 10 to 11 years old. It pained me to imagine what or who would do this to this poor boy.

I watched the boy tear through the trees, like he was being chased by death itself. In his insane and desperate panic, he didn’t notice me. The boy started to slow. Now that his face wasn’t as blurred, I could clearly see how afraid he was. I wanted to call out to him. So I did.

“Hello?” I cried.

The boy jumped a foot off the ground at hearing my call. He looked around wildly for the source of the sound, and soon found me. I can’t say he grinned at the sight of my face, but he did seem to be a tiny bit relieved to find that I was not his pursuer.

“Hey. Are you okay?” I said. I knew it was a stupid question, it was important to know if he trusted me. I hoped he did.

He sniffed, “No.”

In an instant, feelings for this boy exploded in my soul. All in one moment, I wanted to track down whoever hurt this boy, hurt them, kill them maybe, all while being the mother of this boy, and giving him everything I have. I don’t know where this sympathy came from, but I wasn’t quick to stop thinking these thoughts. I inched toward the boy. I could protect him, and he could be the son I never could have. On a day like this, in a time like this, a miracle like this needs to be accepted.

Somewhere in my desperate brain, someone said, He still has family. And besides, he doesn’t even know you. For all you know, he still has love for his home and would be heartbroken to be torn away from his normal life. Or not. Or yes. It’s worth my time to see if this isn’t or is the case.

“Come here,” I said softly. I was not sure how I will come across as. Supportive? Nosy? Motherly even?

The boy walked towards me slowly, cracking and disrupting the silence.

“Where do you you come from?” I asked

“What do you mean?” He whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Where’s your family? What happened to you?” I asked.

The boy burst into tears, and collapsed on the ground, defeat weighing down on his shoulders. I rushed to his side, and wrapped my arms around him, feining sorrow. But inside, I was really rejoicing! This boy, this child, his suffering was caused by his family, and I doubt he’ll want to go back to that! This boy can be mine! I can protect him, and he will be my son. The son I could never have.

Far Past Is An Unknown Thing

An experience is either forgotten immediately, or never forgotten. Even when there are years between it, there is always something brought with you, and sometimes, even you don’t notice it. It’s always there, haunting you to your core, and you don’t notice until you break. Then nobody knows what will happen. You decide between the two choices, the two changes and chances to survive. You change your way of life. You change yourself. You discover things nobody has seen before.

That’s what happened to me. I stare into the distance not knowing what I’m looking at and not caring. The only thing that matters is that I escape. It’s getting to me. It’s the future. I can’t stop it. I don’t try, knowing that it’s no use. There was change again. I stopped running through the woods and sat down to write something. In case my village survives. In case someone, as curious as I am, reads it, so they know what I know. I hid the letter, and it told of all I knew, all I discovered. I hid it. I hid it somewhere only the curious ones can find it. This will be gone from eyes until that one person finds it. I know they are going to keep it a secret. That nothing goes wrong. I know of things nobody else does. I’ve seen things that others will gape at. I never dared to tell a soul, and I hope that the chosen one who finds it will not. There is something among us, good and bad, just like us humans, but so unlike all the same. I’ll leave the letter and run into the flames, the light of hope reflecting in my eyes. I looked back to the stream, and the fallen tree. I hope someone finds it far into the future. I hope that it won’t fall into the wrong hands. I took a deep breath and said a silent goodbye.

As soon as I turned around, I see them surrounding me. I was thrown into the flames with everyone else. I didn’t care that I was dying. I had hope. Someone will find it.

I will probably be just the far past to them.

Pink Is Pretty

Pink is pretty. She likes pink and the letters P and I and N and K, and her favorite thing to paint is her name. She does not like the color purple. She doesn’t like the color purple because in high school she had a best friend named Purple, but then Purple took her boyfriend. Her boyfriend’s name was Red. At high school prom, Pink wanted to go with Red, but Red said he was busy. So Pink went to prom with Blue. At the prom, she looked over to see what Purple was doing. Purple walked over to Red and started dancing. Red had said he was busy just so he could go to prom with Purple. Pink went over to Red and Purple and said to Red, “Oh, Red, I thought you were so busy you couldn’t even come to prom, and you’re here with Purple?” Pink and Purple got into a fist fight.

When colors fight, it’s a crayon with little arms, legs, a face, and a wrapper. First, Purple swung at Pink, but she ducked. Then she went down to the floor. She kicked Purple in the foot and then she fell. Yellow ran over to break it up. He went in the middle of them. He pushed Pink back, and then he pushed Purple back. Blue ran up to help Yellow. Yellow took Purple to the side and Blue took Pink to the side and told them to calm down.

So Pink went home and called Red. She told him that they were done. Then Red met up with White and he high-fived White. Pink saw that and punched Red in the face so hard she broke his tip. Then she walked White home and she said, “White, okay. I’m gonna warn you. Whenever Red tries to touch you, move. Because I’m done with him.”

Then she went back home. She told her mother what happened and then she cried. She called up Purple and she said, “Purple, meet me at the park.”

Pink tried to run Purple over with her car. Purple jumped out of the way. Then Red was there to catch her. So Pink went home to her dad’s garage and got his motorcycle. She went to Red’s house and she brought the motorcycle into his room. She closed the door and locked it. She started chasing Red around in the room with her dad’s motorcycle. She was chasing Red in circles. He was running and screaming.

Then she got a hammer.

She went to his game room. She started smashing up everything. They both had a picture of them on Christmas and she smashed it up a hundred times. And then she called up Orange, her new best friend, and she said, “Go to my house in five minutes. I’ll meet you.” She chased Red around his room once more and then she left him alone. She went and chased his parents around. Then she went back home.        

Orange was at her door. She let her in. They started talking about what happened. Orange thought that she should dump Red for good and find another boyfriend. Orange called up her boyfriend, Black and he called up his friends Gray, Dark Blue, Turquoise, Brown and Magenta. He said, “I’m giving you the option to get to know these guys and figure out which one you want to be your new boyfriend.” At first she examined Brown.

He said, “How ya doin’?” He had a French accent. Even though he was French, he talked a little slang.

And then she said, “Umm-mm.” She didn’t like the slang.

And then she went up to Gray and he said, “Hey, good looking.”

She said, “I’ll keep you in mind.”

And then she went to Magenta. He said, “Whatcha’ up to?” and she said,

“Keep you in mind, too.”

And then she went to Dark Blue and he said, “Hi. How was your day?”

And she said, “I’m gonna have to re-look over Gray and Magenta.”

Then after she went to Turquoise and Turquoise said, “What’s your name?”

In the end, she chose Dark Blue because he was nice and everybody else wasn’t really like him. They went out on a date at Coo Coo for Color. It was a fancy restaurant. They went to dinner. He paid for it all. And then the next day they talked to each other on the phone, and he came to  her house and gave her some flowers. He surprised her with a cake and he said, “Happy first date.”

On the way to school she ran into Red. Red said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” on his knees. She called up Dark Blue. Dark Blue beat him up. He punched him in the face. He kicked him in his legs. And then he elbowed him in his stomach. And then she called up Purple.

She said, “Purple, come get your little boyfriend, Red.”

Purple went to Red and said, “What happened to you, boy?” And then she called an ambulance. Purple went with Red.

Dark Blue walked Pink to school and they went into a classroom. Orange sat at the window. Pink was in the second row. And Blue was in the third. Pink was in the middle of Orange and Dark Blue. Dark Blue and Pink kissed. Red tried to kiss Purple, but Purple said, “Pink was my best friend, I’m done with this.” Pink went over to Purple after class and Purple said, “I’m sorry that I went out with Red.”

Pink said, “If he came on to you, you should’ve known better not to go out with him in the first place. If you knew I was being lied to, why would you even do it?”

Purple said, “I know. But can you please give me another chance?”

Then Pink called over Dark Blue and then they went over to Red. And she said, “Dark Bluebeat up Red.”

“Glad to,” Dark blue said and he beat up Red. Pink called the principal and told the principal that Red tried to touch all the girls butts in the school. He got in trouble and he got expelled. Pink got her revenge. She and Purple became friends and since Pink found a boyfriend from Black, Pink called Black and told him to call his friends so Purple can choose a boyfriend from his friends just like Pink. Her boyfriend was Gray.

Pink said, “Just don’t ever do that again,” and gave Purple a hug.

Purple said, “Okay.”

Pink, Purple, Dark Blue and Gray all went out on a double date. Then Gray and Dark Blue ganged up on Red and then took his house and put him a shelter. And then Red never bothered any of them again.

 

THE END

Press One at the Tone

BRIIINNNGGGGG! BRRRIINNNNGGGG!! BRIIINNNNNGGGGG!!! The brick rang endlessly, piercing the silence that permeated the dust covered bedroom. The noise annoyed me to no end. Groggily, I picked up the phone and answered. As soon as I picked up the brick, the noise stopped. On the other end, someone was using sound bytes from various old sci-fi films I knew (like, The Last Starfighter, 2001: A  Space Odyssey, and The Day The Earth Stood Still). “Klaatu barada nikto,” it repeated. “Open the pod bay doors, HAL,” pelted my ears at an increasingly higher pitch and tone, until it sounded like, “Greetings, starfighter, you have been recruited to defend the frontier against Xur and the ko dan armada.” Then the fabled “DUH DAH DEE, your call has been forwarded to an automated voice message system, to record a message, please press one at the tone.”

I wasn’t in a particularly good mood that morning because of my jarring wake up call. So I pressed one and gave the caller a piece of my mind, but the battery on my overclocked brick died at that moment, so I couldn’t do anything about the mysterious caller. I thus proceeded to my morning ritual, which consisted of a strict diet of granola bars and milk, plus the luxury of one small piece of canned fruit. My personal assistant tallied the calories to my daily calorie intake. Then I was repeatedly subjected to electrical muscular stimulation, which in effect meant shocking myself with electrically charged needles, replacing the need for exercise.

“HAL, any new messages?” I said to the open air.

“Affirmative, you’ve got five new emails,” replied my custom virtual assistant.

After checking my emails and strapping on my gear, I went to work. Work consisted of scavenging through the junkyard I called home and repairing and stripping down old electronics for resale to others. This was no ordinary junkyard scavenging job, however, it was surviving in one of the biggest tech wastes in the world the size of New York state. I had to compete with fellow scavengers, who were not above stealing from each other if necessary. During the War, the elitists bribed countless military officials to use non-nuclear warheads and avoid the giant scrap yards, as they had built luxurious bunkers underneath the yards. These yards were protected from harm by the barrier, which both kept things in and out. Sixty years after the war, the elite began rebuilding above ground, creating the Domes, megacities protected by 50 foot thick walls and a spherical force field that protected from all angles of attack, hence the nickname “the dome.”

The other 90% of earth’s population had also survived, but most were still underground. The reason scavengers were around was because, sometime around sixty years ago, there was a coalition of multiple rebel factions in several local bunkers who were then discovered by the overseers of their bunkers and forced into exile out into the wasteland, where they eventually became the scavengers. I sensed a disturbance in the force. I felt as if I was degrading from the story at hand. Anyways, back to my point of view.

“HAL, full lockdown while I’m gone, okay?” I said, initiating a series of actions in my hideout. I opened the hatch that led to a tunnel and to another hatch that led to the outside scraps. Before opening the final hatch, I remembered to grab my combo staff and my cycle baton. Then I stepped out into the waste that lay ahead of me.

 

Your Call Cannot Be Completed

 

The receiver hung limply from its wire, dangling from its cradle, the audio port shattered beyond repair. The stranger had been careless. Too careless. He had fled from the phone booth, fearing the chance of being hunted by Sentries. He was hidden in a dark crevice in the underground of the Citadel, a Dome known for it’s extensive black market. He listened keenly for the hum of the sentry engines. There was a patrol coming, nearly two blocks away. In an instant, the stranger took out a baton and ran, separating the halves of the baton. As he did so the halves transformed into a light cycle. He fled, making sure to turn off his lights, effectively becoming invisible in the darkness of the neglected streets. The stranger, intent on getting to his destination, entered a series of tunnels that led to a breach in the dome. Years ago he had discovered the breach while evading another patrol. He flew through the breach, and out into the scraps for half a mile. Then he stopped for a break. The stranger shook his canteen, trying to coax out the last drops of water that stubbornly clung to the interior of his canteen. After the water was gone, he took out a circular disc that he set on the floor. It began to glow as he did so, and after, he spoke into a small bracelet on his wrist that glowed softly as he whispered to it, “Transport me to the scavenger’s residence.”

Then he stepped onto the disk and there was a flash of bright light. Suddenly he was standing next to a circular hatch set into the ground. “Subject isn’t home, must be out scavenging,” he commented. He opened the hatch and into the darkness beyond. He dropped a messenger probe, its’ sleek glossy black shell humming with energy. The stranger promptly proceeded to erase all evidence he’d been at the scavenger’s residence, using a micro disinfector and his walkman to block out the annoying noise the disinfector made when in use. As the next song cued up on his walkman, he fled on his cycle, mouthing along to the lyrics currently blasting in his ears, “and another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust,” silently on his cycle.

An hour later, he arrived at his destination. To the passing observer, it would have seemed like a weary traveler stopping for a rest on a rock. In reality this was a beacon that was used to signal rebel forces, but that was not what he was there for. The beacon was also an entrance to his “office” as he liked to call it. It was more than his office, it was his home. Then he waited for the scavenger to come. With him, the stranger’s dream team would be complete.

A Strange Day at Writopia

A normal Monday quickly became an abnormal Monday at Writopia, when a phantom snuck into room 4-3.

[Duh, duh, duh]

But no one knew how badly it would curse the class.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Cake pops must have lured the phantom in.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Duh, duh, duh…

[Duh, duh, duh]

Even the teacher was a little hyper.

[Duh, duh, duh]

For example, she was on the ceiling and she was bouncing off the walls, literally.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Great idea for getting us cake pops, Abby!” (They said sarcastically.)

[Duh, duh, duh]

Hyperactivity is never good in a class that should be calm.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“I forgot what I was going to say to him,” said Max.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Jokes on you!” he also said.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Kake?” he also said.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Let’s go over the work we did today,” said Abby.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Madeline said,  “Nicki Minaj’s laugh is scary.” (Everyone laughed at that.)

[Duh, duh, duh]

Nobody knew that Madeline was gonna be right.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Oh my god!” Everyone said when they heard her laugh.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Phantom, phantom, come out, come out wherever you are. Please leave us alone. We just want to write,” said Abby.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Quit it!” said Max, Izy, and Madeline, having different ideas of how to stop the phantom.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“RICKY WANTS CAKE POP!” said the phantom, whose name was obviously Ricky.

[Duh, duh, duh]

So Madeline brought out her pokeball and said, “Go Nicki Minaj! Use hysterical laughter to make the phantom scared.”

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Tut, tut, tut,” Queen Elizabeth said coming into the room without any warning.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Umbrellas started to rain from the ceiling and out of nowhere, Queen Elizabeth jumped into the air and instead of floating down slowly like Mary Poppins, she fell down and hit her head on a chair.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Ventilation was unheard of at the time, and some poison gas filled the room.

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Writers! Writers! Quick! Everyone evacuate. We must escape this spooky mess of a room,” pleaded Abby.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Xylophones kept Madeline, Izy, and Max in the room. It was the alarm to say that they had forgotten their devices!

[Duh, duh, duh]

“Young people could never live without their devices,” said Madeline.

[Duh, duh, duh]

Zoe Lusk came into the room and rescued everyone but the phantom. He died a very unpeaceful death.

The End

Another Peculiar Predicament

My eyes fluttered open like the wings of a butterfly about to take flight, peering up at the faint balls of light plastered onto the heavens. I swung back and forth on my hammock, each swing prompting bliss, until my body was engulfed in ecstasy. I looked around me at the vast, sweet grassy lawns surrounding me, each tendril of grass twirling around faster than the most talented dancer could ever wish to accomplish.

The mansion that I lived in, stood towering behind me with the most exquisite gold engravings on its edifice. The walls made out of the finest stainless steel, and then coated with a thin sheet of gold that made the windows seem like they were splashed on the walls like paint on a blank canvas. My house had approximately 300 rooms, with about 10 servants on each floor, which left our family of 3 with a multitude servants. These servants were paid, but a rather minute amount, for each servant got just a cent for every hour of labor.

The blankets that covered the hammock in my garden were made of the most extraordinary linen, forged from the heart of the Middle East where hundreds of workers labored for months to create every square inch. I was submerged in layers of these covers, each one so incredibly soft, I felt like I was one with my hammock. I slowly lifted my hand and brushed the linen apart, eager to meet with my parents. I treaded carefully onto the meadow (that over 50 servants tended to and kept perfect) and walked into the gilded doorway that lead to my house. The lawns were over 50 acres long, and had almost every type of exquisite flower growing in it except for some poisonous varieties.

I opened the golden metal encrusted door, which seemed to spellbind anyone who walked through it except me. I could not understand why so many people were awed by our family’s wealth. Some said that it was lavish, others simply shouted at my parents telling them that they should not parent me in this manner. For me however, it was a normal life, and I liked to think that anyone who was poor had not done enough labor to achieve the incomprehensible beauty and wealth that our family had achieved.

The interior of my house was a marvel, again, to anybody but me. It had a large silver ball hanging from a long, threadbare rope attached to a ceiling so high that you could barely see the top of it. The silver globe was one of our family’s masterpieces, for it took over six years to create. Slits, crevices, and crannies had been cleverly placed along the globe so that it reflected light to the adequate astonishment of the visitor. My house and I lived in quiet harmony with one another, and it was so perpetually luxurious that my mind often did not have the capacity to process it all.  Beneath the ball lay a large table, over 20 feet wide. It caused a plateau in the impeccably smooth polished floor beneath, and was one of the favorite places where my family united to partake our gorgeous meals. The floors were covered with a fluffy, white carpet that was as soft and silky as the fur of a beaver, which is actually what it was created from. Over 1,000 beavers were slaughtered for it. Some people might have thought that we were an unforgiving family, but I disagreed. I thought of beavers as a resource, just like every other animal, plant, and thing. If it was easy to harvest, it should be used until the source has been diminished to naught and it was time to find a new one. Some people call this cruel extinction. I simply called it the depletion of resources.

Since it was breakfast-time, I could hear my parents descending in their own glass elevator, getting ready to enjoy our meal. My parents were tall looming figures, at about 60 years old and in very good shape. Their faces were of a pale, opaque color and their bodies were very lithe and well kept, each inch scoured by the best plastic surgeons and cosmetologists. I was always astonished and very respectful when I met my parents, as they were the stars and heroes of my life. They had many burdens when they were younger, such as a small loan of 10 million dollars when they started (Some people say that 10 million dollars is a lot but I disagree!). They were able to build up from there to a worth of over a billion dollars through hard work.

We sat down to eat our meal consisting of 5 courses, composed entirely from organic produce from our own farm. My parents started to talk about the day as usual. “So Tom, now that you are 12 years old, you have to think of your future plans, are you going to continue to improve in your studies, so that you can be independent when you grow up? ”

“Of course,” I replied. “This home was a part of me since I first started walking and I am not about to give it up. I do not have a job yet, but I thought that I would just inherit your wealth when you die.”  

My dad’s face turned stern, “I know that, Tom, but you know that you cannot just rely on money to survive. After all, skills are very important too. Why did we go through all of the effort in sending you to the best school in the world? For nothing?”

“Ok, I understand,” I said, “I will try to study hard and be as successful as you.” After the meal that I had consumed, my family departed and I ran off to hang out with my friends.

Our estate had a forest with thousands of trees. My friends and I chased each other, racing through corn stalks, each fiber gleaming a crisp golden pigment. The kernels inside were like snails hiding inside of their shells. As we raced through the stalks, we left a thin wake in our path, which dozens of gardeners scuttled immediately to fix, making it seem like nothing had ever happened. As the forest approached us, the leaves merged together to create a thick blanket, draped over the millions of boughs that protruded out from the trunks. I never liked the trunks of these trees, as they are always in stark contrast to the beauty that my eyes had adjusted to living in. The tree trunks, with their drab, brown hue and dilapidated barks were a monstrosity to my eyes, that I had to shield my eyes with my hands although there was not the faintest trace of sunlight to be found.

As I ran through the forest, I surveyed my surroundings and realized that I had been stranded deep within it, with my friends, or my house, nowhere to be found. I ran faster and faster, but they were still nowhere to be found. The forest that I feared was like a cage, trapped me behind its thick brown bars. I instantly produced a wad of 100 dollar bills from my pocket, trying desperately to find a store so that I could pay them to lead me home (which was the way that I had been solving all my problems for years), but unfortunately, there was no such store or human to be found. Even though I knew that I was hopeless, I kept looking for one, for that was the only method that I had even known or used to solve my problems.

I wandered and wandered until I found a small hut made of wood harvested from our forest. It was so small I could barely see how someone could fit inside of the door. The hut was like a tent, except a bit larger, with large boughs strung together to create a triangular shape. Suddenly, my pent up rage increased, and I was about to demolish the hut when I heard a faint weeping coming from inside. I saw a small baby, about the age of 2 writhing inside, crying, probably because its parents had gone somewhere. I tried to console the baby, but again since I did not know what to do, I started to throw hundreds of dollars on the baby, thinking that it would stop the sorrow. Unfortunately, this idea did not work, and since I did not have any other remedy, I left the crying baby, thinking that there was nothing that I could have done to help.

I continued my trek through the forest, and as I walked, I felt strange feelings of shame and anger (as I had been taught they were called). “What is the magic remedy that can be used to solve all these problems that I have encountered. I must know now!” I muttered under my breath to myself. But as I walked, I encountered another problem, I had brought no food with me. I was about to draw more money from my pocket, when I realized that I had no way of spending it. I pondered about the ways that I had gotten food before, each time involving money and some person to give it to me, but this time I had no one to rely on to supply me with food. Instead, I had to use my own skills to get it.

I looked around thinking what I could do, and then I found a small bush growing in a neglected area of the forest floor. I looked more closely at the bush and found small red triangles sprouting on it. At close inspection, I realized that what I was looking at were actually strawberries. Picking one from the bush, my hunger got the better of me, and I ate them without thinking too much about what it was. The berry had a miraculously sweet and sour taste, much more appetizing than the strawberries that my money had given me.

With my pocket filled to the brim with these fruits, I continued on my adventure through the forest, completely losing the intent of getting back home. Wandering on, I bumped back into the hut that I was inspecting before. As I peeked inside, I saw the baby’s parent carefully cradling the baby and rocking it back and forth. I felt, for some reason, much happier just looking at this phenomenon, than any money had ever made me feel before. I thought that this must be the magical power that I was always looking for to solve my crisis, and it seemed to work, because in an instant the crying baby turned into a content one, without any money involved. My parents never did that to me and for the first time I thought that my parents had done something wrong.

 

PART II

 

Many hours seemed to have passed. I finally found myself at the back of the forest’s edge with my mansion at the end of the vast lawns. As I walked to the forest’s edge, I saw a tall, looming figure appearing before me. This figure actually happened to be a tree-like object so drab and dilapidated, that my eyes were repelled from the sight. The tree had hundreds of crooked boughs that were completely devoid of leaves, the branches so utterly twisted that I felt like they could break off at any moment. The tree took on a pigment of pitch black, and had the unostentatious stench of burnt wood struck by lightning. The putrid sight induced nausea in my body, and I shouted for my servants to come and eliminate it from my forest.

Unfortunately, there were no servants around, but after a few more shouts, my father’s workmen came with heavy lumbering axes. They tried to repeatedly strike it down, but each hit had no effect on it. The tree stood tall and refused to break. “Continue, you blithering fools. You were paid to work for me and you do almost nothing,” I screamed. “But sir, the tree might hit your house!” one servant cried. “Just do your work and do not question me. It is impossible that the tree will hit my house!” I screamed infuriated.

After a few more hours of relentless chopping, my servants finally cut it down, and released a cry of joy into the air. I too was delighted by the sight, but the large limp log on the ground started to roll even though there was no hill. The log rolled through the forest, taking lots of the beautiful vegetation with it. I followed, and saw that its width was rapidly increasing. Soon, it would be half the size of my house. The tree trunk continued to roll until it exited the forest, and appeared to be headed straight for my hammock. Instantly, hundreds of servants appeared around it, but it kept rolling on and on, and soon smashed right into the bottom of my mansion. My beautiful home folded in half like a floppy pancake, smoke and debris spewing out of the crash site. The steel, which seemed so thick, was now flattened by a piece of wood. My once wonderful home now looked like a garbage dump, with broken furniture, glass shards, and silver ball strewn all over large estate. Everything I had vanished in an instant.

I started to weep uncontrollably, a thing that I would have never done before. The house was a treasure that had connected my entire life, and now a very strange feeling of loss, almost like pain from a wound crept over me. I had always thought that my money would solve every problem that I had, but now here I was, standing on a field just after my home was destroyed, with nothing. I tried to find my parents, but they were nowhere to be found.

I looked around at the area surrounding me. I had depended on wealth and superiority for so long, but now that it was destroyed, I was lost. My parents were not there to support me, and now that my servants were no longer under the control of my family, they were running loose like a pack of random mice dashing about. I tried beckoning the servants to escort me into the ruins of the house, but they refused, as they had already long ran away from the house that they resented so much.

 

PART III

 

Exhausted, knowing that my whole life had been ruined by this catastrophe, I lay on the grass closed my eyes and fell asleep, thinking that I would never recover. When I awoke I saw that I was lying on a hard bench directly underneath a dark rugged wooden ceiling with not the faintest appearance of air or stars. My instincts kicked in, and I immediately jumped up and went to punish the person who put me in that position. But I found something oddly peculiar. Instead of me being in one room by myself which was bad enough, there were many such beds stacked in every part of the room imaginable. There were even beds atop other beds! Enraged by the preposterous view, I jumped out of the bed, and commanded forth the servant who did this at once. Unfortunately, there was no such person in the room, and as I opened the door in front of me, I was confronted by a warden wielding a large baton, his face a deep crimson red.

“So you are the new kid who is all over the news eh? They say that your parents were the richest in the world eh? Well now THEY ARE GONE!! Welcome to the real world kid. No matter how rich you are, you are getting the same beating nonetheless.” That final word being said, the man took his baton and started to smash it across my back. My parents had never done this to me before, and I was infuriated beyond belief, but I realized that my days of absolute wealth were over.

After the beating, I slumped back into the bed and had a look at my clothing. My brilliant robes were stripped off me and replaced with a handful of rags stitched together. After a couple of minutes, all of the other children started to wake up and walk out of the room. After that incident I was too frightened to go anywhere near that door, and had time to recollect myself. I was still shuddering from the shock that my house was destroyed and my parents were dead. It was very strange, for my parents were with me for my whole life, guiding me every step of the way, and now they’re gone. It seemed like a hole had bored into my heart and would remain. It was another strange feeling that I was not used to.

Cupping my hands into my head I started to rage about the turn that my life had taken, but then I realized that hundreds of other people around the world go through this sort of treachery since the day that day were born. I started to feel some compassion for my servants, even though every other day of my life I had taken them for granted. Looking up, though, I saw the clock ticking toward the better part of 11am. I was wondering who would deliver my breakfast, but then realized that since I was in the “new” world I had to think differently.

“That must be where they go for breakfast!” I exclaimed, and leapt out of the door in the room, thankful that I was leaving the putrid place for hopefully a long time. Unfortunately, the area outside of my room was even more appalling than I had expected.

It was a long hallway which expanded to either side of the room. Cautiously I stepped out of the room and started to walk down the left side of the hallway. I was trying to find the cafeteria and could not find it anywhere. Suddenly I heard a faint scream coming from a room and a bunch of screams following that. I peeked through the small glass window implanted in the door and saw hundreds of children lined up, sitting at tables finishing up their meals. I walked in and took a seat at one of the tables. If this was how I had to eat all of my meals than I did not think that I would last here that long.

I was presented with a glob of black slime. Everyone started to dive into their meals except for me who stared at the meal in confusion wondering if it was even edible. As I was doing this, a kid about the same age as me walked up to me. I hopped off my chair and started to saunter around the house, trying to lose this kid that was following my path, but he persisted until we ended up walking down the hallway to a little grassy yard.

I sat on a wooden bench to one corner, and the kid sat on another one across from me. “Hello,” the kid said to me.” I had no choice but to reply with a, “Hi.”

“So, how did you end up here?” he started again. I started to talk about my wealth and the kid alongside me listened in awe. He started to talk back to me and within an hour we were both playing together, laughing about our past stories and experiences.

We continued to play in the field, even after the sun had long set, and I started to reflect on my experiences. It was a peculiar feeling that I experienced, talking to this kid. It was much more gratifying than any wealth could have given me.

As I started to bond with my new friend I felt this surging feeling once more, but more importantly I realized that other humans were also of the same level as me.  As my friend went more in depth with his experiences. I started to understand that the attitude that I was imposing toward wealth and other human beings was all wrong, and my vanity was taking control of my mind. He talked about how he was at first very poor, and was a worker at a very rich man’s house, just like mine. He was treated so cruelly that he ran away and ended up here.

Days after that experience happened, my worries started to fade away, for I had discovered the one thing that was greater than money…Compassion. I vowed that if I were to ever become wealthy again, I would make sure to remain compassionate, something I would have never thought before!

An Amber Story

PLOP. Hi, I’m Amber. When I grow up I want to be a writer! Amber Doller, the world’s best author, will be receiving her tenth golden medal for her new book, I thought. Well, I might as well show you my favorite book I’ve ever written.

It was a long time ago. A year ago, to be exact. Well, a year and a half. And my friend and I were shelving books. An hour later, I needed to get a book from one shelf to another, but it was really high up, so I couldn’t exactly reach it. I jumped as high as I could and then at the same time, my friend did, but on the other book shelf. All of a sudden I started floating. And weird enough, so did my friend.

We both screamed at the top of our lungs. Bump.

“What in the world just happened?” I asked.

“Ahhh,” said my friend, flying up and tumbling out of the window, catching herself a foot from the ground. She crossed her fingers and she floated back up using a bubble. Bubbles were coming out of her fingers. “Amber!” my friend yelled. “Why am I shooting bubbles out of my fingers?”

I tried that, but it didn’t work. Then for the oddest of reasons, I made a sad wolf with my hand and then bubbles came out. “It can’t be,” said her mother. Dun, dun, dunnn!

 

I finished writing. Until the next book, brb. I needed to go shelf my books with my bff, my reading room was long overdue for a reorganize sesh. I started pacing around the room, except all of a sudden, I was flying. I felt more airy on my face and I just felt a lot less lazy, like I didn’t have to do as much work. I also didn’t hear my own footsteps or hear anything.  

I looked down at my feet and I said, “Oh my god. Why meee?” because I was flying! My friend crossed her fingers that it wasn’t some weird disease that would make me die. And then, my friend shot bubbles out of her fingers. Real, actual bubbles.

“AAAaaa!” We both started screaming like we’ve never screamed before.

My friend was on the other side of the room, and she was still screaming into a pillow. I have powers. I have real actual powers. But it didn’t make any sense. I wrote about this. Writing stuff can’t really make it come true, can it? Or at least not fantasy.

Then a cartoon lightbulb popped above my head. Literally. My friend left when this idea popped into my head. She was so freaked out that my friend left to go to her house and scream in her pillows. (Then she flew to Mexico with her family.) But maybe, if I write something else down, it will come true. Let me give it a try: I just found out I own a gown of silk and gems. “I wish I could I wish I co –– ”

“Hun, a package is waiting for you,” my dad yelled.

“Yes!” I got the package and ran up to my room. Then, I got my specialist scissors and opened the package very, very carefully. And you know what was in there? And I’m not talking about talking to myself. Riiight? Na. It was a silk gown with beautiful gems on it. I showed it to my parents and they screamed in delight. I asked them if they wanted anything and then they said, “What now? Where did you even get this gown?”

And I said, “It’s something special.”

They said that they didn’t believe me, but they wanted a million dollars. So, I went upstairs and wrote down: My parents just got a million dollars. So then, something started raining through the house. It was green. It was money! It was a million dollars! I ran to the steps and my parents were jumping up and down and screaming and squealing. Then, we decided to have a ginormous party soon. School was starting so I wrote up a new backpack with everything I needed. My plan was to come to school in a limo with a butler. Then being me, I went to the deli to get Oreos.

The next morning, when I woke up, I got out of bed and went to collect my backpack from my desk. It gets a little annoying having a desk like mine because I have to pull out the bookshelf and I have to pull out the mini desk. Then, I went into my “walk-in” closet, a closet that was pretty big, five yards long and two yards wide. I got dressed in something that could be mistaken as a school uniform, so I changed it. I ended up wearing jeggings, a white t-shirt with a pink leopard print scarf, and black boots. Then, I took one of my books from the bookshelf, except it was a binder full of my plans for school. I was ready.

 

Chapter 2

 

“Dat’ll be $1.50,” the counter man said.

“Okay,” I said.

Grabbing the Oreos, I raced to the bench and found out I was in Ms. Peepee’s class, a.k.a. the meanest teacher ever. I took one look at my locker and almost barfed at the rusty walls. I started by putting a plain sheet of paper in my locker. Then I wrote down, I wish I had a perfectly decorated locker. In my locker was a little pink rug and on top of it, was a tiny table with a little drawer (the drawers for makeup, duh!), a mirror, a mini chandelier, an emergency outfit that was a bit over fancy –– it was a shirt that was purple with a bit of black lace over the belly and then the same color purple skirt with cowgirl boots –– then, there was hot pink winter coat and a beige sweater. There was also a pouch for my pencils and a little mini shelf for all my folders and notebooks. Then, I put up two more sheets of paper just in case. After that, I realized I may be late to Ms. Peepee’s class.

So then, I walked because it was right next to my locker, kind of wishing I was in Miss Lulu’s class. I went into the very back corner just when Ms. Peepee came into the class. She was wearing a purple dress with a blue sweater. She had her gray hair in a bun and she wore glasses on a chain. Who does that? Her heels clicked and clacked on the floor. She gave us an essay without even saying “Hello, new class.” And then, she said we had to write an essay on Africa and its animals and then for the week we had to write four essays about different animals that lived there. So then we had to start, and without thinking about what I was doing, I just started writing, I wish I was in Miss Lulu’s class.

Then, I teleported in front of the door and walked in.

Miss Lulu said, “You should be very ashamed. You are late, but since it’s the first day, some confusion must have happened with your teacher, so I will not mark you late.”

There was a seat in the very front, so I happily took the seat. Her voice was literally a sooong. We all wrote half a poem, then we had to finish for homework. But then, it was time for attendance…

“Kate.”

”Here.”

“Mark.”

“Godzilla!”

“Gareth?”

“Hi.”

“Adam.”

“Here.”  

“Amy.”

Uh stop that.”

“Alex.”

“Yo.”

“Alexandra

Hi.

“Josh.”

“Is better than.”

“Okay, anyone not called?”

Oh no! I raised my hand and I got called on.

Then, Miss Lily said, “Okay, I’ll make sure to add you.” And that was before the principal called.

 

Chapter 3

 

One of the students got the phone because it was one of the phones that was on the wall.

The kid said, “It’s for you, Miss Lily.”

Miss Lily got the phone and said, “Oh, really?” And then she came to

my desk and she said, “I am truly sorry, but someone who did not pay for the school is not allowed to be in the school.” So, I got sent to the principal’s office.

I got out a sticky note and a pencil on my way out. Then, I wrote down, I wish that I was on the attendance in Miss Lily’s class and didn’t have to go to the principal’s. Nothing happened. Miss Lily didn’t come calling back and say that it was an accident. I got very worried. Then, I wrote down, I wish that I had a pair of hoop earrings in my hand. Nothing happened. My face was getting scrunched up. It was my worried face. I knew I had to be incredibly specific on this, but I didn’t know I had to be that specific. I wrote down, I wish I had a gigantic pair of hoop earrings that are gold. Why was this happening? I was entering the principal’s office, holding my breath. I was writing faster than I’d ever wrote. I even wrote, I wish that my parents had a crown and a castle instead of a house, but I didn’t get a call from my parents. Now I was sweating as I sat down. Mr. Lightning started yelling what I should do with my attitude.

Blah, blah, blah about me trespassing on school property. Then I did something very stupid. I pulled out my phone and said, “Call my parents. They know that I belong in this school. They wasted a thousand dollars on it!”

So, Mr. Lightning banged his fist and said, “You are not supposed to have a phone in this school! You will be sent to detention dungeon.” Then five teachers with axes took me away to a dungeon with desks. The metal bars that surrounded the desk were rusty and had chains. Some had what I call peasants. I don’t know why, but I just decided to call them that. They all had these brownish, tannish gowns on that looked like a poor person owned, but somewhat a little more like mine.

Wait a second! I was wearing a pink gown?! It was sparkly and sleeveless. In the middle was a ribbon that was a couple of inches thick. I was locked up in the fanciest of dungeons. Unlike the others, was pink and purple and next to it was something that was blue and green. The pink one was marked “Princess” and the blue one was marked “Prince.” The pink one had an elegant bunk bed with pink polka dot covers and lighter pink fringe, it had a make up table and barely even looked like a dungeon. And on top of that, there was a hoity-toity closet and a beautiful tiara. Then the iron door slammed shut!

I started pacing and someone said “Will ya stop?”

There was a girl in a black dress. It had a bit of navy blue in some places, it was like a very dreary princess dress. I asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Andy, and I guess we’re roommates. Sadly,” she said, while rolling her eyes.

I think she was looking at my pink dress, but whatever it was, I was not happy. I reached into the pocket of my dress, which I didn’t even know that I had, and pulled out a really sharp diamond and I have no idea why I had a diamond in my pocket, but somehow I have a lot of things in my pocket that I don’t know about.

“Now what’s your name?” she asked me.

I may have groaned a little, but I said, “Amber.”

And then she replied, “Princess Amber from Cristalandia? I bet you’re actually happy to be in this room. I so wish I was in the Prince’s room. I mean, it’s perfect. It’s green and blue, my two favorite colors. And, instead of a two bunker, it has three bunkers with really cool designs on them, not just frilliness and pink dots. What’s up with that? And their crowns are gold, while all we get are silver. No one even wants to wear purple dresses they provide, no offense.”

“What do you mean by ‘they’?” I asked.

And she replied, “Don’t you know? The stupid people who run the place. The Queen of Schoolandia, who’s the principal’s mother and the king of Schoolandia, her husband. But, actually, technically, they just provide the clothes. The principal of Schoolandia and his wife, Alicia, the Princess of Knowledge, are going to be crowned the King and Queen of Schoolandia soon. And the only thing I’m happy about is that when that does happen, they will take all of the stupid peasants out of the school.”

“Why do you call them stupid?” I asked with curiosity.

She said, “Where have you been? peasants are stupid. We are princesses. Princesses are good, and get to marry overly stuck-up princes,” the odd princess, Andy, got up. Then she took the blue dust, sprinkled it on me and walked out of/into the wall.

I woke up. I sat up. I looked both ways and saw no portal like I did before. But what I did see is a black, shiny pony tail with a black crop top and a leather skirt attached to it.

“Andy, what in the world did you do?”

“What do you mean?” asked Andy in a very sarcastic, questioning, guilty voice. “I only put blue fairy dust on you that makes you go to sleep for, I’d say, ten hours. Be glad I didn’t put the death black one on you. I don’t even have that one. My mom took it away from me. Anyway, you might want to forget what you saw or else maybe I’ll use the purple on you. And then, once I do that, I’ll erase your memory from the pink and I’ll go off into the portal again to get a new outfit.”

“Oh yeah, that’s toootally what you were doing,” I said.

In return, she mumbled, “Wish the dust could help me ‘scape this misery.

I gave her a few mean looks.

She answered by taking her ponytail down, brushing her hair, and putting on odd (but fashionable) gloves. Ten minutes later, a guard came to take us to “reform” school, a place where they attempt to teach us to behave by yelling and misbehaving themselves.

An hour later, we had to go to set up for the next class, which was how to sew. They made us take a cloth and chains that were from the other class and make our chains pretty so we could wear them. But everyone knew that the only reason that they were making us make a cover for chains was one: we wouldn’t realize that we were wearing chains, and two: they needed an extra class. My chains had a fabric that matched my dress –– a pink with purple gems on the handcuffs. I tried not to smell through my nose because if I did I would smell peasants, who did smell pretty bad.

It was finally break time for an hour. I decided to change into my nightgown and sleep for the hour, but Andy kept asking me if she should wear the blue glitter or the blue and black glitter on her gloves, which were handcuffs. After break, I got changed and went to history of torture, sometimes they need volunteers. Next class was cooking. We had 20 minutes to cook a meal then we had to eat what we made. I personally loved bacon and rice, even if the bacon was a bit chewy. Everyone barfed except for like three people who just said, Ew.

Then, as an extra little challenge, we were forced to save a couple of bites for the teacher who was cooking the class and whoever won got one percent off of their time in the dungeon. He barfed five out of 15 times. He said, “Ew!” for everyone except one person, who was the baker’s daughter. I was the last person to get my food tasted and he said mine was definitely the best. So, I only had 14 more years in the dungeon (who knew having a cell phone in school could do that much?). Everyone was oohing and ahhing at me like I just won the gold medal for the Olympics.

After that, we got a half an hour break to eat lunch. I did not get the apples because there’s a saying: bad teachers get bad worms in their apples, so why don’t bad students? But the carrots were amazing and I asked for two cucumbers to put on my eyes. Of course they said five minutes because apparently, if you were a winner of one of the challenges, you are a celebrity for the day. So then, when I walked over to the closest table, they oohed and ahhed for no apparent reason. So, I went to a table and sat all by myself. The carrots were good and the pizza was okay, but my favorite thing to eat was the baguette that they always made daily for the person that won one of the contests. It tasted like donuts and cookies and chocolate and everything yummy and rainbows. After that we have P.E., a.k.a. Pain Ed taught by Mr. Peapee.

The class went by pretty fast, blah blah, blah, pain volunteer and etc. I was so bored I thought I might die. But I wish I did not say that because the teacher said I must go into a me-sized pencil sharpener and try to reach the other side before I die. But as a proper princess I couldn’t die, only get hurt.

As I went through, I missed my old life, my mom Rosa, and my dad Sasha, and my twin sister Sage. It was too much. I pulled out a pen. It was a bad time but I did it anyway. I felt like I needed to. I did it, wrote what I was going through like a story. My wrist felt so normal. It just felt like I found the joy in what I was doing. What I should be doing. And I saw a light. It was blurry from my tears, but I saw it. Anything. I just needed to go home. The paper got wetter and wetter, but I still felt good. I was still writing.

