SHAKESPEARE
EM TEMPOS DE COVID 12.º CSE e 12.º CT3 Inglês
AELdF Escola Secundária Lima-de-Faria, Cantanhede Biblioteca Escolar Clara Póvoa
Ficha técnica Título: Shakespeare em tempos de Covid Autores: alunos da turma 12.º CSE e 12.º CT3 Professora orientadora: Ana Costa e Silva Disciplina: Inglês Edição: Isabel Bernardo, Biblioteca Escolar Clara Póvoa Escola Secundária Lima-de-Faria, 2021
SHAKESPEARE
EM TEMPOS DE COVID 2021
The entire world was living a tempest, THE TEMPEST: a pandemic had taken control of all people’s lives. Everyone´s existence was kind of interrupted timelessly. People felt their homes were prisons and yet the only safe places to be.
And so there was a beautiful girl named Eleanor, who was in love with a handsome boy named Grimson. Due to the pandemic, now they had to live far away from each other as it could be dangerous for them to meet. They were feeling furious as they couldn´t live their MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, but yes a nightmare. How could that be? How were they going to survive?
Fortunately they had their mobiles and Instagram. They could share pics, send messages, give a fictional hug and thus they could feel better.
‘How are you, my dearest?’, ‘Are you feeling okay’?, ‘When is this going to end?’,’I feel so irritated.’ …. were very frequent phrases. A LOVER’S COMPLAINT must be always understood.
On THE TWELFTH NIGHT of October something terrible happened. Grimson received a phone call from Eleanor’s parents: she had been infected by a common friend. Desperate, Grimson cried and wondered how it could happen to his beloved. He thought ‘nobody’s an exception’.
And time passed by and Spring arrived. Birds singing , flowers blossoming, just Spring AS YOU LIKE IT to be. People had already been vaccinated and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS had finally an end.
Eleanor and Grimson could finally meet and kiss each other. The pandemic was nothing but A WINTER’S TALE. People could be seen everywhere hugging and kissing, greeting each other with no masks, it seemed the world had changed, people were eager to look after those who were more fragile, and they finally concluded that the most important in life is the other. ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.
Ana Maria, the teacher
Once upon a time, in a world where a pandemic once struck, two people, of flaming youth met. A girl named Juliet who lived in China and a boy named Romeo who lived in Brazil. On a rainy day of March, Romeo was on TikTok watching some videos and he stumbled upon a video of Juliet doing the renegade. Right then he felt a towering passion for her. Romeo commented on her video with fire emojis and hearts.
The new Romeo and Juliet
She liked his comment. Romeo couldn't believe in such an outrageous fortune. Two days later, he decided to message her on the app, asking her to become friends and know each other better. She immediately responded “Of course! xo”. After that, they talked the whole night through. As the weeks went by, Romeo admired Juliet's heart of gold as she told him she went volunteering during the quarantine, helping older people with their groceries. Romeo and Juliet went on talking for weeks, until one day, Chloe, Juliet’s closest friend, suggested they should meet in person. Juliet loved the idea and soon went to tell Romeo who also shared her thoughts. They decided that they would meet in Italy. As the day of the flights approached, Juliet began to feel scared to be in a confined plane for about 10 hours! She had already contracted Covid-19, but she still decided to go. As they arrived, they left the bags at the hotels and went on to explore Milan. They ate, went to museums and shops, hit the beaches and saw some plays at the local theatres. The two weeks went by like two days and soon they had to head back home. Romeo was lucky enough to have his flight back to São Paulo on time but Juliet’s flight home would be the next day. As she went back to the hotel she took off her mask and moments later an elderly woman, also not wearing a mask, asked for directions. As Juliet landed in Beijing, she had to take a quick Covid test, which came back positive. Within hours, she could barely breathe and was admitted in the hospital. Her parents decided to tell Romeo who couldn’t believe it. He immediately went to Beijing to be by Juliet’s parents' side. He landed, rented a car and went on his way to her parents’ house. On the freeway, whilst it was raining cats and dogs, Romeo received a phone call from Juliet’s mother informing of her
12.º CSE
passing.
Ana Rita Simões
After hearing the news, Romeo lost control of the car hitting some
Laura Fernandes
5
cars along the way. Romeo’s death was pronounced at the scene and left both his and Juliet’s parents heartbroken.
Yes, we have seen better days. Before this virus, we were free to go outside, do whatever we want without a mask or alcohol in gel, travel and meet everyone without any concerns, now it looks that happened a long time ago. In my heart of hearts, I wish we could enjoy and appreciate more these little things before they had gone. But it’s not too late, what is done is done and now we face a new reality, maybe we can find new things to appreciate and then overcome this situation. It´s time to break the ice and start writing my opinion about this, hope you enjoy. With the arrival of the Corona Virus many things got cleared, for example, some politicians dealing with this situation revealed to be a tower of strength while others we see that acted like blinking idiots, we have seen other interesting things like the people who tried to gave support and
My reflection about these days
assistance for those who faced high difficulties and, on the other hand, people who tried to take advantage of the situation by deceiving the others; as I said, many things got cleared and I think it is an advantage of this situation. In this “brave new world” we often had more free time and then, the chance for dedicating more time to our hobbies and maybe try new ones. At least I tried to make time worth it and enjoy my hobbies and I hope everyone had the same opportunity. Between March and nowadays looks like the time melted into thin air, many events that some people were anxiously waiting and many plans were cancelled or changed, now we had a new opportunity to fill these gaps and try new things. Someday we will recover all from this, but by now we have to find other ways. In my heart of hearts, I hope we can enjoy a merry Christmas in this situation and I think it will be a good time like all of the other years. We cannot have all the family together but someone we will have, our closest family will be with us on these days and we can still enjoy our Christmas. Maybe next year we will defeat the virus, I don’t know, all the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players, we can just wait and pray for a better future, I have hope on it.
12.º CSE André Machado
6
On Christmas Eve, a nurse is working the night shift. Her name is Elizabeth, the year is 2020 and there's an ongoing pandemic, covid-19, that has forced her to be apart from her family at this time of the year. Although the whole hospital is asleep, Elizabeth hadn't slept one wink even though she'd been on her feet for the last 24 hours.
