Flight of the Phoenix: Vol. 6

Transcription

Flora & Fauna
1
Flight of the Phoenix
Vol. 6: Flora & Fauna
Editors-in-Chief:
Claire Bohbot and Sujata Desai
Workshop Instructor:
Claire Bohbot
Grammar Editor:
Aaron Vasquez - Middle School English
Teacher
Artistic Contributions Arranged by:
Mrs. Ruth Teitelbaum - Art Teacher
Cover art (in order of appearance): Ruhsyl
Kapila, Yiyun Wei, and Clarys Paragas.
Flight of the Phoenix Vol. 6: Flora & Fauna
Carden Day School of San Jose Literary
Magazine- First Edition, Copyright 2015. All
rights revert back to authors and artists upon
publication.
Flora & Fauna
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Table of Contents
Secret Lives of Flora & Fauna
Iris, the Goddess of the
Rainbow & Art
Why Flowers Lose
Their Petals
Poisseidon & Art
Demeter’s Woes & Art
6
7
7
8
The Beginning of the
Gladiolus & Art
Why the is Sky Blue
Narcissus & Art
Hecate & Art
Why Do Flowers Lose
Their Petals?
9
10
10
11
12
Chemistry of Fiction
The Pocket Watch
“Anna”
“Isabella”
Mochanite
“Zoe”
Serum
“Adam”
14
18
18
19
21
22
27
The Big Bang
The Silver Disk
“Damian”
Vapor Burglar
Back in Time
“Arathi”
27
31
37
37
45
55
Dr. Dolittle Goes Abroad
X-out
57
The Search for the African
Violet
58
“Choochoopopa”
59
“Dingo the Cheetah”
60
The African Savannah
60
Dr. Dolittle’s Wild Adventure 62
The Pink Snows & Art
64
“Whale of the Sea”
68
“The Seahorse”
68
Pushmi-Pullyu
69
The Voyage Down Under
70
WANTED: Sausages
A Serious Case of Mercury
Poisoning
Dr. Dolittle Goes to the
Great Barrier Reef
“The Beaver”
“The Ghost”
Hypnotize
City Limits & Art
Jip’s Bones
Mission for Syrup & Art
Pink Porky Evil
72
73
77
80
80
81
82
85
86
89
Flowers with Feelings
The Deadly Ode Trap
“Blooming Purple Flowers”
The Rose Assassin
Papa Rose
“Morning Sun”
“Colorful Flower”
Flora & Fauna
91
91
92
96
96
96
“Rushyl # 3”
Perfect Spring Day
Iris & Art
The Promise
Magnolia & Art
“The Egg”
97
97
98
99
102
103
3
Don’t Mess with the VFT
Spring Fever
“Beach”
103
104
106
“Anna”
“Zoe”
106
106
You Are What You Eat
In Spring & Art
Blueberry Terror & Art
The Berry Bush
Bambi’s Transformation
& Art
Life of a Leaf
“A Pine Cone”, “A
Whimsical Pine Cone” &
Observational Drawing
Spring Musings & Art
Bambi Berry
Becoming an Elk & Art
108
108
111
113
116
116
117
117
119
Life Span of a Leaf
Bambi’s Berry Important
Lesson & Art
A Pair of Haikus & Art
Bambi and the Mushroom
“Bambi in the Mushrooms”
Berry Adventurous
Spring, Sprung
The Deer Who Turned
into an Apple
Flowers in Spring
122
122
125
125
128
128
130
130
132
Herbaceous Characters
King Basil
“Reflections”
A Day in the Woods & Art
134
135
137
Holly’s Quest
The W Adventure & Art
The Grizzly Night
146
154
156
Brave New Species
The Zoretta & Art
The Peagles & Art
“Wild Love”
“Rhoohaha”
Arctic Monkey
“Gisele”
The SST
“Turtle”
Lizard Man
158
162
168
168
169
172
173
178
179
“Bird at Night”
“Mousey”
James P. Jones
“Spring into Bunny”
Furaloppakoppa
“The Deer”
“Leafwing a Dragon”
“Ethan”
“The Jungle Fox”
182
182
182
184
184
187
188
188
188
Magic Tree House of Horrors
The Maze
“The Coca-Cola Tree"
The Woods & Art
Larry’s Cave
Flora & Fauna
190
193
194
196
Happy Halloween
“Night Sky”
The Giving Tree
“Observational Drawing”
197
201
202
206
4
Cave of Wonders
Morgiana’s Amazing
Adventure
“Morgiana’s Travels”
The Mechanical
Phoenix & Art
“Blaze the Phoenix”
“The Sitting Lizard”
208
211
211
215
216
“The Phoenix”
“The Tiger”
The Serpents of the Cave
Squeak’s Tail & Art
The Important
Lizard Lesson & Art
LemacCigamEht
216
216
217
222
225
229
Weather Related
The 4 Elements
“Jessica”
The Hurricane & Art
“The Hill”
“Lauren”
The Hole in the Rock & Art
A Tale of Clouds
“Sunrise”
The Mark of the Ocean
“The Thunder”
The Crash
“XTC”
231
238
239
248
248
249
255
261
261
265
266
271
“Merging Worlds”
The London Incident
The Day I Got Struck by
Lightening & Art
A New World & Art
The Control Room
“The House” a series
Hurricane Askwith & Art
“Building of Kingdom”
“#7”
“The Tree” a series
Isabelle Anderson – 7
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272
276
285
295
302
303
314
314
315
th
5
The Secret Lives of
Flora & Fauna
Flora and fauna make up the basic existence of all life,
flora meaning plants and fauna meaning wildlife or animals.
So it seems only fitting for the sixth edition of the Flight of
the Phoenix, to tell the stories of the very life that
surrounds us, the flowers, the trees, the birds and the bees.
In doing so, this sixth edition gets to the heart of the
matter, discovering the building blocks of life: examining the
Big Bang and matter, taking an in depth look at the
weather, looking at food in a new way, and exploring the
role of fauna in children’s books. From animal stories we
learn empathy and compassion, from scientific works we
learn about the joys of discovery and the perils of failure.
Literature exists to teach us, and to teach others, we
must start with the basics: flora and fauna. So the stories
we begin with are reminiscent of the creation myths of the
Native Americans. Also featured are odes to the gods
and goddesses that were once thought to preside over the
care of the flora and fauna of Greece and Rome. These
are the secret lives and beginnings of flora and fauna.
Flora & Fauna
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Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow
Isabelle Anderson – 7
th
Iris was the goddess of the rainbow so bright;
To the Greeks, she bestowed such pretty light;
And the rainbow in the sky was such a pretty sight.
Red is just so pretty, like a rose that you can get.
And orange is so bright, like a summertime sunset.
Yellow like a sunflower, blooming in the fields.
And green is like the grass, getting caught under your
heels.
Aqua, like the ocean waves crashing against the shore.
While blue is like the sky, through which birds love to
soar.
Purple like a lilac, blooming all throughout the spring.
And pink is like many tulips, presenting fields fit for a
king!
As you can see, the rainbow is oh so great,
And Iris is a Goddess, whom I could never hate.
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Why Flowers Lose Petals
Isabelle Anderson –7
th
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful flower named
Mary. Mary was the prettiest flower in the world. But Mary
was always bragging about her beauty at any chance she
could get. Joan, the queen of all the trees, was starting to
get mad at Mary for all her boasting. So one day, Joan
cursed Mary, causing all her beautiful petals to fall off; yet
still, Mary boasted of her beauty. So Joan cursed all the
flowers to lose all their petals, hoping that they and all the
flowers in the future would be forever angry at Mary.
Poisseidon
Mikita Piarvou – 7
th
This god is great, for he riddles the sea floor with bones,
He is Poseidon, and it is the great ocean he owns.
He rides on a shell, drawn by seahorses and hippocampus,
And we all know how he caused strife to Odysseus.
He rules all tempests and earthquakes,
For he makes them, with when anger he shakes.
He has a palace at the bottom of the sea
And you might remark “It’s quite a sight to
see.”
Walls of gold and floors of pearl,
He has a good life, and lives like an Earl.
He is a great god, who isn’t at all a fraud.
All sailors who have survived with his help would give him
the nod.
Flora & Fauna
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Demeter’s Woes
Cheyenne Garza – 7
th
In the great old Grecian days
Was the Goddess Demeter, who worked with hay,
She liked to work all night and day.
Demeter was always in the farm
But Persephone was kept away from harm,
Until one day Hades came,
And took her, much to Demeter’s dismay.
Her blessed daughter was taken away,
And she looked, but couldn’t find her, I’m afraid to say.
In her absence, all the crops began to die,
And Hecate exclaimed, “Oh my! Oh My!”
Hecate told Hades to give her back her daughter,
Hades relented, and returned her in spring and summer
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The Beginning of the Gladiolus
Megan Chang – 5
th
A unicorn named Skye was walking and stopped at a
magical pond, not knowing it was magical. She drank out
of the pond and dipped her horn in the pond to cool down.
She was so hungry after that.
She saw one little flower bud with a long stem. She
immediately galloped to it and touched it with her horn to
make sure it was safe to eat, when all of a sudden it began
to bloom and many flowers popped up upon the long stem.
One flower even cut her ear. While the flower was
blooming, her blood fell on the flower and stopped the
growth of the flower halfway on its stem. That is how the
Gladiolus started.
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Why the Sky is Blue
th
One day, Zeus was sitting atop Mount Olympus,
painting a picture. Hades, still angry at having lost his chess
game the day before, was looking for a way to get back at
Zeus. When Hera called for Zeus, Hades came and stole his
paints, eleven in all.
Hades carried one can of paint on each finger, and the
eleventh, the blue one, he balanced on his head. But, Hades
was not a great balancer. Hades accidentally dropped his
blue paint on the way to Mars, the secret location of the
Underworld. The blue paint spilled and covered the
atmosphere, making the sky forever blue.
Narcissus
Yiyun Wei – 6
th
Who’s there?
Who’s there?
A distant voice echoes my own.
Every sigh, another soft moan.
I turn around, but nobody to see,
Until I saw her staring at me.
When I asked her to leave my sight,
I was ignorant of my action, out of
spite,
Nemesis heard, and led me to a lake,
Where I saw my reflection and the rest was Fate.
Now I rest as a white and yellow flower,
And Echo has since never cried any louder.
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Hecate
Clarys Paragas – 7
th
In the cities of the ancient Greek land
Was a shrine with three heads and a torch in each hand
The form of Hecate is where she would stand.
She was a beautiful goddess with the power of magic
But since she had three heads, her love life was tragic.
Even though she was single, she wanted to protect the
Greeks
From evil around the world, week after week.
Hecate rescued Persephone from Hades’ possession,
Protecting others from evil was her beloved profession.
Through her difficulties, dogs always stood by her side
Because she knew that good and evil would soon collide.
All her works were inscribed in a book,
If you want know to more, give it a look!
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Why do Flowers Lose their Petals?
th
Arathi Ranga – 8
We all know that flowers lose their petals, but why?
Well, one day, long, long ago, there was a beautiful
little baby boy named Chad. Chad was spoiled and a brat,
but he loved his parents more than anything in the whole
world. Chad’s dad was a flower tinker, meaning he made
flowers prettier. Sometimes Chad’s dad would bring home
a rare, never-before-seen flower for his wife and son to
admire.
When Chad grew to be 16, he fell in love with a girl. To
impress her, he wanted to use some of his dad’s special
flowers and give them to her. Unfortunately, Chad’s dad’s
flower tinkering company wasn’t doing very well, and he
couldn’t afford to give any extras to his lovesick son. Chad
didn’t take this news very well and had a huge tantrum.
That night, to get revenge, Chad snuck into his dad’s
office. In the office, there were multiple books and papers
and files about flowers that enticed Chard to snoop around
some more. One book caught his eye in particular, Flower
Petal Secrets. Chad opened the book and found a recipe for
a petal loss potion. He made it and sprayed it on all of his
dad’s flowers in the shop.
Unfortunately, Chad wasn’t very vigilant when he read
the recipe, the potion was extremely contagious and it
spread to every flower in the world. Soon, all the flowers in
the world started losing all their petals. They would grow
back, some perennially, some annually, but they wouldn’t
stay more than a week from then on.
Flora & Fauna
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Chemistry of Fiction
The science in science fiction is often exactly that,
fiction. The genre bends reality, space and time, resulting
in fantastical tales, ripe with lush landscapes, barren
wastelands, diabolical villains and strange creatures.
Chemistry is a unique word, encompassing both the
scientific definition, the science that deals with chemical
composition, while also referring to the unknown qualities
which attract. In the stories beyond, the elements of
physical science are put to the test by the students of
the 8th grade. Enjoy the fruits of their labors, (but
maybe don’t eat them). Read through their explorations
into other periods in time, discover those wary of the
future, or those inspired by the past. Delve through the
mysteries of creating new substances, either by purpose
or on accident. Or jump into a whole new theory about
the Big Bang. Doesn’t matter how you go about it, these
stories are sure to delight and inspire anyone into
contemplating being an astronaut as a career.
The accompanying art here asked students to focus on
visual themes and symbols based on scientific content.
Using metal foil relief patterns, they expanded the
theme with lines and colors to create unique patterns and
displays of chemistry.
Flora & Fauna
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The Pocket Watch
th
Janelle Conlan – 8
A 14-year-old boy, Luke, was walking in the park when
he noticed an old man sitting on the bench. Luke wanted to
take a break and rest. Earlier that day, he hadn't had the
best time. At school, they had been playing dodgeball in
P.E.; he was hit in the face, and everybody laughed at him.
He had also forgotten to turn in an assignment earlier that
week and the guilt kept piling as each day passed. In the
morning, he had an argument with his mom and he was
guessing she was still mad at him. It was on his way
walking home from school, that Luke saw this old man
sitting on a bench. Luke decided to go and sit next to him.
Luke said, “Hi, I'm Luke what is your name?"
The old man answered, "Hello, young man. My name is
Joe.”
“Hi Joe,” responded Luke.
“You seem sad Luke, what’s wrong?” asked Joe.
Then Luke told him about everything that had
happened. The old man assured him not to worry and to
just stay positive. Joe told him he had better get going
home before his parents started worrying, so he left.
The next day Luke returned to the park, where he talked
to Joe the previous day, to see if he was there, and he was.
So they talked for a while until Luke had to go. Luke went
to the park everyday to see Joe and listen to his crazy
stories. Joe told Luke stories that were unbelievable.
One day, Joe told Luke a story about a young boy who
was playing in the woods and when he was running he
tripped, fell, and bumped his head. When the boy woke up,
his head kind of hurt. He got up and started for his house.
But once he got out of the woods, and started walking
down the street, he could feel something was different,
something was off, yet he didn’t know what it was. The
street names were almost all the same and there were still
Flora & Fauna
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houses, cafes, restaurants, and stores but something was
different. He moved on; he saw a group of people come out
of the restaurant and they were dressed weirdly, fancier. He
thought it was probably someone’s birthday party with an
odd theme or an anniversary party or some fancy club.
Then, someone walked out of a coffee shop a little bit down
the street and they were dressed the same way. He paused
and thought, ‘Is there a new holiday where everyone
dresses like they are from the 1980’s and for some reason I
didn’t get the memo?’
The boy shook his head trying to get that out of his
mind and kept walking. He turned left onto his street to go
home. When he reached the house where he lived, he
arrived to find that the house was completely changed. The
house was blue, a little bit smaller, had a nicer front yard
and the car in the driveway was not at all like the car his
parents had. It was older looking yet still cool and was red,
blue, and black. Then he looked around and realized that
almost all the houses looked different, especially the front
yards; they were actually nice looking. The grass was pretty
green and there were several trees and flowers. Even in the
yard of the lady who lived across the street at the end, her
yard wasn’t dead with tire marks on the dead grass. He
thought to himself good job for her, she learned how to
drive and garden.
Still curious, he decided to go around town and see
what else had changed. He made his way to the park, which
luckily was still there. He sat under a tree in the shade and
tried to figure out what had happened so far, while he
rested. It was a hot day but there was a cool breeze, the
birds chirped, and he started to close his eyes and ended up
falling asleep. He dreamt about the recent events. He woke
up and walked out of the woods and onto the street. First,
there was a group of people dressed in neon high socks
over their black tight pants and other people in fancy
dresses, clothes, and strange hair styles (they looked like
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big toddlers who dressed themselves). Then his house and
yard were completely different, along with all the other
houses and yards. The lady at the end of the street could
drive and her yard looked nice. It was like he was in
another world.
Now he woke up to a boy walking up to him to say hi.
He didn’t know who the boy was, but he said hi back. He
was the most normal person he had met that day. He
dressed normally and didn’t act that weird. They ended up
spending all afternoon together. They learned a lot about
each other and became good friends.
Before the boy left, he gave him something and said
that it was for him to keep, and that he could come visit
him any time. He didn’t understand what he meant. The
next thing he knew he was back in the woods, where he had
hurt himself and woke up again and still had what the boy
gave him; he was back home though. Eventually, he
realized how to use the gift the boy had given. He visited
him again and kept the gift safe and if he went somewhere,
he would usually bring it with him.
Luke wondered what the gift was that the boy got. Joe
never mentioned what it was. Joe told Luke many stories,
but that was Luke’s favorite and he thought about it a lot.
Joe could tell that it was Luke’s favorite story too.
When Luke’s birthday came, Joe gave him a very
special gift. It was an old pocket watch. Joe told Luke how
he got that very pocket watch when he was a boy. He told
him that it was very special to him and to make sure he
didn’t lose it. Luke felt bad taking it because Joe told him
how much it meant to him, but Joe said not to worry
because he had a similar one. Luke didn’t understand what
was so special about the pocket watch. True, he hadn’t seen
anything like it before, but still, he really liked it. Luke kept
it safe and never showed it to anyone except of course Joe.
One day Joe took his pocket watch and told Luke they
were going to go on a little adventure. Joe took the pocket
Flora & Fauna
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watch and turned the little button on it. Luke saw that they
had left the park, it was sunny instead of shaded and there
were houses rather than trees. It was the day that he first
met Joe. They were at his house in the morning and he was
getting ready to go to school. Luke watched himself getting
ready, and then he looked at Joe. Luke was amazed and he
couldn’t believe it.
He asked Joe, “Am I really at my house and is this the
day when I first met you?”
Joe smiled and responded, “Yes, Luke it is.”
“How is this even possible?” asked Luke.
“It’s called time traveling, and I used my pocket watch
to do it,” said Joe.
“Oh, and that’s what my pocket watch does too, isn’t
it?!”
“Yes. But, Luke, you have to be quiet. You have to
make sure that you don’t let your past-self see your futureself. That is the number one rule of time traveling.”
“Oh ok, I’ll be careful. Oh, are we going to go through
the whole day?”
“If you want to,” says Joe.
So, they went through the whole day and returned to the
present and future. During the day, Joe taught Luke all the
rules and side effects of time traveling and told him that he
couldn’t tell anyone about it. Luke promised he will follow
the rules and will not tell anyone. Luke thanked Joe for
everything: the pocket watch, sharing his stories with him,
and for sharing time traveling with him. That night Luke
thought about his day and the past and realized that the
story Joe told him about the boy who hit his head was about
Joe. Luke was ecstatic. He finally figured out the story.
The next day Luke told Joe that he figured out the story.
Joe smiled and said to Luke, “Luke, you’re a smart kid.”
“Thanks Joe.”
“You’re welcome Luke.”
Flora & Fauna
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Anna Sprouse – 8
th
th
Isabella Inaba – 8
Flora & Fauna
19
Mochanite
th
Siddharth Kumar – 8
My name is Alexander Kaminski. This story begins two
decades ago, when I was 15 years old. My father was a
well-known chemist who had won many awards and had
access to many chemicals other scientists wouldn’t have
been allowed to acquire. He even had a small lab at home. I
also had a dog named Mocha, and she’s the reason why I
have a story to tell.
It was a school day that seemed to start out fine, but it got
a lot worse as the day progressed. Once I reached school,
things started going wrong. I realized I had left my
homework at home, fell and almost broke my leg rushing
down the staircase and basically, couldn’t do anything right. I
got mad at my friends, lost my self-control and eventually
could not focus on what I was doing. I came home angry,
questioning why I was having such a nightmare of a day.
When I tried to walk Mocha, she ran all around the house
excitedly and knocked over some of my father’s chemicals
into a small garbage can. The chemicals mixed and created a
substance that would change my world.
At first, the substance wasn’t very impressive. It just
looked like a glowing neon green bar. I picked it up and it
felt hard, yet pliable and warm to the touch. I tried bending
it, which it did, but I couldn’t break it. I thought it was
useless but I had more important things to do.
On the top of my list was making sure that Mocha
didn’t get into any trouble. What I really needed for Mocha
was a high-quality dog training collar that was remote
controlled. But my parents refused to buy it because they
said it was too expensive. When I heard the expense
argument, I thought to myself, “Excuse me, but how much
did the private lab in our basement cost?” So I started to
think about a dog collar customized to how I would like it.
Suddenly, the substance grew longer and transformed into
Flora & Fauna
20
the customized collar that I had just imagined in my mind.
It was then that I knew that I was handling no ordinary
substance.
As I walked Mocha, I tried to figure out what I could do
with this substance. I named it Mochanite, after Mocha. I
went back into the lab and looked at all the chemicals that
Mocha had knocked over. As I was the son of a famous
chemist, my father used to give me lessons on all the
elements and taught me chemistry. So I knew the chemicals
that combined to form the substance. And so, I could use
that formula to make Mochanite in the future in case I
needed to make more.
I was excited that I could use Mochanite for so many
things. The possibilities were endless. I didn’t want the
authorities to take Mochanite away from me and so I didn’t
show it to my father. I used the substance often for many
things, such as converting it into a basketball, or a pen or
pencil when I needed one, or a screwdriver when I needed
to fix something. I did not have to carry all these things in
my backpack anymore, only a bar of Mochanite. But what I
didn’t know was that I was being watched and targeted by
criminals. A week after I created Mochanite, I was going
home when somebody hit me from behind. I blacked out…
I woke up somewhere in a huge lab, tied up. A voice
blared from speakers I couldn’t see, demanding that I tell
them the mixture of chemicals required for making
Mochanite. There was no way I was going to give my
captors the formula for Mochanite. They went quiet after
warning me that they would be back and I would regret my
refusal next time. I looked around and found that I was in a
locked room with a desk. Surprisingly, there seemed to be
no security cameras anywhere in the room. The desk was
full of instruments, but I couldn’t reach them. Clearly my
captors were not the brightest bunch of criminals. I
wondered how I could break free of my bonds. I observed
that the desk was made of some kind of metal. The edge of
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21
its legs looked sharp. I dragged myself there and started to
scrape the rope on my wrists against the edge. After a tense
hour, I had cut myself loose.
On the desk was a map of the lab, most of the security
codes for the doors, and everything that a laboratory would
have, such as chemicals and a gas mask. Most people
wouldn’t have known what to do with all this stuff, but I
knew exactly what I needed to do.
Armed with the codes, chemicals and the gas mask, I
made it to the room where the Mochanite was stored, but I
was afraid that it might have a hidden security camera. I
looked for the security control room on the map and found
it. I punched in the code for the room and opened the door
slowly. There were some suspicious looking men in that
room. I put my mask on and released a special chemical
that I had taken from the room where I was trapped. That
chemical knocked all of the men out. I then disabled the
security cameras in the entire building in case my captors
woke up while I was in the lab. I went into the room where
the Mochanite was kept, grabbed it and made it out of the
lab. I rushed home and told my father about Mochanite. He
told the authorities about it. The authorities said I could
keep what I had if I gave them the formula for Mochanite.
Of course, I accepted. Since then I have used
Mochanite for various purposes. In fact, I am talking to you
right now through a microphone made out of Mochanite!
th
Zoe Upham – 8
Flora & Fauna
22
Serum
Damian Castagnoli – 8
th
Dr. Jensen picked up the last vial and added it into the
beaker. He waited for a moment for the chemicals to
combine, and picked up the beaker once more. He replaced
the water for the rat in its cage with a small amount of the
liquid. The rat was stuck right next to it because he had
been tangled up by a piece of string going around four
pillars. The rat drank from the tube and its eyes, that had
just a moment before had been full of a dull confusion,
suddenly seemed to observe and understand everything
around it. He looked at the tangled mess keeping him in
place, and began to weave through it, relieving him of his
bonds.
The observers in the laboratory had a look of
astonishment as they witnessed the scientist’s work. He had
found it, a concoction to raise intelligence. But Dr. Jensen
had already found this a few days before and had been
invited to demonstrate the effects of his serum to the
scientific community.
As everyone rejoiced and congratulated the doctor,
things began to stir in the vents. The U.S. government had
taken extra precautions to not let this serum fall into enemy
hands. Guards were posted at the doors of the rooms in a
secure facility. But their efforts were in vain.
Suddenly, everything went dark. People were stumbling
around the room in confusion. All electronics had lost
power. Someone had set off an EMP burst.
“Allen, what happened? Get these lights on,” said the
commander of the security force.
“I’m trying, but nothing’s working.”
Suddenly, the lights came back on, along with
everything else. The auxiliary power had turned on.
“Doctor Jensen, are you alright?”
“I’m fine Allen, thanks for asking.”
Flora & Fauna
23
As the doctor turned around to look at his work station
to see if anything had been damaged, he found his notes
and the serum were gone.
“Activate the alarm. NOW! My work is gone! Hurry,
before it’s too late.”
On the floor was a paper with the orders to obtain the
newly discovered research. On the bottom was written Hail
Jo. Jo, he thought, isn’t that the leader of P-city?
An hour later, a meeting was held for this issue by the
Secret Service to take back this research. They all agreed
that someone with the utmost stealth and skill would be
needed to deal with this situation. An assassin by the code
name of Zero was assigned to this.
Zero had been built all his life to become invisible, to
only be seen when he wanted to be. His arms, legs, and
eyes were replaced with robotic limbs, built for stealth.
Even his brain was augmented to be able to hack into any
security system, and have the utmost precision. He was the
ultimate super soldier. He was flown into D.C. to be briefed
for his mission and led into a large white building.
“Alright, Zero, I’m sure that you already know why
you’re here so I’ll skip to the details,” said one of the
delegates of the committee.
“What are we up against?”
“We know that the information was taken somewhere
in P-city. Your target is one of the scientists working at a
certain research center which we have reason to believe is
where the P-men are trying to reproduce Dr. Jensen’s
serum. His name is Gyeong Gi. You’ll see his apartment
right on the intersection of Bora, and Ki, on the third floor.
Find your way into the facility. Your job is to get in there,
and detain all of the scientists without being noticed. We
don’t want P-city to have a reason to start a war. We’re all
counting on you, Zero, to do this job flawlessly. Good
luck.”
Flora & Fauna
24
Zero was flown out to the outskirts of P-city. All over
the streets were military combatants, waiting to defend the
inhabitants. He started moving through, using anything for
cover. As he approached the intersection of Bora and Ki, he
discovered the doors to the apartment building guarded by
two men. There were many other people around, so he
wasn’t able to take them out with his tranquilizer rifle. He
approached the two men, and took cover in an ally
immediately adjacent to the building, only about 50 feet
from the doors. There seemed to be no civilians anywhere,
so he assumed that the city had a curfew. He saw a rock
under a dumpster. He picked it up and chucked it to the
back of the ally. The guards were alerted. They cautiously
shuffled to the aperture from where they heard the noise
come. With their guns unholstered, they made their way
down the path. When they got to the end, they hadn’t found
anything.
One of the guards shouted in Pingy, “Who’s there? If
someone’s hiding back here, you’d better come out, or
there’s going to be trouble.” This was followed with
nothing but silence.
The other said, “Come on, Hyun, I’m sure it was
nothing. Let’s get back to our post.”
Zero found his way into the apartment. There was no
one there so he looked around. He found a laptop, password
protected. Using his augmentations, he unlocked the
computer and began to search for any information on how
to get in to the building. On the computer, he found maps
of the building, security checkpoints, and all the names of
the people who knew about the project. There were five
scientists all working together to try and reverse engineer
the serum using the stolen notes, and the serum that they
took with them. Not even the security personnel knew what
the project was for. The map showed that the facility’s
primary purpose wasn’t for the serum. There were five
floors, each doing their own research. On the first floor was
Flora & Fauna
25
a section secured by four guards, and a camera. The maps
didn’t show anything within the section.
Zero found his way through the city and eventually got
to the lab. On the ground, there were way too many
scientists to slip past. The building was being protected by
Jo’s troops, and they were extremely well equipped. It was
too dangerous to enter from the ground floor. There was
another building next to the lab. The gap between the
buildings was about 80 feet. Zero scaled to the top of the
building. His augmentations calculated the exact force
needed to jump the gap.
He backed up, and started running with extreme speed,
artificial gyros perfectly balancing his body. His body
exploded into a streamline formation as he jumped. He
landed without making a sound. There was a sniper looking
off the edge of the building, not noticing the man that had
just walked into the building.
Once he got into the fifth floor of the building, he was
undetected by any of the workers. He made it to the stair
well. Down he went to the first floor. He made it to the
section that he had seen on the map. He briefly looked
around the corner of the hallway from which he found the
information on the map to be true. Four guards, and a
camera were there. Behind him, back in the hallway, was
an office room with no one in it. He started looking for any
valuable information that there might be.
Zero heard someone coming. He hid behind the desk,
and waited for what might happen. There were two people
right outside the door.
“What do you think’s going on down there?” said one
of the employees.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, they certainly spent a
ton of money to keep it secret.”
“Ok, well I’ll talk to you later, Gi, I have to go back to
the security room, it’s almost my shift.”
“Remember, meeting at two tomorrow.”
Flora & Fauna
26
“Got it.”
The door creaked open as Gi walked in. He walked to
his safe, on the wall right of the door, and opened it. Zero
quickly took this as an opportunity to escape, and returned
to the hallway. He caught a glimpse of a figure moving the
stairwell, most likely the person Gi was just talking to. Zero
shadowed him all the way to the security room. It was a
small room with a bunch of TVs to monitor the cameras.
The security guard sat down to take his shift. The other
guard left the room to return home. Zero and the guard
were alone in the room. The set up was perfect. Zero took
out what looked to be a taser, and shot a dart at the man.
Slowly the man began to sleep. Zero hacked the security
system, and shut down all of the cameras in the area. From
here, he could see the section that he had to get into, still
being guarded by the men. He could see that on the first
floor, there weren’t many people working.
He returned to the hallway, and threw a gas grenade
towards the guards. Before they could react, they quickly
became disoriented and fell to the floor, knocked out. Zero
took the key to the door which was on the security guard,
and unlocked it.
When he entered, he found a long stair going down. He
started his decent. Everything was so quiet. When he got to
the bottom of the stairs, he found that the room held within
it the five scientists that were working on the project. They
mumbled amongst themselves, in an agitated state, as if
stressed for time. He started to approach, with a feeling as
if something was wrong. He heard a door slam shut to his
right.
Out of it appeared something with the shape of a man,
but twice as big. The creature walked forward into the light.
What appeared was hardly human. A human head rested on
an enormous robotic body. The body perfectly resembled
every muscle in a human body. Large fibers of mechanical
muscle built the heavily augmented body, like a person
Flora & Fauna
27
without skin. The eyes of this monster were not his original
eyes either. He scanned the room for heat signatures that
didn’t belong. Zero’s equipment was able to make his body
undetectable by cooling his it to room temperature.
Zero kept his cover as the modified human patrolled the
room. The creature left the room to check the bathroom for
anything suspicious. He followed and waited for the right
opportunity to make his move. But his opponent had been
well prepared to defend. With his inhuman hearing, the
goliath was now aware of the presence of Zero. He found
him hiding behind the garbage can, picked him up, and
threw him into the wall, leaving a large crack where he
landed. Zero rolled in between his legs and extended a
sword from his arm, slicing the circuitry apart.
Zero took a quick moment to contemplate his near
death before getting back to work. He rustled all the
scientists together, gathered Dr. Jensen’s serum and notes
and high-tailed it back to the U.S. without further delay.
th
Adam Gin – 8
The Big Bang
th
Isabella Inaba – 8
Fourteen billion years ago the entire universe was
clumped together into one ball. It was a very large ball,
Flora & Fauna
28
about the size of the moon, but to the Moop, a very old race
that existed long before our universe was created, it could
fit in their hand. The Moop would have been extremely
large if they were to be compared to humans, and humans
would not have found them appealing at all with their very
tight, rust colored skin, huge eyes and extremely long
pointed fingers.
One millennium (time goes faster in their world), a
Moop named Lmp was watching over the hallway that
contained all of the universe balls. These needed to be
protected because if they broke open they would expand at
the speed of light to their full size and destroy everything in
their way.
The Moop had about 10 or so of these balls and kept
them all on stands in an open room. If one exploded, the
rest would explode as well and create different universes.
They kept the room open so that all the other races like the
Plii and Werv would see their treasures.
That day had been extremely busy and there were many
Plii, Werv and Moops hanging about and quarreling. Lmp
was currently the only one on duty and had a tendency to
get distracted very easily.
While Lmp was across the room, a Moop and a Plii
were having a discussion. These species were known to
hate each other.
“Did you know that if you fold your nose inside out and
try to breath out through it, it would make a trumpeting
noise?” one Moop asked a Plii.
The Plii had flat faces that had a huge outgrowth that
looked like a nose. They had silvery skin with green
speckles surrounding their eyes.
The Werv were gigantic in comparison to the other
species. They had a huge round body, that was covered in
red scales. They also had giant eyes and no nose.
“I can’t possibly imagine how you figured that out
considering you Moop don’t even have noses and, if I
Flora & Fauna
29
might add, it is rude to comment on a Plii’s nose,” the Plii
snapped back.
“I wonder……. Would a banct fit up your nose? Seems
like it could fit it very easily,” the Moop added. A banct
was a small creature that looked like an oversized blue
rabbit with gigantic eyes on its back.
The Plii had gotten very angry with this comment and
his translucent skin had turned bright red.
“How dare you!” the Plii said.
He hit the Moop right where his nose would have been.
The Moop fell down onto the glass-like floor and jumped
back up. He shoved the Plii who was starting to wander off.
This, of course, made the Plii fall flat on his face and nose.
Meanwhile, Lmp was breaking up another argument
that had occurred between a different Plii and a Werv.
Many other disputes started up and soon the whole area
was full of arguing Moop, Plii, and Werv. They never got
along.
One argument between a Werv and Plii started almost
immediately after the first discussion broke out.
“Wervs are nicer!” the Werv said.
“Obviously not!” the Plii returned.
These species always managed to fight about
something. About four or five fights resulted in even more
fights starting. Soon, it was a huge fight, all in the universe
room.
One Werv got pushed into a universe ball and knocked
it over. When it hit the ground it made a big bang (that is
where the actual name came from). The glass containing it
broke into a million microscopic pieces, even though the
universe stayed in one black ball.
All of a sudden, the black ball exploded and everything
was consumed in darkness. It all happened spontaneously.
First, all of the creatures in the world evaporated into thin
air, then the other universe balls exploded and started to
expand, and at last everything else did too. The Moop,
Flora & Fauna
30
Werv, and Plii worlds were destroyed along with all of the
other worlds. Everything was black until hundreds of tiny
specks of light appeared. Each tiny speck expanded in a
second and these became the stars.
Then came the planets. These were pebble sized
colorful rocks. Some were made of compressed gases and
others of iron and rock. Some of these exploded, but the
rest grew.
On one of the planets called Mact, the first organism
appeared. It just randomly appeared on the planet and it
was a plant called Dan. It didn’t last long, but it was able to
seed and create more plants. These grew and eventually
transformed into other types of plants, some with leaves,
some with thorns, and some even with flowers.
A few hundred years later those plants evolved into a
plantling. This was a plant that was different because it
could move. Sadly, this plantling was hit by an asteroid and
destroyed.
About two years later, a fish appeared in the ocean like
region of the planet. This evolved over time and became a
mammal. These mammals became humans. Humans got
smarter and discovered a way to go out into the universe.
When they tried to go out and find the end though, they
couldn’t seem to ever find it. This was because of the shape
of the universe. It was a giant ball, they just kept going in
circles.
Then they tried to explore beyond its limits, and they
ended up going around the side of the sphere. They
eventually found their way back to the planet they started
at.
The other universe balls became other universes. The
inhabitants can’t see them through the boundaries of our
universe because we are trapped in a different universe.
They would have to be able to break through this universe’s
boundaries and through the other one to be able to see a
Flora & Fauna
31
new universe. The other universes may not be like ours
though.
They could have planets made entirely up of the
different elements or stars made of glowing water. The life
in those universes would be different than life on a planet
in our universe.
You cannot measure time in the universe because you
have nothing to use as a starting point. You cannot find the
start because we haven’t yet found a star or planet that has
been around since the beginning, and if we did manage
that, how would we know how old it is and if it was one of
the first.
The universe may still be in a giant glass ball that is on
display for giant beings, but how would we ever know that?
Scientists believe that the Big Bang was when the
universe first began and matter first appeared, what if the
universe and matter was infinite and never had a start and
will never have a finish?
The universe may well be a tiny portion of a place that
has billions of universes and billions of stars, but humans
would never know that.
You can thank a Moop named Lmp for not being able
to control the fights between the other Moop, Plii and Werv
resulting in our universe.
The Silver Disk
th
Adam Gin – 8
Once upon a time in the future, there was a sad teenage
boy. He had no friends, his mother died when he was
young, his father was always in his lab, working on all sorts
of science projects. He was a reject at school. No one liked
him, they all called him a weird creep who was just trying
too hard. He was barely getting through his classes to pull
off a decent C. His teachers didn’t like him, they always
Flora & Fauna
32
picked on him since his head didn’t revolve around the
technology that worked in the year 2276. For example, he
was already having a tough time in pre-calculus as a junior,
but there were freshmen taking some other math section
called, supercalculus, which was a much, much more
difficult version of calculus. He didn’t belong in this era.
Everyone around him were geniuses, while he was just an
idiot.
Every morning he looked in the mirror, he saw
someone who was a teenager, tall and skinny, but he
attempted to work out by doing push-ups, sit ups,
occasionally pull ups just hoping that he might be included
in things if he got some muscle. So he could possibly play
football, baseball, basketball, or maybe even soccer, like all
the cool boys did. He saw his incredibly messy brown hair
which was impossible to comb out. He also saw green eyes,
green as the trees of the forests he dreamed to live in. He
dreamed of living off the grid, away from technology, with
a bow and set of arrows, a gorgeous wife and great kids.
But that wasn’t going to happen since they cut down all the
trees in 2144; the way people get air now are due to the
machines that combine the correct gases together, to
breathe the air humans need to survive. In fact, his
grandfather invented that machine. His father is keeping his
legacy going, but after he passes away, the legacy will most
likely plummet.
“David!” cried the house robot from downstairs. This
was the stand in for David’s dad and also best friend.
“Time for breakfast, kid!”
“Coming!” replied David.
David put on a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and some
sneakers. He got made fun for this too, he wore “old
school” clothes, he wore your typical great-great-greatgreat-great-grandfather’s clothes. All the other people wore
mostly leather. They wore leather jackets, leather pants,
even leather socks! They wore padding on the knees and
Flora & Fauna
33
elbows since people mainly rode motorcycles, and it was
apparently cool if you scrape them on turns.
David made some final attempts at combing his hair,
still no effect. He pushed a button on the wall so that he
could transport himself to the kitchen. A purple circle
appeared in front of his mirror, and he stepped through.
He walked into his kitchen to see his robot, Steve. You
could mistake him for a human, if it weren’t for his dog tag
which said he was a robot and his serial number, but other
than that he was like any other human. He was blonde with
blue eyes, fair skin, and was extremely tall, around 6’7”.
He was also quite strong, but then again he was a robot, so
I’m not sure if you could count that as strong. Steve wore
the “old school” clothing for David, so he wouldn’t feel too
lonely.
“Want some pizza?” asked Steve, ready to grab a slice
of pepperoni from the fridge.
“No thanks, I’ll just have some cereal,” replied David
as he walked to a cupboard to press a button to grab his
Frosted Flakes. This was another reason why he was
considered off, he stuck to old traditions from two centuries
ago. For some reason the meals changed throughout the
years. For example, breakfast was dinner, dinner was lunch,
and lunch was breakfast. It was really confusing.
“You know, you should try to fit in to the present day
traditions, since you’re shunned at school, maybe if you did
that you could be the cool, kid,” said Steve.
“I don’t think I can do that, I think the old traditions are
better,” replied David, munching on his cereal.
“Time for school, kid,” said Steve looking at the clock
on the wall, they’re just a set of dots now. Over the years,
people thought it was a good idea to use dots to tell time,
David never really got it. The way he figures out time was
by using the sun, really old school.
“Okay,” David sighed.
Flora & Fauna
34
They got into a really nice sports car, (since you
couldn’t use the teleport to go from one building to the
next, you could only teleport inside the building to another
room in it) there were no words to describe it or compare it
to the world of the twenty-first century. They pulled out of
the driveway, Steve pressed a couple of buttons which
made the hovering device of the car take off into flight to
the airway traffic. The cars flew up in the air traffic, the
motorcycles stayed on the ground, and surprisingly enough
there were more motorcycles than cars.
They made it to school on time, and Steve dropped off
David in the back of the school, so he didn’t have to deal
with everyone else. He walked through the school, the
hallways were all LED lights, there were no lockers since
the only thing you needed was a flash drive.
David finally made his way to class, dragging his feet
slowly to his desk in the back. Once there, the whispers and
stares began, making him question his breakfast choice as
his stomach started to turn.
“God, look at that loser, David,” whispered all the girls
in the back.
“That little freak.”
David sat down in the very back corner of the
classroom, in the shadows. He sat there and put his flash
drive in the desk which instead of the desk being something
to write on, was only comprised of a monitor, no pencils or
papers required. David patiently waited for instructions.
“Good morning class, today we are...”
Here we go again, the teacher did the all sweet and
charming talk in the morning, David could barely listen and
instead just started to daydream. He thought about how
miserable his life was, and just how he was born in this era.
Why couldn’t he had been born when there were still trees,
and less technology? What was God thinking when he put
him in this generation? Was he thinking that he would
somehow fit in? Clearly that wasn’t going to happen.
Flora & Fauna
35
He went through the entire day like this, the teachers
picked on him a lot more and always smirked when they
did. The bullying was just getting worse and worse, he
couldn’t take it anymore. This was all that he was going to
take in. He was going to go home and not going to leave it
again.
When he got home, he teleported himself up into his
room. He went straight onto his bed, and cried.
“May I come in?” said a voice he rarely heard.
A man came walking in, wearing a white leather
scientist coat. He had crazy brown hair like him, his eyes
were just the same as well, forest green.
“I know you’ve been having it really tough, son,” said
his father, “I’ve got a solution to your dreams coming true.”
“How, there aren’t any more trees?” replied David with
bloodshot red eyes.
“Now there aren’t, but I can take you to back to the day
when there were,” replied his father with a smile.
“How?” David said bewildered.
“Come on, let me show you, kid,” said his father and
went back in the purple circle.
David followed in the purple circle and entered a room
he had never seen before. It was his father’s lab.A bunch of
tools were scattered throughout the room, blueprints were
strewn all over the place. But one thing was in the center of
the room, all by itself. It was a disk with a circumference of
a twenty-first century hula hoop. There was nothing special
about it, it was just a silver disk.
“What’s this?” asked David.
“This is your one way trip to the time you dream of,”
smiled his father.
David’s heart jumped, “What do I have to do?”
“Stand on the disk and say when and where you want to
go,” said his father proudly.
“But what about you and Steve, wouldn’t you be upset
that I’m gone?” David asked puzzled.
Flora & Fauna
36
“Of course, we’ll be upset, kid,” said Steve coming out
of the portal, “But we would rather you be happy in your
time, than be here and suffer.”
“We will be able to read about you in history links,
we’ll know everything that you have done and
accomplished,” said David’s father.
“I’m going to miss you guys,” David ran up to them
both and hugged them, “Thank you so much, you’re the
best.”
“We love you, kid,” said his father.
“I love you too, is this going to be good bye?” said
David with tears in his eyes.
“No, we’ll come back to see you when we want to,”
said his father, lightly crying.
“We’re coming with you to the place first,” Steve
smiled.
“Okay.”
They all crowded around on the disk. It was kind of
tough, but they managed to all squeeze in.
“When do you want to go, son?”
“Let’s go to October 9, 910 at 9:02 in the morning.”
Then the disk started to spin, it rose from the ground as
well. It spun and spun, eventually it produced a green flash,
and then it all stopped. David looked outside, and he saw
trees, he took in his first breath of fresh air. He heard birds
chirping, he heard the river running.
“Thank you so much guys, this is the best thing you
could’ve done for me,” said David as he hugged them.
“You’re welcome, kid,” said his father. “We’ll be back
with supplies so that you can build your house.”
“Okay, Dad.”
They were back as soon as they left. And they started
building; they built a beautiful lodge, he built a strong bow
and fabulously accurate arrows. David learned how to hunt
and live off the land. This was the happiest David had ever
been. He got the one thing he ever wanted, he got to go
Flora & Fauna
37
back and live a simple life, free of technology. He belonged
here, he knew it. Eventually he didn’t need his dad or Steve
around as much. Every time his dad and Steve left, the
three of them decided when should be the next time they
should meet. They checked in on him every so often.
Eventually, David met Valerie, the girl of his dreams.
They got married, and had beautiful children. This is all
David had ever wanted, and he wouldn’t have ever wanted
it any differently.
Damian Castagnoli – 8
Vapor Burglar
th
th
Arathi Ranga – 8
I race through the narrow street, hurrying to Professor
Gneil's house. As I speed down the corner, my mind is
racing. Professor Gneil might be mad or I might be in loads
of trouble. I rush up the steps to his house and pound the
door. No one answers.
"Professor!"
Flora & Fauna
38
I hear footsteps and the door unlocking. Professor Gneil
opens his door and I push through him to get inside.
"We might have a problem," I say to him as he shakes
his head with disapproval.
** Two Weeks Earlier **
"Daniel! Get out of your room and do something
productive," my mother yelled at me. First of all, I was in
my room studying for my upcoming English test, which in
my opinion, was productive. Nevertheless, I walked
downstairs to the living room.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"What is with your attitude, young man?!" my mother
questioned me. I sighed.
"I'm sorry. Do you need help with anything?" I asked
her.
"Yes, go to the guest room. You'll find a bucket of paint
and a paintbrush. Paint the walls," she demanded. I blankly
stared at her.
"Did you not here me? I said: GO PAI-"
"Yes, yes, ok. Bye," I stated and left the room.
The guest room was full of things we never use. It was
probably the dirtiest room in the whole house, which made
it incredibly hard to paint. But I love a challenge. I found
the bucket of paint in the back and I picked it up to see
what color it was. I gently and carefully tipped it over, for
the color patch is on the back of the bucket. Unfortunately
when I tilted the bucket, the paint poured out. The lid was
popped open! The paint dribbled out of its container as I
stared in a panicked state. I rushed over to the cleaning
cabinet to find a cleaner that would take the paint stain out
of the carpet. A few seconds passed and I gave up. I
grabbed two different colored liquids and rushed to the
room, before anyone noticed. I sprayed some of the blue
Flora & Fauna
39
colored liquid on the stain. Nothing. Then I sprayed the red
colored liquid. Still nothing. In the desperate state I was in,
I screwed the cap off both the bottles of liquid and poured
some of each on the stain. The stain was slowly fading. I
poured more of the liquid and the stain became even more
faded. However, I soon noticed a vapor forming above the
stain. I knew that no matter what, I should not breathe in
the vapor. I ran out of the room as quickly as possible and
closed the door.
"What's all this ruckus?" my father asked me, as he saw
me sprinting out of the room.
"Hm? Oh, um. You know, just stuff," I said with an
innocent smile. He stared at me with suspicion for a
moment and then walked away.
I decided that I had had a pretty eventful day and went
to bed, leaving the room still unpainted.
The next morning, I woke up with an awful stench in
my nose. I got up in a flurry and hurried out of bed. I got
ready for school, said my good-byes and headed to school.
"Danny! Hey, wait up," my best friend Richard called.
"Hey Rich," I said back.
"Yo, bro what's up? You look sick, man," he said.
"Oh yeah. Dude, my mom made me paint the guest
room and... well, I was pretty clumsy," I explained.
"Bro, I honestly don't even want to know," Rich said.
"Ok, well, I'll catch up with you later. I have
chemistry," I said drearily.
"Oh dude, you have Gneil! Ha! Good luck, he's a hard
one," Rich said and I walked away.
I stepped into my chemistry class and there she was.
Violet Harmon, the apple of my eye. Feeling courageous, I
sat down next to her, making me her lab partner.
"Hey Vi," I said casually. She stared at me.
"Only my friends call me Vi," she replied coldly.
Sheesh.
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40
"So I'm guessing we aren't friends . . . " I slowly said.
"I'm sorry, I don't know your name. Or anything else
about you," she said. This was true.
"Well, my name is Daniel Graysem and I hope we can
be friends," I said with a soft smile. She laughed.
"Ok Daniel Graysem. I'm Violet Harmon. Let's be
friends," she agreed.
"Alright class, settle down. Time to learn," our
professor stated. The room was silent. He talked about
mixing elements and solutions and chemicals and other
science stuff. However, something he said caught my
attention.
"Sometimes, when we mix two chemicals that aren't
supposed to be mixed together, a vapor forms. This vapor
forms because a chemical change is taking place as these
two chemical merge to form a brand new chemical," he
explained. This also explained my current scenario. When
class ended, I had two options. Follow Violet and hang out
with her or talk to Professor Gneil about my paint stain
situation. I told myself the right thing to do was to talk to
Professor Gneil.
"Hi," I said.
"Do you need help with anything?" he asked.
"Well, I think I formed a vapor, like the one you were
talking about in class," I told him.
"Do you know how hard it is to make a vapor? Even
scientists struggle with that. A little kid like you couldn't do
that," he said.
"But I did," I replied.
"Then bring in a container with the vapor to me. We
can run some tests on it," he said. I thanked him and left.
As I left the room, I saw Violet waiting outside the door for
me.
"Hey, Greysem," she said. We walked and talked for
some time.
"I have a confession to make," she finally said.
Flora & Fauna
41
"Uh-oh. What?" I asked.
"I overheard you talking with Professor Gneil," she
said. I honestly didn't care.
"Well, I love chemistry, so I was wondering if I could
help you run the tests or something?" she said.
"Of course you can," I said back.
When I went home, I made a beeline towards the guest
room. There was still a small cloud of vapor over the place
where the stain was. I took a glass flask and filled it up with
some vapor. I gathered the vapor and put the flask in my
backpack. The next day at school, both Rich and Violet
approached me.
"I told Rich about your vapor," Violet said. I dreaded
that. I was hoping the vapor testing would be a chance for
me to be with Violet, but with Rich it would be all
different. The three of us headed towards Professor Gneil's
office.
"What are the three of you doing here?" he asked.
"Remember? The vapor?" I tried to remind him.
"Yes. But why are they here?" he asked.
"I invited them," I replied.
"No, this is a private matter," he declared. I looked back
at my friends. I motioned for them to go away and I felt bad
for it too.