She cried and wept.

The light was bigger, brighter. The more I wrote, the closer it got. All of a sudden, I stopped. It was dangerous because I was in an enormous pencil sharpener, but I kept on writing.

She felt a bright light

The hole got closer, even though I wasn’t running. So I kept on writing even more. I leaped in. There were bright lights and cars. No horses, no icky smells. I knew where I was. I was home.

 

“Sooo,” I sigh, “that’s my story. I hope you liked it!”

“Free hats for the cold weather,” someone says to our Writopia group as we are packing up. “Maya and Morgan, time to go.”

“I like your story,” I say to Morgan.

“Thanks.”

20 minutes later, I’m doing ELA creative writing about anything, and this is my story, just look up: Learn to love life as it is, for only you can change it.

Choose Your Own Adventure, Sort Of

I went to sleep as a normal 15-year-old and I woke up this morning as a professional adventurer. Well, not exactly.

All I remember is my parents saying goodbye to me and my little sister, sitting down on the padded airplane seats, closing my eyes, and falling asleep.                                                                                                        

I woke up to Scarlett whispering in my ear and doing anything to wake me up.

“Lila, there’s a little kid next to me. She looks about three years old and she’s crying. Right after you fell asleep some lady came by and dropped this kid off. She said that we had to take care of this kid, Elizabeth. I don’t know what’s wrong!!!”

“Hi, sweetie,” I said. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to go see Mommy.” Elizabeth said.

“You just saw your mom.”

“That’s not my mommy.”

“Then you’re going to see your mom after the plane ride.”

“Okay,” she said and just like that she went to sleep. She was obviously very tired.

* * *

When the plane landed, Elizabeth was still asleep. I unfolded her stroller and strapped  her in. I pushed her out and saw her mom holding a sign that said Elizabeth on it.

“Mommy!” she said.

“Hi, honey,” her mom answered.

Her mom thanked us for our help and left the airport. Scarlett and I started looking for the sign that would take us to our destination, The Hawi Trails.  Soon we saw a sign that said “Partner Backpacking On The Hawi Trails.”

“Hello girls, you must be Scarlett and Lila,” said a man who clearly thought we were hot girly girls.

“Um, are you pretty ladies single?”

“Of course… not,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Ryan’s so adorable. I keep a picture of him in my locker at school. Every single girl at school liked him until he asked me to the dance. My enemy, Ashley Von Bullymeyer, practically had steam coming out of her ears when she heard the news. On the other hand, I was smiling so hard my cheeks hurt, because for once, I got better privileges than my enemy!

“Oh, okay.” He said, looking disappointed, “How about you Scarlett, single?”

“Nope,” she said giving him the same impression I gave him. He looked like he had lost a family member as he let us by.

“The bus is outside. You’ll be able to tell it’s our bus by all the teenagers inside it.”

When we piled onto the bus, all the teens looked at us as if we were aliens. We were soon stopped by the man whose name turned out to be Jack Fost, the bus driver. “Why are you kids on this bus? You don’t  look like teenagers to me!”

“Well,” I replied, “that’s because you’re like, seven feet tall!”

We walked to the back of the bus and sat down. Suddenly, the bus lurched into motion, I felt a kick, and Jack started speaking. “This is going to be a long ride, so make yourselves as comfortable as possible,” he said. We sat down and managed to get through the ride by eating and sleeping and reading.

I woke up to the sound of Jack holding a megaphone in front of my face and screaming, “Get up!” I guess he thought I was like any other teenager who sleeps too long. I got off the bus, dazed, and the noise of the megaphone was still ringing in my ears. We had arrived at the safety house. It was green and brown and all the camouflage colors, so that the wild animals couldn’t get us. We thought about running away and going on our own, but then Jack said, “First, before you go, we have to go over safety tips and drills so you all know what to do if anything happens to you. The first safety drill is going to be swinging on ropes over lethal waters.” We climbed up a ladder above a tank of water with snakes springing up to try to bite us. Jack held onto the rope and swung. He almost got bitten by the snakes but he managed to avoid them. “Everybody, if you were watching, you would have seen how I did that.” He pointed to Scarlett. “How did I do that?” he asked her.

“You jumped onto the higher part of the rope and the snakes were too short to bite you so you were able to land on the platform on the other side.” I thought about it for a second and realized that Scarlett was right. He had jumped off the higher part of the rope. Then Jack pointed to Scarlett and said, “You try.” We all froze.

“Uh… ok…?” Scarlett questioned. She slowly climbed up the ladder and grabbed the rope. She shimmied up to the top like a monkey.

“Three… two… one… Go!” we all shouted.

She let go and hung on for dear life like she was a bull rider. She slowly started sliding to the bottom of the rope and at the very last second when the snakes were about to bite her, she landed on the platform with a smooth finish. And then everyone clapped and cheered.

“Who wants to go next?” asked Jack. Everyone was jumping and yelling saying, “Me! Me! Me!”

Jack said, “I’ll let Scarlett pick.”

She pointed to me.

“Okay,” I said. I stepped out onto the platform and I felt like everyone’s eyes were burning holes in my back. Here I go, I thought. I jumped down and started shimmying up to the top. A snake bit my sneaker but I tore away. I couldn’t believe I had avoided that snake. I landed on the other side and the whole place erupted in cheers once again. Everyone was eager to go and by the time we were done, we were practically professionals. By the time we had finished all the safety drills we had learned how to beat up gorillas, how to cook dead bat, and how to figure out which herbs were poisonous and which weren’t.

“Now it’s time for bed everyone,” said Jack. “But tomorrow morning we’ll get you up bright and early so that we can grab our supplies and get going.”

As we headed unto the bunks, one girl came up and asked us, “Do you two want to join a group with me and my buddy?”

“Um, I guess, why?” I said.

“See, we wanted to do this because it sounded fun but we know nothing about adventuring and survival, so we saw you were really good and we wanted you to help us.”

“Sure,” said Scarlett, always eager to help others.

After we spoke to the girl we went to bed. Right when I was falling asleep, I heard (a wail) Scarlett say something. “What did you say?” I asked.

“How are we going to survive?”

“We’ll make it,” I said, calmly.

Scarlett sounded scared. “You think when we go home, we’ll be professional adventurers.”

“Yeah, definitely,” I said, just as I was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning the girl we met the other night, who we had found out was named Sarah, met us at the trail that said, “If you are a professional, go on this trail.”

“Are you sure you want to do this one?” I asked Sarah and her buddy, Delilah.

“Yeah, we’re sure,” they said. “We knew you were good and we want a challenge.”

“Okay,” said Scarlett, looking nervously towards me. “Let’s go!”

But as soon as we stepped on the trail, we all came to halt and we heard someone’s phone ringing. I looked into my backpack and picked up my phone and checked it. It was my best friend, Emily. “Hi, Em,” I said. “How are you?”

“Good,” she answered.

Then I said, “I wish I could talk to you, but we’re about to start going on the adventure, so I can’t. I’ll be able to call you in a couple weeks when we get back to the safety house.”

“Sure,” she said. “I’ll say hi to everybody at home for you.”

“Okay, thanks! Bye!”

I got off the phone. “Ok, everybody! Let’s do this thing!” I said. And everyone cheered, “Yay!”

As we stepped into the woods, I saw our first obstacle. It was a pile of dead bats; it had a sign taped onto it. “Take these dead bats and cook them when you need it.” And at the bottom it said, “Bat Jack.”

So we picked up a pile of smelly, dead bats and stuffed them into plastic bags that were next to the pile. As we continued along, I heard Sarah say, “Look! There’s a lake full of rattlesnakes and a vine hanging down!”

We walked over there and decided we would go two at a time. First Scarlett and I went and shimmied up to the top, and she shimmied right below me. We started swinging and almost landed in the water but luckily we just avoided it. Then, when Delilah and Sarah went, Delilah’s shoe got bitten off by a snake, so we had to take turns giving her piggyback rides until we got to the campsite.

They had all of the supplies a professional adventurer would need. They had extra clothes, extra shoes and extra food. I took out the pot so we could make bat stew for dinner, and saw a slip of paper sticking out from under the cookbook. I assumed it was another note from Jack and opened it up. It said,

 

Dear Delilah, Sarah, Scarlett, and Lila,

I know you don’t think you’re good enough to do the professional trail, but you are.

Jack

 

Under the note there was another note but it was sealed with a wax sealer and it obviously wasn’t from Jack. I opened it and the first sentence I saw was, “If you don’t leave this trail I will kill you.”

“What’s that?” asked Sarah

“It’s some stupid note from Jack.” I said, trying to change the subject. After all I was basically the caretaker of these girls. I was 15 and Sarah, Delilah and Scarlett were 13.

As I went to bed that night I picked up the letter and studied it. I opened it up and started reading.

 

Dear Lila,

This trail belongs to me not you. If you do not leave this trail, I will kill you. In order to avoid me you must

 

  • complete every task twice,
  • take the long way every time,
  • use every material you get ten times.

 

Love,

The Trapper

 

Wow, I thought, feeling more scared than a 15-year-old should.

“Mommy, is it already time for school? I don’t want to go.”

I blinked and opened my eyes to see Sarah moaning like it was Monday morning. I crawled over to Sarah and shook her awake.

“ Wake up, sleepy head it’s time for —

“School?” cried Sarah, sitting up straight. “I don’t wanna go to school!”

“No. I was going to say wake up, sleepy head. It’s time to go.”

“Oh, okay.”

As we walked away from the campsite we came to a fork in the road. There were two signs. The first one said, “Long Way to treetop course.” The second one said, “Short Way to treetop course.”

“Guys, let’s take the long way there,” I said.

“Why?” asked Delilah.

I decided to tell all of them right away.

“So, this guy sent me a letter that said we had to take the long way every time, do each task twice, and use every material ten times. I don’t know who this is but the letter was signed The Trapper…”

I noticed Delilah standing away from us, reading a book.  

“Wow. That’s really freaky!” said Scarlett, “How do you think he knows your name?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s been watching us from above. Who cares? Let’s go to the treetop course!” I said, changing the subject.

“Okay,” said Sarah, rolling her eyes. I could tell that she was annoyed that we had to go the long way.

As we climbed up the tree, I noticed a rustling in the bushes and stopped. Is that The Trapper? I thought.

“Move it, Lila. We’re waiting.” Delilah’s harsh words interrupted my fantasy. She was right under me and Sarah and Scarlett were right under her.

“Sorry. I was spacing out. I’ll move.” I climbed up to the top of the tree and was past the tree wire, when I heard a scream. I turned around and saw Scarlett hanging on to the tree wire by just her hands.

“Help! Somebody!” shrieked Scarlett. “I don’t want to die young!”

Suddenly, someone scurried up the tree and pulled Scarlett to safety. I breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing I was holding my breath and stared at the man who had saved my younger sister. I heard my sister gasp and when he turned his head I gasped too.

It was Jack Fost! The man I had underestimated two days ago was so much braver and stronger than I would’ve believed!

“Jack, it’s you!” my sister breathed, “You’re my hero!”

“Thank you Scarlett. I would stay for the party but I must go spy on the other teams.” We all giggled.

“Come on Scarlett, let’s finish the treetop course.”

“I don’t want to. It’s too scary. You help me,” Scarlett said to Sarah.

“Umm, okay?” Sarah said as if she was talking to a little kid who was very needy.

As Sarah and Scarlett worked their way across the course, I shouted back to them, “Since two of us have to do the course again, Delilah and I will do it because you both look exhausted and a little freaked out.”

“I definitely am,” said Scarlett. “I don’t know about you, but you look freaked too.”

“Yup,” said Sarah.

When Delilah and I went up for a second time we looked down to see Scarlett and Sarah cheering for us. I liked it but it was getting annoying so I called down to them, “Please stop cheering. I can’t concentrate when you cheer, but thanks.”

“Okay!” they shouted. They continued to cheer for us but silently.

As I ziplined down to the bottom of the course, I heard a voice coming from the bushes and listened closely and heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

“That goody two shoes… I’m gonna get her… totally, she’s such an idiot…”

I froze. I never thought it was possible to freeze in midair but I guess it was. Maybe they were talking about Delilah (she was a goody two shoes). Sarah had told me when Delilah was told she couldn’t bring her suitcase filled with makeup and shoes, she cried for 30 minutes straight.

I snapped out of my vision just to hear a breaking noise and a crash. I opened my eyes to see the platform in front of me crashing down to the ground. Suddenly, I felt a lurch. I fell a few feet and landed safely on the ground.

“Tada!” I shouted, smiling at everyone’s worried faces. “What’s wrong?”

“Look up,” said Scarlett. I looked up and screamed. Quick as a flash we got into our formation and caught Delilah safely.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?” We were firing questions at her like speeding bullets.

“I’m okay, I’m okay!” said Delilah, clearly exasperated by our continuous questioning, “Leave me alone you guys. I’m okay! And you know, YOU GUYS DON’T EVEN CARE ABOUT ME!!! YOU ALWAYS LEAVE ME OUT OF YOUR CONVERSATIONS!! I DON’T EVEN WANT TO BE WITH YOU!! GOODBYE!!!”

I stared as Delilah stomped out of the clearing. She walked back towards the campsite before turning around and yelling, “I DON’T WANT TO BE YOUR SISTER ANYMORE, SARAH KATE ANDERSSON!!!

Sarah turned and started crying in my arms. She started blubbering about how she was the best big sister ever and how she wanted Delilah back.

I turned to Scarlett and she understood the look in my eyes. She started towards the path and turned around just to smile at Sarah with a sad but hopeful look in her eyes. Sarah smiled slightly but just when I thought she was going stop crying, she burst into tears once again.

“Come on, Sarah,” I said. “Let’s go sit down and we can talk.”

After a half-hour long conversation, Scarlett came back, covered in bristles and leaves but pulling a grumbling Delilah behind her.

“She tried to run away from me so I had to tie some rope around her hands.”

After we untied the ropes from her hands, I noticed two more letters on the ground, covered with leaves.

“Guys, I’m a little tired so I’m gonna go inside and read a little bit.”

I picked up the letters, brought them inside, and opened them up. The first one said,

Dear Sarah, Delilah, Scarlett, and Lila,

You guys are doing really well so far. I heard about the pole that fell and we’re going to get it fixed.

Jack

 

I noticed the other letter had a wax sealer on it. I opened it up to see another letter from the Trapper. It read:

 

Dear Lila,

Hello my name is Jack Fost and I hate you.

The Trapper

 

I gasped. Could Jack, the hero I used to know, be evil? All those thoughts whirled around in my head until I couldn’t stand it anymore and the whole world went black.

When I came to, all my friends were standing over me.

“Lila, are you OK? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” said Scarlett.

“I‘m okay. I just heard the craziest news. Jack is The Trapper!”

“OMG!!! Omg, omg, omg! Is it really true? No, it can’t be. I don’t know. AAHHH!” shouted Sarah.

“Listen, guys. I have a new plan. Our new goal is to go off the path and live in the wild to avoid Jack, and we’ll do the obstacles if they end up in our path,” said Delilah, finally in on the conversation.

“Good idea,” I said, and smiled happily at my friends. “But still, we should try to destroy him or kill him so we can get home safely instead of being killed by the person who once cared about my sister and life.” I heard a laugh and it sounded like Nicki Minaj from Anaconda. I said to my friends, “Does anyone hear a Nicki Minaj laugh?”

“Huh?” said Scarlett.

“What are you talking about? Don’t you understand what I’m saying about Jack?”

“You said, ‘Does anyone hear a Nicki Minaj laugh?’”

Then it was my turn to say, “Huh?”  

I sat down and started to cry. Sitting there, pouring out all my feelings to my friends, I could feel their warmth inside of me, running through my veins.

Suddenly, I felt heat, not caring heat but real heat like something was on fire. I looked down to see the fire that had been cracking moments ago form a circle around us as if it was made by a human, not nature. On the other side of the clearing, written in a  scrawled handwriting, words started to appear in fire! Suddenly, a man in black rushed through the bushes and then disappeared.

“Guys!!! Look, there’s some words over there!!! I’m going to read them. ‘Hello. It’s me. I’m going to kill you if it’s the last thing I do before you kill me. Hahahahaha!!!’”

“Oh god,” said Scarlett, shuddering. “That’s creepy.”

“It’s not the time to think about that! We have to get out of here!” shouted Sarah. Delilah and I nodded our heads.

“I got an idea,” said Delilah. “Let’s have Lila jump out and then we’ll throw everyone else over and she can catch them.”

“Okay,” I said, a little nervously. I jumped over and had just turned around, when Sarah came flying in my arms. I teetered a little bit and almost fell into the flames. Luckily, I kept my balance and held Sarah for a second. She felt as light as Mia, my sister way back home in Maine, where I wanted to be right now.

Maine was my home for my whole life. I had always wanted a sister and when Scarlett came along I acted as if it was the happiest thing that had ever happened to me. But after I realized what it was like to have a little sister, another one came along. That time I was unhappy to have another sister but realized, being 13 made it better. I got to play with her and put her to bed. It was amazing for me.

Suddenly, Scarlett connected with my arms and we went toppling to the ground. I stood up and helped Scarlett up, staring at her knotted ponytail.

Delilah jumped over the fire and we continued on our way. I stopped for a second, realizing something.

“Where’s Delilah?” I asked.

“She was just here a minu — ”

Suddenly, there was a piercing scream coming from the fire, a platform was lowering Delilah underground!!! We ran over to the platform and jumped in just as the door closed.

We ended up in a white chamber so bright it burned my eyes. Everything went white, then black, then white again. Finally, it went pitch black and I fainted.

* * *

I woke up and tried to stand but I toppled for the fact that I was tied up. I managed to turn around and saw my sister and two friends tied up next to me. Suddenly, I heard a booming voice that woke them up and Delilah screamed and started to cry.

I noticed Jack standing in a corner of the room. He noticed me and walked over.

“So, you thought you could fool me, eh?”

“I did. But I think you don’t know what’s going on,” I said, my voice as cold and hard as ice. I stared into his eyes. That gray color in his eyes staring at me coldly, like a popsicle on a winter day.

I tried to stand again, but my feet and hands were tied with a metal rope. I remembered the steel nail file I had in my pocket and slowly reached in, being careful not to get a rope burn. I transfered it from my right hand to my left hand and started filing the rope down.

After about twenty minutes of filing, both my hands and feet were free. I could see that Jack was just going up to his room and assumed it was nighttime. The girls noticed me and sat up. I first went over to Sarah, then Scarlett, then Delilah, filing their ropes down to the point that they could just pull them apart.

We ran to the circular elevator in the middle of the room and shut the doors, setting off an alarm. Luckily the elevator was quick and we made it up to earth, managing to jump into the bushes as Jack and his troops jumped out of the elevator. They looked around the area expecting us to have not gone far.

Not knowing where we had gone, they retreated. I climbed out of the bushes and Elizabeth was sitting there, crying!!

“Hi, Elizabeth. Are you OK!?!”

“No. I want Lila now!” she said.

“I’m Lila, silly,” I said, with a little giggle to go along with my words.

Elizabeth grinned and jumped into my arms.

“I missed you.”

I stared at my friends in bewilderment. How could she have gotten here!?! I guess Delilah was thinking the same thing because she said, “How’d she get here!?!”

“No idea.”

After I put her down I heard sudden little whimper, like a miserable puppy. I turned to see Elizabeth crying in the corner of our tent, comforted by Scarlett. I could tell that she was asking for me even though I was listening to music.

“Hi, Elizabeth. You okay?”

“No.”

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Okay… Mommy is going with Jack and they put me here because I was in time out and they said that I had to lure (I was surprised she knew what the word meant) you in and make him kidnap you but I want to stay with you and I stole a paper with the the stuff about me when I was born. Here.”

I looked at the names of her parents and gasped. Her parents’ names were my parents’ names!!! I had just realized that Elizabeth was my sister when Delilah dived into the tent and started screaming,

“Jack is here and he says he’s here to pick up his daughter, Elizabeth!!”

“I have an idea. Go find Sarah and then you guys can distract Jack and his henchmen. Elizabeth and I will run away and you can call us when they leave so I can tell you where we are,” I said, trying to sound calm.

“Good idea,” said Sarah, just appearing as if out of nowhere.

“Okay,” I said, grinning at my friends happily. “Let’s blow this popsicle stick!”

“Elizabeth, honey. Are you okay going in a backpack?” I questioned. As she nodded I lifted her in, zipped the backpack up, and opened it a little bit for air.

As we ran through the woods, I sat down and said to Elizabeth,

“Let’s go home.”

Suddenly, I heard a rumble. “Is that an earthquake?” I asked. I heard another rumble and then a shrill voice.

“We’re going to California in five minutes,” squealed Scarlett as the plane prepared for the runway.

“I’m going to sleep in two seconds,” I answered sarcastically, and fell asleep.

I woke up to Scarlett shaking me awake.

“Lila, there’s a three-year-old next to me and her mom dropped her off and said to take care of her girl, Elizabeth, and that she’ll be picked up after the flight.”

Suddenly, I knew what this was about. I said, “Oh no…”

EXCERPT

“Okay,” I said to Eden.

I raced through the pile of splinters and jumped onto the panel on top of the cockpit, swiftly typing rings of code into the system. The cockpit was a spiraling vault, with buttons running along every inch. The sight was incomprehensibly dramatic, the clouds outside like fluffs of cotton poised over a landscape that only nature, the most skilled artist, could paint. As I typed into the generator panel, I glanced over at Eden with her twisted grin, I never liked her at the circus, and was very suspicious of her now. She was always causing a wreck, and had been known for her betrayals in the past.

Suddenly, I heard a faint stomp approaching the cockpit and realized that something had gone terribly wrong. The passengers were starting to understand what was happening. I typed faster and faster until my hands became overwhelmed from exhaustion. Hundreds of passengers outside the door hurled shouts, demanding to know what was going on, each shout exhausting me until I was reduced to nothing but a limp carcass in a puddle of my own sweat. Barely able to move, I tried to make one last attempt at hacking into the system, but the passengers were just too much for me, and my hands turned as limp as stone, making it impossible for me to move them no matter how hard I tried. Then the door slammed open and I looked up and saw a large head peering down at me, his hair a thin clump of dirt on the top of his gleaming head. He took a punch at me and struck me right in the stomach, over and over until my shirt seeped with scarlet red.

“Tell me what you are doing you wretched animal” he garbled at me. “TELL ME!”

He then withdrew a thin silver object from his pocket and seemed to stab it into my stomach. More passengers started to crowd around me until my body became paralyzed with pain. My mind started to whirl around, and I was just able to mutter something to one of my companions before my mind plunged into darkness.

“Help me Eden, the passengers are killing me!”

Atlas

The storm was raging. My mother and father ran to the lifeboats, but they realized something was wrong: my sister and I weren’t there.

“The children!” my mother yelled at my father, and he quickly ran below deck to find us. But we weren’t anywhere near the ship. We were far, far away from the boat in the ship’s safest lifeboat. A while later, my mother had no choice, but to leave my father below the decks. When the ship’s crew was lowering the lifeboat into the water, the ropes snapped in mid air and my mother’s lifeboat hurtled downwards towards the water

“Mom!” yelled my sister. As the lifeboat went on its journey to find another ship that could bring us to New York, my sister and I were crying over the deaths of our parents. A few hours later we were safely aboard the Mississippi and heading towards Albany, New York.

 

Once we landed in New York, the Mississippi’s crew sent my sister and I to the nearest orphanage, but almost everything in it was so so old and dusty, even the food! The only good part was the kids that lived in the orphanage. They were all very, very nice. A few months later my sister and I could not stand the bad conditions of the orphanage, so we packed all of our stuff, said goodbye to our friends, and left.

That was about two years ago. Now we are working as doctors and scientists for the Atlas Corporation. When we came to New York we were wandering around the city until a undercover Atlas spy found us and took us to the main headquarters. So far, we have made dozens of grenades that unleash a deadly type of poison when it explodes. We have also cured thousands of soldiers from wounds, poisons, and a deadly type of illness that will burn you alive. Ten years later, Atlas asked me to join the spies that go around bustling cities to try to find homeless children about at least ten years old. And I said yes. So my sister became a doctor, and I became a spy.

I still remember the first kid that I found on the streets. His name was Edward and he was fourteen years old. He started to live on the streets when he was ten years old because his parents had died from a fire. The fire had started because their neighbor was cooking, and  “accidently” lit a napkin on fire. The napkin then dropped into the pan that he was cooking with, and it just so happened that there was oil in the pan. So the whole apartment exploded. I brought Edward back to Atlas headquarters, and the commanders trained him to be a soldier.

A few months later I became a soldier along with Edward. Now Edward and I are storming into battle at the Vespers main HQ. “Charge!” my General yelled and we all charged into battle, thirsty for blood. In the next hour, bullets flew, men fell, and machinery exploded.

When we got back to base, my General quickly changed into his kitty pajamas and went to sleep. A few minutes later a group of Atlas soldiers snuck into the general’s bedroom.  Inside the room there were lots and lots of Generals, but their General was very conspicuous because of his pink kitty pajamas. Suddenly all the Generals inside the room woke up and started to yell, “!@#$%^&*.” Finally, when the founder of Atlas calmed all the Generals down, he spoke very sternly to the soldiers. He told them that they should never ever sneak into the General’s room, and their punishment was that they must bathe in hot oil every day for every week for every month for every year for the rest of their lives. Edward and I both thought the punishment was unfair, but the general refused to release them.

A few days later my unit rolled into action at Bunker Hill. The first tent that my unit set up was the arsenal. Inside was hundreds and hundreds of firearms. The next day, Edward and I, along with some of our fellow soldiers, boarded a battleship and took off towards the Atlas fleet. When we finally got onto the ship we all took our positions. I probably got the most exciting job on the boat. It was firing the gun! When we lost sight of Bunker Hill we turned on the radar and the navigation device, so we could see if any enemy ships were coming and where we were going.

A few hours later, our Captain told us some big news. There was a whole fleet of enemy ships headed towards us he told us to be ready if they suddenly attacked. When we could actually see the enemy fleet, we all opened fire. A few minutes later we were surrounded by enemy ships and they blew us up. Edward and I were the only two crew members that survived.

By the time we spotted the island we were practically dead from thirst and and hunger. We boarded the island and right away felt like it was better to die than to live. That wasn’t an option, so right away we got out our army knives and tried to build a shelter so we could at least have a place to live in. By the end of the day, Edward and I had built the most magnificent shelter ever! (It was probably a lot better than Brian Robinson’s shelter). I told Edward to go and try to find some food, so he did. When Edward came back I had already  made the fire and was ready to cook the food.

When he came back he had some new cuts and a huge claw mark on the side of his head. I asked him what happened and he told me he had angered a huge chicken and it tried to kill him. Edward used his years of military training and killed the huge chicken. After he told me the whole story he asked me to go with him to where he had killed the chicken so I could help him drag it back to the shelter so we would have something to eat tonight.

When we finally got back to the camp, the fire had already gone out. I had to make another fire which was pretty easy since I got first place in survival camp when I was fifteen years old. After we finished our magnificent meal, I told Edward to go to sleep while I tried to fix the radio transmitter and call for help.

A few hours later, Edward woke and told me to go to sleep for a while. When I said no, he took the transmitter and started to do what I had done a few hours ago when he went to sleep. After a few minutes I was so tired I fell off the rock hit my head on another rock and blacked out. When I woke up it was morning, and Edward was already back from the morning hunt with a bunch of wolves following him. Wait, with a bunch of wolves!? I asked Edward why he had adopted a bunch of wolves and do you guys know what he said? He told me that while he was hunting he heard the growls of the wolves and seemed to understand what they were talking about.

In the morning Edward confessed that yesterday he had lied to me about the wolves (like I didn’t know that already). He told me that the wolves had followed him back to camp because he had a hole in his bag of meat and the meat had dropped onto the ground and then the wolves ate it all. They followed him back to camp thinking they would get more food. But they didn’t so they walked away. In the morning Edwards loud cry woke me from my deep slumber. ”Yay. Yay, were saved, Yay!!!”

I sat up and said, “Yo keep it down man.”

He said, “But I need to signal that ship!!!”

I took one look at the ship and wondered how Edward could be so stupid. “It’s one of the Vespers ship!!!” I yelled at him. And then I saw her Grandmama. “Stop it Edward!!! That’s Grandmama’s ship!!!” I yelled at him.

Then Grandmama turned her ship’s cannon towards our island and fired.

“Duck!” I screamed at Edward. He ducked and quickly fired back with the one of the many coconut cannons that Edward and I had built. After a few seconds I recovered from my shock and also started to fire back at Grandmama. After a few minutes I told Edward to stop firing because there was so much smoke we couldn’t aim correctly. Five hours passed. “Hey, yo Edward what do you want for dinner?” I said.

He said, “I’ll take some coconut water and that’s it.”

“Okay,” I replied.

In the morning, old Grandmama ran out of ammo and ran to ask her fat son Samuel to deliver some ammo to her. While she was trying to radio Samuel, Edward and I took advantage of that and started to fire some coconuts at her ship “The Death Bed.”

After a few minutes, Edward and I were looking at the ruins of old Grandmama’s ship “The Death Bed,” but I didn’t see that with the last bits of her strength she turned one of the ship’s last working cannon and fired at the island.

The next day one of the Atlas Ships found and picked me up.

When I got back to base I learned that my sister had died of grief and Grandmama killed Edward when she fired the cannon in the last few moments in her life. My legs had been blown off in the explosion, so I couldn’t walk for the rest of my life. I hope I’ll be able to go for at least one more mission, but until then, Shadow Killer Out.  

The Man

The people are still. Their mouths are open, but I can’t hear a thing. Behind them a man comes marching in. He is holding a gun.

Bang!

One of them is dead.

I wish I could do something, but my feet are stuck to the ground. I can’t watch this.

I try to lift my hands to cover my eyes, but my whole body is frozen. Instead I just try to think of good thoughts.

I remember my dad. Is he dead? I don’t see him in the line. I remember one thing. My dad said that, “I am the luckiest man on earth because I have you.” The thoughts aren’t strong enough, so there is nothing I can do but watch these people die one by one.

One person looks at me and makes eye contact. I can see fear in the person’s eyes and I feel as if these people can hear me. The man turns around, but then turns back and kills the person who looked at me.

I search through all the people and I find my sister in the end of the line. It isn’t really a line. Just a big blob of people. She looks like she is trying to find me in the line. “She can’t see me,” I think. What if she thinks I’m dead? The man looks back at me and he points the gun at me like he sees me, his face is covered, his hand on the trigger.

Bang!

Everything goes blank. I’m in a room and my sister is there. “The man is our father,” she says. I sink down to my knees and cry out, “HELP!”

No one answers.

I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!

One day, a kid named Ben went to school, and he had a great time until lunch came. At lunch there was only orange juice. Everyone had to drink 50 glasses of orange juice, because they didn’t have any food that day. Then everybody had to go to the bathroom. Ben went to the boy’s bathroom, but this time there was sign and it said: Please wait in line for one hour. Then he looked at the girl’s bathroom. The girl’s bathroom sign said: Please wait thirty minutes.

Ben started shouting out loud, “I hate today’s lunch!”

“Yeah, Ben’s right,” said everyone. Everyone started whispering to each other. He was waiting thirty minutes, and the girl’s bathroom line was gone. He was about to pee in his pants. He didn’t want to do it, but he did. He ran into the girl’s bathroom and started used it. He was glad no girls were in there. When he came out of the girl’s bathroom, everybody was crowded around the girl’s bathroom door.

A bunch of girls said, “Uh ooh!” and started hitting him. He got sent to the Principal’s office.

P.S. The Principal was very strict.

The Principal shouted, “WHY DID YOU GO TO THE GIRLS BATHROOM?”

I said, “Can you not spit on me please.”

The principal madly shouted again, “DON’T EVER TALK BACK TO THE PRINCIPAL, BEN HUCKLEBERRY!”

I said, “You have bad breath.”

The principal yelled out loud, “IF YOU TALK BACK TO ME ONE MORE TIME, YOU’RE GONNA BE KICKED OUT OF THIS SCHOOL AND BE KICKED IN THE BUTT!”

Ben was standing in front of the principal’s desk and was staring at the principal. Ben said, “Bye.”

The principal shouted again, “WAIT, DON’T GO YET. You cannot play on the playground for 1 week, and I will email your teacher.”

He said for the last time, “Fine.”  He quickly walked away, but the principal was so shocked.

After school, Ben went home. He did all his homework and played a video game. He saw his parents at 3:00 p.m. Ben was so tired he went to sleep at 6:00 p.m. When he woke up, he looked at his clock. It was 6:00 a.m., but the lights in the living room were on. It was very strange for Ben. He went downstairs and saw his parents, and his parents were making a frown on their face. Ben said, “Why do you have a frown on your face?”

His parents answered, “We heard that you were in trouble.”

So he was grounded, and that ground was about not playing video games and not watching TV and eating no desserts for one week. Ben was frustrated and thought in his mind, Why did I go in the girls’ bathroom?

He thought hard of an idea to make a time-traveler before one week. He went to the junkyard and got some things that he wanted to make a time-traveler with. He got an engine out of a car, a tire off a car, a window off a boat, etc. He quickly went back home and went into his room. He decided to make the time traveler on his mirror. He started putting those pieces together. He quickly turned on the button and the lights went off the house. Ben’s parents were like, “Ben?! What did you just do?”

He quickly hid his mirror under the bed. When the parents came in they didn’t notice. Then, when the parents went out, he started to make the time traveler again. The mirror started wiggling and he put his hand on it. His hand went through it. When he went inside the mirror, it was 1966. He could tell because he asked a stranger what the date was, and the stranger told him that it was 1966. So he went back in the mirror and came back to his room. After, he looked at his homework and saw that he needed to do science homework on a computer and it was due on Monday. So, he held the homework packet and showed his mom and his mom was like, “Ugh, fine.”

So Ben was like, “Yes!” He went upstairs with the laptop and started to get the USB’s in his room and connected his computer to the time traveler. He quickly typed in the date: 2014, Friday, September 2nd, 1 o’clock. After, the time traveler started to light up. This time, he went in and he was on the line of the boys bathroom, and he said, “Yes!”

So he waited one hour on the line and finally went to the bathroom. Then, he went into the mirror and back to his room. He went downstairs with his mom. His mom wasn’t mad at him and said, “Hi Ben, did you do all your homework?”

And Ben said, “Sort of.”

She said, “What do you mean by sort of?”

Ben said, “I only did my science homework.”

“Then go upstairs and do the rest of your homework and come downstairs. I have a big surprise for you.”

He did all his homework which took about an hour. He went downstairs and his mom was holding a big present, and he didn’t realize that it was his birthday today. So Ben ripped open the present. He was so surprised: he got his own laptop. He was finally waiting for that present, and a wish came true. He was so excited that he decided to put it in his room and his mom came up with him. Ben went quicker, so he hid the mirror under his bed, and he deleted the program on the computer. He placed his own computer on the place where his parents’ computer was. So he made a promise with his mom to say “I will never do bad stuff on this computer or inappropriate stuff,” and his mom said, “You make this promise, and if you break it, you lose your laptop.”

Ben said, “Okay Mom,” and his mom went downstairs. He went down too, and he ate cookies with his family, and it ends with a happy ending here.

T.G.I.F

Chapter 1

 

“JANET! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? THIS IS NOT NAP TIME!”

What?

My eyes slowly slid open. Ugh. It was still Monday, and I was still in English class.

“Mmmm… Sorry Ms. Brown. As you see, I had a hard time falling asleep last…”

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT! NOW, CAN YOU TELL ME THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION?”

I looked at the board. Uh-oh. It read: x-y=n (3/8+ 5/0.)=n. Ok, I admit, I fall asleep in class a lot. But I mean, hey! I missed half the lesson! A kid can’t just do that from the top of their head!

I said weakly, “Zero?”

My teacher’s voice softened. “I understand that you were most likely up late last night doing your homework, although I highly doubt that you really had that much. Anyway,  you did have that project–”

Then, Ms. Brown raised her voice.

“–THAT WAS DUE LAST MONTH! ANYHOW, YOU STILL HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR THAT HOMEWORK THAT YOU ‘MISSED’ LAST WEEK, AND…”

My face turned a bright shade of red, and I probably looked like a tomato. By the time my teacher had finished her lecture, it was time for lunch, my favorite period. I grabbed my lunch and raced down to sit on my favorite bench in the school yard.  It was the place to be if you just wanted some peace. For some reason, no one ever bothered to sit there and talk to their friends. Since I’m the new kid, I only have one friend and she was absent that day. Sprawling out on the bench and closing my eyes for a nap, I probably looked like a hobo. Before I knew it, the bell went off and I had to wake up, and walk to the school like a zombie. The next two periods were art class, which was my favorite too. I did not have to do everything perfect, and the teacher did not blab on and on and on about Freida Colo, and other famous artists*. I got to art class, and made one of those really good pictures that the teacher always brags about to the class.  

After that, I decided to sculpt the same horse that I painted, and that was the rest of the period. I set my horse on a piece of paper to dry, got my book bag from the locker room that I was keeping it in, and left the school.

I was about one block away from my house, and I saw a dog on a park bench. I knew that it was Ms. Henderson’s. Ms. Henderson is a old lady who is our grumpy old neighbor, and she can barely hear anybody when they speak. She treats her dogs like she would a soccer ball. Now, I don’t want to offend anyone here, but she is super slow. She walks, like, not even one mile an hour. Here’s the bad part about all of this. She has tons of little puppies, and they need to run around, right? And Ms. Henderson is a really slow walker, right? Squish this information together, and you get that she pushes her puppies with her cane every so often to get them to wait up for her, even when the pups are not even moving a muscle, waiting for her. So, when I saw this little puppy, I thought, why in the world would Ms. Henderson let her puppy go around free? Ms. Henderson would NEVER let her dogs run free.

The puppy was brown, and her fur was nice and soft. Her eyes were big, and her nose was big and wet. The ears were so cute and dainty, so I couldn’t help but love her. I’m not Miss Little Perfect, but I do have a weakness for dogs. Since my neighbor does not give her dogs a good, fresh meal, I decided to take the dog in for a little while, you know. Maybe, just maybe, dad would let me keep her. While I was walking home, I tried to think of a name for her. Princess? No way. FluffBall? Nah, not really. Cutie Pie? Nuh uh. It had to be a real name… not a cutie poopsy name. Hmm… Hope. That was a perfect name.

Hope was following me, and I was glad. I’m not the type of person who wants to pick up a dog. I tested the name out. “How’s it goin’, Hope?”

She responded by rubbing her head on my leg, which I took to be a sign that she liked the name.

Finally, we reached my house. I entered. My dad was sitting at the table, doing his work. “Janet!” he said. “Hi.”

I looked at my dad. Something was troubling him, I could tell.

“What is it, dad?” I asked.

“Come here, Janet,” he said in his no-joking voice.

“What?” I knew that there was nothing to be afraid of, because dad always made a little molehill into a big mountain.

I put the dog under the table, and it was really easy, since she was really small. “Your grades.”

I groaned. Then, I plopped down in a chair. “You need to stop not paying attention.”

“Okay,” I said. Usually, he just tells me something and I say okay, and then it’s done. Not today.

“Listen. You need to get your grades up or else you are going to flunk out.”

I tried again, “Okay, dad.”

He sighed. “Honey, I really need you to focus.” That was the end of the conversation. I took a deep breath, ready to introduce Hope.

“Dad, this is Hope. I want to know if she can stay here for the night, because Ms. Henderson is so harsh.”

The immediate answer was, “No. Honey, you know that… um… it’s a school night…”

I picked the dog up from under the table. “Look at her, won’t you? She is adorable, and I just know that mom and the kids will love her.”

Dad sighed again. “Okay, fine. Just for today. Now make Timmy’s lunch, prepare Susie’s backpack, and clean out the dishwasher. Oh, also, remember Mark’s going to dance class tomorrow–”

I said it even before he did, “and I’m in charge of him. I know, I know, Dad.”

Being the oldest in the family, I had the most responsibilities. Mark was four, Timmy was three, and Sue was six, but she acted like the was ten.

“Here, Hope!” I said. Then, I walked up my stairs. They were carpeted, so I had to help Hope get her claws un-stuck from it. I tucked her in my bed, like a little kid would do to her dolly.

 Now, as I said before, I had only one friend. She was my one and only single friend, but she was also the best friend one could have. In the worst times, she would do anything to save me, even if it meant that she had to get some cuts and bruises. One time, I climbed all the way up to the top of a tree (yes, I love to get myself stuck in trees). Well, it was nine in the night, and my parents and siblings had gone out to our country house for a night. They had insisted that I stay home to work on a month’s work of missed homework. And the moment I got up to the very top branch, I knew that I was stuck. Well, you can imagine how I felt, at nine in the night, with no one to get me down from the tree. But, with knowing that Claire had excellent hearing and lived right next door to me, I felt just a little bit better. Then, when I completely understood that I could not get down from the tree without help, I screamed at the top of my lungs, “CLAIRE! CLAIRE!” My friend stayed up until midnight, so of course she came out to help me. Since it was dark, we both got a couple scratches, but ended up fine.

I absentmindedly did the chores that I was asked to do, took a shower, put on my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and got in bed. I’m not the type of person who washes their hands, don’t ask me why. I picked Hope up, and plopped her down at the bottom of my bed. I would do anything for that dog, even if it meant giving up some of my meals for her lunch and dinner. I heard Mark crying for my mom to read him a story, Timmy whining for a snack, Susie complaining that she felt like she was going to puke because her pillow was not fluffy enough for her or something, and my parents scolding all if them.

“You kids have to just go to sleep! Janet is already in bed!” I knew that my mom was just using me as an example, I knew that she was not really that happy that I was in bed. That’s only because one time she caught me drawing when she thought that I was asleep. I thought that it was a pretty good time to fall asleep, just in case my mom said anything else about me.

 

Chapter 2

 

The week whizzed by, and by the time I knew it, it was Saturday. The very first thing I did was walk over to Claire’s house, and left a note on the counter that said where I went. Claire was an only child, and she woke up at, like, 6. I wake up at, like, 9. Hope was following me, and that was fine because I needed to show her to Claire.

But of course, getting into Claire’s house with a dog was not going to be that easy. No, they do not have a cat. And no, no one is allergic to dogs. BUT, Carmina, Claire’s mom, HATES dogs. And when I say HATES, I mean HATES, HATES, HATES dogs. She, like, has a thing for cats. I have a thing for dogs. I have always wanted a dog. Claire says that me and her mom are total opposites. This is how she put it: “You are mellow. My mom is super strict. You love dogs, she hates dogs. You hate cats, she loves cats.”

