Our Voice by Gannett Wisconsin Media

December

2010

A product of the Stevens Point Journal & Boys & Girls Club

December 2010

Students share By Hanna Burch Our Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

hristmas is a time for giving, thankfulness, love and enjoying the many pleasures that Americans are so lucky to have. It is celebrated with many different traditions that all add to the suspense and joyfulness of the season. All families have different traditions that are precious and meaningful to them. At St. Peter Middle School, many eighthgraders have different funny and heartwarming traditions and favorite things about celebrating Christmas. Connor Mace opens presents in the morning. He later watches football, eats turkey and then goes and plays in a paintball fight. Laura Kelble’s family looks at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, Ginny Neufeld’s mom hides a pickle ornament somewhere in

FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS the Christmas tree, and the first kid to find it gets to open the first present. “I love Christmas. I love it because of all the lights, music and the joyful feelings. I like how everyone puts their own ways aside to help those less fortunate,” Brooke Filtz said. Natalie Jakusz said that during Christmas everything seems magical and worry free. Her sister, Elise Jakusz, said their family gets together and does a “secret Santa sort of thing.” Zach Serafin’s favorite tradition is putting up the tree. He says it looks so cool when the ornaments and decorations are put on. On Christmas Eve, Molly Wirtz’s family goes for a walk, and when they get back home, Santa has come and there are presents under the tree. Sean Baum, a 10th-grader at Stevens Point Area Senior High, said on his father’s side of

the family, they all play practical jokes on each other. Shelby Galloway, a sixth-grader at St. Peter Middle School, said she sings in the Smokey Express Gospel Choir during Christmas time. Tia Krzykowski, a seventh-grade at St. Peter Middle School, said her family exchanges gifts, and when the younger cousins open their gifts, they flip. Whatever your traditions are, they are all special and add to the celebrating.

REMEMBER THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

ith all the presents and glamour, sometimes people fail to see past the honest reason of Christmas. With all the decorations, candy, presents, money, shopping, trees, ornaments and festive music, we sometimes forget the most important things. Think about all the suffering, poor, hungry, abused, freezing, sick, dying, depressed and lonely people. Think about those who have lost their family, friends, jobs, houses, food and money. If you were them, how would you feel seeing richer people buying loads of food and bags of presents when you don’t even have a coat to wear? Christmas is a specific time to give donations of money, food and clothes to local shelters and organizations. Operation Bootstrap, Salvation Army, American Red Cross and United Way are

just a few good organizations to get involved with to help make a difference. Every penny and every small deed adds up to a whole lot of helpfulness and better lives for the less fortunate. An easy way to help right here in Portage County is by donating your time, treasure and talent. There are many hunger-prevention and community meals where you can help serve. You can make a difference and contribute to their happiness. Ask to sign up to help with a community meal through your church, school, club or parents. If you get any Christmas money, drop some change into the Red Kettle buckets outside the shopping places. The giving volunteers who stand in the cold and ring bells to help raise money for the poor are very dedicated helpers, and the least you can do is offer a few dollars. If you get a lot

By Hanna Burch Our Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

of unneeded or unwanted Christmas presents, consider donating them to a local shelter or other places that are asking for donations of toys and goods. Think of how your present, which might not mean very much to you, would make another little child so happy. Your heart would burst with happiness and humbleness. If you do help others during Christmas, don’t stop. Make it your New Year’s resolution to help your community. Simple things like visiting a nursing home or bringing cans of food to Operation Bootstrap will benefit many people. Let’s remember the true meaning of Christmas, and not let the other things get in the way. Let your heart be warmly filled this holiday season. Enjoy and be thankful for your family, friends, good fortune and how lucky you are.