"Alright, Daniel, here's the thing. You cannot trust
ANYONE. That Violet girl? Her father works for a
chemical company. Of course she is going to be all over
you and your new vapor! And Rich? He can't keep his
mouth shut. He'll tell everyone about your new vapor and
you will be bombarded with questions," he explained. I
nodded in agreement.
"Now, let's see the vapor," he said. He examined it. He
tested it. He tried to duplicate it. His eyes became wide.
"How did you make this?" he asked curiously.
"I have no idea," I replied.
"What you have made, it is incredible," he said. Yay.
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42
"Um. What is it though?" I asked.
"If you cool this into a liquid, it is extremely valuable.
A drop of it will make you immortal!" he exclaimed. OH.
MY. GOD.
"No way!" I exclaimed as well.
"Yes way! It will. But, my boy, you must keep this very
safe. People all over the world are looking for this
substance. You see, it can't be duplicated. It can only be
made at very rare occasions, " he said.
"I will guard it with my life," I promised and told him
where I would keep it.
** Two Weeks Later **
"We might have a problem," I said to him as he shook
his head with disapproval.
"What did you do?" Professor Gneil asked.
"I lost it," I told him.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU SCOUNDREL!" he yelled. As he
yelled, I saw a shimmer of light in the background. There
was a beam of light reflecting off a glass surface. A glass
surface that looked exactly like my flask which held the
vapor. In fact, it was the same container. He had the vapor.
Professor Gneil played me. He took the vapor for himself.
A million thoughts raced through my head. I didn't know
whether to quickly grab it and go or just confront him about
it. Maybe, I should just leave and pretend I never saw
anything.
"I can't stress how big of a deal this is! You're useless to
me now, " he said.
"Wait, no. Don't worry Professor! I think I still have a
small cloud of vapor at my house, " I told him. I was well
aware that there was no more vapor, however I wanted to
see how Professor Gneil would react. He stared at me,
speechless.
"Should I bottle that up?" I asked.
Flora & Fauna
43
"Yes," he said quietly, "Yes, yes. Bottle all of it up.
Don't leave a single drop behind."
At this point, I knew his motive. He wanted the vapor
all for himself. But I quickly devised a plan in the back of
my head.
"Ok, but I think it would be a better idea to just give the
flask to you this time. Obviously, I'm not responsible
enough to keep the vapor safe," I said. The moment the
words left my lips I swear, I saw his eyes sparkle with
delight and greed.
**At Home**
I collapsed on my bed and thought about my genius
plan. However, to execute it, I needed the help of either
Violet or Rich. As much as I loved Rich, I knew that he
was a blabbermouth. Violet wasn't a blabbermouth, but she
would tell her dad. But I really wouldn't care if her dad's
company knew about the vapor. I mean, I could even sell it
to his company and make some money later on. I was ok if
her dad knew about the vapor. But if people in school knew
about the vapor, I would be known as the weird science
vapor geek nerd person. So the choice was self-evident. I
would pick Violet. For the next part of my plan, I had to
create a faux vapor. With the advice of my sister, an artist, I
made a vapor that looked exactly like the original. The next
day at school I approached Violet.
"Hey Vi, I need some help," I asked her.
"Really? After you shooed me away when you and
Professor Gneil were testing the vapor? Sorry, but I think
I'll pass,” she replied and walked away. I grabbed her hand.
"No, don't go. I'm sorry, but I'll make it up to you.
Please just listen to me," I told her. Then, I explained the
whole situation to her.
"Ha! I'm not that gullible. A vapor that keeps you
immortal? Yeah, right," she said.
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44
"Violet, please. I need your help," I told her, Everything
suddenly become serious.
"Ok fine. What do you need me to do?" she asked.
"So I'm going to Professor's house this evening to give
him the fake vapor. He will go to his office to test it and I
will accompany him. Then, I will say that I have to use the
restroom and I will open the window in the back of the
house so you can sneak in and get the original vapor and
then sneak back out. Meanwhile, all the tests Professor
does will fail and I'll just say that it's probably a different
vapor and I'm sorry to have wasted his time. Then I'll leave
and meet you in the back again. Got it?" I explained.
"Ok sure, this seems pretty fun," she said with a smile.
Great.
** A Few Hours Later **
I saw Violet hiding in a bush in front of Professor
Gneil's house. She was wearing black jeans and a black
hoodie but she still looked better than any model. I showed
her where the back window was and told her to be quiet.
Then I knocked on the door. He opened the door, but didn't
let me in.
"Here's the new vapor," I showed him. He firmly took
it.
"Thank you, I'll see you in class tomorrow," he
answered. Uh-oh.
"Don't you want to test it?" I asked,
"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it," he replied. No. No.
No. This would ruin everything. Suddenly, there was a
large bang in the background. I saw a blur of black inside
and immediately recognized it as Violet. Did she get inside
without my help? Professor Gneil quickly whipped his head
around when he heard the bang.
"Did you hear that? Well, I'm going to go check, see
you tomorrow Daniel," the professor said as he closed the
Flora & Fauna
45
door. I stood dumbfounded for a moment. Then I raced to
the back of the house where I had left Violet.
"Guess what I got!!" she exclaimed. She dangled the
glass flask in front of my face. I can't explain the joy I felt
when I saw that flask.
"Oh my god, how did you do it?" I asked excitedly.
"I don't know why you made such a big deal about it.
The window was actually open and the flask was in plain
sight. So I took it," she explained. I was so happy I threw
my arms around her and gave her a big hug. Unfortunately,
the sound of shattering glass quickly followed.
"Daniel!" she cried out, "It broke!"
The flask lay broken on the road. Splintering pieces of
glass covered the area as the vapor was caught in the winds
and traveled far beyond our reach. Fumes of bleach and
ammonia started to form. I plugged my nose and Violet did
the same. We ran out of the neighborhood, terrified of
being caught. When we finally evaded the neighborhood,
we sat down on a bench to catch our breath.
"So . . . um, I guess that's it," I said, to break the
silence.
"Hey, don't be sad. In my opinion, that was amazing.
Who cares about some stupid gas? We had fun!" she said
with a smirk, "It was by far the best day I have ever
experienced."
I immediately started smiling like an idiot. That's when
I realized that in this crazy adventure, I had discovered
something far more valuable than immortality. I discovered
friendship.
Back in Time
th
Taylor Humphreys – 8
I stare at the blue pamphlet wondering why I needed it.
In a few seconds, it would be gone. We were going back in
Flora & Fauna
46
time to study our ancestors, the humans. We look the same,
talk the same, and live the same, but our brains have
genetically mutated over the past century. We can do what
few used to call impossible. No, we don’t have super
powers that allow us to fly or create big gusts of wind, we
just have a vast amount of knowledge pertaining to science.
Ask me anything and I will explain it in the most logical
way imaginable, so can the rest of my group. Our society is
based on colonies that orbit the sun like the planets do,
except we are much smaller. I live in the E Colony. We
study many things, but mostly Earth, like the plants and
animals.
The colony doesn’t live like the others. We don’t have
jobs, or cars, or running water; that’s saved for the bigger
ones. If we want water, we attach our ship to a bigger ship
and store the water in tanks at the back of the colony.
That’s why the others hate us, because we’re seen as needy.
They’re right; we just don’t want to admit it. Anyway, I
stare down at the folded paper in front of me. I figure
reading it would be a waste, so I toss it.
“Cassidy, Cassidy Miller!” someone says.
“Present,” I say. I hear the swish of the pen as someone
writes a check mark next to my name. The roll call
continues, but I’m too nervous to concentrate. Everyone is
nervous on their first trip, right? I feel a small nudge on my
shoulder and turn to see my best friend Lindsay.
“You ok?” she asked.
“Fine. Just nervous.”
“My mom says everyone is on their first trip. There’s
nothing to worry about.”
I give her a weak smile, and everything goes silent. I
hear Mrs. Hughes say something, but I blank out. What
good is knowing the facts when there are thirty-nine others
around who will just tell me afterwards? I’m trying so hard
not to run and hide, but I manage to stay calm. I see that the
other candidates are getting into their pods, so I go in as
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47
well. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ I keep asking
myself. I feel a slight tug as an instructor straps me into my
seat. It’s too late now, so I close my eyes, and try to brace
myself for the severe headache that always happens after
time travel, or so I’ve heard. I hear the machine start, and
before I can stay anything, we’re off.
----------------------------------I wake up to silence. I take off my seat belt, and look
through the small window on the front of my pod. I notice
that some of the others are waking up as well. Scared to get
out, I wait for someone else to open their pod and go out.
The first out was a boy named Cameron. He was tall with
short, dark-brown hair that almost seems to be black.
Nothing happens to him, so I also get out of my capsule.
“Where are we?” I say, walking towards him.
“I don’t know,” he responds.
As I walk closer to him, I can notice that he has gotten
much cuter in the last few years. I remember Lindsay
talking about him a few times, but I never paid any
attention to what she said about boys, plus, I had liked
Cameron a long time ago, until he kissed Kenna Raylend.
After that, I never paid him much attention. But I can’t help
but stare at him. When he turns back around to face me, I
quickly avert my eyes, but I know that he saw me staring. I
feel the heat rise up to my cheeks, and know that I must be
blushing. When I look back up at him, he is still looking at
me.
“Do I have something on my face?” I ask.
“No. Sorry I didn’t mean to stare, but you’re the
prettiest thing around this place,” he says, pointing behind
him.
I’m about to say some snarky comment about how he
was such a player, but I notice that we were surrounded by
a dense forest. I look around and notice that some of the
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48
others are waking up. I give a look back at Cameron again
who was no longer looking at me, but helping one of his
friends out of his pod. His friend was tall, but not as tall as
Cameron, he has mousey brown hair, and long thin face
with high cheek bones and he is definitely attractive. ‘He’s
nothing compared to Cameron’ I think to myself. My
thoughts, however, were interrupted by a soft groan. I turn
around, and see that Lindsay is awake.
“Hey,” I say to her.
“I think I might be sick,” she says.
I help her up, and take her away from where the rest of
the group is just waking up so she won’t be seen if she gets
sick. We have passed a few trees before she coughs up her
last meal. I am sure that we are out of sight, so I help try
and clean her up.
“Are you ok?” I ask.
“Motion sickness I guess.”
“Hey so you know who I saw before you woke up?”
She shakes her head.
“Cameron.”
She gives me a puzzled look.
“You talk about him on a daily basis but I never seem
to notice because I used to think he was kinda annoying…
ring a bell?” I say all in one breath.
“OOOHHHH! Where is he?”
“He’s back there,” I say pointing behind me.
I look at Lindsay who was now trying to stand up.
“Well what are you waiting for?” she asks, “let’s go.”
She walks back to the area where the rest of the group
is, and I notice that everyone has woken up. Girls are
swarming around Cameron, pretending to need help
standing up. ‘Give me a break’ I think to myself. We keep
walking, but I hear someone calling my name. I turn around
to see Cameron frantically waving his arms and walking
towards me. I pretend not to notice and begin to walk at a
faster pace, but he catches up to me.
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49
“Yes?” I say.
“Are you feeling ok?”
“Fine, but Sarah looks like she needs help,” I say,
pointing at a girl who is giving me a death stare, I guess for
talking to Cameron.
I pat him twice on the shoulder and say, “Okay, well I
have to go help Lindsay, you have fun with that one,” I say
nodding my head at Sarah.
I turn around, but he lightly takes my hand and turns me
back around. We are close enough that I can slightly feel
the heat radiating off of his body. I feel as if my entire body
was going to melt. I want to run and help Lindsay, but I
don’t move.
“Cam!” someone says.
He turns around, letting go of my hand in the process. I
then realize that I was holding his hand that entire time.
I finally turned around and noticed that Lindsay was
staring at me.
“What?” I ask.
“Don’t pretend that you aren’t starting to like him.”
“I’m not pretending,” I shoot back. “Besides, he has an
abundance of girls just begging to be his girlfriend, I highly
doubt that he’d choose the only one who isn’t.”
She smirks, and shrugs her shoulders. “If you really
don’t like him, then stop blushing every time he looks at
you.”
I look up at her with a shocked face. She giggles, and
tucks her long red hair behind her ear before looking back
down at the ground.
I hear someone clear their throat. I turned around and
noticed that Mr. Stratford has made his way to the middle
of the group, and is about to announce something to us.
“Students, we have gone back in time. We are currently
in England during the mid-1700s.”
“Well, what do you want us to do about it?” someone
asks.
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50
“Well, you guys will stay here while I go into town to
try and buy some clothes so that you won’t look weird. I’ll
divide the rest of the money amongst you all so you may
have an opportunity to buy something when we go into
town, after we go make a treacle tart from the master baker,
William Roman! He’s actually just one of our guys from
the colony who we have sent back in time when the group
comes so he can teach them how to bake something.”
Mr. Stratford marches off, and the group goes back to
talking and looking around. I begin to talk to Lindsay, who
seems content to talk about the clothes that we will be
wearing. I am catching onto a few words she says like itchy
or long, but I am hardly paying attention. I am thinking
about Cameron and how I had held his hand.
“Are you even listening?” I hear her ask.
“What?”
“I said, I wonder if Mr. Stratford will bring a mirror
back so I can fix my hair.”
“Oh.”
“You know if you keep looking at him, your eyes might
just pop out.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
She nods in Cameron’s direction. How did she see me
look at him? She had her head down the entire time.
“Just talk to him!”
I give a look saying ‘Yea right’.
“Why not?”
“Look at him. He has a group of girls around him, and a
few friends. I’m not going into all that,” I say.
“Well if you don’t talk to him soon, I’m afraid that he’s
gonna come over here. Then you’ll have to deal with the
girls’ death stares for the rest of the trip.”
I give a weak, embarrassed laugh, but it was cut short
by Lindsay’s gasp. I look at her, bewildered, and notice that
she isn’t looking at me. I turn around and see Cameron,
along with the swarm of girls heading for Lindsay and me.
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51
He is talking to one of them saying something that I can’t
quite make out, but before I can look back at Lindsay and
ask what is going on, I see that Mr. Stratford is coming
back. He has a handful of clothes plus a few baskets full of
clothes as well.
“Here. Girls first, then guys! Girls change over there,”
he says, pointing behind Lindsay and me, “and boys over
here!”
I assume he means at the opposite end of the clearing
from where the girls are supposed to be changing. I grab a
dress and a pair of shoes and make my way to the girls’
make-shift changing room. As I walk closer I can hear
Cameron’s name being thrown around followed by a few
giggles. When I am behind the trees, out of sight of the
boys, the group goes silent.
“So what’s the secret Miller?” a girl named Brenda
asks.
I think she understands by my expression that I am
genuinely confused because she quickly adds, “you
know… with Cameron. He only seems to want to talk to
you, and no one knows why because, let’s be honest,
you’re not half a decent as Kenna,” she remarks, pointing at
the it girl of the group, who is also Cameron’s ex-girlfriend.
Did I mention she also used to be my best friend? That was
until she “accidentally” doused me with water one day and
made a fool out of me in front of everyone. Lindsay was
one of the only ones who came to help me, and after that
she became my sister.
Honestly, I don’t mind, considering that Brenda was
basically the oddest looking person I’ve ever seen. She is
short and pleasantly plump with yellow teeth and a pointy
nose. What bugs me is that she compared me to someone
like Kenna. Kenna is beautiful, no one can deny that, but
she’s so uptight and she acts like she runs the world. I can
feel my cheeks begin to burn, and quickly turn away so that
I won’t say something I’d regret in the long-run.
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52
I get dressed with Lindsay and a few other girls who
don’t mind that Cameron has supposedly taken a liking to
me. When I turn around, I see a short girl named Skylar
smiling at me, or behind me, I can’t tell.
“What?” I ask.
She points behind me, and I see the boys wearing what
looked like over-sized pants, and loosely-fitted shirts with
boots that seemed to have a slight heel on them. I can’t help
my smile, but when I notice that some of the boys have
seen the girls watching, and I quickly turn around. I hear a
shrill cry of laughter and I look to my right and see Lindsay
laughing so hard she could barely breathe. If there was a
chance that some of the boys didn’t notice that all of the
girls are watching them, it’s gone.
“Oh come on,” I say, “it’s not like we look better.”
Actually, I don’t notice, but the clothes that Mr.
Stratford has picked out for us are kind of cute. I look down
at my dress which has a dark green, billowing skirt and a
laced up bodice in the front. The sleeves hang from my
arms and tighten and cut off at my elbows. I actually think
it is quite lovely. I take my hair out of the bun it was in, and
feel as it floats down my shoulders, and touches the middle
of my back. It feels good to let my hair be loose, but I know
that it has to go right back into a bun again before we go
into town. I have seen so in old portraits of women that are
kept in our history room.
While I wait, I braid a piece of my hair, and tie it along
with the rest, into a bun again, and walk into the clearing
with the rest of the group. I see that some of the boys have
tried to cover the pods with leaves to try and make it blend
in with the forest, but let’s be honest here, they did such a
poor job, that even a zephyr would displace every leaf and
every blade of grass that they have so carefully placed on
the pods.
Before we make our way into town, we have to be
checked by Mr. Stratford to get his approval on whether we
Flora & Fauna
53
can blend into the crowd. Once we are all checked, we
make our way into a small market place so crowded with
people that I can feel myself beginning to perspire. We
walk passed many small shops until we get to a small
bakery that smells of yeast and sugar.
“William!” Mr. Stratford says with a wide grin.
“Dani! How are you?” he replies, opening his arms to
embrace Mr. Stratford.
After they re-acquaint themselves, Mr. Roman shows
us how to make a treacle tart. I learn that I’m not the best at
baking, and end up producing what looks like a piece of
clay beneath brown sugar that smells like flour and honey.
“Well some of you have had better luck than others I
see,” he says looking down at the tarts, “but at least you
tried.”
After we all leave the bakery, we make our way back
into the market, and look at the small shops. I buy a
beautiful, light blue butterfly necklace with the money that
Mr. Stratford gave me from one of the shops selling
jewelry. The butterfly hangs on a small piece of twine that
feels very smooth when I touch it. Cameron has walked up
behind me and scares me so much, that I think I’ve had
mini heart attack.
“I see you are having some trouble with the string of
your necklace,” he says, holding out a hand, “I can fix it if
you want.”
I reluctantly give it up, but when he untangles it, he
helps me put it on. I felt his fingers gently breeze the back
of my neck as he fastens it, and I draw in a small gasp.
I turn around and see he’s smiling.
“What?” I ask.
“Come walk with me,” he says.
We make our way through the crowd, and at one point,
a woman accidentally tripped me, but Cameron manages to
catch me. Despite his efforts, I twist my ankle but manage
Flora & Fauna
54
to wobble along until we stop at the end of the road, where
the street abruptly meets the woods.
“Here,” he says.
“Why are we –” I start, but I’m cut off. I notice that
Cameron has lowered his head so that our eyes were
perfectly aligned. He comes closer, but I stop him by
putting a hand on his shoulder.
“I can’t”
“Why not?”
“Because you were with Kenna. Before you were
dating, Kenna told me she really liked you. When we
joined Colony J to get our monthly supplies, she said you
kissed her.”
“What? Cass, that’s not what happened… Kenna kissed
me.”
“What?!? She said you kissed her and told her you
always liked her.”
“Cass, why would I say that when I’ve always liked
you?”
I’m shocked. Did he really just say that? I don’t know
what to think.
“But why did you date her after that?”
“I asked her if you were into me, and she said no, but
that she always liked me. I would have never dated her if I
knew you had a thing for me.”
“What makes you think I have a thing for you?” I
protest as I cross my arms over my chest.
“Cass, you know that I see you stare at me sometimes.”
It’s true. Why did I think he wouldn’t notice?
“Yeah? Well how do you know you didn’t just have
something on your face?” I say, not wanting to back down.
He smiles at me, showing his dimples, making him
even more attractive. “Because I never have anything on
my face.”
I laugh at that. When we walk back, Cameron reaches
for my hand, and we rejoin the group. Half the girls can
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55
burn holes through my skull with the looks they are giving
me, but the other girls I was changing with can’t help but
smirk.
I hear Mr. Stratford call our group together again, and
we make our way back the clearing that we landed in. I was
right, all of the leaves covering the capsules were blown
away, but none of the boys seem too bummed about it.
I get into my capsule, and Mr. Stratford says, “We’re
going back home you guys.”
“Finally,” I hear him say under his breath. I can’t help
but smile.
When we get back to our colony, we are still dressed in
the clothes Mr. Stratford has given us. I feel nauseous and I
have a bad headache, but when I see Cameron coming
towards me to help me up, it all fades away. Some of the
girls are still trying to give me dirty looks, but they are all
too sick to convey how they really feel. Among them, I see
Kenna, her eyes blazing, but honestly, I can’t be bothered. I
feel one of Cameron’s arms wrap around my shoulders, and
I reach up to hold his hand. ‘Today was a good day’ I think
to myself.
th
Arathi Ranga – 8
Flora & Fauna
56
Dr. Dolittle
Goes Abroad
In 4 grade, students are introduced to the classic,
The Story of Dr. Dolittle, a delightful tale about a
veterinarian who can speak to animals, first published in
1920. The series continues with 12 books in all, taking Dr.
Dolittle and his animal companions to the Post Office, the
Circus, the Zoo, and even the Moon! Also published was
an associated tome, GubGub’s Book: An Encyclopedia of
Food, part cookbook, part collection of vignettes—which
for any fan of the eponymous, epicurean pig would love. In
the tales beyond, students have written their version of
the friendly doctor and his quests to further veterinary
health across the globe, stopping in the Arctic tundra,
the coral reef of Australia, the African savannah, and
the wilds of Canada. Also featured are his friends,
WANTED for their various exploits in the quiet village
of Puddle-by-on-the-Marsh and beyond.
Much like the beloved doctor himself, the students got
whimsical with their depictions of animals using mixed
media. For the backgrounds they used tempera paint to
create layers, while for the animals themselves, they used
acrylic to bring each creature to life.
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57
X-out
Bilal Yaseen - 4
th
WANTED
This parrot, Polynesia of name, is the smartest of
smartypants. She has copied 20 adult novels, 2 children’s
novels, and 13 young adult novels. She was last seen in
the Canary Islands. She has also been seen in Cairo,
London, New York and Paris.
Wanted for Plagiarism. If seen, call X-out Plagiarism at
+075 0037 2900 or email [email protected].
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The Search for the African Violet
Nick Corral - 4
th
Once upon a time, a long time ago there was an animal
doctor, by the name of Doctor Dolittle. Doctor Dolittle was
known worldwide by animals for his ability to speak the
language of the animals. He had many pets, but his
favorite animals were Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, GubGub the pig, Too-Too the owl, and a Pushmipullu which is
a gazelle unicorn cross, but it doesn't have a tail instead it
has another head.
One fine summer day, as Doctor Dolittle was relaxing
with his pets, Gub-Gub began vomiting. After Gub-Gub
stopped vomiting, Doctor Dolittle gave Gub-Gub a checkup. The check-up revealed Gub-Gub had tyloopnoose.
Doctor Dolittle's medical book said that the only cure
was a certain type of violet only found in Africa. He left
the house and returned an hour later. He told the animals
he had rented them a boat and they would leave in the
morning. They woke up bright and early that next morning
and packed and packed.
When they arrived at the docks, the captain and the
crew were waiting for them. They set sail for several
weeks until they reached Africa.
When they reached Africa, they set out in search for the
African violet. They thought they found one, when out of
nowhere, a cheetah jumped at them. It frightened them so
they ran. The cheetah pursued asking if he was the famous
Dr. Dolittle. Dr Dolittle replied saying he was Dr Dolittle.
The cheetah asked him if he could help his cub. Dr
Dolittle said he would and set off to the cheetah's den to
examine him.
When he got to the den, he found the cub in a horrible
state. He returned five minutes later saying that he had the
same disease as Gub-Gub, and that they were still looking
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59
for a cure. The cheetah asked what the cure was. Dr.
Dolittle told the cheetah that the cure was a rare African
violet and that he had come to Africa to find one. Dr.
Dolittle went to a clearing in the jungle where he found one
African violet growing there. He picked it up and ground it
to a fine paste. He gave a little to Gub-Gub and a little to
the cheetah cub.
Out of nowhere, the cheetah asked, “Can I come with
you? I'm tired of people coming after my hide.”
Dr. Dolittle said, “Why not?"
So they left the African shores an hour later and
journeyed back to Dr Dolittle's home in England, where
they lived happily ever after.
Jeremiah Koriganowitz - 4
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60
Kelsey Olesen - 4
th
The African Savannah
Noah Hailu - 4
th
After Doctor Dolittle returned from his voyage to the
African jungle, he was very busy taking care of his animals
in Puddleby. All the animals in Puddleby got along with
each other including the new animal, pushmi-pullyu.
Doctor Dolittle was not surprised to get another
message from the African Savannah. This time, the
message came from the lions. They wrote that they were
having trouble roaring due to sore throats. They were
asking Doctor Dolittle’s help to find a cure for their sore
throats. Doctor Dolittle had just returned from his journey
from Africa two years ago. But he could not say no to an
animal’s plea for help.
Doctor Dolittle called for a meeting with all his animals
in Puddleby. The meeting was to make a decision on who
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61
will stay back in Puddleby and who will go to Africa. He
had a hard time choosing which animals to bring on the
journey. At the end he decided to bring Too-Too the owl
and Polyesnia the parrot. He picked Too-Too for his sharp
hearing and Polyesnia because she knows what to bring for
the journey. He gave the other animals in Puddleby
assignments to care for the farm while he was away.
This time around Doctor Dolittle was able to set off on
his journey right away because he had made enough
money. He packed enough food and supplies with the help
of Polyesnia. He said good bye to the animals and started
his long journey.
He sailed his ship across the Atlantic Ocean. The
journey through the ocean was smooth and uneventful.
Doctor Dolittle went through the Mediterranean Sea and
finally docked his ship on the coast of North Africa. When
he reached North Africa he bought a camel named Egypt.
Egypt was able to help the Doctor and his crew to reach
their destination of the African Savannah grass lands. They
let the camel free once they were finished with his help.
In the African Savannah, the lions greeted Doctor
Dolittle and his crew. The Doctor had never been to this
part of Africa before. The grass was as tall as Doctor
Dolittle. He was soon able to figure out what was causing
the lion’s sore throat. Luckily for the lions, he had the right
medication with him. After the lions were cured, they asked
him to help another animal who lived by the lake.
Doctor Dolittle met the new animal hiding by the lake.
The animal was large, gray in color and was very scary
looking. Polyesnia and Too-Too went and talked to the
strange looking animal. The animal was shy and did not
want to talk to them at first. Polyesnia and Too-Too found
out the strange looking animal was called a hippo. The
hippo told them he did not feel safe swimming in the lake
because there was a mean crocodile that was eating anyone
who went into the lake. The poor hippo was worried that he
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62
could not get any rest at all and he was thirsty and missed
going swimming. Polyesnia and Too-Too told the Doctor
what problem the hippo was having.
Doctor Dolittle finally met the hippo. The hippo was
glad that the Doctor might be able to help him. Doctor
Dolittle told the hippo that there was not much he could do
to change the crocodile’s bad behavior. But if the hippo
was willing to take the long journey, he would be glad to
bring him to Puddleby. The hippo agreed to the journey as
long as he could bring his family.
After a very long and rough journey they reached
Puddleby. They were greeted by all the animals. The hippo
and his family were glad to be in Puddleby. They felt safe
and had plenty of water to drink and play in.
Dr. Dolittle’s Wild Adventure
Tehya Garza - 4
th
Once upon a time, Dr. Dolittle wanted to take a trip to
Argentina to learn how to dance the tango. He took CheeChee the monkey, because in past conversations with the
monkey, he had said that he was an amazing tango dancer.
Dr. Dolittle then decided to ask Chee-Chee if he would
like to go to Argentina with him and dance.
“Sure! Why not? I’ve always wanted to go to Argentina
and dance,” said Chee-Chee.
When they landed in Argentina, they walked around to
look at landmarks. One day, Chee-Chee and Dr. Dolittle
were looking at a waterfall when a group of dancers started
dancing. Soon people from the crowd joined.
“Come on Dr. Dolittle! Dance with me, man!!” said
Chee-Chee.
“Okay! This is what we came here to do anyway,”
replied the doctor.
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63
Chee-Chee was teaching Dr. Dolittle to dance and
finally he learned.
They had a nice day. On their way back to the hotel, a
man walking by told them to go and visit Patagonia.
Chee-Chee then asked Dr. Dolittle if they could go.
At first, he seemed unwilling.
“Come on Dr. Dolittle! Let’s go!! Patagonia is near
Antarctica. There might be penguins,” said Chee-Chee.
“I don’t know… It sounds cold. But there are penguins.
I need that for my research. Oh okay, I’m coming!”
exclaimed Dr.Dolittle with excitement.
“YAY!” shouted Chee-Chee in joy. “Hip-Hip---”
“But…,” the doctor interrupted, “You have to buy me a
pair of pants.”
“Deal!!” replied the monkey.
By the time Dr. Dolittle and Chee-Chee landed, they were
shivering a lot.
“I want--- my----- pantsss,” was the first thing that Dr.
Dolittle said as they got off the boat.
“Sure thing. Let’s go,” said Chee-Chee who was
covered in many layers because Dr. Dolittle didn’t want
Chee-Chee to freeze and didn’t think that as a human, he
would be that cold.
On the way to the store, Dr. Dolittle and Chee-Chee
found a penguin. The penguin was all alone.
“Hey Mr. Penguin. Are you okay? You should be with
your parents right now,” said Dr. Dolittle.
“They are dead…” replied the penguin.
“Would you like to live with us?” asked Chee-Chee.
“Sure. I have nowhere else to go,” replied Esmerelda
the penguin.
“We are off to buy my friend some pants,” said CheeChee looking at Dr. Dolittle.
*
*
*
Dr. Dolittle, Chee-Chee, and Esmerelda, the penguin,
all got on the boat to go back to England. As the boat was
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64
getting closer and closer to England, Esmerelda was staring
to sweat.
“It’s getting really hot, Dr.Dolittle,” said Esmerelda.
“Oh no! I forgot!! You’re not used to such heat.”
Esmerelda was getting hotter and hotter and looked as
if she was about to faint.
Meanwhile, Dr. Dolittle was walking around the boat
thinking of something to do. Finally he snapped his fingers
and exclaimed, “I’ve got it.”
“Chee-Chee go around the boat and ask for clothes that
people aren’t using so we can make a shade for
Esmerelda,” directed Dr. Dolittle.
“On it, sir,” said Chee-Chee with a salute.
“Esmerelda, come with me, you’re going to the lowest
deck possible,” said Dr. Dolittle.
*
*
*
“I got three coats, two pants, and five sweatshirts,” said
Chee-Chee.
Dr. Dolittle put Esmerelda in the lowest deck available
to the public. This deck had a window which let in air from
the ocean. Dr. Dolittle had made a shade out of clothes and
umbrellas for Esmerelda and it was complete! With a big
bowl of ice cream Esmerelda soon got much cooler.
In about three more days, Chee-Chee, Dr. Dolittle, and
Esmerelda reached England safe and sound and they all
met with the rest of the gang and lived happily ever after.
The Pink Snows
Bilal Yaseen - 4
th
Dr. Dolittle was sitting with his animal friends on
his front porch when suddenly an Arctic tern crash
landed on the steps. It squealed in its high little
voice; “Some Penguins are sick! They need help.” Arctic
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65
terns are small, migratory birds that fly from the Arctic
to the Antarctic every year and back.
Dr. Dolittle jumped up at once and dashed into the
house to get his medical bag. The Arctic tern called
out after him that it was a very cold place. Dr. Dolittle
had not heard him as he rushed off ….
Dr. Dolittle asked Polynesia, his talking bird to join
him on this trip and to start packing. Polynesia was a
well travelled bird. She got on it right away and started
packing warm clothes because she had heard the
Arctic tern. She was a smart packer and soon all the
food and essential medical supplies and the warm
clothes were ready to go. She was a great talker and
went to chat with the Arctic tern.
She learned a great many things about the
Penguins they would be visiting. She discovered more
details about the penguins too. They were not the most
familiar ones known to people that lived in Africa, but were
the “Adelie” which lived in the Antarctic region. Polynesia
said she did not know about this breed of penguins.
The Arctic tern babbled on rather pompously, “These
are not the Emperor Penguins that the humans are
familiar with, these are the Adelie Penguins which live
in large colonies in Antarctica.” The Adelie Penguins
are identified by a white ring around their eye and are
medium sized. These penguins are usually found on the
Antarctic continent, South Shetland, South Orkeny, South
Swedish and Bouvetoya Islands.
She continued telling Polynesia about these
penguins until Polynesia thought she knew everything
about them. So she interrupted the Arctic Tern and
asked very sweetly, “Do you think I should wear my
white clothes to blend in with the snow?”
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66
The tern was thoughtful and then replied, “Yes,
white with a bit of gray would be fine. Nothing too
fancy.” With that it hopped off to look for some food.
Soon Dr. Dolittle joined them wearing his white
doctor coat and his famous white top hat. They took
a ship to visit the sick Penguins in Antarctica. Dr.
Dolittle was shocked to find out where they were going.
The tern had flown ahead to let the others know that
Dr. Dolittle was coming to treat the Penguins. He got a
warm welcome on his arrival in the land of ice and
snow. The land of the wild animals.
The birds had built a small raft to take them over
the snowy river. The tern led them to where the sick
penguins resided. They were covered in thick blankets
of fur, and all the windows were shut in their hut. Dr.
Dolittle could clearly see that something was not right. He
saw that some Penguins were extremely hot and some
were shivering violently. He was surprised to see them
shiver as he had learnt from Polynesia on the trip that
these were creatures of extreme cold weather.
He scratched his chin and said aloud, “I wonder
what’s wrong with them?’
Polynesia replied that some kind of virus had
made them sick. A few weeks ago the snow and ice
had turned pink where they lived, it was after that
episode that they got sick.
Flora & Fauna
67
A similar incident had happened around ten years
ago and a lot of the penguins had gotten sick then
too. It took them a long while to get better, but they
had. However, now these penguins were not getting better.
All the animals were worried and scared.
Dr. Dolittle examined the penguins and announced
that he had developed a new vaccine which might
work on them. He asked Polynesia to go back to the
ship with the tern and get the ice box with the
vaccine in it. They were back soon, but, in the
meanwhile, Dr. Dolittle told the sick penguins to
freshen up as he would have to treat them the next
day. The penguins were impatient for the new vaccine
but wanted to follow the orders of the kind doctor.
The next day all the sick penguins lined up to get the
patches on their strong flipper. It would take a few hours
to see the results.
Soon the whole community of the sick penguins was
patched up and on their way to recovery. One little
penguin named Stella waddled up to Dr. Dolittle and
said: “Can you please take me with you?”
Dr. Dolittle was surprised by this strange request and
asked her: “Won’t your parents miss you, Stella? “
Stella replied sadly: “I am an orphan, and I have no
family to take care of me, I live with foster parents.
May I please go with you. You seem like a kind man.”
Dr. Dolittle was touched by what the penguin said,
so he asked the older penguins if he could take Stella
with him. They said they would be happy to know
that she was living with a loving family. Stella was
excited and after saying her goodbyes to her friends,
she joined the group heading back to Puddle by on the
Marsh.
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Ellie Stolyar - 4
th
Monty Kitzerow - 4
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69
Pushmi-Pullyu
Ellie Stolyar - 4
th
WANTED
The pushmi-pullyu’s head is like a deer head. The
pushmi-pullyu is wanted for scaring people with its
two heads, eating too much, and not leaving any food
left for people. The pushmi-pullyu is also wanted for
sneaking into food markets by scaring people and not
paying for the food he steals.
WANTED
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The Voyage Down Under
Aidan James - 4
th
As a young boy, Dr. Dolittle was always curious about
animals and seeing the world. He dreamed of the elephants
and tigers on the wild safari in Africa, the turtles on the
Galapagos Islands, and the monkeys in India. So one
morning, he decided to go on an adventure. “But to
where,” he asked himself.
He decided to let lady luck figure it out so he closed his
eyes and pointed randomly to a spot on his globe. It landed
on Australia. But how was he to get there with only $50
dollars in his pocket? He decided to sneak aboard a sailor’s
ship that was headed to Australia. So he snuck onboard a
ship that was leaving port and hid in a chest. It was kind of
dark inside the chest. But as long as he had Gub-Gub with
him, Dr. Dolittle didn’t feel lonely. Gub-Gub was his pet
pig. Upon arrival in Australia, he decided to visit the Great
Coral Reef. So he and Gub-Gub took a bus that was taking
visitors to the reef.
When they arrived, they couldn’t wait to jump into the
water. The reef was so beautiful with its crystal clear blue
waters. It felt so good and refreshing to swim in the water
after the long boat and bus ride. Dr. Dolittle had heard so
much about the clown fish in Australia that he and GubGub decided to find some. They found some at the bottom
of the Great Coral Reef.
Usually clown fish are happy, but these clown fish
seemed sad. Dr. Dolittle asked them what was wrong.
They replied that they were sad because some humans took
some of their friends away. One of their best friends was
named Sugar and she was taken to a nearby pet store. So
Dr. Dolittle and Gub-Gub went to find Sugar.
They found Sugar in a bag set on the table near the fish
tank. Dr. Dolittle told Gub-Gub that he would distract the
owner while Gub-Gub got Sugar. When Dr. Dolittle
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71
approached the pet store owner, he acted as if he was sick
and fainted. While the pet store owner was taking care of
Dr. Dolittle, Gub-Gub was able to steal Sugar when the
owner wasn’t looking and took her back to the Great Coral
Reef. Dr. Dolittle met them there. All three of them swam
down to the clown fish’s home, but when they got there,
their house had been destroyed by some humans stepping
on the coral reef. Sugar and the other clown fish were so
sad. Dr. Dolittle and Gub-Gub thought of an idea. They
would build the clown fish a new home.
So they collected some coral and got some seaweed and
started to build a new house for the clown fish. The other
clown fish were so surprised, they decided to help. It
would have taken Dr. Dolittle and Gub-Gub several weeks
to complete, but with the help of their new friends, they
were able to build a new home for the clown fish in a few
days.
The new house was even better than their other home.
The clown fish were so happy and grateful for their home
that they wanted to give Dr. Dolittle a gift. But what could
they give him? So they swam to Mrs. Oyster and asked if
she would be willing to give them a pearl. She was
delighted when she heard what Gub-Gub and Dr. Dolittle
did for the clown fish and agreed. They gave the pearl to
Dr. Dolittle and he was really surprised and happy about
their thoughtfulness.
Dr. Dolittle decided it was time to go home, but he
didn’t have enough money. The clown fish told him that
might be able to hitch a ride with the dolphins. So Dr.
Dolittle asked the dolphins if they would be willing to give
both him and Gub-Gub a ride back home. The dolphins
agreed, but Gub-Gub didn’t want to go. So he stayed
behind in Australia. Dr. Dolittle returned home, but he
didn’t go alone as Sugar decided to come with him.
Periodically, they’d receive postcards from Gub-Gub about
his adventures Down Under in Australia.
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WANTED: Sausages
Michi Futamase - 4
th
WANTED
Jip is a small, white, spotted dog, and until recently, was a
great pet for Dr. Dolittle. He is best known for finding the
Boy’s uncle. But one day, when Jip was near the butcher
store, he smelled something so good that he tried to sneak
in. The butcher chased him away. But later, at night, he
returned to steal bones and sausages!
If found, please call the meat police!
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A Serious Case of Mercury Poisoning
Remy Furst - 4
th
Once upon a time there was a veterinarian whose name
was Doctor Dolittle. He was famous among animals
because he cured so many monkeys in Africa. He lived in
England, in a place called Puddleby-on-the-Marsh.
One day he was walking on the beach and saw a large
clam. He went to it and started talking to it. He knew how
to communicate with, talk and listen to animals, so getting
an answer was not a problem!
He asked the clam, “Do you need help getting back into
the water?”
The clam said, “No, are you Doctor Dolittle the Great?”
Doctor Dolittle replied, “I may not be great, but I am
Doctor Dolittle.”
The clam said, “Phew, finally! I have been meaning to
tell you that there is a clownfish in the Great Coral Reef
that has a serious case of mercury poisoning.”
Doctor Dolittle said, “Is that true? Hmmmm, tell him
that I will be there soon.”
Quickly, the clam slid back into the ocean and two
seconds later the clam washed back on to the shore and
said, “Oh, by the way, the clownfish’s name is Billybob Jr.
and is in a large, pink oval cave with stripes.”
Doctor Dolittle did not hesitate for a second and ran as
fast as he could all the way back to his house. Before
anyone knew it, Doctor Dolittle was out the door with his
swimsuit, goggles and Dab-Dab the duck.
Funnily enough, Dab-Dab started laughing and said to
Doctor Dolittle “You silly GOOSE! You need to bring
fins, a wetsuit, an air tank, a diving watch, diving goggles,
a fishbowl and a regulator.”
Soon enough, Doctor Dolittle was out the door with all
of the above. Next, Doctor Dolittle and Dab-Dab went to
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the cheese maker and bought some Brie and then went to
the baker and bought some whole grain bread. This was
food for the journey.
The fisherman named Ronaldo asked, “Where are you
going?”
Doctor Dolittle answered in a jolly manner, “I am going
to the Great Corral Reef.”
The fisherman asked, “Do you need to borrow my boat?
I will let you borrow it if you bring me a sea urchin from
the Great Coral Reef.”
“Ok, I guess it’s a deal,” said Doctor Dolittle. About
half an hour later, Doctor Dolittle and Dab-Dab were on the
boat ready to raise the anchor.
The Great Voyage
Doctor Dolittle and Dab-Dab were sailing across the
Pacific Ocean when they saw a large sea turtle which had
an enormous shell.
Doctor Dolittle asked, “Do you know where the Great
Coral Reef is?”
The sea turtle answered, “Yes, I do; do you need help
finding it? I can show you, only if you are Doctor Dolittle
the Great.”
Doctor Dolittle said, “As I said before to the clam, I
may not be great, but I am Doctor Dolittle.”
“I am very pleased to meet you Doctor Dolittle,” said
the sea turtle, “I have been waiting for this moment for
exactly eleven months, three days, seventeen hours, two
minutes, and ten seconds! I will definitely show you!”
“Me and Dab-Dab are very thankful,” said Doctor
Dolittle. And then the turtle, whose name was Jack, tugged
the boat because he could go 100,000,000 knots per hour,
which is pretty fast, just do the math!
After only 20 minutes the sea turtle said, “We are
here!”
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Doctor Dolittle and Dab-Dab thanked Jack for showing
them the way to the Great Coral Reef.
Jack said, “No problem, my pleasure.” Then Jack dove
into the water and swam away.
Doctor Dolittle put on his diving gear and told Dab-Dab
to dive in with him. On the count of three they dove into
the water. The first thing Doctor Dolittle did was tell DabDab to look around for a large, pink oval cave with stripes.
Just then he realized how beautiful the reef was, he saw,
brown and yellow, coral heads that had the texture and
shape of brains but in contrast to a normal human brain
they were very hard when he touched them. He saw
amazing gorgonians which are soft corals that look like
underwater plants, he saw these in red, orange, yellow,
green, and blue, each one fluorescent. He saw hundreds of
crown thorn sea stars with thorny spikes on their skin, like
spiky ninja stars. He saw scary parrot fish which look like
fish with beaks (one of the arch enemies of coral as they eat
them). The reef was full of all sorts of large and small
creatures. The sandy floor was lit up by the sun rays that
shone through the water. The water was crystal clear, so
clear that even a sand particle could be seen.
An hour later Dab-Dab came back excitedly to the
meeting spot that Doctor Dolittle and he had agreed upon
before, and said “I found it.”
This meeting spot was on the starboard side of the boat
on the surface of the water. Doctor Dolittle went over to
him and asked him to show him the place. So, Dab-Dab
swam for thirty minutes and then pointed his wing to the
cave beneath the surface of the water. After Dab-Dab
settled down, Doctor Dolittle swam under water and saw
the cave. He went into it and saw a small clownfish
sleeping on a rock wrapped with seaweed. He slowly and
gently took the clownfish in his hand and brought the
clownfish back to the boat. After several hours the
clownfish finally awoke in the fishbowl that Doctor Dolittle
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76
had put him in. When Doctor Dolittle came to the
clownfish, he was at first a little scared but when Doctor
Dolittle introduced himself, the clownfish calmed down.
The clownfish said, “I knew you were coming I just did
not know when.”
“Really, did the clam tell you?” asked Doctor Dolittle.
“Yes, he did,” said the clownfish.
“Can I call you Billybob Jr.?” asked Doctor Dolittle.
“Yes,” said the clownfish. “Can I come with you back
to England since there is too much mercury in the Great
Coral Reef?” asked the clownfish.
“Yes,” said Doctor Dolittle. “I will bring you to
England where I can bath you in special water infused with
detox minerals from a meteorite that crashed in Siberia
years ago”.
A day later Doctor Dolittle dove into the water and
grabbed a beautiful sea urchin, got back on the ship and set
sail. After Doctor Dolittle made a super high pitch sound
with a large shark tooth, Jack came back and asked, “Do
you need a ride?”
Thirty minutes later they finally saw an island at which
they docked. They were super happy when they found out
that the island was actually part of England. The next thing
Doctor Dolittle did was to ask a stage coach to bring him to
his house in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. The stage coach did
so and finally Doctor Dolittle, Dab-Dab and Billybob Jr.
were back in Doctor Dolittle’s warm, comfy, and beautiful
home.
About a day later Ronaldo came knocking on the door
asking for his sea urchin. Doctor Dolittle gave him the sea
urchin and told him that he had docked the boat right next
to Ronaldo’s house. After a couple of days Billybob Jr. had
been cured, thanks to a series of baths in the water infused
with the meteorite’s minerals. Doctor Dolittle built an
aquarium with sea water and an anemone so Billybob Jr.
could stay with him in his sweet home in England.
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Dr. Dolittle Goes to the Barrier Reef
Zachary Rothenberg - 4
th
It was cold damp night in Dr. Dotlittle’s house. He and
the gang were warming up by the fire while Dr. Dolittle
was telling them his dream about helping all of the animals
in the world. Dr. Dolittle went to the kitchen to see what
time it was and saw an osprey flying towards his window.
He opened the window and said, “What are you doing
here?”
The osprey replied, “I am looking for Dr. Dolittle.”
“Well, you are lucky, because I am Dr. Dolittle,” he
said. The osprey told the gang about fishermen who were
trying to catch sharks in the Great Barrier Reef, but ended
up catching spinner dolphins in the nets.
Jip, his dog, replied, “The dolphins are probably very
hungry.”
“They sent me to get help because I can fly long
distances,” replied the Osprey.
Dr. Dolittle said, “Why not someone else besides me?”
“Because you are the famous doctor who can talk to the
animals,” the Osprey said. With that, the gang decided
who should travel with Dr. Dolittle.
Gub-Gub the pig had an idea. He would go with Dr.
Dolittle because he thought he was brave enough.
“I am not sure,” said the pushmi-pullyu. “You did not
like the heat in Africa and it is just as hot in Australia.”
Too-Too the owl thought Dab-Dab the duck should go
because she can swim. Dab-Dab was excited to go because
she had never been there before. That was their final
decision. “What should we pack?” asked Dab-Dab.
“You should probably pack diving equipment, some
tee-shirts, shorts, goggles, and sun screen,” said the Osprey.
“It’s pretty hot there. You will probably also need scissors,
and a map,” replied the Osprey.
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After they were done packing, they hauled their
luggage onto the sailor’s ship. “What island is it near?”
asked Dr. Dolittle
“It is right by Lizard Island,” said the Osprey.
“This will be another long journey,” said Dr. Dolittle.
He left Too-Too in charge, and they set off on their
adventure.
They sailed through the English Channel and quickly
passed the Canary Islands to avoid the Barbary pirates.
They continued in the South Atlantic Ocean to Africa and
stopped for a visit. On Dr. Dolittle’s last journey to Africa,
he left Polynesia, Chee-Chee, and the crocodile. They used
to be part of the gang. They helped Dr. Dolittle find food
in the jungle.
Finally, they entered the Indian Ocean, passed
Madagascar, and sailed north of Australia in the Timor Sea
to the Great Barrier Reef. They located Lizard Island on a
map that they had brought.
Once they arrived on Lizard Island, they got ready to
save the spinner dolphins. They were heading into the
water, when suddenly, a spinner dolphin burst up out of the
water in one of the nets. Dr. Dolittle, thinking fast, took
out his scissors and cut the net. The spinner dolphin
thanked him and Dr. Dolittle asked, “Do you know where
the other spinner dolphins are?”
“Yes,” said the dolphin, “They are trapped in a cave.
Luckily they have an air pocket, but they are really hungry
and getting weak.”
Dr. Dolitle swam down with Dab-Dab towards the
cave. Dr. Dolittle realized the cave was only big enough
for Dab-Dab. He said in a worried voice, “Dab-Dab, can
you go by yourself into the cave to cut the net?”
Dab-Dab said, “How will I do that without hands?”
“Try using your feet to cut it and I will gently pull it out
the after you cut the net,” said Dr. Dolittle. They cut the
net to free the spinner dolphins. There were 10 other
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spinner dolphins in the cave. After they were saved, they
jumped up and splashed with joy. They thanked Dr.
Dolittle one by one. Dr. Dolittle said, “Do you want me to
tell the fisherman to go somewhere else?”
“YES,” pleaded the spinner dolphins. So he did. Once
he got to the fishermen, he said, “Mister, can you please
move your nets. They are killing dolphins, not sharks.”
One fisherman said, “Are you the great Dr. Dolittle?”
“Yes, I am,” he said. The fisherman moved his nets
and went away.
On Dr. Dolittle’s way back to tell the dolphins the great
news, he bumped into a sea turtle. The turtle started to
move away from Dr. Dolittle. “Is there something wrong?”
said Dr. Dolittle.
“My eggs are getting eaten by silver gulls. A lot of my
babies are dying. There are only 15 left out of 110!”
“I think I might know how to solve that problem,” said
Dr. Dolittle.
He went to find Dab-Dab who was with the spinner
dolphins. He asked Dab-Dab if she could sit on the sea
turtle’s eggs to keep them safe. Dab-Dab came and sat on
the eggs until they hatched. The sea turtle was worried that
when the babies hatch, they might get eaten by predators.
The turtle said, “Can the babies and I go with you back
to Puddle-by on the Marsh?”
Dr. Dolittle thought for a moment about where the
turtles would live. He would have to build a heating device
and warm up his pool if they were coming back with him.
So he went home to England with the turtle and took
him to a stunt show. At the stunt show, the turtle won the
show by doing a backwards summersault three times in a
row. They got one thousand pounds and he used them to
buy the heater and food for the turtles. Once Dr. Dolittle
was home, he counted all of the money he had left. There
were four hundred pounds. He added it to his money from
displaying the pushmi-pullyu and there was five hundred
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pounds. That night, Dr. Dolittle and Dab-Dab told the
story of what happened on their adventurous journey. They
wanted the turtles to have a happy home now that they
were with the most famous doctor in the world.
Michi Futamase – 4
th
Sebastian Mignard – 4
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81
Hypnotize
Jeremiah Koriganowitz - 4
th
WANTED
Polynesia the smartest, hypnotizing bird is real
trouble. She makes people think she is someone
else and makes people do things they don’t want
to do. She was last seen eating the 4th graders’
homework. If seen call 408-555-8858.
