Step In

Step In Creative writing by middle school students of the north east independent school district in partnership with the writers in communities program of gemini ink literary arts and ideas

Fall 2006 “You want to step in but the extraordinary scenery keeps you from even breathing.

Joy overwhelms you, you pinch yourself....”

Brandall Harris 6th grade Driscoll Middle School

Cover Illustration by Mark Lopez © 2007 Gemini Ink

Foreword Writer Joan Didion tells us, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see, and what it means.” During the fall semester of the 2006-2007 school year, middle school students from across North East ISD immersed themselves in writing workshops where they were encouraged to reflect in poetry and prose about their own experiences and observations in order to make meaning. This publication, an outgrowth of the fourth year of the North East ISD-Gemini Ink Writing Project for Middle School Students, features some of the unique perspectives offered by these students during this process.

A special thanks goes to district leadership for sharing a vision for our students; to campus teachers, English department chairs, deans, and principals who allowed this project to happen for their students; and to the leadership and writers of Gemini Ink, whose patience, hard work, and expertise made this complicated project work. However, the greatest appreciation is for students who allowed themselves to take risks involved in being writers and allowing others to share their work.

All of us hope you enjoy this collection of student voices.

Virginia Guerrero NEISD Assistant Director for School Improvement - English Language Arts We at Gemini Ink are so grateful to partner with North East ISD in this important project. Prepare to immerse yourself in some of the freshest, most articulate, tender and surprising voices around. You’ll encounter prose about “mystery lunches”, mysterious lockets and the sorrows of war; odes to color and laments for a lost cat; poems discussing young love, strained friendships and playful frogs. It’s all here, and we invite you to “step in” over and over again.

Many thanks to Virginia Guerrero and other district leadership, administrators and campus teachers for your professionalism, passion and desire to achieve educational excellence for each and every student. Your dedication is stunning. Additional thanks to our wonderful writers-in-residence, whose patience and ingenuity helped draw students into discovering their own voices. Without you, this project wouldn’t happen. Much gratitude to all involved in the production of this anthology, including Bett Butler, whose invaluable advice and excellent eye helped shape this collection, and illustrator Mark Lopez, whose persistence and artistry evolved into our wonderful cover. And finally, a huge high-five to the students who participated in this project. You are simply amazing, and we applaud you. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.

Victoria Hanan Director, Writers in Communities - Gemini Ink

Note: Students’ work has been edited as lightly as possible in order to most closely honor the original voices.

THANKS TO The following for their support of this project!

NEISD Superintendent: Richard Middleton Associate Superintendent for Instruction: Alicia Thomas Executive Director for Curriculum Compliance: Don Dalton Executive Director for School Improvement: Carol Harle Director for School Improvement: Patti Castellano Assistant Director for School Improvement - ELA: Virginia Guerrero Secondary Literary Specialists: Nancy Gregory, Honor Moorman and Lisa Stout NEISD Middle School English Department Chairpersons NEISD Middle School Principals and Academic Deans GEMINI INK Executive Director: Rosemary Catacalos Financial Officer: Rachel Christilles Operations Manager: Pat Wall Director, University Without Walls: Nancy S. Borris Director, Writers in Communities: Victoria Hanan Communications Director: Bett Butler Development Coordinator: Kristi Johnson Interns: Jessica Castillo, Marissa DeAnda

Gemini Ink Writers-in-residence: Kristi Beall Cyra Dumitru Diana Lopez Trey Moore Retha Oliver Lyle Rosdahl

Layout, Editing and Spanish-Language Translation by Victoria Hanan Illustration by Mark Lopez Printing by NEISD Printshop

Chapter 1 Bradley MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Retha Oliver

Chapter 1 - Bradley Middle School

These Words My favorite colors...

Purple feels like silk Purple tastes like marshmallows Purple looks like spring flowers Aqua feels like the breeze of salt air Aqua looks like the ocean of Cancun Aqua smells like a summer afternoon Aqua tastes like icing on a cake

Amanda Thompson

These words are my words Your words are your words I can’t write your words You can’t write my words, Cause it’s coming from my heart Is it You? Is it you when you are wearing makeup?

When you dye your hair?

When you pierce your ears?

Is it you when you get a tattoo?

Or plastic surgery?

Is it you?

Adolfo Diaz 7th

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Chapter 1 - Bradley Middle School

Enigma (three haikus)

Grumpiness

The demons haunt me In darkened memories beheld Never awaken

Feels like sandpaper Tastes like a lemon Smells like mulch

Pain I’ve seen in life, The struggles others face in me Nothing can be seen

Grumpiness Is purple, and Sounds like a low screech

In the world I see, All the world roams free in grace The world is no race.

Marissa Skidmore grade

Taylor Craig

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Chapter 1 - Bradley Middle School

Emotions I think

Loneliness is like a black pit Loneliness sounds like nothing feels like emptiness Shyness is like standing behind a glass wall Shyness looks like a scar

I stop, I stand, watch, Wait Yet all I hear is What goes in and what Goes throughout I love, I behold, cherish, Hold But I wait And it breaks From all the Attention

Happiness is like floating on a cloud.

Rachel Luschen

Sadness is blue Sadness feels like a hard stone Sadness tastes like a bitter cold rock Sadness smells like a rainy day

Sandra Alonso 7th grade

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Chapter 2 Bush MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Kristi beall

Chapter 2 - Bush Middle School

The Dark and Light Future of the Earth Written in Japanese Tanka form

Walking down the street Earthquakes shaking the buildings Fires breaking out Then everything stops in place— The peace stops all the chaos

Matt Blevins

Space War The Draydon’s fire is deadly The Huks’ attitude is merciless No man will stand a chance For war will take its toll

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Detroit I come from Detroit I hear auto commercials I taste White Castle burgers I feel at home I wonder what makes White Castles taste so good I know the sound of my dad’s car I see kids outside skipping rope I touch the car I come from Detroit And I want to go back.

Rachel Bernard 7th

Chapter 2 - Bush Middle School

Southern Accents I come from a small town I hear hick Southern accents and loud country music I taste lots and lots of Cajun food I feel tired from running around trying to catch up with all my family I wonder how many people are here I know the fun has just begun I see all my cousins causing chaos I touch the hands of all my family I come from a small town, and I can’t wait to go back again.

7

War It’s not for kids It’s not for anyone But sadly people think They have to do it People die And people cry, Not just soldiers, But their families too

grade

Peace

This is war.

The soldiers are fighting.

People are crying.

Soldiers are dying.

Angels are here.

Rage is in our eyes.

War is not friendly But you can be.