December 2010

Holiday shopping 101: HANNA’S GIFT IDEAS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST By Hanna Burch Our Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

s the holiday season gets closer, people start flooding local stores and cars swarm the highway for an important reason: Shopping. For those who celebrate Christmas, presents are a main way of showing love, appreciation and gratitude toward family and friends. Many people struggle to find that one, perfect gift for a family member, friend, acquaintance or coworker. Here are a few simple, but enjoyable gift ideas for everyone on your list. • For a sister or another girl friend, jewelry is always nice. Whether it’s a pair of earrings, a necklace or a bracelet, most girls enjoy a nice piece of jewelry. A popular, fun and colorful place to go is Claire’s. Claire’s is a girl’s jewelry, makeup and accessory store that has inexpensive but different styles of jewelry from funky big-beaded necklaces to small, gem earring studs. While you’re there, you can pick up a cool hat and scarf, or grab some sweet lip gloss and colored eye shadow. Other places like Shopko and Target also have some nice jewelry, along with some nice smelling perfume. Nail polish is a good choice, too. And don’t forget that any girl loves candy, especially chocolate, and flowers. • For a brother or guy friend, sports materials are cool. Maybe buy them a new soccer ball or football, or a new bat. If they play a sport with a mitt, check and see if their mitt is worn out. There are also plenty of new movies coming out, so consider buying them some movie tickets to go see a movie with a friend at Rogers Cinema. If there are any new books out that he wants, you could buy him a gift certificate to Book Finders or another local bookstore. • When buying a gift for your mom, aunt or grandma, be unique and classic. Perhaps buy a scented candle. Most women love the smell and glamour of having a candle burning on

their table, especially when it smells really nice. If you know how to knit or crochet, make a scarf, hat or a pair of mittens. If you don’t know how to make one, there are scarves and hats at most stores to purchase. Also, buy them some stationery. There are so many styles, shapes, colors and pictures to choose from. The Paper Doll, a store located in downtown Stevens Point, has a beautiful selection of stationery and cards. Another idea is some nice body soap, lotion or other beauty objects. Women also love jewelry, but instead of shopping at Claire’s, go to Blue Bead Trading Co., a downtown shop with gorgeous beads, necklaces and other jewelry items. At Blue Bead you can also buy beads and string to make jewelry for someone. • You could buy some office supplies for your dad, uncle or grandpa. New pens, pencils, calculators, paper and so on are some small things to buy. Or you could get some new tools for them. They might be in need of a new pack of nails or a hammer. If your dad, uncle or grandpa likes to cook, buy some nice new kitchen utensils. Or find out what their favorite books are and look for them at a local bookstore. • For your parents, you could make coupons for chores, baby-sitting or other things just for fun. • A gift for you teacher could be a small lotion bottle or ChapStick wrapped in a ribbon. Remember that when wrapping gifts, the decoration is part of the surprise and excitement of a present. Make sure to get some pretty wrapping paper or colorful bags and tissue paper. No matter what the gift is, anyone loves something new. Be creative and different in your present selection, and don’t forget to include a nice card. !

Happy shopping

3 holidays in December By Ellen Rathe Our Voice Staff P.J. Jacobs Junior High School Ninth-Grader Christian Christmas: Christian Christmas is celebrated by Christians and many people in the United States. They believe that God gave Mary a son, Jesus, and he was to be the savior and teacher to all people. He told people about God. The night he was born is the night and following day that we celebrate Christmas. On this day we are to give to others and share the feeling of joy as we celebrate Jesus’ birth together. Some other traditions are to exchange presents, sing songs and little children go to bed early on Christmas Eve to await Santa’s arrival. People all over the country decorate a tree and have a joyful time during this holiday. Hanukkah: Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday in December commemorating the rededication of the holy temple. The menorah is a candle holder for nine candles. The center candle is either higher or lower than the rest. This candle is lit every night. One candle is lit each night of Hanukkah. These candles represent how the Jewish found only enough ritually pure olive oil to light the menorah for one day, but the supply miraculously lasted eight days until a new supply could be obtained. In celebration of this miracle, the Hannakah menorah has eight branches for eight candles or oil lamps. Kwanzaa: Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African heritage and culture. This holiday is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Kwanzaa is derived from a Swahili phrase that means first fruits of the harvest. This is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. This holiday began during the black nationalist movement in the 1960s. It was designed to strengthen the African American community and reaffirm cultural identity. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one and is practiced by Africans of all religions.

December 2010

CALLING ALL WRITERS!