Reward - $900,900,900!
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City Limits
Batool Yaseen - 4
th
A few years ago, Dr. Dolittle decided that it had
been a long while since he had last gone on a
voyage. He decided to take Polynesia with him since
he could not live without her. It was a long voyage from
Puddle-by-on-the-Marsh to Canada.
Polynesia helped Dr. Dolittle to prepare for the trip,
they brought hard tack and other things which were
needed for the long journey. Two days later Polynesia
and Dr. Dolittle set off for Canada. Polynesia told Dr.
Dolittle that it reminded her of when they had gone
to Africa. In a few weeks they reached Canada safe
and sound. They collected all their belongings and went
off to look for their lodgings.
Polynesia, after settling down, wanted to go out
and explore her surroundings. While she was flying
around she saw a Canada Goose in a pond. Polynesia
flew over to the pond to meet the Canada Goose. The
Canada Goose was wary and asked Polynesia who she
was.
Polynesia introduced herself and said, “Hi! I am
Polynesia and I live with Dr. Dolittle.”
The Goose said that she would love to meet Dr.
Dolittle and learn more about him. Polynesia replied that
once Dr. Dolittle was settled, she could meet him.
After a while Dr. Dolittle came and joined Polynesia.
She told him all about the Canada Goose. He was excited
and waned to meet the goose right away. But it was not
to be found. Dr. Dolittle and Polynesia explored around
the pond and were surprised to find the pond well
take care of. Polynesia said it was a quiet little town
just outside of the Ottawa city limits, and a lot of
people came on the week-ends for a quiet and
peaceful time. They saw a few senior citizens walking
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around with their dogs and a few young mothers with
their babies on the playground.
“It’s a nice family park,” remarked Dr. Dolittle.
While they were walking around two scientists
came to the pond to check the water quality. It was
almost sunset by the time they headed back to their
lodgings nearby. They were famished so they had a
hearty dinner and then sat on the porch to watch the
beautiful sunset. Later that night they saw the Northern
Lights Dr. Dolittle and Polynesia were both exhausted
after their long day, so they both each said good night
and went to sleep.
Soon after breakfast next morning they left to go
to the pond to meet the Canada Goose. It was
delighted to see Polynesia again and even more
delighted to meet the well known Dr. Dolittle.
Her plan was to go into the city limits of Ottawa to find
fish for herself. She flew off saying she would meet them
later. Dr. Dolittle and Polynesia both looked around for a
while.
“We need some groceries,” said Dr. Dolittle.
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Polynesia wanted to go to the grocery store in the
city limits, so Dr. Dolittle went back to their rooms to
finish unpacking and organizing his things.
As Polynesia flew across the park she saw lots of
wonderful and exciting things. When she reached the
City she saw the Canada Goose trying to cross a
road, just about to be hit by a fast car. Polynesia in a
flash was on top of the traffic light.
The people thought it was red light and screeched
to a stop. The Canada Goose crossed the street safely.
Polynesia was happy that she had been able to save
the Canada Goose. She went off to get her groceries
and flew back home.
However the Goose had seen the red flash of her
feathers and knew it was Polynesia who had saved
her. She waited and followed Polynesia back to her
lodgings, then went inside and told Dr. Dolittle about
her near mishap and Polynesia’s heroic act. She asked
Dr. Dolittle if she could live with him as it was
dangerous where she lived and about the scarcity of
food too. Dr. Dolittle said he would be very happy if
she came to live with them at Puddle-by-on-the-Marsh.
Once it was decided that the goose was going
back with them, Polynesia teased the goose about its
name. They decided that she would be named Squeaky,
because of her high screeching sound.
The two birds would go to the pond and play
there all day while Dr. Dolittle packed. The Canada
Goose sadly bid farewell to her friends and said she
would miss them, and that they meant the world to
her. So instead of two going back it was now three. In a
few days they left Canada to go home to England.
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Jip’s Bones
Kelsey Olesen - 4
th
WANTED
This cute, cuddly dog Jip, isn’t what he seems. He is a
master of disguise, last seen dressed as a poodle trying
to steal a bone from the Dinosaur Museum. He tends to
hang out at the Downtown Treat Shop, with his
buddies in crime: Professor Poodle, the brains of the
group, Dan the Doberman, the muscle, and Nelly the
Newfoundland, the distraction who uses his cuteness.
If you see this criminal, report him immediately to the
police!
Reward: £2,000
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Mission for Syrup
Tyler Soong - 4
th
Once upon a time Dr. Dolittle was sitting at the dining
table with Pushmi-Pullyu about to have breakfast.
Dab-Dab called out, “Breakfast is ready!”
Gub-Gub said, “Can I have some maple syrup for my
pancakes?”
“Oh no! There’s no maple syrup!” cried Dab Dab.
Gub-gub started crying like a baby.
“Need syrup! Need syrup!” Dab-Dab started to panic.
“We can go buy some at the store,” said Dab-Dab.
“But store syrup tastes rotten!” whined Gub-Gub.
“What are we going to do? Pancakes without syrup
taste disgusting!” cried Dab-Dab.
“Wait! Can’t we just go to Canada to get some syrup?
There are maple trees there and it’s fresh!” said Polynesia
who was visiting from Africa.
“You’re brilliant! Let’s go there,” said Dr. Dolittle.
“Can I come too?” asked Pushmi-Pullyu.
“Sure,” said Dr. Dolittle.
The Dr. and Pushmi-Pullyu went to get a boat to go to
Canada. They needed to get some supplies so they went to
the store. Before he left, he said goodbye to all his other
animals and took a map with him so he could find the
maple trees.
They went on the big voyage and they set up their beds.
A few days later they finally saw land.
“Yeah! We made it,” said Pushmi-Pullyu.
They got ready to land. Suddenly they saw a
humongous rock in the way. “Oh no, steer to the left!” said
the Pushmi-Pullyu.
The Doctor turned the wheel rapidly to the left. The
boat almost made it but it got scratched on the right,
causing a leak. Dr. Dolittle went below deck to try and
plug up the leak. Pushmi-Pullyu tried to dump out all the
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water with buckets. He had two buckets; one was in each
mouth as he dumped water overboard. The plug wasn’t
powerful enough to hold back the water. The boat started
sinking. They jumped overboard and swam to Canada,
which was 200 feet away. The two-headed gazelleunicorn crossbreed had trouble swimming, so he grabbed
onto a plank. They got to shore but were exhausted, so they
all went to bed.
When they woke up, they were starving. They had lost
all their supplies when the ship sank, so they wandered off
to find food. Pushmi-Pullyu saw a berry bush. He started
stripping berries and ate them. Dr. Dolittle desperately ran
to the bush and started munching too. Suddenly he saw a
big fuzzy creature right next to him eating berries.
He turned around and came face to face with a bear.
Dr. Dolittle backed up and said “Sorry, for bothering you
Mr. Bear. It’s all yours, you can have it.” The bear gave
him a dirty look, but kept munching.
He didn’t want any encounters with other bears so he
went along very quickly. They reached a maple forest with
a river next to it. He saw something very unusual. The fish
were swimming upstream! The fish were jumping up the
river. Dr. Dolittle thought it looked like they were climbing
up stairs. They went to the edge of the river to take a closer
look. A large eyed fish with silvery scales swam in front of
him.
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“Hi, Dr. Dolittle. I’m Sammy. What are you doing
here in Canada?” said the fish.
“I’m here to get some maple sap so I can make maple
syrup for Gub-Gub’s pancakes,” said the Doctor.
“There’s a lot of syrup over there. I saw the fisherman
harvesting a lot of sap last night,” said Sammy.
Suddenly, a fisherman ran towards them with a
humongous spear in his hand. Sammy screamed “Oh no,
it’s the fisherman! Swim away!”
So Pushmi-Pullyu started charging at the fisherman
with one of his heads.
The fisherman stopped and said “What the in the world
is that? A two-headed deer?”
The Doctor said, “No, that is a gazelle-unicorn cross
breed and if you don’t put the spear down, he is going to
charge right at your stomach.”
“All right, but I need the fish for money,” said the
fisherman.
“I’ll pay you for some maple syrup and a boat,” said
Dr. Dolittle.
“OK, maybe I can start selling maple syrup and stop
killing fish,” said the fisherman.
As they were packing up, Sammy said, “Can I come
live with you Dr. Dolittle?”
“Why do you want to leave?” asked Dr. Dolittle.
“Every year when we try to lay our eggs, multiple
fishermen always try to spear us. If I go with you, I’ll be
safe and sound,” said Sammy.
Dr. Dolittle said, “Yes, be my guest.”
Dr. Dolittle didn’t have a tank, so he thought why not
carve a wooden tank. He carved one out of wood with an
axe and carving knife. Dr. Dolittle scooped Sammy up
from the river and put him in the tank. Then they all sailed
home.
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Pink Porky Evil
Sebastian Mignard - 4
th
WANTED
This Pink Crier is pure porky evilness. This
criminal eats cream puffs. He mostly goes to
school to steal children’s snacks. If seen, do not
approach; he has sharp teeth, and a huge appetite
for pastries, call animal control.
Reward: £25,000
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Flowers with
Feeling
For centuries, certain flowers were imbued
with sentiment, allowing for the beauty of a petal
to speak for the giver. In this way, men could tell
of their feelings without confusion, women could
send roses of friendship, writers could give
symbolic meaning to their prose without spelling it
out for the reader. Some flowers may have lost
their meanings over time, or the meanings may
have changed, but still the sentiment persists,
coloring opinions of givers and receivers alike.
In the following section, there are stories and
poems about flowers. The 4th and 5th grade
students wrote odes to flowers and plants, which
speak of their beauty, history and more. While
conversely, the stories here speak to the hidden
meanings of flowers, and other ‘feelings’ we may
be exposed to when smelling them.
The art in this section is truly inspired by
nature, as the 4th grade was able to observe the
natural world in the full glory of spring.
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The Deadly Ode Trap
Zachary Ostenberg – 5
th
In the darkest house reaches, you hear with a snap
The nasty weird chewing of a Venus Fly Trap
The poor fly was killed and is now being eaten
It thinks in its head, “Venus Fly Trap you cretin.”
These green plants don’t need flies to survive
But they don’t want those bugs to stay alive.
This plant is a very distinct green
It might look pretty, but it is not what it seems.
In the darkness of night, its teeth might seem blunt,
But do not be fooled, for they are out for the hunt.
And now the fly trap is done with its snack,
And the door to its room has closed with a thwack.
Carisa Eng – 4
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The Rose Assassin
th
Alex was an ordinary man who had been born and
raised in the United States of America. He became an
architect at the age of 29 and a few years later moved to
Bryansk, Russia. He knew everyone in his apartment
building. Alex was quite confident that he knew the city
well enough to get around, and had even found a favorite
pastry shop. Alex thought his life was going to be easy after
a few years passed because he had become rich enough to
be able to live well. What he didn't suspect was that his life
would soon come very near to an end...
It was the Sunday morning of June 6th and Alex had just
finished breakfast. He went for a stroll through the avenues
around his apartment complex until noon. He had planned
to stop in his condo to have a bite to eat, but when he came
to his door, keys in hand, he was greeted with a pleasant
surprise.
Two yellow roses
sat at the foot of his
door. There was no note
or any message, so
Alex entered his condo
and put the yellow roses
on a table.
I think these roses
would look nice in a
vase. There's a glass
maker down the street from that cafe I go to Saturdays. I
think the shopkeeper is named Maxim, and I remember one
of my friends at work suggesting him to me last time I
needed a vase for Christmas. I guess I could ask him about
the roses.
Alex set off for the shop and reached it quickly. When
Alex came in, the shopkeeper erupted in excitement and
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93
started to say how few visitors he received. He then noticed
Alex's Siberian bear tooth necklace.
“Oh, it's you Alex. Ryan told me all about you. Now,
what do you want made for you? I sell vases in one, three,
and five flower sizes, glass animals, windows, or anything
else made of glass you can think of,” said Maxim.
“Do you make vases for two flowers?”
“No, but you can take one for three flowers. Why? Do
you hate someone or has someone you know died?”
“No, but I received two yellow roses at my doorstep.
Do you have any idea what this is about?” asked Alex.
“That's not good. Someone hates you a lot. Try the
internet. I haven't seen this in person, but I knew a man
who wound up dead and during the investigation, they
found plenty of yellow roses in his apartment.”
“Okay, I guess I will have the three flower vase then.”
“That will be a thousand rubles. Have a good day!”
“See you soon!” responded Alex, and slowly walked
home with his paper-wrapped vase in hand.
Alex returned home and placed the flowers into the
vase. Alex gazed at it and saw an ocean with a boat at the
neck. He began to research facts about yellow roses and
why the glass shop didn't have even number sizes for
flowers. He searched late into the night and fell asleep on a
page about a certain assassin who left roses in even
amounts at his victims steps three days before he kills
them.
When Alex awoke, he realized he had two days until he
life was ended. Alex went to work and asked any friends he
saw if they knew anything about the assassin. Ryan, a
friend who had moved to Bryansk from elsewhere, said he
could help. After work, the two walked to Alex's apartment
and Ryan gave him advice.
“On the day he attacks, Wednesday, you must expect a
parcel at seven in the morning. When the door rings, call
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94
the police and quietly say you need help, and they will
locate you. Hang up and open the door. Be prepared for a
struggle,” Ryan said to Alex as Ryan's phone rang in his
pocket. “Sorry, Alex, but I have got to go. I have a meeting
with an acquaintance. See you soon. I'll be out of town
tomorrow.”
Alex nodded in acknowledgment and waved goodbye.
He looked at the page about the assassin.
He didn't learn much, other than that there were twentytwo similar murders that had happened. He then noticed
that in very, very fine print at the bottom of the page was
written: written by Ryan C. Sol.
Alex knew exactly what was going on. Ryan had come
from somewhere else, but had never told Alex where, Ryan
had given him a load of advice 'against' the killer, and had
written this webpage.
I will be ready for him tomorrow. I'll have to be,
otherwise I will be killed by a 'friend' who has helped me so
much in previous times.
Alex was awoken at six in the morning by a loud rap on
his door. The moment had come. Alex didn't expect Ryan
to come early, but was ready nonetheless. He called the
police and whispered:
“I need help. Apartment sixty-six fourth floor is where I
am. The Yellow Rose assassin is at my door.”
Alex hung up and stood up. He walked towards the
door and opened it. There was a large box at his feet. He
started to open the box, but he was disrupted by a small
noise.
An arm swung from the left side of the door frame and
hit Alex square in the face, causing Alex to reel back. A
man in black slipped into the room and aimed a kick at
Alex. Alex stepped aside and ducked, missing a blow to the
side of the head. There was a loud gunshot and a piece of
lead stuck in the door. Alex heard people rushing up the
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stairs and was distracted as a blow to the head dazed him.
He fell onto the floor, but so did the masked man.
Alex awoke a few minutes later when a police officer
waved his flashlight at Alex's face. Alex was helped up,
and he saw that the masked man wasn't Ryan, but Maxim.
He had been knocked out and was pulled onto a stretcher. It
was over. Alex was alive.
Out of curiosity, Alex opened the box that had been left
for him. Inside, he found a note. It read:
Good job, Alex, you survived. In this box as
you see are one hundred and one roses all
random colors. Warning: some may
change color. I wish you a good life, and
by the way, I was hired by your brother,
who is in England. He hired me because of
what he calls an in-family rivalry.
Alex collapsed of exhaustion and disbelief.
He soon awoke at the nearest police station in a
comfortable chair.
“Are you awake? Good, because I want to explain to
you what the note didn't explain. The roses change color
because of a specific anesthetic that the “Rose Assassin”
created. This anesthetic was what clued us onto him, and he
killed twenty-one people. He then stopped the murders and
the local government shut down the investigation because it
was draining funds. We thought he was done, and we have
been proved wrong. Thank you for alerting the police and
helping us find our killer.”
Alex nodded, gave thanks and left for dinner.
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Papa Rose
Sreekar Kutagulla – 4
th
The rose, so beautiful and pretty
But don’t get too close, as it’s very prickly.
Native to many countries in this world
It attracts many with its colors swirled.
The rose’s many colors make you dream,
Its scent is used for body cream.
They offer their blooms in spring
But watch out, its thorns do sting.
They are armed, so be in fear,
They are often gazed upon by deer.
I can’t tell you anymore about roses
So why don’t you go smell some with your noses!
Chloe Sherry – 4
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th
97
Rushyl Kapila – 7
th
The Perfect Spring Day
Diana Labonville – 6
th
The smell of meadow, makes you feel like you're on clouds
The sun shining dully as the birds are chirping loud
Thinking of the perfume of different flowers
Fresh blooming blossoms, April showers
Mushrooms helping trees shoot up
Like a dream from which you don't want to wake up
Baby animals coming out of their mothers' wombs
May flowers reaching full bloom
...Spring is perfect in everyway
... It is by FAR my favorite season
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Iris
Iris Schille – 5
th
Blooming, graceful, blue and bright
Stretching towards the morning light,
So pretty as they close at night.
The iris is the queen of flowers,
She makes the other flowers cower.
Its namesake can travel under the sea,
How the Goddess does it, is beyond me.
The flower has a yellow patch,
This fuzz has yet to meet its match.
It can come in a rainbow of shades
As the flower gets old, the color fades.
If you get one of these beauties,
You must make sure it doesn’t freeze.
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The Promise
Cheyenne Garza – 7
th
Aaliyah turned around in her bed, put her face in her
pillow and groaned as the sound of her alarm clock filled
the room. She turned around face up after about a minute
because it was getting hard to breath. Ali groaned once
again, and, getting off her comfortable bed, walked into the
bathroom to brush her teeth and attempt to brush her
knotted hair.
“Ali!!! Get outta your bed,” screamed her mother from
the kitchen.
“I am. I’m in the bathroom,” screamed back Aaliyah.
After Aaliyah finished, she walked out of the bathroom
and into the kitchen. She was greeted with the amazing
smells of bacon, pancakes, waffles, syrup, and coffee.
Aaliyah inhaled the air and asked her mother what the
occasion was. But she was interrupted by the doorbell
ringing. “I got it,” said Aaliyah.
She unlocked the door but saw no one there. In
confusion, she looked down the street and still saw nothing
there. She turned back but heard something and looked
down again. When she did, she saw a single pink flower. It
might be Valentine’s Day, she thought. She looked around
her street to see if anyone else got a flower. But no. It was
just her.
Walking inside, she saw that her whole family was
sitting at the table, waiting for her in order to dig in.
“Who was at the door?” asked her mother.
“No one, I just found a rose with no note or anything,”
replied Aaliyah.
“Oh!!! Ali has a secret admirer!!” chanted Aaliyah’s ten
year old brother, Tyler.
“Oh, be quiet. I’m sure everyone else at school got
one,” said Ali.
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“That’s probably true. Do you want me to get a vase for
the flower?” asked Aaliyah’s mother.
“Sure,” answered Ali.
Her father groaned. The rule was that no one could start
eating until everyone was seated. Just as Aaliyah turned to
give her father a hug she saw that he was going toward the
bacon.
“Dad!!” she screamed and he hung his head in shame.
“Here you go sweetie!” said her mother holding a clear
blue vase.
“Thanks, mom!” Aaliyah replied as she put the single
rose in the vase before running to put it on the desk in her
room.
After about ten minutes of waiting, her family was
finally able to commence their fantastic breakfast. The
breakfast conversation was full of talk of the weekend.
Aaliyah was reminded that it was Valentine’s Day.
After breakfast and washing the dishes she went to her
bedroom to do some homework but was interrupted with a
call coming from her phone. She glanced at the caller ID
and saw that it was Violet, her best friend.
She pressed the answer button and was about to say Hi
but was interrupted when Violet screamed “Happy
Valentine’s Day!!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day! Aaliyah replied. “So, did you
get a Valentine?” asked Aaliyah hoping that she would say
yes.
“No, not yet, I hope. How about you?”
“Actually yes. The first time in my life. Someone rang
the doorbell and there was a single pink rose out there.”
“Really? That’s awesome. Who gave you the flower?”
“I don’t know. It didn’t come with anything else.”
“Oh. Secret admirer!” said Violet.
Aaliyah blushed. “No it’s not. I’m sure everyone at
school will get one soon enough. Anyway, have to do
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homework. Bye,” said Aaliyah and went back to finishing
her history homework.
At school she walked to her locker and put in her
combination 33 7 50. As she stuck her hand in to get her
books, her finger was pricked by a thorn. “Ow,” she said,
pulling out a bouquet of flowers. How weird, she thought.
She looked for a note and saw one. It read:
Dear Aaliyah. I know you but you may not know me. I
am your secret admirer. To find out who I am, come to
the train station on Willow Street at 4:30. Hope to see
you there.
She went to her first period which was science class.
After science class, she saw Violet and told her about the
flowers. “You should definitely go! I’ll come with you if
you want,” said Violet.
“Okay, yah that’d be great. I have to go to French class
right now. See you later,” said Aaliyah and she turned to
walk to French class.
At 4:25 Aaliyah and Violet were waiting for her secret
admirer, when a blond boy walked up.
“Hi Aaliyah, I’m so happy that you came,” her
mysterious admirer said.
“Drake?” Aaliyah said. Drake was Aaliyah’s middle
school bully.
“Hello Aaliyah,” replied Drake walking closer for a
hug.
Aaliyah walked closer thinking it was strange that this
was happening. She saw another boy holding a camera,
videotaping them when Violet screamed “Aaliyah! Don’t.”
But it was too late. Aaliyah tripped on a hidden wire
which activated a bucket full of cold pudding to fall on her.
Once she wiped the pudding off of her face, an air horn was
blown and she screamed.
She opened her eyes just in time to see Drake and the
boy videotaping hi-five while laughing and walk away
probably to post in on YouTube.
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Aaliyah turned around with her watery eyes towards
Violet who took her home and made her take a shower.
After, she had her favorite dinner and as Aaliyah faded into
sleep, Violet mumbled “We’ll get them. I promise.”
Magnolia
Megan Chang – 5
th
White and soft, as picturesque as a painting
The magnolia blossom makes me feel like fainting.
The tiny petals are so pretty and light,
When the magnolia shines really bright.
The leaves on the tree are very green,
So green, they resemble a wax bean!
In the park, over the bench, blooms the bud,
Don’t cover the flower with icky mud.
The bench will no longer have a gross stench,
When the scent fixes the air just like a wrench.
This is something you might like,
So go buy one for your neighbor Mike!
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Observational sketch and subsequent print
Sreekar Kutagulla – 4th
Don’t Mess with the VFT
Ashug Gurijala – 5
th
In the middle of the lush, subtropical wetlands,
Waits a plant which catches flies with its mouth not hands,
It’s the Venus Fly Trap that shortens insects’ life spans.
Oh green and red plant, how I would not like a fight,
For my life as a fly, you have a very deadly bite.
In water, on land, or even mid-flight,
When I pass by, you fill me with fright.
For the wrangling and wrestling, and biting too
Your powerful attacks, I can never match you.
In the middle of the wetlands you lure in prey;
If word got out, even monsters would stay away.
No wonder your name resembles the Goddess of Love who
tricks,
For when you catch prey there is no getting out of that fix!
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Spring Fever
Zachary Ostenberg – 5
th
Dear Parents of Children Who Have Spring Fever,
An epidemic has been spreading all through the land.
People are constantly sniffing roses. They are also
frequently babbling about how amazing it is to live in
spring. These are all things the average person may do, but
the final thing that made me aware it was actually a
sickness, is that people are saying they like spring more
than summer! Nobody likes spring more than summer- I
think. Well, still, I have diagnosed hundreds of people with
the disease called Spring Fever. It is not deadly, but can
cause minor brain damage and can reduce creativity. It is
found most commonly in children.
If you have received this letter it is because your
child/ren has been diagnosed with Spring Fever. By the
time I’m done telling everyone, those infected will account
for a good portion of the world’s population. This letter
will outline how to treat Spring Fever, what to do, and what
not to do. I will make sure by the time you are done
reading this you will be ready to be totally rid of Spring
Fever.
First is how to treat Spring Fever. You must restrict
flower smelling, touching, seeing, and hearing (yes, flowers
do make noise). You will also need to tell the patients to be
quiet whenever they start talking about how amazing spring
is and remind them to worship summer until they are rid of
the illness, but it is still nice to worship summer afterwards
too. One more thing is to do indoor activities instead of
going out into the spring air. That means no school. Spring
Fever is also very contagious, so keep the victim away
from all but one or two people who should constantly wear
maximal protective gear. It doesn’t seem that bad but we do
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105
not want a brain damaged, uncreative, spring loving
population, especially spring loving.
Now I will tell you what not to do. Do not give them
fruits grown in spring such as strawberries, blueberries or
raspberries because if they like those foods they will be
reminded of how great spring is and it will get worse and
less reversible and can cause further damage. Also, if the
victim does not know that they have Spring Fever; do not
tell them because every time you say Spring Fever you say
“Spring” which will remind them of spring. It’s a vicious
cycle.
Another thing not to do, is not to let them look at
documentaries or any television or video games that have
outside Spring scenes, unless it is a TV show about Mars or
a desolate planet that cannot be associated with Spring.
Finally, do not try to talk about Spring in private because
having spring fever augments the senses, especially hearing
and scent, so the victim can get the most out of Spring. I
know some of you may think that your child having super
senses might be a good thing, but remember the symptoms.
Your child might be super, but they might not do well in
school and they will not think of those creative ideas kids
come up with that you love so much. If you think your
child or a relative could be a superhero, then you are just
crazy. We all know the saying “A smart child is better than
a super one.” Those are a few things you should NOT do if
your child has, or you think might have, a case of Spring
Fever.
I have spoken about what Spring Fever is, how to treat
it, what to do, and what not to do. Some of you may be
asking if there is a cure for Spring Fever. There is not yet,
but many experts including myself are looking for a
vaccine that can treat this horrible disease. We do not know
where Spring Fever came from, but we are working to find
out the source of it and we do not think it will evolve past
the stage it is already in. We might have a cure by the next
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106
time you get your flu shot, so be ready to get a Spring
Fever shot along with it. For now, please follow all of the
above advice until June 21st of this year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Zachary Ostenberg
Emily Fry - 5
th
Anna Sprouse – 8
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th
th
Zoe Upham – 8
107
You Are What
You Eat
In 4
th
grade, students read a variety of literary
genres, spanning the classics of the 19
th
and 20
th
centuries.
Most notably, they read books about animals; in Bambi, a
Life in the Woods, students follow the life of the title-
named character, a chipper young buck, as he makes his
way through the world of the forest, learning and loving as
he goes.
The students’ stories and poems beyond delve into the
nature of living in the forest. Uncovering the secrets of the
turning season are poems about the lives of leaves, similar
to a prominent chapter in Salten’s own work. While the
stories of Bambi’s forest adventures may seem more
reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, they center on the
possibility of what would happen if Bambi turned into
something he ate. The magical quality of this thought is
evident in the stories here, so enjoy the tales of wonder
and woe as Bambi traverses the wilds of blueberries,
wildflowers and more.
Students overlapped an illustration of Bambi with
botanical contour drawings to create the art seen within
this section. The overlapping lines created new negative
shapes to display an inter-play of positive and negative
shapes and suggests how the form of Bambi is lost within
the plants.
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108
In Spring
Ria Pandey - 4
th
I am a leaf in Spring
Everything the warm weather season brings
Soon this adventure of mine will end
Because nature will make me a dirt bed
As I fall new leaves are born
While I look up at the sky all ragged and torn,
Cheerful birds sing as they pass by
To give me joy as I’m about to die
I’m on the ground, full of strife
As I remember my wonderful life.
Although my story is sad,
I have experienced happiness and thus, am glad.
Blueberry Terror
Chloe Sherry - 4
th
This is a story of me, Bambi, and why I hate
blueberries. Gather around friends, for I have lived to tell
the tale.
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It all started in the glade with the blueberries. Mother
and I were sleeping soundly after I had romped around with
Faline and Gobo. Suddenly I woke up. I felt weak and
hungry. The sweet smell of blueberries tempted me, but I
would not eat without Mother.
I nudged her and she mumbled, “What?” in a sleepy
voice.
I asked, “Do you want some tasty blueberries?”
“No,” she replied simply and fell back to sleep.
Then Faline came trotting up. I asked, “Do you want
some tasty blueberries?”
She answered “Yes, please!” We both dove to the berry
bush and nibbled the berries. I accidentally ate a green
berry but did not mind. By the time we finished eating,
Mother was up.
“Let’s go to the meadow,” She exclaimed.
We walked joyfully to the meadow and ran and jumped
until Faline complained about her stomach. I too felt sick,
so I wanted to lay down. It was a painful walk back. When
we got back to the thicket, Faline and I went to the berry
bush and dozed off.
I woke up. I felt strange. I could not move an inch. I
looked around. All I could see were enormous green
leaves. I called out to Faline. All I heard was her call
responding. Then Friend Hare came up. He came over and
looked like he was going to eat me! Fortunately he took
the big, blue berries next to me. Then I looked into his
huge eyes and I was petrified! I saw myself as a sour green
berry! I looked closer. I was in fact a green blueberry.
I yelled, “Friend Hare, Friend Hare!”
He whispered, “Who said that?”
Faline and I screamed “The sour green berries in the
middle!”
“You are just audible,” whispered Friend Hare. “I can
hear - hey, what is that smell?”
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He sniffed the air then vanished into the thick bramble
bush growing by the oak trees. Then He came stomping up
carrying something. Fortunately, He did not have his third
arm.
He also did not look fierce and blood thirsty but gentle
and kind. What was funny was that He had long hair on
His head, instead of on His chin. Anyway, He started
picking berries from the bush.
I screamed, then fell from the vine. I was worried I lost
Faline, but fortunately she was still with me. We had a
stem connecting us. Friend Hare came out and he called
and called, but did not know a bird took us away. The bird
grabbed Faline and me with his feet. I heard Friend Hare
calling until we were above the tree tops.
Up we flew over mountains and hills. I was looking
down in wonder and fright all mixed together. I saw forests
and lakes until the bird got to his nest. It saw we were sour
and green so he dropped us into a harsh river.
I was frightened the whole way down. We were
floating down stream. The water was freezing cold and I
almost froze. Sticks were bobbing around us, then we hit
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rapids. We thought the rapids were going to kill us, but
somehow we dodged all the rocks.
When the waters calmed down, a fish came up and
tasted Faline but she was sour, so he spit her out. Then the
wind carried us up until we fell in a bush and rolled in
different directions.
“Faline!” I cried, “Oh Faline, I wish we were home in
the glade.”
Then out of nowhere He came and was about to squish
me when I cried, “Mother, Mother!”
“I’m right here,” a gentle voice called. Suddenly I woke
up. Mother was standing by me and Faline trotted up.
“You were calling me,” she whispered.
She gently nudged me to my feet. I still felt dazed and
half asleep. The picture of Him was still flashing in my
mind.
“I was having a horrible nightmare that we were both
big fat blueberries.” I said to Faline. We both laughed.
That’s when Gobo came up. “Hurry, everyone. I just
found one of the tastiest blueberry bush you’ve ever seen
and my stomach is so hungry I could eat all of you.”
I just shook my head and said, “Enough blueberries for
me, and please do not eat me, Gobo.”
The Berry Bush
Danielle Polak - 4
th
One day Bambi was frolicking in the woods. He was
hungry and looking for something to eat. When he entered
the thicket he spotted a beautiful berry bush. All at once he
sprang right to the bush and feasted himself. It tasted so
wonderful. A few hours later he met Faline. They talked for
hours until Bambi said, “Faline I do not feel so well, will
you mind if I go rest”?
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112
“Of course not,” said Faline. “You can go rest and I
hope you feel better”.
“Thank you,” said Bambi.
With that, they separated. Bambi went to the thicket
where he usually slept. He lay down, not feeling so well,
and went to sleep. Overnight there was a flash.
Bambi woke up the next day and saw that it was around
lunchtime, then noticed Faline coming his way. He tried to
go to her, but couldn’t. He looked down and noticed he was
a berry bush just like the one he ate yesterday. Then he
screamed so loud that Faline could hear him and she said,
“Bambi? Must be my imagination, but I am very hungry.”
She noticed a beautiful berry bush (which was Bambi).
Right when she was about to take a bite, Bambi yelled,
“Faline do not eat me”.
Faline thought she heard it coming from the bush. She
looked down to the bush and said, “Bambi, are you a
bush?”
“Yes,” said Bambi. “It might be that the bush I ate
yesterday turned me into the same kind of bush”.
Faline said, “What should I do?”
Bambi said, “Faline go get the old stag so he will make
sure no deer eats me, then go to Larry the great squirrel.
Ask him to make a potion to turn me back to normal, and
then come back with the potion.”
“Ok” said Faline.
She ran as fast as she could and found the old stag in
the meadow eating grass. She told him the whole story as
quickly as she could and asked him if he would protect
Bambi. The old stag said yes and they were off in a dash.
When they got to Bambi, the old stag stayed, but Faline
went on. Larry the great squirrel was on the other side of
the forest.
It took Faline a long time to get to Larry the great
squirrel. When she got there, she was so tired that she
knocked on the door and fell asleep.
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A few hours later she woke up and saw Larry right next
to her. Then she remembered Bambi and told Larry all
about what happened to him.
Larry was a squirrel with a puffy tail, long whiskers,
brown eyes, and a high-pitched voice. Larry learned to
make potions from his dad. His dad loved making potions
and was the best at making potions in the entire forest.
Growing up he would teach Larry a new potion everyday.
Larry loved helping his dad make potions, and he still does.
Meanwhile, Bambi was experiencing what it was like to
be a bush; he felt the butterflies tickling him and heard the
bees singing. He was afraid the birds would eat his berries
and it would be painful for him. Bambi felt weak because
the wind kept pushing his branches from one side to
another. The old stag kept on lookout and told deer, birds
and bunnies to keep away from this specific bush (Bambi).
The old stag tried to cheer Bambi up so he won’t worry
about never turning back into a deer.
Larry made the potion and gave it to Faline in a bag,
strapped, around her neck, then told her Bambi would stay
like a bush forever if she did not splash the potion over him
by sunset. Faline thanked him and dashed off.
When she got back it was almost sunset. She shook off
the bag from her neck, opened the bottle with her mouth
and poured it all over Bambi. In a flash, Bambi was back to
normal and they all celebrated by having a wonderful feast
of berries, making sure to not eat any magic ones.
Bambi’s Transformation
Arshon Keyani –4
th
It was summertime, so Bambi went for a feast on the
grasses in a meadow nearby. Later, he ran into a deer. It
was Aunt Ena.
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She said, “Hello, Bambi. You have grown so much!
How handsome you are.”
Bambi replied, “Thank you, Aunt Ena. Have you seen
Faline?”
“No, I have not.”
“Have you seen Gobo?”
“No.”
Bambi said, “Have you seen my mother?”
Aunt Ena didn't answer. They got sad after
remembering Bambi's mom. There was a moment of
unpleasant silence.
Bambi left to look for Faline. She was in a thicket
eating berries.
She said, “Hello, Bambi. How are you doing?”
Bambi replied, “I'm good. Do you want to go for a
walk?”
“Sure, let’s go to the meadow.”
They walked and walked. They saw butterflies,
grasshoppers and other insects. They chatted until
nighttime.
Bambi said, “I don't feel well. Let's find a place to
sleep.”
Lucky for them, there was a thicket nearby.
The thicket was very comfortable. It had lots of berries
and bramble for them to eat. They slept for a long time.
Bambi felt as if he was transforming. He felt as if he had
dropped his arms and legs. He dreamed of becoming a
blade of grass. Bambi dreamed of something falling on
him. Something out of his control was happening. He felt
as if it was the end of his life. Feeling frightened and
helpless, he looked at everyone running desperately with
fear. He smelled something very acrid. Bambi heard
footsteps of something that did not belong in the forest and
he woke up.
The next morning, Faline noticed that Bambi was not
there. She looked in the thicket, a cave nearby and in the
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meadow. There were only rocks, dirt and plants there. She
heard a tiny voice that did not sound like a deer’s voice but
reminded her of a deer.
She thought, “Could it be Bambi?”
Suddenly, Faline saw all the animals running and
screaming. They were running from the place danger
always comes from. All the animals were making their
warning calls. Faline was very shocked and didn't know
what was going on. She decided to flee with the others.
Then, she smelled that very acrid smell of Him and she
heard His dogs barking loudly.
Everyone was yelling, “It's Him! It's Him! Run! Run as
fast as you can.”
Faline heard the tiny voice again. It was saying,
“Faline! Run as fast as you can. I am Bambi. I have turned
into a blade of grass!”
Faline said, “I’m coming!”
Bambi replied, “No. Don't. I look identical to all the
other grasses and He is coming with His third hand!”
Faline realized it was no use. She ran as fast as her legs
could carry her to a trail her mom had told her about. She
fled to a very hidden and thick glade she knew about.
Bambi saw Him. He was getting very close. Bambi was
numb with fear. He could smell His acrid smell. He was
coming. Bambi was wondering if he would be trampled or
not.
He took His gun off His shoulder. He took careful aim
at Faline and got her. She dropped dead on Bambi.
Bambi said, “No! Ah! Why is everything dark?”
After that, he was no more.
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Life of a Leaf
Carisa Eng - 4
th
I am a leaf in spring.
I watch the sun shine like a ring.
I change from green to orange to yellow,
I watch from the tree and hear the bears bellow.
In summer I turn brown,
I hope I will not fall to the ground.
In the fall, I cling onto the tree,
I watch the other leaves fly free.
I watch them twirl,
I see them whirl.
But I cling on,
Until I get tired and fall, gone.
Observational sketch and subsequent prints
Helen Corbett –4th
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Spring Musings
Hannah Tsukamoto - 4
th
I am a leaf in the spring,
Blowing in the wind like a swing.
When people come to lie in the shade,
Sometimes I wonder why us leaves
aren’t paid.
Some days there is heavy rain.
Getting damp is always a pain.
Quite often animals come to the tree,
Their enormous size frightens me.
Eggs are hatching in a bird’s nest,
Babies crying; let me rest!
Baby birds have learned to fly
They look so beautiful in the sky.
Spring is ending, summer is near,
This is my favorite time of year!
Bambi Berry
Zander Collins –4
th
One day Bambi was having fun with Faline and got
hungry and ate some magic berries that were disguised as
regular blueberries. He thought the berries tasted a bit
funny, but he ignored it. Then he went back to frolic with
Faline. They played and played until dusk.
Then Bambi said to Faline, “I do not feel like my lively
self.” So they decided that they should separate for the
night.
The next morning Bambi did not feel normal.
Everything was so much bigger than usual and when he
tried to move nothing happened. Later that day Faline
came over to see if Bambi was there, she looked all around
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the thicket he lived in but he was not there, so she left. The
next day she returned, but still no one was there. She kept
calling and calling. Bambi was watching Faline and
listening helplessly. Every once in a while he would yell as
loud as he could, “Fa-line”, but it was no use, his voice was
too small. Bambi kept trying to figure out what had
happened to him. He wondered why Faline was so big.
Faline looked like a gigantic, 200 year old, West Coast
Redwood tree.
Later, while Faline was calling for Bambi, the old stag
came out. He asked, “What are you doing and why?”
Faline said in a worried voice, “I have been calling for
Bambi for 3 days now and he still has not appeared. I have
been feeling like Him took Bambi.”
The Old Stag was bewildered by the problem. He
agreed to help Faline because he knew all of the trails and
hiding spots. The next morning they searched up and down
the meadows and all over the woods in every thicket, in
every tree trunk, on every trail. They checked all over the
forest but still there was no sign of Bambi. They decided to
search for one more day and if there was still no sign of
Bambi they would go find Him.
Meanwhile, Bambi was still figuring out what he was.
All he knew was that he was small and no one could hear
him. He guessed that he might have turned into a berry
because he was small, no one could hear him and he was
almost eaten by a raccoon, but he kept wondering. While
Bambi was wondering, Faline and the Old Stag were
preparing to go find Him. It didn’t take long for them to
find Him.
Him was hiding in a little area where there were no
trees, so he was easy to spot. Faline and the Old Stag hid
behind a large shrub and watched Him kill a goose. When
He left, they followed to Him to His home. They searched
the outside of the house but did not dare to go inside, so
they left, having found nothing.
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Bambi finally figured out he was a berry, and when a
bee flew by he told the bee to tell Faline and the Old Stag
that he had turned into a berry. Since Bambi was so small
he could talk to the bee. The bee reached the Old Stag and
Faline by early afternoon. Faline and the Old Stag left His
house and rushed over to the berry bush where they saw
Bambi in the form of a berry. They recognized his voice
and started talking to him.
The Old Stag asked, “How did you turn into a berry?”
“I ate some blueberries that were smaller than normal
and the next morning I was a berry. I have no clue how to
change back,” said Bambi.
Since the Old Stag was so wise, he smelled the berries
and recognized them. They were magic berries. He once
heard about a cure that would change you back to normal in
2 days, but he was not sure it was real. So they ground up
some magic berries, mixed them with water and poured the
mixture over Bambi. They stayed with him so he would be
safe from any other animals that might eat him. The next
day he was still a berry, but he had a louder voice and was
a bit bigger.
The day after that he woke up and everything was
normal sized and he felt normal again. When everyone else
woke up they were surprised to see that Bambi was well
again. Faline and Bambi thanked the Old Stag for saving
Bambi. They lived happily ever after.
Becoming an Elk
Lily Valdez - 4
th
One day Bambi was walking in the grassy meadow. He
ate some grass on the way. Then he went to an open area
in the thicket and fell asleep. When he woke up in the
morning he noticed he was very short. He tried to move but
it didn't work! Bambi looked down to see his feet but he
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didn't see any feet; all he saw was dirt and grass. Then,
when he looked up, it started to rain. Bambi was soaking
wet grass and was covered in mud. He thought it was a
dream, so he closed his eyes and tried to wake up, but
nothing happened. All he did was wish to be a deer again
and kept his eyes closed.
When the rain stopped Bambi woke up and opened his
eyes and noticed that he wasn't wet any more. He was all
dry and it was a sunny day. He looked around and saw the
old stag looking at him. He tried to signal him but he forgot
he was grass and not a deer. The old stag ate some grass
near him and went away. All of a sudden he heard a loud
thumping noise! It was the rabbits. Bambi was stomped on
so many times he just felt like dying. A few days later he
was sitting there and saw an old lady with a black coat and
she was holding a bottle with purple liquid in it. All of a
sudden she tripped and the purple liquid spilled all over
Bambi. Then, the next thing you know Bambi was an elk.
The old lady saw him and ran away into the deep thicket.
Bambi found Faline and said, “Hello Faline. Do you
want to walk in the meadow?”
Faline looked up in surprise.
“Bambi is that you?” she said.
“Yes it is.” he said.
So, they went walking through the meadow. Faline
asked a bunch of questions on how Bambi turned into an
elk. Bambi told her the long story of what happened as
grass. Faline was amazed and wanted to be an elk too so
then Ronno and Karus would be afraid of them. So, Bambi
and Faline went to find the old lady in the black coat. They
found her in a small open space in the thicket. They asked
her if she could turn Faline into an elk and then suddenly
Faline was an elk.
Faline was so happy to be a big and strong elk. She told
Bambi that they should go to find Ronno and Karus and
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scare them away. And so they went walking off to find
Ronno and Karus. They found Ronno talking to Friend
Hare. When Friend Hare saw Bambi and Faline as elks he
was transfixed. Ronno turned around and was transfixed
too.
Bambi said to Ronno, “Are you still going to treat me
like a gamin?”
Ronno was now afraid of Bambi and didn't want Faline
either. Bambi told Ronno to tell them where Karus was. He
said Karus was in a cave on the far side of the meadow.
Bambi and Faline headed toward the cave where Ronno
had told them to go hoping it wasn't just a silly little ruse.
Once they had reached the opening of the cave they saw
Karus looking down at the grasshopper talking about
Ronno.
“Excuse me I have something to say to you Karus.”
Karus turned around and said, “What do you want you
silly little Bambi?”
“Now you can stop treating me so poorly. If you even
try to…have fun with it!” said Bambi.
Karus left pushing in between them. The grasshopper said
he was just tired, hungry and jealous. Bambi and Faline
walked off into the thicket to find an open area to sleep.
In the morning they went off to eat and played with
Gobo who was not afraid at all. They played tag for hours
and had a wonderful time being elks.
Sreekar Kutagulla - 4
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The Life Span of a Leaf
Krish Kumar - 4
th
I am a magically floating leaf that has left my home,
I wish I didn’t have to leave, but I shall roam.
Sadly I change in different seasons,
I hope I will understand the mysterious reason!
I shall be stepped on by black heavy things;
Everyday, I see flying things with wings.
I feel lonely because I have no hope,
I wish I had a rope to fly, but “nope”!
Bambi’s Berry Important Lesson
Anirudh Kumar –4
th
My name is Bambi. I was once a young stag and lived
by myself in a small forest. I had a lot of friends but my
best friend was Faline. Sometimes we played together and
ran around the forest. My life was going great until a weird
thing happened to me.
It was summer. Faline and I were exploring the forest.
We felt hungry so we stopped to eat. I spotted these berries
in a thicket at the edge of a hill. They were perfectly round,
purple in color and looked juicy and delicious. Faline did
not like berries, so she ate the grass nearby. The berries
were so sweet and ripe. I ate a lot and was so full that I
could hardly move. I did not feel well after some time. I
told Faline that she could go back to her home while I
would rest for the night and catch up with her the next day.
I fell asleep quickly. Little did I know that my troubles had
just begun.
I woke in the morning. The sun was up and it was
beautiful. I thought this would be a great day to play around
the thicket and have more of those berries. But I couldn’t
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move! I was bewildered. I realized that I had no legs. I had
also shrunk and the thicket around me seemed much bigger.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the thicket and I
started to roll downhill. I figured out that I was blue like the
blueberries I had eaten the previous day. I panicked and I
was terrified. My freedom was lost. I had a new fear that I
could be eaten by vegetarians and could not run away.
As I rolled downhill, I hit a rock ramp and flew high
into the air. As I came down, I went through a bird’s nest
and fell into the middle of a river. I was afraid I would
drown, but I was afloat. I kept floating for some time. Now
I was really in trouble. I saw Faline at the bank of the river.
I shouted at her trying to get her attention. Suddenly, I hit a
log and started to float faster. Faline heard me but did not
know where I was. She started to go across the river and
bumped into me. I shouted at her again. Faline looked
around, but she did not realize that the sound was coming
from the berry near her leg. There was no way she could
have imagined that berries could talk. Faline saw a
mountain lion on the other side of the river. She ran for her
life. Fortunately, she kicked me hard out of the river and up
into the air and I landed near the mountain lion. For the
first time in my life I was not afraid of the lion. Lions don’t
eat berries.
I was lost. There was nothing I could do but wait for a
miracle. It was still morning and there was still a chance
that a hungry vegetarian animal could eat me. I started
paying attention to myself as a berry. I was a bright-colored
blueberry and very juicy. There was also a seed inside me. I
now realized why I loved berries so much when I was a
stag, because they are so delicious!
I saw clouds hovering over the forest. The weather
changes so fast in a forest. It started raining heavily. I could
not move from the rain and was really getting wet. I was
afraid of rotting. The good news was that since most
animals hate to eat out in the rain, my life was spared. It
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rained for a long time. Unfortunately, I started to rot
because of the water around me.
After the rain stopped, I heard rustling in the bushes
and saw that He was there. He saw me and came towards
me. I was scared but there was no danger that He would
shoot a berry. And since I was rotting, there was no chance
that He would want to eat me either. Maybe He just wanted
to plant me on his farm. Or so I thought, but one second
after He picked me up, He realized that I was rotten and
threw me across the river. I bounced and bounced until I hit
a mushroom. I happened to land on top of the mushroom.
The angle of the collision and the hardness of the
mushroom made me jump high in the sky. I finally started
coming down and went through a bird’s nest. I landed near
the thicket where I had eaten the magic berry.
It was almost night time. It had been a tiring day. I
thought that this was the end since I was rotting and would
eventually die. There was no hope. I thought about Faline
and all the fun we had together. I missed being a buck.
After some time, I fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes the next morning, I thought I
must be dead and in heaven. But as I got up, I realized that
I was still near the thicket and I was a stag again and there
was nothing wrong with me. I could not believe my good
luck. How fortunate that I was a stag and not a berry! I was
free to run around and explore places.
I ran back into the forest to find Faline and tell her my
story. She did not believe it and told me that it must have
been a dream. Whether what happened with me was a
dream or not, I had learned to live happily, but to be
cautious.
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A Pair of Haikus
Keenan Dyrby - 4
th
Summer
Now my birthday’s here
And I get to go to camp
Summer is the best
Fall
Leaves are falling down
It’s the time for pumpkin
pie
Fall is here, yippee!
Bambi and the Mushroom
Aiden Levee-Oshiro - 4
th
It was one beautiful morning, I was eating a breakfast
of mushrooms and leaves, a delicious combination, when
Faline bounded in front of me.
''Bambi, I am so happy to see you,'' Faline declared.
''Do you want to go to the meadow?"
''I would be delighted,'' I said. Together we walked to
the meadow.
When Faline and I entered the meadow, we played tag
and ran together. The sun was about to set when I started
to feel a bit odd.
''Are you okay Bambi?'' Faline asked after I let out a
few groans.
''I think I need to rest,'' I replied.
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As I was making my way back to the thicket, I
collapsed. I didn't feel like getting up, so I lay there for a
minute and drifted off to sleep.
My eyes slowly opened, it was very bright outside. I
tried to get up, but I couldn't. I realized that there was
something holding me down. I looked down and instead of
feet, I saw dirt. I must be dreaming, I thought. I looked
down again, but there were no feet. I looked for my arms,
but I had no arms either. I only had a rather slim white
body. The trees seemed bigger than giants, bigger than
they had been before. My thoughts were cut short when I
heard loud thuds. A giant figure appeared a yard away
from me. I looked more closely at it. It was a deer. I
shuddered. Never in my life had a deer seemed so large.
The deer came towards me and I knew that I couldn't move,
so I just stood there filled with fear. Luckily, the deer did
not step on me, but the hoof came very close. I spent the
rest of my day being very cautious about deer and other
animals. Soon I went to sleep.
The next morning, I looked at myself hoping to see a
deer body, but no, I was just a scrawny white stem. I
looked at myself again and again, trying to figure out what
type of plant I was. I thought for a minute, what did I eat
yesterday? I might be having a reaction to it or something.
I asked myself this over and over again until I remembered,
''mushrooms and leaves!'' I blurted out. ''I must be a
mushroom. I have a white body and no arms or legs! If I
turned into a mushroom by eating one, then I must have to
eat a deer to change back!''
Bleh, the sound of that made me sick. Then, I
remembered what my mom had told me. She said that us
deer never eat other animals. I wondered if that was the
only way. All of a sudden, I realized that I couldn't eat a
deer. My mouth must be tiny, if I even had a mouth—I
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probably couldn't eat anything. ''There must be another
way to turn back into a deer," I said.
That night, I had another moment of hard thinking.
