Writer's Workshop
Writer's Workshop is a main activity we do in Ms. Tutuska's GT ELA class. We write stories, poems, scripts, letters...Writer's Workshop is covered with writing, writing, and more writing!
Enjoy some stories written by the 6th grade GT ELA students!
Once on this Island!
by Nikki
Per. 2
The first thing I did when I got home from school was show my mom the permission slip to participate in a Junior Broadway production, Once on this Island.
At first, my mom was hesitant. “Are you sure you want to audition for the play?”
“Yes, Mom!” I groaned. “Sign it already!”
“What play?” Meghan, my little sister perked up from her schoolwork. “I want to be in a play!”
“You’d have your hands full of homework,” mom told me. “Being in a play is lots of work.”
“You can do homework at rehearsals,” I pointed out. “Unless you’re a starring role. Then you’re always onstage. That’ll probably end up happening to me.”
“I don’t know,” my mom said, continuing her suduko in the newspaper. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Suddenly, Tessa, my twin sister smacked her permission slip on the table.
“You want to audition, too?” Mom asked with a worried expression on her face.
“Nic Wheeler and I were talking the other day, and we thought it’d be cool to work behind the scenes,” Tessa informed her, wiping her brown bangs out of her eyes.
“I want to be in the play!!!” Meghan yelled.
My mom paused, then quickly grabbed a pen and signed the permission slips. “Okay, there you have it. But remember—you asked for it.”
* * * * * *
The next day at school, Once on this Island was the only thing everyone was talking about. In homeroom, I sat in my usual spot next to Maekenzie Poplin. She was so pretty, with her dark hair pulled back with a headband, her shiny eyes brought out by the diamond earrings she wore.
“Nikki!” Maekenzie moaned. “My parents won’t let me audition for Once on this Island!”
My heart sank. “What? WHY?”
“Math grades,” Maekenzie said quickly, looking around to see if anyone had eavesdropped.
“That sucks,” I said, pulling out my social studies notebook. I began to doodle on its cover. “Rehearsals won’t be fun without someone to talk to.”
“Go for the gold, Nikki!” Maekenzie encouraged me. “You don’t need me there. Show Creative Arts what you’re really made of!”
I thought for a moment, considering her advice. “But you’ll miss out on all the fun.”
“It’s already done,” Maekenzie muttered. Her eyes flew to Mr. Culpepper, the drama teacher. He had come into the room with a stack of papers in his hands.
“Once on this Island audition slips!” Mr. Culpepper called. He was a short, pale man with brown hair, sideburns and a goatee. As usual, he had his pen tucked behind his ear.
I bounced up and handed him my slip, flashing my movie star smile. I’ve always wanted to impress Mr. Culpepper—he’d been in so many theatre productions! He had played the Cat in Cat and the Hat, and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! All I ever wanted to do was impress him with my acting.
Julie, one of my best friends ran by me. I hurried after her.
“Julie! Who do you want to be in Once on this Island?” I asked curiously.
“Ti-Moune, of course,” Julie said, referring to the main character.
I groaned. All the girls wanted to be Ti-Moune! What about the goddesses? Or the villagers? Or the grand homes?
“Oh?” Julie raised an eyebrow. “Who do you want to be?”
“Mama Euralie,” I replied. Mama Euralie was Ti-Moune’s mother. She had many songs and lots of dialogue—perfect!
“Who knows, maybe you’ll end up being my mother,” Julie said, grinning.
“We can hope,” I commented. My eyes lit up. “Maybe we can rehearse Mama Euralie and Ti-Moune’s duet together!”
“Yeah!” Julie agreed.
“Girls,” Mrs. Soule, our social studies teacher warned. “There’s an assignment on the board that you need to start.”
Julie and I apologized to the teacher, sat in our desks and began the assignment, when we were really just passing notes to each other about Once on this Island.
* * * * *
When we reached Specials time, Mrs. Soule’s class lined up in front of the drama room.
“Come in quietly and sit down,” Mr. Culpepper instructed. He touched Maekenzie’s shoulder. “When you get inside, go ahead and pass out the scripts.”
“Scripts?” Maekenzie repeated.
“They’re on my desk, under a folder labeled ‘Once on this Island’,” Mr. Culpepper said.
“We’re rehearsing today?!?!” Treauna cried. She jumped up and down with excitement. All the girls squealed in joy.
“We’re doing a read-through,” Mr. Culpepper announced.
“I’m not even in the play!” Maekenzie shouted.
“Can I read Ti-Moune’s part? Can I read Ti-Moune’s part?” a mob of girls surrounded Mr. Culpepper, drowning him with pleads.
Maekenzie and I sat down on the carpet.
“I don’t even want to read through the stupid play,” Maekenzie muttered. Her dark hair fell in front of her eyes. She hunched over to scan the script in her hands.
When everyone had a script, Mr. Culpepper assigned the read-through parts. “Julie, Storyteller 1. Arantza, Storyteller 2. Eric, Storyteller 3. Treauna, Storyteller 4. Gabi, read the part of Ti-Moune. Julio, Tonton Julian. Nikki, Mama Euralie.”
“Yes!” I punched my fist in the air.
“Maekenzie, read Asaka. Marvin, be our Agwe,” Mr. Culpepper continued.
“You get to read Asaka, mother of the earth!” I whispered to Maekenzie, trying to make her excited. “A major role!”
Maekenzie didn’t reply.
When everyone had assigned parts, Julie started things off.
“‘There is an island where rivers flow deeeeep…’,” Julie recited in full character.
“‘Where the sea sparkling in the sun earns its name, jewel of the Antilles…’,” Arantza continued.
Ten pages later, I finally got my turn in the spotlight.
“‘Ah, Julian, just listen to those birds!” I read dramatically.
Mr. Culpepper looked very impressed, which made my confidence boost up another level.
When drama class was over, I approached Maekenzie. “Wasn’t today fun?” I asked.
Maekenzie sighed. “I wish I really did have the part of Asaka!” she whined.
I bit my lip as we walked back to class. What could I say to her? Cheer up? Too corny. If I were your parents, I’d let you audition? That might be considered “rubbing it in.”
Maekenzie and I walked back to the classroom in silence.
* * * * *
Today was A-day. A, as in audition. On the way to school, I practiced singing “Love Story” by Taylor Swift on the radio. I was singing that song at the auditions.
“You sound like a fart,” Meghan commented.
“Wow, thanks,” I sneered sarcastically. “Like your voice is any better than mine!”
“Actually,” my mom interrupted. “I think Meghan has the better voice.”
“Mom!” I cried.
“Just saying,” my mom said.
Later that day, I got in trouble in English for reading the script instead of the Junior Great Books, and was sent in the hallway in Science for humming the tune of the opening song.
How could I help it? The directors treated me as if I already had the part! Plus, no one wanted to be Mama Euralie except for me. How lucky was I?
When the time of the auditions came, everyone who was allowed to participate waited in the art room.
In my chair, I was sketching my usual fashion designs. Mrs. Maurer, the dance teacher peered over my shoulder.
“Oh, my. My MY!” Mrs. Maurer snatched my sketchbook and flipped through their pages. “These are yours?”
"Well, um, yes,” I replied shyly.
“Talented, talented girl,” Mrs. Maurer patted my back and left to resume her position as a judge in the audition room.
I began to sketch out how I thought Ti-Moune’s costume should look. A native flower skirt would do nicely. I picked up a blue pencil and began to shade in her wrap skirt. What about a few flowers tucked into her traditionally braided hair…?
“Oh. My. God!” Julie approached me, fanning herself with a script.
“I just auditioned,” Julie gasped. She was sweaty and red. She looked as if she had jogged a hundred miles. “So…stressful…” Julie panted.
“Nikki! Your turn!” Caroline called.
My heart went bammity-bam. I entered the audition room, the directors staring at me. “What part are you interested in?” Mr. Culpepper asked me.
Suddenly, I forgot. “Um, Mama…Mama…”
“Mama Euralie?” Mr. Culpepper asked.
“Yeah, her,” I mumbled.
“You can begin to sing whenever you’re ready,” Dr. Albertson, the music teacher said.
The room suddenly felt hot. My head began to spin. I opened my mouth, and the first few notes I sang were not a pleasure to the ear. The came out way too high and scratchy, and the worst part was, when I started, I couldn’t stop. Just as I was about to reach the chorus, the part I sang best, Dr. Albertson stopped me. “Thank you, Nikki.”
“Can we hear some dialogue?” Mrs. Maurer asked.
I tried to clear my throat before I spoke my lines. I took a few seconds to get into character. Then I blurted out the lines.
“FAbulous,” Mrs. Maurer made a few notes on her clipboard. “Sent in the next person, please.”
That was it? That was awfully short. I walked out of the room, sending in Camilla.
For the rest of the day, all I could think about was how I did with the audition.
* * * * *
The next day, I happily skipped through the school hallway. Even though the audition hadn’t gone too well, I knew where this was going to end. I couldn’t have been THAT bad.
Mrs. Smith came out of her classroom and taped a piece of paper on the wall. I knew what it was without having to look at it. I was the first one to reach it.
I scanned the cast list for my name.
And then I saw it.
Mama Eurale - Julie Wilberding
Understudy - Nikki Jansen
I could have fainted there on the spot. I almost fell over because I felt like the room was spinning. My temples stung and my eyes filled with tears.