RINGING in the SEASON A

By Gabrielle Morey Journal Staff Home-Schooled Tenth Grader

ach year, the sight of red Salvation Army kettles on street corners and in front of stores, the sound of bells chiming and a warm “Merry Christmas” from the bell ringers has become emblematic of Christmas to me. Sadly, due to the struggling economy and job loss, this money is needed more than ever. Without sufficient funds, Christmas may not be so merry for some Portage County residents this year. The money received during Christmas is used to purchase Christmas dinners, clothing and toys for families who can’t afford them. One cost-free way to help is to simply volunteer. The Salvation Army is always in need of bell ringers, people to distribute gifts and to provide comfort to those confined at hospitals and nursing homes. A couple of years ago, I, along with some of my friends and others from my youth group, volunteered to ring bells

for the Salvation Army in front of the Copps Food Center in Plover. It was touching to see how many people found it in their hearts to give. We rang bells to the tune of popular Christmas carols, thanking people and wishing a “Merry Christmas” to all the shoppers. Ever since then, I have a new respect for bell ringers who stand outside in the cold ringing in the season. Their selfless devotion to a worthy cause is deserving of gratitude. Please show your appreciation to these committed volunteers this holiday by thanking them for donating their time to help others, and, if you can, add a little spare change to the kettle. You will be making Christmas a little merrier for someone this year.

How to volunteer To volunteer to be a bell ringer for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, visit www.usc.salvationarmy.org/stevenspoint or call

715-341-2437 The Red Kettle Campaign ends Christmas Eve.

re you a junior high or high school student in Portage County who loves to write? Are you interested in learning what it takes to put a newspaper together? Do you want your artwork or creative writing pieces published? If you answered yes to any of those questions, a student newspaper in Portage County needs your help. Our Voice, a monthly product of the Stevens Point Journal and The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County, needs a new student staff to write about issues affecting them, entertainment, fashion, books, sports and more. Co-founder Sam Dinga created the publication in summer 2006, recognizing that youths often are disengaged from newspapers. He created this publication to boost interest in reading and writing. Our Voice is delivered to all households in the boundaries of the Stevens Point Area Public School District with students in grades six to 12. It also is available at the Boys & Girls Club sites. There is no fee to join the staff, and students can write as much or as little as they want. If you are interested in learning more, call adviser Nicole Strittmater at 715-345-2249 or e-mail her at nstrittmater@gannett.com.

December 2010

Cool and Clever GIFT IDEAS By Kaylyn Kluck Our Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

hether you have no idea what to get your loved ones for the holidays or you blew all your money on iTunes last week, here are some clever presents you can give to your family and friends that they’ll love. With the poor economy, coughing up cash to buy gifts is next-to-impossible for some people. Do-it-yourself gifts can be a big hit with family and friends because more thought went into it than the swipe of a credit card. Even if you aren’t a Martha Stewart, here are some great do-it-yourself gifts anyone can make. Gift Idea #1: Goodie Baskets Think about what your relative or friend loves. Italian cooking? Animals? Going to the spa? Take

an empty container, basket, or dish instead of a basket, anything that holds things. Fill it and add in some treats with tissue paper or gift grass, and chew toys for good then find cool, small things to measure. (Or instead of put in it that all fit one theme. making this basket, make Hit the grocery store to find a few a donation to an animal shelter in boxes of pasta, cans of sauce, some bread, your friend’s name.) and fancy-looking (but inexpensive) plastic Spa Day- Fill the basket with lots eating utensils and paper plates, and toss it in of nail polish, bath salts and soap, the basket to make a Taste of Italy- themed gift. a rubber duck, or other beauty and Or head to any store with the word “dollar” in relaxation products. the title, (a.k.a., your new best friend) and Cool Color- Throw in fun, make one of these baskets: random things, all in your Movie Magic- Purchase an on-sale recipient’s favorite color. DVD, and get some popcorn and theater With a bit of thinking, you boxed candy so your recipient can have a can think of other themes fun night in. and ideas for gift baskets. Animal Lover- Fill this basket with cute animal Gift Idea #2- The Gift of Music key chains, bookmarks, and funny animal pictures So if you really did blow all your cash on found on Google Images. Glue the images to iTunes, put it to good use. If the list of songs in cardboard with magnet material on the back. If your music library is longer than the Great Wall your friend has a cat or dog, use a plastic water of China, burn CDs for your friends and include Continued on page 6