At the witching time of the night
That night seemed like it was lasting forever and a day for her. At around midnight a small light appears on the door at the end of the corridor, someone is calling her. She rushes to it and when she opens the door a child is laying in bed staring back at her. As soon as she enters the room, the door shuts behind her and the room changes. It now appears to be the living room from her parents ‘house. It smells to heaven, like her mother's old cooking. «What is all this?! » thinks Elizabeth to herself for this was all Greek to her. When she looks at the table she sees her much younger father and next to him the child she saw when she entered the room, now realizing with surprise that girl is her own younger self. Suddenly a comforting and familiar voice rises, it's her mother arriving with a dish fit for the gods. Elizabeth then realizes that she is watching her Christmas Eve from many years ago for her mother had already passed away. When she tries to get a closer look, the room immediately disappears and she's now back into the hospital room. Thinking she must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation, the nurse gets back to her post without even realizing that the child was also gone. Pondering about what she saw the joy fades away from her barefaced expression and she starts feeling heartsick because she now understands how precious time really is. She starts to miss her family worrying that she's missing the limited time she has with them. A few minutes later the light shines again on the same door, she wipes her tears and goes directly to it. But when she opens de door this time, there's no child, standing next to the bed, she sees only herself, like looking into a mirror and the room starts changing again. This time it's her living room, her whole family is there, laughing, while opening presents. “Everything is perfect…”, thinks Elizabeth whilst smiling from her heart of hearts, and in
12.º CT3 Carolina Marcelino
the blink of an eye, the room is back to normal. She returns to her post peaceful realizing that even though she has seen better days life sometimes has to be cruel to be kind.
7
The year is 2020, it is Christmas day, the fireplace was lit when it started to snow, I am home alone, obviously, since we cannot go outside anymore as we were used to. This is a little depressing, I know, we have seen better days. This nightmare started in China, when a man ate a bat, and then it spread all over the world. No one ever thought that this simple event could almost end the world, but it did, that’s the nacked truth. Since that day life has never been the same, people started to panic and a few weeks later everything was closed and the world stopped, we were all in quarantine for three straight months. At the beginning me and my wife comply with all restrictions, but when the summer came it was a new brave world, people started to go outside and organize illegal parties and
Two thousand and twenty
everyone was careless about covid-19, and me and my wife as ordinary human beings let ourselves be influenced. At one summer night we decided to go to a restaurant to celebrate my wife's birthday, it was full but we still decided to stay. We had a dish fit for the Gods and the atmosphere was extraordinary, it didn't even look like the virus was outside, what we didn't know is that it was inside too. After a few days, my wife started to get sick, she had a serious cough, and she could barely breathe, so we decided to go to the hospital and she was positive. In that night I have not slept one wink because deep down I know that the worst was about to happen as she has always been a woman suffering from a lot of health problems. The next two months were very difficult for me and my family because she didn't get any better. One afternoon, when I was reading a book in my house, I received a call from the hospital telling me that she passed away. After hearing those words, I fell apart. She was my tower of strength. After that day I was so afraid that I just left my house to do essential shopping and I didn't let anyone enter my home, not even my own flesh and blood. Since she left, my life has neither rhyme nor reason.
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Now I am here home alone surrounded by my regrets telling
Carolina Oliveira
you not to tak elife for granted, people are not eternal and
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that virus isn't a joke. Be careful!
João Encarnação
8
Two windows apart
12.º CT3 Diana Silva
9
“Hello, is it anyone there?”, said Clara while hitting all the walls of her hotel room, the floor, the roof, everything in the hope that anyone from neighbouring rooms would hear her and talk back. Clara was immediately isolated in that room after testing positive for Corona virus. For her being closed in that tiny space was an absolute nightmare. She is a very talkative and friendly person who loves to be around with people and all of the sudden she found herself lonely, closed between four walls with nothing to do and no one to talk to. Of course, she could speak with her family and friends through the phone but it was not the same. For her nothing beats a good face-to-face conversation. After ten long days she finally heard a voice that wasn´t coming from a phone or from the television saying “Knock, knock! Who’s there?” At that point she had already lost the hope of someone answering her, so she was suspicious that all that days apart from the society had messed up her brain and she was hallucinating. But then the voice came back this time saying: “Hi, I ´m Rose, I heard you almost breaking the walls apart. I guess you need someone to talk, I mean, we both need someone to let it all out so if you want to do that I´m here on the balcony, on your left, but hurry up because it isn´t really sunny out here and I don’t want to catch a cold.” After hearing that, Clara couldn´t contain her enthusiasm, she was desperate to talk to someone eyes in the eyes. She ran off to her balcony and jokingly replied: “Well, if you are there for the same reason that I am, we are already with a “cold” so…” “You are a dishearten.”, Rose quickly interrupted with a smile on her face. "I'm trapped between four suffocating walls and the world is upside down also I doubt that I am becoming zany, so I deserve a discount, we all do. By the way I´m Clara.”, she continued joking. “We have seen better days, haven´t we, Clara?” confided Rose. The connection between both was immediate, there was no need to break the ice, and they were in tune since the first second. They chatted about how Rose hasn´t slept one wink during the night she tested positive, maybe afraid that she had contaminated someone, their concerns and how they were dealing with this situation, they chatted about literally everything. They were the therapy of each other during the remaining days of isolation. After they left the hotel, they continued their two-window apart relationship, hoping that one day they could finally hug.
Gordon woke up, for yet another day of hard work in the mounts. The morning was cold, lonely and distasteful. Typical of Iceland, the days were short, so it was necessary to hurry up and get things done. After World War 3 and its consequences, Gordon and his wife Tana isolated themselves beneath ground, in a small bunker. The biological warfare had caused major impacts on the wild species all around the world making them even more dangerous to the human species. Despite having some important provisions, the couple was usually forced to go outside and gather some natural resources which could still be used. This had become part of their routine, and all cautions were taken every time they had to explore the outside world. However, one day things didn’t go as planned and Gordon’s life would forever change since then. The couple had gone out of the bunker to do normal tasks they were already used to and they had already planned the safest trajectory to take. Halfway through the trip something went wrong. Suddenly, a mutated wolf, cruel hearted and hungry, attacked Gordon’s wife. The man was able to defend Tana from getting injured by the animal, which would run away from the place. Even so, great damage had been done as the woman’s protective suit had been ripped off, making her exposed to the radiation caused by the war. Gordon grabbed his wife and ran as fast as he could to get her to the bunker as soon as possible. Tana’s body got weaker as the minutes went by. After 15 minutes, Tana was unable to sustain the effects caused by the radiation, and passed away in Gordon’s arms before getting to safe ground. Gordon had lost everything. All the reasons which still made him happy in that sad and hopeless world had melted into thin hair. His tower of strength was gone. In that cold, lonely and distasteful morning, exactly 3 years had gone by since Tana’s death. Gordon was yet to move on from the incident, remaining devastated with what had happened. Her presence was priceless to him and he couldn’t get over it. So much time had passed and he still couldn't take her pillow of his bed. Gordon had relied on his own for the last 3 years and the loneliness had been taking over him for that same amount of time. He was a defeated and worn out man, with a never-ending pain. This comes to show how all of us are vulnerable to what surrounds us and we should never take for granted what we have.