It’s too sad To cope with But sometimes that’s How life is

Alejandra Erazo 7

Kelsey Lafield

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Chapter 2 - Bush Middle School

Game I got dressed and left I went to the basketball game The bulldogs are winning It is half-time and I am cheering Bulldogs are up 80-30 It is two minutes Until the game starts again The whistle blows And the 3rd quarter has begun It is Bulldog ball Number 23 passes The ball to Number 30 And he makes a shot There are 5 seconds until The 4th quarter ends And the Bulldogs are up 90-35 The Bulldogs win!

grade

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The War The war came right before my eyes.

A world came to an end.

Many people chose their fate.

They had no idea what would happen If they met Death face-to-face.

The war ended, quick as a flash.

No one is right.

The heroes floated on Until they found the survivors.

Andrew Bartel 7th

Trombone Section From sliding trombone slides And loud music Is the trombone section playing loud as thunder and doing the rhythm of the rain tapping on the roof Comes the trombone section Playing to the beat

Chapter 3 DRISCOLL MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Cyra Dumitru

Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

Paradise Turtle What happens to dreams when you wake up before they are over?

Do they disappear or do they just stay in the back of your head?

A beach spread for miles and miles, an ocean with never ending depths, a picture that holds my dreams and realities, untouched beauty like never seen before.

Warm clear water calls your name.

In the distance there’s only water and a small school of pompano feeding in the grasses.

You want to step in but the extraordinary scenery keeps you from even breathing.

Joy overwhelms you, you pinch yourself.

Suddenly you wake in a hammock between two palm trees.

Congratulations, your dream has become a reality.

Brandall Harris

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Once I Was a Bird

Chapter 3 - DRISCOLL Middle School

Once I was a bird. so peaceful, so free soaring, flying, gliding among the wind.

I am invincible.

Broad wings, soft feathers.

Finding happiness has never been more easy.

As I softly flap my wings, I glance down.

Beautiful view of life, so natural and special in its own way.

Feeling the soft wind beneath my wings, I am in total relaxation, not a care in the world, I go on. Beyond the views I see the world in a perspective I’ve never dreamed.

I feel like a newly-born infant.

So curious as to everything.

And I go on.

As if all my worries and sorrows have been erased I go on. Flapping, soaring, gliding, never stopping.

I go on, I go on.

The Storm It is a dark and foggy night. Trees blow in the air. The storm clears as gusts of wind blow away. The white fog grows bigger and bigger, so big that it is clearing most of all the darkness.

Brandi Owens 6

Lizette Dominguez

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Chapter 3- DRISCOLL Middle School

Mousie, Mousie Mousie, mousie what is your cheese?

Swiss, pepper jack, string or regular?

Ohh, human, human which is my best?

I don’t know, probably Swiss.

Ohh, dear mouse why do you like it more?

Is it because it is just Swiss?

Ohh, human, I will tell you why, Swiss is the only one I won’t eat alone.

I love them with crunchy crackers.

Mousie, mousie Do . . .

Sorry, gotta go, Ms. Cat is here.

Presciliana Gomez 6 grade

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My Words My words might mean nothing to you but they mean something to me.

If you care I will tell you more: we dream of flying through the sky, these are dreams and they will never go away.

Cameron Cravatt 6 grade

Invisible Words The words are hiding everywhere, hiding in the dark, traveling the sky never to be seen never written not coming out afraid of us or not, tamed, shy or scared listening to everything we say, hiding and never coming out.

Dustin Kalchthaler grade

Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

Hummingbird Who are you?

I don’t know what you did in the past or will do in the future.

I only know what is inside of you.

Your beautiful colorful feathers shine by the touch of the sun.

You fly with joy all the time.

You travel long distance from one place to another.

Your long beak is always helping you to find food and you use it for protection like other creatures like you.

You are special, like no one else.

People use your feathers for making love charms, bringing relationships together.

Nuria Rojas grade

Small Lake

(from an image by Escher) I gaze out of my window while reading a book and see a small lake that wasn’t there before.

At that small body of water I see three large trees hovering over the small pond, leaving three large shadows.

As I look at those wonderful shadows I notice different shaped leave scattered across the pond: some large, some small but all beautiful.

I then see a ripple in the soft water, as I look closer I see a beautiful catfish swimming along the lake.

He looked lost and a little scared.

Bianca Torres grade

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Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

Tiger Turns Back into a Girl Crawling on the jungle floor surrounded by tall grass camouflaged within the flowers Running around and having fun, running to a big open circle of trees, the sun shining right on me A wisp of wind makes me spin.

I’m transforming back into my old self It’s been years.

I never thought it could happen, I’m back to me and I’m very happy.

Ravyn Hardaway 6 grade

San Francisco Bay Clouds puff over the river.

Boats float through nature’s water.

The polluted cans start to rust.

Mist rises to the passing cars on the bridge.

Waves wash salt to shore and birds soar.

The sun beats down.

Prey hides, predators hunt.

Barry Bond’s home run ball splashes as it hits the water.

Citizens hope an earthquake won’t suddenly attack the grounds.

Trolleys take the tourists downhill.

Gilbert Munguia

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Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

Rock of Glass This rock is lavender with a splash of yellow sunshine.

I think of it as a splash of sunshine to brighten my day.

Holding my rock makes me feel comfort, just as I do when I am wrapped up in a blanket.

My rock looks as if it’s holding a cloud right in the middle.

This rock of purple fits right in the middle of my hand. Smooth, shiny surface with the texture of glass.

The rock lifts me up and takes me to a whole new world full of comfort and joy. My rock is full of love, my rock is made of comfort, joy and love.

The White Swans Swans sleeping on the lake so white they shine in the water, their feathers so puffy like a pillow.

A swan is a delicate animal with a really long neck.

It’s something she uses to protect herself.

Swans represent women in one way: they may be delicate but sometimes strong.

I picked this animal because it catches your mind and brings eternal grace.

Ryzan Al-Qarqaz

My rock has a secret to tell me, but it is scared, I do not know why.

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Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

If I Were an Animal If I had to chose between a duck and a beaver, I wouldn’t chose over them!

I would be a platypus, because it too has a duck’s beak and a beaver’s tail!

Wow! Just amazing, the feeling of being a platypus. Makes me want to swim or maybe make some jam.

Little story in my mind, what to do with both my beak and tail?

I know, every time I’m happy I bang my tail and start making bubbles with my beak.

Oh happy day! Being a platypus is so much fun.

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The Words in the Pencil Sitting at home trying to figure out how can I get words to flow – you know, put them together?

How can they stand out?

The pencil is in my hand but it won’t move.

It feels like the words aren’t coming out right, the words flow wrong.