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December 2010

GIFTS from page 5

some of your favorite songs and the style of music your friend prefers on the playlist for a good mix. Gift Idea #3- Personalize It There’s dozens of things out there for you to decorate. Coffee mugs, tote bags, T-shirts, baseballs, baseball caps, key chains, Christmas ornaments, and pens are all examples of things you can decorate and personalize. Be creative! Gift Idea #4- Fantastic Frames Get a photo frame and insert a picture of you and your friend or family member. You can decorate it too. This is a simple gift but it is a great keepsake. Gift Idea #5- Hot Chocolate Jar Take a large, empty jar and pour hot chocolate powder about 3/4ths of the way up, then fill it to the top with mini marshmallows. Gift Idea #6- Baked Goods Look online or in cookbooks for some yummy recipes you can make. There are endless fudge, truffle,

and cookie recipes out there for you to bake. One good Web site is www.allrecipes.com. Check out their Christmas recipes section and break out those oven mitts. Gift Idea #7- The Music Player Sock Cut the heel and ankle fabric off a colorful sock, and add on rhinestones or patches to make a cute pocket for an iPod, cell phone, or mp3. Gift Idea #8- Cookbook Go around collecting signature recipes from family members, and then put them together to make a one-of-a-kind cookbook for a very lucky recipient. Gift Idea #9- Journal Get a journal and write a special message or inscription inside on the first page encouraging your recipient to write in it, and as a bonus add a cool pen. Journals are great to keep because your friend or family member can put their thoughts and feelings down in a book they will

cherish. Studies show that keeping a journal improves happiness and helps anger and stress issues. Give someone the gift of good will. Gift Idea #10- The Message-aDay Box This is an amazing gift that costs nothing, but 6V it’s amazingly heartfelt. Take 365 small slips of paper (yes, 365, you read it right) and write on them. You could write down anything you want. On each slip, put a memory, a joke, an inspirational quote, a reason why you love them from you or someone else they know, a poem, a funny story, or words of wisdom. You can hunt the Internet for cool things to say, but make sure lots of the slips have messages from you. Once you’ve completed all 365, put them in a decorated box with instructions to read a slip a day. With all the time, effort, and love put into this, anyone is sure to love it.

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December 2010

Spruce up your Thanksgiving leftovers Contributed by Chef Michelle Syring

o your Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers end up sitting in your fridge for days? After the holidays, you might be sick of the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans that you’ve already eaten so much of. Eating those leftovers doesn’t have to be boring, though, because local Chef Michelle Syring offers some easy and creative ideas to spice

them up. Does pomegranate cider sound good on a crisp evening? How about an overstuffed turkey pita with mushrooms and wilted arugula? If you answered yes, read on for fun recipes you can make with your parents. They might sound fancy and scary, but give them a try. You’ll be surprised what new foods you discover when you do.

Overstuffed Turkey Pitas with Mushrooms and Wilted Arugula

Get it 6 cloves 3 thin slices ginger 5 cups apple cider 1 cup pomegranate juice 6 sticks cinnamon

Yield:

Servings

Get it Zest and juice of 1 orange 1/2 cup sugar, plus more if desired Pinch of salt 12-ounce bag fresh cran-

Do it

berries, rinsed

Do it In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water with the orange zest, orange juice, sugar and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Do this for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 7 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the sauce has thickened slightly. Sweeten with more sugar, if desired. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.

Stick 2 cloves into each slice of ginger. In a large pot over high heat, bring the cider and pomegranate juice to a boil with the ginger. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs and serve each with a cinnamon stick.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Sandwiches

Get it

3/4 cup granulated sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg 1 tablespoon molasses 1 1/4 cup flour 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup rolled oats 1 cup dried cranberries 4 ounces cream cheese 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Servings

Get it

Do it

4 pita pockets 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms 2 cups sliced white mushrooms 2 bunches of baby arugula (or baby spinach) Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cups leftover turkey (torn into bite-size pieces)

Trim a narrow strip off one end of each pita and open the pitas with your fingers. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat until the butter stops foaming. Add the cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Do this for about 5 minutes. Push the cremini to the side of the skillet and add the white mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the white mushrooms begin to brown. Stir in the arugula and heat until just wilted. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat. Mix in the turkey and spoon the filling into the pitas. Serve warm.