Treauna gasped. “I AM TI-MOUNE!!!” she shrieked happily. Many kids overjoyed with their parts as I ran to the nearest bathroom. I locked myself in a stall and lost it. Tears streamed from my eyes like water pouring from a sink.
I couldn’t think anything positive.
They made me think I would get a good role, I sniffed, rubbing my burning eyes. What if Meghan was right, and I really did sound like a fart?
hen, the worst thought occurred to me:
Maybe they didn’t choose my because I’m the 5’8’’, skinny freak with glasses! Maybe they didn’t want the mother to be taller than the father. Or they didn’t want a main character to wear glasses! I burst into a heavy sob. I can’t help wearing glasses! I wish I had told the directors at the audition that I wasn’t planning to wear my glasses at the performance!
When I finally controlled the flow of tears, I left the bathroom. By now, the hallway was clear. I went into my classroom. Mrs. Soule was in the middle of a lesson.
“Was Nikki CRYING?” Aishiah Simmons whispered loud enough for the entire class to hear. Everyone stopped working and stared at me.
My face must still be red, I thought as I slipped into my seat. Mrs. Soule would of marked me tardy, but she probably felt bad for me, because she just simply returned to the lesson.
Maekenzie nudged me. “What happened?” she whispered.
I only shook my head. I was afraid if I opened my mouth, I would throw up.
School seemed to last forever. When everyone was leaving the school, Mrs. Maurer pulled me aside.
“Hi, Nikki,” Mrs. Maurer smiled at me.
“Hi,” I said quietly. I was mad at her. And Mr. Culpepper. And Dr. Albertson.
“I know you’re upset about your part,” Mrs. Maurer said. “But smaller roles are just as important as the big ones, right?”
I didn’t reply. I was starting to tear up again.
“Mrs. Pitts and I were just talking about how artistically talented you are,” Mrs. Maurer continued. “And we were wondering—would you like to design the goddess’s costumes?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Something bright and colorful, with a taste of tropicana,” Mrs. Maurer said. “Want to give it a shot?”
“I guess,” I tried to smile. “That sounds great.”
At the pickup line, I sat next to Tessa, sobbing and telling story. My tone brightened ever so slightly when I mentioned the part about me designing the goddess’s costumes.
“Nikki, that’s great!” Tessa encouraged me.
Suddenly, Julie tapped my shoulder. I quickly wiped my tears and turned around.
“Yo, Julie,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I really was.
“You know, it’s weird,” Julie suddenly said. “It’s, like, we’re best friends, and I got the part you wanted. It’s so weird.”
It was times like these I felt like punching my best friend in the face.
My mom’s car pulled up in front of the school, and I ran into the car. I slammed the door shut and burst into tears.
“What happened?” my mom asked softly.
“I didn’t…I wanted…” I couldn’t make out my words under the tears.
“What happened to Nikki?” Meghan asked. She had just come in and sat down.
“I didn’t get a part!” I sobbed.
“Nothing? At ALL?” my mom asked.
“I’m in the ensemble,” I corrected, wiping my nose. “And I’m Gossiper 6.”
“At least you have a part,” Tessa interrupted. She took a water bottle from her lunchbox and popped off the cap. “I didn’t even get in.” She carelessly shrugged her shoulders. “You don’t see me complaining.”
“You’re the stage manager!” I cried. “You help direct scenes, assist with costumes, find props, man the stage lights, pull the curtains…you even get your own assistant!”
Tessa knew she’d lost the battle. She quietly slurped her water down.
I sniffed, then wiped my eyes. “I think I ran out of tears.”
“Finally!” Tessa exclaimed. She took a CD from her backpack and slid it into the radio. “Mr. Culpepper gave me a CD of the original Once on this Island songs. Let’s hear them!”
The tropical music played as our minivan boogied back home.
* * * * *
“A one, two, ready go!” Mrs. Maurer led the dance class into the opening song.
Time passed. It was a warm April afternoon (time to lose the puffy winter jackets!). Everyone was in a good mood, including me.
My hair unraveled out its messy French braid as I jumped up and stomped my feet.
Julie was sitting in the corner, watching us dance. She wasn’t in until scene three. Ha-ha-ha!
Stop thinking bad thoughts about Julie, I told myself. Julie was nothing but nice to me, especially after I lost the role to her.
The last few notes of the song blared, and we applauded when the musical act was over.
“Great job, guys!” Mrs. Maurer smiled. “I think we’re ready to hit the stage!”
We all cheered, gathering our dance shoes and heading towards the door.
“But wait!” Caroline Molloy suddenly shouted. “It’s 2:45! Third period starts in two minutes!”
Mrs. Maurer glanced at clock, then back to the students. “Eh, oh well. I’ll send out the email.”
“Awesome!” Julie whispered.
How I wanted to talk to Julie! But I was still so mad at her!
I shook the thought away. It’s not her fault that she had a better voice than me.
I wondered how Tessa was doing.
In the art room, the tech group, was creating rocks for the play.
Tessa dipped her brush in the red paint and splattered it on the blue paper “rocks.”
She looked over at Nic, who was carefully stroking the paper with a green puffball.
Tessa glanced at the dripping paintbrush in her hand. She grinned.
She walked past Nic and let the brush fall ever so slightly through her fingers. The brush glopped a big, fat red streak on Nic’s white painting coat.
“Whooo-oooo-oops,” Tessa said as she finished the streak.
Nic looked over his shoulder and saw the trace of red. “Seriously?” he exclaimed. He grabbed a brush and slapped a blob onto Tessa’s arm. “Now we’re equal.”
Tessa armed herself with four paintbrushes. “You missed the coat!”
“No,” Nic said. He splattered her bare leg with black paint. “Now I missed your coat.”
Before they knew it, the two were in a huge paintbrush fight.
* * * * *
I had been cursed with OnceonthisIslanditis. During every math quiz, chants of the opening song buzzed in my ear. Instead of writing a story in English, the lyrics replaced my words.
My goddess costume designs were going very nicely. The goddess of water, Agwe, had a blue, glittery dress with swirls of mint green and lavender. It had pearl strands hanging in the back, with a gleaming silver fabric draped around the sparkling garment. It looked very fishy—but in a good way. The skirt looked like scales from a shimmery fish.
Erzulie, goddess of love had a very Barbie-inspired gown. It was pink with a puffy skirt, rose vines trailing down the dress. A translucent pink train rustled the fabric when moved.
A colorful, long shirt was used for Asaka, mother of the earth’s costume. Mrs. Maurer fished it out from the back of the prop closet in the dance room. She asked me to Nikki-fy it, so I did. I gave it a black belt with flower pins, so when Becca Beaumont wore it as Asaka, it would look like a dress.
Aishiah Simmons would be dressed in a black velvet leotard, a purple slitted skirt and a red feather boa. To top it off, she’d wear a black helmet.
I hated it. The teachers put together this costume. Aishiah looked like a clown, not like Mama Ge, goddess of Death!
But never mind how it looked. I designed four—three—beautiful costumes.
So I didn’t get a major role. Big whoop. I’ve had my first fashion designing experience and learned a thing or two about real life Broadway shows.
Julie really deserved the role she got. She sang the songs tens times better than I ever would have, and was so motherly to Ti-Moune I forgot her name was Julie.
I still remember the bright lights, the squawking microphones, the stumbling dancers, and the glory I felt when my name was called up at the end of the show so the audience could applaud the fifth-grade costume designer.
THE END
__________________________________________
A Family Trip to Greece
by Tessa
Per. 2
Dear Mom and Dad,
I love reading about fantasy stories. The Greek Mythology, has a very special place in my heart. There were so many interesting tales about gods and goddesses that made me “hungry” for more. Mom, you are the one that introduced me to, Daedalus & Icarus, Perseus, and Hercules stories even before I could read.
As much as I liked the stories, I was in love with the characters the most. My favorite god was one of the “Big Three.” His name was Poseidon, god of storms, water and horses. His kingdom was underwater, and as you well know, water is my “element.” I am on a swim team not by accident. My favorite goddess was Artemis, so brave and passionate about being free. Hey, wouldn’t that be awesome if WE could take a FAMILY TRIP to Greece?!
I would love to visit the temples of the gods and goddesses that I read about. It would be breathtaking to see how the Greeks adorned their gods thousands of years ago. To walk on the paths and touch the stones they were sitting on would make me feel connected to human history even more than I am already.
Recently, I got really into the “spirit” of ancient Greeks. Remember mom, you bought me the book series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Initially, I thought the title was a little weird but the book actually opened my eyes to a different kind of adventure. After reading that book, I actually wanted to be a part of the story and tag along with the main characters, Percy and Annabeth. The author showed me a different side to the gods, sometimes sad, funny, or crazy and always meddling with mortals’ lives-just like ancient Greeks described them.
As brilliant as I may seem, there is still more to me. I’ve already looked up some hotels and plane flights to Athens. It’s not as expensive as you would think. The tickets only cost about $1,075 if you fly on US Airlines. The hotel I would like to stay at is the Grande Bretagne Hotel. It is a 5 star hotel and is known for the great service, view, and food. It is designed to reflect a Greek temple. It has a giant pool on the very top and a restaurant for residents to eat dinner with their friends, and at the same time, watch the sunset. We could stay in Athens for a few days and then travel to the nearby islands. We might even be able to visit Turkey!