Before you go
12.º CT3 Duarte Cruz Tomás Fajardo
10
It was a cold and snowy evening like all the others. The Smith family was preparing to spend a magnificent week at a skiresort in Aspen, Colorado. Charles, the eldest son, was careful, concerned and sensitive, while Henry, the younger son, had a totally opposite personality. He was sloppy, too carefree and he didn’t like affections at all. Ellen, the middle sister,
A trip to remember
was the little princess of the family, kind, delicate an understanding – truly a heart of gold, pure as the driven snow. Everyone was quite enthusiastic about this trip because, after all, they hadn't done anything together for a long time. The family had seen better days. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were absent parents, always caught up in work, so they never really had time for their children. For the kids, it was always hard to accept how sometimes their parents could treat their own flesh and blood with such disinterest and indifference. They felt that they were given short shrift by their own mother and father. On the other hand, the parents thought that they had to be cruel to be kind, dedicating a lot of their time to work in order to provide a good and pleasant life to their family, even if that implied that they had to spend less time all together. The trip to Colorado was very quiet, there was not much turbulence and the service was very good. When they arrived at the Ski station, they were all amazed by those landscapes, snowcovered mountains, trees everywhere, bunnies jumping from side to side and a magnificent lake right in front of the hotel where they were staying. After settling into their rooms, the Smith family decided to go to dinner. The food was absolutely delicious: a dish fit for de Gods. At dinner Ellen and Charles confessed that they were very surprised that they were eating all together and were also very happy. Henry, however, preferred not to say anything. What’s done is done. For him, that dinner did not pay for all those years when he and his siblings had lived without their parents being present. The next day the Smiths decided to spend the whole morning skiing. Everything went well, the family was all united and for a
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moment even Henry was happy. However, that happiness was
Edna Jesus
momentary as Mr. Smith received a phone call from the company
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he worked for, which prevented him from spending the rest of the day with his children.
In the evening as they were having dinner, the sadness on Charles's, Ellen’s and Henry’s faces was evident. Mr. Smith tried to apologize by saying that on the next day they would go skiing and exploring the place together. However, this did not happen as the next morning, when Ellen went to call her parents out, they were already in front of their computers working. Sad and disappointed Ellen went to her brother’s acting like everything was fine with her as it always was. When she told them that their parents were working they got furious and went up to their room. They ended up arguing strongly with each other. Ellen saw the whole thing and decided to go outside and get some fresh air, but something happened. As she walked, she didn't realize she was on top of a frozen lake and ended up falling into it and drowning. When Ellen was found, she was quickly taken to the hospital. She was in a state of hypothermia and had swallowed a lot of water. As soon as the family heard the news, they headed to the hospital. The feeling of guilt, remorse and the wish to make time go back filled Mr. Smith's and Mrs. Smith's heart. After all, their little princess had only fallen into that lake because of their absence and their carelessness. When they arrived at the hospital, she was no longer at risk of life. She was stable but very weak and asked to speak to her family. Her trembling and confused words made that everyone wore their hearts upon their sleeves - tears were inevitably falling on their faces. Mr. and Mrs. Smith apologized for all of the disagreements, the absence, the loneliness and everything that they had put their children through. Ellen accepted the apologies and asked them to be more present in their children's lives. And so it was. Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith realized that work is not everything in someone’s life. They decided to establish their priorities. From then on giving attention and affection to the children was the be-all and the end-all of these parents. At the end of that day, they understood in their heart of hearts that there is no work or money that pays for the love and happiness of their kids.
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There was once a village, located where today it is called The Amazon Rainforest, unknown and unspoken to the outside world, where a small tribe lived in, the year was 1839. A girl named Aria lived among them, but didn’t belong to their tribe. She got lost from her family trip when she was just a naïve little girl. She was found in the wild near this ancient village,
Virus called covid-19
whose inhabitants decided to take her in and look after her. This was against the majority of the tribe, so she was considered an outcast to them. She grew up till her eighteens, living all her life knowing just what loneliness and cruelty are by the others except for a boy named Atlas, who grew up on her side as a friend, always had an eye for her, secretly, but even too much of a good thing can hurt. On what it seemed to be a normal day to the tribe, the modern (outside) world was struggling to fight a pandemic from a virus called covid-19. So, in order to win this battle, the world with their hopes and thoughts send a medicine prodigy teen from the University of London, Alexander, to look for unknown plants in the wild and unexplored giant forest in the south-west of the world, which might contain a crucial part of the vaccine. A few days passed and Alexander’s crew had no luck in finding new plants and was spotted by a patrol from Aria’s and Atla’s village, so that’s when Atlas began to be suspicious. ‘Something wicked this way comes’, Atlas said. Aria, naïve and curious, wanted to know more beyond the village she knew all her life, so she sensed no danger. ‘Atlas, you fool, they probably mean no harm’, Aria said giggling. Aria was convinced they were friendly and decided to approach them, dragging Atlas with her. When they first contacted, they couldn´t understand, it seemed they talked with neither rhyme
12.º CT3 Gustavo Guerra
nor reason, so Aria always in a good and naïve mood said to Atlas: ‘It's Greek to me’, Aria said in a laughing tone. ‘We should get going, I don’t trust them’, Atlas whispered, worried. ‘The clothes make the man, Atlas, they seem very advanced and I want to know more about them. Besides, I feel a strange feeling for that particular one.’ Aria was pointing to Alexander. As soon as they figured a way to communicate with Alexander,he fell immediately in love for her and spared no time in letting her know about it.