The words just sit there, they have no place to go, they are not together, there is no meaning.

Wait, the words do have meaning, the words can flow.

Then I realize it’s not in the pencil, it’s in me.

Tatiara Johnson 6

Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

Ducks!

Once when I was four, I acted like a duck.

The ground was rocky.

I squatted looking just like the other ducks.

By the watery lake we jumped into the puddle of water.

The water felt icy cold.

I stared at other ducks and quacked just like other ducks.

Time to go in.

Monkey-Boy One time I pretended I was a monkey, I ran through the house, causing chaos and mischief.

Doing this, I went outside and I took a dozen bananas. I slowly peeled a banana and shoved it up my mouth. Eating, I scurried up a tree.

Paul Thompson 6

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Chapter 3 - Driscoll Middle School

The Pencils Have Strong Words I saw people talking and the pencils listening to them.

I saw the pencils being thrown into fires but not revealing.

Even when it comes to love, they will still not reveal their strong words.

The more words I can put down, the more my pencil will run out, even when there is no light, when it is dark.

So now my pencil is run out with strong words following it.

Chris Bishop 6 grade

A Mysterious Shell The shell, the mysterious shell of the ocean, hid a mysterious wonder. A wonder that lies beneath the surface of the calming blue Waters, that holds you as you jump into the sparkling blue surface of treasures and deep blue wonders.

Nathaniel Sanderson

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Chapter 4 Eisenhower MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Retha Oliver

Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School

Haiku Game Tycoons

Petals dance on wind Swinging circles ‘round your head Neither here nor there

Rollercoaster Tycoon Is a great game With every click and button People in line for a snack Or to go to the shack In every corner of the park Build rides and have fun See the people in the sun Have fun while it lasts Till it’s just a memory in the past

Amanda Stringham

Elizabeth Peltier 7th Grade

Once upon a time there was a tall man with black hair who believed in aliens. Nobody in the city believed him until one day the sky turned black.

All the people of the city were outside looking and a spaceship appeared. The people were afraid, but the man with black hair took a motorcycle and went to the spaceship He was happy, having waited all his life for that. An alien appeared and put him in the spaceship and nobody ever saw him again.

Jose Gonzalez 7

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Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School

To My Grandpa, Indilacio Corrujedo 1956-2004

Fairytale Princess

I can hear the sound of the drum I can see my Grandpa baking bread in the adobe oven I touch the fish I am cleaning Smell the rain coming from the North

Mystic meanings for the making For the taking of my life

I taste the trout Grandpa caught, Hear the deer run from my dad, We sit down and pray to our aunt, sisters, They respond by giving us the land Nature that we need.

I’m hiding behind words Of lies and truth and Tales of swords

My tower’s tumbling My crown is crumbling I can’t feel the pea

Elizabeth Farrow th grade

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Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School

Two Season Haiku Warm day on the beach Seagulls squawk and people talk Cool breeze the waves tease Cold snow, cold toes, Froze Trees sway, moon shines, animals scurry Warm cabin fire roars away

Will Lynch

Enchiladas of Chicken with a soda and With an Indio Bro Cool drunk

Erick Villanueva 7th Grade

The cute cat was resting looking at the fish The cat, while resting, was thinking How can I get that fish off that tank?

The cat was imagining growing big as a tiger Then putting the poor fish In a soup And eating it with crackers

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Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School My mother says...

Limpia tu cuarto!!

Saca la basura!!

Ya no uses la computadora!

Banate!

Ven a comer!

Apagate la tele!

Cambiale a un canal Americano!

No molestes a tu hermana!

Degame Dormir!

My mother says...

Clean your room!!

Take out the trash!!

DonĘźt use the computer!

Clean up!

Come and eat!

Turn off the T.V.!

Change it to an American station!

Leave your sister alone!

Let me sleep!

I found a heart; a gold heart Tus ojos amarillos Como la dulce miel Que las abejas cosechan, tu cabello negro como la noche; tu corazon dorado como oro.

Tu piel blanca como un mundo sin nada y dos palabras Te quiero decir: Te amo Your golden eyes like sweetest honey bees harvest, your black hair like the night; your gilded heart like gold.

Your pale skin like an empty world and two words I want to tell you: I love you

Alan Villasenor 7 grade

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Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School

Mistaken Pleasure I walk outside Feel the air See the slippery rocks They seem to whistle In the air Spurts of grass hop to the sky Trees so big You want to sink in them

Heather Mitchell

How nice of my mother Generous of my father To leave me a house So empty and blind After all that they had done After all they said They gave it in a hurry And filled me with dread The house is mine on graduation day I should be happy Though the yelling Haunts me at night, Cries me to sleep I lived there once, a child Hated and depressed Their shouting and fighting reminds me of old times Though I was fortunate to get the house I plan to burn it the next day.

Rachel Komorek 7th

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Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School

Poor Bob went to the bar to get drunk again He finds, on his way, a cat. A shabby, dirty cat. So, the guy starts talking to the cat. When people passed by they thought he was crazy.

I mean as a kid, he was abandoned and thrown in a river filled with crocodiles A guy tried to help him, but by jumping in the water, he got eaten by crocodiles.

The cat got annoyed after a while, so it attacked. Poor Bob, it seems that everything beats up Bob. Even an ant.

Richard Bravo 7 grade

Haiku Migas: warm healthy Makes breakfast yummy to eat Have them on Sundays.

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Chapter 4 - Eisenhower Middle School

All Right, After All Kerrigan sits nervously, her flute tapping on the chair because of her shaking. She has been working on her solo for months, and decided to give it a go at the solo and ensemble contest.

“I can’t do this!” she thinks. Now that she is finally here, she is more nervous than when she was riding the Superman at Six Flags.

“Kerrigan!” cries her mother, running up the hall. Kerrigan is too nervous to respond. “Oh lordy, you look very stressed... but careful, you might damage your flute.”

Her mother takes the flute from Kerrigan, examines it for a second, then sits down next to her.

“How do you do this now?”

Her mother brings the flute up to her lips and blows as hard as she can, sending a shrieking sound through the nearly empty halls.

Kerrigan looks at her mother and begins to laugh; they both laugh loudly until Kerrigan ends up on the floor.

“See what you have to be grateful for? I can’t even play a note!”

Kerrigan nods and grins ear to ear, not nervous anymore.

“Kerrigan Etchen!” cries the judge.

“Thanks, mom,” whispers Kerrigan, and walks into the judging room to try her hardest on the song. It was all right, after all.