Just imagine a visit to the Acropolis Museum, one of the most important museums in the world, and a walk around the Parthenon that was built two and a half thousand years ago. According to my research, it exhibits sacred sculptures from the Athena Polias on the Acropolis and many masterpieces of ancient Greek civilization. We could see a play in the temple of Dionysus, a theatre built in about AD 160!
I would insist on taking a bus tour and visit the Poseidon temple at Sounion, one of the most important sanctuaries in Attica.
It would be also wonderful to take a cruise from Piraeus (harbor in Athens) and go to Mykonos, Patmos, Crete and Santorini.
Did you know that Mykonos, once a Sacred Island, is the legendary birthplace of the Sun God Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. Crete used to be the ancient Minoan Kingdom. My sisters, Nikki, Meghan, and I could get lost in the King Midas’ Labyrinth and you could have some time for yourself. Patmos is known for its natural beauty. It is also a place where the Book of Revelation was written. You can actually walk into the Grotto of the Apocalypse and see the ledge used as a desk. In Santorini, you get to drive along the still active crater Nea Kameni islet.
Mom and Dad, I do not know what else to write to convince you to take this once in a life-time trip. I already know you have visited Greece before. I also know that you went to Santorini for your honeymoon trip. Wouldn’t it be great to relive those moments with your three beautiful daughters at your side? I know it would be a lot more fun with us. I can make you laugh the whole time, Meghan could act cute, and Nikki can drag you through all the fashion and clothing stores.
I love you so much. Please consider this family trip request. I would really appreciate it very much! (I would even stop asking for a cell phone.)
Love,
your daughter Tessa
__________________________________________
Better Or Worse
By: Hanna B.
2nd Period
Chapter 1
Downhill day Beep! Beep! Beep! Lizzy rolled out of bed and turned off her alarm clock. She tripped down the two stairs on her way to breakfast. Then her parents told her that she would have to ride the bus. Lizzy protested while her sister was so amicable just to show her up. When she arrived at school she realized that she had forgotten her homework. Her day just went downhill from there. By the time Lizzy rode home, she was in a dump. To make things worse, she found the house in boxes. She let out a scream that brought her parents running.
Chapter 2
TOO many children
Lizzy lived in a condo on Eduract St. It was sixteen hundred square feet. Lizzy, her sister and her two brothers shared a room with bunks. Lizzy had long (waist length), strait, blonde hair and blue/green eyes. She was tall, skinny and ugly in her opinion. Brenda, her older sister, was tall and lean with brown eyes and brown hair. Brenda’s identical twin, Brenden, was nine and extremely hyper. Justin and John, Lizzy’s two older brothers, were fourteen and seventeen. They were tall sturdy guys with dirty blonde hair.
Chapter 3
Why?
“Why is the house in boxes?” Lizzy screamed. Then Lizzy’s face scrunched up and turned red. Her eyes closed into tiny evil slits and her frown into an evil pout. Smoke came out of her ears (almost).
“Honey, why don’t you go outside and play” her mom replied, figuring it was best to leave her alone. Lizzy stormed outside furious, hurt and confused.
Chapter 4
Excuse me!
It was five-o-clock before her parents came out to get her . “You left me out here for an hour!” They all got in the car and drove away. It was along time before Lizzy asked where they were going
“We are moving to Nicropolish.”
“Excuse me?” Lizzy said.
“We are moving.”
“Why?”
“Just because,” her mom replied.
As the hours droned on Lizzy thought about how horrible it would be to move. Then they drove into an airport. They got on an airplane and took off, leaving Lizzy’s hometown behind. Little did Lizzy know they would never be back. Lizzy’s eyes closed and when she awoke she was in a bed, that wasn’t hers! She ran down two flights of stairs to finally find the breakfast room.
“Welcome to Nicropolish,” her mom said with a smile. Moving to Nicropolish might not be as bad as Lizzy had imagined,
Chapter 5
The assignment
"Will you run this down to the office for me?” Mrs. Saraeleiane questioned.
“Sure!” I replied. As picked up the piece of paper I realized how glad I was to get away from that assignment. We were in GT Writing class near the end of the day. Our assignment was to write about the most difficult time in our lives in second person. I wrote about moving from my old town of Hyomisbanyias to Nicropolish.That was when I was six. I will turn twelve in one week.
Chapter 6
My room
That night as I lay in my bed I thought to myself what had it been like to move? I hardly ever thought about it anymore. I had adjusted to Nicropolish.
School started 3 weeks later than my old school. I spent the first week unpacking. My first day in the new house I discovered the tunnels and that I got my own room! The room was already furnished with a bed and clothes. There was a loft with a piano and a guitar. I loved writing music. It also had two bean bags and a balcony. Under the loft there was a desk with a laptop, file folders, you name it. If you sat on the end of the bed, the plasma screen TV was right in front of you. The closet was huge and filled with dresses, skirts and blouses. I took my hand-me-down clothes and put them in the back of the closet.
My parents weren’t done yet! One morning when I was out on the balcony I heard my mom call me. When I got inside there were two tiny puppies and one mama dog. The puppies’ eyes weren’t even open yet.
Chapter 7
Water fall
The next couple days I explored the tunnels and outside. I took some loppers to explore the forest I could see from my loft window. I didn’t see an easy way through the shrubs and they were very pretty so I did not cut them. When I walked down the edge of the bushes I noticed a small opening. Once on the other side I saw a tunnel made out of cut shrubs. It was like one of those arches used at weddings. I followed the tunnel to a clearing. There were woods all around me except for one small upwardly path. I followed it to a zip line type thing. Well it was more of rope tied to a tree over the river.
I went back, the next day, in my bathing suit. I grabbed hold of the rope and swung there and back before I got off. I went back to the clearing. Just as I did two boys in their bathing suits came up the path. I ducked into a bush to let them pass, and then followed. One took hold of the rope and jumped. He swung there and let go coming back. The other did the same. I crept down a small path and slid into the warm water. The boys swam under a small hole in the trees. Once again I followed. On the other side there was a ledge with a lake at the bottom. I got the impression we were on a water fall because of the water that ran swiftly by my feet picking up more and more speed as it passed.
Chapter 8
School
You have 5 min in between classes
|
Reading |
50min |
Ms. Teimer |
646 |
|
Science |
50min |
Mr. Einster |
602 |
|
Lunch |
50min |
Monitor |
Café |
|
Writing |
50min |
Ms.Teimer |
646 |
|
Math |
50min |
Mr. Gysto |
615 |
|
P.E. |
55min |
Ms. Jeerico |
E472 |
|
Home E.C. |
55min |
Ms. Sally |
E555 |
|
Study hall |
55min |
Librarian |
Library |
I walked to school the first day because it was a small town. It only took me about two days to figure out who my enemies were. No, they weren’t enemies they were antagonists. It took much longer to find friends that were actually benevolent. The boys I had seen at the river were in all of my classes except P.E. and Home Economics which were all girls’ classes. One girl, Joanie, was in every single one of my classes.
Chapter 9
Better
The longer I lived in Nicropolish, the more I realized 2 things. One, my mom and dad had moved me here for a good reason. This life is much better than my old life! Two, my parents had not only given me a new and better life but also a chance to erase my past and begin with a new slate.
__________________________________________
A Family Once Again
by Nicholas
"Ahhhhh!" I scream as I plummet towards the Earths surface. Soon I will slowly melt because of the heat. As I come closer I start feeling a tingling sensation in my body. "Any second now," I think to myself.
But as I brace for impact, I hear a voice,"honey, stop daydreaming and get the chicken out of the oven!" my mom says. "Could you also set the table when your done?" she asks, even though she would make me do it if I refused. I start to set the table, but my sister walks out of her bedroom. I make a face at her as if she were a sour lemon, but she pushes me down before I had a chance to make the meanest face that I could think of. The glass cup in my hand shatters into a million pieces. My mom says "Jack, clean up that glass and be careful."
"But why do I have to clean it up?" I complain.
"Because I don't have time!" my mother screams. I sense my mother's stress as I scramble to pick up the pieces.
* For the rest click on the link at the bottom of this sentence!*
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A family Once Again.docx Size : 15 Kb Type : docx |
__________________________________________
December 2, 2009
Heidi and Ray
21 Blackberry Lane
Florence,
“Get Me a Phone”
Dear Mom and Dad,
Both of you know that I have been asking you for over 2 years to get me a phone and yet they still don’t get me one. You always say that I need to wait until the time that my siblings got a phone. I totally disagree with both of you because you guys always talk about saving money and if I got one then we could get rid of our house phone. I will always be begging you guys and eventually one of you will have to get me a phone.
I have a tremendous amount of reasons why you should get me a phone so here it goes. I know that both of you always want me to get off facebook so I will make a deal with you as if we will be on deal or no deal and you will have to say one of those answers to my offer. If you agree to get me a phone in a couple of days I will delete my facebook. You will have to get me a phone first, and then after I get all of my contacts and phone numbers I will then delete it. I know that now you are wondering why you need to wait until I get all of my contacts to delete it. It is because I need to ask all of my friend’s their numbers. If you want me to delete my facebook then I hope you are about to go out and by me a phone.