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When she made it clear she felft the same way about Alexander, there was a nod in Atlas´s heart, who felt jealous and jealousy is the green-eyed monster itself. He thought that maybe, all these years he was just in a wildgoose chase trying to love Aria, and felt his heart melted into thin air. ‘We have to get going now, Aria! It’s getting dark’ Atlas said in an imperative way. When they got to the village, Aria was furious because she thought Atlas just did not trust the outside (modern) world and didn´t want her to feel free to explore more. So they broke a huge fight in which Atlas upset Aria’s feelings and they went to opposite sides, far from the village boarders. What the two friends didn’t know was that Alexander and his crew discovered that their blood, which knew just pure, fresh and pollution-free air might be crucial to the discovery of the vaccine, so they followed them to the village. Alexander didn’t care for Aria, he just wanted to be recognized in the outside/modern world as a saviour and the founder of the vaccine for covid-19. So he and his goons took every villager from the tribe in order to make the vaccine, with the result of the death of the entire tribe. Meanwhile, Aria and Atlas took some time to reflect and realise what’s important. When they found each other in the village, completely empty, quickly perceived what happened and both felt sadness and emptiness inside them. Those feelings took them to comprehend that they are everything they both have. Aria realised that Atlas had been there for her all this time, and her feelings for Atlas were far too bigger than the ones she had for Alexander. Atlas understood he had to let Aria know what he felt and told her everything. ‘Atlas, I wil wear my heart upon my sleeve… I was a a blinking idiot, in my heart of hearts you are a tower of strength for me, I realised that all that glitters isn't gold and came to the foregone conclusion that what's done is done and to me you are the be-all and the end-all…’ Those words really touched Atlas, he didn’t feel the need to say a word, yet Aria knew all that was going in his heart. There was a new brave new world for the two starcrossed lovers, to explore and together, the world is their oyster.
14
It was pouring with rain in a stormy and dark night of Christmas eve. Shakespeare was in a small cottage, near Stratford-uponAvon, with his wife, Anne Hathaway , and their three children, Susanna, Judith and Hamnet. They were having a sad dinner, talking about the disgraceful
William Shakespear e em tempos de Covid
conduct of Hamnet.
He had been at a school party with a
monumental amount of people. So the ones who had been at the party had to make the test and their son was positive. Everyone in the family was potentially infected and the doctors insisted on zero-contact until the results came. On the following day, the phone rang and Shakespeare’s wife jumped of the chair to answer it . “Hello, Queen Elizabeth II talking.” “The Queen! The Queen!? What a surprise!”, said Anne. “Although Hamnet is infected, the other members of the family tested negative.”, said the Queen. “What a relief! It smells to heaven!!”, said Anne with an ear to ear smile. “The vaccine is coming and we hope it will be all and end all. In this case and having in mind your husband literary importance I want to propose William Shakespeare to be the first British citizen taking the vaccine.”, stated the Queen excited. “To take the vaccine? My William!? I don’t believe in the vaccine. All that glitters isn’t gold.”, answered Anne , troubled by the news. “That is a foregone conclusion. The naked truth is that the vaccine is the only way to get over this pandemic and dishearten situation. Shakespeare is the perfect person to break the ice and convince the skeptic ones.”, replies the Queen. “I am heartsick but I will talk to my husband. Have a Merry Christmas.”, concludes Anne. She was worried about William’s reaction because he had a heart of gold and he believed in the vaccine against her opinion. “Shakespeare, the Queen wants to know if you could be the pioneer in taking the vaccine. You already know my fear about these unknown things but don’t let me influence your decision.”, said Anne ironically. “What great news, dad!”, said Susanna excited.
12.º CSE Hugo Oliveira
15
“Children , you doth protest too much. There is no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune , Judith. For goodness sake, we have to believe in the vaccine against to this devil incarnate. The virus art unfit for any place but hell. I will take the vaccine.”, says William. “NO!NO!NO!”, shouted Anne. “My decision is taken. More of your conversation would infect my brain.”, protested Shakespeare. A week later, he had already taken the vaccine and he is taking care of his wife and Judith, who are sick with a seasonal flu and high temperature while they expect the results of a covid test. In an interview to The Guardian, William Shakespeare said that he is living a long life due to the vaccine and this reality will be the main topic for his next drama.
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It was day forty-four of lockdown. They have seen better days. Elizabeth had already cleaned every room from her apartment, read every book she had and watched so many films and series that the thought of lying on the couch one more minute haunted her. She had made one more cake, a huge chocolate cake with raspberries on top. It was one more Jane’s patisserie’s recipe
Lonely Times
and it turned out to be a dish fit for the Gods, like every recipe from her. The first time Lizzie tried to cook something that wasn't an essential meal this quarantine was gingerbread brownies and she almost gave up when she saw the recipe, it was Greek to her. Lizzie had joined a group for people who were alone during this difficult time, they had zoom reunions three times a week. She thought it was super funny talking to different people from around the world. When she heard the government was shutting down the country she got so scared. She was studying and working in London, her parents lived in a small village near Manchester, with her little brother, who she always described as a blinking idiot, but now the idea of being away for so long gave her goosebumps. Every day felt the same, until the day she received a message from one of the boys in her support group. His name was Harry, and from what he had said in the reunions he was from Ireland. Lizzie didn’t know why he was texting her since they never spoke directly in the zoom conferences, but she replied to the message. In order to break the ice, he sent her a little GIF of a little cat, because she had already told the group she loved kittens. As the time went by she found herself buried in a little virtual bubble with him. They enjoyed so much talking to each other that they easily started doing other things together such as watching movies and cooking. Every time he sent her a new playlist with songs that he thought she might like she melted a little more, because she used to wear her heart upon her sleeve. The days passed by and Lizzie got to the foregone conclusion that she was feeling more than just a simple friendship for Harry. It was the middle of the summer and the restriction orders had been eased and people were trying to see a brave new
12.º CT3 Inês Cação Mafalda Oliveira
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world, and the thought of finally seeing Harry in person crossed Lizzie’s mind more than a million times, but she didn’t want to be the one suggesting it, afraid that he might not want to see her.
After one night that she had not slept one wink ,she decided to make the move and talk to him. She called him but he didn’t answer, then she texted him explaining her idea for a meeting. Hours passed by and she didn’t get any answer. She started to regret it, maybe that connection was all in her head only, but what was done was done. Four days later and she still hadn't got an answer, Harry had melted into thin air. He didn’t text or call her, and he had missed the support group zoom reunion. Lizzie started to get a little bit worried that something bad had happened to him, and she texted James, a boy in the same support group that she knew used to talk with Harry. He said to her that he was fine, and they had talked earlier this day. In that moment she got so mad, she realized he was ignoring her, how could that be possible, he had been her tower of strength during those difficult times. She decided that she would not be sad for him because he didn’t deserve it. On the same day, she went to a little market near her house to buy some supplies. When she was walking back to her apartment, she couldn’t believe her eyes. In front of her building there was Harry, standing. She immediately reached him and asked him what he was doing there. He told her he had left Ireland a couple days and was staying in her cousin’s apartment in London, just to surprise her. She felt like it was too much of a good thing. Harry stayed in London for a week, Lizzie showed him every of her favourite places, and in that time, despite all the cares they had to take, it was like they weren’t living in a pandemic world. It was without any doubts her favorite week from all year and they made promises to each other that, in the future, that same week would have to multiply over and over again. That was what happened, when the world got rid of Covid-19, Harry and Lizzie had the chance to spend more time together without thinking of social distancing, masks or hand disinfectant, and they couldn’t be happier about that. Quarantine had made them create an imaginable and unbreakable bond, but they’re really happy that all of those dark and lonely times went away.