Would He still shoot me? Would I ever turn back into a
deer? Would Faline or Gobo step on me? These questions
whirled in my mind until the sun rose the next morning. I
looked at the sun. It burned my eyes with its neon rays of
yellow. I looked away. ''Is there anything I can do besides
worry?" I asked myself. "I could start finding a way to
change myself back into a deer. That would be a good
thing to do," I suggested. So that's exactly what I did. I
thought hard, and came up with ideas, then discarded them
until late evening. It was eight o'clock. "I should be
getting to sleep," I told myself, so I did.
I woke with a start. "Another day as a mushroom," I
sighed. "Why did I eat mushrooms?" I whined. All of a
sudden, I heard loud thuds again. I was ready to avoid the
animal coming when this time, the animal stopped, leaned
down and lowered its mouth to eat me. "Ahh!" I
screamed. The animal heard my scream and looked up in
alarm. It smelled the air twice, then started to lower its
head again. I closed my eyes and prepared to be eaten.
Suddenly, I heard a loud sound like thunder. I looked
up and saw the deer lying dead on the ground. I looked
behind the deer and I saw Him. For once, I was happy
about Him shooting a deer. Then I realized that just
because the deer didn't eat me, didn't mean that I wasn't in
danger. He could still step on me. I looked ahead and saw
that He was gone. I felt relieved, but exhausted. I decided
to take a nap.
When I opened my eyes, I felt taller, bigger than before.
I looked down, just a tiny bit, and saw a wide hazel-colored
chest with a hint of white. I looked at my sides and saw
brown, thick flanks. At last, I looked down and there were
my long, thin, magnificent legs attached to lovely strong
hoofs glimmering in the sun. "I am myself again!" I cried.
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I looked where the deer had been shot; it was gone!
The deer's body was gone, and in its place was matted
down dirt, some fur, and blood. "How did I change back?"
I wondered aloud. "Wait a minute!" I looked down again
and saw that some fur and blood had mixed into the soil.
"Maybe the deer fertilized me," I said. I didn't really care, I
was so happy that I started running to Faline's glade. There
I would tell her everything that had happened.
Carisa Eng - 4
th
Berry Adventurous
Rohil Gharat - 4
th
Hello my name is Bambi. I live in the thicket.
Unfortunately the people captured mom and I do not know
where she is. My dad is the old stag who is very wise and
clever. I have two friends in the forest, Gobo and Faline. I
like Faline more than Gobo.
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Faline and I were walking on a nice summer day in
thicket. I felt very hungry so I looked around wondering,
“What should I eat?” Then I saw a nice berry bush and
looked at it with delight.
I asked Faline, “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I was going to ask you,” she
said.
I looked around to search for the best berry tree around
the thickest. It took a while to find one, but finally I did.
“I see some ripe berries over here. You want to come
and eat them with me, Faline?”
“Sure I would love to eat those berries! I used to eat
them when I was fawn!”
After we ate the berries, we played in the meadow for a
while, and then I said, “I don’t feel well. I think I am going
to lie down for the night.”
After few hours I got up and found out that I could not
move, I looked at myself and screamed! I was tiny and blue
and on a branch. I was blueberry! I was afraid if someone
ate me or stepped on me. Only then did I realize how big
the leaves were compared to my size! And I thought that,
because I was a fruit, I was going to die soon. Then I
started thinking about the life of berry, which was I. Are
blackberries, cranberries and strawberries my brothers and
sisters? Maybe Strawberry is big brother who shows off his
red color to the entire world. It was funny thought. But then
I realized many healthy nutrients I have which many deer
like to eat.
Then something unexpected happened. I saw Faline! I
tried to call her, but all she heard was high-pitched sound.
So she walked towards the sound and saw the plant.
Obviously she was looking for me and was worried as I
was nowhere to be found.
I was so happy to see her. But, when she came close, I
got a bit scared that she might try to eat me! She ate the
berries right next to me, and around me, and sniffed me.
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By the warmth of her nose, I became a deer again. I could
not believe my eyes and was wondering on what just
happened. Faline was also shocked to see me. Then I
explained what happened to me overnight and all the scary
thoughts I had while I was berry. Now that I was turned
back into a deer, I was so happy that I ran into the meadow
and frolicked.
Spring, Sprung
Helen Corbett - 4
th
I am a new leaf in Spring
I see lots of new things
All of my friends are very nice
Some of them are little mice.
I like the pleasant breeze
If it were winter I would freeze.
I can see the hills so full of green
All of them I have seen
Around the hills flowers grow,
They are red and pink I know.
Spring is the perfect season for me,
Because outside is an inviting place to be!
The Deer Who Turned into an Apple
Jacob Walkowski - 4
th
One spring day, Bambi and Faline were running about
in the meadow, playing games, like tag and hide and seek.
Bambi and Faline started to get tired, and they wanted to go
to sleep. They fell asleep together in a clearing behind a
rosebush, that they found. When Bambi woke up, it was
midday and Faline was still asleep. Bambi really wanted to
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eat some apples. He saw an apple tree, and started eating.
By the time he was finished, Faline was awake.
“Faline, I do not feel well,” said Bambi. “I think I will
go back to sleep.”
“I feel bad for you, Bambi. I hope you will feel better
soon,” said Faline.
That very night, Bambi turned into an apple, hanging
from an apple tree, by the stem on top of him. He didn’t
know how. It just suddenly happened. When he awoke, he
saw leaves and red apples around him. He was very
confused about how he came to be hanging on an apple
tree. He tried to look at the ground, but all he saw were
more leaves and half eaten apples. He was surrounded by
leaves, branches, and other apples. He tried talking to the
other apples, but they would not speak to him, because they
knew that he was a deer and deer eat apples.
Bambi felt lonely and sad as an apple because he didn’t
have any friends to play with. He felt cold too, because he
didn’t have his fur coat and fat covering him up, making
him cozy. Bambi had had beautiful fur when he was a deer,
but now he was red all over, except for some spots, where
he had a yellowish tinge mixed in with the red. On the plus
side, he didn’t have worms in him or bruises, like some
apples. He would definitely rather be a deer instead of an
apple.
Suddenly, the hand of a child appeared in the tree. It
was grabbing the other apples and pulling them off. The
leaves parted beneath Bambi and Bambi saw the face of
Him below. He did not have His third arm, that shoots
metal balls that sting when they hit you, but He had a smile
on his face, like he was having fun. How cruel of Him to be
smiling!, thought Bambi. A small hand grabbed him
without warning, and started pulling him down. It was a
small human with bright, blue eyes and a smile so big, her
teeth were showing. Bambi thought this happy child looked
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132
oddly familiar. Bambi finally realized that she was His
daughter.
Bambi got picked right off the branch he was hanging
from. It made him feel lightheaded. Bambi was being put
into a red and black cart. He was pulled away by His
daughter into His house. When they got inside, Bambi was
put into a fruit bowl with some other fruits. Bambi tried
talking to the other fruits. These fruits actually listened
unlike the other apples on the tree.
“Hello,” said Bambi.
“Hi,” replied the pear.
“Were you an animal before you were a pear?” asked
Bambi.
“Yes, I was a fox. One day, I ate a pear, and during the
night, I turned into one. I heard somewhere that there is a
way to turn back into an animal. All you have to do is…”
Suddenly, Bambi was picked up by His hand. Bambi
felt scared and sad that he was going to be eaten. Bambi
was being bitten into by His teeth, and the pain was
unbearable. Bambi was eaten to the core, and He planted
the seeds.
During the night when everyone was asleep and the
forest was silent, something grew from the seeds. It wasn’t
a human or a plant, it was a deer named Bambi being
reborn into his animal form. Bambi didn’t know where he
was, but he didn’t care, all he cared about was that he was
alive. Eventually, Bambi found his way back to the forest.
Faline was so happy to see him, she burst out crying.
Krish Kumar - 4
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th
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Herbaceous
Characters
Like flowers, herb names carry meanings; Heather
refers to solitude and protection, Rosemary is meant
to bring remembrance, while Sage tells of wisdom and
immortality. So too, like these herbs and their
connotations, are the names of characters in stories.
When an author picks a name, he wants it to stand
the test of time. What would Catcher in the Rye be
without Holden Caufield, or Last of the Mohicans
without Hawkeye and Chingachook? Whether these
names roll off the tongue or are difficult to pronounce,
they are memorable, they are integral to the story,
and more often than not, the history and etymology of
these names is central to their roles in the story.
In the section beyond, the stories here are related
deeply to the names of the charcters. The action, the
plot, the villains are all related to the naming of the
characters. Shakespeare was wrong when he asked
and answered: “What’s in a name? A rose by any
other name would smell as sweet.” It may smell as
sweet, but it certainly wouldn’t have the same ring.
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King Basil
th
Siddharth Kumar - 8
Basil was an ordinary farmer living in the rural areas of
Saracity, the capital of the kingdom of Lugardom, which
was ruled by the ruthless King Rutager of the Centager
clan. The Centager clan had ruled Lugardom for thousands
of years and they had managed to do that in spite of some
bad kings from this clan. Basil didn’t know it yet but he
was going to dethrone King Rutager as told by one
prophecy long ago. Rutager knew that this prophecy
existed but did not really think it would happen because the
prophecy revealed that the one who would dethrone a line
of kings would be descended from the kings of the past.
One day, Rutager made a decision to tax his people
more severely than in the past to collect money for wars
that he planned to wage and especially, for his own
personal gain. Rutager wanted to build a new, luxurious
palace for himself and the royal family on a piece of land
away from Saracity. He wanted to display his riches and
glory to the other neighboring kingdoms. He taxed the
people harshly and the people became furious. Basil,
however, was the most infuriated at this, knowing that this
was for Rutager’s personal gain. The people tried to change
this rule but the king refused each petitioner. This abuse
went on for many years until the people were tired of
waiting for change. The people started to rebel against the
king, but the king had allies and those allies helped him
quell the rebellion with their armies.
Basil became one of the leaders of the rebellion, chosen
for his devotion to the cause of the rebellion, knowledge
and tactics. He was a wise leader and learned more about
combat. He led the rebellion for many years and finally the
day came when he was the only leader of the rebellion left
standing. The other leaders had died in war and Basil now
had a chance to end it all. He had to strike the castle in the
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capital city and kill Rutager in order to end the war. Basil
thought about all the people who had died and wondered if
the rebels had enough men to wage this final battle. After a
lot of discussion and reflection, he felt that he had become
stronger from all the years of fighting and that there was no
choice but to strike.
Basil led his army of ragtag soldiers into Saracity. The
city’s defenses had not been enhanced, probably because
Rutager had used all his wealth on troops and personal
gain. The people of the city were already enraged with
Rutager and offered no resistance. The city’s defenses
crumpled in an instant. Basil and his men stormed the
empty city and reached the castle where they encountered a
small group of knights who were defeated easily.
Taylor Humphreys - 8th
Then they stormed the castle and faced a larger force of
knights who started fighting his men. Since the king was no
longer being protected by the knights, Basil’s soldiers
urged him to go on ahead to the king’s chamber while they
kept the knights occupied.
When Basil ran into the chamber, Rutager knew the day
had come for him to die. Basil strongly resembled a king
from the past whom he knew from his studies as a boy.
This old king had been highly respected by the people of
Lugardom but had been toppled by the Centager clan.
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136
Rutager decided that he would put up a fight. Rutager
had cleverly set up traps with arrows, spikes and fire spouts
at the front of his throne. It seemed to Basil that the traps
and the fire spouts activated at random intervals but
Rutager seemed to know how to avoid them. Basil deduced
that there must be a pattern to the traps and the fire spouts.
He soon learned from careful examination that there were 9
sections in a 3 by 3 square of individual squares like this.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Basil figured out that squares 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 activated a
trap every minute and squares 2, 4, 6 and 8 spewed fire a
minute after, for half a minute. Basil formulated a plan
based on his new found knowledge. He purposely made
himself get trapped at the back edge of square no. 2 half-aminute before fire would spew out of it. Rutager at this
time was on square no. 5 and saw this. He thought that
Basil’s end was near. As soon as the fire set off on square
no. 2, Rutager lunged at Basil hoping to push him into the
flames. Basil crouched and pushed the lunging Rutager into
the flames when Rutager was right above him. Rutager
burned to his death in the flames of square no. 2.
The prophecy had come true. The one who had
dethroned a line of kings was descended from the kings of
the past. Interestingly, this prophecy had been uttered by
the old king right before his death at the hands of the
Centager clan.
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The people of Lugardom were overjoyed and celebrated
for many days. Basil was made the king of Lugardom and
peace reigned in the kingdom…. For now……
A Day in the Woods
Yiyun Wei - 6
th
You see, when I, Rosemary, was about ten, I lived with
my aunt and dog at the edge of the woods in a little
cottage. Even though the cottage was small, it suited all
three of us and was very comfortable and welcoming. My
aunt was the shaman of the little village in which we a were
part, and collected all sorts of herbs from sunrise to about
noon. When I was almost born, my mother became very
sick and asked for my aunt to help. She hurriedly prepared
a dish that had an abundance of rosemary in it. My mother
felt better soon after and named me after the herb which
cured her of her sickness. Unfortunately, my mother died
when I was three. From there on, my aunt had taken very
good care of me. I often visit my mother's grave to tell her
about how I was doing, hoping that she can hear me and be
content that I can handle myself well.
One day, when I was visiting my mother's grave again,
I saw an adorable black puppy trying to protect itself from
the wind with my mother's headstone. I felt bad for it, and
took it home. My aunt and I took very good care of him,
but we could not think of a name for it ("Cutie pie" and
"Blackie" just wouldn't do). Once, when I woke up, I
couldn't find him! (We knew its gender from the way that
he was...uh...formed....ahem!) After about half an hour of
barking and searching, my aunt finally found him hiding in
a shadow cast by the wall. An idea suddenly popped into
my head, and my aunt and I decided to name the dog
Shadow.
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On my twelfth birthday, my aunt decided to make me a
special dish, quite similar to the one she gave my mother.
While she was out gathering the special herbs needed to
make this dish, I was playing with one-year-old Shadow. I
was in the middle of throwing Shadow's favorite ball at him
when there was a frantic knock at the door. After hesitating
and more frantic knocks, I decided to open the door, only to
reveal my aunt, pale and panting.
She quickly shut the door, whirled around and
whispered hurriedly,
"Beware of the man who seeks the night,
If you attack, he shall give you a fright.
Seek him in the day at dawn,
During the winter solstice, you'll meet a fawn.
A few more shall accompany you on your quest,
If you decline, you'll end up in the nest..."
As she was saying this, her eyes were glowing white
and when she talked in a much more majestic way than
usual, she was floating about two inches in the air. After
she finished, however, she floated gently back onto the
ground and her eyes returned to normal. Shadow hurried to
save her as she slumped on the floor, her eyes rolling up.
A month later, I stood at the grave of my aunt. The
doctors said that there was a mysterious change in her DNA
that had occurred, one that ultimately caused her death. I
then realized what the words my aunt said before she died
meant.
That night, Shadow and I went into the dark forest
armed with only a lantern, my grandfather’s sword, a spiky
dog collar, and some puppy treats. Along the way, Shadow
kept barking at the lump in my pocket, which, of course,
was the dog treats.
If you were in the forest by yourself with only your
dog, a lantern, and your heart, would you be scared? After
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139
walking about a half mile into the forest, Shadow stopped
walking and froze suddenly, petrified. I looked back and
saw that one of his pupils was about the size of the head of
a pin, and the other one filled up his whole eye. I
immediately covered his
eyes and gave him a dog
treat. I heard him starting to
whimper and looked back to
see what had made his
eyeballs so strange. Instead
of seeing darkness, which I
expected, I saw a man. A
very tall and terrifying man,
about seven feet tall.
"Well hello, my little
friend," the tall man said in a deep, soothing voice. I
suddenly felt like I belonged to him, that he owned me,
possessed me. I quickly shook the feeling off.
"Who are you?" I asked in the calmest voice I could
muster.
"Oh, haven't you heard of me? I am, as your aunt
called me, 'the man who seeks the night', hahaha!"
I did not question how he knew about my aunt's
prophecy, but I guessed that he made her say it.
"What do you want?" I whimpered cautiously. The
man stared at me with his arms folded across his chest and
he raised an eyebrow. I glared at him.
"The night…of course…I want YOU to bring it to me!!
Ahahahaha!! You're so funny!! Haha!" The man's shoulder
muscles relaxed again and he burst out laughing. I glared
at him, embarrassed and more angry than ever.
"What?" I became very confused (I was still angry). I
pondered on what he would do to make me bring back "the
night" to him. When he didn't answer, I asked him the
question again. When he still didn't answer, I suddenly
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struck out at him, ignoring Shadow's barks of warning.
Less than a second later, I found myself on the ground with
a bloody nose and lip. The man sneered.
"You really must control your attitude young lady!
Listen to your little doggie! Remember what you auntie
said? 'If you attack he will give you a fright'? Ha! Well, to
answer your question, I need YOU to go to the town of
Garidour and ask for a flower. I have specifically chosen
you because of your charm and intelligence. I also need
that flower for some…other reasons. Who would
think…after so many years…hahaha…your aunt's fate is
still tied with your mom's? So go on now..." those were the
last words I heard from him before I drifted into
unconsciousness out of shock.
I woke up the next day, dazed, as I was trying to
recount last night's events. When I was done, I sat there,
looking at my surroundings. It was the same as before.
Shadow was barking at me. I packed our bags, having
decided to go on a journey to Garidour.
I rushed to my house and, after a lot of searching, found
a towel and a large stick. I packed some rice balls, a
container full of water, some dog treats, a few gold coins,
ham, a bow, and some arrows with a quiver. I know you
think that this is a lot of stuff, but it fit inside the towel
perfectly. Absolutely perfectly. I called Shadow, who was
chewing on the chair, and off we went. Just as we were
heading down the road, I looked back at the shabby
wooden cabin my aunt and I called home. I knew that I
wasn't going to see it for a long time, or maybe never see it
again.
We trudged along the fifteen-mile long path to
Garidour.
"Shadow, do you think we should make camp now? It's
getting a bit dark, and I'm hungry," I told Shadow.
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We were almost halfway to Garidour, but it was dark. I
could tell from Shadow's whimpering that he was hungry.
My stomach was growling too. We found a nice protective
pine at the edge of the road and I used the blanket and stick
for the tent.
Shadow found some nice kindling to start the fire, and I
ate some ham while Shadow munched on a bone for dinner.
After dinner, we quickly fell asleep because we were really
exhausted.
The next day, I found that I was inside the forest, and
nobody else was there. None of my possessions were next
to me. Not even Shadow. I jumped to my feet, and looked
around. Just as I was going to try to navigate to the edge of
the forest where my camp was, my eyes met the eyes of the
Man Who Sought the Night. He was looking at me with a
very devilish grin. Next to him, there was a bag.
He ripped it open and said, "You be joining them!" In
the bag, were tons and tons of dead bodies, some rotting,
and some were freshly murdered. He took a step towards
me, and I thought that was going to be the last day of my
life.
My first intention was to run, but then I realized that the
man would be too fast for me. So I picked up a rock and
waited for him to react. To my very great surprise, he just
set his bag down and laughed. I still held the rock, but I
was not as ready as before. After a hysterical fit of
laughter, he picked up his bag and disappeared into the
forest.
I woke up with a start. It was just a dream. Shadow
was sleeping soundly next to me, and all my things were
there, including my leftover food. I sighed and Shadow
whimpered, signaling that he was awake. After packing
our things, we continued down the path to Garidour, and
managed to arrive just before sunset. We asked a friendly
inn keeper if we could stay for the night, and she agreed in
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142
exchange for some of my coins. We made ourselves at
home and quickly fell asleep, tired from the day’s walk.
“CRASH!!! BANG!!! HELP!!!”
Shadow and I awoke to screaming and shattering of
glass. We hurried down the stairs into the foyer and saw
the manager lying unconscious on the floor with a deep
gash in her left arm. Just then, the tall man came, and
scooped her up into the bag. He laughed again, tossed the
bag on his shoulder, and left.
I was left there, dumb struck, as Shadow barked his
head off.
I did not know how long I sat on the floor. When I
came back to my senses, Shadow and I got up and ran out
the hotel. A lot of villagers were outside the hotel, asking
each other for more news of the attack. I couldn’t stand the
fact that many people were assuming wrong things, so I
decided to tell them about the tall man and his bag. At first
they didn’t believe me. I decided to just tell them my
whole story. Once I was finished, about half a dozen
people stood up.
They were fighters, so they told me, and wished to join
me on my "quest" and to find the man. I agreed, as it was
always safe to have company, and I realized: Well, I'm just
a little girl whose sword is way too heavy for her…I need
all the help I can get.
As we had no instructions, we decided to go to the
nearby forest. A red-haired dwarf fighter, whose name was
Monklin, told me that this was no ordinary forest.“Once,
two young men went in the forest, and never came back.
There were rumors that they were turned into devils. I
don’t believe them. I think that they must have been taking
a bath and drowned. The strange thing is, all their
possessions were gone. Anyways, no one has been in the
forest since the incident,” he told me in a rough voice. I
nodded and thought about the risks of going into the forest.
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When we got into the forest, I immediately noticed that
there was a major difference between this forest and regular
forests: the trees in this forest were silver. I looked at a tall
brunette fighter for an explanation, but he just shrugged.
We set up camp under a particularly large tree and fell
asleep after eating a delicious dinner made up of the
leftovers that I brought and some food that the fighters
contributed.
Plop. Drip. Drop. Plop. Ploploploploploploplop… A
strange dripping noise woke everybody up. At first we
thought it was the rain, but after trying to drink some
“rain”, it turned out to be seeds falling from the silver trees.
We watched as the seeds rained down and buried
themselves inside the soft forest dirt. Almost immediately
after they submerged, they burst into bloom. They became
giant silver flowers with five layers. Their heart was a deep
blue, speckled with red dots. It was truly pretty. Then,
once we lit a torch to see the flower better, it shriveled up
once in contact with the light. When we put out the flame,
the flower burst into bloom again. It took me a while to
figure it out, but once I did, I realized: This has got to be
what the man wanted! This flower only grew at night! I
told my idea to all of the fighters and they nodded their
heads in agreement.
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Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes behind us.
Monklin and two more of his buddies armed themselves
with huge four inch wide knives and crossbows. They
immediately put their weapons away when out of the
bushes emerged a miniscule fawn dragging another fawn
that was bloody and appeared to be dead. The fawn that
was alive looked at me and poked the dead one with its
nose. I could tell that it was telling me to bury the dead
fawn, so I carried the dead fawn in my hands and told the
fighters to dig a hole. I carefully placed the dead fawn in
the hole and covered it up, planting one of the "night
flowers" on it. We had a moment of silence, while I was
thinking: This must be the fawn my aunt was talking about
in the prophesy!
"CA-! CA-! CA-!" the calls of an eagle echoed through
the forest. All the fighters pulled out their weapons. Just
then, a beautiful, giant bald eagle swooped down and was
about to dissect me with its claws when one of Monklin's
buddies threw a stone at its head. The eagle shrieked and
flew off while Shadow was still barking his head off at it. I
sighed, thinking that I was very thankful to have the
fighters at my side, or else I would have been eaten by the
eagle and its kin…or at least ended up in its nest…
Dawn arrived. When I hurriedly reminded the fighters
that we still needed to find the man, the tall man appeared
in front of us. I remembered that today was the winter
solstice, so I pulled out a "night flower" and handed it to
him, shouting, "Well, here you go! The night! There has
got to be a reason you've done all this!"
He handed the flower back to me and laughed.
"Everything comes at a price! Haha!" he said.
The fighters were staring at me, confused, but I just
waved it off.
The tall man leaned in close to me and said, "Here, I'll
tell you my secret, but you have to be mentally prepared!"
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he said, smirking. Then, he leaned in closer to me and
whispered in my ear, "I'm your dad…"
Then, he reached his hand out, but before I could give
him the night flower, it floated automatically to the man's
bag. The fighters and I gasped as one by one, people
walked out of the bag and started heading in different
directions, among them was the inn keeper. I waved to the
inn keeper, and, to my surprise, she waved back. Then, the
last coming out of the bag were the holograms of two
graves: one for my aunt, one for my mother.
The man stared at the images of the graves, looking sad
for the first time. He said slowly, "Well, I guess you
should know everything…your mother and your aunt were
both killed at a young age because your mother married
me, and since then, there was a curse upon the family. I am
an abnormal being, but for some reason, your mother
decided to marry me …" He sighed.
I was shocked and furious with the man who claimed
that he was my father. Then, he looked at me very lovingly
and warmly, as if I was a pearl.
He continued, "I'm sorry to say, my daughter, but you
have this curse too. I am the only one in this family that
can survive for many generations, only because I am
different. You, however, can survive to be about ninety
one or a hundred if you can manage to take the night flower
to the shaman to make an immortality potion (don't forget
to give some to the shaman too!). The reason why your
mother and aunt did not appear among the people walking
out from the bag… "
He fell silent. I looked at him, feeling a sadness that I
had never experienced before.
"Magic doesn't always work…" he spoke again, with
his eyes unfocused, "sometimes, even after we pay a heavy
price with pain and suffering, we don't get what we have
paid for…"
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Holly’s Quest
Iris Schille – 5
th
When Holly, a witch, was just 10 years old, her
widowed mother suddenly became ill with a strange
disease. It caused her to never sleep, and mutter strange
phrases. Her eyes turned milky, and her skin turned a
peculiar shade of grey. At times she would be feverish and
delirious, and run about the house screaming. Holly told the
doctor, and he said that it was an uncommon disease that he
had seen only once before. It could only be cured with a
magic potion made with ingredients found only in a magic
land.
“Your mother might have a few books on the disease in
her library,” said the doctor. Holly thanked him and ran
home to her mother’s library. Sure enough, there was a
book on the disease.
Greytwist
Greytwist is a magical disease
in which the victim’s eyes
turn white, and their skin
turns grey. The cause is
unknown, but there is a cure:
a potion made from the
ground horn of a lyrelope,
the feather of a leagle, the
tear of a silverhorn, the scale
of a slizard, and the wing of a
rain fairy all boiled together
in a mixture of holy water
and a snatch of siren song.
Put it all in a cauldron and
stir it counter-clockwise until
the potion turns purple. Feed
Flora & Fauna
a victim of Greytwist a
spoonful, and they will be
healed. To find the
ingredients, the brewer
must travel to a world
called Mirica.
To get there, you must
write the word “Mirica” on
a mirror big enough to step
through, and the mirror
will become a portal to
Mirica. No one has ever
come back from Mirica, so
beware.
147
As much as Holly didn’t want to leave her mother in
this condition, she knew she had to in order to save her. She
ran around preparing for the journey. Holly gathered water,
food, clothes, a tent, and pretty much anything she could
possibly need in a new land. She also made sure she made a
list of the ingredients she needed to get in Mirica. She ran
to her mother’s room to write “Mirica” on her mother’s
mirror to turn it into a portal like the book said to do. But,
as she was about to write on the mirror, she heard a faint
murmur that came from the bed.
Holly came over to investigate, and found her mother,
for the first time in days, not delirious or feverish. She
seemed to sense Holly’s presence, and reached out to cup
Holly’s face in her hands. She stared into Holly’s brown
eyes with her milky white eyes and whispered, “I named
you Holly to symbolize hope. Never give up.”
Afterward, she fell asleep and didn’t say anything more.
Holly pulled the marker out of her pocket, and wrote on her
mother’s mirror the word “Mirica” in thick, bold letters.
Suddenly, the mirror began to glow with an unearthly blue
light, and the whole surface of the mirror caved in silently,
becoming a swirling rainbow surface. Holly took a deep
breath, and put a foot into the portal. She was surprised
when her foot turned rainbow as soon as it came in contact
with the portal and could feel the portal swirling around her
foot. Holly took an even deeper deep breath, and jumped
into the portal.
Holly appeared in a familiar-looking land. It looked a
lot like a savanna. Then, she got up to observe her
surroundings. It was midday. There was long grass
everywhere and a watering hole about 40 meters away,
where antelope were drinking, some birds were wading,
and a herd of elephants with their backs facing her were
bathing. Then, she noticed something strange about all the
animals and the grass. The antelope had lyres for horns, the
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148
grasses were flutes, cymbals, trumpets and recorders, the
flamingos had the mouthpieces of recorders instead of
beaks, and, when the elephants turned around, they had
tubas for trunks.
Holly giggled at the animals’ strange appearances, and
started naming the animals. When she got to naming the
lyre-horned antelopes, she realized they must be lyrelopes
the book was talking about. But how would she get their
horns?
As it was quickly turning to twilight, Holly unfolded
and set up her tent. The lyre tuba elephants left, and so did
the birds, but the antelope stayed, as if to protect her. Holly
slipped inside her sleeping bag and was lulled to sleep by
the violin crickets and the gentle orchestra of the flute
grasses.
Holly woke up to what sounded like sticks and
branches falling on the ground. She poked her head out of
the tent and saw it was still night. Then, she noticed the
whole herd of antelope shaking their heads and rubbing
their heads against trees and each other. The sound of sticks
falling was made when their horns fell off. So they shed
their horns every night, thought Holly. She ran outside and
grabbed a horn that was near her tent. It looked exactly like
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a lyre, and when she tried to play it, it worked. She tucked
it into her bag and fell asleep.
When Holly woke up for the second time, it was dawn
and the flute grasses were covered in dew. The lyre
antelope were sleeping, and the tuba elephants were back.
The birds weren’t anywhere to be found. Holly packed and
started to walk in the direction of a far-off forest.
After a day of traveling, Holly was very tired, very sore
and no longer in the savanna. She was now in the dark
forest, and all the animals she had seen were leafy. She had
met a friendly leopard that was made of leaves, and its eyes
were small yellow fruits. It was now following her and had
allowed her to pet its soft, dry foliage. Suddenly, she heard
a piercing cry, and saw a leafy eagle swooping down from
the sky. Before Holly had any time to react, the eagle
snatched Holly’s bag, lyrelope horn and all, and took it to a
nest in a giant tree.
“Oh, no.” groaned Holly. Now she was going to have to
climb the tree.
She walked over to the gnarled old tree, dug her fingers
into a knothole, and started to climb. It was over an hour
before she reached the top. When she did, she batted the
leafy eagle away, grabbed her bag, and slung it over her
shoulder. Holly was about to climb down when she realized
the feather of a leafy eagle was on her list. She grabbed the
startled eagle from higher in the tree where it had been
sulking, and pulled out a leafy feather. She tucked it
carefully in her bag, and was on her way, the eagle
screeching after her.
When it had turned to twilight, Holly was still walking
through the forest. She spotted a nearby clearing through
the trees and was planning to set up her tent there when she
heard clanging sounds coming from it. She approached
cautiously and peered through the trees, where she was
greeted with a strange sight. Two stags, one with silver
armor on its antlers and one with gold, were fighting
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furiously. The strange thing was that the stag in silver had
pupil less blue eyes, and the other had pupil less orange
eyes. Suddenly, the gold armored stag lunged and snapped
one of the silver stag’s horns. The gold stag left the
clearing, and the silver stag sank to its knees and looked
miserably at its broken horn. Holly felt pity for the animal,
and ran over to try to comfort it. It didn’t seem bothered by
her approach, so she sat down and stroked it.
This must be a silverhorn!
thought Holly. Her list said she
had to collect the tear of a
silverhorn. As she wondered
how she could get it to cry, it
seemed to answer her thoughts,
and started crying. Holly
quickly dug around in her bag
and found a small phial she had
been carrying for this purpose.
She caught a tear just as it was
falling to the ground. She
capped the phial and left to find
a new clearing.
When Holly traveled for yet another day, she came to a
vast desert with no way around it. She started walking, and
came across a rock with many little lizards skittering across
it. They were the color of sand and looked like it too. Holly
thought to herself that these must be the sand lizards. They
were very skittish, so it was hard to catch one, but Holly
managed to catch one, and pulled out a scale from the poor
squirming lizard. Then she realized she could take a scale
from the shed lizard skin beside her foot. So she put the
scale in her bag and walked on.
The next day, Holly crossed out of the desert and onto a
sandy beach. It had been four days since she had left home,
and now she was feeling a little homesick. She was walking
along the beach, when she tripped over something and fell
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face first into the sand. She got up and dusted herself, and
picked up the object. It was a beautiful comb, made of
polished driftwood and inlaid with aquamarine, pearls,
sapphires and opals. It was also intricately carved with little
symbols and flowers, and the teeth were carved to look like
waves. She put it in her bag and kept walking. After a few
minutes, Holly heard a faint sobbing coming from a rock a
few yards out into the sea.
“Hello?” called Holly. No one answered.
“Hello! Please, if you’re there, show yourself!” Holly
yelled. She heard a burbling, and the head of a girl about
Holly’s age popped up from behind the rock. She had tear
streaks all over her face and was still crying a little.
“Yes?” said the girl. Holly blurted out the first thing on
her mind.
“Does this comb belong to you?” asked Holly, holding
out the comb.
“Oh, yes! Thank you for finding it. That was the reason
I was crying, you see. My mother would be so mad at me if
I lost her brand new comb.”
Then, the girl swam towards Holly, and Holly
discovered that the girl was actually a mermaid. Holly gave
her back her comb, and they had a long conversation in
which the mermaid asked Holly if there was anything she
could do in return for the return of her comb. Holy was
about to refuse, but then she remembered the next two
items on her list: seawater and a snatch of siren song. She
asked the mermaid for a snatch of siren song. The mermaid
nodded and picked up a crumbling old shell from the
seabed. She took a handful of the slimy green seaweed that
grew at the base of her rock and rubbed the shell with it,
softly singing:
Shell of old, shell of past,
Listen to my song,
Open wide, take my spell,
Keep my song inside
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The shell’s top opened up like a lid, and a tiny ball of
yellow light appeared inside. Then the shell snapped shut
like nothing had ever happened. The mermaid dropped the
seaweed and handed Holly the shell.
“It’ll open only when it touches seawater after it dries.
Just shake it out and use it however you need it,” informed
the mermaid. She jumped back into the water and swam
away, her green tail shimmering behind her. Holly took a
bottle from her bag and filled it up with seawater. Then she
put the shell and the bottle in her bag, set up the tent, and
fell asleep.
The day after, Holly left the beach and crossed into a
very leafy jungle, where she saw a misty blue fairy as tall
as her pinkie finger sleeping in a leaf. Holly giggled when
she saw tiny storm clouds form over the fairy every time
she snored. Holly pulled out her list and checked for the
next ingredient. It was the wing of a rain fairy. Holly
looked back at the tiny, sleeping fairy and saw that she had
not just one pair of wings, but hundreds of pairs of wings.
Every time the fairy shifted in her sleep, a few wings would
come off. Holly gently teased a single loose wing out from
under the fairy. She had just put it in her bag and was about
to keep walking when the fairy woke up, buzzing angrily.
The fairy waved its arms around, and a small storm
cloud appeared over Holly’s head and started raining. Holly
ran, but the cloud followed her, starting to crackle with
electricity. The fairy had flown away, still buzzing angrily.
The cloud started zapping her with static. She kept running
from the cloud until she saw a tall tangle of brambles in
front of her. She saw an opening and ran towards it. As she
went through, the brambles dispersed the cloud. Suddenly,
she remembered: The portal was now gone! It had been
more than four days! How would she ever get home?
Holly forgot all about the portal once she saw the
people that lived in the clearing. They were sort of people,
but not exactly. They were taller and more beautiful than
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153
any human that had ever existed. Their skin was silvery and
almost opalescent. Their eyes were large, almond-shaped
and glinting violet like amethysts. Their hair was long,
silky and white. They wore delicate-looking clothes that
seemed to be made of spider web. And they all seemed to
emanate a delicate aura of mystery and wisdom. Even
though Holly was sure they hadn’t seen her, they turned
their heads towards her. Holly gathered her courage and
stepped further inside the clearing.
They stepped gracefully towards Holly and soon were
clustered around her. There were at least twenty of them,
and they apparently lived in the small huts built at the back
of the clearing. One of them, taller the rest and obviously
the leader, said in impeccable English,
“We know you need to get home, and we can help you.
We are the elves of the forest.”
Holly was dumbstruck. How could someone whom
she’d never met know all her needs? She was simply too
surprised to speak. The elves stood patiently around her,
awaiting an answer. At last Holly said,
“Thank you so much. That would be really helpful.”
The elves smiled and led her into a hollow tree filled
with strange, leafy, rainbow plants. The plants glowed and
waved gently from side to side, even though there was no
breeze. The elves brought out an ancient mirror and placed
it in the hollow tree in front of the plants. An aged female
elf picked some of the rainbow plants, put them into a
glassy bowl and ground them into rainbow powder using a
pestle. Then, she poured a milky blue liquid into the bowl
and stirred it into the rainbow powder with her hand. The
result was a glowing rainbow liquid that was thick like
honey.
The elf dipped her fingers into the bowl and smeared
the frame of the mirror with it. She also drew a symbol on
the center of the mirror. The surface of the mirror caved in
silently and turned rainbow, just like before. The old elf
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154
helped her through the mirror, and just as Holly was about
to be sucked through, she thanked the elves for their help.
Holly tumbled backwards out of her mother’s mirror. It
was a normal silver again, but with no trace of the word
that Holly had written on it. She hugged her sleeping
mother, and ran downstairs to make the potion.
Holly first poured the seawater into the cauldron, and
carefully placed the shell in it. The top opened, and the
glowing blue ball was revealed. Holly picked it up and
dumped the blue ball out of the shell. As soon as the ball hit
the bottom of the cauldron, it made a blue flash and the
faint sound of singing, and turned the seawater aquamarine.
Next, Holly smashed the lyrelope horn to bits, which she
was sad she had to do, and dumped it into the cauldron with
the seawater and mermaid song. The leafy eagle feather
was next; it disintegrated as it touched the potion. Holly
emptied the tear phial, dropped in the sand lizard scale, and
put in the rain fairy wing. She stirred it up until the potion
turned purple, and ran upstairs and fed it to her mother.
Immediately, the potion took effect; Holly’s mother’s eyes
turned back to their normal color and her skin stopped
looking grey.
“I knew you could do it!” said Holly’s mother.
The W Adventure
th
The mild, cool wind was whirling, and all of the houses
on Willow Way needed a heater. The year had just struck
spring, while the plants exploded with color. Wanda gave
up the attempt of convincing her mom to let her go outside
and play. The temperature rose fifteen degrees, but it was
still too cold to play in summer clothes. Wanda would not
wear anything other than a tank top and shorts, which she
called Shorty-Worty and Mr. Tank Topsworth. She would
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155
never call a regular item by its everyday name, only by its
proper name.
"Good morning
'Dr. Burnt
Breadington,'" said
she as she passed
her fingers on the
sea green painted
coat of the metallic
unit. No reply from
the toaster. It was
toasting two pieces
of bread. Finally
the bread popped
out.
Right then the
family collie, Wayne, ran up to Wanda, wanting to leave
the house as well. He was full of fur and he was never cold;
only warm or hot. His full name was Wanyus Garcius.
Meanwhile, the not so famous villain Womoly-Wono
was spying on her from his "really obvious to find" secret
lair. He wanted to take over Wilson, Wyoming. Then he
could take over the world! But first, other than take a selfie,
he would kidnap Wanda and make her tell him how to take
over the whole world! He just had to find out how to get
her.
"Aha, I have an idea. Wait... no I don't," he grumbled.
"We better head for shut-eye," and he went on his way to
bed. Once he tucked himself in, his tabby cat swatted his
face which he interpreted as the cat signaling a plan, which
was for him to break through her window and kidnap
Wanda. He agreed to that idea, even though he thought it
was dumb. He threw on some dark clothing and ran out of
his lair.
Once he ran out he crashed into a pole. Even with a hurt
face, he turned to his right and bolted to the subway. Inside
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156
of the subway, he read the newspaper. He tried to not to
look suspicious. At the stop he wanted, he rolled out and
"hid" on Willow Way.
His hammer smashed the window with a loud CRASH!
Sneaking into Wanda's room, he took her as a hostage in
his stolen Batmobile. She was then threatened to tell him
the way to take over the whole world. Womoly-Wono tied
her up to a chair, taped her mouth, and put a knife at her
neck in a bomb filled room.
Wanda was very scared, but she knew the way to take
over the world. Wanda finally moved her chair to show
Womoly-Wono that she would tell him the way to take
over the whole world. Womoly-Wono unwrapped the tape
from her mouth and let her speak. She told him to make a
new electronic device called the iCantSetItDown. It will
take over the minds of all young people, keeping them
distracted from their everyday activities. By making and
selling the iCantSetItDown, she told him, "You will
become the richest villain in the whole world."
Remy Furst - 4th
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157
Brave New
Species
Science always looks to the future, the beyond, to
what may come and how to bring it here, or to life. In
the following section, the sixth grade, who study Life
Science, tackled the question of genetics and animal
husbandry. Like Dolly in 1996, the sheep that made
history by being the first adult mammal cloned, these
students broke new ground by uncovering the secrets
of DNA and the Animal Kingdom.
While our students didn’t perform any experiments
on animals or go into the wild for live research like
Dian Fossey, they put time and effort into telling some
thrilling stories about animals and their sometimes
clumsy relationship to humans. Some are tales of woe,
and some are tales of wonder, but no matter the
premise, all are tales of the study of animals.
Students in 6th grade were able to use several
different mediums and techniques to create one of a
kind pieces. From Chinese and Polish paper cutting to
print making and Ellen Jewett inspired surrealist
designs, their animals tell a unique and intriguing story
all their own.
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The Zoretta
th
Alex Asay – 6
Dr. Fizzlarry Burns had just bought his ticket for going
on a plane heading to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
Fizzlarry Burns was a doctor whose desire was to study
snakes. White and black were his favorite colors, and he
daily wore a white shirt, white coat, glasses with a white
frame, black pants and black shoes. The Oklahoma City
Laboratory was the name of the lab he studied in. In the
Oklahoma City Laboratory, Dr. Burns kept snakes of every
kind in different cages and miniature habitats. He
personally lived in Oklahoma City himself, along with his
wife, Karry, and his only son, Joseph.
Three days before leaving for the Democratic Republic
of the Congo to capture some more snakes to study in the
Oklahoma City Laboratory, Dr. Burns said to Karry, “I hate
to tell you this right now, but I’m going to stay in central
Africa for two years. I was so dumb, never remembering to
tell you about my trip.”
Karry shouted, “Oh, Fizzlarry! You surprise me all the
time, but two years is long! You always ignore me, and
want to get away from me and study snakes, don’t you?
And what will become of the Oklahoma City Laboratory?
No one will be guarding it, and I am definitely not going
to.”
Dr. Burns calmly said, “It won’t be two years unless it
takes too long to find and research certain breeds! I will try
and be back as soon as possible, but I predict it will take
two years. Please, calm down!”
Karry said no more, and Dr. Burns walked away.
Three days later, Dr. Burns was sitting in an airplane,
waiting for it to take off. The airplane took off five minutes
later. Dr. Burns looked out the window as Oklahoma City
got smaller and smaller. As he was thinking of snakes, he
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was thinking of Karry at the same time. A tear fell from his
eye.
One day later, the airplane landed at Kinshasa, capital
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After departing
the airport, Dr. Burns rented a car, and drove to a local lab
in the country. Dr. Burns met other scientists there, and
said that he was American, and he studied snakes. Luckily,
the other scientist studied snakes too.
Dr. Burns said to the other scientists, “The reason I
have come here to this country is to capture some more
snakes to add to my laboratory habitats in Oklahoma City,
a city in the United States. I am going into the jungle to
find the snakes I need.”
“Ok,” said the other scientists.
Dr. Burns then went to his car and started driving to the
jungle. After ten miles, the road started to get bumpy. The
scientist noticed the road wasn’t paved either. People had
not cared for paving this section of the road, since people
rarely drove to the jungle. Soon, Fizzlarry reached the
jungle.
He said to himself, “Ok, got to find those snakes.”
He walked along the jungle, armed with a crossbow,
cages, and navigation. It sounded odd in the forest; there
was not a single sound. Suddenly, Dr. Burns heard a
hissing. This hissing was followed by a screech.
Dr. Burns went in the direction of the hissing and
screeching. Getting ready to catch what he thought was a
snake, the scientist grabbed his cage and jumped at the
animal. The animal took its tail and hit him in the face.
When Dr. Burns fell down, he took a picture of the strange
animal.
This animal looked similar to a snake, but was not. It
was like a long rope that was black and had horns sticking
everywhere on it, except the face. Its face had a blue eye
and a red eye; the first animal discovered like that. At the
end of the tail was a flame about a foot high. Dr. Burns
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thought it had no need to breathe, eat, or drink, because the
animal did not have a mouth or nose.
This animal was a great discovery for Dr. Burns. He
intended to study it for a year, and then sell it for a lot of
money. The scientist then grabbed his cage, and captured
the mysterious animal. The animal was not bothered about
going in the cage. Fizzlarry wondered why the animal acted
like it did.
Dr. Burns walked back to his car, and put the animal
cage in the trunk. The animal hissed at him. It was a good
thing the car Dr. Burns used was fireproof, so the animal’s
tail would not set the car on fire. Dr. Burns then went to his
seat and started up the car.
Dr. Burns decided he would not spend two years in the
country; he decided to come back to Oklahoma City right
away and study this strange animal there. He also did not
want to stop at the lab, since he did not want to start a mad
campaign in the country about this animal. The plan for
returning to Oklahoma City would go like this: tonight, Dr.
Burns would drive to Kinshasa to stay at a hotel, and hide
the animal in his suitcase. The next day, he would give the
car he used back to the owner, and he would depart on an
airplane to Oklahoma City. He would get home in two
days.
Near 10:00 p.m., Dr. Burns reached Kinshasa, and he
stayed at the Kinshasa Premium Hotel. He slept the night in
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the hotel, and woke up the next morning. Another thing he
noticed about the animal was that it never slept, and it
stayed awake doing nothing all night. Dr. Burns packed up,
and went in the car. He then dropped off the car he was
using to its owner, and then walked with his luggage to the
airport. He was lucky the security gate was broken when he
went through it; he had a metal cage for the animal.
He waited in the airport for about forty-five minutes,
and in the meantime bought a souvenir for his son Joseph.
After forty-five minutes, the plane took off. Dr. Burns sat
in the plane, thinking of what glory he would have, when
he will receive money for selling it to the government. He
could not wait to surprise Karry and his son Joseph, coming
back from the Democratic Republic of the Congo after only
three days. Joseph would also be happy with what he got
him as a souvenir, which was a necklace of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo Leopards, a soccer team.
At 10:30 p.m., the airplane reached Oklahoma City. Dr.
Burns walked off the airplane with his luggage and ate a
pizza at the airport. He then took a taxi since his car was at
his house, and finally arrived at home about 30 minutes
later. When Dr. Burns pressed the doorbell, Karry Burns
came to open the door. She was absolutely surprised to see
her husband, and Joseph was excited to see his father. Dr.
Burns told his wife about everything that happened in
Africa, including the newly discovered animal, and he gave
Joseph his souvenir.
Over the next few days, Dr. Burns really concentrated
on the new animal in the Oklahoma City Laboratory. He
decided to call the animal a zoretta, since it was found in
the Zorettan Jungle. He studied it more, and found that it
did not reproduce and it was the only one of its kind. He
also found that the zoretta is not a normal organism; it did
not have DNA, cells, or any other things a normal organism
would have. The zoretta only had a brain and metallic
bones. Its skin was like metal, too. However, its tail was
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mysterious, burning with a foot-high fire, with no cause for
it.
And so, after all, Dr. Burns considered the zoretta not a
snake, and he thought it useless, so the zoretta was sent to
the zoo by Dr. Burns. At first, the zoo would not accept it,
because the zookeepers did not know anything about the
zoretta. Dr. Burns gave his notes to the zookeepers, then
after reading them, the zookeepers decided to keep the
zoretta. The zookeepers then decided to put the zoretta near
the entrance of the zoo, since the zoretta was mysterious.
So, this is how the story of the discovery of the zoretta
ends. The zoretta is now safe in its cage, with no special
abilities, and did nothing except hitting people with its tail
when they came too close. It did not influence the world at
all.
The Peagles
th
Ethan Hwang – 6
Jarl Zuriel and Jette Zuriel are father and son. They live
at the Craigbridge Observatory in the middle of the Arctic.
Jarl often goes on long expeditions to observe Arctic
Pandas’ activities. He has a PHD in animal behavior, and
knows a lot about this subject. He studies them for a living
at Craigbridge Observatory. The man that owns the
Observatory, Theodcourius Craigbridge, is a very famous
inventor. He is famous for inventing one thing and one
thing only: The Time Machine (no, it is not accessible to
the general public)! His brother, Roland Craigbridge,
invented the Teleporter. He is the co-founder of the
Craigbridge Obervatory.
You see, the Craigbridges have always had an interest
in animals; they absolutely adored them, and they have
always had a passion for saving the Arctic Pandas. After
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they retired, they decided to make an observatory dedicated
to Arctic Panda research. 100,000 Arctic Panda enthusiasts
along with their families live in the facility. It is a great
place to live, because it is comfortable, cozy, and there is
no pollution in the Arctic due to international law
prohibiting fossil fuels and harmful chemicals and pollution
to be used in the Arctic. The Observatory uses wind
turbines and solar panels to power their computers,
buildings, vehicles, and just about anything that requires
electricity. They only use organic wrappers and so their
garbage is eco-friendly and is used again to package other
things.
The Craigbridge Observatory is huge to start off with. It
is a mind-blowing five square miles. According to Jarl and
Jette, the place is world-class. There is Craigbrige
Academy there, rated one of the “premier” schools, which
means that they have been internationally recognized as
one of the top 30 schools in the world. Jette, because his
dad is an employee, gets to go to Craigbridge Academy.
According to him, the only downside to living in
Craigbridge Observatory is that he does not get to always
see his dad.
Jarl and his team (the Arctic Panda activity team), go
on expeditions every few months. They are generally gone
for about 3 months at a time, but this was a special case.
The team had encountered a species of panda they had
never seen before! The species they had found, instead of
being black and white, was gold and silver. This was decent
news for the team, but since over 2,000 species of pandas
have been found, this was not news that would shock the
world.
He did their usual observations: what the panda ate,
took a sample of its DNA, where the panda slept, where its
home was, etc. It was all pretty fascinating, and it was time
to send a report back to headquarters.
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Jarl’s message: “We have found a mysterious panda
species, given that they are gold and silver. I have attached
a report of this species. Also, feel free to come over! The
coordinates are: 90°N, 0°W.” Just as he was about to hit
send, the ground started to shake. Jarl wanted to know what
it was, because he might be able to add it to his report. He
also thought it was quite weird because the arctic had not
had an earthquake since the start of the 22nd century.
Suddenly, a cage crashed over him and the rest of his
team was put in captivity. He saw a huge eagle that had
glasses and wore a suit and tie. He was about 15 feet tall,
and very intimidating. He could feel his heartbeat rising.
Looking around, he saw very complex models and
creations. This signified that they were very intelligent
creatures. Jarl’s training had taught him to stay calm. He
attempted to do this, but it was quite difficult since there
was a huge eagle standing over him. He decided to try to be
friendly to the eagle, since he did not have much choice.
Jarl stammered, “I come in peace.”
The eagle asked “Who are you and what do you want?”