You know that mom is always scared when I go somewhere by myself or even with a friend. Now if you get me a phone I would be able to stay in touch with her. About one or two months ago I went to a football game for the Seahawks and you, mom said to keep in touch with Sean and I yelled back at you that I couldn’t because I don’t have a phone. Since you are always scared, you or dad should get me a phone to make you feel a little better.
If you were a smart dad you would get me a phone because all of my friends have phones. Since all of my friends have phones it will be a lot easier to communicate with them. Believe me it will definitely come in handy. I promise you it will not be a waste of money, so get me a phone! Please!
Both of you never know where to pick me and my brother up, whether I am at the middle school or the high school. I know that both of you call Brendan right now but when he leaves middle school next year I will be the only one in it so you might want to get me a phone now. It will be a lot easier if you get me a phone so you have two people to call if one of us doesn’t answer.
Both of you are always worried about me getting lost at the boardwalk at our condo. Now if you get me a phone you will be able to call me to get where I am there so you can find me. If you get me a phone I will pretty much be a lot safer everywhere we go. There will never be a vacation that I will ever get lost at.
If one of you ever forgot your phone when you leave to go somewhere you will get really mad. If you buy me a phone that wouldn’t happen anymore. I would just be like your life saver because I am the only one that usually goes with you to places. You would be able to call me for whatever you need. I would be like spider-man when something goes wrong.
I think that I gave you enough reasons to make you think that you should get me a phone. If not, both of you can tell me what I really need to do to deserve this phone. If you don’t have anything that I need to do, then get me a phone!
Sincerely,
Evan
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A Creative Mind
By: Hannah H.
2 Period
Chapter 1
Reality is what your mind sees whether you’re sleeping or awake.
I slept and slept. Finally, I woke up and got dressed. Something was different but what could it be? I thought it must be colder outside. That has to be what it is. 6:50, oh no, I’m going to be late for school. When I grab the door knob to leave my room, I run strait to the car without breakfast. I yawn and close my eyes for what feels like a second. I hear something. Tweet, tweet. I hear a bird. I look around, what…. What has happened to my house? I was standing in a forest but rather than smelling trees, I smelled chocolate. A couple steps this way and a couple steps the other way. Just looking for where that delightful smell might have come from. At last, my eyes light up like Christmas lights on a thousand houses. There was a wide and long milk chocolate river. All my dreams are coming true, I yell. As I was scrunching down and getting ready to jump right into that chocolate river, I heard someone say, “Stop, don’t jump!”I fell over, looking for someone who might have talked, but no one was there. It was just me and a lot of trees. By then, I convinced myself that I had said that. So, I was ready to jump in and I heard it again but, this time I saw the tree move. Was the tree doing all the talking? How could a tree be talking?
“Excuse me, did you say something?” I asked.”Yes “, said the tree. “Where am I?” I asked the tree. ”Well, you are in Chocolate City. This Chocolate River runs around the entire city”, the tree replied. “That’s nice, but how do I get out of here? I’m supposed to be going to lunch in my school in an hour.” “I don’t know”, said the tree “I am stuck here for eternity, but the queen will know”. “Great. How do I get there?” I asked cutting him off. “You can make a boat out of my candy branches to ride down the river”, said the tree. “Oh, that would be great”. I have to build it quickly, so I don’t miss lunch. But wait, how will I know where to get off?”, I yell as my boat takes off. “You get off when you see a big castle. You can’t miss it.” The tree yelled back.
Chapter 2
“Yes, I’m finally here!” I shout out, as I struggle to get out of the boat. Now, I’m thinking I’m one step closer to the home I know. Wow, I wonder what room the queen lives in, I say as I look at the huge castle. Should I ask one of the guards which room she’s in? “Hey, I was wondering if you would know in which room I could find the queen?” “Well,” thought the guard. “It’s 12:00, so she is probably in the dining room. Go through the double doors to your left.” “Thanks, thanks so much,” I yell as I run through the doors of the castle.
"How do you do?” I ask as I bow to the queen. “Hello, I am Maekenzie but I am not from here.” “Where are you from?” asked the queen. “I am from South Carolina. You know, in the United States.” “I have never heard of this place,” says the queen. “Is it small and unimportant to the humans?,” questioned the queen. “It’s actually very big and important to me, so that is why I came to see if you could help me get home,” I reply. “Oh, I see,” says the queen. “Let us go to the library where there are books to help us.”
Chapter 3
On the way to the library, we stopped by the kitchen for food, because I was as hungry as a monkey without a banana for a week. After a snack when we finally got to the library the queen said, ”Come here Maekenzie, I found what I was looking for!” Then she read from the book. “In order to get home a person must travel through the forests of sudden death, over a volcano and across the melting sea. Once this is complete, they will see a big book. They need to open the book to their favorite page number and make a wish. Of course, the wish would be to go home.” Do you think you can do it?” asked the queen. “Anything to get to school before my parents finds out what happened.” I reply. How could I possibly explain this to them? “Stay here and I will get you a map and some food for your travels,” says the queen as she runs out. I thought to myself, what I have gotten myself into and why did this have to happen to me. The queen came back with more than a map and food. She had a flash light, a map, an umbrella, food, and an inflatable boat. “What is all this stuff for?” I asked the queen. “The flash light is for the forest. The umbrella is for protection while climbing the volcano and the inflatable boat is for the melting sea”, states the queen. I thanked her but I didn’t think I could hold all of this stuff. She saw me struggling with all the stuff. She gave me a backpack for my travels. I warned her that I couldn’t return it. “It’s OK child,” the queen replied.
Chapter 4
“I’m ready to go home.” I say as I leave the castle. I pull out the map and head for the forest of sudden death. I walk and walk until I my throat is as dry as a hippo’s skin without mud. When I get to the forest of sudden death, it’s dark, scary, and spooky. I hold my breath and go in. I turn on the flashlight, as it gets darker. I am constantly looking down to make sure that I am not stepping on any snakes. As I swerve around all the trees, I notice a little speck of light coming from the distance. As I run around the last of the trees, I see the light growing every step. Then I’m standing in the sunlight and when I am finally done, I pull out the map to see what direction to head next. “Never eat soggy waffles,” I say under my breath. North, East, South, West. (Glad I was paying attention in school) I will head east to the volcano. I walk for what feels like a thousand miles and then I see a little hill which was starting to get bigger. Before I knew it, I was standing right in front of the volcano. I decided to camp out at the bottom of the hill because I was hungry and needed water. I take off my jacket to use as a pillow. The night was long, cold, and silent. I couldn’t wait to get up and feel the sun again. I start to climb to the top of the very large volcano with my umbrella in hand ready for the sun to come up. I think I can, I think I can, I keep chanting to myself. I keep repeating that phrase all the way up the volcano. At the top of the volcano, there are many different kinds of fruit trees. There are apples, oranges, strawberries, and lemons. Looking at that I got so hungry that I eat as much as an elephant could eat without throwing up. Once I digested the food, I’m looking at the map again to see where to go next. I’m going to go to the west to the melting sea. As I walk I feel it starting to get colder, so I must be getting closer to the melting ice.
“Oh, gosh” I say as the ice cracks under my feet. There is a large body of water with little pieces of ice floating in it. I get on to the closest piece of ice I can find. I’m hopping like a bunny from ice to ice making sure not to fall off. When I finally make it across dry, I am looking for the big book but I don’t see it. Then I see a hole in the ice and walk over and check it out. Sure enough there is the book. I climb inside the hole and open the book to page number eight. I make a wish to go home. I close my eyes and say it two more times. Poof!
“Honey, wake up. We’re at school.” my mom says as she touches my leg to wake me up. I open up my eyes and there is the school. It doesn’t smell like chocolate and there are no trees. As I’m opening the car door, I realize how creative our minds can be. I can’t wait to go back to sleep! __________________________________________
The Jewish Road to Death
By: Meredith
CHAPTER ONE
"Abel, Abel,” Oma cried looking over me terrified.
My eyes were still foggy but across the hall I could see two soldiers rummaging through Opa’s old trunks. Piece by piece the soldiers were ripping old photos of our family, not noticing I had awakened. I heard the soldiers talking in a language I had never heard before.
“Dachau,” whispered, a soldier wearing a long brown dress jacket. “Ano fuhtr,” the young boy wearing a regular war coat said. After listening to the rest of the conversation I made out two names; Ferda, the younger boy, and Ceny, the older man.
“Jste kluk,” the older man said to me.
Just when I thought nothing could get worse, there standing in front of me was my worst nightmare.
CHAPTER TWO
As Opa, Oma, Mama, Papa, Ballard, and I climbed into the Mercedes G-4 Wagen, our old neighbor Mr. Hubener chained my parents and grandparents hands to the door. My brother and I were unlocked, like we were harmless.
“Hard to believe such nice neighbors would attempt to take over the mother land,” Mr. Hubener said.
We didn’t reply. We were all in silence as deep as death which I was sure was right around the corner.
CHAPTER THREE
As the driver turned on a street that seemed to be the never ending road of death, Ballard explained what was happening. He told me everything from Adolf Hitler to the whole Nazi party. Everything began to make sense to me- why no one would talk to me at school, why we were not allowed to eat at The Old Man’s restaurant. But why would the Nazis think we would take over the Mother Land?