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Shakespeare em tempos de Covid
12.º CT3 João Barroso
William Shakespeare was, as we all know, one of the greatest playwrights and poets in the world. Born on April 23 of 1564 in the city of Stratford and died curiously on the date of his birthday in 1612, leaving a vast work, from romances to comedies, Shakespeare did a little bit of everything. In his writing, Shakespeare used a very personal style, he was an author who used a lot of rhetorical questions and who often shied away from the traditional writing used until then. Some of the themes written by William Shakespeare in his works can be easily used today, to describe the difficult situation we are experiencing nowadays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, the poet has several references in his works to themes such as friendship, life, love or health, themes that are perfectly up to date and that are very well suited to the situation we are experiencing. In Henrique IV, we have the phrase "The time of life is short", which brings us to the idea that we have to enjoy every moment of our life, because it is short and we never know when it will end, so we only have to enjoy the good things of our life. An example of a quote to friendship, can be found in the work, Timon of Athens, where William says "but where there is true friendship, there needs none", it is implied that William Shakespeare values his friends and that they are a fundamental piece in his life and that when you have a true friendship you don't need much more to be happy, a phrase that is perfectly adequate for today, because we live in a situation where from one moment to the next, we can be a long time without seeing our friends or even lose them, then we have to value them. He is the author of several extremely well-known phrases worldwide, which most of us probably say, without even knowing that they are his own, phrases such as "break the ice", "love is blind", "to be, or not to be, that is the question" and many others. Now speaking more about the Covid theme that is currently affecting us, we now have new hope with the arrival of the longawaited vaccine, but this is not the end point of the pandemic, as this process of distribution and vaccination of the population is a theme that will take time. Finally, I sincerely hope that this vaccine can bring the old normal back to life and that we can quickly see our loved ones, friends and that we can be together and hug again, and this pandemic has shown us that Humans always need the presence of the other, because together we are always much happier. I hope so!
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Life went on for the humble population of Verona. People lived a calm and peaceful life, with no big worries beyond their daily routines. Romeo and Juliet walked through the large fields of flowers that existed around the village. The rivalry of their families did not prevent them from at least trying to be happy. The love they felt for each other transformed those adventurous and innocent teenagers into two beautiful and pure children who were able to play for hours and hours without ever getting tired or bored of each other. Every single person in that village knew that those two souls were destined to live forever as one single element. She was the love of his life and they loved each other in the heart of hearts. But on a dark and very rainy night, a foreigner entered the city. He was lost. His appearance was deplorable. His clothes were torn, and as everyone said, the clothes make the man. Looks like he has seen better days. He was completely soaked. Looked hungry, certainly sick and he barely had the strength to walk. He was so breathless that it looked like his lungs would jump out of his body and take on a life of his own. So, he started screaming for help. At first, no one answered, but after a few screams, one person decided to get out of bed and see what was going on: that person was Juliet. When she saw the condition in which that man was, she ran to the street to help him. She took him into the family home. Juliet’s family was very welcoming, so they gave him a very warm herbal tea, a really nice dish fit for the Gods that he hath eaten me out of house and home but even so, he has not slept one wink. That foreigner felt Juliet’s family was his own flesh and blood. Gratefully, in the next morning, that man had fully recovered. He infinitely thanked that family for their help but he had to find his way home. And so it was. In the following days, everything was going normally until several people from the village with whom Juliet and her family contacted started to be in a similar and even worse state of that foreign man when he came to the village. Romeo was really bad too. Nobody knew what to do. There were people dying. Almost everyone was infected. That was a foregone conclusion. What is done is done, there was no way to reverse the situation. Juliet and her family were the only people that were fine and nobody knew how to explain it. Later it came to be known that that man would have been infected with a very rare, violent and the be-all and the all-end virus, the coronavirus. Verona’s population was alarmed. Juliet spent all days with him. As always, they were inseparable. But one day, as it had happened to many other people in the village, Romeo's life came to an end. Nobody wanted to believe what had just happened. That little boy couldn´t make it… Juliet had just lost the love of her life. She never forgives herself again. Unfortunately, she entered a chaotic cycle of sadness and loneliness….
Romeo and Juliet 2.0
12.º CSE João Caniceiro Diogo Jorge
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A heartbreak in times of Covid An unexpected encounter at the National Gallery results in a tragic story between two soulmates.
12.º CT3 Juliana Gil Carolina Camarinho
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A common interest in the arts led them to meet at the opening of a new exhibition at the National Gallery Museum. It was while watching a magnificent work of art that John and Margaret “Break the ice” and exchange their first words. They agreed to have some coffee, to talk about their common interests in different forms of art ... In a few weeks they were involved, without ever asking each other questions about their personal lives. They met once a week, in a hotel, where they spent the afternoon and then continued with their routines as if nothing had happened. As he lived alone, he told her that they could meet at his home. And so it happened. Gradually he began to share his social and family life with her. She met his parents, friends, brothers and nephews, they even spent holidays together, traveled the world and the family parties began to have her presence, especially at Christmas time when they even decorated the Christmas tree together. When family and friends asked him about her life, his answer was always the same: “I only know her profession, I don't care to know anything else, it was the pact we made. Although she has known about my whole life, I don't ask questions. And I am very happy that way!”. Few periods of tension have occurred in the relationship, perhaps much less than in a traditional couple- “Too much of a good thing”. As time went by, his aging led him to break that promise and put some pressure on her to live together. Despite spending more time one with the other, nothing has changed in the relationship. Throughout all these years, the only form of contact between the two was the telephone. First he would call her on the landline at work, as it was the only information he had; however, she could call him to his personal phone. As these calls were recurring, she decided to give him her personal number, which ended up facilitating their meetings. In the meantime, a global pandemic has appeared. “We have seen better days”... This left them with only the quick trips to the pharmacy and the supermarket. Due to the increase in restriction measures imposed by the government, they only spoke by mobile phone, such as video calls. One day, she stopped answering her cell phone, then he was turned off, and without any other way of contacting her, he became worried, unable to sleep (“I have not slept one wink”) and blamed himself, feeling like “a blinking idiot”. How had he accepted all his life that he had having no alternative to know about her? But “what´s done is done” ... Desperate and thinking about the worst, he contacted his friends who were doctors. His world collapsed, his “tower of strength” had been interned with the Covid. It was all very sudden. Her health problems, more precisely diabetes, had decompensated, nor did they have time to connect her to the ventilator- “Foregone conclusion”. Neither was entitled to a grave, nor to ashes, it was as if she had “melted into thin air”.