She is Mark’s teacher, and believe me, I know what goes on in his classroom. So, I decided to go back to my house and grab a bag to put Hope in. It worked really well. Well, kind of. I walked in, and zipped up the bag to that Hope’s head was not showing. Then, Carmina lifted her head up and said, “Hello. put the bag on the table.” Then, Hope snorted, and sneezed. Yep, I had to pretend that it was me.

“Uh… I have a… cold. Sorry.” I sniffled to add to my act.

Carmina sighed and said, “Mhmm. I said, PLEASE PUT THE BAG ON THE TABLE, sweetie.”

“Um… yes, I know that. But umm… me and Claire–”

Carmina interrupted, “Claire and I, sweets.”

“Okay, okay. Claire and I are going to play with something in this bag, so I probably should take it upstairs with me.”

“ALRIGHT, I get it, sweets. Go upstairs and play whatever stupid thing you are going to play with. BYE, sweets. Go along now swee-”

Suddenly, Hope started to move. Carmina said, “What stupid toy do you have in there, sweets? Could it be a DOG that you are trying to hide from me, sweetie?”

It really gets on my nerves how she calls everyone sweetie or sweets, and she calls everything that. She doesn’t know that it’s stupid. “No, I’m just showing her my new… um… cat.”

Carmina looked delighted. “Why, I thought you would never learn! Good for you, hon!”

Arrh! I hate it when people call me hon! I ran up the stairs, glad that I could get away from Carmina, and got to Claire. I burst into Claire’s room. It had a green bed, green curtains, a green closet, and a green rug. Claire was writing in her diary.

“Hey, girl!” she said the moment I walked in.

“Hi, sweets! How are you doing, sweetie! What is that stupid thing that you are writing in?” I said, mimicking her mother.

“Hey, hon! What is that stupid thing in your bag, sweetie?” Claire replied. We do this quite often, because it really gets on both of our nerves. Claire’s dad works all the time. His shifts are 6:00 a.m to 11:00 p.m.  He only gets two days off in the whole year, so Claire barely gets to see him unless he is sick and can not go into work. Even though I have never seen him, I can tell that he is the opposite of Carmina. I showed Claire Hope, and went home. My family just got home, and they were already unpacking. My mom stopped when I walked in the door, and said in a very stern voice, “Janet Eliza Mcnamara, come here this instant. I need to talk to you.” I slowly approached, trying to act like nothing strange was in my bag. “I got a call yesterday.”

“ Umm… That’s great. W-who was it from?” I said. My mother’s voice dropped dangerously low. She sure knows how to scare a kid.

“Well, who do you think?” Hope chose that moment to wiggle and sneeze. My mother prodded my bag. Then she said again, “Who do you think?”

Suddenly, it made sense. Ms. Henderson called, told my mother that one of her dogs were loose, said she was almost sure who had it, and that she was going to give that child such a beating. I couldn’t think about it anymore.

“I’m so sorry, don’t do anything. I was just trying to help her please,” I said in a voice that you just simply have to go, “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, please don’t cry. Come, give me a hug.” And of course, that is just what my mother said, but without the give me a hug part. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Ms. Henderson walked in. Then, everything went black.               

 

Chapter three

 

I woke up to the sound of Ms. Henderson saying that she loves her dogs so much, and she would do anything for them. She was wearing a purple dress and a big frown.

“There, she’s awake now! Oh! And the dog is in that bag! Hi, Ms. Sugar Bunch!” Ms. Henderson said in her crackly voice. My mother was sitting at the table, and my father was sitting next to her. Timmy and Mark were playing with dolls, and Susie was setting the table for dinner. She always loves to please mom and dad.

“What are you doing here? And her name is HOPE, not Ms. Sugar Bunch.” I said, as  boldly as I could.

“Who are you to tell me what MY dogs name is?” Ms. Henderson snapped. My mother shot me a look saying, “I am so going to kill you,” but I honestly didn’t care.

Even though I knew that Hope was really Ms. Henderson’s dog, I said, “She is my dog now. Do you really think that she liked it with you? I mean, who in their right mind kicks their dogs for no reason?”

Ms. Henderson gasped. Hope now had gotten out of the bag, and was whimpering. She leaned on me, and her big sad eyes said it all. Don’t let me go with her, please!  I’ll never pee on your bed again! Yes, last night Hope peed on my bed, but I was able to spray Febreeze and wipe the pee up, and my room was as good as new. Timmy and Mark stopped playing, and were staring, open mouthed at us. Susie finished setting the table, and was now filling glasses, totally oblivious to what was happening. I knew that I was going to get grounded, but I would do whatever it took to help my dog.

“I think you should go to your room for a couple minutes,” my mom said quietly. Even though she said it calmly, I could see the anger in her eyes. I walked upstairs, and took Hope with me. The truth was, I did not go upstairs, but I kind of stomped in place, so that mom thought that I was going up. I crouched down, so they could not see me. Hope ran upstairs and hid under my bed, and I was fine with that. My mother and Mrs. Henderson were talking in hushed tones, so I couldn’t hear them. Mark, who is my favorite sibling (don’t ask me why), ran up the stairs, and sat down next to me. He was only four, and was adorable. He opened his mouth, probably to ask me why I was there, but before he said anything, I clamped my hand over his mouth. He was very loud, and I did not want to be in more trouble than I was already in.

“I’m eavesdropping. Either sit down, or go to your room,” I whispered. He sat down.

“What’s evedropping?” he whispered.

“Its eavesdropping, stupid. It means to listen in when you are not supposed to.” I picked Mark up and put him on my lap. Okay, I admit it, I was nervous.

I overheard Mrs. Henderson say, “Yes, but there would be a price to pay.” And then I think my mom might have asked if it would be money or chores? Really, I just heard little snippets of the conversation, but it seemed that I would be paying quite a bit of money for Hope. At one point, Mark went back down to play with Timmy. Then, mom yelled up the stairs, “JANET! COME BACK DOWN HERE! WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU!”

I wished myself good luck, and walked down the stairs. As soon as I got halfway downstairs, I noticed that Hope was right behind me, and I was glad. I can always count on that dog.

Right then and there, I promised myself that whatever it took to win Hope, I would do it. I would do it for two reasons. The first one was that I really did not want to give Mrs. Henderson the pleasure of keeping her dog just to kick it around, when it was the sweetest dog in the world. The other is that all of my siblings have pets. Timmy has a fish, and Mark has a frog. Sue had a cat, but only because she got all A’s on her report card, and she spent one month working on an extra credit project for school. I was the only one without a pet, even though I was the oldest. I reached the bottom of the stairs, and saw a very perplexing sight. Mrs. Henderson looked as if she just just lost a war, but got $1,000,000 out of it. We were all quiet, and it was really awkward.

Mrs. Henderson finally broke the silence and said, “Sugar Bunch, come here! I know that stupid girl…” Mrs. Henderson turned to me and glared. Finally, she took her gaze off of me and continued to talk to Hope, “I know that stupid girl has taken terrible care of you.” Then, in a whisper, she said, “Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of here soon enough.”

Even though she said it so she thought that only Hope could hear, I heard every word of it. I guess mom did also, because she looked at Mrs. Henderson in a funny way, and then started to speak. “Well, Janet, we thought that if you could maybe give Mrs. Henderson some of your own money, because she needs it for her health, and her other dogs. Also, maybe you could do some chores around her house. We still have to talk about how much money it would be and how many hours you would be working for, but–”

Mrs. Henderson interrupted, “I think that she should work for at least 100 hours in all, and maybe 500 dollars. This dog was worth a million dollars, you know. You’re getting a big discount.”

“Well, Janet, does that seem fair to you?” My mom asked me. No, I said in my head, but out loud, I said, “Okay, sure.”

Mrs. Henderson sighed, like she thought that this big ordeal was just too much for her old bones. She was 81, and she was a hunchback. I think she had Parkinson’s also, but you can never be too sure. She slowly got up, and I shook her hand. She hugged a happy Hope, and left without another word. Mark, Tommy, Sue, and I celebrated by calling Claire and  baking brownies.

 

EPILOGUE

 

I finally paid off the 500 dollars!!! Tomorrow I can finally stop working for old Mrs. Henderson! She is going to a nursing home in one month, and a girl who was my age is moving into her old house! YAY! Hope is in good health, and she found some doggie friends that lived across the street. Sue transferred to my school and I helped her with her homework, and it turns out that she is not so perfect after all! Timmy did everything he can to help out with Hope, and Mark decided that he would be a big boy, and do almost everything by himself. My life is good after all!!!

 

—————————————————————————————–

*Last year, my art teacher did that and I fell asleep in class half the time. Also, I got nightmares from all of the things she told us about the artists. She was probably the worst art teacher that I ever had!

 

SAM’S BIG ADVENTURE [ + the mailman ]

There was an alien named Sam. He was purple, had stringy arms, had two eyes, his face was a circle, and last but not least, he always had a smiley mouth. He was watching TV.  He watched until there was a commercial about things that were called “Pets” on Earth.

“Ghtjdtyuuiikjdcbnmamagtrdhhhjhtrefggnjndsjkhevtye,” he said, which meant, “I want to see that really badly!” Then the commercial on TV said that the humans on earth are going to make a show about pets.

“lkjdkad;kadjf.” That meant, “Super, I want to see it.” But, he noticed it could only be bought in the pet shop! But it was on Earth!

I have to build a spaceship, he thought.

Two weeks later:

“Okay, it’s ready to try out! Okay, ready, set, blast off!! Ahhhhh, that didn’t work.”

A week later after a bunch of testing and fixing:

“Finally, I know it works because I tried it. But wait, I don’t have a map to know where the planet called Earth is!” He said in alien language, “Aljdflkaj;dlfaslaljfdadk hdakfja jdklfajsi.”

Suddenly, there was a mail delivery from the mailman. He was lime yellow. He had a tie-dye shirt. He was holding a magenta letter. He was wearing a pair of homemade shorts and he had purple shoes. His face was a weird shape and he had a little bit of lime green hair.

The mailman had been spying on Sam the whole time.  He actually traveled all the way to Earth to look for the pet shop and write where it is.  The letter said it was a map to go to Earth and the certain pet shop.

“Akdjljfldf,” or “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Sam said. But then Sam said, “Akj,” which meant “Uh.”

“Skafjkfk jkdj kajiwjf,” said the mailman, which meant, “I’ve been spying on you the whole time!”

Sam was a little bit confused and happy. He was happy because now he knew he could go there and knew where to go.

“Can I go with you?” asked the mailman, which in alien language meant, “Askah djkc poona cada.”

“Oosa,” Sam said, which meant, “Yes.”

The trip to Earth was fun. On the trip, they ate asteroid pieces and comet nibbles. The trip was fun until…THERE WAS A FORCE FIELD!!!

“REALLY???!!!” Sam said. That means, “TFRGTF!!!”

Then the mailman said, “There’s a certain black hole that you have to go into to get to the other side, and inside that black hole are four other black holes, and you have to pick the right one.” That meant, in alien language, “kjhaiuhwe;fkjna.skjhiueh.”

Then Sam said, “dtfgfgfgffggffttfgffgghhgfdsdfdgfggggfd,” and that meant,  “But where is the black hole???”  

“Gythghgfhtfghgghghghhghggffgfddet,” said the Mailman. That meant, “Well that is what we are going to have to find out.” Done done DONE!!!!!

16 minutes later, there were two black holes.

“Which one is right?” said the mailman, which in alien language was, “uh;khkjhkjhjk.”

“Well, one black hole is black and one is brownish, and this one is a special black hole, so it’s not supposed to be like an actual black hole,” said the mailman.
“Okay, so we take the brownish hole,” said Sam, which in alien language meant, “lkuhkuhiuhui.”  So they took the brownish hole.  

Meanwhile… ECHO echo… QUACK quack.

Sam said, “WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” That means, “bdcbhfdbhfdxdfjh!!!”         

“NO WHAT DID YOU SAY?” said the mailman. That means, “DFGFGHHGGGFHYTFTYHGT???”

Then they saw a duck before their eyes.

“AHHHHHHH!” they screamed. The mailman’s lime green hair shot up like a rocket.

Suddenly, this guy appeared in the black hole. He had the body of a genie but he was not actually a genie. He said, in a strange voice, “The duck is a creature from earth. It is a pet — sometimes. They were trying to make teleporters, but then instead they accidentally sent a duck into this black hole. So don’t worry.”

Then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Poof!

Then four black holes were in front of them each a different color.

“WAIT!!!!” said the mailman. “Don’t say anything. Because each of them means danger, but the yellow ones lead to quicksand, the blue one leads to really big waterfalls with alligators and mean fish in it, the red one leads to lava, the purple ones leads to an army of alive eggplants. So also, the walls are purple, so we should take the purple one. Anyway that’s the only one where there’s a possibility that we won’t die. All the other ones we’ll definitely die. Ready, set, hold your breath! We’re going in!”

They held their breaths and went inside. When they came out, they saw a giant army of eggplants with at least one yellow tooth sticking out of their mouths.

“Okay, did you bring the lava?” said the mailman.

They heard the eggplant say, “Okay, did you bring the boxing gloves?”

Then all said at the same time, including Sam and the mailman, “Yes! Ready, charge!”

Sam said to the mailman, “You know, just boxing, there’s a possibility we won’t die, but if the lava gun doesn’t kill the eggplants, then the red hole might be safe! But we have to first test the lava gun. And if the lava gun kills all the eggplants, then we know the red hole isn’t safe.”

“Ready, set, chaaaaaaarge!”

The eggplants all got blown away in the lava except one. The master of the eggplants. He was the size of a country house. He had the stinkiest breath ever and he had an an Alaskan headband that he stole from Alaska on Earth. He put it on his thumb because he was so big.

“Are you ready? Give it to him!”

They squirted lava in his eyes which were as big as a chandelier. They were bloodshot and bloody. The eyes fell out so he started thrashing about like crazy, so they spilled the lava on his heart and he died. But what the mailman forgot to say is, “Be aware, there also are live grapes everywhere.”

So then there were these little mini grapes who were like grape bombs. They look like grapes with little faces on them. But you had to go across them without getting hit by one, because they were explosive. So they carefully tiptoed across. Suddenly, Sam said, “Hurry, hop in the ship!”

That was because there was the end of the path in the purple black hole and if you stepped off, it would be like falling off a cliff. So, they rode in the spaceship and that black hole was meant to shoot you onto Earth so they shot up onto Earth.

The trip took two hours because of all the battling.

When they got to Earth they ALMOST forgot to put a human costume on! When they put the costumes on, they went to the pet store. At the pet store, Sam pointed at the TV so the pet store guy gave them the tickets to watch the show and then he watched it. It was the best! It was exciting and funny and awesome and cute and everything it could possibly be. Then he decided to go out on Earth and play an alien game on the grass before they left. The game is called Houhknoijij. When they went back to the spaceship, they took the video with them so they could watch it again.

It was a very long and exciting trip, especially when they made an eggplant shooter from the dead eggplants.

 

THE END

The Witch Books

Dear whatever I’m supposed to call you,

 

I can’t believe my parents have been holding this secret from me all my life. I’m a witch!!! Not those fictional ones from the movies or books, but an actual witch. They told me on my sixteenth birthday, but to me I think they should have told me this when I was younger. They gave me this book because they want me to write all my feelings in it, which is stupid because I’m not eleven anymore, I don’t need a diary. Well, my mom is calling for me. I guess she’s going to tell me more things I didn’t know my whole life up until now. I wonder if they are even my actual parents.

Nope, turns out they are my actual parents. They said I need to go to a “witch academy” and learn more about who I am. This day sucks. If only I could go to the froyo store and gets some yogurt with my friends. But my life isn’t normal anymore thanks to my parents. Uh, I guess I’m not a human anymore. I’m a witch, a witch. I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! UGGGHHH! I feel like I’m two years old and my mom’s saying, “Darling you’re gonna be a witch for halloween,” but this is real. Like, I said it about a thousand times already and it still doesn’t feel right. While I’m here in my room reading witch books — roll eyes — my friends are hanging out without me. Could my life get any worse? Yep it can. My “parents’’ are calling me for a family meeting, which usually means, “I talk, you listen, and you better not argue with me young lady.”

“Darling I’m so worried about you,” said my mother. “You shouldn’t be up in your room. Jeez louise, it’s the summer. Go have fun.”

Great, I’m still treated like a baby. Why don’t they put me in a diaper, put a bib around my neck, and get me a play pen? Then I might actually look like one.

“Venesa, you are going to have to stop babying her. She going to study all day, everyday, for this whole summer till she knows everything she needs to know to become an amazing witch. I had to give that up because I married you. I want her not to give up her chance to learn all of this,” my dad says, starting to get emotional. Great, I have a mom who babies me and a dad who is over emotional. What else does life have to bring me? Well no point in having dinner, I lost my appetite already.

As I get in bed I imagine all the fun things my friends are doing without me. THIS LIFE SUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKSSSSSSS (again).

 

Why should I bother tittling you,

 

Here is another day of me spending in this house, ugh. My dad keeps on telling me ‘stop your attitude,’ but I really don’t care what anyone says anymore. As I open the book of wisdom, I notice all these amazing spells. One turns you into a duck, and another makes things come alive. As I flip through more pages I come up to one that can make you invisible. Maybe I can turn myself invisible to sneak out the house and have fun with my friends while my parents think I am learning these spells. I’m a genius. I’m totally getting the hang of this witch thingy. If only I knew what potions I need to make this spell.

I go into my parents bedroom to see if there was any potions there. As I was about to leave I noticed a pair of my mom’s high heels, but they didn’t look like any of her regular pair. There seemed to be letters and numbers all around. It was unusual and strange. I come closer to see and investigate more deeply.

As I touch the numbers and letters, I come upon a letter that looked different from the rest and I noticed it had ancient words around it. As I touch the surface of that weird looking number, a door opened out of nowhere. I peer inside and there were tons of witch books and spells, potions, and a pot that you could use to try out the potion. It seems as if someone was in there recently before I came. Maybe mom was in there because when I was walking by after I got a glass of water, I saw her go inside a door that I didn’t see before in their room. I didn’t pay much mind before because I was so mad. Every color you could ever imagine was in bottles that are used to make spells. WOOOOOOOOWWW. I never thought being a witch could be so cool! OMG, why did I just say that? This is getting weird.

As I look at the pair of pumps again, I notice a number that looked very strange. As I touch it, the door automatically shuts and turns into a wall again. I run out of their room just to see my parents outside. “Why were you in our room,” asks Dad.

“I was just looking for a pencil and I couldn’t find one,” I say. Just to tell, I’m a terrible liar, but I think they believed me. Wow, they’re so gullible. I better go before my dad sees me not looking at that stupid book.                    

I may be writing this stuff, but I still don’t like this journal idea.

 

Uhh you know what I am not even going to bother,

 

My mind keeps on wondering to that spells and potion room, but I keep telling myself to stop thinking about it. I made up this thing so every time I think about that room I have to pinch myself. You know what, I’m not going to do THAT. Maybe I could just sneak up and get the potions —

NO!!! I can’t do that.

But —

NOOOO!

Ugh. It’s just so tempting, soooo tempting, but I know I would get caught. It’s like water. I can’t live without going into that room.

Earlier that day my friend called me saying, “Come over to my house. My mom is not here and I’m throwing an awesome party.”

“I can’t,” I told her, which made her like, mad. So like, she said, “We aren’t, like, friends any more, like, dUUUHHHH!”

She’s there for, like, a good two minutes saying that. I think her “likes” are contagious. I can’t, like, stop saying/using them. I’m probably not popular anymore. Ugh. From one to ten, I used to be a ten and now I’m like a nine. WAAAHHH! I’M A NIIINNNE! Not even a ten, a nine. I might as well just stay in my room foooreeevvveeerrr!

It is not like they’re gonna let me out till school starts anyway.

 

Fine I’ll title you: Dear Diarrhea,

 

I have really bad stomach aches all the time. That is why I always need to do it… Ooops wrong story.

 

Dear Dairy,

You know dairy makes me gassy. That is why in class I am always farting and blaming it on other peop… Whoops, wrong again!

 

Dear Thingy majiggy I don’t want to use,

 

Sorry you got the wrong page. If you ever tell anyone I will find you, then kill you. Anyways, now that we are off that subject, I decided that I am like, (Sorry, the ‘likes’ are fading, but by time) gonna go since they’ve been so like, mean. Gosh, why can’t they be like grandma and wake up in the morning, then fall asleep on the couch listening to the radio. So here’s the plan (you better not like, tell my parents): I’m gonna wait till they go to sleep, then I will go into their room quietly, and take the stuff I need to make the invisibility spell, so I can sneak off whenever I like, want. I know, I am brilliant. You can scream it if you would like to now…

Sorry I couldn’t finish it, my mom and dad almost caught me not studying. Good thing I had this book in the spell book. My mom and dad are are asleep now, so I just have wait a few minutes till I hear their loud snores.

I finally heard their snores going through the walls, so I got up and opened the door quietly. I heard a creak (ugh, what a stupid door). I walk down the hallway carefully trying not to make any more noises. As soon as I opened the door I was greeted by my mother. She knew.

“Oh Oh,” I said aloud.

“Don’t worry sweetie, I didn’t tell your father. Hehehe,” she cackled. Then something changed. She looked like Medusa! No it couldn’t be. I blinked again just to make sure I was seeing correctly. She, or this thing, was still there. Suddenly my mom was back to normal.

“Go to sleep darling. We’ll talk about this in the morning.” I walk down the hall still confused, as I lay in my bed. I wonder if my imagination was playing tricks on me as I drift off to sleep.

 

Hello thingy,

 

As I slowly drifted back to the real world and out of my dream, I got up from bed. That was a strange dream. Something about my mom being Medusa. The smell of pancakes drifted up my nose. As I sat down with my mom and dad, I told them about my dream. My mom’s grin suddenly widened mysteriously, almost like the way Medusa did. Dad on the other hand looked like I smacked him in the face (which I wouldn’t mind doing) and told me never to speak of that again because Medusa killed his parents. He also told me she was the most powerful witch and she has been searching for him forever. Ugh, why do parents have to be overactive? But if Medusa killed me that would be a reason to cry like, come on. My mom’s grin quickly disappeared as a sorrow look appeared on her face. I was so flabbergasted that I didn’t know what to think. Ugghhh, why can’t my brain just get smarter. Life is just so hard.

 

Omg Diary,

 

I just saw my mother change into Medusa! I knew it all along. Of course, now her reaction to me dream this morning makes sense. Wait, she is probably trying to kill me and my dad. NOOO! This can’t possibly happen, then she is gonna be after me. I can’t die I am way too beautiful to die, like, I have to become a ten again and I can’t do that with Medusa on my back. You know what, I am telling my mo- Medusa to leave me alone.

As I walk up to Medusa I tell her, “You should leave, because like, you are way too bad to live here and my dad is gonna freak.”

“Sweetie, it’s ok. Besides, I was hoping that we could unite and have power over everyone. Mwaahaha” My mom- I mean, Medusa says savagely.

“NO, NEVER!” I say loudly, trying to get my dad to hear me.

“Fine, we’ll just have to do it the hard way. Guards!” My mother voice screeched and her snakes hissed. I felt my dad’s arms around me.

“Where should I take her?” He was hypnotized. That’s when I started screaming.

 

Dear Diary,

 

I am in a dark room. Wait I see a sliver of light. I touch the doorknob. It’s open! I escape quickly past the guards. I don’t know how.

 

Dear Diary,

 

These are my last pages. I want you to know that I am safe. I remember hearing the loud scream of Medusa as she finds me not in that place she locked me in. Wait, I remember the door being locked a few seconds and then when I woke up again it was unlocked. Somehow I knew Medusa didn’t open it. I don’t have anyone, but I am safe, that’s all I can tell. She, Medusa will be after be after me. I just know it.

 

Dear Diary,

 

NO! She is here! Medusa is here! I don’t know how she found me. I could feel her breath on my back. I won’t look into her eyes. Only I can defeat her.

I can feel my anger rising inside me. I screamed and light was all around me. I pushed it towards Medusa’s heart. That is when I noticed a wand in my hand. WHAT THE HECK? Is this Harry Potter or something?

I say some words in Latin. Wait, how did I speak Latin? That is why in school I knew all the Italian words and everything! They came so easily in my head.

Medusa vanished as quickly as she came. My dad suddenly came in the room confused. “What happened?” my dad says  dizzily as he sat at the edge of my bed. I quickly tell him.

I see tears emerge from his eyes as he snatched me into a deep hug. “I am so sorry sweetheart.” Ugh he is getting snot on my sweater.

“I won’t stay here for long. I know there are more monsters out their dad.”

“Fine but be safe.”

“I am still gonna finish high school.”

“Ok.”

Ugh, why can’t my family just pull itself together?

 

5 Years Later

 

Dear last page of my diary,

 

You know I found you in an old box in my attic? I’ve killed many other monsters:  Dracula, Darth Vader (yeah he is real), and many sirens.

I am in college, but don’t worry, I still fight the monsters.

Dad just died because he got cancer. I wish I spent more time with him instead of just being a teenager.

But I have bigger things to worry about. There’s a new monster in town, but they don’t know what they’re dealing with.

Boo-Goo Land

PROLOGUE

 

Lillian snuggled up in her covers. It was winter and she was under the heaviest blanket  she could find in her house. She was waiting until her father came back from his weekly shopping. Lillian was nodding, slowly asleep, then wide awake. When was he coming back to tuck her in and give her a gentle kiss goodnight?

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

Lillian crept up the stairs as the door closed. Her father had just went out to go shopping for groceries. One of the stairs creaked. Lillian froze. She got up and ran up the stairs. She didn’t know where she was going until she burst into her father’s lab. Since her parent’s divorce, nothing had gone right in her life. She barely saw her mom and when she did, her mom knew nothing of how her father had tried to do everything to keep her out of his laboratory. She walked around, inspecting every little piece of material she saw. After feeling a piece of felt, she suddenly saw a shiny, glowing object in the corner. She crept over and, picking it up, saw that it was pure gold. After that, she saw another piece: it was a diamond. All around in that little corner was everything that she had asked for for when she was younger. Just for old times sake, Lillian grabbed a piece of gold and stuffed it deep into her pocket.  

Suddenly, she heard the door open. She looked around frantically. Where can I hide? She dove into a large tube just as her father walked into the room. He looked around and picked up something that looked like a baby bottle. He opened the cap and took the tiniest sip. He started to shake and wiggle. He went out of focus. There was a bright light and when Lillian looked back at where her father had been standing, he was gone. Now I know why he’s been keeping me out, Lillian thought. She rested her arm, for she thought that she didn’t have anything to worry about. She thought that she was in just a regular tube. But, boy was she wrong. Her elbow touched a little button and in a gust of wind she flew up the tube.

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

She landed in rainbow grass. She got up, rubbing her sore leg. She looked around. This place was just what she had imagined when she read the book Alice in Wonderland. She heard a rustling in the bushes. She thought it would be a horrible creature so she ducked down to hide. As the creature emerged from the pink bushes, she only realized it was her cousin, Tom, who died two years ago. When he saw her, he smiled.

“I thought you would never come,” Tom said.

How did he know I was gonna be here? Is he alive again? It’s possible. She was about to ask those questions, but her mind was about to burst with more important questions, “WhereamiWhyamIhereWhatAmIDoingHere….”

“Wooooah! Calm down,” said Tom. “I can only answer one question at a time.

Lillian sighed. If she couldn’t ask all of her questions then why ask any? “Where are we?”

“That, only Time can answer.” And with that, Tom disappeared in a flash.

Lillian stared at the space where Tom had been standing. Who is Time? Lillian wondered. She walked around, very curiously. Suddenly, an animal with 400 legs and no arms crawled out from the hollow trunk of a large tree. She walked around trying to find where and how that animal had just walked out from that tree. There was no exit or entrance. Then, as if out of nowhere, a butterfly flew by and disappeared into the tree. More and more animals left and entered the tree, but Lillian still couldn’t understand how they got in. A tiny creature ran under Lillian’s feet and tripped her, making her fall toward the tree. Instead of bumping into the tree, she simply fell through it.

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

She woke up in a large fluffy bed. She couldn’t lift herself from the bed. It took her a long time to get her eyes even a millimeter open. When she did, she saw three strange creatures.

“This thing is trying to communicate. But nothing is happening!”  

Lillian then heard the familiar voice of Tom speaking.

“She is trying to communicate but she uses the same language as me,” said Tom.

“Let’s go wake her up. She has slept for three days already.” Lillian jumped to attention but she couldn’t open her eyes any wider than they already were. Have I slept for three days?! I must have been unconscious for a long time. At that moment, she heard a mix of suction cups walking towards her and some slimy gooey substance slinking towards her. A creature spooned a medicine that tasted like mangos into her mouth. Her eyes popped open and she was able to get up and walk around the new strange room. There were three interesting looking chairs in the corner. They each had one leg. There were shelves with bottles of peaches. It was very dark in the room.

“Where is the light here? I can’t see.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. what is this thing called ‘light’? I’ve never heard of it.”

“The more important question is, what is this creature’s species?” said a very tiny alien that had four legs and four arms.

“I’m Lillian!” Lillian cried. The tiny alien seemed to understand.

Lillian picked up a little piece of gold that had fallen onto the floor. It was the piece of gold she had stuffed in her pocket when she was in her father’s lab.  While wandering around the room, she fell over one of the chairs in the alien’s abode. The one legged chair fell over with Lillian. She stood up slowly, and saw she had a large scrape on her knee that was going to puss up. Lillian grimaced and muttered, with the piece of gold held tightly in her hand, “I wish my knee would heal up,” and it instantly healed up. Tom, Lillian, and the aliens were astonished. Lillian gasped, and let the thought of having a wishing piece of gold register in her mind. When she understood, she grumbled, “I wish I would know where I am.” A few seconds passed, and she still didn’t know. Suddenly a thought popped in her head. You are in boogoo land, otherwise known as tropical 956132.

Lillian smiled. With this little piece of gold, she realized she could get Tom to tell her everything.

“I wish that Tom would tell me what he remembers from being at home.”

“I do not remember very much. You are very lucky that I remember you,” Tom murmured without moving his lips. Lillian was shocked. She ran outside.

 

CHAPTER 4

 

Outside, Lillian ran and ran and ran and ran, until she came to the strange tree she had gone through. She walked to it but something stopped her. In the corner of her eye, she saw a lady, but she was a mix between a possum and a regular human.

“Call me Miss. Possum,” the possum lady said. “What are you doing here?” Before Lillian could say anything, Miss Possum took her hand and led her into a little cottage she had.

Tom picked up the piece of gold that Lillian didn’t realize she had dropped when she ran out. He could only remember that it granted him wishes, and he wished to be next to Lillian.

Tom appeared in Miss Possums cottage. She was pouring some herbal tea for Lillian in a delicate china tea cup.  

“Hello,” said Miss Possum. “Who might you be?”

“Sincerely, I don’t know,” said Tom.

“Do you remember anything about yourself?” asked Miss Possum.

“I don’t know.”

“Has this boy taken a magical potion before?” Miss Possum questioned Lillian.

“No. Not that I know of, and he wouldn’t be able to know.”

“Oh dear, oh dear. This will never work.”

“Huh?” Lillian wondered aloud.

“Well, I was thinking that maybe if we give him one of my potions, he will be able to get his memory back.”

“But why is that bad?” said Lillian

“Because since he’s never taken a potion, he won’t be used to it and we won’t know the results. But maybe……..”

Lillian said, “Just try!”

“I will.”

 

CHAPTER 5

 

Lillian screamed. The potion was put in a needle, and had been injected into Tom. He immediately fell to the floor. Lillian looked down at him, breathing hard. What is his name again? I think it’s Jon. No! She thought. Why can’t I remember? Lillian staggered back. She wondered for a split second if what happened to Tom was starting to happen to her. When the possum woman spoke she jumped, startled.

“I think he’ll be alright. He is just undergoing the side effects.” Tom sprung up, looking cheery.

Miss Possum leaned over and whispered, “He will give you all of the information he has gathered.

“Hey again, guys! Guess what? We have two more days until Lillian loses her memory! Isn’t that superb?” Tom exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Lillian gasped, looked around and fainted into Miss Possum’s arms.

 

CHAPTER 6

 

When Lillian came to, she realized she was back in bed. Her dad was shaking her awake. “Sweetie,” he was whispering. “Wake up!”

Lillian struggled to sit up in bed. “Dad? You’re not invisible anymore! Where are Miss Possum and Tom? Wait. I think I am losing my mind already!”

Her father looked at her as if she was out of her mind. “Honey, I just came back from the grocery store. Did you have a bad dream?”

Lillian looked at her dad and asked, “So… why don’t you let me go in your lab?”

Lillian’s father sighed, shaking his head. “I work with chemicals, chemicals that are too dangerous for you to come in contact with. I have nothing against you, dear. I never meant to offend you or anything of the sort. Just go to sleep, alright?” He kissed Lillian’s head and went out of the room. Lillian settled down to fall asleep.

 

THE END

                Or not…….

 

Epilogue:  Lillian, for the next couple of days, thought only about the crazy dream that had spawned unexpectedly in her brain, in her sleep. Maybe, she thought. Maybe it means something. I guess whoever controls all of the dreams wanted me to think about something.

 

THE real  END

Gone, the Eraser

Chapter One 

: (    My Job is Way Too Impossible    ):

 

Hi. I’m Gone, the Eraser. I hate my owner, Rafael. He is destroying my job! And his pencil leaves disgusting marks all over the place whenever he walks somewhere. My job is a lot harder because of him. His pencil is a pain in the butt. Literally. I try to grab the shark eraser to scare him and make him run away, but I don’t have arms. I try to talk to him but he has no ears.

I have not eaten any black marks since Saturday. My owner, Rafael, is a rude student. Really, HE is making MY job harder. He is so dumb. He uses numbers to write. So I go into his folders and try to erase everything before the class starts. He was held back three times by me erasing all his stuff. He thought it was so mysterious. When his class gets in with all their ugly people, I hide in my desk and start fake sleeping. At night I get tired, so I try sleeping, but he has a teacher who is never cold and leaves the AC on all the time, so it is so hard to sleep. In word study, the teacher tells people what to write (a lame word) and do VCV or CVC (Vowel-Consonant-Vowel or Consonant-Vowel-Consonant). So basically it is the teacher’s fault that she’s making people do all the work and I have to erase it. Rafael says the teacher is an evil mind. She actually is a really ugly head. The teacher is really the only bad one, because if Rafael doesn’t do his assignments he gets detention. He says detention is boring.

Maybe Rafael isn’t so bad after all… Notice I said “maybe.”

 

Chapter Two

Nights

 

Every night I go inside his folders and erase until I die. I could erase all his stuff easily, but the thing is that there are only 15 days of school left! And don’t forget I still have to erase notebooks. Today I am erasing and suddenly a bat comes in. His eyes gaze at mine, so I go in my pencilcase and lock it.

I don’t come out until somebody catches the bat. This guy named Wilson catches the

bat. He is the custodian. He is bald with a big beard. Rafael is very messy, so Wilson yells at him a lot. He comes at night. He leaves notes on top of his desk like, “WHY ARE YOU SO MESSY!?”or “BE NEAT!” It is actually a little funny. This night, I finish the final notebook. I erase the name on the front and I creep out of the building. I put the stack of notebooks in  the garbage can down the street. I’ve gotta go back quickly. The first student comes in. I run back to class 782. I have to stop erasing.

 

Chapter Three

All About Rafael

 

Rafael Luttmann has brown hair, brown eyes, and is always wearing a yellow and orange sweater. He likes the weird thing with numbers and reading. He is more of a troublemaker. This because he’s already been held back three times, so luckily I doesn’t have AS much to erase. Still a lot, though. He goes to the principal a lot when he gets in trouble.

Chapter Four  

The Final Countdown!

 

I have erased all Rafael’s notebooks and am left with the thing with numbers on the last day of school. Still, they have to do a worksheet. I have an amazing idea! I put the pencil inside the fast moving fan. And… CHOP! When it is worksheet time, Rafael has nothing to write with! He doesn’t do it, and the teacher doesn’t notice! I have erased Rafael’s 4th grade!

Yay!

Chapter Five

Report Card

 

Today I went to Rafael’s house. He gets all mad when he gets all F’s. He gets mad at me for erasing all his work, including tests.

He almost throws me in a big black thing. It is Mount Everest! It is very fun but stinky. There are yellow slides (I think he calls them banana peels) but that is the only good thing it had in there. There are orange peels and a couple glass bottles. But then his mom says, “No.” I am a very expensive eraser.

So I won’t erase needlessly anymore, ever. I turned a bad habit into a good one! Rafael will probably be happy with me. Future school days will be bright as Rafael’s cheeks!

THE END!

Rusted tin cottage

Rusted tin cottage

filled with happiness

in the middle of a dark,

scary rainstorm.

The rain pours down,

slowly soaking the happiness up,

but the vast amount of contentment

fights back with joy and glee,

bliss and delight.

But the jubilation

goes out.

The world loses

its light.

The storm slows,

being replaced with

light and peace.

The Legend of Games

Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a game called The Legend of Games. It was like Minecraft, but cooler. The person who created The Legend of Games was named Calli. She added a new update for lightning, a health, a food bar, and a drink bar. She added potions and a portal. She added one more cool update, a dragon with green eyes, and black scales.

In The Legend of Games, you can find ice-breathing dragons. There is Goo Land, it was very gooey, like jello. If you stepped into the pool and stayed there for two seconds you’d die. In Goo Land there are goo monsters and they drop poisonous goo potions.

There are diamond doors, and they lead to your house. There are security beams and security cameras for your house in the regular world. There are security beams and cameras cause the monsters are too hard to beat. There are magical keys that can open anything under the doormat.

 

Chapter 2

The main character in the game was a boy called Harry. He has ten health points, and ten food bars. Health points are how much more lives you have, and they always grow back. Food bars are how many times you need to eat your food, because if there is one food bar left, you die. Harry wants a ten-story house. He has to make the build all by himself.

He has to go to Mega Security Block to get supplies. Harry has ten thousand dollars because he’s been saving up. He has to walk five medium blocks. On his way to the store, Harry encounters an ice-breathing dragon. He felt afraid because he thought the dragon was going to eat him. He saw the dragon and he dug a hole in the ground and the dragon couldn’t go through because it was too small.

He knew where to go because he had a compass. As he was digging, he encountered a drill lion. He tried to go back and dig different holes. When he tried going towards the store, he tried going into one of the holes, dig more, and go to the building store. Harry got ten hundred blocks of mega block security. He bought things for his house, like: sofas, beds, flower pots, flowers, bushes, ladders, tables, torches, chairs, and swords.

 

Chapter 3

On his way back home, some slime got in his way. He tried to go back to his house five blocks in front of him. Five minutes later he made it through with his sword that he bought. He killed the slime with his sword, and after killing it he got poisonous slime potions.

He finally made it to his old house, and then he started building his ten story house. It was night time. It was hard to see, so he put a torch on the floor and tried to build. Then he put his bed next to the torch so he could see and then he went to sleep.

Morning came and Harry made his house two stories tall. There was a pool of sharks that can walk on land, and they were in the middle of his building.  He flew and tried to kill them on his building. When the sharks died, he got free shark teeth for potions. After twenty minutes, he made two more stories. Then it was night time again, so Harry got to sleep. Harry needed to eat five pieces of food before he died.

 

Chapter 4

He needed to kill some animals, like foxes. The plan was to get some food. When the foxes were drinking water he would kill them and he would get raw meat, and fox tails. He cooked the raw meat on his stove, but before that he has to go mining for coal. He goes mining underground. He gets the coal. He goes back home and cooks the meat. But a second later he realized he needed more food. He only got two pieces of food, so he decided to get more and put it in his chest with the food he doesn’t need. He goes to get gummies from the factory, but he got it on top of a tree. But first, he wanted to go back to the shop to get the gummy factory material, so he could make it himself, so he doesn’t have to go out in the morning or night. He gets the materials for the gummy factory.

 

Chapter 5

He goes to his house and he builds his gummy factory. He forgot one ingredient though, the magic milk that comes from the magical cow that lives on top of the cloud. But to get that, he needed to fly. When he was flying he found the magical cow, but he needed to find a magical bucket, so he went to his inventory and found his bucket. He only had one more bucket left for his factory, but he used it anyway. He could always make more buckets, from mining underground again. He tried to get milk from the magical cow, but the cow flew away. He kept following it until the night and he placed a torch on the cloud and then got the milk from the magical cow. After, he flew to his house and made the gummy factory. He used the gummy factory, so that he didn’t die. The factory made gummies that he could eat. He found people and put them in his house to fight off monsters. And then it was snowing. He was destroying snow for a magical snow potion so he could use it to go really fast.

 

Chapter 6

It was night again, so Harry went to his house and went to sleep. There was a lever for his house to turn the block invisible, so he could see if it’s night or day. Five seconds later, it was morning. Harry started his gummy factory because he knew there would be monsters that want to kill him and he switched the lever to see. He saw his pen of chickens, a lot of foxes, five small fire-breathing dragons, and he saw five magical cows. When all of the monsters disappeared from the sunlight, he went to get more milk because he needed it for anything. It can turn into things he wanted. He wants to turn the milk into a meat factory, a veggie factory, and a sweet factory.

Harry saw Ryan, his friend from his school. Ryan has five hundred coins and two dollars. Ryan likes to play volleyball in the summer with Harry. Ryan likes to read books with potions. They shared the house, so they went inside and got some more milk. He worked on her ten story building and built two more stories. Now there were six stories.

It was turning into fall and he needed a warm coat from the magical kitty. The bad thing about winter was the dangerous animals that come out. Dangerous animals like extremely mad polar bears and if you cracked the ice too deep there are sharks that are really strong.

 

Chapter 7

Harry and Ryan tried to get ice for their own ice-skating rink to ice-skate, but first they need some ice from the building store so they could get some ice skates and ice. It’s magic ice, so it doesn’t melt. They went to the store and got the ice and ice skates. They got some blocks to make the outside of the ice-skating rink. In winter, and before they made the ice skating rink, they went to sleep, because it was night. Five seconds later it was morning, and they made the ice skating rink. After they finished the ice skating rink they skated on the ice rink until it was night and they wanted to sleep again. They were excited for spring, so the ice would melt. It was morning and they went to the ice skating rink to skate, but first they got some gummies so they don’t die. After they skated, they went to their veggie factory and the meat factory and stored it in their buckets. After they got the veggie factory they realized they had to eat unless they would die, so they shared the bucket of food and got four health points.