Ballard started talking about Hitler like papa taught us to talk about the demons. Mr. Hubener slapped my brother straight across the face making Ballard madder than a hornet. Ballard got up furiously to punch Mr. Hubener while papa tried to convince him to stop. Right before Ballard could swing, Mr. Hubener pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket and pointed it right at Ballard.
CHAPTER FOUR
The rest of the ride was torture with a gun pointed at our heads. We all sat in dead silence. Mr. Hubener and the soldiers left the car to go get the next Jewish family, and the next thing I saw was the inside of my eyelids.
CHAPTER FIVE
It felt like years went by but it was only three weeks since we arrived at the camp. The only food I had was two days ago, a piece of stale bread. The stench lingered around me and I felt sick. I had lost twenty pounds by then.
CHAPTER SIX
The last thing I remember was hearing someone shout, “Showers!” But as I turned it on, instead of water flowing out, a gray fog filled the air.
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The Timeless Race
By: Parker
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! The time bomb beside my bed was as loud as a fire engine. It was 8:00am. I scurried out of my soft bed to brush my gleaming smile, just as an actress would prepare to go on stage. It was the Saturday of the Pinewood Derby. The annual Pinewood Derby is a car race in Cub Scouts where the scouts build cars from blocks of wood. I was like a little puppy begging for a milk bone. I was also full of joy because my cousin’s family was coming to town and they would possibility be at the race.
With anticipation, my thoughts raced over the design of my derby car. My hard work and effort on my Pinewood Derby car and incorporating some speed secrets were very important in building a fast car. All the secrets to making my car fast were found in a book titled, Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets by: David Meade. One of the secrets in designing a quick start car was hollowing out the front of the wooden block to an acute angle unlike my opponents’ cars that had right angled fronts. I polished the wheels of my race car to make it ride smooth. Filing the axles until they were as slick as glass and could spin for twenty seconds was also a key part. I straightened the axles so that the car would roll as straight as an arrow. Both of the ends of my car are wide, while the middle is almost as slim as a finger. My car is bright highlighter yellow with its name written in blue on the top.
When I finished my car, I was cheering so the whole world could hear me. I had finally finished my Pinewood Derby car. My dad and I named my car, The Shaft because it is sleek and would surely put the other cars in their place. I was exploding with pride for I knew my car would win first place.
As I entered the building for the derby, my heart was pounding as though it was a thoroughbred horse. I rushed to the check-in counter to have my car weighed and get my number. I was like a six year old awaiting a delectable, green mint ice cream cone as she put my car on the scale. The magic weight was five ounces and The Shaft came in right on target. Now it was all up to how the Shaft handled the track and how stiff the competition was.
The races began with rounds between the cars built by the youngest scouts, the Tiger Cubs. I felt bad for one of the Tiger Cubs because he placed last in every race. I sighed with relief as I watched the rounds as they moved through the scout ranks and my competition was weak. None of the cars I had seen were smoking fast.
I moved to the edge of my seat as if hanging off a cliff; The Shaft was placed on the track. It was time for the oldest scouts to race their cars. This was my last chance to compete in a Pinewood Derby. Oh, how I wished to win it all. Let the races begin!
When the first race ended I was a bubbling fountain of excitement. Alright! The Shaft had won first place. Through the rest of the races, The Shaft continued to place first. It was phenomenal! The Shaft was going to the finals.
In the finals the cars that placed 1st- 4th in each scout rank were raced against each other. At the end of the first race, it was as though an ecstatic monkey was inside me. For The Shaft was racing as fast as a drag racer.
As we approached the round of the final six, I was very tense. There was really only one other car that was giving The Shaft a run for its money. On every race, it was neck and neck, a mere hundredth of a second apart. My friends were patting me on the back like I was an obedient dog. After the fifth race, The Shaft had three wins, its opponent had two. It was extremely close. When the final buzzer on the sixth and final race went off, I just knew The Shaft had won. What a finish! The Shaft placed first in the entire Pinewood Derby. It really gave the other cars the shaft. It was an awesome end to my Pinewood Derby career.
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Going Wild
A Novel
by Weston
BAM! An airplane dove into the rocky ground, smoke trailing behind it. Trees shuddered against the impact as the roar of the engines died. “Arrrg!” Someone roared. Then a figure emerged from smothering wreckage. James Briant and his spotted dog Conway were the only survivors of the plane flight 107. And that’s what started it all.
James finally managed to make a small shelter near the base of an old oak tree. Nevertheless, the shelter lacked satiability and was weak. It was burned down from the engulfing flames of his fire, luckily nobody was inside.
Also, food had been scarce. All he was able to eat was nuts and berries he had scavenged for. And hunting for meat was nearly impossible without tools. Which meant no food from animal’s .But somehow he had managed.
“Come on Conway.” James chuckled as Conway came scampering to him. James and Conway had been in the eerie, lone woods of North America for about two weeks now. He had not been doing well especially his hunting.
But today would be different. With the beginning of spring coming many animals would fly back north. Also, hibernating animals would come out to eat along with other animals. A good time to hunt.
As James and Conway crept along a river bank scavenging for food James heard a crash! Rambunctiously a big brown refrigerator lumbered out of the bushes, rumbling under his breath. Its nose sniffed like a machine. Its tree trunk legs were uprooted and stomping, its muzzle like a peach jar. A bear, a BIG bear.
James jumped around to run but then stopped. If he ran, the bear would chase him. And he was no match at all for a bear. James stood calmly as the bear lumbered over to him, sniffed his back and set out for a nearby stream. Conway came out from the trees in which he had hid in eyes wide, stared at the leaving bear.
“Man that was to close.” James sputtered to Conway as they to, trotted away.
James sauntered to his new shelter near the large old oak tree. Its branches open to him, like arms. He smiled.
His home wasn’t much, but it was darn satisfying for him. Building it strong and sustainable, and learning from his former mistakes. James had taken a long sapling and secured it to the oak tree. Then, he had weaved other sticks together to make a wired frame. Once he had made two he laid them against each side of the sapling. After that, he tore off pine branches from trees, and put those against the wired frame. And with work and patience, he had himself a shelter.
As James knelt down and opened his door flap, a squirrel leapt out of the shelter and ran up the large old oak tree chattering madly. James chuckled. He had become quite friends with animals. Sometimes they even slept in his shelter while he was gone.
As he crawled inside his jaw dropped as wide as a hippopotamus.
Twigs and leaves lay everywhere. His leather bed sheet (which he had managed to tear off an airplane seat) was torn. Nutshells scattered the floor. Sitting in the middle of the mess was a little, fluffy, baby raccoon. James did not chuckle.
“How? What? You? GRROOWWLL!” James roared with the little raccoon skittering away. Sighing he started to clean, as thoughts raced through his mind.
“I knew I should have weighed down the door.” James thought.
“I bet that squirrel and raccoon had a feast, or a fight.” James muttered. Conway barked wistfully at him, agreeing.
And time passed.
As summer came James had mastered his hunting skills. As quiet as a deer he crept through the woods with complete stealth. His bone tipped arrow (from a rabbit he had snared) snaked silently through the trees, hitting his target dead on.
Conway took his new job as guarding the shelter from animals when James took long trips. He laid in the sunshine happily. But at the slightest, noise he was awake and alert. Barking loudly at any animals.
Life went on this way for a couple of weeks. Both became quite successful and James started to not have to hunt as much.
One day James and Conway went far beyond their camp in search of new place for food and shelter. A nice spot was found near a large freshwater lake. The blue water sparkled in the sun, rabbit and deer tracks scattered the ground just as leaves do in the fall. “Perfect.” James thought.
Once the transportation of their supplies was at the new camp, James worked on rebuilding their shelter. When he was finished he looked around, and smiled.
Sun rays snaked through the trees. Mammoth vines held branches, tight as falcon’s talons. The lakes water was as blue as the sky. Sparkling, and shining.
“Maybe build a canoe someday. And I’ll float out into the water.” James supposed.
But he would have to do that much later. He needed to collect firewood and make a fire, Along with exploring the area. As the sun set over the lake, James gathered some nuts and berries for their supper. It was getting too late for hunting. After the small but filling supper James and Conway headed off to bed.
And time passed.
His personal squire trotted right up to James and dropped the arrow at his feet, then squatted down like kingfisher watching for a fish.
“Thanks Conway.” James laughed. As he gave Conway some rabbit meat and a loving scratch behind the ear.
He and Conway were actually not hunting today. Instead they were scouting for tracks, scat, and the occasional deer or bear rubbing.
Inching through the forest the two hunters scanned the ground. Alert and intense as mice. Footsteps could not be heard. They glided through the massive black-brown telephone poles, thick as grizzly bears. Hey, look a bear claw mark. “Hey look, a bear rubbing.” James remarked. Then out of the blue, Conway perked up his ears, and shot down the thin path barking.
“Conway, wait, come-back!” James shouted.
After James shouted “–back!” Conway skidded to a halt as if he was going to run into a tree. His eyes got big and his ears flopped back, then he bounded back to James, just as a bear shot out of some bushes. Its brown fur rustled in the breeze as it roared loudly. James jumped to the ground as the bear lumbered over to him, sniffed his back and then sat down just like him.
James glanced up. “Hey, you don’t seem to be so bad after all.” He told the bear. He stood up, the bear stood up. He sat down, the bear sat down. Conway sat nearby, cautiously watching.