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Chapter 5 GARNER MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: lyle rosdahl

Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

An Old Woman’s Memory As I sit here alone, I see the world the way I saw it when I was a young girl, Running, running through the grassy green meadows, watching As the sun faded into darkness, feeling the dark engulf me, wanting Wishing for the sun to return so I can continue my quest to find the edge of the Earth and be the happiest person alive, not worrying, We were sleeping in the night Not caring about the world that is so far away.

The screaming began here came the fight A fight for life of a child Marina Deyle Choking not breathing poor little child Fear in the house death outside We gathered together waiting for an answer Parents are yelling, police aren’t coming Brother is dying just waiting there lying Death is near but wait hope hope appears One breath then two He’s alive not dead Our prayers were answered Thank You

Death Crept In

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Andreas Fiel 8

Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

The Passage of Time • • • • •

He watched, the ever-fading blue turning red, and giving new light to the world.

Etched into history, written with the blood of his enemies. The conqueror stands alone, Alexander.

Attack! The East battles the West, Constantinople falls to Rome, brothers fight, comrades fall. An asp claims them all.

It twisted and turned, convulsing at every motion, consuming the light, blocking it from our sight. It’s coming.

He sat alone, darkness all around him. The darkness twitched.

Corbin Senser

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Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

The Story of Pop Jaw Shaw He veered the wheel to the left. His hair is thrown back into the air, only held by his skinny, egg-shaped head. He opened his mouth, revealing several chipped and decaying teeth. He popped his jaw, an unfortunate characteristic he developed in his childhood. He bent over the steering wheel, trying to hide behind the windshield, but all at once his toothy grin was wiped from his face. His feet were thrown from the floor. He was catapulted from the safety of his vehicle. All of the people watching the water saw his boat collide into the dock and then they saw his frail body hit the wooden walkway.

His arms hit the ground first, and he was welcomed to the terrain with a broken leg, the bone poking out of the skin. His chipped teeth now separated from his mouth and were scattered about. His face was not on the same level anymore and as he lay there, he popped his jaw once more. The ambulance drove off as he was wondering what he could do next.

Sirens were all he could hear. Everything was a blur. A bunch of bright colors meshed together. Exhaustion took over. He closed his eyes and slowly fell into a deep, painful slumber. When he awoke, he was in a dirty hospital bed. He tried to move - it was impossible. It seemed that both his legs were completely shattered and his lifelong dream of running a marathon was crushed like his jaw.

Then a man walked into the room, popped his jaw, smiled, pulled out a revolver, pulled the trigger and walked out. Pop Jaw Shaw was dead in a hospital bed.

A.J. Heinke

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Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

The Anthem of 0-12 Those seconds went away The team was driving today There was a completion, but no timeout For all their timeouts were wasted away And they just stood, looking Wondering how much time had gone away With five seconds on the clock The quarterback took the final snap that day But he threw an interception And it’s 20-15 on that day But if you think that is just a bit of bad luck But that’s how it went for Duke every game day There were no victories this year for the Blue Devils Whose fault it was, I cannot say And if you’re thinking about cheering for their football team You and your thoughts need to just go away.

The Great Escape She sat in her little blue chair. Leaving the little blue chair. Flopping around in her little blue dress. Seizing the opportunity. An open red door towering above with the sun shining through the window.

The great blue sky. The door flies open. Pitter patter.

She runs out the door.

Following the road wherever it may lead her.

Never stopping. Until her mother caught her.

Carried back to the chair.

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Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School They laugh at his lame try.

His ghazal sucks.

He tried his best to no avail, for no inspiration came to him.

Now he feels bad for they are mean and laugh at his try.

They don’t know what it feels like.

Their ghazals don’t fry.

So now he sits alone except for his lame ghazal try.

Have no fear, he will not cry at his terrible ghazal try.

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A Young Girls Dream As I sit here alone, I look out of my bedroom window and see the sun Mesh into the horizon and find myself watching entranced, wondering, If I would ever see the sun again, Ever see the sun that led my quests throughout the city, and one day, The sun that would lead me on my quests throughout the world, The giant world I know so little about, I want to get out. I need to get out of here, my backyard never changes, But the world that is so far away always will.

Marina Deyle 8 Grade

Shadow He was just walking down the street. It was raining, and almost nobody was around. He had no hood on his jacket, so he popped his collar and ducked his head beneath the Sunday newspaper he had bought earlier that day. He didn’t feel like going any faster than he already was. He wasn’t in the mood. As he dragged himself wearily through the cement pavement of the park, a dark shadow passed by him. He jerked his head. “What was that?” he thought. He guessed it was just a small animal, like a dog. Suddenly, again, he saw the shadow. He felt a strange presence. He turned around.

A shadow, that’s all it was, his shadow.

Tormenting his mind playing tricks on him. He ignored it and continued his odyssey. Many times his shadow stalked him as he trudged back home.

Many times he paid no attention. “Home at last,” he gasped as he pulled out his key. A lone figure stood in the door, barring his entry, halting his progression into the house. It stood there mocking him, calling out his name and taunting him, spinning him around until he finally gave out. His heart stopped. The shadow faded away.

Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School Salty air fills my lungs as I step out into the water.

Wet sand oozes through my toes as water laps at my ankles.

One, two, three, four steps farther and farther I go, the sandy beach shrinks with every step.

Then I wait.

Though I know not of what I’m waiting for.

Maybe a wave to come crashing down on my thoughts.

Maybe a fish to brush my legs.

It could be anything.

Who knows?

Rachel Perrine 8

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Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

Sadly Happy Bobby sat lazily by the ocean thinking what he was going to do with his life. All he wanted was his parents to love him.

Nobody cared about him, not his parents or brother. How lonely it was sitting there on a dark beach, watching the water wash back and forth. “What do I want to be?” he asked himself out loud. He wiped the tears away from his pale blue eyes. “I’ll take my life into my own hands,” he thought, as he wandered down to the shore. The water washed away the sand off his feet. He stood there, staring, mesmerized by the deep, dark, blue water. The moon, usually bright and beautiful, was absent that night. Bobby stared at his feet, not knowing where they would take him. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A small crab in pursuit of its family. As Bobby watched, the family of crabs moved faster.

Bobby got down on his knees and grabbed the little crab and put it back with its family. But the family moved away, leaving the crab behind. Bobby smiled as the darkness and water surrounded him.

Gavin Wood 8 Grade

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Washed upon the shore, on the gritty, hot, dry sand, seaweed covered on top of it, blocking the beautiful white and tan shell.

It is so smooth yet a little rough from its rigid lines.

Holes in its shell from no telling what.

Picked up by the hands of a three year old, brown haired, brown eyes, nasty, dirty, slimy-handed child, yelling at her mama to come see what she has found lying washed up on the seashore.