“I am part of the Craigbridge Observatory and our goal
is to save and research the Pandas. My name is Jarl Zuriel,
and I am head of the Panda Activity team. We saw a gold
and silver panda earlier, and we decided to do some
research on it. Who are you?”
The half-eagle replied, “My name is Ego, and I am the
King of all the Eagles that live here. At one point, we were
a tribe that was made up of eagles and men, all bonded
fondly with each other. One day, a sorcerer named Merlin
came along and asked us for one wish that he could grant.
We had done a great kindness for him and he was repaying
the favor. We wished to be one, for us to merge as one
being. Now everyone in the kingdom is part eagle, part
human. As for the gold and silver panda that you saw
earlier, that was one of our decoys, and not a living,
breathing panda, so don’t get too excited about that being a
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new discovery. Now that you have proven your worthiness,
by speaking innocent words and proven you have a good
will and cause, you may be released.” At that moment, the
cages lifted and the team saw a huge kingdom full of part
eagle, part human beings. Jarl breathed a sign of relief.
They decided to name them Peagles.
Everything looked normal, they had a dining hall, a
storage room, housing, beds, even showers! Ego offered to
explain. He said, “As I told you before, we were merged
into one being. This allowed us to fly and do human
activities, making it very convenient. We wanted to become
part of the human civilization and to be accepted, but we
were afraid that people would put us in zoos and keep us in
captivity. We were outraged at this thought, and we want
you to help reveal our tribe to the world. We mean to help
the world, not to harm it.”
Jarl quickly promised that they would help and do their
best. Ego was very happy with this, so he fed them all sorts
of goodies that they grew and ate in the arctic. Some of
them include arctic melon, which is super sweet, and also
fresh arctic bread, which is topped with syrup from the
Arctic Maple, a special tree that only grows in the arctic
and has a very delicious and sweet, yet healthy at the same
time. One of Jarl’s teammates from Japan declared it
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“umami,” or delicious. Jarl’s favorite dish was the Infinity
Fish, which lived in the infinity pool (it was shaped in an
infinity sign). While they were eating, Jarl asked Ego some
questions: “Why did you decide to live in the Arctic?”
Ego replied, “We lived peacefully before in Norway,
but then after we merged, we were afraid people would
hunt us down and harm us. We decided to go into hiding in
the Arctic, whence no one would come to disturb us, but
then you came along and we tried to lure you to meet us,
while still giving us the upper hand if you meant to hurt us,
so we made the gold and silver panda. We used that to lure
you in, and then we deployed our traps.”
Jarl agreed this was a very cunning plan, but he also
had to make a plan for how to introduce the Peagles.
Everybody knew about the Craigbridge observatory, so
they would first bring the news to the observatory.
Everyone loved animals there, so introducing the Peagles to
them would not be a problem. The observatory would then
announce their discovery. They decided to start tomorrow,
early in the morning.
Jarl quickly sent a message to the Craigbridges and to
his son, Jette. They all prepared at headquarters for this
event, and they said they would welcome the guests. Jarl
was overjoyed that his plan was working. They walked
back to the observatory with great pride in what they did.
Only Ego went with Jarl and his crew, but the rest of the
Peagles were a few days behind so they would arrive after
Ego had introduced them. Everyone at the observatory had
prepared a party for the Peagles. The World’s Fair
happened to be on April 1, 2125, so Jarl, with the help of
the famous Craigbridges, arranged to be apart of it and to
introduce the Peagles. It was a huge success, and everyone
was fascinated by Peages, and everyone was willing to
have them as equals! Since there had been much success,
Jarl and the Craigbridges asked Ego what his dream was for
the Peagles to fit in with the humans.
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Ego exclaimed passionately, “My dream is that Peagles
will live as equals with humans. I think it would be a good
idea if we start a new country where we may live! We
would be honored if we may live either in a country where
humans are currently living, such as the United States or
Germany, or to live in a separate country, where humans
will absolutely be welcome to stay as well.”
To satisfy the requests of Ego, the Craigbridges and Jarl
flew to New York, New York, where they went to the
meeting at the United Nations. They gave an invitation,
which requested for Peagles to live in their country, along
with a Peagle which was willing to answer any questions
that the countries had about their culture, species, etc.
Every country decided to have a vote on this on April 30,
2125. Also, Ego wanted for Peagles to have their own
country, so countries in Africa volunteered to let some of
their land to be donated to the Peagles. Humans did not
really like the hot, dry desert, but the Peagles loved it since
they were able to fly around freely, but be warm again after
living in the Arctic for hundreds of years.
The voting was almost unanimous in favor of the
Peagles, so Peagles lived side by side with humans. They
fit in almost perfectly: Peagles became government
officials (they were just as intelligent as humans!), they had
their own sport team (some of them even joined the soccer,
baseball, football, and hockey leagues), and their country
was just as economically fit as any other country.
Twenty-five years later, in the year 2150, the Peagles
and humans first stepped foot on Kepler 22b, a planet in the
hospitable zone that has an average temperature of about
70°F. Life should be possible on Kepler 22b, and it is about
two times larger than Earth. Humans and Peagles lived here
in harmony ever since.
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th
Gisele Inaba – 6
th
Ryan Garvey – 6
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Arctic Monkey
th
Amir Zahiroleslam – 6
Hello, this is Brandon, the monkey who lives in the
arctic. I’m the only monkey who lives here and nobody
knows how I came to live and be born here. I am about ten
years old and all my body is pitch black, except my eyes,
which are red.
My mom disappeared right after she gave birth to me
and I never knew my dad. My two best friends are Oliver,
who is an arctic hare, and Daniel, who is an arctic fox. We
didn’t meet at any type of school; there is no school in the
arctic; we met when we were barely born. I was crying in
my mother’s hut when Daniel’s dad (who was hunting)
found me and brought me home to their village. My mother
had left my name on a piece of paper on her bed. From then
on I was raised by Daniel’s family; but Oliver’s family
lived right next to Daniel. So from then on, we were the
closest of friends.
Everyone in the village was nice and welcoming,
except the snowy owl who lived in this tiny house at the
end of the village. He never let anyone in his house and
never left it either. He had people deliver food in parcels
and leave it at the door. But some people said that he was
so old and wise, that he could see into the future. My
friends and I knew that that was a bunch of baloney, people
probably said that to make him sound more mysterious.
One day we were going to go sledding, when we got
cornered by Slub, a polar bear. He was a bully who liked to
push kids into the freezing water and make them do dares.
Today he was feeling happy, so he gave us a choice: go to
the snowy owl, or jump in the freezing cold water. I tried to
make a run for it so I could tell someone what was
happening, when he pinned me down.
“Not so fast, monkey boy,” he said. I decided to jump
in the water alone, so Oliver and Daniel didn’t have to.
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“Slub, let them go, I’ll jump in.”
“Fine!”
He let them go and they ran away. I met their eyes with
a look that said, “Do not tell anyone I am here.” They
nodded and ran away while I got ready to jump. I got on the
edge of the water and wondered if I should try to run away,
when I felt two furry hands on my back and the next thing I
knew, I landed in the water with a splash. The water was so
cold, I couldn’t move any of my body parts except my
hands, which I used to tread water with. I had never felt so
cold in my whole life, my vision was blurred and then,
nothing.
When I woke up, I didn’t feel cold at all, and thought I
was at home. I opened my eyes and I realized I was floating
on the water right next to where I jumped. How was I
warm? Warmth spread throughout all my body, giving me
energy. I breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of air coming
out of my mouth, fire did. I breathed again, but harder, at
the sky, and a jet of fire came out of my mouth. I swam to
shore, amazed at my new ability.
When I started walking home, I heard screams and cries
of the entire village. I ran as fast as I could towards the
sound, but it was hopeless because the village was two
miles away, near the shore. When I finally reached it, it
looked like everybody had left.
“Hello?” I shouted. “Anyone here?”
No one answered. Then I saw a ship next to the
coastline (which was off limits to the animal children
because polar bears would catch fish there). I saw two pale
creatures with two legs, two hands, but no tail, start running
after me. One of them had some type of white cloth on. The
other had a form of stick in their hands but I couldn’t see it
very well. I saw an object shoot out of the stick, I felt an
excruciating pain before I saw something like a dart
protruding out of my arm, and I passed out.
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When I came to, I felt a rocking motion all around me
and I was nauseous. I heard familiar voices around me, but
I was too disoriented to place any particular individual.
Someone yelled, “Hey look, Brandon’s awake!” I realized
that Oliver had yelled that. When I looked around, I saw
the faces of the villagers. We were all locked up in cages.
Then the same creature who wore the white cloth walked in
and started looking at all of us. When it came to me, it
started muttering. It left and came back with a tube and a
needle filled with liquid and injected it into everyone. We
felt drowsy, and fell asleep. The last thing I remembered
was that the creature took some blood from my shoulder.
When I woke up, I didn’t know where I was. I was in a
room with the villagers and a group of monkeys. I felt so
excited! I went up to the monkeys and said,“Hello.”
One of the females looked familiar and I didn’t know
why but then I realized she looked a bit like me. She had a
black body; a little lighter than mine; but it covered her
except her brown eyes. She looked at me when I came near
her and her eyes burst with joy. She shouted,
“My son, at last, my son. Brandon, how are you doing?
Do you remember me? I’m your mother.”
I nodded. “Mom? Where’s dad? Is he here too?”
“Of course I am, sonny,” answered one of the other
monkeys in a gruff voice.
That was when I noticed the red eyes of the monkey
who had just answered me. They were a deep red, the color
of blood, the same color as mine. The monkey was very
buffed with muscular and broad shoulders. I couldn’t
believe I had finally found my parents. We spent the next
few hours sharing our stories. I learned that my mom and
dad had once lived together in the Arctic. When I was
born, the two-legged creatures had come and captured
them, but before they were captured, my parents had
hidden me in their hut. Throughout the time of their
capture, they had been experimented on by the creatures,
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which I learned were humans, an evil race, led by the
creature in the white cloth, who was a scientist.
Before we had time to share any details, the scientist
came and took me away. I tried to push his hand off so I
could go back to my parents, but he had an iron grip. Then
he whipped me with something made of leather. It hurt so
bad, it burned. I felt my back where he whipped me and
felt a groove. Anger boiled my blood. Roaring pounded my
ears. I felt so much anger that this human had hurt me. I
opened my mouth and blew out as much fire as I could.
The man dropped me out of surprise and barely made it to
the exit. I ran to the room where all the villagers and my
parents were being kept and melted the door. Everyone
looked at me in surprise. I led the way out of the room
following the way the scientist took me and to the exit.
When we looked around we were in the same ship that had
appeared at the arctic but now we were at a jungle. We got
out of the boat and escaped into the mass of trees ahead of
us.
th
Gisele Inaba – 6
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The SST
th
Tai Nguyen – 6
Sednity was siting at his desk drinking his usual coffee:
café latte. Sednity was a man who hated anything he was
forced to do; he hated his future.
He was studying the latest sightings of the extremely
rare SST, or the Shape Shifting Thing. The latest sightings
of this bizarre creature were in the icy winds of the arctic.
A man named Ginkgo spotted the latest reports. He
supposedly saw a dark beast lumbering towards the sea and
then turning into a seal. Then in a flash, the seal turned
into a polar bear and it rushed straight at him.
Ginkgo said, “It was something I have never seen
before. It was dreadful, simply dreadful. I was very
frightened, so I grabbed my gun and shot it. The bullet
didn’t do anything except enrage the beast. So it charged
straight at me, and I fainted.”
Sednity took this into real consideration. If he went to
the arctic and talked to Ginkgo himself, he could find better
clues to discovering the SST. This would make him
famous and rich, but he didn’t want that. He wanted
something greater than fame and wealth. He wanted to
shape shift. And with the SST’s help, he could make it
happen.
It was 9:18 p.m. and Sednity was boarding flight 8759
Air Arctic. The wind was howling in Ontario, Canada.
Once in his seat, he ordered a café latte and immediately
started drinking the coffee. Around 5:30 a.m. he landed in
Alert Airport. This airport is technically a military airport
but he got VIP access to all airports in Canada from the
Canadian president for helping the president in shutting
down terrorist groups.
It was -5 degrees Celsius outside and the snow was
falling heavily. Sednity got into a truck and it drove him to
a boat by the port. Then the boat set sail for the North Pole.
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It was dark, chilly and silent outside. The waves were
rolling softly outside. The only sound to be heard was the
boat’s low humming engine.
Suddenly, the boat rocked violently. Sednity was
holding the rail to keep balance.
He yelled, “What’s happening captain?”
“We don’t know sir, but it seems like something big
under our boat. We must anchor here sir, or else the ship
will be flipped by this mad thing.”
A smile lit up Sednity’s face.
“No, keep sailing. I will go down into the water to see
what’s causing this trouble. Just bring me a diving suit and
an oxygen tank.”
“Right away sir, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The crew came and helped Sednity change into the
scuba gear. And in no time, Sednity was in the water.
It was dark and cold in the water. As Sednity went
down, he saw something move along the other side of the
boat. He swam near it and saw a walrus nudging the boat
with his huge tusks.
It must be a regular walrus, thought Sednity.
Just when he was about to leave, the walrus shook and
turned into an orca. It swam right towards him. Sednity
swam away in horror of what he had seen. He had just
witnessed the SST. Just as excitement began to take over
his fear, the orca bit the oxygen tank open.
Bubbles burst into the dark water and fear struck his
heart. He only had a few seconds to reach the surface until
he drowned.
As he neared the surface, the orca grabbed him and
dragged him down to the depths of the sea again. Air
began to tighten, as his head started to spin. A hideous cry
yelled out and all was pitch black.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Sednity heard voices in the distance. They sounded like
laughs.
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He slowly opened his eyes and saw a man soaked in
water and the captain.
“Great! You’re alive sir. We thought you were a goner.
Good thing Roebuck here jumped after you,” cried the
captain.
“Whh-h-y did he jump after m-me-ee?” asked Sednity,
teeth chattering.
“Not now, I’ll tell you the whole story later, but first we
must get you and Roebuck dried and warmed.”
After both men were warm, the captain explained, “It
had been more than half an hour when we finally saw your
bubbles, but we didn’t see you. We thought that you
must’ve still been repairing the damages that varmint did to
our ship. But it was another thirty minutes that passed, and
so I got worried and sent Roebuck here, to get you. He’s
basically a rookie military photographer, and he wanted to
get some pictures of the sea, to help him work on his
technique of taking pictures. Lucky for you, he found you
pretty quickly, but with a whale circling you. He took
pictures of the whale and the flash probably scared him off,
so it was easy to get you back up to the ship.”
“Thank you Roebuck, for saving my life. Someday I
will repay you.”
“No problem sir, just another of my duties; To Serve
and Protect,” replied Roebuck smiling delightfully.
They all had a cheerful talk during dinner and soon fell
asleep.
Around 8:49 a.m., the captain yelled “Land
HOOOOOOO!” Everyone was excited to see the Arctic
for the first time.
When the ship was anchored and docked, Sednity got
off and said goodbye. He traveled a few miles when he
came to a small town.
In the town, he asked for a sled dog ride to Ginkgo’s
house.
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In a matter of minutes, he was at Ginkgo’s “house.” It
was a huge igloo covered in ice crystals and a fresh sheet of
powdered snow.
Sednity was welcomed warmly and was told many
details about Ginkgo’s sighting of the SST. But Ginkgo
seemed unsure about many things he had seen. He said that
it was like one of his child’s nightmares.
“To learn more about this thing, go to the Great
Cryalt’s home, and he will tell you about the many unique
features of this thing. The Great Cryalt has studied the SST
for many years. During the first twenty years of his life, he
found out a lot about this thing’s habits and way of life.
For the last seventy years he has been trying to catch the
thing. He is the man you should seek out.”
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Sednity set out and found the Great Cryalt at the center
of nowhere. The hut was a small and humble hut made up
of delicate gleaming stones.
Sednity entered the hut quietly and found the old man
sitting among a huge pile of books.
“Excuse me, sir, do you mind if I use a little of your
time?”
The man said nothing but shook his head indifferently.
“Thank you, sir. Can you please tell me the purpose,
and effectiveness of the Shape Shifting Thing?”
The man looked curiously and smiled. “You look for
thing too?”
“Yes sir. I am.”
“Thing no purpose. On land disturb animals’ peace.
Gobbles food like hungry man. Can wipe out all animals.
Very hard to find. Lives deep in the shelter of the
mountains. Lurks up to the town to steal food every three
days. Very dangerous. Can be people, or animal. Thing
can change at will. Secret is deep. Only I know this much.
Now idle people of town eat and talk, no one worry about
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thing coming and taking food. Must be stopped. Our food
storage is low. Must kill thing!”
“Is there not another way to stop the SST? We can try
to tranquilize it and bring it to the zoo or the pound; maybe
we can put him on a tour? But I don’t want to kill it,” said
Sednity.
The old man looked at Sednity very carefully and then
asked, “Why you want to save a danger to mankind. He
cause only mayhem.”
Sednity knew his reason to save the thing, but he didn’t
want to say it. “I dunno, but I really want to study the
thing,” replied Sednity quickly.
Then the old man showed Sednity how to catch the
thing using his wit and strength.
The next day, Sednity set off to find the thing. He
crossed frozen plains, and solid lakes. He endured
blistering winds and burning cold snow. He climbed to the
highest mountain and saw a huge cave filled with amber
and precious gems. He quickly climbed down and entered
the cave.
Inside was warm and the cave sparkled brightly as the
sun shone down on the gems. Sednity saw the thing taking
the shape of a zebra, snoozing in the back of the cave. He
immediately put his plan into action.
He made a food trail out to a clearing. He hung huge
nets above, and on three sides of the clearing. He left the
fourth net open so the SST could come in, and once it did,
the net would go down and the SST would be trapped. It
would be at his mercy and it would do whatever he wanted.
Just as Sednity thought, the thing lumbered in as a rhino
and was soon trapped in the net. It turned into birds,
beasts, and even monsters, but the net held firm. Soon
when the thing tired, Sednity stepped out of the clearing
and into the trap. He was astonished to see the original
form of the SST. It was a cube with two eyes and a small
mouth.
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Sednity crept closer until he was inches from the SST.
Then in a flash the SST opened its mouth so big that it
created a Black Hole and it ripped time in half. The Black
Hole sucked in everything in sight. All the towns, and
forests, and mountains all vanished into the Black Hole.
Everyone who lived in the North Pole had been forgotten
because the Black Hole ripped them from history. Sednity
was forgotten and many years later people came up with
the word destiny, which means your future. Sednity was a
man that longed to change his future. He hated his life as
is, and he was acting against his future, and if he could
shape shift into whatever he wanted, his future would no be
able to find him. The SST grew so large that it burst and
created all the holes and seas in the North Pole. Sednity
would’ve been as good as dust, if I did not retell the story.
This is the story of Sednity and Destiny, a man who hated
his future. And you ask who I am?
Well, I am the man who escaped, I am the Great Cryalt
of the Shining Hut in the Land of Plain. How I escaped,
well that is a different story... but this story must end here.
th
Nathan Do – 6
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Lizard Man
th
Leigh Olesen– 6
Lucas was your average tenth grade student. Well,
except for the fact that he was the smartest kid in New
York City. Lucas was a tall, gangly redhead. He usually
spiked his hair with gel. Besides just being tall, he was also
strong and was on the wrestling team.
Bullies stayed far away from him, as he had humiliated
their leader, James. People simply shortened his name, as
his whole name was Jamison Stone. He was almost as
strong as Lucas, but not quite. James was humiliated a few
months before, when Lucas caught him trying to give his
best friend, Jared, a swirly. Lucas caught James by the arm
and gave him a swirly instead. James ran down the hall
screaming at the top of his lungs and crying. Everyone
pointed at him and laughed, including his own goonies.
James never made fun of Lucas or his friends ever again.
☯☯☯
Seven years later, when Lucas was out of high school
and college, he noticed something different. He found that
he had webbed hands and feet and could stick to walls. He
could also shoot webs out of his hands. He texted his
friends, but his friends didn’t believe him. A few hours
later, he fell asleep after having eaten a lot of food.
☯☯☯
He woke up with a lizard tail and two incisors growing
out of his mouth. He shouted and was surprised to hear
that he could talk normally. Lucas wondered what was
going on. He cooked dinner, which was drumsticks, and
watched some TV. He watched TV until midnight. When
his favorite shows were over, he realized he was exhausted.
He fell asleep on the couch.
☯☯☯
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Lucas woke up with a start and wondered why. Then
he realized he was late for work at Office Corp! While he
was getting dressed, which is pretty hard for someone with
a tail and incisors to do, he looked in the mirror and
realized he had completely turned into a lizard, except for
the incisors and hands and feet(the webs and walking on
walls), which were from a spider. Lucas knew he hadn’t
been bitten by a radioactive spider like Spiderman, aka
Peter Parker. He decided that he would quit work and
figure out what had happened to him.
Lucas decided he had two choices, become a hero, or
become a villain. He already knew his name, Lizard Man.
He thought that that sounded more like a superhero name,
so he chose to be a hero. Lucas had to figure out a
costume. He decided on a green vest with a hood, and a
yellow shirt underneath. He was NOT going to wear
tights! He decided to wear jeans and sneakers also. The
new hero cut a hole into the back of his jeans, and stuck his
tail through the opening. His vest was so long that his tail
would be hidden until he needed it. He would always have
the hood up so his face was shrouded. The only time he put
it down was when he was fighting. He hoped his face
would look intimidating enough to scare the attackers.
☯☯☯
Lucas swung around the city on his webs looking for
anyone robbing a bank or stealing from a jewelry store or
something. All of a sudden he heard a scream. He headed
toward the sound. When Lucas reached his destination, he
saw a man running off with a wallet in his hand. He saw a
purse on the ground, unzipped, with its contents spilling
out. Next to the purse he saw a woman in her mid-twenties
on the ground who had apparently been shoved over and
had twisted an ankle or something.
She said to Lucas, “Please get my purse back from that
thief!”
Lucas replied, “Will do ma'am. Be right back.”
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He pushed his hood down and swung on buildings until
he caught up to the man. Then he jumped down from the
building he was on and landed right in front of the man.
The thief stopped dead in his tracks and dropped the wallet.
His lips moved soundlessly. He turned around, leaving the
wallet behind, and ran. Before the thief got even five feet
away, Lucas whipped his tail around and knocked the
thief’s legs out from under him. He shot a web straight at
him so he would stay there until the cops showed up.
Lucas told the man, “Now you just sit tight on my web
until the cops get here, kapish?”
The thief finally managed to speak. “Oh, okay.”
“Good,” said Lucas, and pulled his hood back up. He
ran and swung from building to building until he reached
the woman again. He handed her the purse. She thanked
the mysterious hero, and was more grateful than surprised
at his appearance. Lucas swung toward his home.
☯☯☯
When the cops found the thief later, he was rambling
something about a lizard man with incisors as teeth. The
cops just thought he was crazy. But the lizard/spider man
crouching on top of the lamp post knew otherwise.
☯☯☯
The next day, Lucas went searching for how he had
become the hero he was. He didn’t think he had been
bitten by anything. He suspected the answer was way
deeper than that. Lucas figured that he had been injected
with some sort of liquid that changed his DNA so he would
also, as well as being a human, be a lizard and a spider.
Much, much later, Lizard Man found out what had
happened to him. His theory had been correct; someone
had injected a liquid into his DNA which changed him.
This someone was Stone, who had injected him for
revenge, hoping that Lucas would be labeled a freak. Stone
became a villain, conveniently named Stone. He had two
rings, one for each middle finger, that he would press
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together to turn into a man with stone for skin. Stone and
Lizard Man had a confrontation once, which did not end
well for Stone. He was thrown into jail, but while he was
there the cops did not take his rings away, so he used those
to break through the prison, quite literally. He freed every
prisoner there. After his great escape, Stone looked for a
way to exact revenge on Lizard Man.
th
Ella Hedman – 6
th
Nathan Do – 6
James P. Jones
th
Ella Hedman – 6
In 1989 a man by the name of James P. Jones was
working in his secret lab. He was testing animal mutations.
Starting out small he took the D.N.A. from an ant and put it
into a caterpillar. By 1999 he was doing very complex
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experiments and he thought he was very good at mutating,
but he was very wrong. October 4, 1999 James P. Jones
was working on a new experiment. He took the D.N.A.
from a human and put it into a bear. What came out was a
bear wearing jeans and could easily stand up (unlike other
bears). Another amazing thing about this bear was it could
talk.
James decided to name him Jeffory the bear. James and
Jeffory became best friends. This was the first time James
had a friendship with one of his experiments.
One day James and Jeffory were watching the news
when a story came on about an unidentified man robbing
many banks.
James said to Jeffory, "We need to catch that man
robbing banks. I mean think about it, you are a bear that
can act like a human, you have double the strength of a
human and I am an amazing scientist."
Jeffory said, "Ok, but how long will it take because my
favorite show is premiering tonight.
James ignored him and took off but right when he was
about to leave he asked: "Are you coming?"
With a sigh Jeffory walked to the door and had to
squeeze out of it like usual.
They took a cab and when they told him they wanted to
go to the bank the taxi driver went crazy and thought they
were the bank robbers. So they had to explain that they
were trying to save the bank not destroy it.
After that incident they concluded two things, from
now on they would walk to their destinations, and secondly
they were not very secret anymore because they had just
told the cab driver (but in their defense they had a good
reason).
When they got there they saw a man in a mask. He
looked very suspicious and when he turned around he
looked as if he had an empty sack on his back.
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"Oh no, I think we found the bank robber," Jeffory
whispered.
"How is that an ‘oh no’? That is why we came,"
exclaimed James.
"Because I am missing my favorite TV series."
"Oh man up Jeffory."
"Why-do I have to man up if I'm a be—"
Their conversation was stopped by what sounded like a
rummaging through coins.
They walked out of the narrow hallway to meet a
masked figure red-handily grabbing coins out of a bank
vault. They silently grabbed a telephone and called 911.
The police came and took this masked man away.
Alexandra Levee-Murray – 6
Furaloppakoppa
th
th
Sophia Greenland – 6
Annabel Pillsbury trudged through the snow. She felt
like she had been walking for hours, but it had really been
only twenty minutes. Her cheeks and nose were pink from
the cold. Her boots were sopping wet. She estimated
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another five minutes of walking before she would reach the
cave where she had made her camp two days ago. She had
come to Alaska a few weeks ago to study how animals live
in a cold climate. Two months ago, she had got her degree
in Biology, and was chosen to help Doctor Baron von
Schnorr on this assignment. Right now, all she could think
about was changing into dry clothes, laying down, and
going to sleep.
She woke up to a howling wind. The floor was covered
in snow. Annabel had always wanted to do something like
this. To her, this was fun! She changed back into her
clothes for the outside and headed for the entrance of the
cave. She got to the entrance and saw what appeared to be
an animal of some sort, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
When she got closer it disappeared. What was that?, she
asked herself. She walked outside and looked down.
Annabel could faintly see paw prints in the snow. She
began to quickly follow them, because in this snow they
would disappear very fast. The paw prints led her to a
small cave that was about three feet high. She got onto her
hands and knees and crawled inside. She soon came to
what she assumed was the middle of the cave. In the very
middle of the cave was a nest with the creature in it. The
creature had thick, white fur, a medium size head, black
eyes and floppy ears. It had long legs that were skinny, but
covered in white fur. Its tail had a small grey tip, and its
chest was huge. It also had webbing in between its toes.
She moved a little closer. It didn’t move. She continued to
get closer until she could touch it. Then she stopped. It
moved a bit closer to her. She put her hand out, and it
sniffed. “It’s okay,” she whispered. The creature licked
her and she began to pet it. She fell asleep next to it.
In the morning, she woke up with a gasp. She crawled
outside to see the sun shining. She glanced at her watch,
9:00 A.M. She had to leave. She ran back to her camp and
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packed up. Annabel walked outside and waited. The
creature stood beside her the entire time.
When she got back to the research facility, she met with
Dr. von Schnorr about her new animal friend. They both
looked over at the animal, who was currently laying down
in a cage. Annabel felt bad about having to cage the
animal, but she couldn’t have it just wandering around.
“What are we going to do with it?” she asked.
“How should we classify it?” Dr. Baron von Schnorr
asked.
“It should go under the Kingdom, Animalia,” Annabel
said.
“Yes, and in Class, Mammalia,” Dr. von Schnorr said.
“We could put it in the exhibit,” Dr. von Schnorr said.
He had been working with the local zoo to make an
exhibit of some native Alaskan animals for people to see.
“Well, I think it’s from around here, but why haven’t
we ever seen one before?” she said.
“I don’t know, but I want to find out,” he said.
“Dr. von Schnorr, I’d like to call it a Furaloppakoppa,”
Annabel said.
“Okay, but let’s keep it in this area,” he said.
“In a cage by the landing area?” she asked.
The idea didn’t sound very nice to her, but she would
have to go along with it for now. She needed time to think.
She stayed with the animal while it was taken to the
exhibit’s landing area. Each day, a feeder came in and
gave the animal food. It loved salmon berries, and since
they were native to Alaska, they were easy to get. On
Friday, Annabel went to see it. She saw the feeder go in.
The animal growled, and attacked the feeder. It knocked
the feeder to the ground and ran through the open door. It
ran very fast. Faster than Annabel could believe. Once it
got outside, it soon disappeared from sight.
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As luck would have it, at that moment it started to snow
very hard. Soon, it was impossible to see more than two
feet in front of her.
Annabel decided to go back to the cave where she had
first found the animal. She hoped that it had gone back to a
place where it felt safe. She went inside, put her snow
clothes on, and started walking. When she got to the cave,
she crawled inside and looked around. It was there. It
looked up at her, but didn’t move. She crept forward and
the furaloppakoppa let her pet it. Then, she crawled outside
and went back to the research facility.
Annabel and Dr. von Schnorr talked it over. They both
knew that leaving this new animal in a cage at the exhibit
was not the answer. It was finally decided that the animal
would stay in its home. They blocked off an area just for
the Furaloppakoppa so that it had room to roam. Annabel
was assigned the job of studying the animal in its habitat
since it had bonded with her. This made her very happy.
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188
th
Sophia Greenland – 6
th
Ethan Hwang – 6
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th
189
Magic Tree house
of horrors
Confusing title, no? This section is comprised of two
potentially diabolical tasks, a magic tree that gives
whatever is asked, with a potential for consequences,
and the haunting quality of the most devilish maze.
Ever heard the saying “money doesn’t grow on
trees”? Well, what if it did? In these stories, the main
character alights upon a magical piece of flora that
holds a hidden secret: it gives wishes. Before asking the
tree for a most coveted wish, each character must ask
themselves: Does it have a down side—often using magic
has a price, you can’t get something from nothing. Read
on to discover whether or not there will be consequences
and if they can accept them before making their wish.
Where do you go? Where can you turn? Did you hit
a dead end? Mazes can be tricky, deceiving,
frustrating. Whether made in an English garden of box
hedge and tea roses, or the looming nature of a
cornfield at Halloween, there is a component to mazes
that induces fear and excitement simultaneously. But
what if that fear was real? In the following stories, it
is, as told by some of Carden’s most Poe-esque authors.
Read on, if you dare.
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The Maze
Isabelle Anderson - 7
th
My heart is pounding, my blood is racing through my
veins, tremors of fear tear through my body, and every
pounding, torturous footstep seems to bringing me one step
closer to my doom. I have been going like this for what
must have been hours, though I have lost track of time. It is
so dark that I cannot even see the stars anymore. The longer
I am in here, the darker it gets, and the taller the thorned,
finely trimmed hedges of the maze seem to grow.
But, today didn’t start off like this. Not at all. In fact, it
was one of the best Halloweens I have ever had. In school,
all our teachers gave Halloween themed lessons and all our
homework together took less than thirty minutes. After that,
my friends and I got into our costumes and went to an
extremely fun party.
I went as a zombie hunter and my best friend went as a
zombie. At the party, there was bobbing for apples, which,
though I did not participate, looked very fun. There were
also Halloween themed games, such as pin the fangs on the
vampire, and zombie tag, and Halloween themed snacks,
for example, halloweenies, which were little hot dogs, and
coffin cakes, which were cupcakes. All in all, it was a great
day, until I started to head home.
It was nearing midnight and the streets were deserted
and incredibly dark, so I could not read the street signs. I
started to look in my backpack for my phone, while still
walking, but, after several minutes, I realized that I must
have left it at the party. I decided to head back and get my
phone, but when I looked up, I realized that I had no idea
where I was. I wandered around for a few more minutes,
trying to find something familiar, but there were no lights
and I couldn’t see anything, so it was of no use. Instead of
getting even more lost, I just decided to sit on the curb and
wait until it was light enough to see. I looked down at my
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watch and saw that it was 11:59. I sighed and got my book
from my backpack, thinking about the next six long hours I
would have to spend here alone.
And then, exactly at midnight, I found myself
surrounded by massive hedges with black leaves and huge,
glowing, purple thorns. I was very startled, and extremely
scared, but the purple thorns provided just enough light for
me to see by. I started to walk, hoping to find my way out
of this place, but I kept hitting dead ends. I knew then that,
somehow, I had been trapped in a maze.
Eventually, I began to wonder what the thorns felt like,
as they looked almost like they were made of soft plastic.
Out of foolish curiosity, I decided to touch one of the
thorns, and it was not at all soft. I barely touched it but it
was razor sharp and pierced through my finger like a needle
through cloth. I gave a loud cry of pain as it punctured my
index finger. I stepped back and saw that I was bleeding
very badly, so I tore off a small piece of my sleeve and tied
it tightly around my finger to stop the blood flow.
But my scream seemed to have awakened something
hidden in the dark reaches of this place, and that something
was angry. I heard a growl and started to run in the
opposite direction. At a sharp right turn, I ran right into the
hedge, but mostly only got scratches. I didn’t have time to
bandage every cut, so I just kept going. I didn’t know
where I was going, I just ran.
Eventually, the crunching of leaves and loud growls
that alerted me of the monster’s presence seemed to be
getting farther away, but I didn’t stop. I slowed to almost a
walk, but I knew that if I rested, I would not get up again,
and that thing would catch me, and most likely finish me
off.
So, here I am now; wounded, terrified, and exhausted.
After about a half hour, I slow down to a walk. I am pretty
far away and, truthfully, I cannot run much longer. I should
be nearing the end of this maze, or whatever it is. There
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don’t seem to be any more dead ends. After the first few,
they pretty much just stopped and now it seems like I am
just going in circles.
I look down at my watch and it is only 5:20. I sigh and
look back up right as I trip over a hole in the ground and
fall flat on my face. A sharp pain tears up my leg from my
right ankle. I hurt my arm in the fall also, but I can't stop. I
still have to keep going, so I walk on, incredibly slow,
limping, but walking all the same.
But, though it is the fastest I can go, it is not fast
enough. Within twenty minutes or so, the beast has caught
up with me. It is huge and hairy, with four legs and three
arms, two at its sides and one protruding from the middle of
its chest. It has claws like daggers, rows of teeth like a
shark, and glowing green eyes that are very cat-like. I
scream and start to back away. I break into a run, despite
the excruciating pain piercing through my leg with every
step. But the pain is too much. I fall to my knees and try to
crawl forward, but I am too slow. The beast is here.
The thing takes one hand and tears it across my face,
cutting through my skin like butter. Something wet dripped
down my face, turning the top of my shirt red. Just as I see
the sun peak over the horizon, I close my eyes and prepare
for death. I wait for the finishing blow, but it never comes.
I open my eyes to see the monster crumble into ashes
and the hedges shrivel up and die. I find myself transported
to my front doorstep, still wounded. I stand up and my
vision becomes blurry, dotted with little yellow spots. I
make my way to the doorbell and ring it just as my vision
goes black, and I collapse on the step. I hear a scream of
utter horror as I slip into unconsciousness.
*~*~*
I awake three days later in a hospital bed. My leg is in a
cast, my arm in a sling, my face is covered in stitches, and I
have a throbbing headache. I look around me and see a
concerned doctor and the worried faces of my family. My
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mom takes my uninjured hand in hers and assures me that
everything will be all right. I nod and give a small smile. I
hope so.
*~*~*
I still don’t know what happened to that maze. Nobody
found it and I didn’t want to go back and look. People don’t
really believe me when I tell them what happened that
night. I wouldn’t have either, at least before the whole
thing. But now I don’t know what I believe.
All I know for sure is that something crazy happened to
me, something I never want to have to go through again.
And, though I doubt I would find that maze again anyways,
I know that no matter what anyone says, I won’t be going
out on Halloween night again anytime soon. But even after
all this, I look up at the night sky and smile, happy with the
world and to be alive.
th
Alex Asay – 6
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The Woods
Taylor Humphreys - 8
th
One day, Leena was walking through the woods behind
her house when she stumbled upon a tree. It was small and
had a thin trunk, but the leaves cascaded down from the
branches like a waterfall that almost touched the ground.
She pushed a few of the branches away, and approached
the trunk. She placed one hand on the knot that had formed
on its side, and another on one of the lower branches of the
tree. She closed her eyes, and breathed in the sweet aroma
of cinnamon and toffee.
All of a sudden, a voice said, “Hello!”
Leena turned around confused and saw a beautiful
woman standing in front of her. As she approached, Leena
noticed that the woman’s dress wasn’t made of fabric, but
was made of small pink flowers. They seemed to float
around her, hugging her body in some places, and in others,
falling over one another, but not touching the woman.
Leena was stunned to see that the flowers were sewed
together, yet they followed her where ever she went.
The woman giggled, but Leena didn’t know why. She
then realized that her jaw was nearly to the floor, and she
quickly closed her mouth, and covered it with her hand.
“Who are you?” Leena asked.
“I’m Willow, you called me.”
“I think I’d remember it I called you.”
“But you did, when you touched the tree” she said,
pointing to the trunk.
“How so?”
“Somewhere in your mind, you wished that you
wouldn’t have just an ordinary day”
Leena didn’t know what to say. How could she have
called someone she didn’t know, and how could they know
what she was thinking? She had so many questions that
needed answers. Leena didn’t notice the woman
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approaching, but as she tried to lean back on the tree, she
fell back. She looked behind her and noticed it was gone.
She turned back around to confront the woman about it, but
in return she saw darkness. Leena stood up, and walked
forward; she looked back, and noticed there was a dark red
door at the end of what seemed to be a hallway. Leena ran
forward and opened the door and she found herself looking
at herself and the woman in the folds of the tree and its
leaves. She noticed that while she was in her thoughts, the
woman put her into a magical coma.
In her confusion, Leena took a step back, but instead of
hitting an invisible floor, she fell into oblivion. She
screamed when she noticed that there was a light at the
bottom of this pit she was falling in. When she hit the
bottom, Leena woke up from her coma. She was too weak
to do anything but open her eyes, but she noticed that the
woman’s dress was now black, and made of raven’s
feathers. Still too weak, Leena pretended to still be in the
coma, and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she
noticed that the woman was gone.
She looked around, but no sign of the woman, all she
saw a big fire at the side of the room. Leena got up, now
having more strength, and looked around the room. She
looked back at what she was leaning on, and saw the tree,
now withered with brown leaves. She began to look around
the room, and saw that there was an array of knives. It was
then that Leena knew what was going to happen, but it was
too late.
She heard the sound of a door close, and the once
beautiful woman was now an ugly, old hag. She made her
way to Leena who had grabbed a knife and hid it behind
her back. Leena ran back to the tree, but she tripped and
fell. Her had hit the knot in the tree, and the woman gasped,
and held her chest. Leena didn’t realize what had happened
until she turned around and saw the woman clasping her
chest and coughing. Leena then stabbed the knot with the
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knife she took, and the old woman died. Leena was taken
back to her yard, and never returned to the woods.
Larry’s Cave
Nick Corral - 4
th
In the town of San Jose, very few remember how it
came to be that a large cave on the edge of town collapsed.
For it was long ago on a misty night that Larry was walking
through the woods when suddenly, a great ball of light
appeared out of the mist and zoomed away as quickly as it
had appeared.
Larry began to follow it, and, as he chased it into the
mist, he tripped on the root of a giant oak tree. He looked
up to see that oak tree glowing. He checked where he was
on the map he always kept in his pocket, then he went
home.
Waking up early the next day, he put on some shorts
and a t-shirt and went to the library. He went to the nature
section and began to read up on oak trees. After spending
thirty minutes reading about oak trees, he found that there
was a special oak tree that granted a wish to one person
every hundred years.
Larry suddenly being seized by greed went into the
forest and after searching about for some time came across
the great tree.
When he arrived, the tree bellowed, “Why have you
come here?”
“To ask you to grant me a wish,” Larry replied.
“What do you desire?”
“Lots of money,” Larry said.
The tree asked if he was sure this is what he wanted.
Larry insisted upon it.
After the tree gave him the money, Larry went into a
small cave in the heart of the forest and hid his money. The
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cave was supported by a few rock formations. The walls
were smooth and empty. Then he decided to live there.
Larry lived there for a while, going into town only to
buy what he desired. He lived happily until one day a
young boy by the name of Jack stumbled across the cave
and found Larry asleep. Jack, being very poor, tried to
steal some money, but in the process, woke Larry. In a
vicious fit of rage, Larry attacked Jack, causing the cave to
collapse in on both of them. And that is how the cave
remains to this day.
Happy Halloween
Charlie Trippel - 7
th
Let me tell you about the day I went to the pumpkin
patch and decided to never go back to one ever again. It
was actually the night, to be specific. I was fourteen, had
good grades, a good life. My parents were always happy
and forgiving. By the way I never really liked Halloween
anyways. So why have an experience that gives me
nightmares six years later? I guess it all started with a dare.
“Kyle are you coming with us to the pumpkin patch
after it closes tonight?” my friend Amanda asked me.
We were in the cafeteria at school. Sitting next to
Amanda was her brother Kevin. It was October 31, or
Halloween. Kevin was looking at me, waiting for an
answer.
“Yeah, you bet,” I said.
“Ok,” Kevin said, “Tonight our main objective is to go
into the maze and find Joseph. (Joseph was a senior in our
high school). Yesterday he texted me saying that he was
going into the maze after it closed. He told me what he was
wearing and that he brought a ton of ring pops if he gets a
candy craving. He also told me that if he wasn’t back at
school the next day, he was probably stuck in the maze
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trying to find a way out and to come and try to find him. He
is obviously stuck in the maze or else we wouldn’t be
having this conversation. So, that being said, are you guys
positive that you still want to go to the maze?”
“Of course,” I said.
“Dude, I’m your sister. Why would I not go?” said
Amanda.
“Alright, then it’s settled. See you after school Kyle,”
he said, standing up and stretching.
“See you later dude,” I said and walked away.
“Bye Kyle,” Amanda said, blushing and running away.
After lunch we had a very tiring PE class full of pushups, planks, stretches, and finally dodgeball. When that was
finished, Kevin pulled me over and said, “Dude she totally
likes you.”
“Who?” I said.
“Duh. My sister.”
“………. And?”
“And she told me not to tell you.”
“Bingo,” I said pointing at him.
“Well?” he asked with his hands raised.
“Well what?”
“Well do you like her?”
“Not really. Maybe. A little. Kinda. Yeah, so?
“Hahaha ok see you at the pumpkin patch,” he said
while walking away.
“Ok bye.” After PE, everyone went home. When I got
home my mom was making dinner. As I walked in, one
smell was distinct. Bacon.
“Hi Kyle. How was your day?” she asked me.
“Revealing. What about you?”
“My day was kind of stressful. People were getting
fired left and right. Pretty soon I’ll be working at Seven
Eleven or something.”
Ten minutes later, my dad came in and we ate dinner,
which consisted of waffles and bacon. We were a little low
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on the groceries. After dinner I said goodnight and went
upstairs. I turned out the light and waited until ten minutes
after my parents had gone to sleep. Then, I got out of bed,
put on a hoodie and a pair of converse sneakers. I opened
my window and got out onto the roof. I jumped and landed
on the ground. Since the pumpkin patch was four and a half
blocks away, I just sprinted through the trick or treaters and
entered the pumpkin patch where Joseph. I saw Amanda
and Kevin waiting at the maze for me. I said hi and Kevin
laid oud the details.
“Ok guys, I’ve thought this through and we should
probably split up. Amanda and Kyle you go to the left, I’ll
take the right,” he said and looked at me and grinned for
the last part.
“I hate you Kevin,” I said jokingly.
“Sounds like a personal problem,” he replied. “Ok let’s
go find Joseph.”
Amanda was blushing so much that I thought her face
was going to explode. This maze was weird. Usually mazes
are made from corn stalks, but this one had thick, dense
hedges. We split up and the farther we went into the maze,
the colder it got. Amanda and I were walking and talking
about stuff like our old middle school teachers and how
awesome high school is compared to back then. We both
stopped talking when up ahead we saw a dark ominous
figure carrying something long. It appeared to be limping
and so far it didn’t see us.
When it passed, Amanda asked me in a very quiet
voice, “Kyle do you have any idea what that was?”
“I have no idea.”
“It could have been some sort of security guard,” she
suggested.
“Batons aren’t that long, Amanda,” I replied.
Just then, I heard footsteps that sounded like limping. I
covered Amanda’s mouth and sat down next to one of the
hedges. Another one walked by and it was so close that I
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could have reached out and touched it. That was when I
realized that it wasn’t a security guard. I didn’t really know
what it was. The creature wore a straw hat and other than
that it was just wearing rags. Its skin radiated darkness. The
baton wasn’t a baton either. It was a scythe. The creature
was just dragging it on the ground as it went. When it
passed, I waited until five minutes had gone by until I
started breathing normally again.
I looked to my left and I saw something that looked like
a diamond. I looked closer and saw that it was attached to
something. It was a ring pop. I gulped and dared to look
further. Connected to the ring pop was a finger, connected
to a hand, connected to a forearm, connected by an elbow
to a shoulder and then nothing. It was an arm. Joseph
wasn’t lost. He was dead. “Amanda, I don’t think we’re
going to find Joseph,” I said pointing to the disembodied
arm. She looked where I was pointing and almost passed
out. She regained her strength and we agreed to go find
Kevin and get out of there. We got up from behind the bush
and started walking.
“KYLE!” I heard Kevin shout.
“WHAT?!”
“IF MY SISTER DIES, I’LL KILL YOU!”
“OK, SOUNDS FAIR!”
We reached a place where the maze forked into three
other paths. I was halfway through eenie-meenie-miney-mo
when we heard a scream. A scream that was shortly cut off,
Kevin.
Amanda froze. She broke down and started sobbing.
After about twelve minutes of sitting next to her crying, she
stopped. “Look,” I said. “I’m really sorry this is happening.
You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but we are
going to either get out of here, or die trying.”
“Kyle. Sniff. I think that was a given from the moment
we found Joseph’s arm,” Amanda replied.
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I helped her up and half-guided, half-carried Amanda
back the way we came. I felt like we were getting close to
the entrance when something grabbed Amanda by the back
of her shirt, picked her up, and threw her down very hard. I
could tell that the wind had been knocked out of her. One
of those things got her. It was bringing the blade up for the
kill blow. I didn’t even think, or really have control over
my body. One second I was panicking, the next I was
leaping right at the creature. I slammed right into it, making
it lose its grasp on the scythe. The weapon fell and I
thought that that was it for Amanda, but she rolled out of
the way at the last second. All that happened was a small
gash on her forearm.
As the creature was getting back up, I sprinted over
towards it and grabbed the scythe. I held it up and brought
the wooden pole part down hard on my knee. It snapped in
half with a gratifying crack. “OH, GOD THAT WAS
PAINFUL!”
I looked back at the creature. It
stood up and looked up at the sky. It
turned into some sort of dark gas that
swirled around and it went up and up
into the air. We noticed about four
others making their way to the sky.
We looked at each other, shrugged,
and found our way out. When we got
to the entrance, something jumped
out of the bushes.
th
“Ta-da!” it said.
Clarys Paragas –7
“Kevin?” I asked.
“Uh, what? Why are you both staring at me?”
Amanda went up and slapped him. “I THOUGHT YOU
GOT KILLED!”
“What? Ooooohhhh. Hahaha yeah. Was it because of
my scream?”
“Yes” I answered.
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“I was wondering what your reaction would be. Wait,
why would you think that I would be killed?”
“Did you not see those things back there?” Amanda
asked. “You know the ones with the scythes?”
Kevin became serous now. “There were monsters in
that maze?”
“Yes, with scythes and a slice and dice attitude.”
Amanda showed him her arm. “Oh my god. Guys I’m
so sorry,” he said.
“Guys, let’s just go home,” I suggested.
“Wait, what about Joseph,” Kevin asked.
“He’s dead.”
“Haha, very funny.”
“No,” Amanda said. “He actually is dead.”
I could see the realization coming to him. “Oh. Well
then.”
The Giving Tree
Yiyun Wei - 6
th
"Abby! Come back here right this instant! Abby!
Abby!" my mom shouted.
Her words were nothing to me when I ran out the
house, tears streaming down my cheeks as I ran into the
dark forest. I wanted to turn back, but I couldn't, not after
how my own dear parents treated me: yelling at me for
doing something I didn't know I wasn't allowed to do, such
as reading during dinner. Possibly the most cruel thing
they could have done was screaming when I got a 99 out of
100. I ran further and further into the Dark Forest, my
second home, the only place where I would be happy for
eternity. There were trees of all sorts, prickly bushes, and
wildflowers that I didn't know existed, and from time to
time, some shadow of a strange creature. Finally, I reached
a banyan tree which I called "Longleafshanks".
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Longleafshanks was about as old as the dinosaurs, at
least that was what I thought. Its bark smelled like paper
and was very bumpy, soft, and smooth. This tree was very
different from the other trees around me because it was
older, bigger, and was a good shelter and playhouse. It was
very comfortable to lean on and people could climb it
easily, for there were a lot of branches and roots. I curled
up in one of its roots and cried myself to sleep, with a sense
of the stars lurking up there between branches and leaves.
I woke up at dawn and sat up, looking at my
surroundings. It took a while for me to comprehend why I
ended up there. I got up and started looking around. I had
never really paid attention to what there was past
Longleafshanks, and wanted to explore a little, now that my
parents weren't watching me twenty-four seven. I slowly
crept out of the tree. Not a thing was stirring. Then,
silently as I could, I ventured deeper into the forest. At
first, the surroundings were the same as they were before,
but suddenly, everything seemed bigger and darker, even
though there was a lot of light shining in from the trees.
I pushed back tree branches with my hands going
deeper and further into the forest. When I took just one step
behind a large dead tree, I became interested in a very
large, strange mushroom. It was a very dark violet,
approximately six feet tall and two feet wide, adorned with
large white and pink circles. The stem was black, and
every ten seconds, a bubble would grow on it until it was
the size of a basketball, then pop, sprinkling purple glitter
all over the place. Before I could get within five feet of the
mushroom, I was already covered with glitter.
Once I did get close to the mushroom, it stopped
spraying me with glitter and its sporophore turned to face
me. Fog started descending on us rapidly. I looked around
but the only thing visible was the violet mushroom, which
looked like it was getting bigger. After a few awkward
moments of silence, it spoke in a misty sort of voice:
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"A wish for one, a wish for three,
Everything is up to me.
So announce your wish,
Like your favorite dish,
And I will make it come true,
For you!"