“Well this is just ducky,” James smiled. He petted the bear’s back and the fearful dog, the skilled hunter and the bold bear walked back off to the camp.
And time passed.
“Hurrrumph.” The bear mumbled with a trout in
It’s mouth. James grinned. Usually the bear caught his own food, but sometimes shared with Conway. This was good news for James. Now he didn’t have to hunt as much, so he had started to work on his canoe.
He took a few last chips at the fin, admired it, and told Conway and the bear it was late, and time for bed. The bear lumbered off to a pile of leaves to sleep on, while James and Conway headed to their shelter. It had been a long day and it was time for some rest.
After almost a week James was proud to declare that his canoe was finished. Conway wagged his tail. He could tell his master was happy, but he didn’t really know why.
“R r r r r r.” The bear mumbled and then walked over to the shoreline.
James looked around then pushed the canoe into the waters and paddled off. Conway and the bear stood watching on the shoreline. The sun felt good on his back as James paddled through the waters. All of a sudden there was a splash! James looked around curiously; water, trees and bushes stared at him back. Quickly he started to paddle back to shore.
About fifteen feet away from the bank, James heard another splash, then a thump! And something (with great force) pushed his canoe over.
“Bear, get over here and pull the canoe in!” James yelped As James came in; bear grabbed the vine from him and hauled it safely to shore.
And time passed.
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Living Life to the Fullest
By: Valeria
New York City, New York is an assiduous place to live in. I found that out myself. My name is Max Martin. I live in a puny apartment with a brother and a sister. We are always crammed in. We only have two bedrooms. One of the rooms is for my mother and one for the three of us. We don’t complain about it though because we know our mother already has a complicated life.
My parents are divorced so I live with my mother. All of us do. The court said my father was too immature to take care of us. It doesn’t really matter because our lives wouldn’t be a paradise with him anyway.
My mother has a part time job at a t-shirt factory. She has to work there because that’s the only place where a job was available. I’m still extremely proud of her because she can take care of three kids on her own. The youngest is my brother Jack. He is nine years old. The middle child is my sister Christina. She is twelve years old. I am the oldest of them all. I’m fourteen and I’m in charge when my mother leaves us alone.
One day, my mother’s schedule was changed from 9 am to 6 am. I had to make breakfast with the trifle amount of food we had left. I dumped all of the Pancake Ready mix into the pan. They looked like 3 flat doughnuts. My cooking seemed to improve since the previous time I made pancakes. Maybe it was because we were starving. Last night we didn’t eat any dinner because we were beat by looking for our dog, Scruffy, all over town. We couldn’t find him until he popped out of nowhere around 8pm. When we came in we went right to our room and fell asleep.
After we finished breakfast, Jack washed the dishes and Christina cleaned the table. I cleaned up the floor. (We all take part in what we do. If one of us goes somewhere, then all of us go, too.) We finished cleaning so we thought why not clean the whole house? It would probably make mother really happy, I thought. She usually cleans after work so it’s better that we do it instead of her.
While Christina was cleaning she saw a small note. It was a grocery list that said eggs, milk, lettuce, tomatoes, and water. I told Jack to go get my piggy bank. It was miniature and light blue like the sky. It had an adorable face with enormous blue eyes. It almost brought me to tears when we had to crack it open. We had $47.25 which probably was enough for groceries, but Christina still went to our room to get her piggy bank. It was similar to mine but her piggy bank was pink instead of blue. Crack. We counted it all up and got $15.73. Jack didn’t go get his piggy bank because he spent his money last week on a series of books.
I wish I knew how to drive because it was the longest walk ever! I bet we walked for at least a mile. My muscles were cramping up and blisters were forming all over my feet. When I turned around Christina and Jack were about to fall down with their clothes all soaked with sweat. I panted as hard as they did and was about to faint, but then I saw Publix across the street.
We bolted inside, breathing in all of the cold air. Christina and Jack stayed up front to relax. I took the grocery list out of my pocket and went all the way to the back for milk and eggs. I found lettuce and tomatoes near the cashiers. I was about to get the box of water but then everything fell out of my hands so I got a cart. The water was at the front by the doors. Jack and Christina were still panting and waiting patiently for me. I gave them a hand to get up so we cloud pay.
The walk back was filled with adversity. Every street we walked down, people kept asking for food. I would always say as benevolently as I could to them that no, we needed the food, too. I felt really compassionate for them but I was really tired and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. I was dripping with sweat and every step I took felt as if I was going to have a stroke. We went up the elevator to floor #8 and walked to our apartment. I got the key out of my pocket and put everything into the fridge with help from Jack. Christina just went to our room, trudging every step. When we finished, we went to the room, too.
I was woken up by a noise; it was like a door slammed. It was probably my mother. My throat was arid so I couldn’t speak. I went to the kitchen and with no surprise I saw my mother sitting on the couch. I never realized it, but my mother was aesthetic. She had elegant blonde hair and eyes like the ocean. Christina looked exactly like her. My mother says Jack and I look exactly like our obnoxious father. We have dark brown hair with light brown eyes. I can see why my father fell in love with my mother, but not exactly why my mother fell in love with my father.
Jack and Christina came out of the room looking really sore. My mother looked at us and asked us why we took a nap in the middle of the day. All we said was look in the fridge. In an amazed voice mother asked us where all the food came from. As if we were all one person, we said it came from Publix. At first she looked really upset but then her whole expression changed and she had tears welling up in her eyes. She ran to us and gave us a massive kiss on our foreheads.
That day changed my whole life. From then on, my mother stopped treating us like babies. She knows that we can live our lives just fine without her always being around. Now I realize that I don’t need to be dependent on my siblings either. They probably noticed that, too. Now we all try not to live as one entire person. We try to live our own lives separately.
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A Golden Door
In a horror movie, you turn around and the door slams shut. With a bone chilling squeak. You can’t get out. Who closed it?
That’s the big twist.
Paulo-Franchez Fernandez is determined to find the ancient tomb of king Hathornezz. This pharaoh was named after the goddess of music, love, joy, and motherhood, Hathor. Paulo is traveling to Egypt to find this ancient pyramid. He has done an exceptional job of researching. He can tell his adventures are going to be perilous, stinmulating, and hopefully successful.
Paulo’s researched concluded that King Tut was found at The Valley of Kings, secretly hidden from all humanity! There is a desert with the Nile River running right through his destination. There is also a deserted arid desert, with a crystal blue, bubbling river. The air was crisp and clean, most likely from the nearby majestic river. It was bubbling, and crashing as if it was wailing because it was drowning.
When Paulo arrived at Egypt he did not expect what he saw. Paulo observed a parched desert, whaling for water. Except, by the magical blue river, there held a lush small forest. There was also a large community of Egyptians. They were all uniquely dressed and their customs were quite mesmerizing. Most were wearing long dress type clothes. The colors were vibrant, mostly orange, blue, and purple. The colors jumped off their clothes and melted into Paulo’s eyes. It was brilliant. There were small cabins’ all around, and in the middle of the gorgeous town there was a colossal temple. Carvings, hieroglyphics, and statues of gods were all around.
Paulo was reading the crowd to identify the priest, Father Harold. Father Harold is housing Paulo for 3 weeks. Paulo found Father Harold at the town market buying sweet cantaloupes for the gods. The smell of fruit, sweet and sour, drifted into Paulo’s nose. As Paulo and Father approached the small stone cottage that was colored with green and purple vines Paulo asked Father Harold:
“Do you have any information on king Hathornezz, Father?”
“We all checked the ancient papyrus scrolls, then we searched through the clay tablets,” Father explained.
“Did you find anything?” Paulo hoped.
“No,” Father stated shortly.
“Oh,” Paulo glumly stated.
“Yes, all of the research of king Hathornezz has been suspiciously missing,” Father explained, suspiciously. Father was not looking Paulo directly in the eye. Mischievous.
“Oh, well then, my research can point out a certain area. Not the exact pinpoint, but the general area,” Paulo stated, unsure of his self.
That starry clear night, Paulo stayed at Father Harold’s stone cottage. They ate dinner with his adoring wife, Mrs. Sherry, his son Neblo and his daughter Nathali. After dinner Paulo marched up to Father Harold and asked:
“We need to find out what happened to the information on King Hathornezz!” Paulo exclaimed. Paulo wouldn’t take no for an answer. His face was as straight as a line.
“I understand your concern and you are correct,” Father Harold answered as straight as the ocean waves.
“I am going to start my search tomorrow. I shall start at the Sahara Desert by the Nile River. My research shows that there may be a hidden pyramid by the mountainside!” Paulo exclaimed jumping off the wall.
The next morning.
“Ahhhh,” Paulo yawned, rubbing his eyes looking at the majestic sunrise. Entering the living room, Paulo slithered into the wooden kitchen chair.
“Good Morning,” Paulo breathed.
“Good Morning, Paulo,” Father announced, standing at the head of the room, as if he was the top of their family higharchy.
“Would you like some breakfast?”
“Absolutely, I am famished!” Paulo answered.
“We have toast, fish, and some squeezed dates,” Father announced.
“Exquisite, Bon appetite!” Paulo stretched.
“Har har har,” Father cackled sincerely.Paulo ate, he was satisfied. A rainbow explosion of a sunrise was colored on Paulo’s face.