It was official, you could walk again without a mask, you could hug those who were close to you, you could go for a walk without constantly thinking about the danger around us. The fear and the pressure just suddenly melted into thin air. It was already possible to return to the routine that was normal for us. Isabel couldn't hide her happiness and relief. She hurried to choose her most beautiful dress, which she hadn’t managed to parade a few months ago, and left the house very quickly to take the subway that was destined for the neighboring city. She wanted to go for a walk, to see the city and perhaps to do some shopping. All at one fell swoop. The rush was too much, when she arrived at the subway station, Isabel gave some money to a girl who returned with a simple receipt, this without speech and with a disappointingly lackluster attitude. She entered the subway, crowded with people, where the only thing that broke the silence was a noisy screw. Arriving at the destination, she entered a store where everything was tidy, disinfected and appealing to buy. She bought cans, bibelots - all superfluous. When she went to the payment box, the girl mechanically received the money, gave the change, and, like the girl on the subway station, didn’t make any speech or eye contact. Isabel was surprised, even a little uncomfortable, as she was not used to this type of attitude and short shrift. She tried to start a conversation in order to break the ice, as she felt the need to talk and socialize with someone. Unfortunately, no one showed openness. Disappointed, Isabel returned to her humble home. Couldn't stop thinking about the uncomfortable situation she was faced with, she realized that people increasingly talk and coexist less. For Isabel it was evident the impact of the pandemic on everyone’s daily life. After so long learning how to live with that green-eyed monster, people ended up being exhausted and worn out. The important thing is to move on and realize that what’s done it’s done. Suddenly came the nostalgia of the old days, when she went out to the streets and talked to everyone about herself, about her family, about time, about everything! Beautiful times when she got home, perhaps with less shopping but full of emotions, feelings and experiences shared with those who crossed paths. Isabel thought everything was going to be normal again. The truth is that all that glitters isn’t gold. Isabel fears that the lack of communication between people will get worse, that there will be no time for private conversations, for sharing ideas, feelings and emotions. She also fears that we are simply actors and that all the world’s a stage, that we become digital versions of ourselves, consisting only of material devoid of emotions. However, she remains hopeful that a brave new world and better days will come; that this new “normal” dissipates without leaving a mark. That everything may be as it was before!
Hope
12.º CT3 Leonardo Reis Duarte Guerra
22
Not long ago, with the emergence of a pandemic, the reality we were used to was completely changed. A new virus had arrived and brought, not only sickness, but also loneliness, fear of others and uncertainty about the future. Despite this, empathy and human love have not disappeared and beautiful love stories
The Return of Love
continue to blossom like a lonely rose in the snow. On a cold night, dozens of people infected with the new virus arrived at St. Mary's Hospital, where William had been working for more than 24 hours without a single hour of sleep. Among the people who arrived, was Anne, a young girl with sparkling hazel eyes and black hair, who emerged from the ambulance, pale and unconscious. Anne was a docile girl who had a condition known as acute bronchitis, which made her be a high-risk patient. After being laid on a stretcher and connected to a fan by the nurses, William appeared, he was going to take care of her until she was well. When reading Anne’s medical record, the doctor was surprised: that name was familiar to him and when he entered the room, thousands of memories of his childhood came to his mind. Anne and William were neighbors during childhood for 10 years, during those times they were inseparable, but unfortunately Anne started to get sick and was diagnosed very early, being recommended that she should have an operation with the best doctors specialized in this type of diseases, in Switzerland. But her parents had no money to pay for this operation, the only solution they found was to sell their house and move in with their aunt to Switzerland, for a while. When Anne finished high school, she got a job and later managed to return to her home country. William was unable to contain his tears after seeing his unconscious old friend hooked up to machines, having to receive oxygen, because of a virus that at first was said to be harmless, like catching the flu. William: How did this happen to you, Anne? - He asks in a shaky voice. No reply. A few days passed and Anne was recovering well. One day, already aware, when William entered the room where she was
12.º CT3 Mariana Reis Mariana Breia
23
hospitalized, Anne stood for a few seconds with bated breath looking in his eyes.
Those eyes that she had known so well, that didn't deceive her in any way. The silence continued for a few minutes; William decided to break the ice. William: Anne ... how are you? Do you feel better? Anne: I can't believe it's you! William: I would like to hug you, but unfortunately, we can't ... After all this time I never forgot about you, never! Anne: Neither did I.- she responds emotionally. William: How are you feeling? Anne: I feel better... William: I was assessing your situation and you will be discharged tomorrow. Anne: That's great ... You know, I really thought I wasn't going to survive, I had never been so bad. William: For goodness sake! Of course you would be fine! You are the strongest person I know! Anne: I'm sure you must have met many stronger patients by now! All of a sudden, interrupting this dialogue, a worried nurse arrives and urgently calls for Doctor William. One of the patients was having an epileptic fit and needed help, both of them rushed out of the room. Later, when things were more under control, William returned to Anne's room to see how she was doing. Anne: Oh! It's you! William: Yes, I can't stop thinking about you! Anne William, I think we need to talk about us ... But I didn't want it to be in a hospital bed, as I'm going to be discharged tomorrow, we could arrange something, if you are available. William: Yes, tomorrow is perfect, I have the day off. Anne: Ok, do you still remember that café where we used to go with your parents? William: How could I forget? Anne: Great! So tomorrow at 4 p.m.? William: Yes, perfect! The next day, after being released in the morning, Anne went home to wait for the appointed time to arrive.
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Anne: Why is time taking so long to pass? - she asks as she starts to arrange herself. Until the hour was approaching, Anne was so anxious that she could feel a million butterflies in her belly when she left the house. When he arrived at the appointed place, William was already seated. Anne: Will! Hi! William: How are you? Please, take a seat! Do you want to order something? Anne: It could be coffee. William: Two, please! Anne: We’d better get right to the point ... William: Yes, do you want to talk about us? Anne: Yes, it's just that I can't stop thinking about you, after these years I never forgot you and now that I went to the hospital, you took care of me... after so many years without seeing each other. William: It is true, it was a great coincidence! Anne: It wasn't a coincidence, it was fate! William: It was awful to see you in that situation, Anne! I was very worried about you, but I always knew you would be able to get over it! It was horrible, but on the other hand I was very happy to see you again, I'm just sorry it was under those circumstances Anne: I recovered well because a doctor with a heart of gold took care of me. William: I am so happy that you returned to London! When did you come back? Anne: I came back almost five years ago. I finished my studies in Switzerland and then I saved some money to come back to London. William: I'm glad you're back, because in my heart of hearts I love you Anne! The very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service! Anne: I love you too, Will! William: Never leave me again, please, come what may I will always take care of you. Anne: Yes, I promise!