Kayla Francis 8th

Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

Sally Sold Seashells by the Seashore I bought a seashell from Sally.

I didn’t expect it to be defective.

I listened all I could but couldn’t hear the ocean.

When I got back to Iowa no one believed me about the ocean.

They couldn’t hear it.

Catherine McCurdy

Three Haiku grazing in the field no schedule to follow moo ice cream, milk, and cheese all are very dairy moo like an old movie black and white spotted moo

Carissa Washam

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Chapter 5 - GARNER Middle School

There Once Was a Boy Who Chose Not to Wear Underwear Gavin was very insecure, always biting his nails and twirling his hair, sitting in class all alone. After school, he goes on home to his mommy and doesn’t do anything at all. He waits for the day to be over, then climbs into bed to go to sleep. Then he wakes up in the morning to put on his pants, shirt and shoes. One day, Gavin decided to not be so free all the time and put on a pair of underwear. He felt strange and even more self-conscious than ever.

Throughout the school day, people noticed the unusual lump in his pants but didn’t say anything. Gavin went home and decided that underwear just wasn’t for him.

Adele Marini

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Chapter 6 HARRIS MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: KRISTI BEALL

Chapter 6 - HARRIS Middle School

Best Fit Sahara, my best friend and desert Kallie, the friend I found Sahara, an internal sister Kallie, a friend indeed Divide them in half And what do you get?

1 good friend for me.

Abbie Hahnel

The Sky Smell the blue of the sky See the air all up so high Taste the life of the sky Hear the clouds rolling by

Andrew Stock 6th

Revealed A cup falls to the floor I start running to the door My secret’s been revealed All certainties unsealed I back so very far away For what really could I say?

No words could now regain The trust that had been slain I looked down at the ground Not making any sound A tear dropped from my cheek “Your excuses were pretty meek.”

Once-friendly faces start to mock Their words bring to me a shock So I murmur, please leave me be The damage is done, don’t you see?

And now I realize something: This sudden revelation, born out of nothing I truly had no right To even try to start that fight.

Elizabeth Tarnosky

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Chapter 6 - HARRIS Middle School

PASSION OF MY DREAMS When I dance I feel my life is A beautiful and Passionate dream To dream the impossible dream is never far away On the dance floor I am free to express my unending dream, to always dance I dance with undying passion And passion Fills my dreams With my love of dance

Sunsets Sunsets---they will put a smile on your face In the cool morning breeze Sunsets all different shades of Yellows, oranges and reds When you’re watching a sunset That’s all you see Nothing else Just the sunset On the beach, On your porch, Anywhere you are The sunset is beautiful

Amy Veilleux

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Chapter 6 - HARRIS Middle School

The Last Breath...

Love/Hate Love, my heart pounds like crazy Hate, my eyes flare up Love, I go numb all over wishing and Waiting for his soft touch once more.

Hate, I turn my back and walk on.

Love, why did it choose me?

Hate, how could I have let it happen?

Kaley Adams

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When I saw you there suffering from pain, I stood by and watched you cry out to me And say, “I want to go home.”

I stood there being selfish, not wanting you to go so far.

I tried so hard, not wanting to see the day.

I knew it was coming. I thought not so soon.

My love I have for you is more than I think of, And when I cry out for you, Will you be there?

You said, “I love you.”

You clenched my hand.

I saw peacefulness in your eye that day you said, “I will be with you,” and then it was goodbye.

Brittany Ann Galan

Chapter 6 - HARRIS Middle School

Lips of an Angel 24-7: You are watching, 24-7: I am waiting.

Will you really come back?

I need to keep praying. What do I need to do?

How long will it take?

Did I do something wrong?

Am I doing something wrong?

Oh, one more thing, will your angels always be watching over me?

I have so many questions.

When will they be answered?

When I pray the night that I do, I hear them telling me that everything will be okay!

Every night, I hear this over and over again.

Are they warning me?

“What is it?” you may ask.

It’s them. The Angels.

They come down from heaven To watch over me and you.

Will they do that if you don’t pray?

Yes!

The Girl!

The girl who sat at the window is tired Of being perfect She is tired of the expectations That she must reach.

There are groups Like popular, average, unpopulars She is tired of being branded According to style.

This girl is tired of being unwanted.

But the problem is, she is popular.

So why does she feel so unwanted?

Alexis Faulk

Halie Boyd

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Chapter 6 - HARRIS Middle School

Water Water.

Water is hot Water is cold Water is new Water is old Water is life Water is death Water will take away your breath

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MAPLE-SUGAR CHILD Child with a bright mind A sweet child A maple-sugar child A child with a smile A sweet child A maple-sugar child A child with gleaming eyes A sweet child A maple-sugar child

Rebecca Neal 7th grade

Chapter 7 JACKSON MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: LYLE ROSDAHL

Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

All Quacked Up “Once upon a time...wait, wait, wait.”

“What’s wrong, Grandfather?” questioned Little Billy.

“That’s not how it starts. It begins like this: Once upon a tail feather, there was a pond, not just any pond but a marvelous blue pond. All the ducks ever wanted was a chance to swim in that very pond, but some ducks would never get their chance.”

“What happened next, Grandpa?”

“Next, the most crazy thing happened,” Grandpa sighed, with a look of pure grief and misery in his eyes. He closed his oval-shaped eyes and waited to gain back control.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

“Two-legged creatures began taking some of the ducks’ newly hatched chicks from their nests. They took them away to their big blue car. There was something written on the car, but none of the ducks were able to read anything other than duck. These aliens looked slightly similar to the person they called the farmer.

Everyone was scared. We didn’t know what to do. We were confused and we needed assistance. We called upon the pigs. We knew this would be the beginning of a catastrophic war: WWQ (World War Q).

We spent months slowly enlarging our forces. We had been divided into three brigades : Sky Division One, Wild Pig Raiders, and Water Gun Corps. This was a sign that the war had just begun. Then we called upon our scientists to locate the missing duck children. They tracked them all the way downtown to an old train station that had been converted into a huge museum. The ducks were located on the first floor. The only problem was that all 100 ducks and 12 pigs had to travel downtown from their farm. They waited for the dark of night. They began their journey across the eight lane highway to the other side, where the museum is located. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the farm was located on the major highway. Sorry.) When they arrived...”