It "stared" at me expectantly. I reviewed its poem in
my head, then realized that I could make a wish.
"Uh..I, uh…wish that…uh…I could have…uh…infinite
wishes?" It was extremely awkward talking to a mushroom.
Immediately, it replied, "Of course!" There was a flash
that almost made me blind. I staggered a little, and I
reached for the dead tree for support. Surprisingly, I only
felt air. I looked at the mushroom, now more purple than
ever.
There was an awkward silence, then I knew that I
actually had infinite wishes because of the way the
mushroom was patiently waiting. I paused for a moment to
think about something big that was currently upsetting me.
Then, I had it.
"Mushroom? Can you hear me?"
"Yes…just as clear as if you were right next to me…" it
replied in its usual misty voice.
"I wish…"
"Go on…"
"I wish that my parents would treat me normally--"
The same blinding flash appeared before I could finish
my sentence. Then the fog lifted in a blinding whirlwind
which caused me to shield my eyes with my arms. Once
the fog cleared as quickly as it had come, the mushroom
vanished, leaving a circle of purple glitter where it used to
be.
I sat down for a while, running my fingers through the
soft glitter, thinking about all the impossible things I could
wish about, if only the mushroom was there. I lifted up my
head to look at the sky, hitting the back of it against the
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dead tree. As I rubbed my head, I noticed that everything
was back in its place.
"Abby! Oh, John, I think we've lost her in the Dark
Forest! Abby! Abby!" my mother's voice echoed through
the whole forest. I stood up sharply, bonking my head
against the dead tree again, then ran to my mom's voice
while rubbing my head.
I skipped to a halt on the soft dirt in front of my house.
My mother and father were both standing in the house, but
the door was open. As soon I came into sight, my mother
ran down the steps and embraced me in a bone-breaking
hug.
"Oh Abby, we're so sorry for how we treated you! Here
(sob) come in (sob) for some(sob) lunch…"
As I sat down at my dinner table, I noticed that there
were a lot more things on the table than usual. There were
now cushions instead of a tablecloth, a milk bottle at the
place where I usually sat, plastic covers over anything that
has edges or a falling hazard, and no toys. The food was
what that surprised me the most.
There were platters and platters of different types of
food babies should be eating, a whole dish of vegetables
and fruits, and three tiny blue-bordered square plates (one
for me, one for my mom, and one for my dad), each one
containing a single, plump, red, chocolate covered
strawberry. The baby food consisted of mashed carrots,
chopped green apples, apple sauce, and some tofu soup.
There were also oranges, mangoes, some grape vines,
mashed squash, and some pumpkin soup.
After a long time of eating this vegetarian, single
textured, mystery meal, I requested to go on a walk. My
tongue was still burning from all the vegetables I ate when
I asked to go. My parents agreed, but my dad gave me a
backpack full of granola bars, apples, a snake charmer, a
rattle ("Just in case you get bored!"), two packs of crayons,
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and a bottle full of milk. I sighed and carried the heavy
burden with me into the forest.
When I was out of sight, I dropped the backpack and
ran to the spot where I last saw the violet mushroom. Sure
enough, there it was, standing patiently, as if it was waiting
for me. The fog descended again, and it looked at me so
that I could see its spores. This time, however, there was a
mouth and two eyes on the cap. It smiled and said
something that made me furious.
"Define normal…"
Chloe Sherry - 4
Flora & Fauna
th
207
Cave of Wonders
The stories in Arabian Nights center around
the basic themes of all fairy tales, justice and
consequence. No story has a greater
understanding of these two concepts than Ali
Baba and the 40 Thieves. In this tale, Ali Baba
is faced with a cave full of treasures, and only
takes what he needs; his modest action in this
cave is rewarded by Fate in his trusty maid
Morgiana. After she saves his life, being the
smarter of the two, he chooses to reward her
kindness and cunning with a husband (his son).
The stories beyond tell of a different ending, one
in which the clever Morgiana is instead given a
trip to the now master-less cave, where she is
allowed to pick from a variety of animal totems.
The art here is twofold. Those related to the
tale of Morgiana and her animal fate are
inspired by the stylistic elements of Klimt, playing
on Art Deco lines and vibrant colors. While the
others are charcoal drawings of animals, and
experiment with shade and shapes.
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Morgiana’s Amazing Adventure
Zachary Ostenberg - 5
th
Morgiana had killed the Captain of the Thieves and so
Ali Baba took her to the cave of wonders. It had many
animals and gold and gems. Morgiana got to choose one of
the animals. There were camels and scarabs and jerboas
(oh my!), but the animal that most appealed to her was a
large snake called a cobra. It was a very long snake and
was very gentle with her. She liked the feel of its scales on
her skin. She chose the cobra, and then Morgiana and her
husband went off and moved to a kiosk in the Indies.
Many snake tamers tried to buy the snake from her for
thousands of sequins, but she refused them. She loved her
snake and she did not want to sell it. Morgiana and the
snake performed shows and made many sequins.
One day, Morgiana’s husband came in and said she was
needed at the residence of Ali Baba. She, of course, went
right away to see what the matter was. When she got there,
Ali Baba told her that 40 thieves had captured his great
grandmother. He did not know why they had captured her.
Ali Baba proposed that the scoundrels might be looking to
ransom the old woman. He was willing to pay, but instead
of paying a lot of money for the return of his great
grandmother, he sent Morgiana on a super spy Ninja
operation! Her partner in this mission would be her
husband, to whom she was betrothed after she defeated the
40 thieves. They would have to act fast or his great
grandmother would be killed!
Morgiana and her husband set off at dawn for Baghdad.
That was where Ali Baba’s great grandmother was taken
when she was captured and where they hoped to find the 40
thieves and their secret lair. They saw many things in
Baghdad, but none of them seemed suspicious until they
stumbled upon an abandoned warehouse that seemed
almost too quiet. They poked their heads inside the
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warehouse and saw nothing except a few boxes in one
corner which they found very suspicious. They moved the
boxes out of the way, and then they saw a very small hole
in the floor. This was where Morgiana’s snake came in
handy.
Morgiana sent her snake into the hole to check things
out. Suddenly, as the snake’s body entered the hole,
something inside the hole was triggered and it gaped open.
Both Morgiana and her husband were able to jump inside.
Once inside, they saw that they were in a very spacious
cavern where they found a guard waiting at the entrance!
Morgiana’s husband quickly overtook the guard with his
awesome karate skills. Then, Morgiana quickly wrapped
her snake tightly around the guard until he fell unconscious.
Morgiana and her husband continued on through the
cavern until they found a pit of snakes in their path. They
could not go further into the cavern without getting past the
snakes.
Then her husband said, “Why does it always have to be
snakes? I hate snakes!”
Morgiana ran stealthily on the side of the wall to get to
the other side without having to encounter the snakes. Her
husband was terrified and could not move.
“Come, Husband! We must save your great great
grandmother!” shouted Morgiana.
Morgiana’s husband remained on the other side of the
snake pit in a fetal position. Eventually, he gathered up
enough courage to stand. After that, he courageously and
heroically… stopped sucking his thumb. Next, he found
the courage to use his amazing ninja moves on the snakes.
With the snakes now all unconscious, he could safely cross
to the other side and he and Morgiana could go deeper into
the Cobra’s Labyrinth (as it turned out to be called).
The next room they came across was a room full of
pyrite. They thought it was gold, so they took some, but
the pyrite was a booby trap and the walls started closing in
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on them. Arrows were shot at them, and the doors were
closed. The snake came in handy again when it used its tail
to break down the door. Then, they quickly escaped.
Morgiana and her husband went through many more
rooms filled with many more fake riches, but they had
learned not to touch these treasures. They eventually came
to the room where Ali Baba’s great grandmother was being
held. She was housed in a cage in a dim corner of a large
room. The room was adorned with many animal skulls
from the animals the thieves had hunted.
Morgiana and her husband quickly rushed over to the
cage, but were suddenly confronted by another 39 thieves.
They thought they were surely doomed, but they did not
lose hope. They fought with all of their hearts, yet they
were still overtaken and put in cages of their own.
Morgiana’s snake started shedding his skin and getting
bigger –and bigger –and bigger until it was 20 feet long. It
whipped the thieves with its tail and they were knocked
against the walls. All 39 thieves were knocked
unconscious and the snake tied them up with the skin he
had shed, which was actually quite strong.
Afterwards, the snake bit off the bars of the cages that
held Morgiana, her husband, and Ali Baba’s great
grandmother. This truly was a wondrous snake. Next, they
had to figure a way out of the vast underground lair. Since
it was a labyrinth, it would be too difficult to simply retrace
their steps out the way they had come.
Morgiana and her husband had an idea for their escape.
Along with Ali Baba’s great grandmother, they jumped on
the snake’s back and rode it up to the surface of the
labyrinth. The magical snake, still enlarged, was able to
burrow straight upwards until he emerged in the Tigris
River with Morgiana, her husband, and Ali Baba’s great
grandmother.
The snake popped his head up and they saw the
shoreline nearby. They were in shallow waters and were
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211
easily able to make their way to shore. The water from the
hole the snake had made flooded the labyrinth, sealing the
fate of the 40 thieves trapped inside.
Ali Baba’s great grandmother was safely returned to Ali
Baba. Morgiana and her husband were thanked and given
many sequins. Morgiana, her husband, and the magical
snake lived happily ever after.
Theo Sprouse - 5
th
The Mechanical Pheonix
Quinn Martin - 5
th
While sipping tea in his beautiful stone house on a
cloudless day, Ali Baba, a wealthy woodcutter, decided to
reward his beautiful slave, Morgiana, with a trip to the
Cave of Wonders. Morgiana had recently saved Ali Baba
and his son from certain death by the captain of a band of
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212
robbers. Ali Baba covered her eyes with a piece of cloth so
Morgiana would not be tempted to return to the cave, and
led her to the Cave of Wonders.
When they reached the cave, Ali Baba quietly said,
“Open Sesame!” The hidden doors to the cave opened, and
Ali Baba and Morgiana entered. Ali Baba led Morgiana to
a wall in the cave and commanded, “Open Barley!” A
hidden door opened and a hallway appeared. Ali Baba led
her through the hallway and uncovered her eyes.
Amazed, Morgiana gazed around the room. The whole
room was filled from floor to ceiling with animals. Some
were real animals that had magical abilities and others were
jewel encrusted scarab beetles, dragons, and thousands of
other idols. Something especially shiny caught Morgiana’s
eye. Morgiana turned her head to see a small metal ball
glittering in the corner of the cave. The ball appeared to be
made of gold, silver, copper, and steel. She slowly picked it
up and held it in her hands. Seeing two diamonds encrusted
on the top of the ball, she pressed them, one at a time. The
ball creaked and shook in her hands. Frightened, Morgiana
quickly set the ball down and backed away. The ball shook
once more and suddenly transformed into a huge phoenix.
The phoenix quickly adjusted and turned its beak
towards its back to look at
Morgiana and Ali Baba, as if to
say they should climb on its
back. Morgiana and Ali Baba
climbed onto the phoenix. The
phoenix suddenly pushed off
and flew out of the crumbling
cave –just in time. The phoenix
flew directly over the cave and
spread its wings, as if to shelter
something. Immediately, the
crumbling of the cave ceased.
The phoenix landed near the
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mouth of the cave and the cave hardened into one solid
piece once more. Morgiana did not know what stopped the
crumbling but she believed that it was the phoenix.
Ali Baba and Morgiana stood at the cave entrance.
Before they could look back at the phoenix, it had turned
back into a small metal ball again. Morgiana picked up the
metal ball and she and Ali Baba cautiously re-entered the
cave. While they expected everything inside the cave to be
crushed, everything was in its place.
The main cave doors were already opened, so Ali Baba
whispered, “Open Barley!” to the wall in the cave. The
hidden door opened and the hallway appeared once more.
Ali Baba and Morgiana re-entered the animal room, and
found that all the animals were just as they had left them.
Ali Baba gave Morgiana a small bag of gold coins for
her bravery and they left the cave. Morgiana would not let
go of the ball that was once the magical phoenix. Morgiana
thanked Ali Baba for the gold coins and for the magical
phoenix. Ali Baba told Morgiana she had served him and
his family well and that she was now free to live on her
own, no longer a slave. She felt elated as she walked slowly
to her horse, still thinking about what had happened.
The next day Morgiana packed up her horse with the
few belongings she owned, the metal ball and the bag of
gold coins. She rode to a large town, not too far into the
desert. She used some of her money to buy a small, humble
house and some necessities.
Some days she worked happily as a servant for the
Caliph. Other days she cooked and baked for the poor. One
day when she had no work, she felt brave enough to release
the phoenix from its ball. She walked many miles into the
desert so no one would see. When she reached a part of the
desert where no one lived, she pressed the two diamond
buttons on the metal ball. The ball creaked and shook –and
once again transformed into the giant phoenix. Once
released, the phoenix soared up higher and higher in the air.
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As if for fun, the phoenix did a few loops and soared back
down towards Morgiana. It landed near her feet and
instantly turned back into the ball. She carefully picked up
the ball, placed it in her pocket and rode her horse back
home to sleep.
That night she heard that a group of robbers were
terrorizing the town where Ali Baba lived. She decided to
ride her horse to Ali Baba’s town, with her magical
phoenix. When she reached the town, she found only a few
people still living there. All the others had been scared
away. She rode to Ali Baba’s house and quickly tied her
horse to a fence in the garden behind it. She found Ali Baba
resting on cushions, frightened and shaking. She whispered
to him, “What is happening? Who is the leader of the
robbers?”
Ali Baba replied, “I think the leader of the group might
be the robber captain’s son who previously attacked me and
my son.”
Morgiana went outside and found a large boulder near
the road that she could hide behind. She waited patiently
behind the boulder until finally, the group of robbers rode
into the town.
When the robber captain dismounted, Morgiana leaped
out from her hiding spot. The robber captain saw her at
once and exclaimed, “Do you think you are going to stop
me?!” He laughed a wicked laugh. As the robber captain
laughed, Morgiana pressed the two diamond buttons on the
ball and it transformed into the phoenix. When the phoenix
flew at the robber captain, it caught him by surprise, not
leaving him enough time to draw his scimitar. The captain
jumped back on his horse and fled. As the frightened
robbers hastily rode away, the phoenix began shooting fire
out of its mouth, chasing them into the desert.
When the phoenix returned to Morgiana, it instantly
turned back into a ball at Morgiana’s feet. Morgiana gently
retrieved the ball and returned to Ali Baba’s house to let
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him know he was safe. The next day, Ali Baba and his
friends threw a party for Morgiana to celebrate that she and
the phoenix had saved the town. Ali Baba gave Morgiana
another bag of gold to thank her.
That evening, Morgiana rode back to her small house
and lived peacefully under the protection of her phoenix.
Morgiana lived forever, by drinking a drop of phoenix tears
a day. It’s a little known fact, but about two thousand years
later (give or take), the phoenix took a job in the Harry
Potter movies, as Dumbledore’s phoenix.
Jessica Mori - 5
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Ashug Gurijala - 5
Jessica Mori - 5
Emily Fry - 5
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The Serpents of the Cave
Iris Schille - 5
th
After Morgiana had saved his and his son’s life, Ali
Baba decided to reward her in the best way possible: a trip
to the cave of wonders. Ali Baba had found a ticket to the
cave of wonders in the robber’s cave when he was
gathering the gold inside it. He had never used it, but was
saving it. Now, as he gave it to Morgiana, he wished her
good luck and helped her up onto the large ship he had
hired to bring her there. The cave of wonders was a
colossal underwater cavern filled with, as legend said, gold
and gems so plentiful that you could spend one million
coins every day of your life and never run out. Morgiana
waved goodbye as she set out on the multi-day journey to
the cave of wonders.
“Land ho!” shouted the captain. And sure enough, a
large hump of rock rose just above the water, the entrance
to the cave barely visible.
“This is your stop, Morgiana,” he said. He lent her a
small rowboat and some supplies, and sent her on her way.
“We’ll pick you up in 15 days.” The captain shouted after
her.
Morgiana docked her boat on top of the cave, which
resembled a stony island, took a deep breath, and dived.
She saw the dark hole in the side of the cave, and swam
into it. She squeezed into the narrow hole and found herself
at the bottom of a silvery pool of seawater. There was a slot
in the rock wall next to her that said “Insert Ticket”. She
put her ticket in the slot and the ticket vanished. She
stepped lightly from the silvery water in the pool and
wished she were dry, because she was starting to get quite
cold. As soon as she wished that, she was instantly dry.
“Wow!” She exclaimed. “This cave is amazing!”
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She started to explore. There was gold everywhere, as
well as gems, silks, and even a flying carpet. The curious
thing was that all the gold was stamped with the symbol of
a cobra. She found a beautiful steel dagger engraved with a
hissing cobra. She tried to pick it up, but it was stuck to the
bottom of the cave! She twisted it around, and it turned.
She kept turning it around and around until the dagger
popped free, stuck to a splinter of rock and leaving a hole
in the floor of the cave. The floor around it crumbled until
it left a hole big enough for someone ten times the size of
Morgiana to fit through. Water started forming in a puddle
around it, and the puddle turned into a large pool, which
turned into a flood of water that was slowly filling up the
cave. Morgiana, who was gathering riches, turned when she
heard the sound of water.
“Uh oh!” she said. The water was up to Morgiana’s
waist. Luckily, a huge spine of rock jutted up from the floor
of the cave.
She sloshed noisily up to the rock, and quickly climbed
to the top, where she found safety. The water flooded the
cave at a level well over her head. And it kept on rising.
The worst was yet to come.
After one more minute of rising, it suddenly stopped.
Then, a slithering sound was heard coming from the
waterlogged hole. There were bubbles in the water, and the
head of a monstrous cobra, its glowing, green, pupil-less
eyes filled with anger and hate, rose up through the hole in
the floor. It pulled itself through, and looked back down the
hole, where another cobra, smaller, but its yellow eyes
filled with equal malice, was in the process of heaving
itself through the hole. It came out; they flared their
enormous hoods, and rose up side-by-side, swaying and
hissing, and then they found the petrified Morgiana, both
pairs of eyes fixed on her. Morgiana fainted.
*
*
*
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Morgiana woke up on a hard, smooth object. She sat up
and saw it was a scale. She realized she was on one of the
cobras. She stood up and tried to get off, but the cobra
holding her started moving in a way so Morgiana couldn’t
get off. It brought her to another spot on the rock, and made
a weird hissing sound. Suddenly, there was a grating noise,
and half of the rock fell away onto the floor of the cave.
Then, a huge statue of a silver cobra, a gold infinity sign
emblazoned on its back and its pupil-less eyes made of
emerald, rose out from the floor of the cave and kept
growing higher, until it almost reached the ceiling. The
cobra put Morgiana down next to the statue and lifted itself
up after her. The other cobra did the same. Then, it spoke.
“Welcome to the cave of wonders, Morgiana. My name
is Hakim, and her name is Salenea. Please understand that
we don’t mean harm. We are just lonely and want someone
to keep us company.”
Morgiana was a pushover for animals. She thought
about it, and then replied, “Ok.”
They took her to a hole in the rock she hadn’t noticed,
and told her to go inside. They slithered in after her, and
then they came to a cave inside the rock, where the base of
the silver snake statue could be seen, covered in strange
images and carvings.
Hakim and Salenea slithered in with Morgiana, and
said, “This won’t hurt. It is simply a spell that will let you
live forever.”
Then, they started hissing in a way that made Morgiana
shiver. Their eyes blazed, as they seemed to read the
inscriptions carved into the silver. Morgiana felt something
change in her eyes. She looked at her reflection on the
smooth silver, and saw, instead of her eyes, snake eyes. No,
She thought. That isn’t possible. And so she thought she
had just imagined it.
*
*
*
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Every night, at moonrise, the cobras would take her to
the cave and hiss the same spell. And every time Morgiana
would look at her reflection in the statue and think she had
scales, or snake hair, or a snake body, but she always
dismissed the thought and told herself she was imagining it.
But after thirteen nights, the cobras didn’t hiss the spell.
Instead, they circled her and whispered, “Are you ready?”
Morgiana spoke involuntarily. “Yes.”
The cobras circled her, hissing a new spell. Suddenly,
Morgiana felt herself changing, though she couldn’t see
anything happening to her, because she couldn’t move her
head. She felt her arms getting long and flat; they
eventually disappeared into her lengthening body. Her nose
and mouth had morphed together into some kind of snout,
and her hair had retracted into her skull. Her eyes changed
to blue snake eyes, and hard, pointy black scales burst
through her skin. Then, she stopped transforming, and
could move again. Just before she turned entirely into a
snake, she asked, “Why are you doing this?”
Salenea answered, “Because we want to.”
Morgiana looked up at the towering figures of Hakim
and Salenea and tried to scream, “You’re evil!” But only
succeded in letting out a pitiful little hiss.
Salenea giggled and Hakim laughed. Enraged,
Morgiana the snake slithered away, out of the cave inside
the rock and into the main cave, where she curled up
around a pile of black gems, trying to blend in and hide.
She fell asleep to the lapping of water inside the cave.
Morgiana woke up to a furry paw poking her in the
side. She hissed and rolled into an even tighter ball. The
paw poked harder, and finally resorted to scratching her
before she woke up. The paw’s owner turned out to be a
little red cat.
Morgiana uncoiled and asked, “What do you want?”
The little red cat replied, “Hello, I saw your ordeal with
the cobras. They are really evil. I used to preside over this
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cave, and gave riches to any who came. Then the cobras
drove me out, and took control. They used their magic to
make everything cobra-themed. I came back and managed
to trick them into going into a hole in the floor of the cave,
and sealed the hole with a stone stopper, but unfortunately,
I left some sealant on the stopper, and a dagger got stuck on
it. And then you came along and released them, so I need
your help to defeat them once and for all and release you
from that spell.”
Morgiana apologized to the red cat for releasing the
cobras, and agreed to help him get rid of the evil snakes.
They made a plan in secret and decided to put it into effect
the next day.
The next day, The Little Red Cat and Morgiana the
Snake slathered their bodies in superglue, and rolled around
in the piles of coins. Every inch of their bodies were
covered in gold and gems. Then, they took another
superglue bath, and rolled around again in gold. They did
that again and again until they had used up all the riches in
the cave, and were huge, walking mounds of gems and
coins. Next, they went to the place where the cobras were
talking. They loomed over the huge cobras in their hard,
brassy suits and spoke in deep voices, “We are your
consciences, come to haunt you for all the terrible things
you did. Prepare to die.”
The frightened cobras slithered away as fast as they
could from the cave, and never came back. As soon as they
were gone, Morgiana turned back into her old self, and
shed the suit of gold.
“Goodbye!” she called to the Little Red Cat, and got
into her rowboat, and waited until the ship came to pick her
up. She was all the way back home when she realized she
had forgotten to gather riches. But she was interested in Ali
Baba’s son, so she asked for his hand in marriage instead,
and they all lived happily ever after.
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Squeak’s Tail
Thuytien Nguyen - 5
th
Ali Baba was in his home, offering Morgiana a reward
for her cleverness and for saving him and his son from the
evil robber captain. He said he would reward her with a
trip to the cave of wonders. Upon entering the cave, he
said she could have anything she liked. Morgiana was
taken with an animal that resided in the cave. She picked
the jerboa.
The jerboa had little ears like a rabbit so it could hear
farther, a long tail like a rat to find its way around, and
short long legs like a kangaroo to jump very high. Its light
brown fur was smooth at normal temperature, but rough
when wet. This jerboa was a real flesh and blood animal,
but it was no ordinary creature. It had many special powers
such as jumping eight feet high, talking to humans, seeing
very far in the morning and at night, and surviving without
needing to eat for up to four days. It liked to eat cactuses,
plants, and little insects. If it touches water or wetness, it
would make it a vulnerable to sickness.
Morgiana picked the jerboa and named it Squeak. She
picked Squeak because it knew where Morgiana’s dad was.
Squeak overheard a conversation between two soldiers who
were retrieving treasure for the captain’s son a couple
months ago. Squeak heard that her father had been
captured and placed in a mysterious place by that evil
Captain’s son. Her father was put in a dungeon far away.
She had to think fast to save her dad.
At first, Squeak kept biting Morgiana because it was
hungry, but then Squeak spoke to her. Squeak said in a
hoarse voice, “Feed me with plants before I die!” She
quickly gave Squeak some plants, and it sat there chewing
the food happily. Morgiana asked Squeak how it got into
the cave.
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Squeak said, “The rainy season flooded my home and
washed me into this cave where it is dry and feels just like
my old home. Then you chose me as your animal because I
could help you find your dad,” said Squeak.
Squeak went down into a hole that it made after eating.
It got out a map from the hole and pointed with its tail at
the spot where her father was kidnapped. It pointed at a
forest that was surrounded by a desert. “There are lots of
skulls and a big swamp around the whole castle! You
know that I cannot go into water, right?” said Squeak in a
scared voice.
“Then we need to find another way to get into the
castle,” said Morgiana thinking out loud.
Squeak made a plan to rescue Morgiana’s dad. They
would free him from the dungeon and put a dummy in his
place. To make a dummy
of her dad, first, she told
Squeak to get some cactus
spikes and cotton. Squeak
jumped away as fast as it
could to get the items.
When it came back with the
items, it helped Morgiana
stuff the cotton into a sack
and use the spikes as hair.
The next day they had a
plan to break into the castle, but they still did not know how
to get to the castle. The path to the castle was through a
very dry desert. They packed up the dummy in a bag and
went on their way. Squeak started to lead the way to the
castle. Then Squeak jumped back to Morgiana and started
to bite her. Morgiana gave it some more plants to munch
on.
Slowly the castle began to be revealed in the distance.
It was built with big stones and lots of guards at every
corner. Then Morgiana put the fake dummy near a tree and
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pretended that it was her dad. Squeak went to see what was
going on in the inside and came out with an important
message. It said that the son of the evil captain wanted to
get married. Morgiana smiled. She had the perfect plan in
mind. She went to the river nearby and splattered dirt all
over her face and ripped her clothes in the thorns. She
looked like a poor homeless person.
“You smell very bad!” cried Squeak.
“Shhhhh…. this is my plan,” Morgiana said.
“Huh? Well, this sure seems like a smelly plan!”
Squeak said.
“Just go with it Squeak,” whispered Morgiana.
“Fine, fine,” said the little jerboa.
Morgiana went to the castle door, dragging herself as if
she was badly hurt. She knocked weakly and told the
guards to tell the captain’s son that a sorceress was here to
tell the son about his future marriage and life.
The guards quickly ran in and told the captain’s son the
great news.
“It’s my lucky day! Guards, bring her in and treat her
with all due respect or else your head will be released from
the body in a long dreadful process! Now go!” cried the
excited son.
As Morgiana came in, Squeak jumped off her shoulder
and scurried off to find the dungeon. Morgiana and the son
talked awhile and soon she told him about his marriage.
“Your marriage will be a great disaster if you don’t
burn down this castle,” said Morgiana.
“Wh-wh-wh-when does this have to be completed b-bb-bbbyyy??” cried the frightened son.
“When the tide is low, in about three days, the moon
and sun will overlap and the clouds will cover all directions
except for the light of the moon and the sun. You must
burn this castle to the ground and all of your men must be
killed by this fire in the dungeon. You will have a great
marriage then… But now I must rest.”
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“R-r-r-r-right this way please,” stammered the son.
Soon, when night fell, she went down to the dungeon to
find Squeak. She found Squeak at her father’s cell.
“Oh father you look… so thin, pale and tired. How
have these dogs been treating you?” Morgiana wept.
“Is that you my daughter? Oh you, look at you, you
smell like mud!” said the frail man.
“Father, I swear on my life you will be freed and these
scoundrels will pay!” Morgiana declared.
So she went and found the cell keys laying carelessly
on an iron hook at the entrance. She grabbed them and
freed her father. They ran away and were safe from the
dreadful son. They left the dummy in the woods.
Three days later the son made everyone in the castle go
to the dungeon and bring a barrel of oil with them.
“Why would the prince want us to do this?” cried the
general.
“Who knows? Just do it!” barked the son’s right hand
man.
“Wait, my brother heard that the prince was going to
burn us to have a good marriage,” cried a guard. Everyone
started to talk anxiously, and soon they made a plan. They
planned to lock the prince in the dungeon instead.
When the prince came in to light the dungeon on fire,
after he had already burned the whole castle, all the
prisoners and guards watched him knowing what he
planned to do. After he lit the fire, he bolted to the
entrance but was pushed back by all the prisoners and
guards as they rushed to the door. They locked the son in
with the raging fire until the fire swallowed him up.
Then Morgiana and her father let Squeak go, but
Squeak did not want to leave her because they had been
through so much together, so Morgiana kept the jerboa as
her pet.
They all lived Happily Ever After with their new pet,
Squeak!
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The Important Lizard Lesson
Kellen Weimers - 5
th
After killing the king of the thieves, Morgiana got a
reward from Ali Baba. He invited her to the cave of
wonders to pick her prize from his magical creatures. The
creatures were the flying camel, the speedy jerboa, the
large scarab beetle, the wise cobra, or the jewel encrusted
golden armadillo lizard. Morgiana looked at all of them
very carefully, but the rich, sparkley colors of the armadillo
lizard were too hard to resist. Once she took it home, she
started to regret her choice because the lizard just sat on the
table looking at her and was pretty boring. Morgiana
wished she had picked the camel, but she went to sleep that
night repeating to herself, You get what you get and you
don’t throw a fit.
The next day, the
lizard was still asleep
when she woke up, and
she noticed it curled up
into an “O” shape when
it slept. It even held
onto its tale with its
mouth. Scooping it up,
she slipped it on to her
wrist. It looked like the
most beautiful bracelet she had ever seen. It was like she
didn’t have a lizard; she had the finest piece of jewelry and
wanted to show everyone! Then she went to town wearing
her new “bracelet” wanting to show it off to everyone.
Morgiana made sure to only point with that hand when she
was ordering things from the market. Everyone
complimented her on her lovely bracelet, and she would
respond, “I know, my bracelet is much better than all of
yours.”
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Continuing through the markets she showed off her
bracelet and returned all of the compliments with insults.
But she wasn’t usually a mean person—she was caught up
being a show off. She was so carried away she didn’t pay
attention to whom she was bragging. She made sure
everyone knew she had the fanciest bracelet in the land.
Morgiana didn’t notice the dark eyes of the evil thieves in
the shadows of the market. They were also taken with the
sparkle of the lizard, thinking it was jewelry and not an
animal. They whispered to each other and started making
plans to steal it. Soon, she had bragged to everyone around,
so she went home to rest.
The robbers also left and went to their hideout to
discuss how to get the lizard bracelet. One suggested they
sneak in while she was gone.
“No, you brainless rat,” said the second one, “We know
she’ll wear it when she’s gone.”
The second one suggested they knock her out and steal
it.
“No way, dummy,” said the first one, “If we knock her
out, she’ll be able to say we did it when she wakes up.”
“Anyone else have a better idea?” asked the second
one.
“I have a brilliant one,” said the Captain. “We have a
genie’s lamp.”
The thieves had their plan. When the genie came out of
his lamp he granted them one wish, and they asked for
equipment to break in to Morgiana’s house, so they could
steal the jeweled “bracelet.” The genie gave them a torch to
melt the lock and earplugs for Morgiana so she wouldn’t
hear them. That night they broke in, and stole the armadillo
lizard. It is important to know that when armadillo lizards
are afraid, they roll up and bite their tale and stay very still
until the danger passes. The thieves never knew they didn’t
have a solid gold lizard bracelet.
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The next morning, Morgiana woke up to find that her
lizard wasn’t rolled up in his bed. She looked everywhere
for him, but he had vanished. She thought hard about what
had happened the day before. We were having so much fun
together showing everyone my most beautiful bracelet... Oh
no! What have I done? she wondered, realizing everyone in
the market had paid attention to her bragging. She ran
outside and saw the melted lock. Her fears were right; her
lizard had been stolen. She asked for help, but everyone
was still mad about how rude she was the day before and
wouldn’t help her. Some were even glad the bracelet was
gone, and thought maybe she’d be nicer now.
She was pretty sure they were the cousins of the thieves
she had killed, so she got busy making a plan of her own.
That night she dressed in dark clothes and veils like a thief
and went to the cave of wonders at midnight. She
remembered the password to open the cave door used to be
“Open Sesame,” so she tried that first. She was sure they
would have changed it, but the door
slid open.
Really? Morgiana thought to herself, You couldn’t think
of a new password? Not even 1-2-3-4-5? Then she slipped
into the cave to find her golden armadillo lizard.
The cave was dark and seemed empty, but then she
heard some noises. Evil laughter came from deep in the
cave. She followed the sound and found one of the thieves
looking at her “bracelet” and laughing about how rich he
would be now. Her dancing had distracted the thieves long
enough for her to kill them the last time she was in this
cave. Morgiana danced into the room and was so graceful
the thief just stared at her movement. Morgiana quickly
threw her dagger and it stabbed him in the heart, and he fell
to the ground. She scooped up the lizard and ran out of the
cave. The little jewels sparkled as the lizard uncoiled now
that he was safely in the hands of Morgiana again.
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She spent the next few days in her house. This time she
didn’t treat the lizard like jewelry, instead she treated him
like a pet. And as the days passed, he didn’t just stare at
her, he began to play and wasn’t boring after all. Their
favorite game was ring toss. The lizard would curl up and
bite his tale and Morgiana would toss him at the dagger she
had stabbed into the wooden table top. Most of the time he
would fit easily over the handle, and she would score a
point. They would play this game for hours.
Finally it was time to leave the house and do some
shopping. Morgiana got dressed up and slipped her most
beautiful bracelet onto her arm, then covered it with her
long sleeve. Everyone noticed when she came to the
market, but kept busy with what they had been doing. They
feared maybe she had a new thing to brag about or would
choose to just put down what they had. She quietly picked
out what she needed with her other hand, and was careful to
greet everyone she knew with kind words and a smile.
“I am so sorry your bracelet is gone,” said one of her
friends after the bragging and insults never started.
“Oh, I found it,” Morgiana said, pulling up her sleeve to
show the shiny, gold lizard curled around her arm.
“It really is most beautiful,” sighed her friend.
And looking at the dusty braided string with clay beads
around her friend’s wrist she said, “So is yours.”
th
Ashug Gurijala - 5
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Weather Related
As clichéd as “it was a dark and stormy night”
is, it helps to set an instant mood, it paves the way
for the story to come. Setting is integral to plot, in
that it offers a forum for a given set of characters,
a way of life, the pace of a story; the South implies
a gentle slowness due to an inescapable heat, a
journey to Everest implies snow will be a burden to
the characters, Atlantis offers a never ending
underwater delight. Any way you slice it, setting,
and its ever-present weather, help to define the
world of any story.
Given that the 7th grade study the vast world of
Earth Science, they are uniquely qualified to delve
into their own ‘weather related’ tales of woe and
wonder, magic and mayhem. From tornadoes to
hurricanes, earthquakes to tsunamis, the stories
beyond are inextricably intertwined with the weather
that drives them.
The art here is also defined by mood, using
watercolors and manipulative tools, students took to
the skies to explore extreme weather and its artistic
counterpoint. Never before has art imitated life with
more beauty and grandeur.
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The 4 Elements
Francesco Savian - 7
th
Steven sprinted out of the English room, and turned left
to go to his next class, science. He was nearing the science
room when he tripped, and went flying through the door.
From the ground, he turned around to face his assailant,
though he already knew who it was, Rodney Blanche, the
meanest of the meanest, the king of the jungle. Rodney
sneered down at him, with his gang of followers standing
close behind. He was the biggest bully of them all, and it
was just Steven’s luck that he went to Lynwood High.
Steven’s mother, being positive, always tried to tell him
that one day Rodney would save his life or something, but
Steven wouldn’t believe it.
Now, back to the present. “Little help there, Stevie
Wonder?” Rodney asked, a huge grin on his face.
“No thank you, I’m fine,” Steven replied, and followed
Rodney inside the science room, muttering something
about trying to save his life.
After the usual dull and boring lecture about the
planets, Steven went to his after school club, Board Games.
He knew it was dumb, but it was the most decent club that
Rodney wasn’t in. So he joined it, which he didn’t have to,
but his mom wanted him to, because she got off her job
late, and she didn’t want him to stay home alone, after
watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. There were
only something like three people, but today there were four.
Rodney had showed up, just to make Steven’s after school
life miserable. So Rodney, Steven, and two fraternal twins
named Sonya and Alex started the game. Today’s game
consisted of a huge, labyrinthine, rectangular board with
three dice, and a deck of cards. The players had to work
together to move around the board on squares on the path,
like Candyland, but without the money or jail, but the path
being very sophisticated with traps like moving back three
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spaces or losing a turn. They had to get to every corner
with their own strangely shaped markers which looked like
grotesque gargoyles, and when they reached a corner, they
would put the 3D symbol of the element on it. The shapes
were: pyramid for fire, sphere for water, cube for earth, and
dodecahedron for air. They couldn’t really find the glass
shapes, so they decide to use strips of paper. Alex started to
read the rules:
“Okay, so the objective is to get your figure to the
corners, and put these strips of paper, a substitute for the
shapes on the corner. It’s actually kind of fun once you
start, I think. It says on the back you are not allowed to
leave the game unfinished, and to play at your own risk,
probably just a joke to make it scary.”
They started the game and decided to go oldest to
youngest. Rodney yawned and his head rested in his arms,
and he decided to leave, to the huge glee of Steven, but the
moment he touched the door handle, he teleported back to
where he came from, which went unnoticed by the twins,
but Steven saw it, and thought he was hallucinating. Sonya
went first, and before she grabbed a card, it flew up, and
she caught it.
Rodney gave a yelp of surprise, and punched Sonya’s
hand. Steven stared at her in amazement, and so did her
brother. Everyone took several steps back, away from the
board. Sonya’s eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at
her brother for help. He finally snapped out of his shock,
and he only told Rodney to back off because he really
didn’t want Rodney to give him a wedgie. Rodney glared at
him, and before he could step forward, Sonya was dragged
across the room to the three dice on the board on the other
side of the room by an invisible hand. She threw them
quickly and she got a four, six, and a two, which got her to
the first element: air. Sonya’s marker moved by itself to the
square of air as if magnetically connected to the board. At
this point everyone in the room got scared, and they moved
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to the far end, away from the board game. Sonya was
infuriated.
She turned, and looked at her brother. “Where,” she
said in a deadly whisper, “DID YOU GET THAT
GAME?!” She screamed the last part, and it was enough to
make Rodney jump a foot in the air. Alex hung his head,
and said that he bought it several years ago, and had dug it
out of the attic yesterday, unopened. Steven looked over at
the board, while Sonya told Alex that he had bought it at
the store that closed down the following year. The reason
for its closure was that reports of weird magical stuff
happening to the people that had bought trinkets there. One
of these “problems” was that a man had bought a flute that
had the power to rise the dead and make them do your
bidding. The day after its closure was confirmed, the
store’s front had turned into a brick wall, and the clerk had
disappeared.
Suddenly, Steven’s eyes widened as he stared at the
board, and he gasped. Rodney said, “Oh, what happ…”,
and then he saw what Steven was looking at. The twins
looked over, too, and saw it, too.
The demon-like figures they were using as marker
started to vibrate, and their faces began to morph to look
like the person who was controlling them. Suddenly,
Steven began to understand. Now it all made sense. The
face morph, the origin of the game, Rodney not being able
to leave the room, and Sonya’s trip across the room to
throw the dice.
He said, “Guys, I think that this game is cursed. We are
not allowed to abandon the game unfinished, for we are
part of the game, and now we must beat it to be allowed to
leave unharmed. This also means that the last part that Alex
read on the rules was a warning for us. It wasn’t a joke.”
As usual, Rodney was clueless. “So….”
Sonya sighed, and said, “So you idiot, we need to start
playing!”
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And so they got up and started towards the board, but
they stopped in their tracks, and Steven said, “Is it just me,
or it’s getting a bit cold?”
“I think it <sniff> is cold”, Rodney replied. “Does it say
in the rules that this game also turn on the AC, as a
requirement?”
Steven sneezed, and when he opened his eyes he was
looking at his town in the middle of a windstorm. They had
been brought there magically by the unknown forces
regulating the game, and there was no one around, because
they had to find the shape as soon as possible. Steven was
nearly knocked off balance by the wind, and he told Sonya
to quickly read the card. She was confused, but she
remembered the card, and said:
In the midst of wind and cold,
What you seek is more precious than gold.
Seek it where you are controlled,
And seen with a fold
And it is, a beautiful sight to behold,
Which will be your savior, all told.
“A riddle. Well, we should begin with the city hall,”
yelled Sonya over the wind. “I guess we should just go over
there and see, because we are sort of controlled in a way.
Right?” They agreed and began carefully treading their way
to the city hall in the uninhabited city, without being blown
away by the wind, which came in never ending gusts. They
finally arrived, and looked for the fold that was mentioned
in the riddle.
“Up there!” Rodney yelled, “I see it! It is inside the fold
of the flag that is frozen solid!” Steven looked, and saw the
dodecahedron. It was indeed a beautiful sight, because he
was tired of getting tossed about and the storm wasn’t
looking any nicer.
They decided to make a human ladder with Sonya on
top. She reached for it, and suddenly she was gone. Steven
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looked up and saw her yelling and screaming, carried by
the wind, until she finally disappeared into the dark
horizon, her jacket flapping behind her as she flew. Alex
screamed, and Steven reached for the shape. He jumped,
which caused the two below him to fall, and he fingered the
flag.
The ice shattered, and the dodecahedron fell, now with
nothing to hold it. He caught the shape, and he disappeared
before he hit the ground. They were back in the classroom.
Rodney bolted for the door, but after three steps, he was
blown backward, again. Meanwhile, Steven had to
convince Alex to play and that his sister would be fine if
they won. He rolled the dice and landed on fire. He
shuddered, picked a card and the classroom vanished once
more.
They were in the same spot as they started before, only
the city was on fire. Alex said:
While stranded in this city of fire,
To survive you do require,
Courage, lust and strength one must acquire.
Look up, and keep looking higher,
See that to cross the wire.
Look for the wood faced liar,
And when found, look closely so as not to end in the fryer.
“Well, I guess we should look up.” Rodney said,
matter-of-factly.
“Yeah,” Steven agreed.
And so they did. They looked up, and there was
nothing, the smoke was too thick. Alex started to run to the
left, where the flames were brightest, and he then started to
climb up the emergency ladder on the side of the building,
and Steven understood. Alex wanted to go up the ladder, to
the wire mentioned in the riddle. Steven followed and after
a few floors they saw the telephone wire, and they began to
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cross it. Alex, who was in front hopped through a window
from the pole, and Steven and Rodney followed suit.
Steven’s eyes adjusted, and he noticed they were in the
museum, on the floor with statues. He looked around, and
he saw a small statue of Pinocchio. Steven told the others
about it, and that it matched with the “wood-faced” part of
the poem. Rodney got Spartacus’ sword from the floor
below, the Ancient Rome exhibit, and bashed the poor
Pinocchio to pieces, expecting to find the pyramid. Instead
they found a key.
“Well, at least we know we weren’t wrong,” said
Steven. “Now we just look for a lock…”
WHOOSH!! Fire entered the room, and they ran to the
back. They found a locked door which led to the roof, and
the key worked. They ran up the stairs, and Alex tripped,
and was engulfed by the flames. Steven was going to be
beat to the top by the fire, when he saw the pyramid.
Rodney tackled him, which pushed him right to the
pyramid, and Rodney and Steven were back in the
classroom.
Rodney started crying, but the two continued to play
until Rodney landed on earth. He grabbed the card, and
they were transported to the same spot, the town square,
only nothing was happening. Rodney started to read:
As you travel in the city of your birth
You must find what you are worth,
First, head north,
And run like the wind to the hill of earth,
And when reached, look into the firth.
The prize of which you must unearth.
Steven heard a rumble, and the floor below him started
to tremble. He looked up to see the clock tower falling right
where he was, but it was too late to move. Rodney ran
toward him and pushed him out of the way of the tower,
and managed to escape it too. Steven thanked him and
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realized that his mother had been right-Rodney did save his
life. They ran to what they though was north, until they
reached the city park. They were safe from falling
buildings, but cracks started to form on the ground.
They kept running until they reached the hill in the
center of the park. Rodney didn’t know what a firth was, so
Steven explained it to him, and they found that two streams
joined on the other side of the hill, and saw that the cube sat
in a hole at the junction of the streams.
They ran toward it, when suddenly a huge crevice
appeared on the ground. Steven managed to catch Rodney,
but the sweat on his hands and Rodney’s weight made his
grip on Rodney weak, and so he fell in. Steven watched
him go through darkness. He grabbed the cube, and held it
to his chest.
Steven was back in the classroom alone, and he rolled
the dice. He reached the final corner, water, and picked up
the card. Suddenly he appeared in the sewers of the city,
not in the usual spot next to the clock tower. And so he read
the card after a moment’s hesitation:
As you swim in saltwater,
Remember, the water will get taller.
To best this, you must get stronger.
If not, you will only be remembered by your mother.
Swim, if you must, for the trip will be shorter,
If you swim towards the gutter.
At this point Steven noticed that the water level was
rising, so he began to sprint forward. He realized after
several minutes it was getting harder to run because the
current was against him, and he began to read the card until
it reached the last line. The opening to the sphere was in the
other direction! Luckily, he was a strong swimmer, but he
was not a good runner, and so he moved in the other
direction. The only good thing about it was the current
favored him and he was able to use less energy.
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Finally the huge pipe filled up completely, and Steven
swam as hard as he could. There were a few turns which he
didn’t see until the last second because the saltwater stung
his eyes. He couldn’t take it anymore, and so he made the
last turn and found a grate, which he began punching. It
hurt, and the water slowed down his punches, which did
less damage until it broke, and he grabbed a sphere with a
smile on his face.
He opened his eyes, and found himself laying on the
ground in the classroom, and he looked up. He had never
been happier to see Alex, Sonya, or even Rodney. They all
decided to keep this a secret between themselves. Alex took
the game with him, and promised to throw it away.
Steven walked home thinking of his Olympic worthy
swim until he was greeted by his mom, Helen.
“How was your day, honey?” she asked.
“Just fine, mom,” sighed Steven. “Just fine.”
Jessica Lama - 7
Flora & Fauna
th
239
The Hurricane
Mikayla James - 7
th
When the light turns green, I turn left and park as near
to the building as possible. Getting out of my red Chevy
Cruze, I grab my purse and keys, and slam the door shut
behind me. I stride confidently into the waiting area of the
building and sit in one of the cream-colored leather chairs
that are placed in the corner of the room. My phone
vibrates with chiming tones, telling me that I have received
a text. Taking my phone out of my purse, I enter the
password and when the screen lights up, I click on the text
message icon to read the new message. Are you here yet? it
reads. I debate whether to reply or not and decide to send a
message saying that I am here.
Just a few minutes later, a man in an expensive-looking
silk suit comes out to meet me. “Hello, Ms. Matsumoto. It
is nice to finally meet you. Welcome to Paranormal
Encounters. I am the host, Jason Smith. We spoke on the
phone,” he says before reaching out to shake my hand.
“Hi, Mr. Smith, it is nice to meet you, too. Call me
Tori. I must thank you for inviting me to this interview,” I
reply. So saying, I shake his hand and smile politely.
“You are very welcome. By the way, you can call me
Jason. Now, just come this way and I will show you to the
interview room,” he says. He turns and leads the way
through the winding path of offices and break rooms while
I follow. Finally, after what seems like hours, we arrive at
our final destination, the interview room. Mr. Smith, being
a gentleman, opens the door for me and asks me to sit in the
chair opposite from his.
After we have both sat down, the door opens and a
woman with a clipboard comes in and asks when they
should start recording. He says that he will signal her when
we are ready, and the lady nods her consent and leaves, the
door swinging shut behind her. I tense at the thought of
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being on live television with millions of people watching.
The only reason I am doing this interview is because the
company was going to pay me, and I need the money for
my family. Jason notices my unease and asks me if I want
anything. I smile and tell him that I will be fine. Then he
explains what I will have to do and when I am ready, he
signals the woman who had talked to us before and she
begins to count down.
“Five, four, three, two, one, and we are on air,” she
says, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Jason turns to the camera and begins to talk. “Hello,
and you are watching Paranormal Encounters. I am the
host, Jason Smith. Today, here with me is Ms. Tori
Matsumoto. She is going to recount her adventure of how
she saved her family and others after they had gone missing
because of a series of freak hurricanes,” with that, he looks
to me to begin talking.
I think for a second about where to start, and begin to
speak. “Hi, as you know, I am Tori Matsumoto and I am
eighteen. I live in the city of Sapporo on Hokkaido, an
island of Japan. My parents died two years before the
incident, so I now care solely for my two siblings, Aki, who
is three, and Alana, who is eight. To keep them in school, I
have to work a lot.
“I remember the day my brother and sister went
missing, as if it were yesterday. I was at work, when I
received a call from their babysitter late in the afternoon.
She said that a hurricane was headed straight for the house.
Before I could answer, there was a giant crash in the
background, a horrid scream, and the line went dead.
“I started to panic, fearing for the safety of my family. I
tried to call back several times, tears running down my
face, but the operator kept telling me that the phone was off
line. Then the sirens in the building began to go off, the
beacons flashing bright red. The hurricane was in sight. It
was majestic, in a terrifying way. The last bits of sunlight
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that were not smothered by the gray clouds in the sky
glinted off the swirling vortex of water in arcs of light,
creating mini rainbows
in the dark. The office
was in chaos, people
were screaming and
crowding around the
stairwell trying to get
away. I pushed past all
of them and bolted
down five flights of
stairs to get my car. I
put my keys into the ignition, started the car, and drove as
quickly as I could to my house. When I got there, the
hurricane had vanished, and left the city a disaster. The
houses were okay, but trees and cars had been blown into
the streets.
“The streets were flooded and water was everywhere.
All the citizens were in a state of frenzy, amazed at how the
hurricane had come and gone so quickly. But, no matter
how much I asked around and searched, I could not find my
brother or sister anywhere. It was as if they had just
disappeared and no one had noticed. I attempted to call the
babysitter, but it went straight to voice mail, so I left a
message, but somehow I knew that she would not call back
anytime soon.
“Exhausted, I went back home and made myself some
dinner, while pondering the disappearance of my siblings.
Where could they be? Could they have gone into hiding?
Were they swept away by the hurricane? Where could they
have gone?, I asked myself. It occurred to me to call the
police and report the missing people, but I decided not to
and to try to find them myself because I thought that they
could have not gone very far.
“While eating my dinner, I tried to figure out where
they might have gone, but nowhere practical came to mind.
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When I had finished my meal, I changed into my pajamas
and searched on my computer for any clues that might help
me solve my mystery. Finding nothing useful, I decided to
get some rest and then in the morning go to the library and
see if I could find anything on hurricanes or natural
disasters. So, with this decision in hand and many questions
on my mind, I padded into my room, crawled under the
covers of my bed and fell asleep.
“The next morning I got up early and after getting
dressed, drove to Starbucks, where I bought a black coffee
big enough to get me through the long day ahead of me.