After that, they went to the shop and they got food, cages, a bag of water, some gravel, some lights, and rocks.  When they were setting up the chickens cage and the dogs cage, the dogs were much easier than the chickens because the chickens need the litter box. There was a flame throwing fan because every time the wind blows the fire will come out.

They saw two of the flame throwers surrounding them and they got their ice breathing dragon that they tamed. They put the ice on the fire so it turned into water and then they made a river. It was getting darker. Tonight that was particularly bad because there was going to be a full moon. That meant there would be an eclipse. This caused every monster to come out and attack everything tall.

They were really worried, but they were really glad that they got an extra security block. It was night and they were right, all the monsters were outside. They saw ten thousand poisonous snakes with horns. When you touch the horns you get poisoned forever. They weren’t scared because they were monster killing experts and they knew a lot about the monsters because their pets are a lot like the monsters.

They had their own secret weapon that was a stone sword with special powers. With the sword, if you think of something it will happen. It was not only snakes outside, there were ten thousand million googleplex evil gummy bears. The only way to kill them is to burn them because if you get killed they will combine into any body.

The monsters start to attack their house, but Harry and his friends made the house clear with their switch, so the monsters didn’t know where to go. Harry and his friend knew they had saved their fight until morning because if it’s in morning then the monsters will burn to pieces. There was one reason for each one, the evil gummy bears will burn down, the snakes will be blind so they’ll poke into each other and they’ll die.

 

The End

Part Two Coming Soon

Qwercle’s Journey

Qwercle is the size of a human’s stomach. He has thorns at the end of him, and has three long pink things in between and next to his two top thorns. He uses his long pink thingies to eat and drink. Although he has a mouth and two fangs for teeth, he uses his two fangs to drink blood out of people. Qwercle lives in a human-free territory, but everyday he goes out of his human-free house into the world where it is full of humans.

Everyone tries to hurt him, but he ends up sucking the blood out of them before he can get to them. He was known as the bravest of all the Kilafricks. The Kilafricks are known for the bravest of all vampire animals and vampires.

Qwercle has always wanted to get lukewarm Kile-Human Cake. But, there is a big rainbow fence blocking him from his delicious cake. He imagined the cake tastes like one million humans with flesh roasted and grinded bones. Qwercle imagined the cake would have one hundred humans in it, which would be the most amazing thing to taste in the entire world. If a human ever tasted something as amazing, it would have to be one million pieces of candy of your choice every second.

When he couldn’t bear another second, he decides to take the journey.

He decides to go out of his yard with his spatula and frying pan and pogo stick, (to jump over the fence.) He starts jumping through the woods, all the way through the village, and finally, after going a million miles, he arrives at his friends’ Gary, Harry, and Arry’s house. Their house is the complete opposite of a mansion. Everything is thrown around. Their house only has one room. There’s no bed, there’s no sink, there’s no bathtub. There’s no kitchen and the most important thing that they don’t have is a toilet! But Qwercle doesn’t care. He says goodbye to his friends. He was about to leave when Harry says, “Take me with you!”

Qwercle is so surprised and says, “No way! This is my journey to get my treat!” When Arry and Gary argue too, Qwercle says, “Alright you can come, it’s three versus one.”

They start their journey. The first thing they see was a marshmallow-breathing dragon. When the dragon sees them, it starts breathing marshmallows at them. Qwercle takes out his frying pan and they all lie perfectly in it. The marshmallows are magnetized to the frying pan. Qwercle knew this would happen and that’s why he brought the frying pan. The good thing is they have something to eat. Once they got past the dragon they start to eat.

They are amazed when they see Zilaons. A Zilaon can be very dangerous to a Kilafricks. A Zilaon looks like two million hundred kilafricks all put together. And they are big blobby things that say, “Bleh, bleh, bleh.” They are red from all the blood they eat from the Kilafricks. They have ten hundred million big teeth that they use to drink the blood out of the Kilafricks. Kilafricks taste like the perfect piece of candy that any human has ever tasted, and they get to eat that candy whenever they want without getting sick.

The Kilafricks have feared the Zilaons for 999,999,999 years. The Kilafricks made a deal with the Zilaons that they would stay on their side of the valley if the Zilaons stay on their side of the valley. The Zilaons accepted the deal so that they could have their own part of the valley.      

Qwercle is trying to avoid the Zilaons from seeing him, because he doesn’t want to break their deal with the Zilaons. Qwercle doesn’t want to endanger the rest of the Kilafricks and have his species go extinct.

Right then, a big Zilaon says, “Hey, is that a Kilafrick in our part of the valley? I thought we made a deal.” He shouts to all his knights in frying pan armor, “Get them!”

Then Qwercel says, “Don’t you dare! Or I will throw this marshmallow at you!” And he holds his fist high above him with a marshmallow the size of a fly in his fingertips.      

Everybody else laughs at him, even his friends. They said, “And what are you going to do with that marshmallow?”

His face turns pale. He says, “Um…um…it will turn you into frogs?”

“I don’t believe you. As a matter of fact, I don’t think your marshmallow can do anything. Guards attack!” the leader of the Zilaons yells.

The guard says, “But, but, what if his marshmallow can turn us into frogs? What if we have to live in an icky pond and eat flies for the rest of our lives?!?”

The leader of the Zilaons says, “There’s no such thing as magic, you silly fools! I should just fire you, get someone else to do a better job, and have you pay me one million Kilafricks along with your lives!”

The guard says, “But Sire, we have nothing we can pay you. We don’t even have a single drop of blood!”

Meanwhile, Qwercle is frozen with his friends thinking, Are we going to die? Are we going to survive?

All the stress was on the leader and the guards, but the Kilafricks didn’t realize that they could just run away because of all the arguing going around near them.

Next, the leader of Zilaons says, “You fools! Must I do everything myself? Now I shall raise my sword above you and you shall suffer death!” He runs to his workshop, gets his sword, ties them up and raises his sword above.

“But, but, but,” say the Zilaons. “Who will be your soldiers? Who will protect our tradition? We are the only ones. Please don’t sacrifice us!”

“You fools! Why do you think I would believe you. Of course there are others and I will just sacrifice the others if they say no. But of course they won’t because they would rather live than die. Especially live to be my slaves.”

“You are right master. We have made that up, but please don’t sacrifice us. ”  

“Oh, all right, but if it happens again, you are toast,” says the leader Zilon.

When Qwerkle and his friends realize that they could make an escape, they start to tip toe off. They didn’t get far when they run into a trap. “Barnacles,” Qwerkle says softly. The other Kilafricks keep their mouths quiet. The Leader Zilaon turns around and he sees them and says, “Ha ha ha! Did you really think that you could get away! You lousy Kilafricks, you’ll never defeat me! Wahahahaha!”

The Zilaon have dinner and eat Qwercle. The rest are scared. But they are able to escape before they are eaten. They make a run for it and see this big wall. They see a pole and use it to jump over. When they get over, they see what they’ve always been wanting. A lukewarm Kile-Human Cake. The lukewarm Kile Human cake is as tall as ten-thousand ten-foot tall men. They eat it all and then throw up. They are so happy they got the treat. But they are so sad that they lost Qwercle. Meanwhile, the Zilaons invade the Kilafricks and very few survive. The very few that survive are very lucky, but they got injured. While Qwercle was sitting in the Zilaon’s stomach, he was thinking about how he was disappointing everyone. And he was also thinking about how the Zilaons could have invaded the Kilafricks and how everyone could have died because of his wants and decisions.

He felt remorse.

THE END

Leila’s story

I love to sing. My name is Kila, and I am two. I have a big sister who is 12. My other sister is six. The 12 year old sister‘s name is Mila, and my six year old sister’s name is Nila. It is a summer evening in California, where we live. We go to California Elementary School, but we are at home now.

“A, B, C, D, E, F, G!” I sing. While I am singing, my two sisters, Mila and Nila, cover their ears. I sing a lot of songs, but my favorite song is the ABC’s.

“STOP SINGING!” Nila and Mila shout at the same time.

Then, our mom says, “Okay, okay, she loves to sing.”

I stick my tongue out at Nila and Mila and start skipping around them and say, “Ha ha.”

Then they stick their tongue out back at me. I cross my arms and stomp to my room. I pick up my dog and start saying, “I love to sing!” I start singing the ABC’s again and say, “Come on Lila, start singing with me!” but she just barks.

I ignore Lila and walk away. I go down the stairs to get to the living room. My mom says, “Where have you been?”

I respond, “I was singing in my room with Lila.”

Then I say, “What’s for dinner?”

My mom responds, “There is mac and cheese and chicken.”

I jump all around. I feel excited because macaroni and cheese with chicken is my favorite food.

I walk to Mila and Nila, and I say, “Mommy only made me mac and cheese with chicken, and I’m gonna finish it all.”

Mila and Nila put their fists up in an angry way, besides their chests and in front of their chins.

Then I giggle behind my back. They heard me so they start chasing me, but Mom catches them. They roll their eyes at Mom, and Mom sees them so she says, “Go do your homework!” They race up the stairs to go to their room and then she says to them, “You cannot have mac and cheese and chicken.” She blinks at me, so I know she is joking. Then I giggle again behind my back.   

I sing the ABC’s song and now Mommy giggles.

Mom calls upstairs and says, “Dinner is in four minutes!” in a loud voice.

I say, “That’s gonna take for-ever!” Mom giggles again. Then I giggle back.

Four minutes later, “Dinner time!” Mom yells. Nila and Mila zoom down the stairs. I stand in the way and say, “Stop! You have to pay $5 before you pass me.”

Then, they just go under my arms and say, “Ha ha.” I put my hands on my hips and stomp to the table. I sit down on my high chair. It takes a long time for me to climb up on my high chair.

Mom puts a plate of mac and cheese with chicken and a spoon on my high chair’s tray. I start gulping my food up, and then I take the bone of my chicken and start eating it.

Mila and Nila say, “Ew!”

Then I say, “It’s not ew!”

And they respond, “Yes it is!”

And my mom said, “When you’re done eating, Mila and Nila, go to your room.”

Mila and Nila roll there eyes and say, “Ok,” in a rude way. (Actually in a really rude way.)  Later when Mila and Nila finish their food, they go upstairs to their rooms and do their homework. Later, Mila and Nila finish their homework. When they are done, they walk up to me. Nila and Mila whisper to each other and say, “Should we say sorry to Kila, for not letting her sing what she wants to?” And they agree that they should.

They tell me, “We’re sorry for not letting you sing whatever you want to.”

Then I say, “It’s okay”. And we all got along and lived happily ever after!

THE END!!!

Jessie

A 12-year-old girl named Katie Daniels was staring out the window with her White Shepherd Bolt and Eskimo Snowflake, who previously ran across the streets of London (Bolt had stolen hot dogs from a hot dog stand, running away from Snowflake).

 

7 kittens were in a cardboard box next to a pet shop, and when Katie decided to walk with her 2 white canines, she saw the kittens. “Hey, kitty” whispered Katie. She took one of the kittens from the box and continued, “I’ll name you Jessie.”

 

When Jessie, Katie, Bolt and Snowflake got home, Katie told her mother and father that Jessie didn’t have rabies, and she was spayed by her previous owners. In just 2 hours, Jessie had a collar with a tag that said: “Jessie. 50th St. Between 8th and 9th Av.”, a food/water bowl, a bed, and toys– perfect for a kitten only 10 weeks old.

 

That night, Bolt and Snowflake tried to make nighttime the best time for Jessie. “Jessica” Snowflake said in a sing-song voice “You gotta get in the nighttime spirit!”

 

“Yeah!” Bolt sang, “Come on. Sing! Why Should I Worry? Why Should I Care? I may not have a dime, but I got street savior-”

 

“Okay, okay, I get it. But there are times you can get into the night time spirit and there are some times you need to sleep!” Jessie sleepily said. Snowflake’s jaws dropped. “How did you know?” she began. “I just do!” cried Jessie angrily. And she slept. And then the dogs slept.

 

The next morning, Jessie, Bolt and Snowflake were all singing “Why Should I Worry?” When Katie left, Jessie went crazy, finally going under the sitting room sofa, whimpering in fear. “Come on, Jess-Jess! Me and Snowflake had gone over it before. We are fine once Katie leaves for school!” But Jessie’s fear turned into anger as she went out the flap Bolt and Snowflake use. “Jessica! Wanna read Chapter 1 through 9 of The Kids From DISCO?” She followed Jessie as she (Jessie) ran into the London streets. “That’s easy for you to say!” cried Jessie, again angrily. Jessie lied down in front of a fence, guarding herself. When Katie got back from school, she found Jessie missing. “JESSIE! JESSICA! JESS-JESS! Where are you, Jessie?”

 

Jessie heard the yells of Katie, and ran across the streets, only to find a pack of dogs that belonged to Katie’s 9-year old friend, Alex. They were going to Regent’s Park.

 

Back at Katie’s house, Katie texted all her friends on her phone if they knew where Jessie was. Finally she got a call from Alex. Katie wanted to go to Regent’s Park before she needed to take a shower. “MUSH, BOLT! RUN LIKE A TRAIN, SNOWFLAKE!” yelled Katie. Off they went, faster than the wind carrying them. When they reached Regent’s Park, Alex gave Katie, Jessie. She still had her cute red and white collar, her Dalmatian-like spots and her big blue eyes.

 

Snowflake was very tired after getting Jessie home. Bolt told Snowflake she was amazing.  But Jessie responded “Screw you, man, I’d do what I want!” Buzz Mccallister, a cat that belonged to Ryder Adams, Katie’s classmate, jumped on Bolt, Snowflake and Jessie’s room window and heard everything. Snowflake was about to say ‘I want the pizza…NOW.’ when she saw Buzz Mccallister. “AHEM, Buzz Mccallister, but I was going to say ‘I want the pizza…NOW’ so I can get my wish for pizza…NOW. But because of you, nothing happened.” yelled Snowflake, not amused. Buzz Mccallister teased “It doesn’t happen because you are in the real world, not a EXTRAORDINARY world, you need to go read your mind, you need to get lost into it, you need to lose your mind and you need…you need…” Buzz Mccallister was very talkative. “You need a good kick in the butt, Buzz Mccallister.” finished Bolt.

 

But Jessie didn’t say anything. She wasn’t as brave as Bolt and Snowflake. Finally, she ordered the two dogs to throw Buzz Mccallister out the window, which had no bars. Bolt and Snowflake, who OBVIOUSLY had Buzz Mccallister as a pet peeve, started barking for Katie. Katie ran into the bedroom shouting “WHAT IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY ARE YOU THREE DOING AT 2:15 IN THE MORNING!” Bolt and Snowflake growled at Buzz Mccallister. Jessie was almost fully under her bed covers, even the sheet. She lashed her tail FAST at Buzz Mccallister. “Oh. I see you got your pet peeve, Buzz Mccallister, but I don’t want to blame him. He belongs to one of my friends, Ryder Adams.” Buzz Mccallister rolled his eyes at Katie. “Oh, WHATEVER!” yelled Katie “I will drop you on the count of three: THREE!” and down. Went. Buzz Mccallister. Nobody said anything for the rest of the night.

 

The next day, Katie went to school. Katie’s parents went to work. Everyone left the pets locked in their room. Of course, the dogs had a newspaper and Jessie had a litter box as a bathroom, the pets have 3 beds, 1 for each, each had a bowl of food and a bowl of water, all filled up to the brim, and toys to play with. But the three wanted to go outside. Finally, an idea came to Bolt’s brain. “I KNOW! LET’S CAUSE SOME MISCHIEF ON THE PASSENGER TRAIN!”

“Oh no” replied Jessie, who wasn’t very adventurous.

 

At the train station, you can guess who was there, but just in case, it was BUZZ MCCALLISTER. Bolt found a hot dog stand and grabbed all his mouth could carry. Snowflake bet Jessie if she could grab a rat from the train tracks without getting hit by a train. Jessie responded “Easy.” She grabbed a rat and hid under the train tracks as a train passed by. Bolt had the hot dogs wrapped around his waist, instead of around his chest. Misty, the alpha dog of Alex’s dog pack, smiled and said “Come on. I will show you the real life train station. “

 

Actually, the real ‘train station’ was an airport. “Great!” happily cried Bolt. “Let’s cause some mischief! Come on, Page! Come on, Molly! Come on, everybody!” Page was a mixed breed dog. Molly was a beagle. The other dogs were called: Pongo the Dalmatian, Perdita the Dalmatian, Domino the German Shepherd, and Polly the Beagle. All dogs were happy to meet Ryder’s dog pack, all Huskies: Wink, Addison, Basil, Tucker, Everest, Noah, Droplet and Splat. The Bark Park Adoption Center was closed for the day, so the not-adopted dogs got to go to the ‘real train station’ as well. Jessie was scared of a CROWD, so she ran away, all the way back to the train station.

 

Bolt could not cause mischief. Snowflake was speechless. Everyone was speechless, even BOLT! But then Misty knew what to say. “We are going to have to go back to the train station. MUSH! RUN LIKE A TRAIN! And off they went, to get Jessie. “I knew I shouldn’t have thought of mischief in the first place!” cried Bolt. “Just forget it! FORGET IT!” yelled Snowflake “Katie could come home in any minute!” Misty wasn’t listening. All she wanted was to get Jessie, and get Jessie ALIVE.

 

At the train station, Jessie was actually still alive. But she was being carried away in a cardboard box. The box was going to the caboose car of a passenger train. Misty gasped as Jessie was carried away on the train. The train was going into a tunnel. A very, very, VERY dark tunnel. “Who’s gonna get Jessie?” cried Misty in fear. She ran in little circles, which means she thought she was going to explode.

“I will!” shouted Snowflake. She was very brave.

“Alright?” responded Bolt. “But we will go with you.”

Snowflake hopped on the fast-moving train, and went in the little door of the caboose car. Bolt and Misty were running after the train. Wink found Buzz Mccallister. He talked to himself on Ryder’s phone: “Ryder, this is Buzz Mccallister. I’ve concluded the train prank on the Orient Express station.”

“Buzz Mccallister” said Wink.

“I’ve got a trophy. Put it with all my other trophies when I come home. And bring me a coffee when you get back.”

“Buzz Mccallister” said Wink.

Buzz Mccallister stopped texting and said “What is it? This is a very important call!”

Wink groaned “Ugh. My times have to go over this. ARE YOU AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS?! I THINK YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT ‘PRANKS’!” “You just want Ryder to pluck all my whiskers out! They’re pretty nifty, aren’t they?” Wink almost tied Buzz Mccallister to the train tracks when he saw everyone GONE. Wink shouted “Buzz Mccallister, stand aside!” But Buzz Mccallister was running away from the station, all the way to Ryder’s bedroom. “UGH” Wink once again groaned.

 

Snowflake only made things worse: She and Jessie hung from the train. Now EVERYONE, excluding Wink was running after the train. Snowflake had her left paw grabbing a wire. Bolt saw how close the caboose car was from the tunnel. “It’s still running 60 mph. Snowflake, LET GO OF THE WIRE!” cried Bolt. Half a second later, everyone (excluding Wink, of course) was chanting “LET GO! LET GO! LET GO!” to Snowflake. Finally, she yelled “I. Will. Let. Go.” Snowflake let go of the wire. She and Jessie fell to the train tracks and got up. Everyone-even Wink-watched as the caboose train went in the tunnel. “Yes! WE DID IT!” shouted Jessie in relief. Everyone helped each other off the train tracks. “WOW! That was amazing, Jessica!” shouted Bolt. “How?” asked Jessie, bewildered. “You made us go on a big adventure. I love big adventures. You really deserve those words, Jess-Jess.” answered Bolt. Just then, another train passed by. “Let’s go home.” Snowflake giggled.

 

That night, everyone was back at home. All the owners were afraid that they would be lost forever. How they got home? They found recycling trucks and tried to find their owner’s face (whenever a pet was lost, Katie, Alex, and Ryder  looked out their bedroom windows). The not-adopted dogs went back to the Bark Park Adoption Center. Katie put Jessie, Bolt and Snowflake to bed. Katie whispered “Good night, Bolt. Good night, Snowflake. Good night, Jessie.” She went to her bedroom. Bolt licked Jessie’s ears. Snowflake licked Jessie’s tail. “Now I know that Jessie’s not cowardly at ALL.” said Bolt. “Me neither.” said Snowflake. Pretty soon, everyone was asleep.

 

THE END

Jack-o-lantern

Chapter One

I’m a Jack-O-Lantern apparently. That’s what the pumpkins next door said.

“Your name is Squash,” they said. And one said its name was Gourd!

“The candle humans put inside of us lights us to life,” Gourd said, which is also pretty cool.

The world was awesome. One time a human accidentally kicked me down the staircase! Sure, I got a few scrapes, but for the most part, it was fun! I loved it! I couldn’t explain it, but I wished it would happen again.

But I soon realized that life wasn’t pure happiness. When I tried to visit my neighbors, I couldn’t move! That, I think, was the worst discovery of a lifetime. Even worse, I was only in the world for one day! Apparently, we only existed because of some stupid holiday called Halloween!

So I thought and thought. I could make them kick me down the staircase then become a stowaway. No, I couldn’t get into the car. I could make a big sign that said, “Long live jack-o-lanterns!” No, I couldn’t make the sign. I could tell the humans nicely to stop? NO! I doubted they understood Pumpkin. All my ideas wouldn’t work because we couldn’t move! So annoying!

 

Chapter Two

That afternoon, I saw a mouse. He looked so sad, so I asked him, “What’s wrong?” The mouse looked startled. “Sorry if I scared you,” I tried to reassure the mouse.

“No, no, it’s just not many people speak to me, much less a pumpkin,” the mouse said to me in a squeaky voice.

“What is your name? My name is Squash,” I said to the mouse.

“My name is Pippi.” Pippy looked around warily.

“I don’t want you to take offense, but what are you afraid of?” I asked Pippi.

“Well, I- Shh, come quick!”  Pippi whispered urgently.

“I can’t move!” I said, trying to figure out why I should hide.

All of a sudden a nest of mice came running towards me.

“Hey, you, pumpkin! Have you seen a little mouse named Pippi?” I didn’t know what to say — these mice were strangers. But still, Pippi had been a stranger.

“Um, actually yes, in fact she’s-” Pippi shook her head at me. She was hiding in the flowers that were on the porch.

“Um, Pippi went that way.” I pointed to the right.

“Thank you,” the mice sped down the street.

“Who were they?” I asked Pippi.

“NYPM,” Pippi responded.

“NY what?” I said, confused.

“New York Police Mice,” said Pippi.

 

Chapter Three

“What? Are New York Police Mice police for mice?” I asked Pippi.

“Look, I don’t want to talk about being in legal trouble for talking to people that are not mice,” Pippi said.

“Wait, what?” I asked, confused.

Pippi sighed and said, “This might take a while.”

“What?”

“Mice have unfair laws.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“The law says you may not talk to anything unless it is a mouse.”

I gasped. So Pippi was breaking the law. She was a criminal because of me.

“I‘m sorry,” I said, still unable to believe Pippi was a criminal.

Then, I had an, um, idea! I could show the police and the mice who make the laws, whoever they are, that they were wrong! And be able to live in the world for more than one day! “Pippi, I’ve got it! You can find a way to tell the people who own me that I should be in the world for more than one day! Which would probably be able to prove to the other mice that you can be friends with anyone!”

“Yes, that ought to do it. YEEEEEEEEESSS!!!”

“So, tomorrow, you will write a note and put it on the table inside the house. Sign it Anonymous.”

“Aahh, but in the mouse laws that’s called poison pen. We’re not allowed to do that.”

“OK, sign it Pippi Mouselington.”

“Tomorrow, deal.”

 

Chapter Four

The next day, Pippi and I woke up early to start. Pippi showed me a crumpled sheet of paper that said:

Your pumpkin is alive. He doesn’t like being in the world for only a day! He made friends with me and because he can’t write. I am writing this to you for you to find a way to keep Squash (that is your jack-o-lantern’s name).  -Pippi Mouselington.

“Great! Now go and slide under the door. Leave it somewhere they’ll find it. Then come back before the clock says 6:00. That is going to be when Mr. Ziernan comes for breakfast. So are you ready to begin your mission?”

“Yes, I am. My running and hiding days are over.”

I watched Pippi disappear under the door. I couldn’t help worrying about all the things that could happen to Pippi. I’m a fast speaker — what if Pippi missed something? And how could I help if something went wrong? I stopped myself. Pippi was going to be okay. How long did it take for someone to put something on a counter? It was 5:00. Fifteen minutes later, 5:15.  Another fifteen minutes later, 5:30. Hurry up Pippi, I thought. Mr. Ziernan comes down in half an hour! Twenty-five minutes later.

I heard footsteps. And not little mouse footsteps. Human footsteps. “Come Pippi, now!” I said out loud, even though it wasn’t going to help.

All of a sudden, I had an idea. I could move! Not really, but what could let Pippi know that she should send a note, and what could let Pippi know that I needed help? My voice!!! I took a deep breath, and let out the loudest, squealiest scream I could scream, “AAAAAAHHHHHH!”

All the people in the house opened their windows, rushed outside, and didn’t even glance at Pippi.

“Who was it?” asked Mrs. Ziernan.

“What was it?” asked Mr. Ziernan.

“Is it Santa Claus?” asked Sally, their four-year-old daughter.

I signaled to Pippi to go out the back door, now.

She scrambled for the door. They saw another crying little girl with her mother. Mr. and Mrs. Ziernan glared at the girl with her mother, and walked, well, more like stomped, back into the house.

 

Epilogue

That noon, I saw Mrs. Ziernan pick up a piece of paper on the counter. She read it, then stared wonderingly at me.

 

The End

The Change

Htrae

One day, when Seth was throwing snowballs at a rock, a bluish-green light caught his eye. He shuffled towards some bushes (partly from nervous excitement and partly from the cold), and saw a multi-colored, kind of transparent sphere-shaped crystal that was the size of a medium sized stone.

“Dang! I need to get that rock!”

He lunged for the bushes, stuck his head inside, and that’s how he found it. The moment he touched it, he instantly appeared in another dimension. When he let go of the crystal, he was back in his yard next to the rock. Since he was only in the other dimension for one split of a second he didn’t get to see what the other dimension looked like, but he didn’t really care at the moment because his first priority was to go and tell his friends.

“WOW!!!” he exclaimed. “I’ve got to tell Jason and Xavier about this!”

When he found them, they were having a snowball fight against a couple of other kids.

Seth said, “Guys, come over here! I need to tell you something!”

Jason said to the team they were playing against, “Maybe sometime tomorrow, 11, 11:30? Remember AM, not PM!” They trudged through the slush over to Seth, soon to be amazed by what he had to tell them.

 

Seth told them that he was going to bring them through a portal, but then he realized something: the portal was too small to hold all of them at the same time. The second that he thought that, the portal split into three pieces and each piece grew back to its normal size.

The reason that the portals reacted to Seth’s thoughts was because the portals can read the thoughts of their true owners. They contain a lot of magic, but the magic only works if the owner really wants it to happen. If anybody except the true owner of the portal wishes the portal to do magic, it won’t work and the person that stole the portal can’t go anywhere.

Seth told them each to hold the portal and then put it in their pocket once they noticed a change. So they all touched their portal, and got transferred to the dimension. Now Seth and the others had time to explore. They all put the portals in their pockets and then Xavier and Jason said to Seth, “Man, we thought you were kidding! We never expected you to find a portal. There’s only seven in the world!” When they looked around, the sky was purplish blue and it looked as though the ground was a large mirror. They saw a bunch of floating objects in the air with stairs leading up to them and it looked like they were made out of diamonds. They decided to travel to a building that was the closest to the ground. When they knocked they heard a voice say, “Come in!”

So they did. And they were very surprised because the people that they found inside looked like themselves. Their duplicates said, “Ah, we were expecting you. We saw in our crystal orb that you have found our portal. We were hoping that you did because our world is in grave danger!”  

“Quick question, what world are we supposed to save? And also we need to see the threat we are up against.”

Seth 2 said, “The planet is called Htrae, and for the second question, your answer’s outside. But before I take you out, be warned: not all human eyeballs can handle it. So if your eyeballs burn out, don’t blame me cuz technically I did warn you.”

“Sure sounds cool or something, take us there!”

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Seth 2 led them outside and brought them around the corner to the street. When they got there they saw the High King commanding his Legionnaires to kill everybody and then steal their money. Then, once the High King had their money, he created some spell and the people came back to life, but as his slaves. Seth couldn’t believe what he saw. How could the people let this happen? Why didn’t they start a rebellion or something? In the rush to leave, Seth, Jason, and Xavier dropped their portals and just at that moment that they realized it, they also noticed that the High King was holding the portals. Seth went and then started running toward the High King, but then Xavier 2 grabbed his ankle and dragged him back inside.

“Man, what were you thinking?!”

“Sorry, I was really mad. That portal was the one thing that made me special.”

“Then let’s get it back, but we need a plan first.”

Seth just realized something. “Hey Jason, Xavier, how did you know that any portals existed?” Both of them looked ashamed.

Finally, Jason said, ”You know how we always get A’s on our tests?”

“Yeah.”

“Well we have a portal that when we open it, it tells us all the answers. Oh and it said that if we share it with anyone else it will vanish from existence and show up on another planet.”

Seth said, “Okay, but now we need to come up with a plan.”

Jason 2 raised his hand and said, “The high king has a bunch of workers to help him in his scheme. Maybe, just maybe, if we pretend to be a few of his workers, then we might be able to slip through his defenses and take the portal, but that would take a really long time because in order to become his guards you have to work for him for at least five years. So that plan won’t work, but I know that there are a bunch of caverns that connect to one of the rooms of the palace. But we will need to wear white everything so we can blend in with the walls because the wallpaper is of a bunch spies wearing white so we’ll fit right in.”  

They were almost to the king’s chambers when it happened: Seth 2 tripped on his boots and fell to floor, but he got up in time and the guard didn’t notice him, but the guard did notice when Seth 2 banged into Seth on his way up then he fell again because he was paying closer attention. They had two options: run or fight. Obviously they chose fight.

Seth 2 reached for his grenades. The guards were faster. They took their laser guns out of the straps on their backs and pointed them at the kids faces. “RUN!!!” they all shouted in unison. As they ran down the hallway they heard the muffled sound of an explosion and shouts and kicks. As the smoke cleared the guards realized that the children had ran away.

The kids knew that there was no time to waste. They needed all the time that they could get, so they kept on running. As they started to think that they were lost and the hallway was never going to end, they walked into a giant ballroom. There were tables circling a stage in the center, and there were red cotton curtains that were hanging over stained glass windows describing how good the king was. They didn’t care about any of that. All they cared about was the polished oak staircase at the back of the room.

Before they went on, they knew they needed to change out of their white clothes. Seth motioned them with his hands and used Sign language to tell them that they needed to quickly take off their supply bags, go into different corners of the room and change into their black clothes. Once they finished changing, they made sure to take their grenades this time and put on better shoes so they can never be surprised again.

As they slowly tiptoed up the staircase they were annoyed at how creaky it was. One would think a new polished staircase wouldn’t creak so much. Must have been used a lot. They thought that would have been a good sign, but it was a bad sign.

Suddenly, the staircase ended and immediately opened up to a dark and dull hallway. There were messages smudged on the walls, but they were barely legible in the faint light. They slowly tiptoed toward the main attraction: an iron door that had smears on it that looked suspiciously like blood. By now they knew something was up, and that this probably wasn’t the king’s chamber. They also knew that there was probably a hint, or at least something that would help them face their upcoming obstacle: the king’s pet. (The king’s pet was a giant golem that could spit fire, and could poison you just by touching you. And sometimes, if you looked it in the eye, than it would make you feel nauseous. And it’s breath was poison also. They knew this because before they decided to go on this quest, they studied the maps of the kingdom – one, so they could make a hasty escape. Two, so that they could know what they were up against. On the original map, there was no sign of the golem, and no sign of the hallway that they were slowly making progress through. They knew that they were going to be tricked. So they took the map, and used Jason and Xavier’s portal to summon the same person who told them everything they knew, and asked him to reveal the actual structure of the kingdom. The strange man casted a spell, and then in a flash of light, and a three second silence, a new map appeared. It was a papyrus scroll, so they treated it with great care. It was very old, so they were not sure that things might have changed. They knew this because when they touched it, their fingers almost went through the piece of paper. When they took their fingers off of it, it was covered in dust. So they decided to just leave it where it was, and that’s how they knew of the golem.)

Jason 2, always the brave one of the group, reached out and knocked. They couldn’t just open the door because it was bolted, and they couldn’t turn the doorknob because there was none. Once they started to give up hope, they heard a raspy voice behind the door.

“Who’s there?”

They each one took turns saying their names, and where they came from. When it was Seth’s turn, and he said he was from Chicago, the man opened the door, and through a mass of tangled hair, he spoke, “I am the oracle of the newcomers. I am not on the king’s side, but I am not on yours. I used to give prophecies for everyone, but the king banished me to live my immortal life in this prison.”

“Prison!” The kids said. We thought this might be a secret entrance into the king’s chambers, or at least it would give us a hint –” They suddenly clamped their hands over their mouths, and they whispered to each other, “Maybe we could get this guy to help us. He said he is an oracle after all, maybe that’s why the king put him here.” Because he was helping people too much, and giving away secrets, they were over a googleplex reasons that he might kill them, or might help them. They decided to go with the risk, and they turned to the man, and said, “We will let you come along with us, and we could free you, but at a price. And that price is information.”

The man said, “Eh best hope I’ve had in over a millenia, and I’m immortal so nothing to lose, so why not.”

 

A preview of the next book!

 

Success and Failure

 

Earth

Back on Earth it was 1:30 and their parents expected the kids to meet them at the park on 59th for a picnic. One of the mothers was a pessimist and said, “They’re probably dead.”

“I highly doubt it, they’re in another dimension called Htrae.” She looks down at her phone, a little beep came from it. “Seth just texted me that they’re chasing down a bad king and trying to kill him. And that–”

“And what? Did they die?”

“What is it with you being all pessimistic?” said the optimist.

“No they didn’t die it’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“Well…it’s just that, well I think that our kids just made the worst choice of their lives. They made a deal with the Oracle of Newcomers.”

“Ooh that is bad!”

“What can we do about it? Let them die!”

By now you should know who said that, so let’s just all say it on three. One, two, three. The pessimist.

“We have to go warn them!”

“But first, we need to prepare for what comes ahead, and we need to visit the Oracle of Oldcomers.”

“That’s far too dangerous to go without the Map of Vzifs.”

“Then we will do that first. It will be a long journey, and if you don’t see yourself fit for accompanying us, you can stay behind. We will send you pictures and you can like it on Instagram so that we can get more followers.”

So they went back to their houses and did the combination lock of the certain light switches in a certain order. They all dropped down and met in their emergency bunkers under their houses. They started to gather all of the things that they would need – a laser gun, a portal gun, a teleportation gun, baloney sandwiches, pepper spray, grenades, the kids’ favorite blankets, and a lot of other things including some fruit punch, pizza, disco ball, laser pens, and confetti.

 

Gabriel’s story

I want to play, but I broke my leg and I tried to play. I tripped on a tree and I crashed in a old lady’s house. She hit me with her bat in the head and I started crying like a baby. My Mom came and threw me in the ocean and my Dad came and had to save me. I was about to dry and I went home and cried. My Mom lied. Ha ha! It rhymes!

I kept crying until I died. Then, I got flushed down the toilet. I went to the sewer and then I drowned, so I drank the yucky green water. I saw this little place I could go in and then there were these guards that smacked me in the face. I started crying again, and they pushed me back in the water and I had to go somewhere else. I got out and hit my head on the pole.  

I got past the guards and then there was a magic guy who put a power on me and he turned me into a frog. I said, “Blah blah blah,” to the man.  I drank the yucky water to turn back into a boy. It worked! I felt excited. Now I have to get past the guards, because they pushed me back into the water after the magic guy put a spell on me. I went to the side of the white and black poles that were around water, and then I tried to walk on top of the poles. Up high, the guards couldn’t see me. I felt really happy. The poles were connected to the hospital I needed to get to in order to fix my leg. I hopped from pole to pole. The guards didn’t see me. I made it to the nurse’s office. It had a lot of tools to fix people’s bodies.

And then, the guards went inside the nurse’s office because they knew I was missing. They picked me up and threw me into the water. Then someone flushed their toilet. The water squeezed me through the drain, and I ended up in an old man’s toilet. He had white hair. He was shocked that there was a boy inside of his toilet. All I wanted at that moment was to get home and play. I ran outside of the old man’s house. I saw a bus coming by. I knew it went to my house. There was a wet dollar bill in my pocket. I gave it to the bus driver and hopped on.

I told the bus driver to stop at 61st St, so I could get off, so I could go to my house and play with my dog. I was happy, and really wanted to take a shower because I had dirty water on me.

When the bus stopped, I walked down the front stairs and got off. I walked to my house. The outside was red and blue. When I walked in the door, I took a shower. Then I went outside to play on the grass with my dog, Macho. I was happy that I got home so I could play.

 

THE END!

The Adventures of Taco Dog

Once upon a time there was a half dog, half taco, who tried to fit in but never could. To get a friend he wanted a pink, fluffy unicorn dancing on a rainbow for a pet. The problem was the pink, fluffy unicorn dancing on a rainbow shop just closed down. So Taco Dog wanted to go through the Enchanted Potato Woods. Everyone told him, “Don’t do that. It’s too dangerous.” But he never could fit in so he was determined to get someone who could share similarities with him. They were both different and lonely, and that’s why he wanted the pink, fluffy unicorn. If he was going to go into the woods he needed some gear. He went to the armory shop and got a marshmallow machine gun, a lightsaber, an old lady costume (hey, it was almost Halloween), and some banana armor. He also got some Pokemon that weren’t in the show that were never mentioned before, like Narwhalia and Farkillababajejaba.

He proceeded into the Enchanted Potato Woods and heard the sound of a rabbit. It was most terrifying. He started to walk into the Enchanted Potato Woods and he got goosebumps all over him, then geese started to pop out of the goosebumps. He found something that seemed like a shapeshifter. It was strangely shifting into all of the things that he saw in the last movie he watched. He was mad that he watched a horror movie. He watched the new Goosebumps movie. He saw a dummy named “Slappy.” He shot marshmallows out of his machine gun but Slappy started eating the marshmallows on the floor, so he got away from him. He took the banana caller out of Slappy’s pocket. After the encounter with Slappy, he started throwing up rainbows because he was scared. He scooped up those rainbows into his pocket for the pink, fluffy unicorn to dance on. In the Enchanted Potato Woods, he met his arch nemesis, Pizza Cat. They both put Jawa hoods on and drew out their light sabers. Strangely floating around their light sabers were tacos and pizza, since they were battling each other.

The pizza cats were sworn enemies with the taco dogs ever since the taco dogs were created. The taco dogs were created when a dog who really liked food walked up to a taco that fell on the floor. Just before he started to eat it, when he touched it, lightning struck and that fused the taco and the dog together. The same thing happened to someone else, and those two taco dogs started to make a taco dog civilization. The same thing happened with Pizza Cats. A cat got fused together with pizza. The pizza cats were very, very, very, very boastful. They thought that they should be the only race of food-animal mixes so they declared war on the Penguin Hot Dogs, the Lemon Mice and finally, they declared war on the Taco Dogs. The Taco Dogs were very, very wealthy so it was a very hard war to fight. The thing that triggered off the war with the taco dogs was that they were allies with both the Penguin Hot Dogs and the Lemon Mice, so the Pizza Cats threw an atomic marshmallow bomb at them. They created a Taco Dome, very much like the Iron Dome in Israel but to block the atomic marshmallow bombs they shot taco happiness and quesadillas from Taco Bell (Taco Bell was their national monument). They wiped out every single taco dog and pizza cat other than the two food animal mixes that were fighting right now with the lightsabers.

Taco Dog was having troubles with his lightsaber, so he called out to his Pokemon Narwhalia. Pizza Cat was stunned and called out his never before seen Pokemon called Munchcahn.

Then Taco Dog said, “Use cute tackle.”

A bunch of cute anime animals started to dance around. Munchcahn said “Awwwww!” Then they all got mini-lightsabers and stabbed Pizza Cat.     

   Munchcahn summoned “big mac.” A giant hamburger fell out of the sky and landed on Narwhalia, covering him completely. Then one million french fries stabbed Narwhalia. Then he started singing annoying jingle that went super fast saying, “Two all beef patties special sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion on a sesame seed bun.” Narwhalia fainted to the ground.

Taco Dog took out his Farkillababajejaba which summoned a banana bomb. A banana full of bombs exploded. It smelled like chocolate covered bananas when it exploded. Munchcahn flew away into the middle of nowhere. But Pizza Cat had returned his Munchan into his pizza-cat-customized pokeball. Taco dog said, “Why are you even here?”

Pepperoni tears fell down his cheek. He choked back his tears and said, “I’m lonely so I’m looking for a friend on the other side of the woods.”

Taco Dog said, “Me too.”

At the same second he remembered the unicorn! Both Taco Dog and Pizza Cat realized that they were both lonely so the similarity could bring them together and they could have a great relationship. Pizza Cat told him all about his journey so he could know what to watch out for, and Taco Dog did the same. They both agreed that when they got to their destination they would come back and conduct experiments to make more of their kinds. Then they left each other and continued on with their own journeys.

Taco Dog started to get hungry so he took out his banana caller from his pocket and pressed a button. Suddenly a big plane flew out of the sky that looked futuristic and dropped a giant box of bananas. He opened the banana box and took one out and started to unpeel it, but then a bunch of tiny garden gnomes that were only an inch high hopped out of the banana peel and started stabbing him. Then a bunch more tiny gnomes rolled out of the bushes.

Then they all held hands in a circle and screamed at the top of their lungs, “Boo baa boo baa boo baa boo baa.” Then they all sung together “Two all beef patties, special sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion on a sesame seed bun.”

And then one of the oldest garden gnomes walked and climbed up Taco Dog’s paw and said, “Greetings. I see that you are the last of the ancient species called the Taco Dogs.”

Taco Dog was at first a little confused, but then his eyes were wide open. Stumbling upon his own words, he asked, “Are you the gnomes who were allies to the Taco Dogs of the past in the Food War?”  

They said, “How did you know?” in a high squeaky voice.

“I learned about the war in the most evil place of all,” said Taco Dog. “History class.”

It gave the elder gnome the shivers. Then the elder gnome said, “Why are you here?”

Taco Dog answered, “I’m trying to find a friend.”

The elder gnome jumped up and said, “Would you like some of my warriors to protect you while going through the forest? They’re practically indestructible. Here, stomp on them as hard as you can.”