Little Billy then fell fast asleep, for this story was getting boring. For the rest of the story, all you could hear was the raspy snoring of sleepy Little Billy. Poor Grandpa lost his hearing in WWQ. If he hadn’t, then maybe he would have gone to bed.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Magic on a Rainy Evening A man and a monkey walk into a country inn and her one act life begins. As the spotlights shine down she gives each line. It is no longer a calculated delivery, but a natural conversation. Strange and stranger events unfold and she takes them as an innkeeper’s humble daughter. Even offstage, she does not, cannot, let her concentration break. She is unaware of the audience. Why would life have an audience? Each step is unquestionable, each movement like second nature. The story is her life, her only life. And then the lights go out and she is merely herself again.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Elvis and the Zombie Man Elvis was sitting in a diner thinking of the name of his next album, not knowing he was being watched.

Not by the normal paparazzi, but by a stalking zombie in the vent next to him. Snapping various pictures with his camera, the zombie man, who we’ll call Markison Willis, was currently occupied with his stalking habits. So occupied that he didn’t notice his flash going off.

Out of the corner of Elvis’ eye, he saw the flashing and looked up from his cup of piping hot coffee. That’s when he saw the zombie man with a very hairy chest and mysterious silver circle with an “x” in the center.

It was very strange because all he saw was that zombie man didn’t have a camera.

Elvis stood up and headed for the vent. Thinking aloud, he said, “Where is the camera? Maybe it’s the circle on his chest. O-r-r-r... ” He stretched the last syllable, pondering...

“Oh my good gravy. Where’s his head?!” he screamed in his best Elvis accent. Everyone looked at him strangely, and out of nowhere a flying unicorn swooped in and ate him all up while Markison snapped pictures with the odd circle in his chest. Everyone lived happily ever after. Well, except Elvis, that is.

The End.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

War's Sorrows “Run! Don’t stop!” my mother screamed, as she hurried us into the bomb shelter in our backyard.

Boom!, we heard as bombs were dropping. Then I dove into the shelter.

The Nazis had been bombing England for a long time.

Boom! , we heard again. The red hair on my neck stood up. The blast shook my little body.

Boom!

My eyes started watering. Mama says she hates it when I cry - you can’t see my pretty brown eyes.

After a long horrible night, we came out to see what was left of our house. It was gone. I would fall into Mama’s arms and cry, “Why, Mama? Why?” “It’s going to be all right, dear.” And then my mother would calm me by saying it would all end soon, but life just hasn’t been the same this past year - just bomb after bomb after bomb. But Mama says we’re going to be leaving England. We’re going to America somehow.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The past two weeks, the city was being cleaned up by the citizens. While Mama was trying to get tickets to America, I was regathering all our stuff, even though there wasn’t much. Then suddenly Mama came running back to our broken-down house. The weird thing was that she was running with joy. Mama came running to me, picked me up, and told me we got the last ticket to America. We walked five blocks to the docks, where we waited two grueling hours for our ship. But when the ship did come, everybody on the whole dock thought it had been bombed too. It was rusty, and there were holes all through the hull. To make things worse, when we tried to board, we found out we didn’t have tickets. Mama had been swindled.

This broke Mama’s heart because it was our only way out of this godforsaken place.

Tears streamed down my face as we walked down the dock. But when we passed the recruiting office, I suddenly became enraged. I ran into the office. Boom. The bombs had started dropping once again. Boom.

The lights went off with that sound and they never came back on.

Jonathon Reinfeld died on April 5th, 1914, just two days before his tenth birthday.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

No More Chances Roaring proudly for their team, the crowd began to shake the stadium. The volunteers scored with five seconds left to tie the game at seven. On the last play of the game, with enough time, the coach called a razzle-dazzle play. The quarterback got the ball and handed the ball to the running back. The running back lateraled it to the wide receiver, who chunked the ball down the field to the quarterback who made an amazing diving catch to win the game. Churchill’s high school band played with great excitement, fans yelled, players cried, and coaches shook hands for a good game. The next day, the exciting game was described in the paper as the “best high school football game yet”. The two teams kept winning and winning, and finally met in the district finals. Finally, the Volunteers came running out of the lockers pumped and ready to go. Churchill came with great intensity and looked great during warm-ups. The Volunteers won the coin toss. They chose to receive. On the first play of the game, the Volunteers allstate quarterback threw a 50-yard pass to the receiver for a touchdown. Churchill came ready to play.

Then suddenly the young, great quarterback of Churchill dropped back, but got sacked. The trainers told our coach he had torn his ACL. All of a sudden, the Churchill stadium went silent. The rest of the game, Churchill got blown out. The final score was 42 to 6, Volunteers. Churchill’s chances to go to the state championship were over. The starting quarterback was out for the season. The seniors were crying. They wouldn’t get another chance. It took the sophomore quarterback 11 months to heal, but he wasn’t as good as he used to be. Since Churchill didn’t make the playoffs, Lee went to the playoffs and took what Churchill wanted: a state championship.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The Little Fairy Once upon a time, there was a fairy that ran away from home. The Little Fairy had problems. She couldn’t fly and she was out of fairy dust. All the other fairies would make fun and call her names. So she ran off to find the wizard of Fairytale Land, in order to ask him for more fairy dust and her fairy wings back. He lived on Wizard Lane, which was halfway around the world. Luckily, there was a grandfairy that could get her there in a matter of minutes with her big wings. She lived only a block away from the Little Fairy. On the way, she found Little Red Riding Hood. She was sitting on the curb, crying. The fairy went to comfort her and asked, “Why are you crying?” Little Red Riding Hood said, “I don’t have any cookies to take to my grandma’s house and I also lost my red-hooded jacket.” The Little Fairy then said, “Come with me. I’m going to the grandfairy who can take us to the wizard of Fairytale Land. I think the wizard has what you need.

We only have to go down this street, Fairy Lane, and it’s the second house.” The Little Fairy and Little Red started to go toward the house. When they got there, they smelled something that made both of their stomachs growl. They rang the doorbell. The grandfairy came to the door. “Yes, how may I help you?” the grandfairy asked. “What’s that nice smell?” they asked. She replied,“Fresh-baked cookies.” Little Red asked, “May I have some?” “Yes, you may,” the grandfairy responded. “Do you also have a red-hooded jacket that I can borrow on the way to my grandma’s house to give her cookies?” “Yes, I have one that you may have.”

The Little Fairy thought if she has all that stuff, she should have some fairy dust and a pair of spare fairy wings. She asked. “Yes, I have all of that. You can have all the fairy dust you need.” “Oh, O.K. Thank you,” she said. Once they got all their stuff, they left and thought, Wow, that was nice. The Little Fairy and Red had all they needed, and lived happily ever after.

The End.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Do You Know Who You're Talking To? The heavy sweat ran down Bridget’s spine. She was tired of running, but knew she couldn’t stop. She glanced around the dark alley, which contained a dead end. She could hear the heavy footsteps coming, the loud icy breath getting closer and closer. Bridget could barely stand up from running at least a mile with full speed, but again she knew she had to keep going. She once again looked around the alley for a way out.