“Thank you for this succulent meal,” Paulo thanked, “and for your warm hospitality.”
“Our pleasure,” Mrs. Sherry said cooking for Nathali and Neblo.
“I’m out to find the Pharaoh, the marvelous Pharaoh of Egypt!” Paulo sang jubilantly, bolting out the door.
That day Paulo started his search for the marvelous Pharaoh of Egypt. As in his plans, he started by the Sahara Desert in the lush forest.
“Okay, South East, then West four miles. After that, North one mile,” Paulo announced to his assistant, Mira Green.
About six miles of hard hiking, Paulo and Mira sat for a short break.
“I see… I see… I see,” Paulo screamed.
“What, what, WHAT? Spit it out!” Mira screamed in terror, her face a cherry apple.
"I see… I see… I see… the… the… the,” Paulo stuttered once more.
“That really improved. What - do – you – seeeee?” Mira demanded slowly to break it down.
“I see the temple of King Hathornezz?” Paulo questioned himself. He was shrugging, unsure of himself.
“You do?” Mira questioned.
“Yes, look at this picture I found of King Tuts pyramid. It is hidden, only to see the very tip. Now, look over there by the stream. If you gaze at the tree, next to it, then look directly to the right you’ll see it,” Paulo explained
“Ohh, I see it! What are we waiting for, lets go!” Mira exclaimed. She blew off in a full-blown dash.
“Wait,” Mira whispered as she held out her hand to stop him."look."
“Dang!” Paulo exclaimed. His face was as blank as a new sheet of paper. They both gazed down simultaneously, there it was.The point was sticking out. It wasn’t underground. There, surrounded by dirt, snakes,and indigenous bugs. It was pail brown, and beige. It was colossal. The cement blocks had a texture of many triangles fitted together. They were hand crafted.
“What are we going to do?” Paulo asked.
“Beats me, I’m just your apprentice in this mess,” Mira whimpered.
“Lets go down there!” Paulo demanded.
“What about the snakes?” Mira asked.
“Their fine, safe. I’ve done my research,” Paulo explained. They both climbed down to their discovery of riches. Or so they thought.
As they entered, the passage was narrow. It was as dark as a starry night, but subtract the stars and moon. Then, add some clouds to top it all off. Paulo lit the torch that illuminated the hallway. There were hieroglyphics, jewels, and gold wringing around the ancient, sand, cement walls. They entered a room to find absolutely nothing.
“There’s a door,” Mira pointed to a golden passage.
“Thank you Ms. Green,” Paulo thanked.
They entered the passage. As they went in, there was an empty
casket, and no majestic treasures. As they spun around, they saw Father Harold close the golden door with a slam and a lock.
_________________________________________
A Heavenly Challenge
by Kyra
“Come on Kyra, it’s time to go!” shouted my Dad from downstairs. “You don’t want to be late!” He was right, I didn’t. I had just finished packing the last of my clothes. I bet you’re wondering where I’m going. It’s a majestic place in the west called Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe is located on the border of Nevada and California. This place has magnificent mountains with a snowy coat on top. There is beautiful scenery and views of the lake, but that wasn’t the only reason why we decided to go.
Our family decided to go on this trip because we had a great time on our first ski trip two years ago in North Carolina. My dad shared his ideas with the family about going away for Christmas week since we had a winter break from school. We thought this would be another chance to enjoy the snow and improve our skiing. My mom searched the internet to find a place to stay but all of the hotels were booked for that week. I guess everyone wanted to spend Christmas skiing just like us. Time was running out and we were losing hope for a “White Christmas” this year. My mom received a call that another family had to cancel there reservation. That was how we got our hotel room at The Ridge Tahoe. It was located adjacent to Heavenly Ski Resort.
We anticipated a long day of travel in and out of airplanes. We had traveled to the west only one time before to the coast of Oregon. As soon as we arrived at the hotel and saw the beautiful mountain, we knew we had made the right decision.
You might be asking yourself why the ski resort was called Heavenly. Well, the name says it all! The mountain was so vast, it looked like it was reaching up into the heavens! You had to take many lifts to reach the top, but once you made it to the peak, there was a panoramic view waiting for you to enjoy. You could see both the lake on the California side, and the desert on the Nevada side. It was breath-taking!
We had been skiing a couple of times before, but nothing like this. There were close to one hundred ski runs and over thirty lifts. We had to get more comfortable on the gentle slopes until we could take on the challenge of the intermediate ski runs. Of course, my younger sister, Leah, who is six, had to stay on the beginner courses. After the first two days of skiing we all had gotten so much better!
The week skiing was fantastic. The snow was perfect and we even experienced a snow storm in the area which left 15 inches of fresh powder. We loved to watch the more advanced skiers glide down the mountain so gracefully with perfect form and ease. They maneuvered over large moguls like a walk in the park! Some would leap through the air and perform cool tricks. One snowboarder did a full three hundred-sixty degree aerial maneuver! These skiers are as swift as a fox . They navigate around jagged rocks and bushes that protrude out of the snow. It is quite a sight to see!
I found skiing to be quite challenging on this large mountain. By the third day, we were skiing down intermediate slopes. As I struggled down, I tried to think of ways to step up my bravery. Often, I would be the last one down the slope and my family members would be waiting for me at the bottom. Yes, I will admit that I was probably the one that held them back from going down many of the slopes. I did the traditional zig-zag across the mountain while they raced down full speed ahead. Finally after much repetition and practice, I could glide down the mountain more gracefully and under control.
By the end of the week, I was confident and having lots of fun skiing. I had improved so much after just five days of skiing. I learned that it is good to fall as long as you get right back up. I learned to be patient and never give up. Though I experienced many bumps and bruises along the way, they were all worth it in the end. I became a better skier, I became more confident in my self and I overcame a lot of fear.
Skiing this past winter with my family was a “Heavenly” challenge for both me and my family. The scenery was breath-taking and magical. The mountain was invigorating and demanding. I learned that if you are persistent and stay positive, you can overcome any difficulties and succeed at anything! Each time I reach a new challenge I learn from experience. Maybe, some day I will learn to be one with the mountain just like the professionals!
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Pillows, Brain Damage, and Toast.
A true story by Hannah P.
I’ve always wanted a sibling, which goes without saying, but what I didn’t realize was how venomous the snake would be that represents hat whole ordeal, and now I’m caught on the jagged tooth of irrational fate. My name is Hannah and this is the absolutely outrageous story of vengeance, ignorance, friendship, pillows, brain damage, and toast.
Be careful what you wish for because now I’m stuck with Blake (a.k.a. Toaster- please don’t ask). My mom is dating his dad. Toaster is nice, but he gets really annoying, like how he’s head over heals for my best friend Ellery, who used to live upstairs from me in an apartment complex.
It was Saturday and Blake’s friends were sleeping over. Ellery and I were locked in the closet in Blake’s room. We were singing- I take that back- screaming to our favorite songs on Ellery’s iPod, but it was fun, because we locked ourselves in there.
“Get out of my closet!” Blake hollered.
“Never!” Ellery sang, giggled, and screamed all at the same time.
“Maybe we should,” I whispered, handing her one of two pillows.
“Charge!” Ellery and I shouted bursting out of the closet. We ganged up on Blake(who was defenseless) and started a gigantic pillow fight where in the process, Ellery accidentally caught the zipper of the pillow on Blake’s left ear. It looked like Blake’s ears had been pierced and it was totally hysterical.
The next day, Blake was upset with us for piercing his ears so he went on a bike ride. I hid behind the bulky car in front of the house and was going to surprise him when he rolled by. I waited until I could here the squeak of the bike’s rusty chain.
I lifted myself up and watched him ride to the house. “Agh!” Blake screamed as he tumbled head first into hot cement. I got his dad and we helped him up the stairs.
Back at the house, Blake was hurt bad and we were watching the Military channel, which was his favorite. I grimaced at the constant shooting of snipers and machine guns, but it was for Blake.
“How are you feeling, Toaster?” I asked.
“What do you think?” he snapped sarcastically.
“I’m just trying to help!”
Blake rolled his eyes. I stormed out the door, went to my room, punched my pillow, and sighed. This all happened because of you, didn’t it. I felt terrible. I swear I was frowning so hard I think my lips might have fallen off, but if they did I couldn’t feel it, because all I could feel was guilty.
I went to the TV but Blake wasn’t there. My mom explained he had gone to the emergency room. I called Ellery and told her to get here right away.
Ellery knocked on the door and I opened it. I explained to her what happened.
“No way!” she said astonished, “He didn’t hurt the road, did he?”
“Ellery!” I scolded.
“What?!”
Ellery and I heard the door open. “Toaster!” we shouted in excitement! I apologized and laughed with him. Ellery and I celebrated while Blake was a little bit groggy…
Epilouge
Ellery, Blake, and I are all good friends now. Friends come to both of our houses each weekend so every Saturday compares to the 4th of July. Everyone gets along with each other and it turns out that Blake isn’t as numb-skulled as I thought he was.