All of the gnomes were squished to the ground, but in five seconds – pop! – they came back up.

Taco Dog said, “Yes.” He walked forwards while the warrior garden gnomes followed him excitedly. He tripped on tripwire and then a bunch of evil, purple monkey-marshmallows heard an alarm. They got really mad and started spitting grapes at them. The grapes were sharpened. The garden gnome warriors kicked the grapes, redirecting them back to the apes, protecting Taco Dog. Then he used his banana caler and put the bananas a million thousand feet away. He called for the bananas to be extra banana-y. The scent slowly followed into the monkeys’ noses while they ran into the box of bananas.

“That was close,” said Taco Dog. He must have jinxed himself because then a bunch of really, really small narwhals started dancing around. It was the narwhal battle dance. Then they climbed on each other, forming a giant narwhal with a peculiar horn that spelt out “Narwhals Rule.” It was following Taco Dog. Taco Dog was cut. Meat was pouring out of his taco shell. He then got so aggravated that he summoned lightning to strike him to become a charged super Taco Dog. He held the garden gnomes hands and span in a circle at the center of the narwhal, constructed by narwhals. The narwhal construction blasted into one million, thousand pieces, and the narwhals then scrambled into spelling, “Ouch!” Then, they ran back into their little narwhal houses.

The Taco Dog collapsed on the floor, because he was tired and injured. The garden gnomes scrambled up a tree, picked up a leaf, and used some honey to paste it on the Taco Dog’s wound. The Taco Dog held out his paw while the garden gnomes climbed on, and he clutched them to his chest in an empathetic way. In this sky, he saw Flicklebickletown, where his pink fluffy unicorn dancing on a rainbow was waiting. He rushed over, passing the exploding pineapples and the evil sixty-eyed, one-foot, seventy-hundred-eared, twenty-headed, seven-hearted blowfish. The blowfish called out, “Hey, I was supposed to fight you on your journey!”

Taco Dog called out behind him, “Shut up! This is making the story more happy.” He frolicked into the Pink, Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on a Rainbow Shop, took out his glass eye (that was the currency in Flicklebickletown). The unicorn leapt into his arms, the garden gnomes blew their noses on mini tissues, since the sight was so happy. He took out the rainbows and the unicorn joyfully, with big round, bright eyes, jumped up and started endlessly jumping on the rainbow.

Then Taco Dog said, “I made so many friends in the forest I didn’t need to get the narwhal!”

Taco Dog wiped his tongue off with his paws. “Bleh,” he said. “I hate when the author puts these sappy words into my mouth. But it’s true.”

Then, Taco Dog brought them all back through the Enchanted Potato Woods, where the monsters were celebrating Taco Dog’s achievement. He invited all of his friends to dinner, and they all had ham bologna nugget biscuit chicken flying rainbow M&M whipped cream hot chocolate dancing sheep sandwich with one million calories, two percent trans fat, 32 percent carb, 99 percent sugar, and twenty percent sodium, with gravy. They all sang songs from the Wizard of Oz: “Ding dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch! Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead!”        

They all then became the most popular people in Taco Dog’s school, because they went through the Enchanted Potato Woods and lived. But in the end, Taco Dog would have been fine even if he wasn’t the most popular. He just was glad he had friends.

 

THE END

The Black Hole

Once upon a time, a swimming team went to a celebratory party for winning a grand swimming competition. The parents were watching us have fun, since we were having many stations like games. We were swimming, eating pizza, and drinking soda. We were having so much fun, but for some reason the lights went out.

“What happened, Jordan,” I said.

“I don’t know, it’s pitch black,” said Jordan.

“Let’s make sure everybody is okay,” I said. “Jordan, Sean, Nicole, Ashley…” Five minutes later, “…Ms. Eileen.”

“Where are you, Ms. Eileen!” Jordan said.

“Maybe she went to fix the the lights,” said Sean.

“But I saw her sitting in the chair,” I said.

“What if she is a ghost,” said Sean.

“Ooh, please Sean!”

The lights went back on, but there was a small flicker with the lights. It would go on and off each time there would be a scary voice.

“Ms. Eileen, are you there?” I said.

Of course I’m here, I’m sitting right next you,” said Ms. Eileen.

“But I don’t see you,” I said.

‘Because I am right next to Sean,” the voice said.

“No you’re not,” said Sean.

I am your greatest nightmare. I used to be talented like all you swimmers, but then I got into a horrible car accident, actually it was a team bus, but there is no difference! I was the only one that died because I was standing with no railing or seat belt. Those mean swimmers didn’t give me a seat. I would get bullied and teased and I would feel so lonely. Now I have come for revenge,” said the Voice.

“Why us? We don’t even know you?” I said.

Or do you?” said the mystery voice.

It was actually young Ms. Eileen. So this means that our coach was actually dead.

“But I don’t understand how are you still alive,” Jordan said.

“I’m not, I just needed to give my soul to my twin sister,” she said.

“Can’t your sister act like you?” Sean said.

“Stop asking questions!!!!”

Everyone was trying to get Ms. Eileen’s soul out of her twin sister’s body.

War began with 15 young swimmers and the fake coach. The fight was in the pool: we got water guns, freeze guns, water nurf guns, and also water balloons. The war was crazy! People were diving into the pool. Water was spurting out of the pool, the floor was wet. It was a falling madness. It felt like someone really, really heavy was on top of you with lot of water. Nightmare, I tell you, nightmare!

Everyone was dizzy and confused about what had happened. That specific scary night was a night to NOT remember.  

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, let’s see if we saved our coach.”

Help, help… wait just a second… HELP!”

“Jeez, we’re coming, we’re coming!”

“I am at the edge of the diving board!” Ms. Eileen’s twin sister was yelling about. When we came to save her, we saw a bright light with the real Ms. Eileen, but then a red bright light appeared. She was very evil. She told us her plan.

“I will dominate your small world and destroy every person that stands in my way. Literally if you stand in front of me, you got to move, brah.”

“Why are you going to do that? I thought we were the only ones you were going to get revenge on.”

“It started growing on me,” she said. “Quiet, all of you! You young swimmers aren’t leaving. You are going to start training to be my slaves. Of course once I dominate the world today, I will destroy the life supply of water and oreos that everyone in the world loves a lot!”

My friend Jordan said, “That’s not possible, because she’s already dead!”

“I don’t care, we should just have a war between all people and her,” said Ava, who had medium-length hair with glasses, freckles, and cool shoes.

That’s when I supplied everybody with their weapons, put posters up so everybody would join, and went to my house and got my weapons and joined the war. Then all my friends got heavy water guns, life supplies of water balloons, protection (shields, swords), and also cannonballs. That was when they told what’s her name (the evil teacher) that they were going to meet at this all-girls school.

When the time came, it was about 7:30 and it was getting super dark. At that time it was a lunar eclipse and that’s when the moon started getting redder and redder. The war started happening and the only thing you could see was a big blur of water and darts everywhere. Each time somebody would come hit the teacher to destroy her, the lunar eclipse moon would get redder and redder. Once it got super red another monster came. It was one of the evil spirits that came from the underworld. One person threw a water balloon at the evil teacher and she fell. It was six feet. She started choking from the water, “Ekekekek!”

The evil spirit wanted revenge and we found out from the records that he was a little boy that was friends with the teacher when they were kids, and he was also bullied like her, and he died in the same car crash that she was in, but they never met each other and were so lonely. He wanted to get revenge for every person who got bullied in the world, every person who suffered the tragedy of losing someone in their life because they got bullied. He wanted to avenge her in a big way. He said, “This war will never end and it will come soon enough, once I meet my full potential. This is not over. I will come back in approximately two years. Don’t underestimate what I will do to this world at that time.”

 

2 years later…

 

“That little boy is never coming back. We showed him that night that he will suffer if he comes back,” Jordan said.

“Wait, didn’t you hear what he said? He will come back in two years and he will reach full potential. Don’t you ever listen to anybody? What if he can really come back, but stronger than anybody else in the world?”

“Remember me? I told you I will come back. You thought I will never come back, didn’t you? But I did! I will destroy anyone in my path but not grandma and grandpa. Oh also not my parents, I love them too much.”

“You thought we would weaken but we still have the power to destroy you. We are always a team, even if sometimes it’s kind of hard, you know, caring for these people.”

“Really? So this war is going to end in a snap.”

Then he was completely gone, like a cloud disappearing.

“We need to always be ready. We don’t know when he can attack,” I said.

Just 30 minutes later, he said, “I’m here!”

The war started. Everyone was screaming and fighting and all you could see was the water for the weapons. At the end it was a blur, just a blur! But luckily we won. He was moaning and just arose.

“Thank you for everything,” he said.

“My pleasure,” I said.

My teammates then made a plan to congratulate me.

“We want you to be our swim coach,” they said.

“Seriously? Thank you!” I said.

“You are a really good leader ever since the beginning of the war and even before the war.”

My friends and I kept swimming and winning, especially when there were many fans. It was really great.

The Minecraft Cheater

In the world of Minecraft, it was a beautiful day. It was nice. It was a warm blue sunny day. Then it started raining. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled. Then it became a dark and stormy night.

I’m just joking.

It was a sunny day, Steve came outside the door. It was April Fools day. Someone set a trap in front of Steve’s door. Steve took a step outside and plop. He stepped on the pressure plates and fell into lava.

Once Steve hit the lava he was saying, “Ow, ow, owww!”

Then he died.

“Nooo!!! I died!

So what, I’ll just respawn.”

And Steve respawned.

Now I’m gonna go check at school to see if I can find who did this. That way, I can troll him/her for the rest of his/her life. It’s gonna be so much fun mwahahahaha!

When I got to school, I asked all my friends, “Did you play Minecraft yesterday?” They all said, “Yes.”

That didn’t narrow things down. Who could it be? Maybe it was my brother or sister. This is gonna be a big mystery.

Maybe it was the school bully, but if you ever talk to him, people say he throws you in the garbage dumpster head first. He throws kids so hard hard that it hurts them. A lot of them end up crying. I heard that the bully caused some kids to break their arms, and damage their brains after crashing into the cold metal of the dumpster. Some kids forgot things because of the damage. The only good thing about being attacked by the bully was a guaranteed “get out of school” card. That sounded fun, but who wants to stay home all day?

I tried to find out the bully’s email, so I could text him and not end up like the other kids. When I realized I couldn’t find the email I knew I had to come up with a different plan.

The next day I decided I was going to spy on him at school. All I had to do was not get in trouble with the school, and not get caught by the bully. The sun was shining and the birds were singing when I woke up. I grabbed my hearing gear that allowed me to hear things that were far away without me having to be near it. If i got caught with this I’ll get detention for five days. The gear was red and black, and hid perfectly. It was the perfect gear for the situation.

I went to school and began my mission. The bully put his phone down long enough for me to quickly grab it.

No password! Yes!

I read his phone and saw how he was bragging to his friends about the prank he pulled on Steve. It really was the bully all along!

Time for phase two of the mission. It was time to sneak out of the school yard, get to the bully’s house, troll him, and all will be fine.

When I got to his house, I jumped over the back fence, climbed the wall and went in through his open window. Once I was inside, I heard the bully’s mom coming up the stairs. I quickly hid. I didn’t want to risk getting caught by the mom so I held onto the window ledge and dangled outside.

I was worried. If I fell, the bully’s mom would hear him. She would look out the window, see me and I’ll be busted. I heard her open the bully’s room door and she complained about the mess that was on the floor. She began collecting the bully’s laundry.

I heard the door click and pulled myself up enough to see that she left. I went back into the room, went to the bully’s laptop, opened it and turned on Minecraft. I went into all of his worlds and put TNT in them and watched them blow up one by one. I put his Minecraft character in a random world so he would be lost and the bully wouldn’t be able to find him.

No, that wasn’t good enough.

I changed the character’s skin to a super girly one.

Still not good enough.

I deleted the blown up worlds.

Still not satisfied.

I finally just deleted his whole Minecraft game together.

After I was satisfied, I climbed out of the bully’s room. Once my feet were on the ground I ran as fast as i could until I was back at school. I felt really good that I got back at the bully since he was really mean to everyone in school.

 

The End

The Girl Who Went To Ecuador

Chapter 1

“Willa, I have a surprise for you, ” Willa’s mom said, otherwise known as Kelly.

Willa looked shocked because she never got surprises. At least they weren’t good enough.

“What is the surprise, mom?” Willa said in an excited voice running down the stairs.

Willa’s mom just said, “Go pack your bags.” She thought that her mom really wanted it to be a surprise, and Willa really did. Willa went to pack her bags. When she was done, there was a taxi out there waiting for her.

Her mom said, “Willa, you are going to Ecuador to your grandparents.” Willa never knew her grandparents, so she was curious to learn who they were. Willa also did not know how to speak Spanish and her parents were not going with her. She got in the taxi and the taxi driver spoke Spanish, only Spanish.

Willa said,“The airport? The airport … airport?” The man seemed to understand what she was talking about, unfortunately he drove her to the cafe. Willa was like, “No … Airport! Airport!” In her head she was like, why doesn’t he understand what I tell him? Willa just decided to get off the taxi and get another taxi, but Willa forgot to pay.

The taxi driver yelled, “Tienes que pagar!”

Willa just said, “Si … I’m getting off.”

The driver yelled again, “Paga! Tienes que pagar!”

Willa sort of understood what he was doing with his hands. She thought to herself, Si…Am I forgetting something? Oh my god! Yes, I forgot to pay. My mom would be so mad if she knew. I am not a thief! Because of that Willa had to pay thirty dollars, which wasn’t even worth it because the taxi driver did not even take her to the right place. Then Willa went to get a cab, but there were no cabs around because the taxi driver took her to Brooklyn. But she has never been to Brooklyn and didn’t know that the cabs were green. But then there was this friendly guy.

He said, “The taxis are green here madam,” and Willa thought that this guy was French.

That meant, “hello.”  

But the guy was French so he started a conversation in French. “Bonjour, Je m’appelle Jayden, je suis quarante cinq ans.” Willa was there just snoring, she had fallen asleep. Then she startled awake because her head went back. She forgot all about the French guy. She still remembered the part about the green taxis, and she got in one. The guy that was in the cab spoke English, thank god.

She said, “To the airport please!” The man brought her to the airport, but she forgot to say which gate she was going to. It ended up being like about three miles away. She thought to herself, I am not paying a cab. She chose to walk. Finally, she got there, but the bad thing was that she was late for her boarding pass and the airplane left without her. She was furious at herself, “why didn’t I just pay a cab?” she said. But there was this nice girl there, in fact, she was a little girl. She was three years old, had a British accent, and she also had blond hair and blue eyes.

The girl said, “I lost my family.” She lost them in the airport. “And nobody would ever help me, I would ask them and beg them, but I didn’t even know how to speak. But one time, this little boy came, and he taught me how to speak. The little boy wanted to keep me as a pet and he said to his mom and daddy, “Can I have this doggy?”

And for some reason, the parents said “No, you cannot have a pet until you’re eighteen years old.”

“I was left here alone and I talked and I talked and no one seemed to listen.  I thought I was invisible and I stole some food. But, I got caught by a policeman and he thought I was cute, and he gave me a lollipop.”

Willa felt horrible for the little girl and she said, “Would you like to go to Ecuador?” The little girl was surprised that she was jumping up and down and crying out of happiness.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Are you really going to take me to Ecuador?”

Willa pretended to think and then said, “Of course.” She grabbed her hand and brought her to the front desk and asked for two tickets.

 

Chapter 2

Because the little British girl was cute, they gave them two tickets for free. Normally they would cost a billion dollars. The little girl was super happy to know that she wasn’t invisible after all.

The little girl really wanted to know how to read, and she told Willa, “Willa, do you know how to read?”

Willa said, “Of course!”

The little girl said, “Can you teach me how to read?”

Willa said, “Of course, but I need a little tiny favor.” The little girl was worried for a second.

But then Willa said, “Can you please tell me your name?”

The little British girl said, “My name is Mia, what’s yours?”

“My name is Willa, and by the way, I love your name.”

“Willa, I need to tell you something, it’s very private. I think the people that left the airport robbed me and kidnapped me because there was a stack of money in the bag and my mom’s jewelry and they were dressed in black.” Mia began to cry.

Willa gave Mia a really big hug and said “Don’t worry, you have a friend now, and you’re never going to get rid of me, even if you try to.” That was when Will noticed Mia’s clothes. They were raggy, and had pee and poop on them. She also noticed Mia was really thin. She didn’t even think of giving her food.

 

Chapter 3

Willa said, “Oh, I am really sorry, do you want me to buy clothes for you? If you want me to buy clothes for you I can totally do it since you have been so nice to me. I want to pay you back for all that you have done, plus you are cute. What do I lose?”

Mia was surprised. She said, “I have never really wondered what is inside my pants. But there is this mushy, squishy stuff in my pants. It is really comfy. Do you have any idea what it is?”

Willa was in shock and told her, “Actually, that is poop. It is what comes out of your butt.”

Mia said, “Never mind, are you going to buy me clothes, or not?”

Willa said, “Oh, let’s go to that one right up there, it’s called Chanel.” They went inside the store and Willa the saw most cutest outfit for Mia’s age. It was called a “onesie” and it had pink flowers on it. Willa said “how about the onesies right there?”

“Oh, you mean the giant underwear?” Mia laughed.

Willa said, “oh no, it’s a onesie! And we also have to get you new underwear.” Willa said “First before you put on the clean clothes, we have to teach you how to go to the bathroom.” Mia and Willa got the bathroom, but Mia was really confused about what they were going to do. “Every Time you feel something coming out, go to this bowl, sit on it, do your thing, and wipe, and then flush, and then wipe your hands.”

Mia said, “I feel a thingy there, can I go use the bowl?”

Willa said, “Of course you can use it. But don’t forget to use the tips.” When Mia got out, Willa went to the bowl to look if she did okay, but when she looked in the stall, poop and pee was all over the stall. Willa thought to herself, maybe I should have explained it to her a little more clearly. Willa said, “Did you remember how to sit on the bowl?”

Mia said, “I followed your instructions, it’s not my fault.” Willa thought to herself, maybe I should buy her diapers, not underwear.

 

Chapter 4

Willa and Mia went to the store that sold diapers. Willa was surprised that this diaper said, “after the baby does their thing, it changes automatically.”

But when Willa saw the price, she said, “That is so cheap!” It only costs a diamond ring! And she had her mother’s diamond ring. She gave the man the diamond ring.

The man said, “Yay, now I have a diamond ring to give to my girlfriend.”

Willa was shocked, she said “What if your girlfriend says, where did you get the ring from?”

“Oh you know, I will just say, I got it from the store,” said the man like it was no biggy.

“That will be a lie,” Willa said.

The man yelled, “You, get out of my business!”

Mia said, “You don’t talk to my friend like that? You hear me?”

The man yelled “I’m calling the police!”

Willa said, “Okay, I have a plan. Since you’re really cute, like really cute, you can make the cutest face and the police will say, ‘Maybe you should go to jail old man.’”

When the police came, her name was Katie, and she said, “Who’s the robber?” She was holding up a gun.

The man said, “That little tiny little girl that is in front of your face.” The man was looking, and he put his head down like this.

“That little tiny girl? I think you’re drunk. Maybe you should go to jail,” said the nice police officer.

Mia whispered in Willa’s ear, “Willa? I think that’s the police officer that gave me the lollipop.” Katie put her hand in her pocket and took out a lollipop. The old man dropped the diamond ring, Willa picked it up and put it in her pocket.

 

Chapter 5

Willa and Mia went to the bathroom one more time and Willa took out the diapers. She pulled down Mia’s pants, took off her underwear, and saw poop, pee, smushed in her underwear. It looked like the poop and pee actually belonged in the underwear. But Willa, didn’t argue, she just took it off, put it in the garbage, and took out the diaper. She put it on and she saw an “off” and “on “ button and thought that the “on” button was when she pooped and peed and had to take the diaper off.  She turned the “on” button and it changed the diaper.  She thought she’d only pressed the “on” button when she needed to change the diaper, plus, after she peed and pooped the diaper automatically got perfume and sprayed it, so it won’t smell bad, and it also wipes your butt.

Mia loved her diaper and said, “Willa you are the nicest person on earth.”

 

Chapter 6

They didn’t have to worry about the pee and poop anymore. After that, they got ready to go to the plane. Since the lady that gave them their tickets thought that Mia was cute, she gave them business class in the middle, they were both facing each other.

They got in the plane and Mia yelled, “This is the best day of my life!” And then the poop fell.  She yelled proudly, “Oh, that felt good.” It smelled delicious because the perfume sprayed. Willa showed Mia the seats that they had. It was one, and two, the best seats in the airplane.

The TV was bigger. Mia and Willa sat on the bed. Mia heard an announcement that said, “Please turn off all electronic devices before takeoff.”

Willa said, “You can’t turn on the TV until the airplane gets in the sky.”

Mia asked, “What’s a TV?”

Willa said, “I’m just going to tell you all the electronics until you ask me all the questions in the whole entire world.”

Willa named the iPhone, the iPad, the TV, and so on and so forth and explained all of them and what they do. By the time she was done, their airplane was already in the sky. Willa showed her how to use the TV. She chose the movie for her. She chose Cinderella.

By the time Mia was done, Mia asked “Why does the princess never pee and poop?”

Willa didn’t answer the question very good, she said, “I don’t think they ever pee and poop.” Mia stopped talking for a moment and wondered, what if I never pee and poop?

 

Chapter 7

The announcement came on and it said that the airplane was about to land. When Willa looked outside, she saw mountains and one mountain was covered with snow. She looked in the magazine and saw that that mountain was called Cotopaxi.  

In the magazine, the mountain had snow and there was the moon and the sky and it was dark out.

When the airplane landed, Willa got up and went to tell Mia that it was time to get off the plane. When Willa went to see Mia, she found Mia asleep. Willa took a picture of her and said, “Awww”.

And then all the people in the airplane said, “Shhhh!” But then they saw Mia and said “Awwww.” Mia, while all of this was happening, was holding her pee and poo because she wanted to be a princess.

Mia woke up, the first thing that she saw, were the faces of the people that had kidnapped her.

 

Chapter 8

Mia whispered to Willa, “Pssstt. Willa, those are the people that kidnapped me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Willa said.

The kidnappers came up to Mia and said, “My darling! I cannot believe I found you. I was searching everywhere for you! The day I left you at the airport, and I couldn’t find you, I fell to ground and my eyes filled with tears. And now that I found you, I’m going to take you and hug you (until you die),” she whispered.

“Woah, woah, woah, first of all, you’re not even her parent. Mia just told me you were the people that kidnapped her!”

“What are you talking about why would our beautiful Mia say that. I mean if it was true which it isn’t she wouldn’t even remember what we look like or even that we robbed her!” the robber hesitated.

 The very dumb robber said like he knew it all, “By the way, my name is Toto and my friend’s name- I mean my wife’s name is Lala. Lala, you said that we did rob Mia.”

“Great, now we have proof. Oh and by the way, I am going to tell the police. I filmed every word you said!” Willa said

Lala yelled at Toto and said, “My plan would’ve been fantastic if you hadn’t been in it!!!”  

“I’m sorry boss, but when we kidnapped Mia you told me to always lie after we did our business, but our boss always likes us not to lie. He told me never to lie again. I am never going to stop telling the truth unless you say to keep on lying,” said Toto in a sad voice.

“Well maybe we shouldn’t be friends anymore,” said Lala in a mad voice.

Toto said in a very sad voice, “Fine, but don’t you dare come and ask me for help. You never know when I can call the cops. Plus, I can lie as much as I want now that you are not my boss anymore!!!”

“Well that was awkward!” Willa said in a weird voice. “Now let’s get out of here while we have a chance.” Willa and Mia skipped to the other side of the aisle of the plane and quickly, but quietly, ran to the taxi station, got into the cab. She forgot that she couldn’t speak Spanish. So, she said the directions in English and it sounded like the direction in Spanish was the museum of Agua Blanca Museum. They got out and Willa wanted to cry, but she didn’t want to in front of Mia. She had no idea of what she could do.“I wish there was a app that you speak in English and that the app will repeat what you said but just speaking in Spanish. Well, we must just go in the sdcsdcoiIU or whatever it is called!!!” Willa said in so much frustration that her face was bright red.

 

Chapter 9

When they went into the aquarium, Willa took a deep breath and saw Mia was amazed. Her mouth was wide open. Her eyes were as big as a light bulb. All of sudden, she was happy too. Willa heard a squeaky sound and she heard water splashing all around. Willa pulled Mia’s arm and dragged her to the dolphins. She saw the dolphins jumping all around through hula hoops. They were the first ones watching and then it started getting crowded. When they wanted to leave to see another exhibit, they couldn’t get out. They just stayed to see the end of the show.

“Willa, I … I have never seen monkeys, but I heard people talking about them in the airplane. I saw a picture of one and they look really cute. Can we go visit them?”

“As soon as the show finishes, cause it looks like we can’t move.” Willa said laughing. She was in a much better mood. 

 

Chapter 10

Meanwhile Toto and Lala were trying to come up with a plan to make Willa and Mia come with them to make their secret plan to work. By the way they were in the museum. All of a sudden Lala came up with a very good idea.

“Toto, I know! We will pretend to be staff at the museum. We will go into a closet and we will grab some of the uniforms that the staff has. We will ask Willa and Mia if they need help.”

Toto responds, “That is the greatest idea that I ever heard!!”

“Let’s do it, pal!” They go to the exit of the dolphin show.

 

Chapter 11

Finally, the show ended and the people started leaving. Mia and Willa saw the staff. They went up to them and said, “Um can you please tell me where the monkey exhibit is?” Willa said very politely and slowly so they would understand.

“Please, no need to speak slowly. We very well understand English. Trust us, we’ve had a lot of tourists who speak English. Come with us and we will show you where the monkeys are,” Lala said like he knew everything.

They were weirded out because no one had ever said it like that, that he knew everything. They followed him, but when Willa began to walk, Mia realized that the “Staff” had the same mole that Lala had. It was right on top of the mouth. Mia said to Willa, “Willa, those are not the Staff, they are Toto and Lala.”

Willa was shocked. She just said, “Let’s follow and see where they are going to take us, so we can find out what their plan is going to be.”

Mia said to Willa, “You really don’t know what they could do. Just go away and ask a real staff!”

Willa just ignored Mia and just kept on walking. Mia kept on walking, but she was trembling. Willa held Mia’s hand just in case. They started realizing that it kept on getting darker and darker and darker until they came to this door that said something in Spanish that Willa did not understand. She kept on walking. She started to tremble too and she was positive that nothing was going to happen too.

Toto said to Willa and Mia, “These are the monkeys. We’re gonna enter this door and I’m gonna take Mia’s hand so she doesn’t get scared.”

Willa held Mia back and said, “I don’t know your name, but whoever you are, I am not gonna let Mia go. She’s gonna take my hand and show me where the monkeys are. Period.”

Lala didn’t care. She grabbed Mia and ran away and Willa ran where they were heading.

 

Chapter 12

Mia was screaming her head off. Willa felt bad for not listening to Mia. Now what was she going to do. Mia was all that mattered to her right now, but she had no time to be ashamed. She had to find Mia and go to her grandma and grandpa’s house.

She saw them getting into a taxi. Willa quickly got a piece of paper and wrote down the taxi’s number. The number was 3B51. She got into a taxi herself and tried to communicate with the driver and pointed to the taxi 3B51. Fortunately, the driver taxi understood her and followed the taxi.

Lala was in the front row with the taxi and he was looking in the side mirror and saw that the taxi holding Willa was chasing them. He told the taxi driver to go faster. Somehow he knew Spanish. The taxi driver went super fast and passed the red light. A police officer saw them beat the red light and chased Lala and Toto. All of a sudden, the police car was blocking Toto and Lala’s car and Willa couldn’t see them and was terribly worried about Mia.

 

Chapter 13

When the police had enough he got out the loudspeaker and said in English, “If you don’t pull over right now I will have to do my job and get my gun out” said police officer Tom.

Once Lala heard that she had no choice but to pull over. Lala pulled over and whispered, “Shoot.” She was so mad that her brain was about to explode.

Willa pointed at the car and said, “Stop.” Thankfully the taxi driver understood and stopped where the officer was. Willa got out of the car and headed to where Toto and Lala were.

 

Chapter 14

Then Willa was super mad and quickly ran and pulled Mia away from Toto. Toto didn’t even notice. He was too busy crying.

The police officer said, “Hi my name is Tom and you just made a very big mistake.”

Lala said very annoyed, “Ugh, like, do you think we care?”

Tom said very calmly, “The way you said it, I guess not. Can you tell me why you beat the red light.”

“Um, excuse me, I can explain. Me and Mia were at the Aquarium and Zoo. Mia wanted to go see the monkeys. We asked the ‘Staff’ where the monkeys were. The ‘Staff’ were Toto and Lala, the ones that beat the red light. They led us somewhere and then very quickly, grabbed Mia. They got into a car and I quickly got a taxi. Then you came in.”

Tom said, “Let me get this straight, you are Mia’s parents?”

Lala said, “Of course.”

Toto said confused, “I thought we were kidnapping Mia.”

Lala said so angry that she couldn’t even say it, “I told you to keep quiet.”

Tom said, “You are under arrest.”

          

Chapter 15

Tom said happily to Willa, “Thanks for helping. You were a really big help.”

Willa said even happier, “Thank you if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have my Mia here.” Willa hugged Mia and Mia hugged her back. They were really happy to see each other. Willa said very glad, “I found out this very cool app that will save us. It is an app that you can say something in English and it will translate to any language in this case it will be Spanish. My grandma gave me her address. I know exactly where to go.”

Mia said very excited, “Really? We can go home?”

Willa said, “Really.”

Willa got a cab and went to her grandma and grandpa’s house. Thankfully her grandma and grandpa thought that her plane was going to arrive at that time and that same day. Her Grandparents were relaxing on their chairs.

All they did was get up and give them a big hug.

Max’s Story

Messi, the best soccer player, was shining in the light. The game was Barcelona VS Real Madrid. Ronaldo said hi to Messi. Messi said hi to Ronaldo. They were feeling good. But then Messi got hurt by trying to pass Ronaldo. But when he was doing that, he, by accident, tripped on his own foot. Before Messi got injured, Messi scored 99 goals. Ronaldo was impressed but felt sorry for him. Then, the GIANT RACCOON came in and killed everyone. He was a scientific experiment. What the GIANT RACCOON was trying to do was make all the raccoons in the world giant so he and his friends could take over the world, make all of humanity be his slave, and take over the entire galaxy.

“Muahahahaha,” said the GIANT RACCOON.

But one person said, “A raccoon is gonna make me a slave for the rest of my life? Just because he’s big and strong with a lazer gun? Okay that is pretty scary, but back to the story.”

“Blah blah blah, I won the World Cup,” said one of the slaves. The GIANT RACCOON was angry like an angry bird, and his face was as red as the red Angry Bird because from up there it sounded like “blah blah blah.” It was funny to the other racoons, but then the GIANT RACCOON got angry at them for laughing. But in that time, the GIANT RACCOON forgot all about the “blah blah blah” so he didn’t mind. Then the GIANT RACCOON hit one of the little racoons in the face.

“Haha,” said the GIANT RACCOON. “I hit you.”

Then it was a big argument, but in the meanwhile, the people were running for their lives. Once the argument finished, all the people were hiding far far away.

Now the racoons were arguing about that.

“It was your fault that they ran away.”

“No it was your fault that they ran away.”

In the meantime, all the people told the scientist with white lightning hair pointing up, a white scientist jacket, black shoes, and white pants to match with his shirt, to make some thing to destroy the raccoons for ever. So the scientist started to work in the lab, on his computer, and made pieces for the weapon that will destroy the raccoons. Meanwhile, the other people were getting their pitchforks and torches to kill the GIANT RACOON. Now the people want to test if forces can destroy the GIANT RACCOON, so they tried to hurt the GIANT RACCOON, but it didn’t work.

The GIANT RACCOON said, “Hahaha that tickles so much!” So the people went back to the lab to see if the scientist finished.

Once the people came the scientist said, “Done.”

Everybody cheered, “Hooray!” So then the scientist carried the gun to show the raccoon.

The raccoon said, “Haha, you think you will defeat me with that? How about you get the taste of your own medicine?”  Then he shot the gun and it hit the raccoon in the belly.

BOOOOOOOM!  The GIANT RACCOON was destroyed. Everyone cheered. The little raccoons even cheered. They didn’t like the GIANT RACCOON. So they shrunk themselves to be smaller again, and they all lived happily ever after.

“But wait!” cried L. Messi and C. Ronaldo. “We are still here and same as Neymar and James Rodriguez and Suarez.”

“But what about the soccer game?” cried someone.

”Yeah!” said someone else.

Don’t go into the dark

Chapter #1                         

Let me tell you a story where everyone has a shadow, and only I knew they were there.

My mom said, “Emily, come down and eat breakfast. You’re an adult, you need to send applications for colleges. Just because it’s spring break, doesn’t mean you actually have a break.”

I heard her walk up the stairs. One second later, I find my mother dead on the carpet of my room and a bloody knife in my hand. I just stood there, my insides melting, and my one tear trickling down my left cheek. I thought, Did I kill her? No I couldn’t have, I would remember, and that was the most I could cry.

At that moment I ran downstairs screaming, “How come I hadn’t heard her scream? She would always be there when I needed her, where is she when I need her now? She’s dead. If I would have come down sooner my shadow wouldn’t have murdered my mom.’’  I felt like I had killed her but I knew it was my shadow.

I took a delicate glass vase and smashed it on my head. When I woke up people in white bodysuits were dragging me into the vehicle for the mental institution. The neighbors must have called them; they must think I’m being paranoid by something supernatural. My instincts kicked in and I fought so hard so the men in the white suits couldn’t check my pockets and take my cellphone away.

 

Chapter #2

The next morning I woke up in a mental hospital. The room was grey because of the dimmed lights, like in World War Z. The bed was a steel bed set with a worn out mattress. I walked over into the bathroom that had no door. It had a mirror that was permanently foggy and a rusty bathtub, there was a faucet that only dripped.

I ran and peered into the hallway from the window and screamed to the doctor and guards, “You can’t lock me in here, my shadow will kill me like it did my mom. It follows me everywhere I go! Shadows aren’t supernatural, at least not the ones I’m talking about. They are the ones that need to be in this jail cell, they are the mental ones. They are smart, I don’t know why, and I don’t know why they like murdering people!”

The doctor came with two different types of poison, as I like to call them. They say it will help me, but it will blind some of my vision to see the shadows, then I will just have 20/20 vision, like the average person. Then I can’t see my shadow coming. They are dark and stay in corners, but when you look at them they leave out of sight.

Bing bing.

I got a text saying “you never can” and every whiteness goes into the dark.

Who texted me? Who’s there? And why am I in a mental hospital? Then I remember it’s those drugs, they’re making me forget everything and I’m so close. I get a text saying, “You were never so but never so close to what.”

 

Chapter #3

The next morning they let me go. But I didn’t know why my mom would let them take me. She and I needed to have a discussion.

Bing bing.

I get a text saying, “can’t wait to get into the dark again, it’s going to be killer.”

 

Chapter #4

I walk out of the car and go in my house to see the police pulling out a stretcher with a cover over it. It falls away and I see it’s my mother. I stand there in a state of shock.

The next morning I got dressed, ate breakfast, and had a morning of tears and emptiness. I decided I was going to investigate to see if my neighbor’s had any info on my mother’s death. I walk over to my neighbor Sarah’s house and she said she thought I had killed my mom, she claims to have seen me stab her and then run out my room screaming. That’s all she said before slamming the door in my face, acting like I was some sort of monster. I felt all alone and there was no one to comfort me.

Bing bing.

“Don’t be sad for long, your next victim will arrive. Guess who.”

 

Chapter#5

The next morning it’s back to school and I’m already ready to get my school on. I sent applications for Columbia University. I couldn’t stop thinking about that text I got last night.

Bing bing.

I get a text saying, “Thinking about me? So touching. Oh and don’t plan too far ahead, there’s going to be a bump in the road.”

One minute later I get a voicemail singing, “Look both ways before you cross the street.” As I listen to the voicemail, I go to the fridge to get some milk.

A toy car pops up on the kitchen table. I drop the milk, stare at the car and run up the stairs. Once I get upstairs I prepare for the shower, but when I got in the shower the car was there and I was half dry.

“Why is this car following me? Wait, why am I half dry?” I said in frustration.

“Is it…”

My head starts to ache and I yell, “Make it stop! Make it stop!”

But it wouldn’t, so I started pounding on my head so the aching would stop. After that I don’t remember much, but the car appeared on the sink in the bathroom, with a doll strapped to the bottom of the car. When it appeared I was out of the shower with my phone in my hand with a text that had not been sent, and that left me asking unanswered questions.

I was so freaked out I started babbling questions like, ”What just happened? Why aren’t I in the shower? Huh? I’m so confused. Why am I so confused?” I say frustratedly. I look at my phone to see the text.  

The text says, “You killed her.”

I say to myself, “Who?” I call the mental institution and see if I can get the footage of me in the hospital room . No one is going to believe I am the killer, I wouldn’t hurt a fly. When I ask him to see the footage of me, they say that it’s private information and then he hung up on me.

I say to myself, “Well he’s a jerk.”

I thought to myself, I’ll just have to sneak in. Then I yelled, ”Yes!” and then said sorry to the neighbors.

I dress up in a black shirt, stretchy leather leggings, boots, and a black beanie. I get in my car and drive to the hospital. When I get there, I remember I took a climbing class. I took a rock and aimed it,  making sure I wasn’t facing the security camera and so the alarm wouldn’t go off, before I threw it at the window. Then I climbed up the brick wall and climbed in the window.

I ran to the general office. When I got there I took a bobby pin from my hair and picked the lock. When I got in, the footage of me was left on the screen, so played it. I stood there in shock. I got a headache again and a few minutes later I got a text saying, “It was you? Let’s get back into the dark.”

Every day I look at that stupid text trying to convince myself it was probably just one of my friends pranking me. But I had all the evidence. It was me. I didn’t want to believe it.

From then on, I cried myself to sleep. Some nights I would sleep in my mom’s bed because it made me feel safe. The next morning was my birthday and I called my dad to celebrate it with him, because he’s the only family I’ve got. The call goes right to voicemail. So I decide to walk over to his house.

Since my mom and him were divorced they wanted seeing me to be very convenient for them. When I get there I knock on the door. He opened it and gave me a hug and said, ”Watch it, I have a garden knife in my hand.’’

I got a migraine. I howled, ”Make it stop! Make it stop, please‘’!

The next thing I knew was my dad was on the ground. His throat had been slit. ”He bled to death,’’ I said in shock. “What? Oh my gosh, what?’’ I screamed and ran.

When I got in the house I fell and cried with no one to hold me up. The next morning I went into my bright blue bathroom with a large marble white circular bathtub with a curtain and shower head. When I looked in the mirror, I saw something in myself.

I saw a murderer.

Even though I wasn’t certain, I had a feeling. I mean all those times my mom looked at me like I was a monster when I even mentioned a sleepover, or when I told my mom about me and my friends playing army. I wonder if she was thinking I am the enemy and not the hero. But the only thing that doesn’t add up is how would she know about my situation and not tell me. My mom was my best friend.

The next morning I awoke to a sudden loud alarm. I walk out of my room. As I walk down the stairs, I remembered I have school today. So I ran upstairs to take a shower, and get dressed in my crop top, donut leggings, and combat boots. I grab my black hoodie and backpack and ran out of the house.

I got in my car and drove very swiftly. I arrived and checked the time. The parking lot was half empty and the whole world became blurry.

“Brr,” I shake my head and run inside.

This girl had the nerve to walk up to me and say, “You know my dad’s a cop right?”

“So?”

“So I heard you killed your mom.”

“What did you just say? You don’t know me! You can’t just walk up to me and say that! If you ever mention that I will — ”

“What? You’re gonna kill me?”

After that a sudden spark of rage and fire controlled my body and mentality. The next thing I knew was that I … I attacked her and people had to hold me back.

“Get off of me!!!” I screamed.

I walked away with fire in my eyes and wiped the waterfall of hurt, agony, and ferocity. My friend came to comfort me.

“No. Just stay away from me, please. I always drive people away, so why not now. Bye.” I walked away rapidly, weeping silently.

 

Chapter #6

I get in my car, turn on the radio, and unexpectedly the song “All by Myself’’ by Celine Dion plays. I was right up to the part “All by myself, don’t wanna be all by myself anymore.’’

When I got home I saw my stepmom. She screamed when she saw my Dad. I got out of the car and ran to the house. I observed my dad’s body. He was rotting. Quickly, I turned my head and walked inside. My baby step sister was crying. I walked up the stairs and into her room. I saw her screaming. I said, “It’s ok. No one is going to hurt — Aaah my head!” I screamed. This time I knew and saw what I was doing.

“No I won’t kill this innocent child!”

I feel like I was straining my neck I could hardly breath, then I collapsed. Officers, that’s all I remember, “Now let me out of this interrogation room, please.”

“Ma’am, we are not authorized to do that,” they replied.

“Fine.”

I stabbed myself in the stomach. If you’re wondering how I snuck in the knife, just remember, always think dark and maybe you will figure it out. Everyone deserves a chance to go into the dark.         

My Big Family

Chapter One

Most of my life it’s been just me and my Dad. That’s how I liked it. Every morning he would walk me to school, and tuck me in bed. But then all of it changed. It all started at school. I was looking at the bulletin board and I saw a sign-up sheet for a cooking club after school. One thing you need to know about me is I love cooking. I don’t want to be mean but I do not like my school. And this cooking club was definitely upgrading it. So I signed my name on the sheet.

 

Cooking club sign-up sheet:

Alexandra Smith

Michelle Tallania

Gabriela Shirlim ☺

Haley R. Benson ♡

Anna Bently

Arianna Makely

Rachel Arks

Samuel Benson

Zack Monsute

JAKE Bently☠

Bella Winsten ☃

 

Yep, that’s my name: Bella Winsten. Then my eyes caught on something else. I read the list over again. Alexandra, I knew Gabriela. I knew Haley, but of course, I didn’t want to. Arianna, Bella, Haley’s brother Samuel, Zack, Anna’s brother Jake, Anna, I knew ALL of them. But I never knew there was a girl named Michelle. I wondered if she was new. She better not have met Haley. If she met her, Haley would probably tell her I was a mean person. Well, what else is new? Now EVERYONE except Marcie thought I was MEAN (besides the teachers). That’s one reason why I hate my school. I made a list. I know it’s weird, but I keep track. Here’s the list I made:

Reasons Why I Hate School

 

  1. They make terrible food and expect me (the school) to eat it.
  2. The librarian is a hypocrite: she is the loudest person I know.
  3. If I don’t wear a leotard to gymnastics, Mrs. Mord makes me do gymnastics in my underwear ( She is Evil! )
  4. The only person I know that likes me is my best friend, Marcie
  5. I HATE MATH
  6. I HATE MRS. BURT (the math teacher)
  7. One word: HOMEWORK

 

[Don’t show this to ANY teacher.]