To her left was a burnt-down boarded building. She stumbled through the darkness and reached the waterdampened door. Since the door was soft, Bridget thought she could pull it apart from its hinges. With the success of this challenge, Bridget was ready to climb inside. One of her feet was in the doorway when cold hands grabbed her neck. The impact on her throat was overwhelming, and she could feel her life slipping away. She knew in a few seconds she would be dead, without a doubt.

With the sound of a gunshot, the hands slipped away from her throat. Bridget fell to the floor with such force, it made her unconscious.

She woke up in the hospital later that night. Next to her bed was her mom, crying heavily. Bridget mumbled something about pizza. No matter the situation, Bridget always thought about food. She tried to sit up on her hard and uncomfortable bed. Her mom, Mrs. Hogit, looked up from her handkerchief, surprised and happy that her daughter was all right. She stood up from the chair next to her bed and walked over to her daughter. She gently grabbed Bridget’s hand, tears streaming down her eyes more ferociously than ever before.

“How are you feeling?” Mrs. Hogit asked. She could barely get that small sentence out.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School “I feel fine; my neck just hurts a little.” Bridget noticed the opened pizza box at the round wooden hospital table. “I’m a little hungry, though. Got any pizza left?” Mrs. Hogit didn’t know what Bridget was talking about. To help her poor mother out, Bridget pointed to the box across the room. Her mom rolled her annoyed yet sympathetic eyes at her daughter. She walked to the box and grabbed it. Mrs. Hogit walked back to her daughter, holding the pizza box out in front of her. Bridget took the biggest pizza slice she could find that was left over. She looked down at the pepperonis, remembering the event that happened earlier that night.

How it all started out was with her delivering a package. Her friend, James, or as she called him, Juggle, said it was very important that she deliver it to a guy waiting at 7832 Window Lane. Bridget never wanted to upset her only true friend, but knew she was in for a world of trouble.

Around 11:40 at night, Bridget was approached by a tall guy. She didn’t feel very afraid of the familiar, muscular and mean-looking man in front of her. All the man did was stick out his hands, waiting for the package.

Bridget looked in her pocket for the small package but couldn’t find it. She could tell the man was getting impatient while she searched her surroundings thoroughly. Finally the man spoke up.

“Where’s the package?” his cold voice asked. He glared at her with evil eyes that looked too familiar - as though Bridget should know who this person was.

“I don’t know where it is. I think it fell out of my pocket.” She smiled uncomfortably.

“Do you know who you’re talking to?” he asked, stepping towards her. She decided to make a run for it, not knowing she was very lucky to get out of that situation alive.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School She zoned back to the present: the empty hospital room. She just realized that her mom was gone. Probably to get some coffee at the visitor’s lounge. There was a pounding knock at the door. The intense sound scared Bridget. The person knocking didn’t wait for a response.

Bridget let out a sigh. It was her Dad. “Hi, Dad. What are you doing here? I thought you had to work today.”

He didn’t answer. Bridget got very uncomfortable, but didn’t know why. He stared at her with the same evil eyes she saw earlier. That’s when she realized the familiar guy was her dad, the guy she thought she knew.

“Dad, you’re the guy, “ she said, but was stopped by the gun her Dad pulled out of his pocket. “Dad, you wouldn’t do that to your own daughter, would you?”

“Yes, I would.” His voice crackled as he pointed the black, loaded gun at her. He pulled the trigger and the bullet nearly hit her shoulder. A curse word came out of his mouth as he pulled the trigger again.

Thankfully, Bridget got out of the bed in time and headed for the door.

Bridget looked back, hoping she wouldn’t regret it. There was her father pointing a gun right at her, staring at her with the same evil and now angered eyes. A bullet came right to her, ending her life.

Mrs. Hogit stepped into the open room to the sight of her daughter lying on the floor. She looked up at the evil eyes of her husband and smirked.

Precious Lekwuwa

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The Shepherd Once upon a time in 13th-century Scotland, there lived a shepherd. This shepherd was known as William, the shepherd. William loved his sheep, doing everything possible to keep them out of trouble. One day, Wolfie was caught in a thornbush. Now since Wolfie was very old, he couldn’t call to his master as a sheep. He would have to use his human call.

“William! William, I m stuck in a thornbush and I think I might be bleeding,” cried Wolfie.

“Who is that?” called William, feeling that he was dreaming.

“It’s Wolfie. I‘m over by the rainbow grass hills.”

Now William felt sick and thought he wasn’t all there, remembering his fall off the roof a few days before.

“Hello, William,” said a mysterious fairy. “You must do three tasks to save your sheep.”

“Fine,” William said.

After joisting against great knights, taming great beasts, and fighting the underworld, he was then reunited with Wolfie.

“I remember when you were first born. I named you Wolfie due to the attempt of a wolf that almost ate you.”

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The Perfect Couple Let me tell you a story of a couple, Ben and Kendra. You see, they weren’t like any other couple. They were a real couple, not like all those other couples who cheat on each other and etc. Ben and Kendra really loved each other (they’ve been with each other since kindergarten!) They’re the type of couple you would see in the park sitting on the bench and just holding hands and looking at each other. They’re the type of couple that you look at and imagine yourself being just like that with your special someone. Well, anyway, Ben was a skinny but good-looking guy, and just looking at him you’d think he’d be in a rock band with his dark shaggy hair and pierced lips (sounds like my kind of guy.) But Kendra was the complete opposite. She was a beauty queen with her hair as dark as midnight and blue eyes with porcelain skin. Anybody who passed by her would gasp and envy her beauty. But when Ben and Kendra were together, either at the grocery store or mall, everybody, even the grumpy old man who cursed at everyone, would stop and say, “Wow, how perfect can you be?”

So one day Kendra and Ben were driving through traffic and all of a sudden an 18 wheeler comes and drives over their car and, of course, they died. But that wasn’t the end of their journey.

“Sweetie, why are we flying? What happened?” Kendra asked. She was floating above their car crash and didn’ t even bother to look down.

“I think we‘re flying high above the clouds to the stars. We’re dead,” Ben responded.

“No!! We can’t be. Can I hold your hand to be safe?” she said. The wind was making her hair cover her face, so she really couldn’t see Ben’s ghostly face.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School “Sure, honey. “ Suddenly a huge tornado comes, sucks their spirits and they’re traveling through this dark hole at 1000 miles per hour. They really can’t say anything due to almost peeing in their pants. (Oops! Silly me! Ghosts can’t pee in their pants! Ha ha!) Anyway, after being sucked into some kind of black hole and being scared to death (You get it? Scared to death and being dead! Ha ha!)... O.K., so they land in this living room. A red living room where everything seems to be red and there was this little table next to a sofa with a bowl of red mints. Ben took a mint and popped it into his mouth.