Pomegranate Cider

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Yield:

Servings

Thanksgiving Green Beans Get it 1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard Couple dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and rinsed 1/3 cup jarred red peppers, coarsely chopped

Yield:

Servings

Do it In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp for 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove skillet from the heat and stir the Worcestershire sauce, sugar, dry mustard and hot sauce into the bacon fat. Return the skillet to high heat. Add the green beans and cook, tossing occasionally with tongs, until crisp and tender. Do this for about 6 minutes. Stir in the red peppers and half the bacon, tossing until warmed through, for about 1 minute. Top with the remaining bacon.

Let your voice be heard:

Write a letter to the Our Voice editor Yield:

Do it Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer beat the granulated sugar with the butter on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses. On low speed, add the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder and salt and mix until blended. Stir in the oats and cranberries. Using your hands, roll a level tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Continue rolling the cookies, and then press each mound flat with a spatula. Bake the cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool. Meanwhile, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Spread the filling on half of the cooled cookies and top with the remaining cookies to form sandwiches.

Do you have opinions about what is happening at your school or in your town? Are you passionate about politics and want to share your thoughts about what is going on in the world? If you’re age 18 or younger and live in Portage County, Our Voice wants to hear from you about these topics and anything else under the sun. Write us a letter about what is on your mind and we might publish it in an upcoming issue of Our Voice. Call Our Voice adviser and Stevens Point Journal reporter Nicole Strittmater at 715-345-2249 or e-mail her at nstrittmater@ gannett.com with questions or to submit a letter to the editor.

December 2010 Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment of Dream Catchers in Our Voice. The seventh will appear in the January issue.

DREAM CATCHERS: The Journey

Our Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader aving to take two weeks off for recovery after being severely struck by lightning was pretty lame, but sadly necessary. Lyd had been bored out of her mind during the first week after the general pain had worn off. Then her central nervous system, (if she had one, that is) suddenly decided to start functioning normally again, and Lyd spent the rest of the time brainstorming. Analyzing the fact that she and Kat had been struck by lightning had helped her reach these conclusions: 1. It was no accident that they were struck. Kat and Lyd were the only Dream Catchers in history that had ever gotten struck. Someone had done this on purpose. 2. It was Cairo. Being a Dream Catcher meant that you were an immortal winged being that lived on top of clouds, and went down to earth every night to blow dreams into the minds of humans. The man who created Dream Catchers, nightmares, and yes, lightning, was a guy who’d been existing since the beginning of time, a dried- out villain known as Cairo, whom the millions of Dream Catchers feared, including Lyd. But she was dying to know what she had done to make the guy who controlled space, time, and just about everything involved with them, so mad that he decided to throw a bolt at her just as she was playing the most important Airball game of her entire short-lived life against Kat’s team. Seriously, didn’t Cairo have better things to do? Lyd sat on the top of the bunk bed in her dorm room, the room she shared with a few other Cairo-colts, other Dream Catchers that Cairo had created. She hadn’t left this room for two weeks, but she knew she had to. She needed to talk to Kat, even though discussing things with her was about as fun as cutting off all twenty of your fingers and toes one by one. So Lyd flapped her gold speckled wings and flew over to the door, opened it up, and stepped outside into the hallway, which was longer than usual, since the Dream Catchers lived on top of the clouds, and they constantly changed shape. Lyd’s room was right next to Kat’s. As Lyd turned to enter the room of her enemy, Dr. Scuvvy came out of it at that exact moment. Lyd wanted to scream in anger, she couldn’t stand Dr. Scuvvy. He was a human, one that Cairo had kidnapped from Earth, where people assumed he had been abducted by aliens. Then Cairo had genetically altered him so he could live way up in the atmosphere and serve the Dream Catchers till the day he died. He had been put in charge of caring for Kat and Lyd after the lighting incident, and he was

so annoying, always poking them with needles, doing physical and mental tests three times a day and bursting in their rooms at the drop of a hat to check in on them. “Oh hello Lydia, glad to see you’re out of your room, but it’s risky you know, you may not be fully recovered,” Dr. Scuvvy said while trying to hold two clipboards, six pens, sterilization needles, and a handful of medical tools in his hand. “I’m fine, and call me Lyd,” Lyd stated blankly. “I have to talk to Kat.” Dr. Scuvvy looked alarmed. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Katronova is still recovering from frontal lobe damage.” “Huh?” Lyd asked automatically. “You see Lydia, I mean Lyd, Dream Catchers have a surprisingly similar anatomy as the humans down on Earth, and Katronova has been suffering mental discomfort and…violent temper tantrums due to the brain damage to her frontal lobe.” Lyd stared at him. “So?” He sighed. “So it’s probably not best for you to see