Then, with my coffee in hand, I went to the library and
searched for all the books I could possibly find on
hurricanes or freak natural disasters. I spent more than half
of my day looking in dusty shelves and bookcases for these
much needed books. At the end of my search, I had found
around twenty books, most of which were for children. I
checked them all out, and then, wobbling a little under their
weight, I put them in the trunk of my car and drove home to
look through them for any useful information.
“I looked through book after book, until there was one
left, but had not yet found any useful information. As I
picked up the last book and opened it, I found that it was a
journal from the 1800s. In one of the entries, the owner had
written about how his wife had gone missing after a
hurricane had struck his hometown. At first, I thought that
this was similar to my situation and it might be of some
help, but then threw away the thought in disgust, taking it
for fiction.
“I slumped on the couch in my living room, tired from
all the work I had done that day. Realizing that I was
hungry, I went to the kitchen to get some grapes and then
sat back down to watch some television before doing
anything further. I turned on the TV and the screen flared to
life. Apparently, one of my siblings had been watching the
news when it was last turned it off. I was about to change
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the channel when the newscaster abruptly stopped and said,
'BREAKING NEWS! Another freak hurricane has hit the
city of Sapporo in Japan and taken three people with it. So
far three hurricanes have hit and during each, two to three
have people disappeared.' Then I turned off the TV because
that was all I needed to hear.
“The pieces clicked together and it all made sense now.
The journal was not just fantasy, it was fact. It must be that
every two hundred years or so, these freak storms hit cities
and cause people to go missing. Franticly, I grabbed the
journal, and in my haste, dropped it. When I picked it up, a
paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. I set the book back
down on the coffee table and reached down to pick the
paper up from the floor and when I straightened up again
with the mysterious paper in hand, I saw that it was a map
to an island in the Pacific Ocean! It probably leads to
wherever these people are swept away to, I thought to
myself, this is my chance to save my family. I booked a
plane flight for the next day to go to French Polynesia,
which was about 200 miles from my actual destination.
Then I went to sleep, preparing for the long day ahead of
me.
“I woke up extra early since my flight left at 5:30 a.m.
and packed all my necessary things in a duffel bag, loaded
it into my car, and drove to the airport. I waited in line after
line to get my plane ticket and go through security. By the
time I came to my gate, they were already boarding. I got in
the line to board and was quickly ushered into the plane.
The flight was about twelve hours and by the time I
landed, it was around eleven o' clock at night, so I took a
taxi to my hotel, got my room key, took my stuff up to my
room, and as soon as I climbed into bed, I went right to
sleep.
“The next morning, I drove to a private airport, where I
had arranged for a helicopter to fly me to the island. I met
the pilot, who was very nice and he welcomed me to his
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homeland, although he told me that the place where I
wanted to go was nothing but ocean. I dismissed the
comment and boarded the helicopter.
As we neared the spot where he was supposed to drop
me off, a strong wind began to blow us off course. He said
that we should get out of there and I readily agreed. The
wind began to blow very hard as we turned around,
WHOOSH! a rogue wind came out of nowhere, causing
the helicopter to go off balance and tip to the side. I lost my
balance and fell, but luckily I caught the bottom of the
helicopter just in time. The wind began blowing even
harder and I began to lose my grip. One by one, my fingers
slipped off and soon I was suspended by only three fingers
of my right hand, and I lost my grip entirely and tumbled
through the air toward the ocean at a very high speed as the
helicopter went out of sight. The last thing I saw was the
ocean coming toward me very fast, before I slipped away
into nothingness.
“I could hear noise...the sound of waves crashing
calmly against the shore of the beach. Then, though my
eyelids felt very heavy, I opened my eyes as best I could
and sat upright. With half-closed eyes, I took in myself as
well as my surroundings. I was soaking wet and sand
covered every inch of my body. As I looked around me, I
saw that I was on a sandy beach, the waves lapping at my
legs, as if beckoning me forward.
“I tried to stand up, but fell back down, my legs feeling
wobbly and stiff. I attempted to stand a second time, which
I did successfully. Turning around to face inland, I saw that
I was not alone on this island. I could see plumes of smoke
coming forth from the tops of the trees. I began to walk
forward, but I saw something out of the corner of my eye
that caught my attention, the light shining off an object
lying against the sand.
“Turning to my right I bent down to examine my
discovery. Picking it up, I saw that it was the locket which I
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had given to my sister for her sixth birthday. Excited, I
slipped it into the pocket of my drenched shorts and started
off toward the smoke, approaching it cautiously. As I
neared the tree-line, I saw a pathway rudely cut into the
forest of trees. By instinct I began to walk down this path
which lead me farther into the trees. As I neared the source
of the smoke, I noted that it was in fact a coastal village
with little houses with thatched roofs. The smoke that I saw
were from fires that were lit inside the houses. I walked
toward the small village and an inhabitant, upon seeing my
arrival, came out to meet me.
“Hello,” he said, “You have come to the village of
Chachagua on the island of Ke Kai. I am Ekewaka, chief of
this place. What is your business here?”
“Hi, I am Tori Matsumoto. I came here looking for my
sister and brother and I think that they might be staying
here,” I said to him.
“You search for a little boy and girl, yes?” he
questioned.
“How did you know?” I asked him.
“A boy, and two girls washed up on the shore a few
days ago. My tribe found them and one of our women took
them in to care for them. Let me show you where they are.”
He led me along a row of houses and stopped at the last
home on the left. “They are in there,” he said pointing to
the house. Then he turned and began to walk back, leaving
me standing in the dirt-packed road rather awkwardly.
“Finally, I decided to go knock on the door. I walked
up the steps to the house and rapped my knuckle on the
wood loudly. I heard the floor creak inside as someone
came to answer the door. An elderly women dressed in a
green cotton dress with her hair in a knot at the nape of her
neck opened the door and ushered me inside. The threshold
lead to what looked like a family room, with a small brown
couch and a fire in the middle of the room with a hole in
the ceiling for the smoke to go through.
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246
“The lady led me away from the fire through a doorway
which went into a bedroom with a small twin-sized bed and
a chest of drawers. Sitting on the wooden floor of the room
was Alana and Aki playing a card game with Marissa, their
babysitter, watching over them. Upon hearing my arrival,
both children turned toward the doorway to see the
newcomer. When they saw me, their faces lit up like
candles on a dark night. Alana jumped up and wrapped me
in a big bear hug and Aki waddled over and clapped his
little hands, a smile on his face.
“After that, we all sat on the bed and talked. I recounted
my story to them and they told me of how the hurricane had
swept them away and they had ended up on Ke Kai. I gave
Alana her locket, which she told me that she lost. Then the
woman who allowed me into the house came in again and
brought us some snacks. While we were eating some grapes
two little children who looked like twins around the age of
five came in and asked if they could have some grapes, too.
Alana introduced them as Hokulani and Kaulana, who had
been taken by the hurricane from their home in Hawaii.
Seeing that these little girls were stranded here too, I
became determined to find a way to get them and my
family home. So leaving the small abode, I set off to find
the chief.
“When I came to the center of the village, I found the
chief and other men sitting around a big fire. When, he saw
me, he stood and came to greet me, asking if I had seen my
siblings. I said that I had and proposed he question of
getting off the island. Hearing this, he led me into a lowceilinged hut, were he bent and picked up a radio.
“This radio connects us to the Papeete, French
Polynesia, so that we can inform people there when we
need more supplies. Talk to them and convince them to
send a helicopter to come and take you there, where you
can take a plane back to your home,” he said, handing me
the radio. Then he showed me how to use the device and
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247
left, leaving me alone to talk to these strangers. I turned on
the radio and had a long conversation with the person on
the other end of the line, who was called Jonathon,
explaining my situation and pleading for help. Jonathan
agreed to send an aide to take them and that they would
arrive in around four hours.
“After this, I hurried back to my family, and told them
the good news. Then I was given new clothes to replace my
old ones and I showered, the water washing all the sand out
of my hair and off of my body. We were each given a set of
new clothes for the trip ahead, and when the helicopter land
we were all packed and boarded the plane for the four hour
flight.
“When we arrived in French Polynesia, we were driven
to the hotel in which I had stayed before and Aki, Alana,
Hokulani, Kaulana, Marissa, and I all shared one room, but
luckily only for one night.
We agreed that the next day Marissa would take Aki
and Alana with her back to Japan, while I would take the
other girls back to Hawaii. The next day, I said goodbye to
Aki and Alana and chaperoned Hokulani, and Kaulana on
the six hour flight to Hawaii, where their parents were
waiting at the airport in Honolulu and their family was
reunited. Then I took a flight back to Sapporo by myself
and finally went home for the first time in days.”
With that I signal to Jason that I had finished my story.
“How heroic of you Tori! You saved not only your
family, but two other little girls too,” says Jason. He
reaches out to shake my hand, which I gladly do, and then
says, “And that’s the end of this episode of Paranormal
Encounters. Tune in next week to hear an adventure of
Tom Raymond's encounter with aliens.”
Then the lady with the clipboard yells, “CUT!” and the
camera ceases to record. Jason and I both stand up and he
thanks me for coming and offers to escort me to my car. I
accept his offer and again, he leads me through the
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248
building, out of the reception area and back to my bright
red car. Once more, he thanks me for coming and says that
he hopes that I had a great experience and we say our
goodbyes. As he walks away, I get into my car and drive
home, back to my loving family, glad that the interview is
over.
Michael Futritski - 7
Lauren Yeh - 7
Flora & Fauna
th
th
249
The Hole in the Rock
Ethan Fein- 7
th
Finally. The perfect city was almost complete. Henry
and his friend George were architects. They were the ones
who had designed this city. All those golden roofs and
roads, the emeralds and rubies showing off the wealth of
the city by being embedded in the golden roads—it was all
because of them. And now it was just a few short days from
completion. Or maybe not.
“Mwahahahahaha! It is I, the Mad Mover!” said a man
in a dark gray suit with a cape. He had a funnel-shaped
emblem on his chest and cape. In the shape were two M’s.
He strode toward the mayor of the city, Jove, who sat on
his platinum throne being fanned. What he was being
fanned for was a mystery to Henry. The weather was
always perfect in Aurumville. Until that day.
The mayor said, “What can I help you with, sir.”
“Nothing, you blithering idiot! Now be quiet!”
responded the man.
Henry hadn’t noticed it before, but the man had a
British accent. His body shape was a bit familiar to Henry,
but he couldn’t put a finger on who he was, as his face was
obscured by a gray mask.
The “Mad Mover” walked around muttering. Henry
didn’t exactly hear what he was saying, but he heard things
like “perfect addition” and “yes, yes.” The villain suddenly
turned and screamed, “You should leave unless you want
certain death!”
The streets were soon filled with frantic people filling
bags of treasure as fast as they could before sprinting off
into the forest. When the city was clear, the Mad Mover
looked around and then spun once, twice, thrice, until he
was surrounded by a one hundred foot tall tornado. It
moved toward the town, stripping it of all its luxuries. In a
matter of minutes, a city that took years to build was
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ruined. The citizens looked around. The gold was gone,
along with the jewels, leaving behind normal dirt roads and
roofless houses. They could not salvage one thing.
The people were in a state of panic. The last thing they
saw was a swirling mass of precious metals going off into
the west. They decided that they needed to go after it. They
elected the architects, George and Henry, to go. Jove also
was chosen to go, as he was the leader. George and Henry
were both tall and fit, but Jove was short and fat.
Everybody said that if Jove was worth his weight in gold,
Aurumville would be broke, as Jove was so ginormous that
there wouldn’t be enough to go around.
Henry and George wanted to leave right away, but Jove
wanted to stash another couple bags of food on their
wagon. This was the only wagon left in the city. It was like
a pioneer wagon, except like an RV inside. It was pulled by
mechanical gold horses that would never get tired, just
overheated. They had to stop every eight hours to cool
down and recharge for an hour. The wagon was stocked
with enough food to last a couple months.
They started off two hours later and waved goodbye to
the others. George and Henry knew they were in for a long
trip, they just didn’t know how long it would be. The first
couple days were smooth, and they followed the huge trail
of destruction left by the tornado. But then they hit a snag.
Or two. The first was that the trail disappeared. The second
was that the horses had overheated too much and wouldn’t
work. They had overheated so much, that the control panel
was fried. Henry and George got out, but soon after they
heard a click. Jove had locked himself inside with all the
food. George put his foot through the window and climbed
in. He looked in all the bags of food for the repair bag. It
was nowhere to be seen. He grabbed Jove and pulled him
out.
“What are you doing to me?!” yelled Jove.
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“I’m taking you out of the wagon so you don’t eat all
the food and because the horses broke down,” said George.
“The horses broke down?” spluttered Jove,
hyperventilating.
“And you had to take out the bag with the repair tools
to make way for more food, so now we can’t use the wagon
anymore, so it’s your fault.”
“Yeah,” said Henry, “Now we have to go on foot.”
Jove let out an earsplitting scream and curled up on the
ground. “On FOOT!” cried Jove, “How will I survive? We
can’t carry all the food on foot!”
Henry and George stood by trying in vain to prevent
their laughter as Jove rolled around throwing his tantrum.
They pulled him up and grabbed a few bags of food. They
each took two and tied one around Jove’s shoulders. He
went along, whimpering slightly, but silent for the most
part. They trudged on, and slowly the three food bags
turned into two food bags. A few weeks after they left, they
hit a desert. No one had been very far from Aurumville
before, so this was uncharted territory. Jove let out a small
groan when he saw the endless sand and Henry shared a
grin with George. Just then, they heard a squelching sound
like something being pulled into the ground and George
suddenly got a couple inches shorter.
“Help, help!” screamed George, his eyes wide with
terror. He was caught in quicksand. Henry grabbed his
forearm and pulled. It was not enough, so Henry grabbed
Jove and kicked his legs out from under him. The force of
him falling was enough to launch
George out of the sand. When
George recovered, they continued
on.
That night, they made camp
and rolled out their sleeping bags.
At around one in the morning,
they were sound asleep, but a
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light whistling woke George up. He stood and looked
around. He saw an outline of the tornado leaving a circle of
destruction fifty feet around camp.
He woke up the others and they jogged toward the
tornado. But when they got there, the tornado was gone,
and in its place was a huge rift around the camp. They went
to the edge and looked over the side. There was a sheer
cliff and if any of them fell they would die on the rocks
below. Henry found a rock embedded deeply in the sand
and tied a rope to it. He threw the other end to the other
side until it snagged between a couple rocks. George, the
lightest, hung on to the rope with his hands and feet and
shimmied across. When he got across, he anchored the rope
better and held it as Henry came across. When Jove got on
the rope, Henry accidentally kicked the anchor and the rope
fell, Jove with it. He landed on a ledge, luckily and called
up to his companions.
“You guys need to get down here. You will not believe
what I just found.”
Henry and George looked at each other and then
George jumped, caught the hanging rope, and swung onto
the ledge. He gasped, causing Henry to shake his head and
jump down after his friend. When he reached the ledge, he
walked forward into an eight by ten hole in the rock. What
he saw amazed him. The man who had walked through
Aurumville was there, and all the parts of the houses that
disappeared in the tornado were in this very cavern. The
streets were the very streets of gold and jewels that had
been in Aurumville. The only differences were the parts
that were still in Aurumville. Instead of the bright yellow
houses there, in the cave there were dull gray houses with
the Aurumville golden roofs next to them. The houses were
frames and the roofs were waiting to be put into place. The
man turned to face them and laughed maniacally. He took
out a video game controller and pressed a series of buttons.
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Metal clamps came from above, cuffing the trio’s hands
and feet. The villain came towards them.
“As I said a few weeks back, I am the Mad Mover. I am
the tornado. I am the power. I am the weather.” He spun
three times and turned into a tornado. After a few
revolutions, he returned to his normal state. The threesome
was in shock. The villain turned from them and created
small tornadoes to carry the roofs onto the frames of the
houses. Once they were in place, he turned back and said,
“Once I have my city completed, I will go back to your
petty town and abduct the people. Soon enough they will be
lugging the gold of your treasuries to my feet,” he finished
with a sneer.
“As for you, you will be striving to make this city the
best. People will flock from all over the world, bringing
tribute. And if they don’t, their cities will be rubble. Except
for the treasuries, those will go to me.
Mwahahahahahahaha!” laughed the Mad Mover. He strode
over to them and undid the metal cuffs. He tied them each
around the waist so that they were roped in a line and gave
them tools. Seeing nothing to help their situation, the three
men took the tools and started working. This life went on
for a few weeks, and soon Jove got slimmer and the others
stronger.
When the fifth week rolled around, they were making a
door for the Mad Mover’s mansion, when they heard
yelling. The secretary of Aurumville came in with a mob of
Aurumville citizens.
“We found an entrance a mile back, but we followed
the trail and found a new entrance at that rift over here. We
decided to follow your trail a week after you left, because
we thought there could be trouble. When we saw the
horses, our feelings were confirmed,” said Robert, Jove’s
secretary.
The crowd murmured their assent. The Mad Mover was
away terrorizing other cities and would soon be on his way
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back. When he was close, the people, who had been warned
of what he could do, hid, and Henry, George, and Jove
went back to work. When the Mad Mover came, he went
into his mansion and Henry fitted the door as he went in.
Unbeknownst to all, a man and his wife had gone into
the mansion. When they heard the Mad Mover come, they
hid in the first unlocked room. Unfortunately, it was his
bedroom. They went into the closet and the villain entered.
He took off his mask, and the couple peeked out and
recognized him as the original designer of Aurumville. He
had spread the idea of the golden city, but no one listened.
Jove had stolen the plan and was made mayor of his new
city because of it.
The man’s wife gasped, and the Mad Mover turned. He
grew red and stormed toward the two. The man put his wife
behind him and punched the villain in the gut. His wife
grabbed a bottle of soda from a table and smashed it over
the Mad Mover’s head. He crumpled, and the couple
dragged him outside. They gave him some smelling salts
and he came to.
“Why did you do it, Marvin?” asked Jove, recognizing
the man.
Marvin spit at Jove. “You know why. You stole my
idea for Aurumville,” Marvin said. The assembled people
gasped. They were unaware. This was a new development
for them.
“Why don’t we make you mayor of Aurumville and
you move this city that you made back to Aurumville, and
you can be in charge of even more,” said one woman. Her
fellow citizens responded affirmatively. Marvin agreed, and
Jove was left flabbergasted. He settled for deputy mayor. In
the meantime, Henry and George were promoted to city
managers for their exceptional work and given a high
salary. Life was good in the very rich community of
Aurumville and they all live somewhat contentedly ever
after.
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A Tale of Clouds
th
I stood at the top of the sheer, ocean-side cliff with my
best friend, Morgan, with nothing but a small, wooden rail
separating us from the roaring waves below. The view was
beautiful from up there, with the bright orange sunset that
could barely be seen from below due to the thick layer of
fog that had been covering the beach for a couple of days
now.
I was taking pictures of the sunset when Morgan said
from on the rail, “Hand me your camera, Sarah, the view is
way better from over here.”
“Okay,” I answered. “But be careful. It’s dangerous up
there, and that’s a new camera.”
“Don’t worry,” she said as I hesitantly began to walk
over to the edge, trying to ignore my fear of heights. “I’ve
been up here hundreds of times. Why would this one be any
different?”
I closed my eyes, handed her the camera, and began to
slowly back away. I heard a few clicks of the camera going
off and then Morgan’s loud, piercing scream. I opened my
eyes and ran for the ledge, hoping against hope that this
was all some big joke. But she was gone, lost to the
tumbling waves below.
Tears slid down my cheeks, their salty taste reminding
me of Morgan’s favorite food, pretzels. I began to cry even
more at her memory and I sank to my knees when I felt
something small and box-shaped under me. I looked down
and saw that it was my camera and realized that she must
have dropped it to try to grab the rail. Through the layer of
tears clouding my vision, I looked at the pictures she had
taken and realized she was right all along. The view really
was better from up on that rail. And I would never get to
tell her.
*
*
*
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No one ever found her body, which was really not
surprising to us. She was probably miles away by the time
anyone started looking. But, even though I knew she was
dead, I still didn’t believe it. I just could not seem to make
myself believe that my best friend, the person I had spent
practically my entire life with, was gone forever. And I
knew that until she was found, there would always be this
little part of me who still thought she was somehow alive.
A few weeks later, about an hour after Morgan's
memorial, I was sitting in my room, going through old
pictures of me and Morgan, when I heard a knock on my
window. Thinking that it was the annoying squirrel that had
been bothering me for the past few days, I grabbed a shoe
and hurled it at the window, hoping that it would go away.
But then I heard more knocking and someone whispering
my name. Since it obviously wasn’t the squirrel, I finally
looked up. I saw a girl that was around my age, dressed all
in black with blue, black, and white hair that brought back
so many memories. My eyes widened in shock as I realized
who it was. It finally dawned on me why no one had found
Morgan’s cold, lifeless body floating around in the sea.
After all, you can't find the body of someone who isn’t
actually dead.
Wondering how Morgan could have survived that fall, I
opened up the window, letting her inside. “I’m so glad
you’re okay," I said, giving her a huge hug. “But really,
what happened to you?” I asked her, once I had shut the
window behind her. “We thought you were dead. Why
didn’t you tell anyone that you were alive? How are you
alive, anyway?” I had many more questions, but I stopped
talking when I saw the look on her face. She didn’t seem
normal. She seemed slightly sad as she responded to my
array of questions.
“Sarah,” she said her voice barely audible. “I honestly
don’t know what happened to me. I remember falling and
screaming and then I hit the layer of clouds and everything
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was silent. I woke up a week later, locked in a burning car,
miles away from where I had disappeared. Soon after I
regained consciousness and found that I couldn’t breathe, I
began to panic. I started yelling for help and pounding on
the windows, but no one would come. The flames were
getting closer and I knew that I had to do something. I hit
the window as hard as I could to hopefully shatter it, but it
didn’t work. I kept hitting the window, screaming as loud
as I could until at last, it was gone. The window, along with
the rest of the car, had somehow turned into a very thick
fog, more of a cloud, really. I knew that somehow, I had
done that, so I just stood up and ran, trying to get as far
away from there as I could hoping that it was all some sick
dream. But it wasn’t. It was real.
“Sometime later that night, I ended up at a twenty-four
hour diner. I ordered a burger and luckily I had money in
my pocket from when we were at the beach the day I fell. I
asked the waitress how far away I was from Santa Cruz,
California. She told me she didn’t know where Santa Cruz
was, but if it was in California, I wasn’t anywhere near it.
She told me that I was in Boise, Idaho. I thanked her and
made my way back here, taking the bus as far as I could
afford and hitch-hiking and walking the rest of the way.
“So, that is the short version of what happened to me. I
still am not completely sure exactly what happened though.
I want you to help me find out Sarah. Please?” she asked
me once she had finished her story. I was surprised to say
the least. And I was quite confused.
“Of course I’ll help you Morgan,” I say, finally
speaking. “But I need to know a few things first. How did
the car just transform like that? Are you some kind of
wizard now?”
“Sarah, I told you,” she answered. “I don’t know, but I
doubt I’m a wizard. I think that whatever is happening to
me is happening because of that strange fog. Just think
about it. We went to that cliff to see the sunset so many
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times in our lives, but as soon as that fog came, I fell. I
blacked out as soon as I hit the fog, and I somehow
managed to turn a burning car into a cloud. Stuff like that
isn’t normal and I know that it all happened because of that
fog. So, will you help me find out how?”
“Okay,” I answered, still unsure. “But, how are we
going to figure this out? Where do we even start?”
“I don’t know Sarah,” she replied. “I really don’t
know.”
*
*
*
Morgan ended up spending the night at my house, for
multiple reasons, but the main one was that she still hadn’t
told her parents what had happened. I told her she should
tell them, but she said that she didn’t want to give them
false hope by telling them that she was still alive. I didn’t
really know what she meant by that, but I was beginning to
worry. The silly, fun Morgan that I knew was gone,
replaced by this new, serious Morgan that only wanted
answers.
The next morning, Morgan and I were back at the cliff,
trying to find out what happened to her. The strange fog
was finally gone, and the sun was shining.
I heard the rustling of leaves as a man stepped out of
the shadows. He was dressed normally, in shorts and a tshirt, and he was holding a clipboard. “Morgan Brookes,”
he said, turning to Morgan.
“That’s me,” she answered, slightly baffled. “Why?
Who are you?”
“My name is not important. All that matters right now
is my research. And you are an extremely important part of
that. My team and I have been monitoring your behavior
for the past few months and determined that you were the
best subject for this test. Originally, we were trying to
create an instant cure for the flu, but that did not work out.
We were not really getting anywhere, but we still tried. One
day, however, a huge storm came by our facility. We all hid
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259
in the storm shelters and waited for it to pass. And when it
did, we came out only to find that almost everything we
had been working on for years was gone. All that was left
was a computer with the data we had gathered, and a
security camera showing footage of the storm. We watched
the tape and saw what had happened to our most recent
attempt. It was struck by lightning, causing it to heat so
much, it evaporated. We were all quite devastated at the
loss of this most promising potential cure, but we knew
that, with some work, it could be replicated. I alerted the
government with what had happened and they informed us
that construction of a new building would begin
immediately and until it was finished, we could stay in the
storm shelters. Within the next few days, we discovered
something else strange. Some trees that were in the ground
the day before, were starting to disappear and we had no
explanation for it. I sent someone to investigate, but after
he was out there for an hour, he seemed to just vanish. He
still has not been found.
“After this, we concluded that something strange was
happening. We figured that the vapor from the potential
cure must have floated into the cloud layer and was having
crazy effects on the environment. I was told to stop
researching the flu since we were not getting anywhere. I
was told instead to research into this strange occurrence.
And when we did, my team found incredible results. It was
like in a science fiction novel, only it was real. We had
changed the effects of the vapor so that, instead of turning
something into clouds, it gave people that were exposed to
it the ability to turn something into a thick, cloudy fog. We
were then told to put together a special group of people.
They were all to be chosen, monitored, tested, and, if they
passed, given these abilities. We were to keep close records
of their fears and their weaknesses. We would then use
those to create a special test to see how they operated under
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260
pressure. If they passed, they would become a new branch
of the police force, only to be called upon when needed.
“You were put into a challenging situation to see if you
could and would survive. And you did. You have passed
the test and made it back safely. So now comes the hard
part of this. We want you to join us, but you will have to be
gone for a long time. Will you do this?"
“I don’t know,” said Morgan, trying to decide what to
do. She tapped her foot like she always does when she is
nervous. “This is a lot to take in all at once. Can I have a
few more days to decide?”
“Take all the time you need,” he said, handing her a
business card. “Call us when you have an answer.” Then he
stepped back behind the trees and we heard his footsteps
get farther away until he was gone.
Morgan was still trying to decide if she should join him
or not. She really wanted to help, but she also didn’t want
to have to leave again. I could see that she was very
frustrated, as her hands were clenched on the rail that we
were both leaning against.
“I still find it hard to believe that this is where it all
started,” I said, turning to Morgan.
“I can’t either. I also just can't believe that they are
making me choose between the fate of the world and my
family. Nobody should have to make that decision,” she
said, starting to get angry. I could sense that something bad
was about to happen. “They could have killed me and what
would they have accomplished? How could they do that?"
Dark clouds were beginning to form around her, casting an
eerie shadow across us. “What right have they to…” but
her words were cut off by our screams as the rail was
turned into a small cloud and we both went tumbling
forward into the ocean below.
“I’m sorry, Sarah, for everything,” I heard her say, just
before we hit the waves. I opened my mouth to respond,
but I never got the chance. The last thing I remember was
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261
hitting the waves, then darkness as I slipped, slowly and
painlessly, into the confines of death.
Bradley Peterson - 7
th
The Mark of the Ocean
Karthy Sajeev - 7
th
Maria sighed as she looked out onto the open sea. It had
been five years now, since Hurricane Rhea hit the small
town of Lendel. So much had changed since then. Maria
had only been 12 when the hurricane hit Lendel and her
sister, Katrina, was 15. The two sisters were orphans; their
parents had drowned in another storm that had happened
many years ago. The town of Lendel was located on Delos,
an isolated island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The
city had tried to call for help when Hurricane Rhea hit, but
no one had come to their aid. As the waves became bigger
and bigger, the people became panicked, rushed into their
homes and bolted the doors. No one came out, and so no
one but Maria saw what was going on outside.
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262
Hurricane Rhea had changed Lendel a lot. That day, the
waves grew so large they threatened to engulf the whole
island—Lendel, Maria and all. Maria, meanwhile, had
noticed something strange about the waves. Though the sky
was gray and cloudy, the water had the faintest shimmer to
it. She braced herself for the smash of water but it never
came. Directly above her, the gigantic wave had frozen for
a second into a shimmering blue mass and then collapsed
with ease into calm waves. The whole island began to
slowly sink into the ocean, and it seemed like Lendel would
be gone forever. Trees, houses and all of the people were
submerged beneath the ocean. Everyone began to thrash
and struggle, as an infinite force pulled them down, down,
down, until they realized that they could breathe
underwater. Around their heads grew bubbles that enabled
them to talk and breathe underwater.
The people were released from the powerful force
pulling them deep down to the ocean floor, and, to their
great amazement, saw their own city of Lendel surrounding
them. It was Lendel, but made of ocean material. Houses
and buildings had transformed into different colored
sandcastles and the trees and flowers were replaced by
colorful coral and lush, green seaweed. But the people were
so busy exploring their underwater world that they didn’t
notice the changes forming on themselves.
Maria saw two blue circles on everyone’s palms, which
slowly grew into intricate patterns across their fingers. To
find out what this meant, she tried rubbing her hands
together and putting them in the light but nothing happened
at all. Grumbling with frustration, she swam up to the
surface of the water to see if anything was going on
outside, when….Thunk! Maria banged her head into a clear
barrier that now separated the ocean world from the world
above. “Ow!” she thought, rubbing her head. “Where did
this come from?”
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263
Looking at the barrier, she saw holes where her hands
had touched the water. In an instant, Maria realized what
had happened. She eagerly swam back to the others and
yelled as loudly as she possibly could, “Everyone, STOP! I
need you all to follow me to the surface of the ocean.”
The people, though they were surprised, followed
Maria. “Now, I need you all to place your hands on this
barrier here,” said Maria.
As each person put their palms on the barrier, the blue
marks on their hands quickly began to burn through the
barrier until there was just enough space for them to crawl
out. Once they were out of the water, the people found out
that they had acquired another special ability, the ability to
walk on water. Though their hands felt water, their feet
touched a solid barrier. And to get back inside their
underwater world, all they had to do was touch the barrier
with their hands again. And though the people had survived
the hurricane, their troubles were far from over. The people
of Lendel were not the first to experience this type of
miracle. Others had achieved powers through a chain of
these strange tsunamis and hurricanes all over the world.
But some of these powerful people used their powers to
steal secrets of magic from other worlds, and the world of
Lendel was now one of them.
The invaders came from other islands all over the
world. Each group of people was different; some had
superhuman strength and others could turn invisible at their
wish or transform into different shapes. The people of
Vordor had experienced a terrifying earthquake only two
years before, and, as a result, were granted the power of
invisibility and could simply disappear with a snap of their
fingers. Ten years prior Vordor’s earthquake, a snowstorm
had attacked a small town called Schist. But the Schistans
now were able to morph into anything they wanted if they
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264
closed their eyes and imagined that form. And hardly
twenty years ago, a sudden fire appeared at Estria. Just as
the flames enveloped the village, rain clouds showered
upon it and washed the flames away. Because of this
“double miracle,” the Estrians got a rare ability,
superhuman strength, which enabled them to smash the
largest of boulders and rocks and even pick up a mountain!
But even though these tribes could defeat the people of
Lendel in battle on land, they could not figure out the secret
of their powers nor could they figure out how to get
through the barrier. Though Maria knew that no one could
figure out how to control the powers of the people of
Lendel, she feared that they would be captured instead. So
Maria started to study the content of the magical barrier
between the underwater world and the world above the
surface. She found that the barrier was made of a mixture
of the shimmering water she had seen long ago and a
special plant called the featherfoil plant. Maria found both
of these ingredients on the ocean floor. She pleaded to
everyone to help her build up a thicker barrier against these
invaders.
One man asked, “Why do we need to build this barrier
anyways? The invaders cannot steal our magic so they are
really no threat to us.”
Maria answered, “If we don’t build ourselves protection
from these evil people, they may capture and torture us for
our powers.”
Her childhood friend, Sasha, spoke up, “Honestly, I
don’t think we stand a chance against these guys. I mean,
look at them! Compared to them, our powers mean hardly
anything.”
The mayor of the village, who, up until now, had been
so surprised and curious at the strange happenings to even
speak, supported Sasha. He said, “Maria, I understand what
you are saying but I agree with Sasha. How can we escape
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or even fight back before they sneak upon us or smash us to
bits? The only thing we can do now is surrender.”
Maria started to become worried for she could see the
effect of the mayor’s words upon the people. But before
she could say anything, her sister, Katrina, cried, “Listen,
everyone! I agree with Maria. Our abilities underwater
surpass all the others, for their powers only work on land.
And we need to think ahead. If we build a barrier, we won’t
have to fight these invaders at all. And if we work together,
we can do it!”
And so each and every person was assigned a task in
building the barrier. Some were sent to collect the special
water and bunches of the featherfoil plant. Others helped
Maria make the mixture and mark the boundaries of the
barrier. And everyone else helped make the barrier using
the special mixture. It took days to complete the strenuous
task of making a huge barrier that surrounded the
underwater world of the people of Lendel, but at last it was
completed. The people rejoiced as they watched the
confused invaders smash into an invisible wall when they
tried to attack the people of Lendel. And so Lendel was
forever protected after the making of the magical barrier.
Alexei Galanga - 7
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The Crash
Kahveh Zahiroleslam- 7
th
July 28, 2015
Hello, my name is Siphiwe Aurier and this is the first of
many journal entries. I am telling you the story of how I
ended up in the Amazon, 5,500 miles away from home. I
was born in the Ivory Coast but moved to France as a
child. After finishing high school, I moved to England
where I attended college and studied to become an
ecologist. During the next 15 years, I worked overseas and
went to Brazil many times. When I heard that gold was
found in the Amazon, I dreaded to see the destruction that
man would cause there. So I packed my bags and went to
gather my colleagues for the trip. I first went to Cristian
Bolanoas’ house, my roommate from college who was from
Costa Rica and also an ecologist. After that we went
together to see my advisor Shaun Tsakiris. We all booked
first-class tickets to Rio and headed to the airport.
When we boarded, the flight attendant told us that it
would be an eleven hour flight to Rio. I automatically fell
asleep.
10 HOURS LATER…….
I woke up and saw that it was 8:00 in the evening, an
hour left for our flight. Suddenly our plane lurched and the
seatbelt sign blinked on. The captain tried calmly to tell us
that one of our engines had gone out. While trying to land
the plane, the captain hit his head on the controls and the
plane crashed. I must have lost consciousness, I woke up
with a bruised head, tried to focus my eyes and take a look
around. The sun blared in my face and my vision focused
in. I had been thrown out of the airplane still strapped to
my seat. Suddenly, I saw that I was next to Cristian, who
must have fainted because I could not wake him, so I got up
and started looking for Shaun and the others. When it
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became too dark, I had to stop my search and navigate my
way back to Cristian. I saw that he was finally awake, so
we got some emergency supplies from the plane and had a
meal of nuts and pretzels with water.
The next day I woke up drenched in sweat. I told
Cristian to look for some supplies and my backpack with
the survival kit and food. I left to find Shaun and half an
hour later I found him sleeping under a leaf, very hot and
drenched in sweat. When we went back we saw that
Cristian had found everything, including the emergency ax
of the plane and a GPS. He told us that we were the only
survivors of the crash. When I looked at my multitasking
watch, it showed 101 degrees Fahrenheit!! Judging from
our supplies and the weather factor, I knew that we
wouldn’t last more than a week.
July 29, 2015
Today we talked about our supplies and the weather.
Cristian told us we were 250 miles from human
inhabitants. The closest village was to the north. We set off
and walked nonstop for three hours. Soon, I realized that
we would need to use our shirts to protect ourselves from
the sun and we tied our shirts like turbans to shade our
eyes. From our first day we knew that the sun would kill
us. As we walked we tended to imitate the movement of the
animals around, and walked under the shade of the trees.
Still, the heat was unbearable and the shade did not seem
to shelter us. That night, we made a huge fire, not for its
heat, but to protect ourselves from animals and to make
sure the jaguars, whose growls we could hear from far
away, would not come near us. We also took turns to sleep
in two hour shifts and to keep watch over the others.
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July 30, 2015
This morning, during an early walk around the
premises, I found a bird’s nest that had fallen onto the
ground. There were two intact eggs inside! For breakfast,
we cooked the eggs over our fire with Shaun’s portable
frying pan. Then we continued on our journey towards the
edge of the Amazon River. After a long hour of trudging
through the marshland we reached the magnificent
Amazon. It was quite a sight, to be near the largest river in
the world, the width alone spanning over a mile! Cristian
told us that we needed to sail downstream for about 100
miles. Judging that there was still 15 hours of daylight we
decided to make a raft today and set sail tomorrow.
Luckily, nearby we found several old trees that had
fallen onto the forest floor. I used our ax and began cutting
pieces, which Cristian and Shaun used to create a bottom
for our raft. I also helped them make paddles with other
pieces of the tree. The forest was abundant with material
that we needed to secure our raft, including thick tall grass
that we used to tie the logs together. We used sharp, long
pieces of wood chips to make spears, and tied sharp stones
to their tips, securing them with the grass. We knew that
we always needed to be on our guard because of the
piranhas and other fish. We made the raft very wide
judging that we would have more of a chance of batting
piranhas if they had a longer distance to cover. After all of
this with the remaining wood we made a bench and a mast.
We took the cloth we had brought from the plane, from
extra clothes, and made a sail by tying them together. As I
was making the sail I used the last of our cloth to wipe the
sweat off my brow. Gathering all of our water, we saw that
we had enough for 2 days, if sharing evenly.
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July 31, 2015
Today we woke up early, not caring about breakfast.
We slowly put the raft on the river. I was situated up front,
and Cristian and Shaun were in the back. We rowed as fast
as we could for an hour. I soon saw that a bit of water was
leaking in, so we rowed to shore and we tightened the logs
together. This little break gave us enough energy to row
fast for another hour. As we were rowing I saw my two
friends jumping at the sounds of macaws and monkeys in
the rainforest.
Shaun decided that we should slow down to hydrate
and regain energy. I saw that Shaun looked a bit pale and
his skin looked dry. We slowed down, splashed our faces
with water from the river and took small sips of our water.
As we set out again, I noticed we were not moving and
realized the raft was stuck on something. I gestured to
Shaun who came forward to help get us out of the banks. I
didn’t look behind me as I heard the water splash because I
thought Cristian was cooling off and splashing water on his
face, but when we looked back, Cristian was no where to be
found. We rushed to the edge of the raft and looked
overboard. I saw bubbles and suddenly Cristian burst out
of the river bloodied with piranhas attached all over his
body. He started to thrash and before we had time to react
and reach for him, he lay motionless and sank to the bottom
with piranhas frantically at him. I was in shock. Shaun fell
back onto the raft and held his head in his hands. There
was no time for emotions; we had to keep going.
Shaken by our friend’s death, we slowly and grimly
carried on. At the end of the river we saw a dreaded
sight……. A WATERFALL!!! Shaun and I hurriedly got
rid of everything except our water and two pieces of bread.
We slowly paddled towards the waterfall and we plunged
down. The impact of the water under my shoes, as I hit the
surface, was so strong I thought my feet would break. After
what seemed like an eternity, I surfaced and saw Shaun
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next to the raft. After we swam to shore we flipped the boat
and continued down. Shaun told me that there were only
three miles left by water and five more by land after the
river started to flow the other way. I couldn’t believe that
we were so close to our goal. We paddled downriver, and
eventually jumped out of the boat. I took a piece of the sail
as a reminder if I got out alive. As we were walking Shaun
and I had to take off our shirts. I noticed that the sticky
humidity slowed us from taking our shirts off because we
were very sweaty. The two of us stopped for the night and
had our pieces of stale and wet bread with some water.
Neither of us had the energy to talk, or maybe we had
nothing to talk about, except the death of our friend
Cristian Bolanoas that was the only thing on our mind. In
the middle of dinner Shaun said he was tired and he
immediately went to sleep.
August 1, 2015
Today I woke up and found that Shaun lay motionless
next to me. I knew he was exhausted, but I couldn’t wake
him. I shook him and slapped him at first, and then an
eerie feeling came over me. Taking his pulse only
confirmed my worst suspicion. Shaun Tsakiris had died of
dehydration. I searched through my medical knowledge
and remembered the symptoms: dizziness, dry skin,
lethargy, dry throat, and sleepiness. I had seen it
happening before my eyes, but I didn’t think it would be
possible. I couldn’t believe it. As I took a moment to
acknowledge my departed friends, I had to suppress my
feelings deep down and focus on survival. I dug a shallow
hole with my bare hands and placed Shaun’s lifeless body
in it, covering him with leaves and dirt. Then I walked the
last five miles, alone, to the village. At the first sight of
civilization, I cried, tears of joy and tears of sorrow. I was
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happy to be found and rescued, but I had also changed as if
a lifetime had passed, I felt like an old man.
Two days later, I was airlifted to Rio and returned
home. This is the end of my story, a 25-year old ecologist
from Cote D’Ivoire. I survived five days and lost two
friends in the Amazon. This is my story.
Angel Diaz - 7
th
Rushyl Kapila - 7
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The London Incident
Mikita Piarvou - 7
th
It was a fresh, busy, sunny morning in the city of
London. John had just been awakened by a small trembling
in his apartment and was getting ready to grab his morning
coffee and newspaper at his favorite morning shop, “House
of Coffee.” He departed, his black bowler hat on his head
and his white suit jacket on his shoulders.
He greeted many people on the way, for he had lived in
London for nearly twenty years and therefore knew many
people.
On his way, he noticed a small crack in the sidewalk
that John knew had not been there the day before. John
continued, thinking that sidewalks always needed fixing,
but he did not see that the crack was growing larger every
second, and the ground was vibrating ever so slightly.
When John reached the coffee shop, he asked if the
cashier, a friend of his, had noticed anything strange that
morning.
“I didn't see anything too strange on the way to work,
but I wasn't really paying attention. What I did feel were
tremblings last night, though they were too weak to be of
great significance.”
Another person had heard the comment and spoke.
“I saw a strange purple worm on the way that crawled
into a small crack when it realized I was watching closely.”
John and the cashier both pondered this a moment and
nodded.
Suddenly, the shop lurched. Car alarms went off, and a
few people were seen staggering past the doors. Screams
rang out into the air. John ran outside to investigate, and
saw that a large crack had formed in the middle of the street
where he had seen the cracked sidewalk. The streets began
to shake aggressively, and John was thrown off balance.
People were panicking, and some were running down the
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street for help. A nearby police car had stopped and the
officer seemed to be calling for emergency vehicles. A
large part of the street caved in, and an empty, red jeep fell
with the asphalt below it, into the unknown. The small rift
was giving off an odd purple glow, and people started to
evacuate. More police forces rushed to the scene, and
people were funneling out of buildings and leaving the
area.
A purplish liquid was slowly coming out of the
expanding hole and solidifying upon contact with the
asphalt. Then, two shapes emerged from the space,
seemingly being formed by the glowing goo. John slowly
backed away, and rightly so, for, as he moved, the street
caved in more and the space he had been standing in a
minute ago, disappeared.
One of the creatures roared menacingly, and made to
attack the policemen who were standing dangerously close
to the rift now that it had expanded a bit. John did not wait
to see the outcome of the encounter. He was already
running when the creatures had started moving, and winced
when he heard the crunch of one of the law enforcement
vehicles as it was destroyed. A bolt of pure energy flashed
a few meters away from John and vaporized a lamp post.
John ran harder than ever and was only slightly
comforted when he heard the whirring of helicopter blades
in the distance. From what he had just seen done to the
lamp post, he knew the military had no chance.
John ran on and on until he reached his friend's
apartment. His friend was out of town for the month and
had given John a copy of his key so that his plants could be
watered. John unlocked the door and went inside. He fell
onto the bed and lay there for a moment to rest. The
exhausted man fell asleep for a few hours. When he was
awakened by a trembling, John saw it was getting dark. He
pulled the curtains open a few centimeters and saw that the
military had the place surrounded. They were sending
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people into buildings to clear them, and maybe pick up a
few people that could help fight the alien creatures.
The soldier in John's building came to his door and
opened it.
“Hello, sir. The military has asked that London be
evacuated of all citizens not capable of fighting. Will you
be able to join us to defend Great Britain?”
“I would happily help, but I have never held a we-”
“That is great! Now, may you please step outside this
building and join the forces waiting below? The captain
will brief you and the others.”
John descended from the fourteenth floor and joined the
soldiers standing outside. He could easily tell apart the
soldiers from the people that decided to help.
The land shuddered twice more as John stepped up to
the group of civilians. The ground shook for another minute
before stopping and became still again. The professional
soldiers seemed not to be bothered by the 'minor'
earthquake and kept formation while the civilians struggled
to keep their balance and some even fell over. The captain
presented himself to everyone in a fine manner.
“We hopefully all know what has happened this
horrible day, but just in case, I will fill you in. There was an
earthquake that tore a deep trench from Trafalgar Square to
Parliament Square, which is approximately a 765 meter rift
that follows Whitehall street. An odd liquid came out, and
out of this liquid strange life forms grew. These life forms
have taken the Parliament building, and have created the
source of radiation we are seeing on our scanners. We
theorize that this source is the location of their nest.”
All the civilians looked towards the famous clock
tower, which housed Big Ben, and were surprised to see
that a purple vine had entwined itself around the tower.
“Do any of you want to volunteer to sacrifice their lives
for the sake of Britain and perhaps the whole world?” asked
the captain.
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A citizen wearing an Arsenal shirt raised his hand. “I
volunteer to sacrifice myself for Great Britain.”
Within ten minutes, everyone was ready to go. The men
marched and agreed that the soldiers would guard the
entrance to Parliament. The troops suffered from two more
earthquakes, one of which sent even the soldiers to the
ground with its shaking. The streets on the way to their goal
were strangely vacant, and everyone was mentally ready.
They saw their first object of interest inside the gates of
the walls, which had been blown open.
It was what seemed to be a “dead” one, if you could
really call it dead. The incongruous, non-human carcass
was lying in a large puddle of the purple goo, but its body
parts were twitching as if the creature was a dying spider
whose legs were restless. The force shuddered at the sight,
and hurried toward the doors.
They barged in and immediately were contacted with
bursts of energy, as the hidden aliens were expecting them.
The aliens pumped out of their particle cannons when the
group ran inside the remains of the building. John and
another volunteer ran to the stairs because he saw that the
tower had emerged in the center of the building. John
supposed it to be the nest, because of a door in the side of it
and the fact that it was covered in a purple web that
emerged from the earthquake's devastation. The two ran up,
encountering nothing. They turned a corner and ducked,
one of the creatures passed by.
John reached the tower, but the carrier had tripped and
must have hit his head on something, for he lay unmoving.
He grabbed the object he needed to calm the radiation and
placed it on a large blue egg, but John knew it would take
some time to work.
A creature rounded the bend, and, seeing John, roared.
It started to rush toward him. It was closing the distance
quickly. John was sweating with nervousness. He started
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thinking that the calmer was not working. The creature
started to pounce...
And then it happened. John heard a whir, and
everything disappeared. The creature and tower were gone.
John had succeeded. He looked down at the first floor
through the hole the tower had left in its wake and was
happy to see the relieved troops. John sat down in a
comfortable spot and closed his eyes.
John awoke. He was in his apartment room. John was
confused.
Was I dreaming? What is going on?
John realized he had been dreaming. He thought he had
saved Britain. John was relieved to find that nothing had
happened.
As he pulled on his hat and coat and set off for his
morning coffee at “House of Coffee,” he felt a trembling.
The Day I Got Struck by Lightning
Charlie Trippel - 7
th
My name is Coleman. I am fifteen years old, have blue
eyes and blond hair. I am also about five feet and seven
inches tall. I never asked to get my powers, but then again,
I don’t think that I could have avoided getting them in the
first place. It all started on Friday, April 26, 2014. That day
is also my birthday, so, what a coincidence. It was quite a
peaceful morning and this was the first sound that I heard.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! *Click*
“Uuuuuggggghhhh”
It was Friday, finally, and it was my birthday. I had
turned fifteen at 1:30 in the morning. I dragged myself out
of bed and put on my favorite t-shirt and jeans and headed
downstairs. It was raining, on my birthday, yay. As I
entered the kitchen, I nearly had a heart attack, when my
little sister, Emm; my mother, Helen; and my father,
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Christian all screamed aloud, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY
COLEMAN!!!!”
There were balloons tied to everything, even my old
lazy dog Rocky, who was wearing a party hat too. I inhaled
that familiar smell… waffles. “Wow guys this is amazing,
thank you so much for making waffles. I guess you know
me too well.”
Emma squealed, ran at me and gave me a huge hug.
“Look at all the presents we got you, Coleman!”
Somehow I hadn’t even seen the table with the presents
on it. “I wish I could open them all right now, but if I don’t
hurry up and get to school I’ll be late for class.”
Emma looked kind of sad, so I said, “But maybe just
one,” and she lit up again and handed me one. I opened it
and uncovered a beautiful watch that Emma had bought
me. It was silver, or at least it looked like it, and super
shiny and all that fun stuff. “Wow, Emma, this is an
incredible gift, thank you so much.”
Realizing the time, I had to scarf down my waffle, get
my bike and go, but before leaving my home, I said, “Hey,
Dad, don’t forget that I’m going to Brian’s house after
school. He wanted to have a little party for me.”
“No problem, buddy, but hey, be home before nine.”
“Alright dad, bye guys!”
“Bye, Coleman!” said Emma. I got on my bike and
biked as fast as I could to school.
When I got there, the bell rang, which meant that I had
five minutes to get ready for my biology class. I ran into
the room and began studying at the last minute for my test,
even though I already felt pretty good about it. I took the
test and turned it in with a smile on my face. The bell rang
again. I went outside to look for Brian when I walked right
into him. “Hey birthday boy! Dude, dude, dude what did
you get?”
I held up my wrist and showed him the watch. “Nice.
Which one?”
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“Emma.”
“Nice, dude. Are you ready to drink more coke than
you have ever had in your life tonight?”
“You bet.” I spent the rest of my day awaiting Brian’s
party. When school finally got out, Brian and I got on our
bikes and rode to his house. Every time I pedaled, it felt
like the rain got harder. “So,” I asked, “who’s going to be
at the party?”
“Oh, just some friends of mine.”
Fantastic. Knowing Brian, “some friends of mine”
meant people that I don’t even know. I’m guessing that he
knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy that could set
up an awesome party. We got to his house and we could
hear the music from a block away. He looked at me with
that dopey grin of his and took out a microphone from his
backpack and opened the door. Everyone was partying like
there was no tomorrow. Brian screamed into the
microphone, “EVERYONE STOP THIS PARTY AT
ONCE.” Everyone stopped partying and I saw a DJ in his
living room. I stared with my jaw dropped at Brian and
looked from him to the DJ and back. He let out a chuckle
and he spoke into the mic again, “Ok, start partying again.”
The DJ picked up his mic and said, “Happy birthday
Coleman.” Then everyone in the house screamed, “HAPPY
BIRTHDAY COLEMAN.”