 

Maybe I’m overreacting about how Haley told EVERYBODY I was bad. A few girls like me. Sasha, Ella, Sydney, Violet, Celia, Bryn, Sarah, Well, so on. Okay. Fine. Lots of people like me, but still some people don’t like me. And that’s ALL Haley’s fault.

 

Chapter Two

“Bella?” I heard a familiar voice say. It was my Dad. He knocked on my door.

“Come in,” I said, while rocking on my chair.

“What are you doing, sweetie?” he asked. I made a face.

“Homework,” I said.

“Oh,” he said, “how was school?”

“Fine,” I answered.

“Awesome, or fine?” he said. He smiled at me. I giggled. “AWESOME!” I said. Then I told him all about the cooking club and Michelle. I showed him my homework, and told him I couldn’t figure it out.

 

Name: ___________ Date: ___________

 

  1. ¼ + ⅛ =

Why? Show your work.

 

  1. 6,897 +10,894 =

Why? Show your work.

 

  1. _ x 4 = 32 + 8 x 4 = _

Why? Show your work.

 

Bonus Problem:

What number multiplied by one, equals itself?

 

Chapter Three

I am so angry, I could just scream! I can’t believe it! I HATE MRS. BURT! This is what she put on my math test!

 

Name: Bella W.___ F

Date: 12/5/15           _

 

PLEASE SEE ME AFTER CLASS!

  1. ¼ + ⅛ =

Why? Show your work.

 

I don’t understand.

 

  1. 6,897 +10,894 =

Why? Show your work.

 

???

 

  1. _ x 4 = 32 + 8 x 4 = _

Why? Show your work.

 

Bonus Problem:

What number multiplied by one, equals itself?

Is this a trick question?

 

Okay, fine. I did not do THAT well. FINE. I did HORRIBLY. But, it was very hard! They give you terrible math problems! Not even my Dad can figure it out. I mean, I never asked, but I know he couldn’t. It’s like torture. Children should have their rights not to go to school. When I have kids I’m gonna let them stay at home and watch TV, and eat candy all day.

Sam would say, “Mommy, more candy!” and Amy would say, “Mommy! Guess what I learned! I learned that you can buy lots of bras at Target!” And then Emma would say, “Mommy, why is that guy pushing that girl off a car, and why does she have red marker all over her? Is it because it’s a car commercial?”

Aww, kids are so adorable (and dumb) aren’t they? And yeah, I’ve pretty much got my future life planned already.

 

Chapter Four

I was lying on my bed, hitting my head against my bedroom door, when my Dad walked into my room.

“Bella?” he asked. “I have something to tell you.”

“Mrs. Burt is moving to another planet?” I asked.

“Really?” Dad said.

“Hey, I can dream, can’t I?”

Dad laughed. “No, this is serious!”

“Okay,” I replied.

“So you know you told me about this new girl named Michelle at your school?” he asked.

“Yep,” I said.

“I know her mom. And uhh… ummm… we’re good friends.” My eyes lit up.

“Great!” I said. “We could have play dates!”

“More than that,” Dad replied. “Ummm…Michelle’s mom and I have been… well… ummm… how do you say it? Uhhh… well… we. We have been on dates.”

I felt like a ball had just dropped on me.

“Y-y-ou w-w-what?!” I sputtered. “How long?” I asked.

“Uhhh, well… ummm… about a year.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, I thought it would be better to tell you later,” said Dad.

I could feel my face getting hot now.

“One year later?!” I screamed. I’m sure the whole world could hear. I wasn’t just mad at him. I knew everything was going to change. “You should have told me earlier.”

“Well, I knew you would bug me about it,” said Dad. He looked a little uncomfortable.

I stormed off to my room and made sure I slammed the door really loud. I jumped on my

bed and was waiting for my Dad to come into my room and apologize. Maybe he would know how I felt. What if he got married? Maybe he’d see that these new people in the family would make a big difference — a bad difference. Then he would change his mind, and then Dad and I would live together, just the two of us.

 

Chapter Five

I was still in my room; it had been an hour since we had that fight – well, I had that fight. I wasn’t crying anymore, but I was thinking about Mom. I bet she was awesome. Dad doesn’t like talking about her. She passed away when I was only three. Dad says she was in an accident. That’s why I am afraid of cars. I think Dad is too. I think that’s why we always take our bikes to school instead of the car. Dad said her name was Elsa. It’s a very pretty name.

When I finally got the courage to talk to Dad, I went to his room. When I went there, I saw Dad looking at a picture of Mom. I slowly crept into his room and put my hand on his shoulder.

“I miss her, too,” I said. Dad looked at me and smiled.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I should’ve told you.”

“It’s okay,” I said.

Dad smiled.

“Maybe you could meet her tomorrow?” asked Dad. I knew if I said yes, it would make him happy so I did.

 

Chapter Six

I was kind of freaking out today because today was the day I was meeting my Dad’s girlfriend. I wanted her to think I was kind of grown up, so I dressed very nicely. I put on my favorite blue dress. And blue necklace. I LOVE blue. Dad was also kind of dressing up too. He usually wears a plain white shirt, but today he went all overboard with the tie and coat thing.

We were going to meet her at a place called Dylan’s Candy Bar. I wasn’t just excited to meet her – I heard that Dylan’s Candy Bar was the best candy bar in NY! But then I heard the doorbell ring. Was she here already? I thought we were just meeting her at Dylan’s Candy Bar!

“I’ll get it!” said Dad. He opened the door and I saw a tall lady come out. She had light brown hair and hazel eyes and had a purple top on with a blue skirt. She looked kind of friendly.

“Bella, meet Margaret.”

“Hi,” I said, looking at the ground.

“Well, hello there,” said Margaret. She was in a very cheerful mood. “I thought it would be a good idea to bring my daughter, Michelle.” I saw a little girl peeking behind her that had the same hazel eyes but reddish-brown hair. She was wearing a black shirt and blue jeans.

“Uh, hi,” said Michelle.

“Hi,” I said back. I told Margaret I was going to go the bathroom. That is usually what I do when I want to talk to Dad and I can’t while people are watching. While I was in the bathroom, I pulled out my phone and called Dad. I really hate the sounds that the phone makes while you’re waiting for the other person to pick up their phone. The sound makes me annoyed and reminds me of Mrs. Burt glaring at me while we’re doing a pop quiz.

“Hello,” I heard my Dad’s voice say.

“Dad! Dad! Dad!” I thought Margaret was just coming, not Michelle too!”

“To be truthful, I didn’t know either. I guess she wanted Michelle to come and talk to you so you didn’t have to talk about boring grown-up stuff with us,” he answered.

“Oh, and Bella! Come back! Margaret and Michelle are waiting for you.”

We took a cab ALL the way there. During the cab ride, I noticed Michelle looking at her phone the whole time.

“Mommy?” she said. “Can we call Daddy tonight?”

“Honey! We’re with Dave! Don’t talk about your Daddy!”

I could see Michelle looked sad. So I looked at her and said, “I know how you feel. Losing one of your parents is hard.”

She looked at me and smiled.

“Thanks,” she said. She stopped looking at her phone, and looked at me.

“What happen to your mom?” she asked.

“She died when I was three. She was in a car accident,” I said.

“Oh,” she muttered. “My Daddy and mom got divorced when I was eight.”

“Girls!” Margaret interrupted, “Let’s take a picture!” Michelle and I groaned. “Come on, girls! One…two…”

Michelle and I put on our fakest smiles. “…three!”

FLASH!

When we got to Dylan’s Candy Bar, Michelle and I got sooo much candy! We got the exact same candy, and we had so much fun! Michelle and I became good friends! Before Dad said goodnight to me, he said, “Did you like Margaret?”

I put on a big smile and said, “Yeah, she was AWESOME!” Dad laughed.

“Great! Ummm…because I’m thinking of, well…asking her to marry me.”

I smiled. “I’d like that,” I said.

 

Chapter Seven

I woke up this morning and thought today was going to be a good day. Well, first of all, it was a Sunday, and I didn’t have to see Mrs. Burt. But it was mostly because Michelle was coming over to play with me while Dad and Margaret went to dinner and did their stuff. When Michelle came, the first thing she showed me was her bunny! She was sooo CUTE! She was named Sienna.

Then we talked about if we thought her mom and my Dad would get married and talked about if we became sisters, we’d be fighting about who would get the top bunk since we would be sleeping in a bunk bed.

When Dad and Margaret came back home, Margaret was crying. It looked like a happy crying.

“Mommy! Why are you crying?” Michelle asked.

“Sweetheart, meet your new Daddy, Dave Winsten!”

Michelle and I stared at each other and screamed. I was so happy! I looked at Dad and he winked at me. I still wasn’t used to Margaret. Before I went to bed, Margaret came to say goodnight to me.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” I said back. But I didn’t mean it.

 

Chapter Eight

When I got to school I was surprised to see that my first subject was math. I usually have art first. So I slumped all the way to the third floor, went into the math room, and saw Mrs. Burt glaring at me.

“Good morning,” she said in her terrible voice. I prayed that we did not have a pop quiz today.

She must have seen my reaction because she said, “We have a pop quiz today.”

I sat in my seat, and what I usually do is take a nap until everyone else comes. I know it’s weird, but it saves time and also I have to get a nice long rest before I have to go into the math war. But while I was in the middle of dreaming about candy canes and cotton candy, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked back and I saw Michelle’s body with a cotton candy head. I totally freaked out and screamed. I looked at Mrs. Burt’s desk and I saw Mrs. Burt’s boring brown clothes on her body but a lollipop head!

“What is happening!” I screamed.

“Bella, please calm down,” screamed the lollipop.

Then I saw Michelle’s mom come into the room but instead, she had a chicken head! Then I saw Dad come in with Michelle’s mom and he had a piece of candy for his head!

“Honey,” he said, “I’m taking Margaret and Michelle to go to the Grand Canyon while you’re stuck in school taking this pop quiz.” Then he did this mean cackly laugh. And then out of nowhere we were driving to the Grand Canyon and I was so happy even though I didn’t really get it. And then as soon as we got there, my Dad pushed me into a portal and I went flying into the Grand Canyon. I felt like the whole world was ending, what was I going to do? I could hear Margaret laughing at me while I was falling off the cliff so I just closed my eyes and wished my Dad had never met Margaret and had never got engaged or anything. But then the next thing I knew I woke up in my bed sweating. I took a deep breath and thought to myself, Thank goodness, it was all a dream.

I decided to call Marcie to tell her what had happened. I told her all about what had happened with Dad and then when I was finished with everything I told her about my nightmare.

“Do you know what this means if you’re having nightmares about your stepmom?”

“No!” I said. “I have no idea.”

“It means that you don’t want your Dad to get engaged to another woman. It means you still want your mom back!”

“Oh,” I whispered.

 

Chapter Nine

When I went to school, I pinched myself three times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming but I still had math, which was my first subject today. I was heading on my way to math when I saw Michelle stopping me. She looked like she had been crying for a while.

“Bella,” she said, catching her breath. “Your Dad had an accident.” I felt like my whole life had just flashed before my eyes.

In the one second she told me that, I didn’t care if he married anybody, I just wanted him to be okay.

“What happened?!” I yelled.

“He was riding his bike and there was a traffic cone and he fell off his bike and bumped his head on a traffic cone. I think he got a concussion.”

Now Michelle was really sobbing. I looked at the ground and without thinking I hugged Michelle and I started crying too.

The whole way home we sobbed together and I called the principal and told him there was a family emergency so I couldn’t go to school today. I stayed home the whole time and I was praying. I wonder what Margaret’s doing now?

I walked into my Dad’s room and I saw Margaret on the bed. There were a whole bunch of tissues on the bed.

“Margaret,” I said. “Are you okay?”

“Call me Mom,” she said, smiling at me.

I came over to my Dad’s bed and sat down with her.

“Is he going to be okay?” I asked.

“It’s definitely not going to be forever, but he might need to stay in the hospital for a while.”

I hugged Margaret.

I smiled at her. “I love you, Mom,” I said, and this time, I really meant it.

 

The End

Native American Legend

Manhattan, 1657

 

Vulture Victor gave a bank worker $1,000 to put in his account. He earned $1,000 in trade, from trading his chicken eggs for money. As he was walking home, he sat down by this beautiful tree in the green hills of Manhattan. Then he picked some apples off the tree, for it was an apple tree, and ate them. He thought, What a fine day it is. Then the apple lulled him to sleep, as it was a magic apple, with a spell casted by Mellow Miser, Crafty Thief, PhD at Stealing Stuff and wanted by the police.

Before he fell asleep, Mellow Miser jumped out of a bush and hypnotized him with a spell that lasted two minutes.

Mellow Miser said, “I am Mellow Miser and I am going to hypnotize you…”

Then he made Vulture Victor tell him the password to his bank account. Vulture said, “ABC123ILikeMe is the password.”

Mellow Miser was so thrilled that he de-hypnotized Vulture Victor and ran off to the bank.

Two hours later…

After Mellow Miser stole the money and had it in his hands, he ran over the nice grassy hills and through a garden full of sunflowers, all of them not facing toward the sun.

Something is wrong, he thought. “Why are the sunflowers not facing the sun? They’re facing the moon.”

He ran out of the garden and ran into Buffalo Cow. Buffalo Cow asked him, “What’s wrong?”

Mellow Miser said, “The sunflowers are not facing the sun! They’re facing the moon!”

Meanwhile…

Vulture Victor had just woken up. He had no idea what he was doing, but he just remembered one word, maybe two: mellow and bank. Mellow sounded suspicious, so Vulture Victor started thinking of everyone’s name, but no animals names were Mellow or had Mellow in it, so he started thinking about people. That left one person, Mellow Miser. He was shocked.

“MELLOW MISER STOLE THE MONEY FROM MY BANK!” he bellowed out.

Vulture Victor ran to where he pray to the spirits, for they were important to him. He saw the spirit animals, the ones that represented him. The spirits told him to find someone caring and courageous, so he scanned through the names of everyone again. That left two people. Sitting Bird, who was a police officer, and Buffalo Cow. So he ran to Buffalo Cow’s wigwam. He told Buffalo Cow the news.

“MellowMiserstolemymoney!”

So that’s why Mellow Miser was carrying $1,000 in his hand, Buffalo Cow thought. And why sunflowers weren’t facing toward the sun. The sunflowers must’ve known that something was wrong.

“We need to tell Sitting Bird, the police officer,” said Buffalo Cow.

10 minutes later…

They reached Sitting Bird’s long house, out of breath, sweltering, and almost out of oxygen. A totem pole was standing on the ground next to the door. It was a bird–red, green, blue, yellow, and orange, and maybe a little speck of pink, or dots of black. There was this curvy beak and the animal somehow looked like a raven.

They ran in the house and told Sitting Bird about everything. Sitting Bird said that he would come, but first they had to stop Mellow Miser or at least delay him.

So Buffalo Cow ran to Mellow Miser’s wigwam. Mellow Miser was packing up his stuff to go to a nearby village so he wouldn’t be caught. When Mellow Miser was all ready, Buffalo Cow and Vulture Victor burst into his wigwam. They meant to delay him for seven seconds.

Buffalo Cow stood at the door. Mellow Miser kicked him in both shins and Buffalo Cow collapsed. Mellow Miser ran out the door and Vulture Victor screamed, “Sitting Bird, where are you!?”

About 10.3 seconds later…

Sitting Bird came. “Where’s Mellow Miser? Where’d he go?”

“There!” screamed Vulture Victor, pointing to the north.

Sitting Bird ran toward where Vulture Victor pointed. In five seconds, he was out of sight, for he could run three miles in five minutes — actually, that’s not right, just say three minutes and 49 seconds, that’s how fast he is.

One day later…

A tired, overheated Sitting Bird burst through Vulture Victor’s door, dragging Mellow Miser by his hand. His moccasins were drenched in disgusting dirt that looked liked dog dung. His fur clothing was covered in mud. He collapsed and fainted as soon as he burst through the door.

Vulture Victor took Mellow Miser’s hands and dragged him to Buffalo Cow’s wigwam. He was in the middle of telling Buffalo Cow what he was going to do, but before Buffalo Cow could respond, Sitting Bird burst through the door and said, “So what do you want to do about him?”

Buffalo Cow waited for his moment to say his response to what Vulture Victor said. “Mellow Miser should not go to jail and Vulture Victor should forgive him. It is just a human habit to take money. Everyone probably has stolen something in their life at least once. Maybe a pencil, or an eraser, or something that’s not important, but you should always forgive others. Always.” He turned to Mellow Miser. “You should give Vulture Victor his $1,000 back.”

Two hours later…

Everyone was happy, including Vulture Victor who got his $1,000 back and Mellow Miser who didn’t have to go to jail.

Two days later…

Buffalo Cow was swimming in the river. Then he lost his energy and fainted in the river. He managed to say one word, “Help!” He screamed with all his might.

Mellow Miser heard his scream from one mile away. He knew it was Buffalo Cow’s voice and he decided to repay him for telling Vulture Victor not to send him to jail.

For he is caring, thought Mellow Miser, and so should I.

He ran as quickly as a peregrine falcon diving into water to get a fish. When Buffalo Cow’s head was just about to sink in the water, Mellow Miser jumped into the river — splash! — and pulled him out. Then he ran to the doctor’s office immediately.

Buffalo Cow eventually recovered and he became good friends with Mellow Miser, who changed his name to Mellow Giver. Eventually, they lived their lives and went to the death spirits.

 

THE END

Allstar

“AHHH,”  I scream. I am falling and falling into the dark unknown. I hit something soft, like fur, and cushiony, like a pillow. I am so scared to open my eyes, but I do it anyway. I seem to have landed in some sort of moss bed.   

“Jason,” I hear a girl’s voice. I whip around. I see a beautiful girl about 15. She is tall and willowy, she has long auburn hair and a few freckles. She sort of looks familiar. You are probably about as clueless as I am right now. First things first, my name is Jason. I am 15 and  one of those boys who would rather do an art project, or read a comic book, than play dodgeball or field hockey. I am tall, lanky, and I have dark brown hair. The girl, compared to me, is like a greek goddess, and I was a bridge troll.

“Come on, Jason. I’ve been looking for you for hours, your mom wants you to come home,” she says.

“Who are you are you?” I ask.

“It’s me, your girlfriend, dummy,” she teases.

“My what,” I say

“Your girlfriend,” she says slowly.

“Ookaay,” I say.

We walk back to my house. It looks normal, thank god. I walk inside and smell something amazing. It smells like food. I bet my mom ordered takeout … agian.

“Hey, there’s my all star football quarterback champion!” my dad says.

Football… champion? I am the worst at football. Everytime we play it in gym, my mind always drifts away and I end up getting hit in the face. I look around the room. Where there is usually family photos and awkward christmas cards, it is decorated in pictures of me in soccer jerseys or holding trophies  

“Bye Jason,” my girlfriend says as she leans in to kiss me. I don’t kiss her, instead, I awkwardly hug her and sadly she leaves.

“Jason, you’re just in time for dinner,” my mom says happily.

“What restaurant did you order this from?” I ask.

“Restaurant, no, no, no. I always cook dinner for you when I get back from work.” she says.

I shudder my mom is a terrible cook. She can’t even cook the boxed kraft mac and cheese. I halfheartedly sit down at the table. I look up to see that we are having chicken parmesan, one of my favorites. Whenever we go to a italian restaurants I always order it. My mom serves me a piece, I cut myself a bite size piece and nibble at it. It is so good! It’s like a chicken parm roller coaster.

After eating four pieces of chicken parm, and three brownies, I am stuffed. I walk to my room feeling tired after the meal. I walk in and turn on the light. I look at the walls and shelves. Instead of my books on the shelves and superhero posters on the wall, there were sports trophies and photos of me and my girlfriend. Then I pass out.

 

I wake up. It is 1:30.

“Okay,” I say to myself reassuringly. “There has to be a logical reason why this is happening,” I say to myself. But it’s late and my eyes won’t stay open.

 

“Help this kid needs air!” a man yells.

“He needs to go to a hospital” Another man yells. Sirens wail, people wail.

“My poor baby,” a women says. I see the body all bruised and bloodied. Then I see the face.

It’s me.

 

I wake up screaming. I jump out of bed and I run.

“Jason,” my fake mom says, “I made pancakes.” Her voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

“This isn’t real!” I yell. I run faster until trip on something. Then I’m falling again into the black nothingness.

 

Beep…beep…beep, a monitor reads. I open my eyes and I look around. The walls are white, and mechanical objects are all around.

“He’s awake!” a man says.

“Oh my baby. My beautiful boy,” my real parents say as they embrace me.

“W-what happened?” I ask.

“You were crossing the street and you got hit by a car. You’ve been in a coma for three days” My parents said.

The Army

The army was a very strong force!

The army trained very hard. They climbed ropes, alligator crawled, and shot missiles and pistols. They went on helicopters and boats. They had officers to tell them what to do.

They ate lunch and had dessert, and then they had a mission. They went to France and protected the people. They went to a cafe, and there were terrorists inside. There were hostages inside. There were over 50 hostages. The army set bombs and went to their trucks, and then BOOM! All the army barged in. All the hostages came out, but the terrorists didn’t. They were hiding. The army commanded them to come out, but the terrorists had AK-47s and over 100 magazines (magazines are bullets) and one knife. They had one more hostage. The hostage was actually a French policeman. The French policeman took the knife and cut the rope that was over him around his waist. He took his taser and tased one of the terrorists. The other terrorist got handcuffed by the French policeman. The army took the bag of magazines and the knife. They put the terrorist in the Jeep and sent him to the police station. The armies took the tasered terrorist and brought him to a helicopter. The helicopter was the French Coast Guard. They took him away to the hospital.

The next morning, the terrorist named Robbie got up, got his gun, and ran from the hospital. He hid in the forest. Searching for him became a manhunt. The army got their guns and had to go back to Paris. They spread out. They saw something in the woods. They thought they would find a gun, but they hit the jackpot. They found Robbie. They tackled him and Jack arrested him. Jack is the best army person. He had the AK-47 that Robbie had.  Jack put him in his helicopter and then brought him to the French police.

Jack tased Robbie, and until they got to the police station, Robbie was on the floor. Then, Jack woke Robbie up by picking him up and shaking him. They put him in the same room with Rob, and Robbie had a bunk bed. The next morning, they had breakfast. They had more naptime, then the French police looked at the terrorists. Jack said, “You two are not going to leave the police station!”

To Be Continued….

The Caught Happy and Sad

Chapter 1

 

A monkey lost its bananas. He wanted more because he was King Monkey. He traveled a long long distance and finally found pineapples and he thought, “Are pineapples good?” He tried and he puked. He said, “I need a companion,” so he robbed a store and took a big fat cat named Pig. Now King Monkey had a friend. They journeyed long. Back at King Monkey’s old forest the animals were really happy because King Monkey left and King Monkey ate all the bananas so the animals hid the bananas. Now the animals ate the bananas. So King Monkey returned and said, “Me and Pig are so hungry.”

The animals gave Pig and King Monkey lots and lots bananas and everybody was happy but then God Monkey slaved everybody. They ate all the bananas and King Monkey said, “We want freedom,” but the God Monkey said, “Never!”

So the King Monkey said, “We’ll leave,” so all the animals traveled and found a new forest with lots of bananas and the Monkey God was gone and everybody was happy. Parades happened and the King Monkey was a god.

 

Chapter 2

 

Pig the cat stole something really cool but a bad guy named Grok wanted it because he was the last Gorilla. But nobody knew that so he was a bad guy. So a Pig knew that he was lonely and he knew that in that gem there were more Gorillas. So one night Pig took the gem and when Grok came Pig gave Grok the gem and Grok spilled out baby Gorillas and so Pig was the hero and Grok was not lonely and everything was peaceful. Then another Monkey came and tried to overthrow King Monkey so he burned the forest but just in time Grok and his huge spaceship saved the Animals so Grok and the Animals split the ship in half.

 

Chapter 3

 

Now the Animals starting planting trees and they built a huge tree fort and then the Animals got their own ship. Then the God Monkey came and started a war. You’re asking me, where are the guns? Well the animals had blow pipes with darts and catapults would launch rocks. The animals were going to lose but Donkey Kong came and smashed the ship. The animals thanked Donkey Kong, then Pig and King Monkey went to the pond and a ghost went out and said, “I shall give you two powers, Pig fire and King Monkey water. You shall lead your kingdom to peace.” Then the ghost handed the two heroes pipes, one for Pig and one for King Monkey. One was fire and one was water. A god king tried and tried to win. They lost as the animals wanted to go back to earth.

They did and created a huge tree fort which was guarded by a river that surrounded the fort. There was one way across and started a guard system but to ruin the party, the God Monkey attacked and got his house on fire and his army got splashed with a tidal wave. The God Monkey surrendered after two years of fighting.Then the animals attacked the God King and won then left. Now they were emperors. Pig said, “Let’s have a party,” but they now that the god monkey will attack and dig underground and they set a trap and they won easy peasy. Then they were extremely powerful. Pig Mice and King Monkey went on their spaceship and found a new planet and they went back to earth and moved all the animals to the planet and they owned their own planet built fortresses and were happy. Then Grok visited and attacked and won but a huge rebellion came and won. Now Pig and King Monkey started a huge war and won. Then a ghost  came and talked to King Monkey and Pig.

 

Chapter 4

 

When Pig talked, the ghost said, “If you find a mouse you shall get powers.” So King Monkey and Pig found a mouse but it was guarded by a huge shark. So King Monkey got its water and took it out of the shark. Now the shark was dead. They ate the mice and got powers. Now there was a new bad guy. They were enslaved and lost their powers. There was no hope. So it was a lot of years and sadly King Monkey died so it was up to Pig. Before you knew it they were free back to their planet. Pig was the King Pig and he was unstoppable as he aged past things called humans. They attacked and lost. Then Pig went to earth and went to the place where King Monkey got him and there was one cat that he loved. She loved Pig too. They went together back to Pig’s planet came and had a baby cat. Then a witch came and tried to take the baby but when the witch was flying on her broomstick. Pig snapped it and the witch died. Then the modern ages came and the animals were using phones. It was crazy. Then the ghost came but it wasn’t the ghost, it was King Monkey. Pig’s jaw dropped and said, “You are King Ghost.”

“Yes,” said King Monkey. “Pretty cool.”                                                                                                                           

Then Pig went to the laser of death and ran through it so fast that it burned half of his face off. Then King Monkey came and healed Pig then left. Pig got some more powers. Then Grok came for a visit and never attacked, but then there he was, an old enemy with a huge army. The God King came again. The animals got their real tanks and machine gun. It was an easy win because Pig just splashed them with a huge tidal wave. Then Pig went to the river which was dried up and found the only animal that lived. There was a dead fish that was two centimeters big and was filled with bones which Pig hated but Pig had water powers so he just took out the water and killed the fish then put the water back for no reason. Then they had a problem. Dog God destroyed the city but just in time Pig escaped. He had to face his fears. He tried and but he couldn’t and it was so tough. Finally he won and got his animals back to life but they had really good news: God Monkey was dead.

Then God Dog came and attacked Pig’s village. Pig had to run away because he was afraid of dogs. He went to his most favorite place in his life, which was in the middle of the planet. That was his hideout against God Dog because God Dog hated bugs and Pig the cat loved bugs. He went there and found God Dogs and splashed them with tidal waves. Then he took his real water gun, which could kill animals. Now he wanted to form a group so he went back to earth to search for more cats. When he got back from earth, he had a whole group of cats with water guns that had bazookas that if you press for a long time it would shoot a long shark. So they had a plan and that plan was to dress up as dog guards of the palace and hopefully enter the palace and go into the throne room. By the time they got to the city, it was night time. That was good for them, because that means a lot of dogs were on guard and it made sense that they were on guard.

As they went to the palace, they had a huge security check and their plan worked and they were in the palace. Pig showed all the other cats where the throne room was and they had a little radio which connected to a helicopter that would fly on top and land on the roof. And since it was night time, guards couldn’t see them. As the two groups met up, Pig’s group and another cat’s group, they started charging to the throne room. When the busted open the doors with a grenade, they saw that the God Dog knew they were going to come. There were two tanks and five billion people and Pig knew that they were outnumbered, but since they were fighters and they wanted their freedom, they charged still. The first move that Pig did was his usual huge tidal wave, which knocked out half of God Dog’s army. As the war continued, Pig’s teammates started falling and dying. More than half of Pig’s group had been dead. There was only like twenty of them left. They kept fighting and they finally killed the last twenty dogs. Then Pig and his teammates ran out to the stairs that leads to the real throne room. They realize that they would always be outnumbered so they called for reinforcements.

But now Pig wanted at least five snipers on the roof so that Pig wouldn’t get attacked from behind and they could start working on the army that was in the throne room. Pig had one idea left to do, which was his plan B. It was to throw a huge bomb into the throne room and explode all of them except for God Dog and as the plan finally worked successfully, they asked for more reinforcements. They entered the room. The guards made up a huge wall in the middle and none of the God Dogs could get in and they would starve to death. Now when Pig and his teammates walked up the stairs, they saw that God Dog was sleeping. This was perfect because now God Dog couldn’t call for more dogs. Pig finally wanted to bring him home and torture him until he was dead. Right when he was about to die, the ghost of God Monkey came up and told Pig to finally finish him off. Pig took the knife that King Monkey gave to Pig when he was about to die and stabbed God Dog.

They went back to the city and threw the body into the throne room and all the God Dogs still thought he was sleeping. Now Pig had an excellent plan, which was to wait until the God Dogs made more medicine and when they had a lot, Pig would attacked and finally recapture his planet. And Pig’s plan worked. His people were free. They put all the God Dogs in prison where every day they would go in a room with a tarantula and if some of them survived, they would put them into a firepit and if they survived that, they would drown them and then if they survived that they would get tortured until they die. And the worst would be to make the feel like they were drowning until they would give evidence. Then they would be fed food and they would do it again and again.

As Pig and his teammates got more and more information about where his team was, they finally headed to where the dogs had said it was and they saw how it was a happy planet. It had a lot more guard dogs than on Pig’s planet. So Pig attacked and won. As they got more information about the God Dog, they went to this river that the dogs had been talking about that only God Dog could talk to. The dogs said if you take a bath in there you would become special. So, Pig took a bath in there, but it was a lie. Pig became a villain. Once Pig was about to destroy earth with a laser cannon, King Monkey showed up and said, “You are being fooled my young Jedi.”

“No I’m not,” Pig said.

“Yes you are!” said King Monkey.

“You are too weak minded. I must teach you the right ways to be a true emperor,” said Pig.

But King Monkey was too strong and wise.

Then Pig tried to get a knife and stab King Monkey, but since King Monkey was a ghost, the knife went right through him. King Monkey reached to Pig’s forehead. And Pig saw how earth was really a good planet and shouldn’t be destroyed. King Monkey showed Pig that he had been fooled by dogs. Now that Pig was in the dogs’ huge spaceship, he clicked two buttons, which no one noticed. Only his teammates. Those two buttons were to self-destruct the ship and the earth. So his teammates and him went into the space ship just before the dog’s planet and ship exploded.

Pig now had all the things he needed to destroy the galaxy, but Pig was a good guy so he didn’t. But there was only one more emperor that could destroy the galaxy. His name was Soy Sauce. The reason why he was dangerous is because he could use soy sauce to flame everyone.

Pig knew that his final destiny was to destroy Soy Sauce. When Pig traveled to his galaxy, he saw that Soy Sauce’s base was really guarded and no big ships would be able to pass. Only Pig’s transportation ship would be able to pass. So Pig knew that to destroy the force field, he would need bigger ships and he would have to go to the command center. Pig and his teammates quickly went through the force field and started attacking the force field base. But Pig didn’t really attack, he only used his big fat babies. With his big fat babies, he catapulted them into the base and squashed every body. Now that the base was destroyed, Pig was ready to attack, but he also wasn’t ready. He went to his usual dried up river, went to his base and started building a huge ship. Now Pig just had to make a huge army. Now that Pig made a huge army and huge ship, he attacked and lost but Pig realised that Soy Sauce was actually God Monkey. Pig farted when he realized that and he was so mad he kept on farting   

Pig kicked but said a baby animal Pig went to the planet and won so Pig was a really awesome but he went back to earth found the burned-down forest. Then he met four brothers: Nicholas the air, Matthieu the lame water, Gaetan the lamest earth ever, even the not flames. Pig gave them a new house but the house was filled with explosives. Pig and his teammates easily destroyed them and then went to the Doom Forest and met a girl named Ruby, but Pig was so fat that Ruby’s town fell to the Doom Forest and the villagers said to kill them. But Pig splashed them then left. Then Pig went to Siberia and learned magic and Pig went to the ghoulish and learned magic but blew the library then visited Siberia and when Pig never thought twice and kind  of made the town fall then Pig summoned Matthieu and Nicholas. Then the three men went to Ally’s house and Ally told the secret to Pig but Pig could not help it so he told everybody, and then gave Ally more food and a tent that would inflate if you pressed a button. Then the three men followed Matty and her sister to the forest and when they were trapped in the cave, Pig took a bazooka and blew up the exit. Then the tree went to Ally and he knew that Ally’s house would be attacked and get destroyed so Pig came and killed the bad guys then left. Pig had one more plan. First he summoned the rest of the brothers and people and had a huge party and everybody was happy.

The Day in Space

Earth:

One day in school the teacher announced that whoever won the art fair would get to go to space. Me and my best friend Nicky were so excited, so we got to work on our art project. We had so many ideas.

“I was thinking that we could do a 3-D neighborhood art project, or we could do a project where we could cover something up with different pieces of paper and write words on the paper,” I said.

“What I think we should do is we should make a mural of the sunset,” Nicky said. “We could add a bridge to the painting, or we could add some buildings in the background.”

This convinced me because she said that no one would do a mural and that would give them a better chance of winning.

So we got to work. I worked on the sunset and Nicky worked on the water. Then after that we worked on the buildings. We worked every day after school for two hours a day. It was so hard and tiring. We had no breaks and finally after two weeks we were done.

The day that we were bringing our painting to school and Nicky was returning the paints that we borrowed, all of a sudden she slipped and all of the paint splattered all over the painting in different colors, different shapes, and different sizes. Nicky thought it looked kind of cool, but I didn’t.

Then Nicky said, “Well at least we should bring it in, we’ll have something.” So we brought it in.

Still Earth:

Sure enough, it was the art fair. We looked around at different paintings and other art projects. There were some really cool things like texture paintings, 3-D building blocks, covering stuff up in pieces of different paper and writing words on it, and lots more.

The judges said, “Take your places.” One by one the judges came around and looked at each and every one of them. Then they talked for a little while and then they announced that they had made their decision. Lots of people from the city were there, the news reporters and more.

Then they decided to announce the winners. “The winners are Haley and Jessica! Actually, we made a mistake. It’s Skylar and Nicky!”

The news reporters rushed over and said, “How do you feel about this Skylar and Nicky? Are you excited?”

“Yes, very.”

“Thank you for letting us speak with you.”

“I can’t believed we won even though we spilled those paints on it,” I said to Nicky. Then they decided to ask Ms. Fisher how we won even though we spilled paint all over it and Ms. Fisher says,“It was an abstract piece of art.”

Still Still Earth:

“Nicky, we should start packing.”

I crossed five days left off my calendar.

“I can’t wait!” Nicky said.

***

“The day’s here, we’re going to space, it’s gonna happen!” I said.

“It’s time to board the spaceship,” said Commander Jones, the astronaut.

“Bye mom,” I said. “Bye dad.” My parents were trembling. They kept asking me, “Are you sure you want to do this? You know we’re only letting you do this because we trust you.”

Then Nicky said bye to her parents. The same thing happened with her parents.

Space:

Then I heard the Commander say, “1, 2, 3, blast off!” Off we went.

We finally got into space. It took so long. It was so dark you could see nothing from miles away. It also felt so weird when we were coming. We were floating; it was awesome. It felt like me and Nicky were flying. Then we opened the refrigerator and all the food started floating.

“Hey Nicky, I see a shooting star!”

“Wow, it’s really bright!”

Then I heard Commander Jones say, “We’re out of gas, we can’t get back!”

I started to freak out. Nicky started to cry.

I said, “How are we ever gonna get back?”

Still Space:

Then Commander Jones said, “I don’t think we’re ever gonna get back.”

Nicky and I started to think of ways to get back.

“Hey how about this button? I think it’ll help us.” Nicky pressed it.

All of a sudden I heard a boom sound. The spaceship went farther back into space. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. Then I heard a signal coming in from Earth.

I said, “Commander Jones, come over here.”

He came over and said, “That’s probably nothing at all.”

“I just looked at it and I didn’t understand what it meant. They said something like, ‘Inland, inland.’ They said it was nothing so I didn’t do anything.”

Then Nicky said, “Hey, I remember this from science. Something like when they say, ‘Inland, inland’ it means they’re coming to save you. I’m probably mistaken, it probably doesn’t mean that.”

Still Still Space:

Then I heard another signal come in. It was something like, “We’re coming, we’re coming.” And then they said, “I ho, I ho.” Then I called Commander Jones over.

But then I noticed that Commander Jones wasn’t with us! He went outside of the spaceship. He was floating away and we couldn’t get him back. It was too late. Commander Jones was gone.

We were so scared, we didn’t want to go outside so that we would be lost in space too. Nicky started banging on the windows, she was really scared.

I said, “Nicky, calm down, he will come back,” but I was mistaken, I really was. There was no sight of Commander Jones.

So now we were in a spaceship all by ourselves. Nicky was not helping at all, she was just freaking out.

Still Still Still Space:

I tried to respond.

“We’re stuck and Captain Jones is gone, please help, I hope you get this message, please respond, if we die here’s what me and Nicky want to say — tell my family and friends I love them.”

“I see a flying object coming towards us! It’s bright and it looks like a spaceship. I think they’re coming to get us!” Nicky said.

“It’s not a spaceship. It’s an asteroid!” I said.

Then I saw something on the screen. It was beeping. It said: “Alert! Alert! Asteroid incoming!” We had to find a way to get back to Earth before the asteroid hit our ship!

“Nicky come down here! I’m trying to connect the wiring so that we can get back! Hold these two wires together. Then attach that button to this wire.”

Then, when we were just about the press the wire, the asteroid hit us and we got covered in rocks! Now we couldn’t move any more because the button had broken when the rocks hit it. Then we came up with a new plan.

“Maybe we could send out a message and see if someone gets it on Earth. We could also go look for Captain Jones to help us,” said Nicky.

I said, “No, no, and no,” to all of them. “I don’t know if this is gonna work, but we should try it. What if we attached the backwards button to the forward wire and got all the rocks off of us and then pressed the button to get back!”

On the count of three we decided to push it, “One, two, three! Beep!” Then I saw us go all the way down, it felt so weird.

“I can’t believe we did it!”

Then we sent a video saying that we were on our way back and they received it.

Earth:

“Breaking News Reported: Two girls stuck in space and their Commander are lost somewhere in space. Let you hear from their families. This is Skylar’s mom and dad and brother and sister. Let’s hear from Skylar’s mom first. How do you feel about this?”

“I feel very very sad about this. My daughter could be somewhere in space dying right now and I plan to sue NASA.”

“Now let’s hear from Skylar’s father.”

“This should have never happened. I expect them to get my daughter and her friend back here.”

“Now let’s hear from Skylar’s sister.”

“I hope Skylar gets back,” said Skylar’s sister.

“Now let’s hear from Skylar’s brother.”

“I hope that this never happens again and they get Skylar back,” said Skylar’s brother.

“The same thing with Nicky’s parents. Now let’s hear from NASA. NASA, how do you feel about this?”

“We’re very sorry this happened. It’s devastating and we’re trying to get them back. We have a robot going out there to try to find a trace of a spaceship.”

“That’s all we have time for. We hope they will get them back.”

Earth Again:

Back at home, Skylar’s family was having dinner. Then Skylar’s sister said, “Can I have Skylar’s room?”

“Don’t say that!” said her mother. “You’re grounded for two weeks.”

Then Skylar’s brother said, “Can I have Skylar’s phone?”

“You’re grounded too.”

Back to Earth Safe and Sound:

Before we knew it we were on Earth, there we saw our parents waiting for us. We were really happy to see them.

“Did you get our message? Did you? Did you?”

“Yes, we did.”

Later, we had a press conference with the news.

“Where’s Commander Jones?” the news reporter asked.

Nicky and I said simultaneously, “He left to go and look for help.”

“Well, that’s the end of Commander Jones,” said the news reporter.

Nicky and I said, “It was a really fun trip but very scary. We’re sorry about our commander’s passing. In honor of Commander Jones.”

Then all of a sudden someone fell from out of the sky! “Commander Jones!” the news reporter shouted, “How’d you make your way down here?”

“Ways, ways,” said the commander. “I’ll tell you. I pressed the go back to Earth button.”

“We went through all of that for nothing?” Nicky and I said.

“Thank you for being with us, this is ABC News. Next up is the car accident.”

The Back to Normal Earth:

The next morning, we came walking to school and all their teachers asked, “How are you doing? Are you okay?”

All our friends said, “How was space? Was it fun?”

Everyone was so excited to see us back. They asked them so many questions like, “Was it scary? How did you get back? Was it fun?”

Nicky and I answered, “Yeah it was really fun, but really scary.”

THE END

 

A Story of Fred and Bob

Fred and Bob are in the back garden of Fred and Bob’s house at 32 Garden’s Lane, where they keep Fred’s plane. They made a plan to only fly their plane in the summertime. So, one hot Saturday, they decided to go to Africa to see a real life lion and some elephants.

 

They started flying. Fred, who was the pilot, pushed the plane’s lift-off button, and the plane flew straight up into the air. When they looked out the windows, they saw all of their friends’ houses and they saw the highway just down their street.

 

Three hours later, they started coming into Africa. They were flying over Africa, over a little forest place. They needed to find somewhere to land because they couldn’t land in the trees.

 

Fred and Bob were cheering. They found an open space, but as soon as they looked out the window, they saw that they were on the other side of Africa, so they started not cheering. But when they landed, they were surrounded by lions and they realized they were exactly where they wanted to be.