her now.” “Kat’s like that all the time, if you haven’t noticed, so there’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Later,” Lyd said as she pushed open Kat’s door and locked it behind her. Dr. Scuvvy beat on the door, twisted the knob, and begged Lyd to stop. Lyd ignored him. Something sharp shot through the air in front of Lyd’s face. It was a yellow dart. Lyd jumped back. Kat was sitting on her bunk bed with an enormous box of throwing darts. She was aiming towards a poster featuring a bunch of humans, probably promoting some TV show down on Earth. But Kat kept missing the poster. There were darts on the walls, floors, ceiling, and furniture. “Why,” Kat demanded, “are you here?” “Why are you throwing darts everywhere?” Lyd asked while dodging one that Kat had purposely thrown her way. “Well I have to do something to pass my time, since that human has been keeping me in here. What do you want?” Continued on page 9 “I want your help.”

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December 2010 DREAM CATCHERS from page 8

“Yeah, whatever. We’re going to have to sneak out of here otherwise someone will stop us. I guess everyone else is distributing dreams down below. Everyone will think we’re crazy, but we have to know what’s wrong.” Lyd silently congratulated herself for a job well done. She knew if she brought pride into the matter, Kat would surely agree. “But wait, what are we going to do with youknow-who? He’s the only one here. He’ll report us for sure.” Kat smiled at Lyd for the first time ever. “Trust me, that’s easy.” Forty-five minutes later, Dr. Scuvvy was completely wrapped up in duct tape and locked inside a supply cabinet. “It’s too bad we had to tape him up, he hasn’t done anything wrong.” Lyd said while testing the locked door to make sure it wouldn’t open. Kat shrugged. “It’s no big deal, someone will find him in a few hours and by that time we’ll be long gone.” The girls began packing after that. They had no idea how long the journey to Cairo’s lair would take, so they packed carefully. They each took a large backpack and put in some survival gear, and maps of Headquarters that were so big and complex, the girls weren’t sure if they would be any use. Then they went to the dining hall to pack food. “What should I put in our canteens?” Kat asked. “Grape soda. That’s my favorite.” Lyd answered without thinking. “Mine too.” Kat grumbled, thinking about how creepy it was that she and the person she hated

the most had so much in common. They looked almost identical too, and add in their brutal personalities and love and talent for airball, and you had practically the same person. In fact, Kat and Lyd had even more in common than they thought. They just didn’t know what it was yet. They began their journey soon after. They flew down the long hallways that seemed endless. They raced up stairways and flapped through dimly lit tunnels. After twelve hours of flying, they took a break. “How much longer?” Kat asked while trying to catch her breath. Lyd studied the big map. “I’m not sure. I think we’re somewhere in here.” She pointed to a tangle of hallways. Kat frowned. “Then we’re pretty far away from the lair.” Over the next few days, the hallways grew narrower and narrower. The ceilings got so low, that when they flew, they kept banging their heads. So they walked. “I hate walking,” Kat complained. “It’s like we’re human.” “There’s nothing wrong with humans,” Lyd protested. “Yes, everything’s wrong with humans.” When they weren’t debating this, they fought over their names. “Why in the atmosphere do you insist on being called Lyd? It sounds ridiculous, like the lid of a jar,” Kat declared. Lyd clenched her fists together. “I don’t know. It’s simpler. Why do you insist on being called Kat?” “I think if you had a

name like Katronova, you’d want the same.” And then there was the grape soda issue. Days of constant motion made them thirsty, and they longed for something other than grape soda. “Why,” Lyd gasped of exhaustion, “did we only bring grape soda to drink?” “Because that’s,” Kat struggled to breathe, “what you wanted to drink.” (gasp) “Why couldn’t you have picked,” (gasp), “water?” (Gasp) Eventually, the girls had to crawl because the corridors grew that small. They both hated the dark, cramped space, inching their way through it, and not knowing if it would ever end. They crawled for several days, and their