I went into the house and everyone kept partying. There
were seven whole two-liter bottles of coke lined up right
next to the DJ. I stared at them and the DJ said, “Don’t
think, just chug.” I smiled at him and turned around at the
crowd who was staring at me.
“Do you guys want me to chug this?” I asked
“YES!”
“Alright.” I popped off the cap and put it up to my lips
and drank. The crowd went from quiet to loud saying,
“chug, chug, chug, chug.” I finished the bottle and threw it
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down on the ground. The crowd screamed out, “YEAH!”
and, “WOO!”
I laughed and got on the table and they got so close to
me that it felt like they were breathing on my shoes. I
jumped off the table and they caught me and lifted me
around the room. Time really flew by that night and before
I knew it, It was 8:45. I had to go.
“Alright people, it’s been nice getting to know all of
you and chugging seven bottles of coke, but I gotta go now.
My family is expecting me soon. But before I go I would
like you to all say a big thank you to Brian, my best friend,
and the DJ in the back.”
The people said thanks and bye to me. The DJ and I did
a bro hug. And then that was it. I said thanks to Brian and
stepped outside. It was raining super hard and before a
minute had passed, I was drenched in rain and it was
dripping down my nose. I looked up and it felt as if
someone was pouring a
never ending bucket of water
on me. I looked at Brian and
the both of us just shrugged.
I got on my bike and headed
home. I heard rumbling and I
said to myself, “Please don’t
get killed. Please don’t get
killed.” The rumbling got
louder and louder. All of a sudden everything turned
harshly bright, and it felt like my back exploded.
I woke up with a jolt and my alarm clock went off
again. Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! “Uuuugggghhh”.
But my clock was already off. That was weird; I didn’t
remember even touching it. In fact, I couldn’t remember
much of anything after leaving the party, like how I got
home even.
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I got up and went downstairs to get some breakfast,
possibly a smoothie, if I was lucky. My presents were still
at the table. Dad was watching TV, listening to a
commercial about lights that you clap twice and say clap on
or clap off and they turned on and off. Mom saw me and
said, “Good morning sweetie, I made you some breakfast.”
Mom handed me a plate of delicious looking bacon and
eggs, and a smoothie. I smiled, and said thanks as I ate my
delicious breakfast. “Hey Mom, last night I had a crazy
dream about being struck by lightning.”
“Must have hurt. In the dream of course. You came
home with a strange look on your face and said that you
were feeling kind of out of it.”
“That’s weird, I don’t remember saying that.”
“Like I said, you were feeling kind of out of it.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Dad’s program came back on and he was watching the
weather channel. It was almost like I could feel the
electricity in the TV. It gave me a tingly feeling and all of a
sudden, the power went out, all over the city. I didn’t know
how I knew that the whole city had shut down, but it just
felt true. I spent the rest of the weekend incredibly
confused. On Monday I headed out the door and started my
way to school. I couldn’t help but feel like it had something
to do with me, as if maybe I had something to do with the
power outage. My bike hit a rock and I fell over, expecting
pain, but I was hovering in mid-air and electricity was
radiating off me. I began to realize what happened last
night; that was no ordinary lightning bolt that hit me.
I ditched my bike and flew the rest of the way to
school. When I landed, the power was still out so I clapped
my hands twice and said, “Clap on?” and the whole city got
its power back. I got kind of giddy and the power shut
down again. Now people were getting to school. I didn’t
know what to do so I went to find Brian. I finally found
him and told him everything because I could trust him. At
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first he didn’t believe me so I put my hands about two
inches away from each other and made electricity pulse
between my hands and shoot sparks out of my fingers. The
look on his face told me that he now believed me. I showed
him that I could fly and use machines to do my bidding. He
was totally jealous.
So we then headed to biology class and our teacher, Mr.
Schmidtt assigned us a project on any part of the human
body. I was paired with Miranda, a girl who sits next to me
in biology. We decided to make a video about how the
mind’s reaction to certain circumstances.
A week later, our presentation was due. I decided to get
some exercise, so I took my bike to school. I almost got hit
by a car but it veered out of my way at the last second and
hit the telephone pole behind me. I braced for the impact
and, when I looked up, apparently I had shielded myself
with my powers. I made sure the driver was alright, called
911, and continued to school. When I got there, the power
was out and everything was dark. Miranda and I were first
to present, but the power was out so Miranda began to say
that we couldn’t go because we did a video, but I said clap
on and clapped my hands twice and the school lit up.
Everyone stared at me and I just asked, “What?” pretending
that I knew nothing, like a coincidental joke
Miranda put in the CD and it started playing, but then
shut off again because the power went out again. Starting to
get annoyed at the power outages, I said, “Clap on,” and
clapped my hands twice.
Miranda looked at me and asked, “Coleman are you
doing this?” pointing to the lights.
The video resumed and then the power cut out again
about three minutes later, shutting the TV off. “CLAP
ON!” I shouted and clapped my hands twice and the video
played on, but no one was watching, not even Mr.
Schmidtt. The TV shut off again and I got so angry that I
threw an electric bolt at the TV and it blew up. The room
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was silent and everyone was staring right at me. I didn’t
know what to do so I just said, “Sorry, I don’t know what’s
happening to me anymore.”
I flew out of the building and went up because I didn’t
know what else to do. When school got out I found Brian
and he asked me, “WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT
BACK THERE?!?!?”
“I don’t know but it’s getting hard to control my
power.”
“Look man, I think its best that you just go home and
forget about all of this. Actually I think its best that
everyone forgets about this.”
“Yeah you’re probably right.” So I flew home and saw
Emma doing her homework at the table. I went in and she
saw me and ran into my arms and gave me a huge hug.
“How was your day Coleman? How was your project?”
“Both despicable. What about you?”
“School was super weird today. People were spreading
rumors that you were some sort of electric freak.”
“Did you believe them?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, Emma I’m just going to put those rumors to rest.
I’m the same Coleman, and I still love you, Mom, and Dad.
I will do everything in my power to protect you. But those
rumors are true. I do have powers and they do give me
electric capabilities. It is getting hard to control them but I
will never harm anyone unless they put my friends and
family into fatal danger.”
Emma just burst into tears and hugged me. I hugged her
back. When Mom and Dad came home, I gave them the
news too. They were shocked but their expression softened
and Dad told me, “With great power comes great
responsibility Coleman, always know this.” Rocky decided
to stop being lazy and got up and licked my hand. After
dinner, I headed upstairs and Rocky followed me and
jumped up on my bed and plopped himself down there. I
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brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. I shut off my lights
just by thinking it. But that night I didn’t sleep, I couldn’t.
Not only was Rocky so fat that he took up half the bed
space, I kept on thinking about how scared everyone was
when I blew up the TV. I don’t blame them, but I felt bad.
The next morning I ate breakfast and got to school and
before class started, I made everyone’s phone buzz, so they
took their phones out and answered the call.
My face appeared on all their screens and I sincerely
apologized for yesterday’s event. Everyone was still in
shock of what happened so I spent the rest of the day
feeling awkward and having people staring at me. I flew
home and went right to my room. Rocky was still on my
bed and when he saw me, the old dog wagged his tail. I
flopped down on my bed, with my face down in my pillow.
I guess I didn’t have dinner that night. I just turned off the
lights and then that dreaded noise: Beep! Beep! Beep!
Beep! Beep! Beeoouwp.
That was weird, I never heard my clock make that
sound before. I sat up and looked around. Everything was
floating, even Rocky and I thought that we needed a crane
to move him around. My alarm clock was floating in the
middle of the room with its plug floating with it. I focused
my mind and set everything down.
I went to school and when I finally made it there, I
heard a scream. I ran down the hallways until I finally
found out what was wrong. Miranda was trembling
reaching into her pockets and giving her wallet and phone
to some guy . . . . who was holding her at gunpoint.
Miranda started crying and I realized that she was being
robbed.
“Hey! You don’t want to do that.”
The robber looked and laughed at me. He switched the
gun to me. “Ok, now you really don’t want to do that,” I
said with a grin.
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“I don’t have time for this!” he said and pulled the
trigger. Miranda screamed.
“Oh, no! Dude, you totally missed me.” People had
started to gather in the hallway just watching what was
happening. I took a step closer and he fired twice.
“Dude, you seriously have to work on your aim.” He
emptied the clip and once again I made them all miss me
and hover behind me. I brought them in front of me so he
could see his failure and his face went pale. He took out
another clip, reloaded and fired seven bullets at me but for
the last one he pointed the gun at Miranda.
“Alright, either you stop pointing that gun at her and I
take care of you right now, or I can just take care of you
right now.”
He laughed and was about to pull the trigger but I
locked the safety with my powers so it wouldn’t fire. He
got confused, so I started speaking.
“Well, now you’ve made me a little angry and I haven’t
had a smoothie yet today which makes it worse for you.
The only way to take care of people like you is by brute
force, apparently.” I pulled out my finger gun and pointed it
at him. “Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv pow.”
The electricity bolt hit him square in the chest and
knocked him back about three yards and knocked him
unconscious. I raised my fingers to my head and made the
phone symbol with my hand, and called 911.
“Hi, yes, I have someone here who has been caught
trying to rob a student,” and hung up. Everyone was silent
and then started cracking up and cheering.
When the cheering died down I said, “Well then, carry
on with your regularly scheduled program.”
The rest of the day went pretty well. When I got home,
dad was watching the news and apparently someone
recorded my “heroism”, as the news anchor had called it.
Dad and Emma looked from me to the TV and back with
jaws dropped. I just smiled and went upstairs to my room to
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think about what happened today. The rest of my life was
pretty easy going after that.
I only used my powers if I had to, or if a little kid asked
me to do a short electricity shock between my fingers. Now
I have a loving wife and a son and a daughter and they have
my genes so they have powers too and I told them the same
thing that my father told me when I was fifteen. With great
power comes great responsibility.
A New World
Clarys Paragas- 7
th
Lani was a twelve year old girl living with her aunt and
uncle in Lihue, Kauai, HI. Her parents had died in a car
crash when she was four years old. Ever since then, she had
lived with her aunt and uncle. She had no siblings and no
other relatives on the island. Lani was homeschooled
because she couldn’t keep up with her class. Her aunt
taught her at home and her uncle worked six days a week.
Lani and her family lived close to the ocean in a small
house with one bedroom, a bathroom and a small kitchen
with a porch. Every morning, Lani walked along the beach
with her bare feet sinking into the wet sand. One day, she
dipped her feet into the cold ocean water to wake herself
up. She saw dozens of fish swimming around her as the tide
began to rise.
Her aunt called her in for breakfast a couple minutes
later. Lani turned around as she heard her name, the wind
blowing her long brown hair out of her face. The sun had
already risen and it reflected off the blue water. Lani took
one last glimpse of the ocean before she went inside.
“Lani,” her aunt said as she poured guava juice into a
plastic cup.
“Yes, auntie?” Lani replied as she cleaned her feet on
the porch with a towel.
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“There will be a typhoon sometime this week so we
need to go to the store to get some things.”
“Okay.”
After their conversation, Lani’s uncle walked in,
dressed for work. They all sat down at the table and ate
their breakfast. The left over ham from their previous
dinner was warmed up and served with rice for their
breakfast. They talked about what they were going to do
tomorrow since it was going to be a Sunday and Lani’s
uncle was off from work. After they talked, Lani went to
help her aunt with the dishes and her uncle kissed them
goodbye and headed out the door.
After about fifteen minutes of cleaning the dishes, Lani
and her aunt got ready to go shopping for supplies. Lani
wore a white tank top, jean shorts and black flip flops since
it was July and really hot. She tied up her hair into a
ponytail and followed her aunt out the door. They walked
to a nearby store and to get all the essentials. It was about a
ten minute walk down the road to reach the store. The store
was crowded because a lot of people knew that a typhoon
was coming. After about an hour and a half of shopping,
they got all they needed and headed back home.
Lani quickly ran into the house, putting the groceries
and supplies on the kitchen table and headed straight back
out to the ocean. She let her feet sink into the sand and
watched as the tides pushed the sand on top of her toes.
She sat down in the water, allowing her clothes to get wet.
She pulled a loose strand of hair behind her ear and listened
to the waves crashing into each other.
“Lani! Lunch time!” her aunt called as she walked onto
the porch holding two plates with sandwiches on them.
Lani acknowledged her and got up. She ran to her aunt.
“Let me change first,” she said as her aunt put the plates on
the small coffee table.
Lani ran to the bathroom leaving a trail of water behind
her. Her shorts stuck to her legs as she closed the door,
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water dripping from the hem of her shirt and shorts. Lani
changed into a new outfit and wrung out her wet clothes.
On the porch, there were three stools surrounding the
small coffee table. When she came to the porch she saw her
uncle sitting in a stool because he had come home early
from work. Lani ran to him and wrapped her arms around
him as she said hello. Her aunt was in the kitchen making
another sandwich.
After they ate, they rested on the steps of the porch
watching the waves and the sun’s light reflecting from the
water. Together, they got up and began to walk along the
beach, collecting seashells and pebbles that had washed up
from the sea. They played tag and Lani tried to teach her
aunt and uncle how to do a cartwheel. Finally, they went
surfing for about two hours. Lani was taught how to surf by
her uncle when she was eight years old. They splashed
water at each other and had a great time. It was 3:47 p.m.
and Lani, her aunt and her uncle saw grey clouds forming
in the sky. It began to rain lightly, then it began to rain
harder, big, fat, wet drops.
Lani, her aunt and her uncle stopped and looked at each
other as the rain hit their faces. The drops of rain dripped
down their faces when they saw the lightning flashing in
the distance. Raindrops fell hard onto their heads.
“Everyone, get in the house!” Lani’s uncle yelled as her
aunt pushed them lightly into the house.
Lani, her aunt and her uncle had been through many
typhoons, but not like the one they would soon encounter.
Lani went straight to the bedroom as her aunt and uncle
closed and locked all shutters of windows and doors and
they met Lani in the bedrooms. They brought their landline,
a battery powered radio, a flashlight, water and some food
and huddled in a tight circle next to the bed.
Lani could see outside the window that rain was
pouring down and birds were flying away from the ocean,
seeking cover under the trees. She knew this was going to
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be a different kind of typhoon. Her aunt and uncle were
hugging her from both sides and she looked into their eyes
as a huge wave crashed onto their house. The floor began
to flood and her uncle climbed out to the roof with Lani,
her aunt following.
Once Lani reached the roof, she helped her aunt get up.
Her uncle stuck out his hand as she grabbed it with one
hand and the other holding her aunts hand. She looked out
to the ocean but could
only see clouds and
waves and rain. Lani
then saw a huge wave.
It was about ten feet tall
and its shadow casted
upon them. Lani’s heart
dropped as her fear
took over her body.
She screamed, shielded
her eyes with her arm and crouched down as the wave
crashed onto them, knocking them unconscious.
Lani woke up in an unfamiliar land. She was lying in
the sand on a beach. But it wasn’t the beach she woke up to
every morning. The sand was dark and rocky. The ocean
wasn’t clear and full of fish like the beach she was used to.
She stood up and turned around to see a never ending sight
of palm trees and different plants. She looked to her right
and left and couldn’t see anyone. Pausing in fear, she called
out for her aunt and her uncle but no one came.
Lani wiped the sand from her face and tried to shake
the sand out of her hair, and began walking towards the
jungle. A flock of birds from a nearby tree flew out,
causing the leaves to rustle together. Lani pulled her wet
hair back as she looked up and saw the leaves of the palm
trees sway with the hot wind. She looked back down,
facing the forest. She took a deep breath and entered,
determined to find her way back home.
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Lani walked in and saw plants she had never seen
before. Giant leaves and flowers surrounded the area with
vines wrapped around tree trunks. She was amazed by the
beauty and colors of the new forest. Purple, blue, white
and pink flowers hung like curtains from the trees. The
smell of rain and the scent of flowers filled the air. She kept
walking, stepping over roots and plants as she did.
As Lani walked, she heard a rustle in the leaves of a
nearby bush. She quickly turned around to see a pair of
eyes blink once and run off. Lani looked confused and
followed them.
“Stop! Stop! I’m lost and I need help!” she cried,
careful not to trip while keeping an eye on the eyes that had
vanished.
As Lani followed them, she noticed that it was a human
being. It ignored her and kept running. She followed it
until it reached a bridge. The bridge was beautiful. It was
made of tree roots and vines from Banyan trees. They
wrapped around each other tight and created a strong
bridge. It was about 300 feet long. It stretched across the
canyon. Lani admired it for a while and the remembered
she was chasing someone.
She began chasing it. As she got a closer look, she
noticed the being she was chasing was a girl in a deep
purple dress with a bag slung around her shoulder. She had
long, wavy black hair adorned with a flower behind her ear.
Lani chased after her and crossed the bridge. She ran as fast
as she could, trying not to lose the girl.
Once she crossed the bridge, she saw the girl stop in
front of a tall man. She began to talk to him and
occasionally look back at Lani. Lani stopped and hid
behind a tree and tried to hear their conversation. They
spoke English, and so Lani could understand them.
“I found the daughter,” the girl said to the man.
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The man nodded turning around and walked away,
having the girl walk next to him. Lani followed them
slowly, but stayed hidden.
They sat around a grassy patch of land surrounded by
huts. That was where important meetings were held.
“Bring the girl so we may unite her with her family,”
the tall man said as he and the girl sat down across from
each other.
“She was following me here. She must be close,” the
girl replied looking around trying to see if she could find
Lani.
What? They know where my aunt and uncle are? I hope
they’re okay. Lani thought.
Lani slowly walked out of the bushes and approached
the girl from behind. The man looked up with a confused
face as he stood. The girl got up, looked at the man and
then at Lani.
“This is the girl I was telling you about, Dad,” the girl
said as she pulled Lani’s wrist closer to her.
“Uh. Hello. My name is Lani,” Lani said as she looked
at the man.
“Hi. I’m Kailani. I was the girl that was running away
from you.”
“Hello, Lani. I am Chief Akamai. We know where your
parents are,” but he was interrupted by Lani.
“They aren’t my parents. My parents died. They are my
aunt and uncle.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Your aunt and uncle are with the other
tribe and they are safe.”
“Great! So can you take me there?”
“It’s not that easy, Lani,” Kailani said as she had a
worried look on her face.
“What? Why not?” Lani asked as she raised her voice a
little.
“The tribe that has your aunt and uncle is our enemy. It
may take some negotiation and time to get you and your
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family back together,” Chief Akamai said as he put his
hand on Lani’s shoulder. “For now, you will be staying
with us,” he continued.
“Yeah! You can sleep in my room, Lani. Is that okay,
dad?” Kailani asked jumping up and down.
Kailani’s dad nodded and she pulled Lani’s hand,
guiding her to her room. Lani had a smile on her face and
followed Kailani. Her room was beautiful. There were
vines and flowers growing on her ceiling and birds sitting
on her window.
“This is beautiful, Kailani,” Lani said as she admired
the ceiling.
“Thanks. Oh! I have to show you something. It’s in the
jungle.”
Kailani ran out the door with Lani trailing behind. After
about three minutes, Kailani stopped in an open space with
the sunlight shining onto the spot. She sat down on her
knees holding a beautiful pink flower. Her hand was on her
lap as she looked at the flower. Lani came to sit next to her
and crisscrossed applesauced her legs. Kailani looked up at
her and put the flower in Lani’s hair behind her ear.
“There. Now we are officially friends. In my culture, a
beautiful flower symbolizes a long lasting friendship,”
Kailani said as she sat back down in her spot.
Lani pushed her long hair behind her back and thanked
Kailani. They both stood up and walked to the beach
together as they talked about what they like to do. Kailani
showed all the native plants of the island to Lani.
The two girls made it to the beach and sat down on a
nearby log.
“I forgot to ask, but how old are you?” Lani asked as
Kailani began to sit.
“I’m ten years old. What about you?”
“I’m twelve years old. Can you tell me about your
family?”
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“Well my father became chief after his uncle died in
battle. My mother was taken by the other tribe and killed
and that is why my father’s tribe is enemies with them. I
have no siblings and all the other kids in my tribe are either
too young or too old. What about you?”
“My parents died in a car crash when I was four so I
don’t remember much about them. Ever since then I’ve
lived with my aunt and uncle. I’m also an only child and I
am homeschooled, so I don’t really have any close friends.”
The girls sat there in silence for a while until a young
man came and called them to come back to the tribe. They
quickly got up and ran to the tribe. Everyone was
evacuating and homes were on fire. Women were
screaming and men with spears were marching down the
roads. Kailani was scared and confused until she saw her
father on the ground, wounded. She quickly ran to him and
tried to help him get up. Lani ran up to him and helped him
up too. She looked at Kailani with tears in her eyes. They
slung his arms over their shoulders and dragged him to
their home.
Once they got home, Kailani asked, “Why did they
come?”
“They came for Lani,” he said as he lifted his arm to
point at her.
Lani looked at him and then looked at Kailani. She
looked outside and saw men marching into every house.
Chief Akamai told the two girls to run to the forest and hide
there until it was safe. Chief told them to stay there until
someone retrieves them. Kailani refused to leave without
him, but he insisted and Lani put her hand on her shoulders
as she let her head hang.
Lani and Kailani slowly walked to the door and looked
out for any of the other tribe’s men. When it was clear, they
made a run for it to the woods and crossed the bridge. Lani
could see tears begin to roll down her cheeks as they hid
behind a bush.
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“It will be fine. In a while, we will get your dad back,”
Lani said as she rubbed Kailani’s back in comfort.
They waited there for about two and a half hours until
they heard no more screaming and cries. Lani and Kailani
made their way back to the village to see everything
destroyed. Kailani ran back to her house to see her father
gone. An elderly man walked from a small shack near the
house. He told them that the other tribe took her father.
“We must go there and save my father and your
family,” Kailani said with her fists tight. She stomped out
of the house and Lani tried to stop her.
“It is too dangerous, Kailani,” Lani said.
“But he is the only family I have left. And don’t you
want to save your aunt and uncle too?”
Lani looked down and back up at her and nodded.
Kailani nodded back and settled down to make a plan on
how to get their family back.
After discussing their plan, they headed west of the
village. The girls waited until dusk to make their move.
The girls were to sneak into the prison of the village and
find their families there. Without getting caught, they
would help their families escape. But it wasn’t that easy.
The girls put on a disguise by wrapping fabric over
their heads, which covered the sides of their faces. They
changed clothes so they wouldn’t be recognized. They were
able to pass through the streets of the village and get to the
prison. The guards at the door of the prison asked why they
wanted to be allowed in.
“I am a granddaughter of a prisoner. I wanted to say
hello to him on his birthday,” Kailani said tilting her head
down a little so the men wouldn’t see her face.
“Alright. But you only have ten minutes.”
She said her thanks to them and was escorted inside.
She went to the cell where her father was and the cell next
to it held Lani’s aunt and uncle’s.
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Lani was still outside with a wagon. The wagon was to
carry the families and hide them from the guards. In the
back, there were guards making sure no prisoner can
escape. She needed to convince them to let her pass.
“Sir, my pet pig escaped from his pen and I cannot find
him. People say that he ran around here. May I go check?”
she asked with a sad look on her face.
“Okay, but you only have twenty minutes.”
Lani pulled her wagon in and started to call for her pig.
But she actually went to the two cell windows with her
family and the chief. She grabbed a rock and cracked the
windows open. She first opened the window with her aunt
and uncle, they crawled out into the wagon, crouching
down to hide. Lani then opened the window to the chief.
The chief climbed out and got in the wagon. Lani pulled a
blanket over them to hide them.
Kailani exited the hallway and went to the back of the
prison. She told the guards that she was helping her sister
find her pet pig. They let her pass and she helped Lani pull
the wagon to the streets of the village. Quietly, they passed
the walls of the villages and went deep into the forest. It
was still dark but the moonlight shone through gaps in the
trees. Her aunt and uncle got out of the wagon and hugged
Lani as tight as they could without hurting her. Kailani’s
father was still sore from his wounds, but was happy to see
his daughter again.
They went back to their old village to see if there were
any survivors left. They found about 40 villagers alive and
then moved eastward, farther away from the other tribe.
There, they created a new and safer village. Lani and her
aunt and uncle stayed on the island because they had no
idea how to get back. They also befriended Chief Akamai
and Kailani.
“Lani, do you know how you came to our land?” asked
Chief Akamai.
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“No. All I can remember was that a huge wave crashed
on to our home in Kauai. Then I woke up on the beach
here,” replied Lani.
“That’s strange. Maybe there is a reason why you came.
Fate must have brought
you here. But for now
we shall live in peace
and harmony.”
Kailani, her dad,
Lani and her aunt and
uncle lived happily
ever after.
The Control Room
Marcus Ma - 7
th
The heat simmered in the air. Above, the numerous
tree branches blocked the sky, but sunlight still managed to
seep through the cracks. There were signs of life
everywhere - ant hills littered the ground, birds were
scattered throughout the trees, and the buzz of insects could
be heard from miles away. However, I was not looking for
any animals, but for my partner, Fred, who had gone
scavenging for food during the night. He was supposed to
have come back at dawn, but the sun was already
approaching its zenith and there were no signs of his return.
To venture out into the jungle to search for him was
madness, though. The jungle was huge and nothing could
distinguish one tree from another. I could barely have been
able to walk a few hundred yards without losing my path.
After a couple of minutes, I heard a rustling in the
branches behind me. I turned around and saw Fred crawling
on the ground, with bloody stains all over his body. I
quickly carried him to a river nearby, and saw he was
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barely maintaining consciousness. This was no time to ask
questions. I started treating his wounds. Large scratches
and claw marks were found all across his body. I applied
water to the wounds, and every time it touched his body
Fred convulsed with pain. Afterwards, I rummaged
through my backpack and found some bandages. The
bandages were not high quality, but it would have to do for
the time being.
I started to pester Fred with questions, asking where he
had been, why he had come back so late, and how he had
been hurt. Fred was able to talk, but painfully.
"I was searching through the forest and came upon a
huge orangutan," he rasped. "It had huge claws, and
towered over me. I figure the heat had gotten to the
animal's mind."
I nodded in agreement. The temperature had been on
the rise the moment we stepped foot into the jungle.
"I tried to run, but it chased me," he continued, "I would
have died, if not for my banana gun. However, it had
already struck me with its claws before the banana gun
could fire."
Banana guns are strange items, and were once
considered the most potent weapon in the world. To load
it, one simply puts a banana into the banana-shaped hole in
the gun. By a series of mechanisms, the banana gun
disposes of the banana and fires a banana peel toward the
ground. If aimed correctly, the victim of the gun would be
directly above the place where the banana peel hit the
ground. The victim would then slip and fall to the ground,
stunning them and potentially killing them if they fall the
wrong way. Natives of Africa were the first to invent the
banana gun, around 500 BC, but after discovering its power
and the disasters it might cause if in the wrong hands, the
natives destroyed all traces of the banana gun.
Fred and I were archaeologists that were researching
the subject of native African weaponry when we discovered
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a prototype banana gun buried in an excavation site of ours.
We had never seen anything like it, and we were the first
people to hold a banana gun in over 2500 years! It took us a
while to figure out how to use it, but amazingly, it still
worked. It has singlehandedly protected us against all sorts
of dangers. It appeared, that once again, it had saved one of
our lives.
Fred looked much better with his wounds wrapped in
bandages. It was early in the afternoon by now, and I let
Fred take a nap, considering what he had been through.
When he woke up, I talked to him.
"I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I
think we should leave the jungle," I confided to Fred.
"These beast attacks are only going to get more and more
common. The heat seems to have agitated every living
thing in the jungle, and it's only getting worse. And with a
find as important as this banana gun, I don't think we need
to do any more digging. We could transform the world's
view on native African weapons!"
"I agree. We've been inside this jungle for months. I
doubt there is anything more we can find," added Fred.
We decided on leaving the next morning. The rest of
the day was calm, and both Fred and I rested. When the
next morning arose, we packed all of our supplies, about
four days worth of food, into our backpacks. We probably
would not have needed all of that, since we were near the
outskirts of the jungle, and it was a day's walk to the
nearest village.
It was late in the evening by the time we could see the
end of the jungle. A village of about 500 people called
Loudima stood about two miles away. We stayed there
before heading out of the jungle entirely. Fred and I
decided to pitch camp on the outskirts of the town, and
enter the village in the morning. Entranced by the
seemingly endless patterns of stars in the sky, I soon fell
asleep.
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The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the heat.
It was considerably hotter than in the jungle, and I quickly
took off all of the layers I wore for the night. Fred noticed
how hot it was too, and was constantly drinking from his
water bottle. We set out for Loudima and reached it by
noon. The sun blazed down relentlessly and Fred and I had
been drenched in sweat for hours.
Fred and I entered the village, but the streets were
empty. No lights were on in any of the houses; in fact,
there were no signs of people living here at all. I came up
to a house and knocked on the door. There was no answer.
After a couple of minutes of waiting, I opened the door and
stepped inside. Barely anything was in there, except for a
few stray magazines and empty boxes. Fred and I checked
a couple more houses, and they were all in the same state. I
came to the conclusion that the people of Loudima had
hastily evacuated, but for what reason I knew not.
Fred was just as baffled as I was. We decided to stay
the night then head out north to another village some 100
miles away called Bafwasende. It would take us a good
four solid days of hiking to get there at a steady pace.
Luckily, we found some food and water left in Loudima
that was still edible. We also managed to find a change of
clothes for the trip.
When morning came, it was even hotter than the
previous day. The only thing I wanted to do was lie in bed
with a cool glass of water, but we had to start our hike to
Bafwasende. The road was uneventful, and the only thing
that littered the side of the road were some shrubs that
looked like they were dying. It was as flat as the eye could
see. Occasionally some birds would dart by, but other than
that the only things that we could see were the brown dust
and the road. The first day ended late in the evening, our
muscles aching and our spirits down.
The second day was just the same; somehow it felt even
hotter than before. Early in the afternoon we could spot the
Flora & Fauna
299
village of Bafwasende in the horizon; it was still a good
fifty miles away, though. Finally, in the morning of the
fourth day, we reached Bafwasende.
The town of Bafwasende looked identical to the town
of Loudima. We entered the village and it seemed that
everyone here had left, as well. However, as we entered
one house, we saw an elderly man hobble through the
streets with a look of surprise on his face. We approached
him and started speaking.
"Who are you?" he asked with a raspy voice.
"We're archaeologists who came from the town of
Loudima. We were wondering where everyone had gone,"
Fred answered.
"Ah. It's a long story. Scientists from Canada say that
everywhere near the equator will soon become a desert
wasteland, thanks to the increasing heat that has been
occurring over the last week. The cause was unexpected
and it is unknown as to why this is happening. People were
afraid and pretty much everybody who lived near the
equator evacuated to Russia or Canada. Even those
countries are beginning to warm up. I decided to stay here
in Bafwasende. I was born and raised here, and I refuse to
move anywhere else."
Well, that pretty much clarified all the mysteries that
had been going on. We thanked the old man and agreed to
continue moving north and out of Africa. If we were lucky,
we might be able to make it out of Africa before it gets too
hot.
We spent the rest of the day in Bafwasende, and
continued north the next day. Early afternoon that day, we
discovered a door. That was it, a door in the middle of the
road. It wasn't even a very fancy door; the teal paint was
chipping, and the doorknob was beginning to rust. It was
perfectly ordinary, until it was opened. When opened,
inside the door frame was a room. It looked well furnished
with advanced technology inside. It seemed like the kind
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300
of place to have the "Authorized Personnel Only" sign
plastered across the walls. But Fred and I figured we had
nothing to lose, so we entered through the door.
The room was pretty big, about forty feet wide and
thirty feet long. In the center of the ceiling there was a sign
that said, "Earth's Control Room," and flashed those words
in a cycle of various languages. The room was full of
computer monitors, labeled with things such as "Next
President of the Unites States," "Virulent Diseases," and
"Oil Deposits." On each of these computers were a series
of toggles and a keyboard. None of the buttons looked like
they needed a password to use, but I was sure there must
have been some security measure. I took a look at the "Oil
Deposits" monitor and found a 3D map displayed on the
computer, showing where the major oil deposits were in the
world. There were some buttons on the side labeled "Add
new deposit" or "Remove deposit." Wondering if this
computer actually could control this, I decided to mouse
over to the middle of the Pacific. I then pressed the "Add
new deposit" button.
As soon as I touched the button, an alarm started
ringing, and before we knew it, Fred and I were surrounded
by guards that appeared from thin air.
"Unwarranted trespassing. Penalty, death," one of them
said, and the guards started advancing towards us.
Out of desperation, I pulled out the only weapon I had,
the banana gun. As soon as the guards saw it, they started
cowering in fear. I heard mutterings about "the holy
weapon" and "does he realize its true power?"
The guard who appeared to be the leader spoke. "We
shall leave you to your own devices, as long as you refrain
from firing that weapon."
They disappeared, looking as if they had melted into the
walls. Once again, the banana gun had saved our lives. I
took a look around, and noticed a computer monitor labeled
Flora & Fauna
301
"Lottery ticket numbers." I made a mental note of next
week's winning numbers.
I now realized what was causing the extreme heat
waves on the Earth. "Fred, look for a monitor labeled
'Temperature' or something along those lines," I told him.
It took us a while, and I discovered important
information on these monitors which I shall not divulge.
Eventually, Fred found the computer monitor that
influenced temperature. When I took a look at it, the knob
that controlled heat was cranked up to the max. (I saw that
someone had also turned down drastically the precipitation
levels along the West Coast - but I decided not to change
that). I searched on the computer and pressed the "Reset to
default" button and the heat knob turned down
dramatically. I decided not to interfere with any other
monitors, not knowing the damage it might cause. Fred
and I went to the exit and walked back through the door.
I experienced a dizzy sensation, and the next moment I
found myself in Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles. A
news bulletin through a shop window caught my eye. The
major heat waves had mysteriously disappeared, and
everything was back to normal. Fred and I sighed with
relief.
*
*
*
We told our story many times, but nobody ever
believed us. Fred and I both now live very prosperously,
thanks to my "luck" with the lottery that week. With our
discovery of the banana gun, the whole history community
was changed. On a totally unrelated note, Indonesia has
just found a deposit of oil in the Pacific so large it can
sustain its economy for over a hundred years, according to
some research just conducted. Fred and I visit each other
from time to time, and we both fantasize about what else
could have been in that control room, and who could have
been so powerful to be able to build something like that.
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302
Karthy Sajeev - 7
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303
Hurricane Askwith
Juliet Kuhlmann - 7
th
Scarlet Rivera always hoped for a normal day. But
when you live in a ghost town in upper Maine, everyday is
always everything but normal.
Scarlet's family couldn't afford to live in the nice cities
that were nearby, so they settled for a small, one story
house, in a town called Askwith along the coast that had
been abandoned a few decades before. The town had been
abandoned for mysterious reasons, but Scarlet's family
didn't mind and her father worked in a sawmill only ten
minutes away. Scarlet's family had lived in Askwith since
Scarlet was three, however her mother came down with a
horrible illness when she was eight, and had since passed
away.
Five years later, Scarlet and her father were still living
in Askwith, and were still the only ones living there. It was
summer break and Scarlet's father was at work. Scarlet
walked along the railroad tracks that went through the town
until she came to a dark well that marked the edge of the
town. She looked at all the buildings with the dark
windows and all the buildings that had just caved in on
themselves. She wondered what had happened in this town.
“Well...” she said to herself “I've got nothing better to
do.”
So Scarlet turned around and walked home, where she
turned on her laptop and spent at least two hours on the
Internet trying to get more information on what had
happened, but everything online just repeated the same
story that the man who sold them the house had said. She
knew that someone must know what actually happened.
Scarlet picked up her backpack and went outside,
making sure to lock the door behind her, as if someone
would actually rob a house in a ghost town. She mounted
her bike and rode to Rockwood, the nearest town.
Flora & Fauna
304
She rode through the town and compared the buildings
there to the buildings where she lived. She rode until she
came to a pharmacy that had clean automatic sliding doors
and windows that were covered with advertisements for
certain vaccines. There was a stack of newspapers right
next to the sliding doors. The cover read, “Askwith Disaster
Repeating?” This made her stop. She picked up the
newspaper and walked into the pharmacy to purchase it.
She walked up to the man at the front counter.
“Pretty insane, yeah?” he said as he scanned the back of
it. “First, it wipes out half of Askwith and now it's back to
finish off the poor old town. Good thing everyone
abandoned it before it was turned to rubble by part two.”
Scarlet looked up at this. She was surprised that she
was able to get more information out of small talk with a
cashier, than two hours of scouring the Internet.
“I'm sorry,” she said, “But what was the disaster in
Askwith?”
“You must be new to this area,” he replied, “About
twenty seven years ago, a massive, never before seen
hurricane hit Askwith, which used to be a big, bustling city.
Of course now it's just a small ghost town that no one ever
visits. Anyway, the cyclone was so bizarre because it was
as if the hurricane purposely stopped in the middle of the
town and just disappeared. Some say that during the
hurricane, the water turned a strange bleak, gray color and
once the cyclone passed, the water turned blue again. As
for the people, there was no one to be seen and not a single
body was found. It was so unnatural that they named it
Hurricane Askwith and even today no one knows why it
happened the way it did.”
“And when do they predict the hurricane will repeat
itself?” Scarlet asked.
“They say it's only a matter of days, but I don't think it's
anything to worry about,” he said, shrugging as if it was no
big deal.
Flora & Fauna
305
Scarlet's first idea was to run home and tell her father,
so she adjusted her backpack on her shoulder and rushed
out the door. She was about to mount her bike when the
cashier came running out of the pharmacy, carrying the
newspaper she had completely forgotten about.
“Hey, you forgot this,” he said, panting. And then he
jogged back to the pharmacy, where he disappeared behind
the automatic doors.
Scarlet shoved the newspaper in her backpack and rode
back to Askwith. She walked her bike behind the house to
park it in the garage. Just when she was about to walk out
and go into the house, she felt a hard, cold metal object hit
her ankle. She looked down and saw that it was a door
handle to some sort of basement. She dusted off the handle
with the edge of her shirt and lifted the handle. The small
square door that led underground was heavier than she
expected, and she had to grab a shovel to prop it up. After
grabbing a flashlight, Scarlet slowly made her way down
the cement stairs to a small square room that seemed more
like a bunker. She flicked on the flashlight and scanned the
room. The walls were a plain gray cement and there were
large spiderwebs in every corner.
One wall particularly caught Scarlet's attention. She
walked over to it and saw the words Abandon all hope
poorly etched into the cement. Scarlet was in the middle of
running her fingertips over the words when she heard her
dad call her name from inside the house. She turned around
and walked back up the stairs after taking one last look at
the words on the wall. She removed the shovel from the
doorway and headed out of the garage.
When she walked in the door of the house, she found
her dad carefully placing two logs in the fireplace. She
walked up behind him with her hands in her pockets.
“I went to Rockwood today and found this,” she pulled
the newspaper out of her backpack and held it in front of
him.
Flora & Fauna
306
He stood up and read the small article about Askwith.
“Hmm,” he said, frowning.
“The cashier who rang it up for me said that he didn't
think it was anything to worry about, but maybe we should
leave town for a week or something just in case,” she said.
“Nah,” he said, putting the newspaper on the kitchen
table. “They're probably just making things up, but I'll see
what some people at work think about it.”
“'Kay,” she said, still not sure if he should be taking it
so lightly, but she let it go.
After they ate dinner, Scarlet's father made a fire. He
went to bed early, but Scarlet stayed in front of the
fireplace and sat with her arms around her legs and her
head on her knees. She spent the whole time staring out the
window at the night sky as if she would be wiped out if she
let her guard down. It never occurred to her how eerie
Askwith was until she heard what happened.
She could tell that it was raining. She got up and
walked to the back
door to get another
log from the porch.
As soon as she
opened the door
and took a step
outside, the wind
nearly knocked her
off her feet. The
rain pounded
against her face
and she immediately went back inside. She knew that there
was no point in using a wet log in the fire, so she changed
into her pajamas and put her wet clothes into the laundry
basket. She knew that she wouldn't get a good night's sleep,
so she stayed up doing research on how to detect a
hurricane and what to expect as the outcome.
Flora & Fauna
307
When she woke up in the morning, it was still raining
and windy, but much less extreme than the previous night.
She heard her dad coming down the hallway and when he
entered the room in his pajamas with his hair sprawling out
from his head, he gave her a puzzled look.
“Did you sleep here?” he asked, in the middle of a
yawn.
“Yeah, I guess,” she said, stretching her arms out in
front of her.
Her dad looked out the window and frowned at the
weather.
“Trust me, it was much worse last night,” she said,
getting up to make breakfast.
“I hope you're not paranoid just because of that
newspaper,” he said. “I've gotta head in to work early
today. Bill caught the flu, so my manager needs me to
double my work load.”
Her dad then walked back to his room to get changed
while Scarlet ate her breakfast.
By the time she had finished, her dad was already
dressed and heading out the door. Scarlet watched her dad
get into his big rusty truck and drive off.
She made her way back to the kitchen, where she
turned on the news. The reporter was talking about the
hurricane and recommending the local people to be ready
to seek shelter. She watched the news until the reporter
moved on to another subject. Scarlet glanced out the
window again and could tell that the weather wasn't right. It
had been stormy in Maine before, but she had never
experienced what she had gone through the night before.
She knew that her dad had to know that this was more
serious than he thought. She walked over to the phone
sitting on a counter next to the TV, where she dialed her
father's phone number. It rang twice before he answered.
“Hey, hon,” he said. “You okay?”
Flora & Fauna
308
“Hi, dad,” she replied. “I don't think that they were
lying about the hurricane, so could you come home early?”
“I just got to the mill,” he said. “So I can't exactly come
home early, but I'll check in on you on my afternoon break,
okay?”
“Fine,” she said, and hung up.
Scarlet spent the next few hours just doing chores and
working on summer projects. Anything that kept her mind
off of the weather worked. However, by the time noon
rolled around, the weather hadn't improved. It had just
gotten worse. She finally decided to take an umbrella and
head to the beach to get a closer look.
It was about a five minute walk and when she got there,
she stood as close to the ocean as she could without getting
her shoes soaked. In the distance she could see a massive
body of dark clouds and wind creeping towards the shore.
Scarlet sprinted home. She was about to grab the phone
and dial her dad again, but the phone rang first, so she
answered it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Miss, I called to inform you that you need to leave
before the hurricane hits,” said a man's voice that she didn't
recognize. It was an eerie voice that made her uneasy. “You
only have about half an hour to try and get out of there.”
And he hung up, just like that.
Scarlet dialed her father's cell phone, but it went to
voice mail. Then she tried dialing the mill, but no one
answered. She kept glancing out of the window and
watching the hurricane move closer towards the beach. She
left five messages for her dad before she gave up. Now the
hurricane was only a couple of yards away from the beach.
Scarlet looked at the clock. She had fifteen minutes to get
out of there. She ran to her room and grabbed her backpack
and stuffed it with a water bottle, a granola bar, a flashlight,
a change of clothes, and a jacket. She then went into her
dad's room and took the cordless phone from her dad's
Flora & Fauna
309
nightstand. She then went back into the living room, where
she saw that she had a little over five minutes to bolt. But
before she could sprint out the door, the living room phone
rang. She ran to it and picked up the phone.
“Scarlet?” her dad's voice sounded panicked and
worried.
“Hey, Dad,” she said, trying to talk as fast as she could
so she could leave.
“Are you at the house and are you okay?” he asked,
sounding a little relieved.
“Yeah, I'm at the house and I'm fine,” she replied.
“Okay, I'm almost at the house,” he said. “I'll pick you
up and we'll drive to Greenville, okay?”
“You only have five minutes, Dad,” she said, starting to
panic herself.
“I know, just be ready to go by the time I get there,” he
said, and he hung up.
Scarlet turned off the lights and ran out the door,
looking for his car coming down the road. After waiting on
the porch for a few minutes, she could hear her dad's noisy
truck coming, but the hurricane was almost on top of her.
When she finally saw her dad's red truck, it was too late
and the hurricane had blocked the road, her dad's truck out
of sight.
Scarlet knew she had to find shelter somewhere, so she
ran to the garage, immensely slowed down by the wind,
and opened the door to the bunker. She let the heavy
wooden door slam down shut just before she heard the
garage above her get demolished. All she could hear was
deafening crashes and the howling wind, so she just curled
herself into a ball in the corner of the small room and sat in
the darkness, waiting for it all to be over.
When she woke up, she was lying on the cold cement of
the bunker, using her backpack as a pillow. She opened it
and dug out her jacket. Once she shrugged her jacket on,
she walked up to the door and tried hard to push it open.
Flora & Fauna
310
There was so much debris covering it that she had to try
three times before she was able to open it. Just as she
expected, there was nothing left of the town except the dark
well that she would occasionally visit.
She carefully walked through the wreckage to what was
left of her house. Some of the fireplace was still intact, but
that was about it. She didn't bother to sift through the
rubble because she knew that she had to find her dad first.
She ran to where she last saw his truck, but instead of
finding it, she found scraps and pieces of the truck scattered
across what used to be Askwith.
She decided to run to Rockwood to get help finding her
dad. By the time she reached Rockwood, however, all of
the buildings were dark, but none were damaged. She
jogged past the pharmacy and the grocery store until she
came to the local hospital, the only building that she could
see people in. She ran through the automatic sliding doors
and up to the counter and asked the receptionist about her
dad. She watched as the receptionist typed on her computer
for a few seconds until she responded.
“He's in room 2,” the receptionist said. “You can take a
seat in the waiting room and wait for the nurse to call you
in.”
Scarlet nodded and walked to the waiting room, where
she saw the cashier from the pharmacy sitting quietly in
one of the seats. She walked up to him and asked him why
he was there.
“I was about to evacuate with the rest of the people,” he
said. “But I saw your dad head into Askwith in his truck
and I followed him in my car to tell him to leave. Your dad
stopped his car just before the hurricane blocked the road
and just before it demolished his truck, he jumped out and
stumbled to the ground. I got out of my car and had to carry
him into the passenger seat. I got back in my car and
screeched out of there as fast as I could and drove your dad
to the Rockwood hospital.”
Flora & Fauna
311
A man in a white coat with a name tag then told Scarlet
that she could go see her dad. Scarlet thanked the cashier
and followed the doctor to room 2.
“He broke three ribs and his leg, but he should be able
to walk in about a week,” the doctor said, reading off of his
clipboard.
“Thanks,” she replied, looking at her dad, who was
wrapped in bandages and a cast.
Scarlet spent the next two weeks nursing her dad back
to health. They moved to Greenville and lived in an
apartment that also overlooked the gray beach.
Scarlet visited the old gray
well that had survived through
the hurricane and wondered why,
out of everything else in the
town, it was the last thing
standing.
One day, after school, she
went to visit the well. She looked
down into the dark abyss, where
she saw a faint purple light that she had never noticed or
even seen before. She picked up a pebble and dropped it
into the darkness towards the purple light. She listened to
the pebble hit the bottom, but no matter how closely she
listened, the sound never came.
However, instead of hearing the pebble hit the ground,
she saw the deep purple light growing brighter, getting
closer. She took a step away from the well just when the
strange glow had reached the open air. Out of the strange
light, she saw an eerie figure emerge and she took as many
steps back as she could while still keeping the figure in
sight. When the figure materialized, she noticed that it was
the ghost of a man dressed in old fashioned clothes that
were smeared with blood. His hair was ruffled and his
pants were torn at the bottoms just above his buckled shoes
Flora & Fauna
312
caked with mud. He wore a tattered waistcoat and Scarlet
could almost see perfectly through him if it weren't for the
purple outline of his features and body. Scarlet slowly
advanced toward him and when he saw her he frowned.
“Why are you here?” he asked, sounding rude and
disappointed.“Everyone was supposed to leave and never
come back.”
His voice had a strange eerie echo that Scarlet
immediately recognized.
“You're the man that called me and told me to leave
before the hurricane hit Askwith,” she said, pointing her
finger at him.
“My name is Jeremy Askwith,” he said. “I am—was—
the cousin of Anthony Askwith, the founder of what used
to be this town.”
“So, why are you a ghost?” she asked.
After a long sigh, he replied,“Anthony put me in charge
of building this well while he and the other townspeople
began construction on the other buildings and shops that
were needed. I had finished all the necessary blueprints and
had begun construction on the well, which was supposed to
only take a little under a week to build. However, when I
was building the well, I noticed that there quite a bit of
metal debris underground. I ignored this and continued my
work. It was the last day of construction and I was almost
finished with the well when one of the wooden bars on the
ladder I had placed temporarily along the stone walls of the
chasm broke. I tumbled downwards into the darkness,
where I landed on a sharp piece of metal debris jutting out
from the wall of the well that I figured I must have missed
when I was building it. The metal shard tore my waistcoat
and the underlying layers of skin and I hit the water. All I
can remember after that was the searing pain of my wound
and the dryness of my voice from calling for help.”
He looked away for a few seconds and then continued.
“Once I finally died from either blood loss or starvation,
Flora & Fauna
313
my ghost was free to escape the darkness of the well. It
didn't take me long to realize that even after I had been
missing for five days, no one in town seemed to notice and
those who had, didn't seem to care. It made me so angry to
know that not even my family had enough time in their
busy schedule to at least go looking for me or give me a
funeral. My own cousin never even mentioned my name for
the next year. I grew so angry that I cursed the town of
Askwith to an eternity of suffering. Every twenty five years
that not a single soul said my name or mentioned me in the
newspaper, a horrible hurricane like no other would engulf
a section of the town. Of course, the townspeople would try
to rebuild it and each time they did, another hurricane
would just demolish more than the last. I destroyed all the
hard work that had prevented anyone from acknowledging
my absence, but even now that the town is no more, I still
don't feel satisfied.”
Scarlet took a few moments to think. “What if I made
this well the equivalent of your tombstone? Would that put
your soul to rest or something?”
“I'm not sure,” he replied quietly. “Maybe.”
So Scarlet asked him when he was born and when he
died and promised to return in a few days.
Scarlet returned to her apartment in Greenville, where
she asked her dad to help her make a metal plaque that
read:
“Askwith Well: Here lies the body of Jeremy Askwith
(1854-1889) R.I.P.”
Scarlet walked back to the well four days after making
the plaque, which was tucked safely in her backpack. When
she approached the well, she expected the spirit to be
waiting for her, but he wasn't. She took one last glance
around to see if he would appear, still no sign of him. She
then pulled the metal plaque out of her backpack and used
the two thin bars of metal fixed on the back of it to adjust it
to the rim of the well's gray stones. She tilted the plaque
Flora & Fauna
314
upward just enough so it would catch the light and took a
step back to examine her work.
After another minute of waiting for the ghost of Jeremy
Askwith to appear, Scarlet took a synthetic white rose that
she bought at the pharmacy out of her backpack and
carefully placed it on the rim of the plaque. Scarlet walked
away and by the next time she visited the well, the once
white rose had turned a deep, purple color. No one
bothered to rebuild the town because the people figured it
was a lost cause, but the well stayed. And Scarlet never saw
the spirit again and the hurricane never returned to
Askwith.
Lauren Yeh - 7
th
Jessica Lama - 7
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315
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th
316

Flight of the Phoenix: Vol. 6

Transcription

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