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*In the summer of 2087*
An old man called John was talking to his granddaughter about his past life as a teenager
12.º CT3 Rafael Rodrigues Tomás Toscano
27
An old man called John was talking to his granddaughter about his past life as a teenager He said: “You know, when I was about 20, in 2020, we all thought it was going to be an amazing year, everyone was like "This is going to be the year", but something happened that no one was expecting…’ He lived in a small neighborhood in Wisconsin but had to move out to follow his dreams and applied to study at Harvard to become an engineer. In mid-January he met a stunning girl named Maya also studying in Harvard, she was 5 feet 4 inches, blond and blue eyed, she had a smile that melted young John's heart, he instantly fell for her as they looked eye to eye in the distance. John lived an ordinary student life, he stayed in a small apartment with one roommate and they had a spare room. John had his routine, he woke up, went to class, hung out with his friends and went home to study, he had no time for a love interest, but something was on his mind; not something, someone. Maya was on his mind all the time; he barely could fall asleep because he knew he had to do something. So, one Tuesday, at 6 pm, he saw her in the school library and sat beside her and asked what she was studying. It turned out they were both studying the same thing and she needed help. And hours passed as they started to know each other and began to ‘build chemistry’, they left when the school was closing but when they said goodbye, they knew it wasn't going to be the last time. They kept on meeting each other in the next weeks and started to go out at night. She told him she still hadn't found a place to stay and was at her parents' house but he had a spare room on his apartment and proposed for her to stay in his place until she found a new one. She considered the idea but said she would think about it. Weeks passing, they started feeling attracted to one another and were almost dating for a couple weeks. In his head, she completed him, she was perfect and he couldn´t live without her; for her it was the same, she adored him as much as he did. Maya was planning to move in March, but something was happening in the extremities of the Earth.... A world pandemic was creeping in on our lives and they were not at all prepared. Everyone had to stay at home, isolated from the world. At the beginning people thought that toilet paper was going to end and started buying tons of them. They had to start wearing masks, adopt social distance, and in some countries, by
1 pm everything was closed and they would be arrested if they were caught in the street. Some people didn't learn how to deal with isolation, they were going mad. Everyone thought the world was going to end and no one could see when and how everything would return to normal. The love between Maya and John was fine at first, but, with time passing by, John could notice something was wrong. The distance between them was weakening their relationship, Maya wasn't giving John as much attention as before, she wasn't taking his calls and looked like she didn't care about him anymore. John thought the problem was too much work from school and that she just didn't have time Two months passed and things between them were worse, they spent days and weeks without even talking and Maya didn´t seem too bothered by this. And one day, when summer started, Maya started to show interest again and John accepted her back with no hard feelings, with no questions and no regret. They spent the summer together happy as ever, so John thought. In July, John planned a date on the beach with pizza and drinks to watch the sunset, at the end, he asked Maya if she wanted to be his girlfriend, she said no. She said she wasn’t ready and John comprehended and told her he’d wait. “The course of true love never did run smooth” Summer ended, for three months the world kind of forgot there was a deadly virus running around, and it would come back in the winter, but John thought Maya was finally moving in with him. She didn’t, and she was back to being distant and away. John felt something wasn’t right, but unlike in the beginning, he had to do something about it. He went to confront Maya, he didn’t want to live like this, and he felt himself used by her. So, John went to look for her in the school library, but when he got there, he instantly realized what had happened all this time. He saw Maya with another man in the place they first met. Maya cheated, she broke John's heart with no second thought, John felt miserable for months, he couldn't believe what happened, he felt weak and empty. John ended his story saying: ‘but then, years after, I met your grandmother, the love of my life... “What's done is done; I cannot change what has happened in the past”.
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Once upon a time there was a boy, named Kanye, who wished that there was no more school. He went to school like all the other kids, but he thought that it was boring and a waste of time and
Once upon a time
12.º CT3 Rodrigo Gomes
29
was way more into playing videogames at home. One day, on his way home, fed up because he discovered he would fail in English that year, Kanye walked past a well and had a brilliant idea. He grabbed seven stones and threw them one by one into the well and enunciated the phrase, “I wish I don’t have to go to school anymore” three times. Later that day he was thinking about that magic spell while he was trying to fall asleep. “What could happen in this world that could make my dream come true? An alien invasion? A war? Maybe a natural disaster that would change people’s routine forever? I just want to be free from that prison…” The day after that, during breakfast, Kanye’s father was watching the news. Usually, little Kanye ignored the babbling from the telly and he was completely unaware of the global situation, but the word “Coronavirus” caught his attention. The newscaster was reporting the frightening spread of a contagious and partly unknown disease and that Kanye’s country had already registered its first cases. All of the sudden, the broadcast was interrupted by a message of the president, he who said, “My fellow citizens, I am declaring a national state of disaster in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Henceforth all schools will be closed, and every superfluous activity will be illegal. We recommend our nation the usage of facemasks, social distancing and hand washing. (…)” Kanye’s father said that there will be a wild-goose chase for a vaccine. That was Greek to Kanye, but his father explained him what was happening and how serious that situation was. At that moment, Kanye began realizing that his wish was fulfilled. He immediately ran up to his room and started playing videogames. That dragged itself until Kanye’s mother received a phone call from the director of her son’s school. She told Kanye that the director decided to adopt online education as a solution for the lockdown and that his classes will be taught via teleconference. Kanye thought that that could be funny and joined the online classes, but overtime he started skipping them sometimes, using “bad internet connection” as an excuse. The boy, thinking he was living his best life, isolated himself in his bedroom, playing games and watching TV shows, not leaving the house nor speaking to his friends and classmates. His grades began to drop, and his anxiety began to rise. The number of people infected by that disease was escalating and the number of deaths was getting out of hands.