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“With what?” Lyd sat down in a blue chair. “Have you wondered,” she began, “why they switched our airball fields? Why we were hit by lightning?” Kat stopped throwing darts and looked straight ahead. “Well not really, but now that you bring it up, I am curious. And disappointed. If we had kept playing, we would have destroyed you.” Lyd narrowed her eyebrows. “Yeah right.” “I think so. Now get out of here before you become my next dart board.” Lyd sighed in exasperation. “I can’t talk to you at all, because you’re too dumb to see that something is wrong.” “Just for the record, I am way smarter than you,” Kat said. “You’re just being all obscure to make me seem that way. So get to the point and tell me what you’re implying.” Lyd forced herself not to lose her temper and said, “We need to go see Cairo.” Kat jumped slightly, than finally looked Lyd in the eye. “If you’re trying to be funny, you are so failing.” “Actually I’m not kidding, or trying to be funny, for that matter. We have to go find out what’s wrong. Cairo is the only one who could have thrown that bolt at us Kat, and who knows what he’ll do next.” Lyd said. Kat just shook her head. “Doesn’t anybody who goes to him end up dead?” “Obviously you’re scared.” Kat glared at Lyd. “I am not. Besides, I’m too smart to die.” Lyd grinned, “Same here. Does this mean you’ll go?”

bodies ached of constant crouching. But then, one glorious day, the tiny tunnels came to an end, and they could fly again. “Yes!” They rejoiced to be out of the tunnels. “And we’re almost there!” Lyd concluded after checking the map. After another day, the halls grew to walking size again. As they made their way along, Kat finally spotted it. “THE DOOR!” She screamed and started running towards it. “We’re finally here!” “Wait!” Lyd started running after her, and then, completely out of the blue, the ground opened up to reveal a pit of thriving black liquid that appeared to be deadly, and it practically swallowed

Lyd whole. Lyd gripped the edge, knowing that if she let go, she would fall into the black goo. “Hold on!” Kat said, took out a rope, and pulled Lyd over the edge with it. As soon as she was over the edge and safe, the pit returned to the regular floor. “What was that about?” Lyd gasped for breath. “I don’t know, but I guess we know why everyone else who came to Cairo is dead,” Kat answered. “I wonder what that black stuff was.” “Who knows? And um, thanks for saving me,” Lyd said reluctantly. “Whatever. Now let’s open the door.”

December 2010

DEAD OR ALIVE By Hanna Burch Our Voice Staff St. Peter Middle School Eighth-Grader

Editor’s note: This is the fourth chapter of a continuing series. For Chapter 5, look for the January edition of Our Voice.

he men from the ship (there were about seven of them) sat around the campfire sloppily eating their dinner. One of them, Polly, offered Angela some food. She refused. “Sure you don’t want any, hon? Mighty good,” Polly said, talking with food in his mouth and spewing it all over. Polly had a bald head, glasses, a ratty mustache, and sunken eyes. Angie had soon learned that Polly was very sensitive about his name, and would just about kill anyone who made fun of him. He had a gentle look about him though, wasn’t very muscular but rather was lean, skinny, and appeared delicate. “No thanks. I’m good. Actually, I’m just perfect.

I’ve been kidnapped, taken to a strange island, been surrounded by grubby men, lost my dog, and — well, see? I’m wonderful. Plus, I’m wearing these darned handcuffs.” Angela’s face glowed with sarcasm and furious anger. She didn’t care if she was sassing them. All the men laughed at her insult except for Polly. He scowled and went back to drowning his mouth with food. Toady burped. “Well, it’s time for me to turn in.” He instructed the men on where they were all to sleep. “As for you, girl, you’ll sleep right here on that bench. And I better find you there tomorrow morning, or someone is gonna get hurt.” He warned Angela and pointed at her bench. “Yes, sir,” she smiled sweetly and then rolled her eyes. She was too tired to care what she did, so she didn’t try to be cooperative. Toady shook his head and frowned, not pleased, while mumbling something under his breath. It sounded like a curse. Even though he wasn’t happy, he took her handcuffs off for the night, and Angela was silently grateful.