 

While Fred and Bob were still in the plane, the lions started growling at them. They were annoyed because they thought that they landed on the girl lion. So, they started flying up, and they found out that the girl lion wasn’t dead.

 

And then they landed somewhere else, in a completely different part of Africa after another hour on the plane. They had to have an emergency landing because their legs were tired from sitting down all day.

 

They checked their watches and saw that it was midnight. They checked to see if they brought their tent and they set it up inside of the plane, because they wanted to be safe from some nocturnal creatures who could have hurt them. And they were nice and cosy in their plane.

 

The next morning, they had a little bit of trouble. Fred and Bob noticed that their plane was nearly out of fuel because the tank was nearly halfway empty. But that was not enough to get them home. So they flew up over the sea in Africa.

 

They just needed to fly one hour across the sea to South Africa and the alarm went on because they were about out of the fuel when they were just landing. They had one little tiny minute left until they ran out of fuel. So they took fifty seconds up to land, and they just made it, and they started filling up the fuel, which took a long time, because it was a pretty big plane, so they thought that they should just go get a late breakfast.

 

For breakfast, they went to a South African diner. Bob had poached eggs and Fred had fried eggs. They paid five dollars for the poached eggs and five dollars for the fried eggs. Fred paid ten dollars for both and Bob gave him five dollars back.

 

They took one hour so they went back to the plane and it was full so they flew back home. They felt proud of themselves.  

 

The end!

 

Z-Town

“Hi!!! My name is Zoran! I do not know where my Mom and Dad are. But I do know that I am a super-boy! Cool name RIGHT?!” I ask.

“Not really?!?” my best friend says. “So Zoran, do you want to come to my party tonight?” he asks.

“Sure!” I say.

Three hours later…

I walk into my friend’s house. It smells like whipped cream. I know, you might be thinking, how does whipped cream smell? Whatever…

“Hi Zoran!!!” my friend says, “Thanks for coming to my birthday party!!!”

“You’re welcome,” I say.

“There are video games that you can play. I bought this game called Z-Town!!!” my best friend says.

I say, “Sure I will play.”  

I go over to the video games in my friend’s living room. I’m the only one playing. Then I go over to the table with the cake and the… CUPCAKES!!! The cupcakes are pink. I HATE PINK, I say in my head. My friend must love the color pink!!! That is SO weird!!! I say in my head again.

The table also has drinks, food, and soda!!! and… slushies!!!

My friend turns the music up and everyone dances and dances and dances and dances and dances and dances until the investigators show up. One investigator has brown hair and the other one has black hair. They both have brown eyes.

No one notices them. Everyone just keeps dancing. The investigators take me away from the party. Then they take me to the police station and ask me a couple questions. The first one is: where do you live? The the last question is: Where are your parents? One of the investigators is named Mr. Underpants.

I tell them I have no idea where my parents are and then they let me go. I don’t feel sad or anything, I feel fine.  

I go back to the party, but when I get there, no one is there?!? I don’t feel too scared, but I do feel a little scared.

I go back to my house and try to call my friend but he doesn’t answer.  Suddenly I see this green person coming to my door outside! He bangs on my door and then a box shows up. The box says… “Choose your weapon.” There are different weapons in the box that you can use, like cool swords, knives, GUNS!!! And a cool bow and arrow.

I choose my weapon. I get a rifle and have NO idea what is happening, so I try to open my front door and then I realize the green person is a… a… ZOMBIE!!!

At the last minute I shoot him (with my rifle). The zombie drops a one dollar bill and then right in front of me says: You collect a one dollar bill!!!

Suddenly I realize that I am stuck inside a VIDEO GAME!!!! And I know that because my friend told me to play on the video games and on Z-Town (the video game) was JUST LIKE THIS… I  start to freak out!!! Fortunately, I do know how to play this game so I can’t be in trouble…

I see a robber so I go outside to stop him from WHATEVER he is doing…  When I get outside he’s closer to me and I freak out. I shoot him from behind a bush. So I guess there are robbers and zombies in this game!!!

Then I see other people and they are NOT robbers or zombies. I go over to them and then they tell me how they’re stuck in the game too. They are not police like I thought they might be that are supposed to be in the game. Then they tell me how this guy named “Mr. Underpants” put us in the video game!!! The people told me how it stinks to be stuck in the video game.

Then I see this ship that has some people on it! It looks like they are more robbers and zombies!!! I try to shoot them but I only shoot three zombies.

Then I hear a noise.  “AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” I think that it’s a person so I run over, but when I get to them it’s too late… They’re dead!!! I guess the zombie ate the guy!?! That was gross to see because their body stays there. So that means game over for them! Stinks to be them!

I run over to the ship and shoot some robbers and zombies because the ship is closer than it was ten minutes ago. The robbers start shooting back at me!!! I run for my life (while shooting at them). I see a speed boat in the ocean so I hop on it and drive away!

I get behind the ship and I climb up it. No zombie or robber notices me. I see a bomb on the ground that the robbers and zombies were going to use. I light the bomb with a lighter in my pocket.

I jump all the way down to my speed boat and the bomb explodes. All the people that have been stuck in the video game clap and clap and clap!!! People start jumping all over the place!!!

They seem so happy I did that!!! Then this guy right in front of me said, “You earned $100!!!” Then I see this shop! I go in the shop and guess what it is… a weapon shop!!! I bought a desert eagle (like a handgun). I spent my money on this gun because the gun is SUPER powerful!!!

Now I have $10 left which is fine because now I know how to get money!

“Hi, My name is John Pierce,” a guy says, in the open.

“Hi? Wait, PIERCE!?! That is MY last name!!! So that means that you are my DAD!!!”  I say. “DAD!!!” I had a good feeling that he was my Dad.

I was so happy that I started happily dancing!!! All the people that are stuck in the video game laugh so, so, so, SO hard.

Right then, right in front of me the guy says: Level Up!!! “YES!!!” I say. This guy with brown hair and a shirt that said Z-Town. Then another guy with blue eyes and a green shirt comes over to me and says…

“We found out that this video game that we are stuck in is called Z-Town (I knew that!?) and to get out of the game you have to defeat the boss!”

“OK…” I say. Let’s do this!!!

One Day Later…

BOOM!! BOOM!! WOO HOO!! We defeated the boss and NOW WE LEAVE THE VIDEO GAME!!!

What, why am I still in the video game? “HELP!!! I am STILL STUCK IN THE VIDEO GAME!!!” I scream.

One week later…

“YES!!! I found this video game that is called Z-Town!!! So cool, lets do this…” A kid says. BOOM!!!

“What was that?!?!?!?” The kid yells. “AHHHHH!!! ZOMBIE!!!”           

                               The End?

Win Torture: The History of Plot Day

Prologue

Plot Day is a day to show which three people will get to take a journey to the core. To do this they need to be smart and strong. They can only choose one weapon to get them down to the Earth’s core. This will make them true heroes if they get to the core. The day will prove who is a winner and who is a loser. There are two pits on either side of the field.

Now, Chris L. is a destined fourteen year old. Like all teens he’s waited for Plot Day since he was a baby (not literally). He’s destined to show everyone who’s boss. This story takes place about 84 years from now. Yes, it’s in the future. Now to the story!

 

July 12, 2099

Chris Londonalez

5:05 p.m.

There I was, in a pit. Really? No, I’m kidding. My dad is out buying all my materials. My mom is making me my favorite breakfast. My dad is always away doing his job as house creator. My mom is always there for me, unlike my dad. I was in my bed, thinking about tomorrow, Plot Day… hooray (sarcastic comment). Plot Day is a day where you are with a team of three people and the objective is to plan how to push the other team into this big pit. The reason why I’m so scared is because of my team. I’m stuck with Jim, the smallest kid on Earth, and Sam, the most negative kid I’ve ever met. My region that I’m representing is Hawaii. It’s 5:00 a.m. and based on my training, my 7:00 a.m. breakfast will be out in no time. We have an 8:30 a.m. game, a 10:00 a.m. game, and a 2:05 a.m. game. Our group is called The Fire Diamonds, and we are going up against The Destroyers, The Spartans, and The Olympians. They call this group the group of death. I’m going to win this for dad.

 

8:55 p.m.

We have just won our first game! By doing the two pit formation. Sam hid in the hole while me and Jim battled it out. Let me give you a fact: I love to draw strategies.

 

12:00 p.m.

We lost. Sam was busy complaining while The Spartans were sneaking up on us. They pushed us into the pit and I was really ticked at Sam. He was complaining about his back. Guess what? I didn’t care about his back at that moment! I was all muddy. I was helped out of the pit by a short young man. He was strong.

 

2:05 p.m.

We won because of forfeit. The Olympian’s capitan was home with a fever. F.Y.I. I’m running out of ink!

 

July 14, 2099

12:47 a.m.

I just got news that we have moved to the quarterfinals. People are putting bets on our loss already. Why are they betting on 14-year-olds? We are against The Galaxies. I also bought a new ink bottle.

 

6:59 a.m.

One minute before the game. I’m choosing the XV, the formation where me and Sam make an X while Jim runs straight and attacks. The pressure!

 

8:00 a.m.

They were so strong but we still won. Because he’s so small Jim tripped an unaware Galaxy player. Then Sam tripped the left warrior by tackling and I tripped the right one by sliding. Now that tomorrow is break day, I am going to go to the Salez War Shop. I will buy new armor and weapons.

 

July 16, 2099

3:56 a.m.

We have to play the number one seed team, The Water Fighters. The have no losses. It’s scary, but I’m positive we will triumph. B.T.W. We are rated number four!

 

9:09 p.m.

Our game is in eleven minutes. My game plan is to just plain attack. Lame? Not so much. I am doing this because the opposition is known for attacking. There will be a distraction in the middle. Maybe one of us could sneak around the opponents and win. Sam keeps saying, “We are so losing.” I am now totally nervous!

 

12:00 p.m.

We won. How? I have no clue. We attacked and apparently Jim “accidently” tripped a guy with a sword. Sam slid between a guy’s legs and we just rammed them all into the pit. Now for the finale!

 

July 17, 2099

8:00 p.m.

The game starts in thirty minutes. I have no plan. All these strategies are going through my head. I already can picture my mom crying. I suppose we’ll do the 3XL, the legend formation. The Cosmos will most likely choose the SFP3. We will attack and they will defend. The fight of the night, they’re calling it.

 

8:20 p.m.

Dad and I just had a conversation. He said to win. He said he loves me with all his heart. The reason dad’s so harsh is because it’s a tradition to win Plot Day. Four generations won including him. I’m going to win to uphold our history. I feel a lot of pressure, even more than I felt before. I am even nervous!

 

10:00 p.m.

We used our strength. I have a headache from what happened. I also have a headache from my worries. I always try to pump their confidence to the highest level. I learned that no one is completely hopeless. We tried hard. And it worked. We didn’t just win. We didn’t just get lucky like Sam hoped we would. Yes, we tackled them right into the pit. We won torture.

 

AFTERMATH

After the triumph, Chris moved on to not only see the core, but to be the first person ever to touch the core. He now is 62 and lives in a huge mansion with a wife and one adopted child. His parents are so very proud of him. He will always remember July 17th.

Video Games: Not Just Fun

Did you know that video games are not just for fun? Actually, video games can be used to heal mental and physical illnesses, solve important problems relevant to the development of technology and medicine, and video game experts (gamers) can actually learn new things faster than others! Video games also strengthen connections between different areas of the brain, which is helpful and beneficial towards memory and reflexes like hand-eye coordination.

For example, some video games are helpful for the brain and help children get a ‘head start’ on learning (Playkids app, ABCmouse, et cetera…). Also, according to a recent scientific study conducted by scientists at Nature, people who are video game experts have an ‘increase of grey matter and increased functional connectivity between the attentional and sensorimotor networks’, which means that gamers can learn new things faster than other people who don’t play as much. Additionally, gamers can take out stress on fictional and made up characters, leading to a better emotional state. This demonstrates that people who play video games can lead a better lifestyle and can be in better mental health.

Video games can be used for development of medicine, technology, and other sciences. Recently, players of a video game called Foldit unraveled the structure of a complex retroviral protease, an enzyme that cuts apart proteins of different kinds, allowing scientists to create a cure for the virus it was a part of. This kind of video game use is known as citizen science, where people solve puzzles that cannot be solved by computers, but they think they are playing a game. This has been used to identify different wildlife calls, measure light pollution, and more! This improves the state of the world overall and is done through video games.

Likewise, video games can be therapeutic, treating mental and physical illnesses. One team of developers created a ‘Patient Empowerment Exercise Video Game’ designed to improve resilience, self-esteem, and confidence. Another way video games can be therapeutic is that developers can channel their emotions into their games, relieving problems.

As demonstrated, with further research, video games have the potential to help the world and individuals in many ways. As shown in the second paragraph, they already are, albeit in unexpected ways. Video games have the potential to unlock new discoveries, but they also can degrade the brain.

There are some games that are bad for mental health. In FPS (first-person shooter) games, players begin to develop violent tendencies the longer they play, and can become addicted, only worsening this problem. There is no way to fix this besides simply avoiding these games entirely, although they can be addictive.

As has been shown previously, video games are not just for fun, but can be used to help individuals and the world in many different ways. Also, video games have been used to cure mental and physical illnesses. In the future, we may see that video games are used to solve problems with civilization before they become serious.

 

Unicorn Rapunzel

Once upon a time there lived a baby unicorn named Sparkly and her mom and dad and a mean old witch that lived in an ugly tower. One night the baby was sleeping then the witch came and took the baby unicorn and kept her. The mom and dad were worried. The witch kept her in a tower and when the witch wanted to come up she used to say, “Oh Sparkly, oh Sparkly let down your tail!” And the witch climbed up Sparkly’s tail.

And she said to her, “You should not go outside it is a dangerous place out there someone can take you away.”

So the unicorn agreed.

Sparkly was good at art, and in the years when she was all alone she learned how to make stuff. Like ropes to ladders, to cups to bowls, to plates to dressers, to mini houses. Sparkly’s favorite colors were blue, green, and pink. She was as sweet as a cupcake. She had always wanted to have friends and play with them and go to school. She wanted to have fun and to be able to sell the things that she made. She wanted to be free and explore the world.

One day Mother was out to get dinner. Sparkly made a ladder and climbed down. She was excited to go out and see what was in the world. She went to town to explore and then she saw pictures. there was a missing unicorn, so she decided to go out and find the missing unicorn. and then she found a boy unicorn named Prince.

She asked, “Are you the missing unicorn?!”

He said, “No but I am looking for her. Are you the missing unicorn?!”`

Sparkly said, “No I am looking for her too. How about we team up together and find the missing unicorn!”

Prince said, “Yes you’re a genius!”

Sparkly said, “Let’s get started!”

But when she was walking she realized she promised her mother not to go out. She said going out was dangerous. She started getting scared. She was also curious what was going to happen. Then she thought to herself, Nah, this is not scary, I have been walking out here for hours no one stole me from my mother yet. So she kept walking. She did not care anymore. She started talking to Prince about what the unicorn looked like  and how tall and her clothes, but it could not have been either of them because they were not babies. It said on the poster “baby unicorn is missing.” The unicorn looked just like Sparkly but she was a baby so it could not be her. they did not pay a lot of attention to the parents just the baby unicorn. They kept looking and looking then there was a pack of bad guys and they took Prince and Sparkly.

Mother got home from getting dinner.

She said, “Oh Sparkly oh Sparkly, let down your tail.”

Sparkly did not let down her tail. Then Mother thought she was sleeping, so she worked to climb up herself. She had secret steps that Sparkly didn’t know about.

And then she yelled, “Sparkly!”

Sparkly did not answer so she went to Sparkly’s room. She was not there so that meant she went to town. Mother was very angry she marched all the way to town. And Sparkly was not there. Mother was worried and mad. She was worried because Sparkly disappeared and she thought the King and Queen took her back from when she stole Sparkly. And she was mad because Sparkly did not listen to her mother, well, her fake mother. Mother went to the woods to look for Sparkly because she was scared that Sparkly would find out that Mother was not really her mother.

Sparkly was so nice to the bad guys the bad guys helped Prince and Sparkly. Sparkly was as sweet as a cupcake, so she did not even notice the bad guys were being mean. She was just being very nice to them. She told them how nice they looked and told them that they were very nice.

They saw Mother running after them.

Sparkly whispered, “Can you catch her so she doesn’t catch us?”

The bad guys said, “Yes.”

Then the mother ran and then the bad guys caught her and trapped her so Prince and Sparkly could find the baby unicorn. Then they stopped.

Then she said, “I think that unicorn is me because I’ve been looking at the mom and dad they look familiar. I haven’t been out of the tower, so I don’t know any people. And I know it said a baby but I used to be a baby.”

Prince was angry and he was excited. He was feeling angry because they were looking for nothing, and he was excited because Sparkly found her real home, and they found the unicorn that was missing.

They trotted to the castle and went in and it was her family. The mom and dad were very very happy. They were hugging her and kissing her. Then they were all a happy and big family. Then Prince and Sparkly got married and they lived happily ever after. Well, not the witch. She got arrested.

THE END

Trip to Yesterday

Yesterday, I woke up with the sound of squeaks. Then I think that I know what happened. Mommy opened the fridge and Oreo was squeaking, trying to ask for Brussels sprouts. I laugh and run to the table to eat my breakfast. I run to school and see Miss Bramble. She teaches me about worms and other insects. I give her back Oreo, her guinea pig that I had at home for the weekend. I tell her she likes Brussels sprouts and she looks amazed. I remember her lifting her eyebrow and saying, “Oreo likes a lot of things, but I didn’t know that she liked Brussels sprouts!” I leave science class and think about how great my science teacher was.

The next year, I have the same impression about my science teacher. Miss Bramble is not tall but not short either. She always smiles but when someone does something wrong she still talks to them. She is very sweet and likes almost everyone she talks to. She is a friend of Mr. Z, one of the best music teachers ever.

The same year there is a sad event: the little guinea pig with the orange spots on his back from carrots dies. Everyone is very sad. The day Miss Bramble told us that was the first day I ever saw Miss Bramble be sad. Seeing her like that almost made me cry. Still now, when I think about that moment I am very sad.

Then at the end of the year, I learn that Miss Bramble will be leaving to the upper grades. I am disappointed, but then I think I will see her in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. Then it is summer and I have fun with my grandparents and cousins but I still think that I will see Miss Bramble the year after.

Today I know that I was wrong, and I would not have Miss Bramble in 5th grade but I still had fun learning about earth, electricity, and mass and other fun stuff. Meanwhile, Miss Bramble bought gerbils. Well, she didn’t buy them but that is a whole other story.

Two Fingers (An English to English translation of “One Heart” by Li-Young Lee)

See the squirrels. When sliding

are bored

in something. The next high

is outside you, shot

at this one finish of evening.

The business of flapping

was most of the time happiness, fixing

two feelings to one collapsing unknown.

To The Moon

One Saturday calm evening a dog pack was in their house in Dog World, reading about space. In the dog pack is Milo a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog who is brown and white and is the leader, Donald the grey Great Dane dog who is the craziest, Juan the all white Havanese dog with apricot colored ears who is the frightendest, and Albert a Yorkshire Terrier dog who has an Albert Einstein brain.

“Guys. In this book, it says there is a free rocketship shuttle with all the stuff you need to go to the moon for free. You can only go to the moon. Our moon,” said Milo.

“Cool! Can we do it?” asked Donald.

“I certainly would love that and yes,” said Milo.

“Did you know that lots of people die in a rocketship. They could run out of oxygen in the ship and you could get stuck up there,” said Albert.

Juan screamed.

“No worries. They say there is only one ship left and it never runs out of oxygen. Let’s do it,” said Milo.

“Do they send it to you?” asked Juan.

“Yes. We have to call at (123) 4576-7893,” said Milo. Milo grabbed the phone and called that number then put the phone to his ear. “Yes, hi, I would like your last spaceship shuttle please. My address is Thirty-Four North on Berk Street between Fifty Avenue and Samsung Avenue. Thanks, bye,” said Milo. Milo hung up and put the phone back. “It’s on it’s way. We’re going to the moon,” said Milo.

“Great!” said Donald.

“What if we do die?” asked Juan.

“Read the page, Juanito,” said Milo. Milo handed his book to Juan. Juan read the page.

“Alright. I’ll guess I’ll try it. But if we die, God will prove me right,” said Juan.

“God proves everyone right or wrong,” said Milo.

“Did you know Jesus was a real man living on Earth? Although no man will ever see him. Only in heaven,” said Albert. Juan screamed. “We have a long life of living. We’ll be fine,” said Albert. Then, the doorbell rang. Milo opened the door. The spaceship was here. Milo took the spaceship and closed the door.

“Look everybody! It’s the ship!” said Milo.

“Came that quick?” asked Juan.

“It must have legs,” said Donald.

“Quit being ridiculous. Now let’s go to the moon,” said Milo.

“Right now?” asked Juan.

“You have to have a good night’s rest before we go to any moon. If you fall asleep while flying, we will die,” said Albert.

“We’ll be fine, now let’s go to the moon,” said Milo.

“Do you even know how to fly one of these things? You’ll need a lesson from my grandfather. He can fly a spaceship like there is no tomorrow,” said Juan.

“I need no lesson on anything, now let’s go!” said Milo. Everyone got up and went in the spaceship. Everyone closed the doors when they were all in. Milo sat in the driver’s seat. The spaceship is huge! There is even a pet cow. The cow is white with black spots and her name is Emily. Emily is a tired cow who just stands up by a side of the spaceship just eating grass and drinking water out of a bucket.

“Holy Dogbones! A cow!!! I’m gonna make some milk,” said Donald. Donald grabbed a paper cup and went to Emily. Donald put the cup under Emily’s udder, squeezed the udder, and made the milk.

When Donald finished, he drank the milk.

“Are you gonna get this thing on the roll yet?!” asked Juan.

“Alright, how do you turn this thing?” asked Milo.

“Hah, I told you you need a lesson!” said Juan. Then Milo pushed a button. That starts the engine. The engine started and it was huge.

“What the heck was that?!!!” screamed Juan.

“The engine, you moron,” said Donald. Milo put his two front paws on the steering wheel and carefully turned the spaceship around. The tip of the spaceship knocked down their house.

“Way to go, Milo!” said Juan.

“Oh, shut up!” snapped Milo. “Now you have to make this thing go fast,” said Milo. Milo put his back paw on the gasoline pedal and the spaceship went so fast everyone screamed and Juan vomited.

“ISN’T THERE SUPPOSED TO BE SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FLY THIS THING?!!!” screamed Albert. Finally, they were in the air. Everyone stopped screaming. Everyone took a deep breath.

“Eeew! Someone threw up!” shrieked Donald.

“Calm your nerves, that was me,” said Juan.

“Oh, you’re the one who’s always scared!” snapped Donald. And then, a manual slipped out from nowhere. “Hey, what’s that?” asked Donald. Donald picked up the manual. Donald opened it up. It was a manual on how to fly the spaceship. “Oh my God! This is nuts! Milo!” shrieked Donald.

“What?” asked Milo.

“I just found this manual on how to fly this aircraft!” said Donald.

“Oh, gee, how was I supposed to know that there was a manual?” asked Milo.

“It slipped out from somewhere and common sense. Of course there’d be a manual,” said Donald. Milo sighed in stress. “It says, ‘to turn the ship, you need to use the steering wheel,’” read Donald.

“I know that. This thing is like a car only in air. On the ground it’s harder. This thing is like a car. It feels like a Mercedes-Benz,” said Milo.

“What’s that?” asked Donald and Juan at the same time.

“It’s a car. It is the most comforting car and is the smartest car in the world. My dad used to have one,” said Albert.

“Kay,” said Juan. “‘To keep the ship in air, click the green center control button next to your steering wheel on the right side three times and it will drive just like a car.”

“Bet you didn’t know that,” said Donald. Milo sighed in stress as he pushed that button three times.

“Keep reading more stuff,” said Milo.

“‘If the ship runs out of fuel, call (123) 456-7893. If any other problems, call (123) 456-7893. If you run out of oxygen, call 911,’” read Donald.

“So it can run out of oxygen. We might die,” said Juan. Milo groaned. He was all wrong.

“Don’t stop reading. Continue reading after I react. I’ll let you know. Go,” said Milo.

“‘Please have no children on the ship and keep the windows down. Don’t fly this ship until or unless you know what you’re doing or until you’ve read this manual three or four times,’” read Donald.

“Sucks!” mumbled Milo.

“I was right again!” said Juan.

“Continue on,” said Milo.

“Asteroid!” warned Donald. There really were asteroids in front of them.

“What asteroid?” asked Milo.

“No, in front of you!!!” screamed Donald.

Milo looked in front. Tons of them were there. Milo screamed and steered the spaceship away from the asteroids. When they were out, everyone sighed in relief.

“I’m gonna read about if there’s an asteroid. ‘When there are asteroids in front of you, never steer the ship away from them. Press the red button four times on the left side of your steering wheel and just fly through them. The red button is a shield so your ship doesn’t get dented,’” read Donald.

“I guess Mister I Think I Can Fly A Spaceship can’t fly a spaceship,” said Juan.

“That’s it! I’m out,” said Milo.

“Perfect. I’ll fly the ship,” said Juan.

“You can’t fly this baby, you’re too scared,” said Milo.

“Scared or scary?” asked Juan, proudly.

“Scared,” said Milo.

“Fine. If you want us to die at a young age, go ahead. You’ve done the total opposite of the manual told you to do. I have no more faith in you that you can fly this thing. It’s way beyond your potential,” said Juan.

“If I can drive a car, I can drive this stupid thing,” said Milo.

“A car is thousands times below this thing’s potential,” said Juan.

“Just shut up, I know what I’m doing,” said Milo.

“Yeah, you don’t. ‘Just shut up, I know what I’m doing,’ said Milo,” said Juan.

“How dare you mock me?!!!” growled Milo.

“Ohhhh, someone made the boss mad,” said Donald.

“Thank you, Don,” said Milo. “What happens if a shooting star comes or that little flying thing that looks like rain?” asked Milo.

“You have no idea what a comet is,” said Juan.

“I only forgot the name,” said Milo.

“I’ll give you a break on that one,” said Juan.

“‘When a shooting star comes, no worries. Your ship is made to handle that without a shield or being dented. If a comet comes. Press the red button for the asteroids ten times fast and a major shield will be provided,’” read Donald.

“Can someone get me a glass of milk?” asked Milo. Juan took a cup, put the cup under Emily’s udder, squeezed it, and the milk was made then Juan gave it to Milo.

“Thanks, Doll,” said Milo. Then Juan went back to his seat.

“Keep reading, Donald,” said Milo.

“‘When you reach the moon and it’s perfectly then thousand feet under you, click the button on top of your steering wheel one time quickly and you will safely land on the moon,’” read Donald.

“Please don’t tell me that’s the last page,” said Milo.

Donald flipped back the pages to check. That was the last one. “It is the last one,” said Donald.

“You can’t put that many pages in a spaceship manual. Anything can happen in space, they need to put more information!” said Milo.

“Wait, where’s Albert?” asked Juan.

“God knows where that little punk goes,” said Milo.

“What if he slipped out the ship and went out in space without a spacesuit?!” shrieked Donald.

“He’s only a little man!!! He can’t die now!!!” shouted Juan in major fear.

“I’m right here,” said Albert from behind the refrigerator.

“Lord have mercy, you scared all of us to death,” said Juan.

“Not everyone,” said Milo.

“Quit being such a punk!” said Juan.

“Donald find what else is in the manual,” said Milo. Donald flipped through the manual.

“Aha! Found something! ‘This ship has a backup engine. If this ship breaks down, it won’t really break down because of the backup engine,’” read Donald.

“Great,” said Juan.

“Planes have back up engines, too,” said Albert. Then, a little beeping sound came off.

“What is that? Donald, does it tell you what the beep is in the manual?” asked Milo.

“‘That beep sound is when the moon is under you,’” read Donald. Milo hit the top of the steering wheel button quickly. Like a parachute, the spaceship floated slowly straight down nice and calm. Finally, they landed. Everyone sighed in relief. Milo turned the engine off, and the dog pack put on their spacesuits and went out of the spaceship. They were floating.

“Where’s the flag?” asked Milo.

“What flag?” asked Juan and Donald at the same time.

“To remember you achieved something, you put a flag on top of it to show you’ve made an achievement like climbing the tallest mountain or going to the moon,” said Albert. Milo went in the ship, grabbed the flag, and poked it on top of the moon.

“Our Earth is bigger than this,” said Albert.

“So what do we do now?” asked Juan.

“Go back to Earth I guess,” said Milo. Everyone went back in the spaceship, took of their spacesuits and started back to Earth. Milo sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. Milo put his back paw on the gasoline pedal and started flying back. When they were in air, Juan took nap.

“Milo, Juan is sleeping,” said Donald. Donald tickled Juan’s stomach. Juan started jiggling and laughing. Finally he woke up.

“We’re almost home, buddy. You’ll take a nap when we get home,” said Donald. Then, that beep came again. Milo quickly hit the top of the steering wheel button and they landed safely on Earth right by their house again. When they exited the spaceship, they saw their house was broken down.

“What happened?” asked Juan.

“Our house is down,” said Donald and Juan at the same time. It’s because of the spaceship.

“No worries, I can fix it,” said Albert. Albert grabbed his tools and repaired their house. They went inside when that was done, and started reading about Africa.

Tom Anderson

Chapter 1: The plane

Tom Anderson was 8. He lived in New York. He was going on a trip to Paris with his parents for the week. He had been looking forward to this trip all week.

On the airplane Tom ate breakfast. He ate eggs and waffles. He also read.

“When will we be there?” Tom asked. “Ten minutes.” answered his mom. Tom felt excited because the plane ride had been boring. Ten minutes felt like a whole hour. He waited, and waited, and waited for the plane to land.

The engine of the plane made a lot of noise. It sounded like a volcano was erupting. Everyone on the plane covered their ears. When the plane finally landed, Tom was very excited to be at Paris.

Chapter 2  Paris

Tom’s hotel number was level 5 room 35-36.  Tom helped his parents unpack all of the family’s clothes, water, toys, and toothbrushes. After that, they went to the Eiffel Tower and they ate dinner there. Tom was excited to see the Eiffel Tower because he’d never been there before. Tom liked seeing all the buildings from the top. He learned that there were 1,710 steps in the Eiffel Tower. They ate fish and octopus, and for dessert they had fruit cake with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Tom liked the food because he had never tasted any of it before. After they ate, they went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and they looked through the telescope there. They could see all of the buildings more clearly. They saw the Arc de Triomphe and the Sacre Corre. Then they went to the ice cream shop, and got three ice cream cones: one chocolate, one vanilla, and finally one strawberry ice cream cone. Tom liked the day, and he felt excited for the next day, because he hadn’t been able to spend the whole day in Paris because they were on the plane.

Then Tom went to sleep. On the next day, Tom woke up, stretched, changed, and brushed his teeth. Then he went to eat breakfast. He ordered croissants, eggs, oranges, and orange juice. He liked it. After breakfast, he watched TV. He watched Wimbledon. He liked Djokovic. He also liked to play tennis. He was having fun but did not know what was waiting ahead of him…

Chapter 3: The Obstacles

After he ate breakfast, he and his parents went for a walk in the woods. When they were almost through the woods, they saw a poisonous tarantula. The tarantula was one inch away from Tom. The tarantula was black with red eyes, like a zombie. Tom felt his body tingling. Then, Tom jumped because he was scared. They ran out of the forest and went all the way back home. The family checked if Tom got hurt or poisoned, but he was okay. That night Tom felt a little bit scared and he had nightmares about poisonous tarantulas eating him. He was starting to think that the trip was not going to be fun because of the tarantula. He talked to his parents about his nightmares but his parents said that it was only a dream so he’d be fine. Tom felt better.

Then, the next day they went out for a walk but they didn’t go in the forest. Tom’s parents were still feeling a little bit scared after seeing the tarantula, because they were terrified of spiders. They walked down the street, feeling a little bit better because they knew there were no spiders on the street. There were a lot of people out, but the street was quiet. It was very hot and sunny outside.

When they were coming back, they saw a robber. He was wearing a black mask, and he was holding a bag full of money. He asked them if they had any money. They said no. But, the robber said that he had to check. He looked in their pockets and in their wallet. He found $20. He took their money and he ran away. Tom felt the same way he had when he saw the tarantula. When the robber was leaving, Tom’s family took a picture of him. Then, after he left, they dialed 9-1-1. The police caught the robber and then he went to jail. The police returned the family’s money and the bank’s money. He felt happy because they got their money back.

 Chapter 4: Fun

The next day, Tom and his family went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa. They took a picture of it, and it was very crowded. It was exciting because it was a very famous painting. Tom was feeling a little bit better because nothing bad had happened so far. After they went, they went to the gift shop. They bought coasters of the Louvre. Tom’s favorite painting was of lilypads and was by Claude Monet. So, later that day they went to Claude Monet’s house. They went on his bridge and they saw the lily pads from the painting. Tom didn’t want to leave to go back to the hotel because he liked being there and he felt relaxed. Tom also saw Claude Monet’s bed. It was old with red covers. It was different from his bed because it was smaller and an older style.

When he got back to his hotel, it started raining. They had been planning to go to the Arc de Triomphe,  but they couldn’t then. Tom felt sad and like he wasn’t having fun because he was remembering the tarantula. Even though he didn’t say that, his parents could tell from the expression on his face. He was looking at the floor sadly. His parents asked him what was wrong. Tom said this tarantula was still bothering him. His parents said that the tarantula wasn’t there anymore, and that he shouldn’t worry about it. That made Tom feel a little bit better.

In the hotel they all had the idea to play Monopoly and Tom had fun playing, but he would have prefered to be at the Arc. Everyone was trying to have fun and be happy but they were still feeling sort of upset. After it stopped raining, it was 2:45 PM and Tom and his family went to the Arc D’ Triomphe. They climbed all the way to the top, it was 284 steps. At the top, Tom saw the Eiffel Tower. Tom felt tired. He was getting a little bit homesick because he had been away for five days then, which was a long time. Inside the Arc, they went and got snacks. They went back to the hotel,  then they had dinner at the hotel. It was good. Tom had salmon and chicken soup. Afterwards, Tom was not feeling tired anymore. Tom wanted to go back outside again. After Tom went outside he went to bed. He was thinking about home and about his room. He wants to be home because he was feeling homesick.

Chapter 5: Going Home

The next day, they packed up their stuff and then they went in the orange taxi. They didn’t do anything interesting in the airport, they just waited. Tom felt bored, but he felt that he had liked the trip. When they got on the plane, they ate eggs, bacon, and yogurt for breakfast. It was good, and it was especially good for plane food. When they got home, Tom ran all over the place, smiling. Then they ate lunch because the plane ride to New York was eight hours and five minutes. They ate popcorn and watched the Penguins of Madagascar movie. Tom felt bittersweet; he was sad to leave Paris but happy to be home.                                             

 Chapter 6: the end               

      THE END !                                                

 

Three Hours Til Morning

I have three hours until morning. After four hours of studying your brain is mush. After one, you feel alive, after two, the subject is memorized, after three, studying is a habit, a routine. Then it falls apart. In my case, six hours, the words are just symbols in my eyes, just designs on the paper that mean nothing. The letters seem to move, and my eyes search to find anything familiar. A comma to pause the ringing sound in my ears. A period to stop the words, to keep them contained like a thin dam contains an ocean, and I’m the innocent bystander in front of the dam as it cracks. Ready to drown under the current. Nothing can hold in an ocean forever.

I look at the clock. Four in the morning. Well, a bit after that — it doesn’t matter. I hear that horrible voice in the back of my head saying that over and over again. Ever since I came to this horrible school, I’ve been hearing that horrible voice, I’ve been doing that horrible studying — that doesn’t matter. Those words on the page that are eating my brain, don’t matter. Everything is just letters remade and reimagined but at the core still just letters. And those letters are going to rule my life. And I wish that the words would just be quiet for three seconds. I could hear them chattering away in my head.

I stand up. The world swims in darkness for a moment, then it clears and I slam my textbook closed. If I go to sleep now I’ll still get — two and a half hours of sleep. That’s a lot more sleep than other students get. I sit on my bed and stare into the black night outside. Only street lights illuminate the street. Empty, so, so, empty. Not a single person, car, or stray animal on the street. I should feel lucky to have gotten into such a good school. But really all I feel is this pit in my stomach. I lie down and stare at the ceiling.

I don’t feel empty. No, I feel white hot rage that bubbles into my fingertips. It’s not my fault that I’m this shell of a person. It’s the school’s. They stole me, tried to mold me into the picture perfect student that they want to represent the school. Not the person I am now. The kind that feels emotion. Even if the only emotions I have are anger and sadness. It still counts right? It doesn’t matter — No. It does matter. I matter. My feelings matter more than my letters. They matter more than a school. They matter more than how I look to my parents when my report card comes around in a couple months. I stand up and walk to my desk. I open the drawer and fish out the matches that I had smuggled to sneak past my boarding schools harsh rules.

I was what you called a troubled kid. I smoked, I drank, I partied. And then I was sent here and I smoked, drank, and partied until they took away my cigarettes, my liquor, and shut down the parties that I threw. They never found my matches though. I strike one and let the flame illuminate the dark and consume my textbook. Then I open the window and let the splash of cold air hit me. Then I toss it into the alleyway and watch as it burns down to a smoldering mess of paper, and then stare as the fire burns out, along with the feeling in my gut. I throw myself into my bed.

Then I close my eyes and manage to drift to sleep with two hours till morning.

 

The Whale

Chapter 1: The Trip  

Ella and I were good friends. Very good friends. It all started when we went to the aquarium in Maryland on vacation.

“C’mon Ella! I can’t wait to see the whales!” I said, as I ran to the bus. I was very excited. Whales were only my favorite animal in the world. I looked back at the door to our tiny cabin, and I saw Ella dragging her bag to the bus. I grabbed her arm and pulled her on. We found a good seat in front and sat down.

“So, Ella, aren’t you excited? Whales are so cool!” I said. Ella rolled her eyes towards me and sighed. I got the point that she didn’t feel like talking to me right now. So we were silent the rest of the trip.

When we arrived at the huge doors guarding the aquarium, the bus came to a stop.

“We’re here! Let’s go!” I grabbed Ella’s long blond hair in my rush to get off. She screeched so loud, I’m sure China could hear her. I ignored her and pulled her elbow instead. She followed me and we went through the big archway. I immediately galloped to the whale section. I saw the big, majestic body of the orca whale and the bristly teeth of the humpback. Watching those whales swim and glide through the water amazed me. They were so graceful and they moved through the water like they were dancing.

We watched them for a few more minutes then I remembered I had brought my camera. I positioned it just right to get every whale in the photo. I pressed the button, but at that moment, everything changed. I saw the flash of my camera, then I heard glass shattering and I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Ella, laying on the ground, holding her leg. I heard people screaming, and then, I saw the whale. That big, majestic orca whale, out of its cage, and flopping around on the tiled floor. I panicked. My only instinct was to run. I grasped Ella and ran like I’d never run before. We got to the bus and I flew on.  I gently touched Ella’s leg. It was clearly broken. I felt so bad. I pictured the shattered glass and the flopping whale and Ella, clutching her leg. I can’t believe I forgot to turn off the flash. I knew she would never forgive me.

No,” I thought. We’ve been friends for so long, surely she’ll understand it wasn’t my fault. But she never did.

That was three years ago.

Chapter 2: McKenna       

It was the first day at my new school. I had to move schools, away from Ella, because my dad found a new job and I was excited to meet some new friends, because I had a rough summer.

I can describe my summer in two words: No fun. Whales are no longer my favorite animal, I no longer like aquariums, and I never talk to Ella. All of this is because I broke her leg and made her wear a brace for the rest of her life. But now, I’m hoping she can forgive me, after all these years, because today I was going to her house this afternoon to check on her leg. Yesterday, I thought about how bad she must be feeling right now, because it’s her first day back from school after three years and so I thought it would be nice to pay her a visit, but it’s just to check on her. I’m hoping it will have a happy ending.  

“Charlotte! Come, it’s time for school.” I heard my mom say from the kitchen.

“Coming, mom!” I grabbed my new bag and swung it over my shoulder. I hopped into my blue Ford, and we were off.

When we arrived at the front doors to my school, I stepped out of my car and climbed up the stairs to my new classroom. I walked into my room and everyone stared at me. I wanted to become a turtle and hide in my shell and never come out. I felt so bad.

“Hey. Charlotte, right? I’m McKenna,” a voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw a tall girl with big, brown eyes and long, blond, wavy hair.

“Oh, hi… McKenna. How do you know me?” I asked her, aware that people were still staring at me.

“Well, actually, I think our parents know each other,” McKenna said in a kind voice.

“Oh, that’s great,” I said, unenthusiastically. I don’t know why my mom didn’t tell me she had a relationship with someone’s parents who just so happens to be going to my new school. I’m going to have a serious talk with her when I get home.

“C’mon Charlotte, I want to show you my new bag.” McKenna grabbed my arm and dragged me to her desk.

Everyone finally stopped staring at me when I got to McKenna’s desk. When I sat down, McKenna started asking me tons of questions.

“So, Charlotte, what’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite animal? Where do you live? Who’s your best friend?”

“STOP!” I yelled. I didn’t mean to upset her, I just didn’t want to be harassed by a stranger.

“Oh, I’m sorry Charlotte. I’ll tell you things about me. So-” But McKenna didn’t get to finish, because my strict new teacher walked through the door.

Chapter 3: Detention     

It was the first day of school, and I was excited to meet this girl named Charlotte. Our parents are really good friends, so I want to get to know her.

“McKenna! Let’s go, time for school!” I heard my mom shout.

“Coming!” I yelled back. My school is within walking distance, so my mom lets me walk to school alone. It’s a big responsibility.

I grabbed my bag and ran to the door.

“Goodbye McKenna. Have a good first day of school and remember, be nice to Charlotte. Ask her questions, talk to her…”

I cut my mom off. “I know Mom,” I said, annoyed. Before my mom could ask me any more questions, I zoomed out the door.

My walk was silent, like it always was. I thought about what could go wrong with Charlotte. What if she doesn’t like me? What if I embarrass her in front of the whole class? What if we have nothing in common so she doesn’t want to be my friend?

When I finally arrived at the big doors guarding the school, I was still thinking about what could go wrong. I hiked up the steep stairs to my classroom. When I walked in, I recognized the girl my mom described to me as Charlotte. She had bright red hair and dull, hazel eyes.