_________________________________________
Sincerely, Veronica
By: Reagan Haley
I’ve always wondered if they had anything to do with my real parents. As if. They haven’t cared about me let alone talked to me since they left me and Richard on the corner of Abercorn Street. Now we live with Mrs. and Mr. Sawyer. I feel like they are my parents. I never want anything to do with my real parents since they abandoned us because Richard was sick and they couldn’t “afford” us. Since Richard was sick he doesn’t remember much about being little and with them. But I do. Richard has and always will be the single most important thing in my life. Ever since he was sick, I’ve always felt protective over him even though I don’t have to; especially because he’s three years older. He always says, “Veronica, I’m not sick anymore.” whenever I act protective. It kind of hurts but I get over it.
Sometimes I imagine that everything is okay. That my parents still love me and never left. But then I wake up to the sweet voice of Mrs. Sawyer and begin to cry. She says she understands but I know deep down it hurts her. It’s not that I don’t like Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer; I just wish my real parents didn’t hate me.
I’ve tried before to sneak a glance at the contents of the boxes. It didn’t go over well. Tonight I’m going to try again. I mean a thirteen year old should be able to look in some boxes without getting caught.
There are five boards right in front of Mrs. and Mr. Sawyer’s bedroom; making it incredibly hard to sneak past. After a large but quiet leap to the other side of the door, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I tip-toed carefully toward the attic door being aware of any creaky boards. I reached up and pulled on a string revealing the ladder. I carefully climbed up to where the boxes lie in the corner of the attic.
I opened the small one with my name printed on the side of it. What it contained stunned me. It is a box of letters all addressed to me. I grabbed the first letter, on it says:
May 2004
Dear Veronica,
Happy seventh birthday! How’s first grade? How are you? I can’t believe how big you’ve gotten!
With lots of love-
The thing that stunned me the most was who signed it...
Sincerely,
Rebecca Lynn Rebecca Lynn is my real mother's name.
I looked at all of the other letters in the box, most for holidays but many “I just want to say hi’s” from the looks of it she never missed an occasion. She really always has cared for me! Now this explains why I was never allowed to get the mail near holidays. Why would they keep these from me?
Suddenly, I have an idea. I look at the return address and begin to write. I wrote:
(Response to 7th B-Day card)
Dear Rebecca,
I am doing well, you? First grade was great but I am now in seventh grade and am thirteen. I am sorry I never responded to your letters. Mrs. and Mr. Sawyer hid them from me. Actually I had to sneak out of bed to get these letters. Write back soon!
Sincerely,
Veronica
I quickly wrote down Rebecca’s address and placed everything back where I found it. That night I hid the letter under the loose floorboard in my room.
The next morning I held the letter in my lap during breakfast and slipped it into the mailbox right after. I was hoping it would get there without any problems. That would be great! I watch wearily as the mailman empties our mailbox and places the letter in his bag.
I should be happy now, since the letter is on its way but I can’t be pleased. I have been very impatient these last few days. I want a reply. I am starting to wonder if I have the right address. Or maybe she just thinks I never wanted to reply until now and won’t even read it!
I watch as the mailman places a new batch of letters in the mailbox. As soon as he drives away I run to the edge of the street and swing open the mailbox. I snatch out all of the mail and read the labels. They say:
Mrs. John Sawyer
Mr. John Sawyer
Mrs. Nancy Sawyer
Mr. John Sawyer
And Oh My Gosh... a bright pink envelope with the label:
Miss Veronica Lynn-Sawyer
I dashed inside, laid the other mail on the table and ran upstairs to read my letter.
It said:
Dear Veronica,
I’m great. I’m so glad you found them. Know that I’ve always cared about you. How’s seventh grade? How’s Richard? I wish I could see you again! Write back!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Lynn
Wow! It feels weird to get a letter from her “present day self”. I actually wish I could see her, too. That gave me an idea; I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and wrote:
Dear Rebecca,
Richard and seventh grade are great but I have an idea. I wish I could see you again too. We should meet up! Mrs. Sawyer usually lets me ride my bike to the J. K. Fredrick’s Community Park two blocks away. Maybe we could meet there!
Sincerely,
Veronica
I quickly ran out and placed my letter in the mailbox. I shiver from excitement as a huge smile sneaks its way onto my face. As of right now I’m not sure if I’ll ever stop smiling. J
This time I patiently, yet deep down anxiously await the arrival of my mother’s letter.
I see the mailman placing more letters in the mailbox; all white envelopes. I feel sad then I think, “Well, maybe she used a different envelope this time.” Then he reaches into his bag and pulls out a bright pink envelope! My heart is racing and questions are flooding my thoughts right now; like, Does she like my idea? Does she agree? Can she meet me? Will she?
I open the letter:
Dear Veronica,
Amazing idea! How about Friday, 4:00? I can’t wait to see you!
Sincerely, Rebecca Lynn
I immediately reply:
Dear Rebecca,
PERFECT! See you then!
Sincerely,
Veronica
I finish quick enough to run it two doors down to the mailman.
My heart is pounding when I realize I barely remember anything about her! Yet, I’m meeting with her on Friday. Wow! Friday I’m going to meet up with someone I haven’t seen in six years. I’m not really sure how confident I will be or how well it will go.
Thursday goes by really slowly. As if every second is ripping a shred of my heart away. I take a deep breath in an attempt to relax. It doesn’t help much. I swear I glance at the clock every five minutes. All patience is gone at this point. I want to complain to someone but what do I say?
I found all of these letters in the attic addressed to me from my real mom. We’ve been writing each other and we plan to meet up at J. K. Fredrick’s Community Park tomorrow.
Yea... that’ll go over well.
Right now it’s Friday, 3:45, I’m on my bike heading to the park. For some reason, one large question keeps popping into my head for some reason even though I know the answer.
Will she like me? Well... DUH!
I approach the park holding my breath. I am now in her view and she’s in mine. She is sitting at a picnic table waiting for me. I park my bike. I begin to walk towards her; she’s tall, slender, has long brown hair and a comforting smile. As I get closer I can see the tears forming in her eyes. I stand in front of her and she says “Oh, Veronica, I- I”
I’m not sure what happened to me but without thinking I lunged at her and hugged her harder than I’ve hugged anyone, ever. My eyes began to tear up. Our grips tighten as we both wet each other’s shoulders with our tears. Not tears of sadness and not necessarily tears of joy, but tears of long lost love.
__________________________________________
Alanna Myers
Period 2
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Everyone wishes on their birthday right? Well Jacklyn, a regular kid like you and me, had a birthday on October 31st. Jackie as she is known in our story loves to make her birthday wish. But on her 14th birthday something mysterious happened, something she will never forget!
Jackie woke up from the shake of her little sister Katy.
“What, Katy?” Jackie yawned, stretching her arms out and trying to snuggle back into her warm, comforting bed.
“Happy Birthday, Miss Birthday Queen!” her family exclaimed as they do every year. Jackie hated shouting in the early morning.
“For my first decree of being birthday queen I say let me sleep,” Jackie moaned and pulled her blanket over her head causing her feet to be revealed to the cold. Her parents backed out of her room and shut her door behind them.
Jackie got ready for school, ate breakfast and scurried out her door. School was school. Jackie imagined she could take flight on a broomstick and fly to young witch school and learn how to master her power. “Ding Ding.” Jackie's thoughts were interrupted as school ended. Jackie was the first one out the door. A rush of fall air brushed Jackie's face. Jackie ran home her feet gliding across the pavement. October was her month, her season. She truly loved it.
Everyone was getting ready for trick or treating. Jackie's dad was dressed as a dark brown, fierce bull. Her mom was a swift black cat and Katy, Jackie's annoying little sister, was a bumble-bee, the antennas included.
“Okay we're all ready but first, Jackie!” Jackie's mom said jogging into the kitchen, her fake black tail bobbing up and down. When she came out there was a huge coco loco chocolate cake with strawberry icing, all the features shining, just how Jackie likes it. Each of the candles flickering golden yellow and bright pumpkin orange.
“Deep breath!” Jackie's dad said grinning from ear to ear. Gently Jackie stepped forward. She inhaled deeply her lungs blowing up like her birthday balloons. Her wish was to become a witch just like she was in her imagination. Out came her breath-once beautiful yellows and oranges became a steamy fog gray rising up higher and higher until, a loud honking noise shook the house. Jackie's family clamped their hands over their ears except Jackie, her arms were pinned to her sides. Tss, tss, tss, the sprinklers on the ceiling burst. But the most peculiar thing was coming out of them and it wasn't water. Blue glitter fell like fireworks fading in the sky. Jackie stood there in disbelief. “Close your mouth!” she said to herself. Jackie's jaw clenched together but somehow it eased it's way open again. What shocked Jackie the most was the glitter was swirling around her like a tornado. Jackie's hair was fluttering everywhere. Some of the glitter got caught in her jet black hair. An enormous glowing hole appeared beneath her. Jackie was drowning in the glowing hole. Fast. Her shoulders were swallowed next. Inside the hole was pitch black.
Jackie was sweating immensely more than when they play dodge-ball in gym. Her hands once pinned to her sides now clamped to her heart, her hands grasped together.
She could feel her heart pounding as hard as a hammer on a nail. Her voice was muffled under her heavy sweatshirt. Jackie was breathing deeply. Heaving in and out she lifted her head tears were streaming down her face like the Mississippi river. Jackie's head was starting to sink beneath the hole. The last thing she heard was her mother screaming her name.
“Mom, mom!” Jackie hollered back. Jackie choked on her words. She was crying in huge loud wails. Jackie wiped her red eyes. They were flooded with tears. She looked up and the hole was gone.