It was uncomfortable to have them on, especially when trying to sleep. It was about 11 at night, and Angela lay on the bench, freezing cold. The waves crashed in around her and the wind blew a silent, deathly chill. She was a mess. Her face looked awful: Her eyeliner and mascara had smeared, her blush rubbed off, and her bangs stuck to her tear-stained face. The rest of her hair was wind blown and scattered about, tangled in knots. Her clothes were rumpled and her shoes and feet were sandy. She had dirt underneath her now very-much-chipped painted fingernails. Her skin had a rough feeling to it, the smooth, clean feeling long gone. Her sparkling eyes were now a dull, tired green with a tint of gray. Her lips were dry and cracked, begging for some flavored gloss or ChapStick. Her body dragged with fatigue. Finally, after what seemed like forever, her body gave out from exhaustion and her eyes fell shut. Dawn came way too early. Toady had to shout in Angela’s ear to get her up. “OK. OK. Enough yelling. I’m up already!” Angela sighed as she stood and stretched out her cramped back and legs. While the bench had been hard and uncomfortable, she didn’t feel like sleeping on the ground. Angela’s clothes were in poor condition, rumpled with a few tears here and there. Her hair was tangled in even bigger knots, and she felt dirty and disgusting.

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Continued on page 11

December 2010 DEAD OR ALIVE from page 10

Angela hated that feeling. She longed for a warm shower. Toady didn’t hesitate to put Angela to work. The crew was working on making the camp a little bit bigger for reasons unknown to Angela. First, she was ordered to scrub the dishes from last night in the ocean. Then, she chopped wood for a fire. For lunch she was to gather some of the fruit from the trees. Angela was surprised by dinner time at how much work had to be done with barely any supplies and such a small habitat to survive in with so many people. She sat down for the first time that day on the bench, resting for a moment. The men were busily slopping their dinners all over themselves. Unlike last night, the weather had decided to be hot, humid and sticky. The sun was starting to set, but it still beat down on the overheated people. Angela’s stomach was growling, as she hadn’t eaten anything all day except a small apple she had snatched this morning. She gratefully accepted

the plate of mush for dinner, which was really some potatoes and bananas mashed together. Even with the food’s bad taste, Angela choked down as much as she could, knowing she needed the energy and nutrition for her body and not knowing when she would eat again. Toady, kindly, let her go off into the woods by herself for some quietness and to pick some food from the trees for her now unsettled stomach from the unripe bananas and dull potatoes. Toady had only allowed this because he wanted to talk to his men alone. The men were also starting to drink and gamble, and Toady didn’t want her injured from one of them while they were drunk. He also found her kind of a nuisance to have around. That night, Angela lay sobbing silently, her face buried with sand. She didn’t risk waking the other men with her carelessness and her dramatic emotions. Honestly, she felt like screaming and wailing, but she suppressed that feeling and her heart was heavy. She bit her lower lip, daring

herself to not utter one noise and to be slapped by one of the hungover men. The tears still steadily streamed down her burned cheeks though. She missed her mom, school, friends, LuLu, everything. She would’ve killed to go home and clean her house with a toothbrush if it meant leaving these awful men and their smelly, sweaty, big built bodies. Angela had dark black circles around her eyes, and her cheeks were brown with dried mud, dirt, sweat, and sand. In one day, her skin was sunburned and she was pretty sure she looked like a walking tomato. The next day, the men started unloading the ship. Apparently, there was food, wood, clothes, buckets, tents, and lots of other supplies under the ships deck that Angela hadn’t noticed. She unloaded most of it by herself, while the other men stood around talking or complaining about their massive headaches. While unloading the food, she snuck a piece of bread and a cookie.

The delicious taste watered in her dry, tasteless mouth and soothed her throat. The moist bread and chocolate cookie were pure bliss. When she was unloading miscellaneous supplies, she snuck a box of matches in her pocket, thinking they might come in handy later. She had barely finished unloading the ship when she came across another surprise. It was so unexpected that she was scared out of her mind at the sight of him. She had carried off the last box and came back to make sure nothing had dropped or that she hadn’t missed anything under the deck. In a darker part of the corner, something, or someone, had stirred. It was a small movement, but Angela had seen it out of the corner of her eye. She cautiously tiptoed over, only to see a seasick boy, about 16 years old, lying in a crumpled heap under a thin sack used as a blanket. He blinked his eyes open and her sight didn’t register with him for a moment. He had buckets of puke around him and his face was flushed from sickness.

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