Kanye started to lose interest in videogames because it was too much of a good thing and was tired of getting bombarded by information from the news. Over the time he realized that he couldn’t throw a party for his birthday nor visit his grandparents at the retirement home, making him feel lonely and empty. Furthermore, his mother forced him to help her with the housekeeping. Little Kanye began to notice that he misses his old life and school and that he had seen better days. Even thinking about being pushed in the lunch line by the bully who swaggered around or putting up with his boring math teacher, he still wanted to go back to school. He felt depressed and guilty for what was happening in the world. “Was it really my wish that made this happen?” was a question that little Kanye could not get outof his head. So, one night, under gloomy sky, he sneaked out of his house with his gaming console and went to the well where he had thrown the stones into. When the church bell hit midnight, he threw his brand-new console into the well and screamed, “I wish that life gets back to normal!” The following day, a reportedly safe vaccine was ready and could get distributed to the global population. Kanye was not sure if it happened because of the incident with the well last night, it could be a coincidence, but he liked to believe that he contributed something for it. A few weeks later, after seven months of lockdown, the population could get back to their former routine and little Kanye could get back to school. In the end school wasn’t as bad after all and Kanye had to give the devil his due. Kanye finally learned that enjoyable things are only enjoyable because boring stuff exists, creating a contrast between these two opposite concepts is what makes those concepts exist. Kanye learned an important lesson and he lived happily ever after.
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Peter is a twenty-year old boy, healthy, athletic and is like the majority of boys of his age. True love for him remains unknown, he maybe felt a kind of a love once but never a true one. One day, on a Friday, Peter woke up feeling something special, like it was his lucky day. Peter lived his normal routine, went to University, went to classes and later in the day went home. At
Why is love so hard? This story is about Peter’s first true love.
night his friend invited him to drink some coffee: a normal Friday. At the coffee shop he hanged out with his friends but there was a new person: a beautiful girl called Anna. Peter was delighted, like love at first sight. Later at home, he would always think about Anna, he then realised he was completely obsessed with her. Then, he would say to himself: “Why am I so shy?”, “Why didn’t I talk to her?”, “I'm such a blinking idiot!” He then checks his phone and is suprised by a message from Anna, saying: “Hey Peter, you forgot your jacket at the coffee shop. Can we meet tomorrow at the same place and take the opportunity to have dinner?” He immediately opened the message and didn't know what to answer, he thought for a bit and then sent “OK , tomorrow at the same time”. After that, still thrilled with anxiety, he kept scrolling her profile’s photos and his eyes would glow with love, he was falling in love more and more. At night, he couldn’t sleep with all the anxiety flooding his blood, because of the meeting with Anna on the next day. Finally, it was time. Peter dressed his best clothes and went to the coffee shop. When he arrives there, he sees Anna, she was so beautiful, and they then went to a dinner table. After a few minutes of small talk, to break the ice, Peter asks her: “What is your job?” He finds that Anna was a nurse and they keep knowing each
12.º CT3 Tiago Buco
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other for all night long, it was the best night ever for Peter and he was truly in love and Anna was as well. The months passed and Peter and Anna were knowing each other more and more. Finally the first kiss arrived and there was a foregone conclusion...they start building a serious relationship. But there was a new pandemic disease that arrived in the world called Covid-19, which affected their relationship. Anna started to be more at the hospital, they couldn't see each other because of restrictions demanded by the government in order to try to stop the new pandemic.
Time was passing and the pandemic was developing to something even more serious. Unfortunately, the sad news arrived… Anna caught Covid-19. It started by a normal flu but quickly developed to a pneumonia and Anna needed to be hospitalized. Peter was in shock, he had seen better days, couldn't do anything to help his sweetheart, the visits to the hospital were prohibited, he just stayed at home, seeing Anna dying in the hospital. Peter needed to see Anna, he couldn't take it anymore. So, one day, he went to the hospital, escaped from the security and entered Ann's room and saw his poor sweetheart in the hospital bed in a coma. He held her hand and whispered: “Anna, I love you so much, please, stay with me, you are my tower of strength, you are my everything, without you I am nothing, if you leave this cruel world, I’ll leave with you…” Suddenly the cardiac machine stopped making noise and Anna died. Peter screamed loudly and fell onto the floor with no reaction while the doctors showed up.
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Fire and snow
12.º CT3 Vitor Oliveira
33
There were two dragons living on the Earth. One was brownish and lived in a mountain with an active and hot-blooded volcano. He could spit as much fire as the seas of lava around him. Within seconds and just only with his breath he can turn giant stones into bursting orange pieces of coal. Heading down the mountain on the north side of the green valley and across the river, you could see another giant mountain covered in snow, with another dragon living by. This dragon was white as a sunny snowstorm and with ice-cold eyes. The Fire and the Snow Dragons were the same age and both born in the green valley. They spent all their childhood together. They even went to the same university together studying for the same degree in Protection of Natural Landscapes. Despite being really different, they were also best friends since they can remember. Even as grown-up dragons they were trying to meet on the valley and spend as much time playing together as possible. They used the valley as a meeting point because it was a place that gave them such good old memories and was exactly between the mountains that they chose to live and work as Protectors. Unfortunately, due to the wicked world’s global pandemic that affected us this year, also the dragons were stuck in their caves without being able to get outside, being confined, “staying at home”. Also the dragons can get the virus like us humans, some say it is because we are heart-bounding with these magical animals. They spent the rest of the year in loneliness and as the months passed by they were unable to meet during all year. Also, in the middle of Autumn, the Snow Dragon has got infected by the virus and spent his last months really unwell. The Fire Dragon could feel with his telepathic inner soul that his beloved friend was weaker. The white dragon was fighting the disease with all his flaming youth but his friend felt that his energy ceased the dark day he breathe one’slast. As the valley and both mountains were in completely lockdown, the dragon is incapable to go and say a last goodbye on his friend’s funeral. During this worldwide pandemic the same actually happened with us, humans. Many close friends and relatives were also stopped when wanted to say goodbye for a last time to the virus victims. The Fire Dragon will remember forever the Snow Dragon as his faithful friend. Although he is devastated for not seeing him for the last time when he thinks of him his heart of gold fills-up with unconditional love.
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Os textos publicados neste livro foram desenvolvidos pelos alunos do 12.º CT3 e 12.º CSE, no ano letivo de 2020/2021 sob a supervisão da professora de Inglês, Ana Costa e Silva. Em articulação com o projeto @Ler é um risco! Arriscas-te?! / PNL 2020-2027 da Biblioteca Escolar Clara Póvoa, aos alunos foi feito o desafio de fazerem uma produção escrita, a pares, orientada de um conto com 400 a 450 palavras no qual se utilizasse o universo linguístico de William Shakespeare para a expressão de sentimentos e de reflexão sobre a vivência atual em tempos de pandemia Covid-19. Os alunos começaram por fazer pesquisas sobre William Shakespeare e a seguir construíram as suas histórias. Algumas ultrapassaram o limite das 450 palavras. A introdução, elaborada pela professora Ana Costa e Silva, utilizando títulos das obras de Skakespeare, teve como objetivo fazer com que os alunos assumam uma postura emocional mais otimista perante a situação atual. O plano de trabalho de integração curricular pode ser visto no aprendizinvestigador.pt