“Hey. Charlotte, right? I’m McKenna.” I walked up to her from behind.  She turned around and looked straight down at the ground as she spoke.

“Oh hi… McKenna. How do you know me?”

“Well, actually, I think our parents know each other,” I responded, trying to sound casual.

“Oh, that’s great,” Charlotte said. I remembered what my mom said about being nice, so I brought her to my desk to show her my new bag that was covered with flowers. Then, I decided to ask her some questions about herself.

“So, Charlotte, what’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite animal? Where do you live? Who’s your best friend?” I asked her. I didn’t realize it would be too many questions though.

“STOP!” she shouted at me.

“Oh, I’m sorry Charlotte. I’ll tell you things about me,” I said. I felt so bad and I wanted to make it up to her. “So-” But I didn’t get to finish, because suddenly, my strict teacher stormed in the door.

“Everyone,” my teacher boomed. “Please get to your seats.”

I rushed to sit down in my seat. I could see the desks quivering as he spoke, and everyone around me was shaking. But not me. I was used to having mean teachers; I’ve been at this school for five years.

I looked over at Charlotte’s desk. She was shivering with fear. I wrote a note to her. It said: 

Dear Charlotte,

Don’t be scared. He’s just mean.

Love,

McKenna

I passed this note to her, trying to be secretive, but our teacher saw me. He walked over to me, nice and slow. I could hear the tapping of his boots against the tile floor. When he got to my desk, he glared at me so hard, I thought he was reading my mind.

“McKenna,” he said in a slow, deep voice. “Detention. I will not allow note passing in my class.” He took the note I wrote to Charlotte and he read it. I could tell by the look in his eye that he was mad. After that, he sent me to detention for a month. Charlotte mouthed the words “Good luck” to me.

Thanks,” I mouthed back to her. I was going to need it.

Chapter 4: The Reunion

I would finally get to go back to school after three years. The doctor said my leg healed enough. I haven’t been able to do half the things I wanted to do since my leg broke. I am a gymnast, so when that whale fell on top of me, and my leg shattered into a million pieces, I knew I could never do gymnastics again. I went straight to the doctor and he said I would have to wear a brace for the rest of my life. So here I am, three years later, and I finally get to go to school. I had to move schools, away from Charlotte, because my mom got a new job.

My mom asked my teacher if I could come in late, because I had a doctor’s appointment. He said that would be fine. I thought he sounded nice.

After my doctor’s appointment, I was ready to go to school. I leapt in the car, and my mom and I drove to school.

When we got there, I climbed the steps very slowly. As I climbed up the last step, I could hear a deep man-voice yelling at someone named McKenna. I waited until the yelling stopped, and then I tip-toed into the classroom. The whole room went silent.

“Hi,” I whispered. Then, suddenly, someone ran up to me and grabbed me in a tight hug. It took me a minute for me to realize who it was, but when I did, I was ecstatic.

“Charlotte?” I asked the girl.

“It’s me, Ella!” She let go of me. I felt my eyes water.

“I didn’t know you would be here,” Charlotte told me.

“I didn’t either,” I replied. Charlotte looked at my face, then to my leg.

“How’s your leg?” she asked me.

“It’s fine. I haven’t been able to go to school for three years, but it’s been alright,” Charlotte laughed. That’s the first time I’ve ever been able to get her to laugh. Just then, a tall girl with blond, wavy hair came over to us.

“Hi, I’m McKenna,” the girl said to me. “What happened to your leg?”

“Oh, it’s a long story,” I answered her. I glanced at Charlotte. She smiled. I knew right there that me and Charlotte had made up. I forgave her for breaking my leg, and I knew she forgave me for being mad at her. We were best friends again, and I was happy. I vowed that I would never get mad at Charlotte like I had all those years ago. It wasn’t even her fault my leg broke. It was just an accident. These three years have been an accident.

I walked to my desk with my arm around Charlotte, because she and I are good friends, very good friends.

 THE END    

 

The Tragic (and Comedic) Life of Mr. Henry Billersworth

 

There are many different chocolate factories in England, but Henri Chocolat, maker of fine French chocolate, was the best. Henri Chocolat was owned by a man by the name of Henry Billersworth. Mr. Billersworth was a very successful man, with an income of £950,000 per year. Many were jealous of the great Billersworth, but as he became more and more powerful, those who wanted to approach him, did not.

Andrews Chocolates was the second-best chocolate factory in the country, and it was located, like Henri Chocolat, in London. David Andrews, the owner of Andrews Chocolates, was Henry Billersworth’s main rival. They had frequent arguments, and the largest of those often resulted in physical violence and had to be broken up. David Andrews was a fearless man and he was constantly trying to win Mr. Billersworth’s fame and fortune. Many were against Andrews and tried to stop him, but as I said, there were also plenty of people against Mr. Billersworth. The arguments between the two rivals never worsened very much, but they never stopped either.

 

* * *

 

“Mr. Billersworth, I must attest–”

“Allen, I must ask you to be quiet. I am certain that we are in need of a new flavour, and I will not budge.”

Mr. Billersworth and a large group of employees were seated at a conference table in the office building of Henri Chocolat. They were debating whether their company needed to integrate a new flavor of chocolate, and as you can no doubt infer, Mr. Billersworth himself was under the opinion that they definitely needed a new flavor. His chief employee, Allen, disagreed with him, but everyone else wanted the same thing as their boss.

“Yes, Eliza?” Mr. Billersworth said, for a girl’s hand was in the air.

“I have a suggestion for a flavor, Mr. Billersworth.”

“Well, let’s hear it then.”

“Peanut butter.”

The company looked at Eliza like she was mad. Peanut butter, you see, is a purely American thing, and none of the Brits in the room had ever heard of it before.

“Peanut butter, Eliza?” Mr. Billersworth said hesitantly. “May I ask what kind of barmy invention that is?”

“It’s American, and–” but Mr. Billersworth held up a hand to stop her.

“No need to say anymore, Eliza. I should have known those ridiculous Americans would make something like that.”

“It really is a wonderful taste, though–” persisted Eliza, for she had lived in the States for ten years of her life and had grown to love peanut butter.

“Give it a rest, Eliza,” Allen sighed. “Whatever you do, we are not making a ‘Peanut Butter’ flavoured chocolate.”

Eliza hung her head, looking slightly hurt.

“So,” Mr. Billersworth continued, “does anyone have another idea?”

“I do,” James said. James was the smartest employee at Henri Chocolat, and the best at making chocolate, too. He was also incredibly shy, and didn’t like to socialize with people, so no one knew much about him. But I know quite a lot about James, in fact, I would even go so far as to say that he was the employee whom I knew most about. I even know how he got to be as smart as he is now, but that, my friend, is a story for another time.

“Yes, James?”

“Eggplant?”

“Well, James, that’s creative, but I don’t think it would taste very good. Anyone else?”

Almost everyone contributed an idea, for they all wanted to get the credit for inventing one of Henry Billersworth’s chocolates, but none of them seemed to please their boss.

“Well, everyone should think of names tonight,” Mr. Billersworth said at the end of the conference, “and hopefully one of you will have a brain wave before we meet again tomorrow. Good day.” And with that, he picked up his briefcase and left the room, his employees following suit.

Over the next few days, Mr. Billersworth pestered the members of his company for new flavors of chocolate, while he himself spent hours on end scribbling down ideas. And yet, nothing seemed quite right. His main worry was, of course, that Mr. Andrews would invent an incredible new flavor and everyone in Britain would flock to Andrews Chocolates, leaving Henri Chocolat deserted and without business. But Andrews seemed to think that he didn’t need a new flavor, for none appeared in his shops.

It happened one Tuesday evening when Mr. Billersworth was absolutely desperate for a new chocolate to add to his store. He was brainstorming on a small slip of paper when suddenly an idea came to him.

What’s that new phenomenon all over social media? He thought to himself, Ah, that’s right: Selfies.

“So what about selfie flavoured chocolates?” Mr. Billersworth suggested the next day at work. For a moment there was silence, but then a few people spoke.

“Brilliant!” exclaimed one young man by the name of Charlie.

“Wicked!” cried Allen.

But Eliza and her best friend, Joanne, seemed skeptical.

“How on earth are you supposed to make a selfie flavoured chocolate?” Joanne said, scowling. “Selfies don’t have a taste!”

“Well, that’s the fun part!” Mr. Billersworth said.

“Yeah, things have been a bit boring here with nothing to do but make chocolate all day,” a girl named Hannah said, “I mean–it’s just that–” she stuttered, worried that her boss would get angry at her. But Mr. Billersworth was grinning.

“So,” he said, clapping his hands together, “let’s get to work!”

The idea that they had something new and exciting to work on lightened the moods of all the company workers, even those like Eliza and Joanne, who had been reluctant to make a selfie chocolate. Trying to discover what selfies taste like, however, was hard work, and even though his employees were determined to make it work, they found they needed Mr. Billersworth’s help.

“Alright,” he said as he sat down with a small group of workers consisting of Allen, Hannah, Dave, Greg and Louisa. “First, let’s simply define ‘selfie.’ Anyone have an idea?” They all did, and so they decided to do a “I say a line then you say a line,” sort of thing. Dave started.

“A photograph,” he said.

“Of oneself,” Hannah continued.

“Taken by oneself,” Allen said.

“Often on a cell phone,” Louisa said.

“And often taken in quantities,” Greg finished.

“Okay,” Mr. Billersworth said, “now that we’re clear on exactly what a selfie is, let’s think of the emotions caused by taking a selfie.”

“Happiness!”

“Joy!”
“Wickedness!”

But to Mr. Billersworth it just sounded like, “Dappy blay de mickey,” because they were all speaking at once.

“Please repeat that again,” he said, “one at a time.”

“Happiness,” Louisa said.

“Joy,” Greg exclaimed.

“Wickedness!” Allen said happily.

“Allen, I love the word ‘wicked’ just as much as you do,” Mr. Billersworth said, “but

I am afraid that it is not an emotion. Please think of something else.”

“If you say so,” Allen said gloomily. “How about pride?”

“Lovely,” his boss replied. “Hannah, Dave, would you like to contribute an emotion?”

Neither of them did, so Mr. Billersworth moved on.

“Now we need to think about what these emotions would taste like,” he said. “Dave, what do you think happiness would taste like?”

“I’d say popcorn,” Dave said sheepishly. “It’s one of my favourite foods.”

“Alright. Hannah, what would joy taste like?”

“Hmm…” she paused, thinking hard. “I think maybe marshmallows.”

“Wonderful,” Mr. Billersworth said, “After all, marshmallow goes well with chocolate. And Allen, what does pride taste like to you?”
“Peppermint,” Allen said immediately.

“Alright then,” Mr. Billersworth said, and he wrote the last word with a flourish. The brainstorming sheet looked something like this:

 

Selfie:

A photograph of oneself taken by oneself often on a cell phone and often

taken in quantities.
Emotions Caused by Taking a Selfie:

– Happiness–Popcorn

– Joy–Marshmallows

– Pride–Peppermint
Flavours of Selfie–Flavoured Chocolate:

Popcorn, marshmallow and peppermint combined.

 

“So,” Mr. Billersworth said, “our flavours shall be popcorn, marshmallow and peppermint. Now we must decide what quantities of each will work to balance out the flavours. But don’t worry,” he said, seeing the stricken looks on the faces of his employees. “That will be a job for people other than yourselves.”

Even though Mr. Billersworth now had something good up his sleeve, he could not shake off the feeling that Andrews was also mixing up some brilliant new flavor, so one day he paid a visit to one of his rival’s stores.

“Ah, Mr. Billersworth,” Andrews said with feigned politeness when the former walked in the door, “I fancied a chat with you. I heard recently that you have decided to make a selfie-flavoured chocolate.”

“Indeed I have, my dear man,” Mr. Billersworth replied. He was not worried about Andrews knowing his plans, for news always traveled incredibly fast in London.

“May I ask how on earth you expect people to purchase such a ridiculous item?”

Mr. Billersworth laughed dryly. “You don’t seem to know your customers, Mr. Andrews. I’ll remind you that people will purchase almost any kind of chocolate, especially when it has an interesting name and a cheap price tag.”

“You’ll be laughed at, Mr. Billersworth, mark my words.”

Mr. Billersworth laughed again, “Really, my dear man, it will be you who is laughed at once everyone starts buying my wonderful selfie-flavoured chocolates. Now tell me, Mr. Andrews, are you making a new flavour also?”

“I am not, Mr. Billersworth, because I know that my original flavours are more than enough to please my customers.”

“Your customers must be boring people,” Mr. Billersworth said, and he left the shop.

 

* * *

 

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Billersworth, but the flavours just don’t work together!” Danielle, a worker at Henri Chocolat, was doing her very best to turn the imagined selfie chocolate into reality, but she was failing desperately.

“Well, Danielle, of course it won’t work if you just try the same thing over and over again!” Mr. Billersworth exclaimed. “You have to try different combinations, for example, this time put more marshmallow in and if that doesn’t work, put more popcorn in, etcetera.”

“Alright,” Danielle said, though she didn’t sound very optimistic, “I’ll try with the marshmallow.”

Putting more marshmallow in did not work at all. Frankly, the chocolate tasted like gooey sticky stuff with a tiny bit of crunch. Trust me, it was gross. So Danielle tried putting more popcorn in, just like her boss had suggested. But that didn’t work either. It made the chocolate way too crunchy. So lastly, Danielle tried adding more peppermint. When that made it too minty and almost spicy, the poor girl ran to Mr. Billersworth, almost in tears.

“I’ve tried EVERYTHING,” she gasped, “but it all made the chocolate taste disgusting! I don’t know what to do.”

“Well,” Mr. Billersworth said, “have you tried putting in less of something instead of more?”
Danielle looked as if she thought she was the stupidest person on earth, and she ran back to the chocolate maker as fast as she could. At last she found the perfect mix: a bit of popcorn with more peppermint and marshmallows (all the ingredients were in very small pieces, of course). After tasting it herself, she let Mr. Billersworth try, and he clapped her on the back, grinning.

“Excellent job, Danielle,” he said, “you’ve created a wonderful chocolate. We shall become rich from this!”

“Er…richer than we already are, you mean?” Danielle said hesitantly. But her boss was too immersed in happiness to hear her.

“You’re smarter than James, making a chocolate like that! I can never thank you enough.”

Five days after the invention of selfie-flavored chocolate, the flavor started appearing in stores. As Mr. Billersworth had hoped, people immediately bought it, keeping everyone busy restocking the chocolates in the store. James and Danielle were kept busy making the actual chocolate, and they did a very good job, James especially.

“Excuse me, Mr. Billersworth,” a man said one day as he came into Henri Chocolat’s main shop and saw Mr. Billersworth at the desk.

“Yes, sir?” Mr. Billersworth said. “Is there something I can help you with? Are you perhaps looking for our newest invention; the selfie-flavoured chocolate?”

“Actually, Mr. Billersworth, I wanted to inquire about one of your employees. I hear he is incredibly skilled.”

“Oh?” said Mr. Billersworth, taken aback. “And who exactly would you like to hear about?”

“I believe his name is Marcus, James Marcus.”

“Well, James is currently working downstairs in the factory,” Mr. Billersworth said, “I may take you to see him, if you wish.”

“That would be lovely,” the man replied. “Please lead the way.”

So Mr. Billersworth took the man downstairs to where James and Danielle sat working with the chocolate maker.

“Hello James, my name is Richard Ferris. And your name is…?” he turned toward Danielle.

“I’m Danielle,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ferris.”

“James, I want to ask you something,” Mr. Ferris said. “May I do so?”
“Al–alright,” James stuttered, unnerved by the sudden appearance of a strange man. As I told you earlier, he was a very shy boy, all because of–oh wait. I shouldn’t waste your time like that.

“So James,” Mr. Ferris started, “I’ve heard of your talent and intelligence when it comes to the chocolate factory.” He stopped, waiting for his acquaintance to speak, but he did not, so Mr. Ferris went on. “I shall get straight to the point then, James. How would you like to compete in a chocolate making contest?”

James seemed hesitant, but Mr. Billersworth nodded encouragingly at him.

“Okay,” he said eventually.

“So,” said Mr. Billersworth, clapping his hands together, “what are the details?”

“Well,” Mr. Ferris said, while poor Danielle continued making chocolate, having no part at all in the conversation, “The competition takes place in Paris, and your train will leave in two days. Mr. Billersworth, you may accompany James if you wish, but it is not required. The contest is on June 24, three days after your train arrives, from 11:00 to 15:00. The only thing you will need to bring to the competition, James, is an apron so that your clothes don’t get dirty with chocolate. The rules of the contest will be explained to you on the 24th.”

“Excellent, we’ll be there,” Mr. Billersworth said, for he had evidently decided to accompany James to the chocolate-making competition. “James, you’d better start packing!”

And so, June 21st found Mr. Billersworth and James standing on a station platform, waiting for their train to arrive. James was incredibly nervous, while Mr. Billersworth was merely excited.

When the Eurostar finally arrived in Paris, the two men left the train and headed to L’Hotel, where they had booked a room with two twin beds, a small bathroom and a desk.

They had a nice time strolling around Paris for two days, and James was happy, but on the night of June 23 he hardly slept a wink, and woke up in the morning feeling considerably unrested and even more nervous than he had felt when waiting for the train.

“You’ll do very well,” Mr. Billersworth said to James over breakfast. “There’s no cause for worry.”

But those words of confidence only made James feel worse, for he hated the idea that everyone had high expectations for him.

When James and his boss finally arrived at the contest at precisely 10:49, the former stood by his booth (each competitor had been assigned one) while the latter found a seat in the stands.

“COMPETITORS!” an extremely loud voice rang out at 10:59, “WELCOME TO THE WORLD-WIDE CHOCOLATE-MAKING CONTEST! TODAY YOU WILL BE ASKED TO MAKE A CREATIVE CHOCOLATE MOLD AND THEN MAKE AS MANY CHOCOLATES AS YOU CAN USING THAT MOLD! ALL MATERIALS ARE AT YOUR BOOTH ALREADY, AND YOU WILL HAVE A TIME-LIMIT OF TWO HOURS!”

The man shouting instructions then repeated them in French, and then said, “YOU MAY BEGIN, VOUS POUVEZ COMMENCER, NOW, OR MAINTENANT !”

Mr. Billersworth gave James a fleeting thumbs up, and the latter started crafting his chocolate mold. It depicted nature, with birds singing in the trees, a large river, and a small cottage in the distance. He did not stop to admire his work when he finished, but simply went straight to making chocolate. When there were just ten minutes left in the competition, James had made 12,003 chocolates, and when the timer went off he had made 12,400 chocolates. Mr. Billersworth was confident that his employee would win but James tried not to get his hopes up.

“ALRIGHT COMPETITORS,” shouted the loud voice at the end of the contest, “PLEASE STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING! TIME IS NOW UP, AND JUDGES WILL BE COMING AROUND TO EXAMINE YOUR CHOCOLATES IN JUST A MINUTE. WE WILL TELL YOU WHEN ALL OF THE BOOTHS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE JUST SIT TIGHT.” After repeating those directions in French, the man started to look around at the booths along with nine other judges. James stayed silent when one of them came to look at his booth, but he was almost sweating with anxiety.

“ALRIGHT,” the man who had shouted directions said after about forty-five minutes, “THE JUDGES ARE FINISHED OBSERVING YOUR WORK. THEY WILL NOW DISCUSS WHO SHOULD WIN, AND THEN THE CHAMPIONS WILL BE ANNOUNCED.”

The judges gathered to confer, and the competitors stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the main judge spoke again.

“WE HAVE DECIDED ON THE WINNERS,” he yelled, “AND THEY SHALL BE ANNOUNCED NOW! IN THIRD PLACE, WE HAVE…ELLIE SANDERS!” The girl called Ellie hurried to the podium and was awarded her trophy.

“IN SECOND PLACE, WE HAVE…JAMES MARCUS!”

James looked up, feeling a mixture of joy and sadness, for it was a bad feeling to almost win. But he was grateful to have placed, and he had a smile on his face as he received his trophy.

“Yes, James!” Mr. Billersworth called as his employee stood on the podium, “well done, well done!

“AND FINALLY, IN FIRST PLACE, WE HAVE MARGARET ANDREWS!” James looked up at Mr. Billersworth’s face with horror. Margaret Andrews was the daughter of David Andrews, and it would not help Henri Chocolat if Andrew Chocolates had one of their employees win the World-Wide Chocolate-Making Contest. James hoped with all his heart that the selfie chocolates would be enough to keep Henri Chocolat in business….

James and Mr. Billersworth rode home the very next day, and for the first hour of the ride neither of them talked at all; James read Murder at 9:59, a mystery, while Mr. Billersworth just stared out the window, thinking about all that had happened. The first time either of them spoke was when they visited the dining car for lunch, and Mr. Billersworth started a conversation.

“Our selfie-flavoured chocolates are enough to keep us in good business,” he said, “and we shouldn’t worry about everyone flocking to Andrews Chocolates. After all, being good at chocolate-making doesn’t mean you’re making good chocolates.”

“You’re very right, Mr. Billersworth,” James said, “and I shall try not to let the fact that Margaret Andrews won bother me, either.”

But Margaret Andrews winning was bothering James more than he let on. For even though James was not a proud man, he liked working for the best people. That is why he originally applied for a job with Mr. Billersworth. And if Andrews became more powerful than his rival…well, James wouldn’t want to be stuck with Mr. Billersworth.

After eating lunch, James and Mr. Billersworth returned to their compartment, and the latter told James about how much money Henri Chocolat had made from the selfie-flavoured chocolates. In the past week they had earned £900 just from the selfie chocolates. Talking about his success made Mr. Billersworth happy, and he had a smile on his face for almost all the rest of the journey.

“I heard your best employee won second place at the World-Wide Chocolate-Making Contest,” Andrews said to Mr. Billersworth when the former was visiting his shop.

“Indeed,” Mr. Billersworth replied.

“May I congratulate you,” Andrews said, a rude smile playing on his lips.

“And I you,” Mr. Billersworth said politely.

“I assume you heard about Margaret?”

“Yes I did, it would be impossible not to, even if I hadn’t attended the contest.”

“And what is that supposed to mean, Mr. Billersworth?” Andrews’ smile was leaving his face.

“Only that, with you boasting about it at every opportunity, it would be impossible for me not to know that your daughter won the World-Wide Chocolate-Making Contest.”

“How dare you! How dare you insult me, David Andrews, the most successful chocolatier in the country!”

 

* * *

 

By statistics, Andrews was not the most successful chocolatier in the country…yet. He was selling more chocolates than he had ever sold before, and Mr. Billersworth was desperate to overcome him. He often lost his temper with his employees and yelled at them to make more chocolate. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t stop his rival becoming more powerful by the minute.

“Come in,” Mr. Billersworth sighed when he heard a knock on his office door one day. “Ah, hello James.”

“Mr. Billersworth, I-I wanted to talk to you.”

“Yes, that is normally what it means when someone comes into my office.”

“Well, as you know, Mr. Billersworth,” James said hesitantly, “Andrews is getting quite powerful, and…er…”

“Spit it out, James,” Mr. Billersworth said impatiently.

“I-I’ve gotten a job at Andrews Chocolates. I’m leaving today.”

Mr. Billersworth stared at James. He couldn’t believe his ears. His best employee going to work for his rival…

“Go,” he said hoarsely, “Go…just go, I can’t–just go.” James began to make his way to the front door, but when he had his hand on the doorknob he turned back.

“So…bye, Mr. Billersworth.”

“Goodbye, James.”

Mr. Billersworth saw Andrews again the very next day.

“I have almost everything now, Mr. Billersworth,” he said, “your power and your best employee. Now all I need is your money.”
“And how will you get my money, Mr. Andrews?” Mr. Billersworth asked skeptically.

“Oh, you will see. I have my plans,” Andrews said, laughing.

The next day, the headline of the newspaper read WHEN COMPANY OWNER LOSES MONEY, IT WILL BE PASSED TO THE NEXT SUCCESSFUL COMPANY OWNER.

“That stupid Andrews,” Mr. Billersworth cried angrily. “He’s always had connections with people in Parliament. There’s no question about it, he’s behind this. The government would never, ever, give someone’s money to another person without their consent. But Andrews is very good at bribing, I’ve seen him at it before…”

Upon reading the first bit of the article, Mr. Billersworth figured out that if he were to lose his money somehow, Andrews would get it. But how was Andrews planning on making Mr. Billersworth lose his money? That was a mystery until that very night.

Mr. Billersworth was walking home from a concert, humming the music to himself. It was very dark outside, and he had to walk carefully, for he was just by the edge of the river Thames. There was a noise behind him, and he turned around quickly, but he saw nothing. He kept walking, dreadfully aware that someone was watching him. He heard the noise again, but still saw nothing. Then, all of a sudden, it happened. He saw two human hands coming at him from the dark, and then the face of David Andrews. But he didn’t see more of Andrews, for at that moment his rival pushed him roughly into the deepest part of the Thames, where his heavy clothes weighed him down. No more was ever heard of Mr. Henry Billersworth.

He had never written a will, so his money was passed to David Andrews. When I heard of Mr. Billersworth’s passing I was very, very sorry I had left him. For I, you see, am James Marcus.

The Tragedy of the SS Minnow II

Chapter One

The SS Minnow II was leaving the docks in England  to sail to New York. It was a big, beautiful blue and grey ship, with carved black outlines of “SS Minnow II.”  The artist who built it gave it to five kids for a discount of half of the normal price, because his son was friends with them. The five kids names were- in order of age-  John,  Frederick, Mary, Belle, and Molly. John had long, blonde hair, and was wearing a  blue and white button down, with brown shorts. Fredrick had short, VERY blonde hair with jeans and  a blue button down. Mary was wearing a huge red skirt with a leather jacket, and had long, blonde hair. Belle was wearing a big, puffy red and white sweater with a skirt that matched her strawberry blonde hair. And finally, Molly wore a big, red shirt and a skirt, with her dark brown hair.

“Good day, Mother, Father, see you soon,” called Mary.

Mary, John, Belle, Molly, and Frederick waved to their mother and father as the ship sailed away.

“I’m sure this is going to be a good trip,” said John.

Chapter Two

THREE WEEKS LATER…

“This has been such a good trip,” said John. “Hasn’t it, Minxy?” Minxy was John’s pet minx.

“Yes, it has,” said Fredrick. “Now, Mary, dear-”

    “DEAR?!” exclaimed John. “I saw her first!!”

“No, I did!” said Frederick, “I challenge you to a duel!”

Frederick pulled out his sword. John soon followed.

“No, please don’t fight over me!” said Mary. “Oh, fine. Go John!”

Frederick and John started dueling. There were clashes from the swords as the duel went on.

“Go John!” cheered Mary. Frederick was getting tired, but the duel went on. At one point, John was pushed onto the plank. Frederick did a vicious laugh. He pushed John off the plank. There was a splash. Frederick laughed. “You’re mine, now,” he laughed.

“Ahem?” said a voice. “You made me drop my pocketbook, Fred,” the voice continued. Frederick turned around. He gasped.

“How did you-“

John was standing on the plank, with his hands on his hips. “I held on to the bottom of the plank. That was my mother’s pocketbook you heard splash.” Then John pulled out his sword and charged straight at Frederick. But Frederick was quick. He quickly pulled out his sword and fought  back. So the duel went on. Soon Molly and Belle were yelling for them to stop. Fredrick was getting more tired in each moment he stood. Mary, Molly, and Belle were cheering for John. Who would win?

At last, Fredrick fell to the ground. He closed his eyes. He was too tired. John stabbed him and a moaning Frederick fell back. John did his victory dance.

(He’s not dead)

Chapter Three

“John, you won!” Mary cried.

John looked into the distance. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Oh, no!” cried Mary. “A battleship!” A gray, German battleship came out of the 4 a.m. fog. It was getting ready to fire a missile. Frederick staggered up and grabbed a rifle. John also grabbed a rifle, but he realized that it didn’t have any bullets.

“Everyone hide!” John ordered. “It’s firing a missile. Ohh! Frederick, get down. It’s no use firing at them.”

But Belle didn’t. She wasn’t sure where to hide. At the last moment, she dodged the missile coming from the battleship. Luckily, she didn’t get hit. But the ship did…

The upper deck exploded in fire. Molly, Belle, and Frederick jumped into the cold, dark ocean. But John and Mary scurried up the ladder into the crow’s nest. But on the way up, Mary dropped her leather jacket into the fire.

“Ohhh. Mother’s going to kill me!” moaned Mary.

Mary started coughing from the smoke. The crow’s nest started to tip…

“Mary, the only way for you to survive is for you to jump,”  said John.

Mary jumped off the top of the crow’s nest. She put herself into a bird’s flying position. “John, I feel like I’m flying!” She landed in the cold ocean.

“John, jump!” Mary called up. Boy, Mary was right. The crow’s nest was starting to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

John jumped-and just in time, too… As soon as he hit the water, the boat exploded.

Chapter Four

The only way to survive in the middle of the ocean with a whole bunch of wood is to build a raft.

John and Frederick helped build it, and then the five of them started back towards England. It was a very long trip, five long weeks of living on fish and rainwater. But eventually they made it.

The raft sailed into the docks. A man spotted the raft and helped them off of  it. Then he took them home.

“Mother! Father!” Frederick, John, and Molly yelled. They jumped on them.

“Mother! Father!” Mary and Belle cried. “Mother, I’m so sorry! I lost your jacket!” said Mary. They were home….

                                                             THE END….

P.S. Frederick lived.

The Sunflower Seed

In 1989 a couple bought a cozy little home right by a small pond in a hot village in South Africa. There they started a business in which they owned a rose garden and sold roses to all the townspeople. Their business grew and they started selling their flowers to some of the wealthiest people in the world who would fly in from foreign countries just to buy their roses. The reason their roses were so special was because the roses were naturally grown and they smell better than anybody else’s. They were so happy that they expanded their garden and grew even more roses. This lead them to more business and more money. They were now loaded and had to keep all their money in the bank for safe keeping. They put it under their last name: Soilen.

One early morning an old man with a colorful apron and a little brown pouch came by the garden wanting to buy one single rose. This was unusual for the couple because their buyers always wanted more than a single rose. Of course they sold him one rose but when he had to pay he gave them a large amount of money and he wouldn’t take his change. When they asked him, “Why are you giving us more than we need?” his answer was, “She’ll need it one day.” By the time the couple blinked an eye the old man was gone and he had left 2000 rands in their hands. This money they put in a secret compartment in the attic floor. They knew he must be telling the truth. So true it was 2000 rands’ worth.

One year later the wife was pregnant with a baby girl. The couple celebrated every night until the baby was born by making rose tea and drinking it with their dinner. Their baby was born on the first of July. The same day that the couple always planted their new roses each year. This just had to be a sign or pure luck. This lead them to naming their precious baby daughter Rosie Soilen. On her shoulder there was a birthmark in the shape of a petal, but it wasn’t a rose petal. It had a bit of a pointy tip and the sides were slightly curved.

Rosie grew up to be kind, loyal and a great gardener. On her 12th birthday her parents gave her rose perfume. They had made it themselves. By hand. They had been working on it for three months alongside selling their roses. Rosie put it in a pink, floral box and kept it safe by putting it in a little compartment it the attic floorboards. She thought she saw something else in there but when she took a closer look a cloud of dust made her sneeze and shut the floorboard compartment. She kept thinking why something else would be in there when she heard a siren. It was the ambulance heading straight for her house. She had been in the attic for an hour now and was wondering what had happened. She scurried downstairs and beneath her she saw her mother lying on the floor in pain. Her mother’s heartbeat was slowing down as she was lifted into the ambulance truck. Then Rosie saw a man with a colored apron in the distance who was watching the commotion with a tear dripping down his face. After that she saw him sprinkle a seed into the ground. She slowly started walking over to tell him their garden was private property but as she looked up he was gone!

Once the ambulance drove away Rosie and her father got into the car to follow it and see Rosie’s mother. In the car Rosie told her dad about the mysterious man in the garden. He seemed to not really care until she said he was wearing a colorful apron. He hit the break of the car so hard she saw little sparks coming from the tires. Her father gulped hard. Did he know this man? Were her parents hiding something from her? She had figure out who the man was. Did he do something bad?

Once they got to the hospital to check on her mother, the doctors stopped them from coming in the room. They all had sad looks on their faces and the sad faces spread to Rosie and her father once they heard the tragic news. Her mother had died. Apparently for more than four years she had a tumor in her throat and it had caused a bad case of throat cancer which killed her but she didn’t know of it. Rosie and her father were heartbroken. From now on it was just the two of them.

Three years later the business was still running very well. On an early morning, Rosie and her father were picking the roses when suddenly her father stopped. He took a deep breath and said, ”Rosie, please go put on a nice dress for lunch…oh and take a quick shower. We have lunch guests.”

“Who is it father?” asked Rosie curiously.

She was hoping it was one of her friends. She ran upstairs and got ready. She even ran up to the attic and quickly put on some of her rose perfume. She heard a car driving up the path and then it stopped and she heard girls’ voices. She thought that her friends had come to lunch but when she looked out of the window she saw a tall, skinny women and three girls she had never seen before. The women was an employee who helped plant the roses. She and Rosie’s dad got along quite well. The only thing strange about this lady was that she was awfully poor. “She must live in the little farmhouse in the field,” thought Rosie sadly.

She walked downstairs and saw a beautifully set table with little rose petals as decorations and red napkins and in the center of the table was a giant roasted turkey. Yummy. There were vegetables too and one big jug of water. ”This is one special lunch,” thought Rosie. The she saw the girls and their mother.

”Hi,” said Rosie trying to greet them kindly. They also introduced themselves.

“Hello sweetheart! How are you?” said Rita the rose picker. “These are my daughters: The tall one’s Lilly, the short one is Daisy and the chubby one is Flora.”

“I am not chubby!” screamed Flora. Rosie’s dad walked in looking happy and relieved that everyone was getting along.

They sat down at the table and started eating their lunch as Rosie’s dad stood up. ”I would like to make an announcement!” he started, ”Rita and I have been talking.” Rosie’s eyes widened. ”Rita is my best employee at the moment and I would like to thank her by helping her.” Rita looked like she knew what was coming but she also looked thankful. ”Rosie.” Rosie looked up ready to hear it. ”Rita and her family will be living with us!” Rosie’s face dropped. Would her life become like Cinderella?! She was furious. This was her family’s home-not a hotel… that’s free!

Once the Alcove family had left, Rosie didn’t say a word to her father. She just watched him. There was something he wasn’t telling her. Then he froze. ”Rosie, the reason the Alcoves are staying here is because I will be leaving for three weeks on a business trip.” Rosie’s brightened face fell. ”I am selling roses to the Queen of England and the Mayor of St. Gallen, Switzerland.You will stay here with the Alcoves until I get back.”

”Will they leave after you return?” asked Rosie firmly.

“I don’t know,” answered her dad. She had never been away from her parents. The only place she went alone to was school. She was willing to try it if it would make the business do well.

It was the big day. Her dad gave her a tight, loving hug and the last thing he did was whisper something in her ear. ”The box in the attic is for you in case of any emergency. Don’t tell anyone about it. I love you.” Then he rode off into the distance until his car looked like a little blob in the sunrise. She turned around to see the Alcoves putting their boxes into the house.

”Now girls,” said Rita. ”We have to figure out rooms and bathroom schedules. Rosie you will stay in your room, Daisy and Flora you will share the big room and Lilly will be in the small room and I will be in the master bedroom. Are we clear?” she chanted.

“Yes,” answered the three daughters.

“Of course,” said Rosie trying to adapt. She shouldn’t feel misplaced in her own home. She had her own bathroom so she wouldn’t have to share. Then she remembered what her father had said about the box in the attic. She ran up and brought the box down along with her rose perfume. She hid them in the little safe in her room. She locked her bedroom door and started looking out the window. How had this happened? There were people living in her house. Her father was gone and her mother was dead. Out the window she saw that old man with the colorful apron again! He was watering a patch of soil. She could see a slight bit of yellow coming out of the ground. What was he doing?

She saw him purposely drop a scroll of paper onto the soil patch. All of a sudden Rosie felt the urge to run over there and read the scroll. She ran as fast as the wind could take her. She stopped at the soil patch. She picked up the scroll of paper and took a quick look at the soil patch where she saw a small yellow flower growing. What is a buttercup or a dandelion? She sped back to the house, ran up to her room and locked the door. She opened up the scroll which read:

Dear Rosie,

You are the only person in the world that can know about this. I am your grandfather 3 generations back (from your mother’s side). I once discovered a special wishing potion in the Stone-age. As you can see I wished to live forever. I am an explorer, scientist and a psychic. All along I knew your mother was going to die. I just didn’t know of what. I would have alarmed her if I told her and wasn’t 100% sure. It is lovely too see the family grow and even more lovely to see you.

I knew about you before you were even born. Let me get to the point. I created a wishing sunflower. I planted a single sunflower on the soil patch. It’s a magic sunflower. Whenever you pick off a petal you can make a wish. There are eight petals and only one wish can be made each day.

Just so you know this is top secret. I also gave your parents 2000 rands in a box for you. I hope you get the money. Keep this all to yourself.

Lots of love

The man in the colorful apron 😉

Rosie gasped! She was speechless. Unbelievable. How? Grandfather? … Magic? Stoneage!!

This meant there was money in the box and she couldn’t let anyone else know about the sunflower. She couldn’t let anybody see it either. She had to keep it all a secret. She took a deep breath and put the scroll into the safe as well and locked it tightly. The next morning she peered out of the kitchen window and then she saw it.

The sunflower. It was like a sun in a big ocean of red roses. It stood out…oh no! She had to pick it before anyone else noticed it. She ran through the mud and soil, her feet were splashing in puddles of last night’s rain and she bounced to the soil patch just in time. She picked the fully grown flower and ran back to the house. The Alcoves were still asleep so she tip-toed up to her room and put the flower in the safe.

She felt special. She made herself a special waffle with special syrup and special blueberries. She put on a special dress and special sneakers and a special headband that her mother gave her. She carried a special book that her father bought her and she sat down on the sofa and started to read. Daisy came downstairs. ”Good morning Rosie,” she whispered.

”Morning,” whispered back Rosie happily.

Rita woke up next and started making breakfast.”You look happy,” she said to Rosie.

“I am,” she replied. ”By the way I already made waffles- with my dad’s special recipe.”

“That’s very kind!” said Rita. ”Thanks.”

That afternoon the postman came by and gave Rita who was picking flowers a letter. She took a break and opened the envelope slowly making sure it wouldn’t rip. She read it four times and each time her face looked sadder and sadder. She looked at all four girls who were eating lunch in the garden. Their expressions changed as well. She paused and then said ”Rosie, I am afraid that…” Rosie knew it. Cinderella’s life had also become hers. ”…Your father’s car slipped off London bridge because in London it’s winter and the bridge was icy. He didn’t know how to swim so he drowned.” It was a bad year for Rosie. ”In the letter,” she continued, ”the police also found a paper where he wrote: TO ROSIE;GTE HTE XBO.” The Alcoves looked confused but Rosie knew exactly what it meant. GET THE BOX. The box with the 2000 Rands.

Rosie made her first wish on the sunflower that day. It was the same as her grandfather’s. ”LIVE FOREVER.” The next day she wished “BUSINESS BLOOM” just in case her next two wishes were impossible. The same day they earned 600 Rands just from selling roses. The days went by quickly and it had been a year since her father passed away. The only things she had left to comfort her was her grandfather, the money and the flower. The Alcoves helped as much as possible. She was glad they were arranged to live in her home or she’d be all alone.

The girl had six wishes left on her beloved sunflower. The only reason she didn’t wish for her parents to awaken first was because just in case bringing a person back to life wasn’t possible she wanted to have made other important wishes first. She chose to wish for her mother to come back. ”AWAKEN MOTHER” she wished. She looked up to see her mother looking confused.”What happened?” she asked. Rosie explained everything even though she wasn’t supposed to tell. She wished ”CURE MOTHER” to get rid of the throat tumor. Then she wished “AWAKEN DAD.” Her father appeared. She explained again. Her fourth wish was to give the Alcoves a bigger and better home of their own in the field. ”ALCOVE HOME.” The Alcoves vanished. Rosie heard happy squeals coming from the field. The seventh wish was “GRANDFATHER.” The man in the colorful apron appeared and then she introduced him to her parents. Her last wish was “LOVE.” This didn’t change anything because her family already loved each other dearly.

Years went by as the Soilen family (Rosie, mother, father, grandfather) sold their roses and a new business that is owned by grandfather which is selling sunflowers! They have dinner with the Alcoves every Monday evening and they live happily in the South African Grasslands.

Through time, Rosie realised that her birthmark was a small but bold sunflower petal.
THE END

The Stray Cat!

One day there was a cat named… well… it was a stray cat. So it decided… to go on a adventure! One day a little girl named Lucy found it. She was so happy! So she went home. But then she noticed that she had no money. So she asked her mom for forty dollars. But her mom said, “No.” So she decided to make a lemonade stand. After a few hours of the lemonade stand, she had five hundred dollars. So she went off to buy some cat supplies.

At the store, she spent forty dollars on all the cat supplies she could buy. And she bought some books and supplies for herself. When she got home, she put all her money in her piggy bank that was under her bed, where no one could find it. After that, she set up all the cat things. Her cat was so happy.

A few days later, she wanted a friend because she was so lonely when Lucy went to school. So on Saturday, she went to the store to buy a cat and more cat supplies. But then she noticed she had no money, so she had to go back home, go under her bed, and get the rest of the money that she spent for the last cat. So she went back to the store, bought a cat, and bought all the supplies for the cat.

When she got home, she put her cat down on her rug and she set up all the cat supplies next to her other cat. When her mom came into her room, she was so surprised and she was so proud of Lucy. But then, a few days later, the two pets were lonely together, so the two cats wanted to get two more cats. So she went back to the lemonade stand, she unpacked it, and she got ten thousand dollars! After that, she got her money, she went back to the store, bought two more cats, and bought two beds, two litter boxes, and two packs of food, two bowls…

After that, she went home with the two cats and they were surprised. So she put down the two cats, and she settled their supplies.

A few weeks later, the four cats wanted to get fifteen more cats! So she set off to the lemonade stand so she could get ten thousand more dollars to get fifteen cats. So she set off back to the store, bought fifteen more cats, fifteen more cat supplies, paid for it, and set off home. She put all the fifteen cats down, she put all the cat supplies down. After that she went to bed.

Thirty-five more years later, she had fifteen thousand million cats. And that is how she became The Cat Woman.

THE END.

(for now…)