“Ahhhh. Hot, hot, hot!” he said as he spit it out, letting it fall to the ground with dribble and such. It sizzled. Anyway, as they looked around the room Kendra noticed a small peephole in the wall. She looked in it and screamed. What she saw scared the poop out of her. Fire. People on fire. Houses on fire. Cars on fire.

The sky on fire. She turned around and touched Ben’s shoulder.

She whispered in his ear, “Honey, we’re in the down under and I don’t mean Australia. “ “Whoa. How did we end up here?”

“I don ‘t know!” she shouted.

“Well, let’s see who owns this place,” he said.

“El diablo!” she said in a Spanish accent.

“Right, so who’s his enemy?”

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School “God?” she said, unsure.

“Yeah, so maybe we should pray. God could get us outta here,” he said, looking up.

“Uhhh, sure,” she said.

They prayed and prayed and prayed but nothing happened. They heard horrifying screams beneath the floor.

“What are we going to do?” she cried. Her tears fell to the ground and made a hole in the floor. A blue hole with the prettiest streak of light coming out of it.

“Cry some more,” Ben said, kneeling next to the hole.

“I can’t!” she shouted.

“Here, take one of these,” he said, handing her one of the red mints that had burned his mouth. Carefully, she placed it on her tongue.

“Ahhh. Hot! Hot! Hot!” she cried. Hot streams of tears came out of her eyes like a water fountain. More blue holes appeared as the tears splashed onto the ground, until there was a huge blue hole with blinding light coming out. The couple jumped into the hole and somehow landed on a shooting star. That dropped them into a big white hole.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

As Kendra opened her eyes, she saw a butterfly flying in the distance. She sat up and looked around. Hills covered in colorful flowers, swing sets with the faint sound of laughing children and orchestra music surrounded her. She looked to her side, where Ben was staring at her with his sparkling green eyes.

“We’re here, honey,” he said.

“Where?” she asked.

“Heaven,” he said, as he grabbed her hand and lifted her up. They walked off holding hands and looking at each other. Finally, the perfect place for the perfect couple.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Mystery Lunch “Ewww!” I said, looking at the jiggling piece of mystery lunch that was moving toward me. As it was getting closer and closer to me I thought, I bet if I turned the lights off, it would glow in the dark!

Finally the tray of who-knows-what was being shoved into my hands as the old, dirty, hairy lunch lady said in a weak old voice, “Here’s today’s specialty,” and let me tell you, there was something special about this mystery lunch! My friend and I started to walk slowly toward a lunch table, when we noticed the mystery lunch was bubbling! We both turned our heads and looked straight into eachother’s blue eyes with a flabbergasted look. Still looking at each other and walking, we all of a sudden stumbled over something we couldn’t explain. That’s when we noticed the mystery lunch had something in it to make us fall asleep wherever we were. We noticed everyone was falling on the ground on top of the mystery lunch. Then we noticed teachers were even fainting. By then, we knew we couldn’t eat the mystery lunch. We headed straight for the trash and threw everything away, even the trays. I mean, hey, there were no teachers there to yell at us.

Then we went back to the old lunch lady and said, “What is in the lunch besides gross stuff?”

She replied with this, “I have no idea what you re talking about.”

Then I said, “Oh, so you’re saying everybody is fainting just because, oh, I don’t know, they feel like it?”

“I guess so... O.K., all I know is that I saw some ladies pouring something over it. Oh, and I know you were probably thinking that it glows in the dark. It can.“

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My friend and I looked at each other again, and turned around and saw that everybody was up and fine.

We started to walk slowly toward someone who had passed out and I said, “What just happened? Are you O.K.?”

She simply replied with, “What are you talking about?”

We were both in shock and said, “Didn’t you just... nevermind.”

From that day forward, I never bought mystery lunch.

Shelby Dockery

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The Forest Council of Rainbow Hall Once upon a time, there was a winged lion who lived in the mythical forest of colors. The lion’s name was Leo, Sir Leo, and he was the ambassador of the forest. All the mythical creatures looked up to him, even the beyond-docile elves who did nothing more than seek the company of themselves.

One bright morning, like any other, Sir Leo stalked about his forest for trouble when a small, purple rabbit with an orange tail came rushing up to him with desperation in her voice. “Sir Leo,” she panted, her eyes wild. “Yes, Miss Lilly?” Leo inquired, leaning down to the rabbit. Miss Lilly was the delegate of the Bunny Clan, a horde of multicolored rabbits that lived near the Rainbow Stream. “The elves have been pushing us out of our territory, sir! Something must be done!” She cried, stomping her large feet, her green nose twitching in frustration.

“Ah, yes. The elves. Very well, Miss Lilly. I will see what I can do during the next Forest Council. I will have a phoenix deliver a letter of requestance to the elves shortly,” he assured her, and Miss Lilly hopped off, the ramblings of elves heard for miles. Sir Leo shook his head - he despised Forest Councils. The opposing parties always fought, and it gave him such a headache.

Sir Leo’s thoughts were interrupted as his trusty phoenix, Pyro, squawked for his attention. “I have given the letter of requestance to the elves, sir. They have agreed to come to the council,” Pyro said, her feathers shaking ash to the ground. “Such an odd group, those elves,” she murmured aloud, ruffling her fire-red feathers, and bowing a phoenix-type bow. Sir Leo blinked as Pyro made her departure. He gave a lazy roll of his shoulders and set about wandering to announce the Forest Court to the town.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School At exactly 3:00 p.m., the Forest Court was held in Rainbow Hall, with no sign of the elves. Sir Leo was becoming impatient as he stalked about the courtroom, a growl arising deep in his throat. Just as he let out a yowl laced with frustration, a group of what looked like drunken elves burst through the court doors in a flurry of confetti. One elf walked rather awkwardly through the crowds, stumbling over one of the elder unicorns, Miss Pearl, who knelt well away from the walk paths. Sir Leo’s eye twitched in annoyance, as the lead elf, Sirius, stood in front of the entire court.

“I understand,” he slurred slightly, hiccupping, “ that our kind has been causing trouble for Miss Lilly and her clan. We’re sorry for that, and we have decided, ” he paused for a moment for an intake of air, “ to move to the Whimsical Forest to live.” No sooner had the last few words escaped Sirius’ lips, then the jury of winged pigs and crowd of townspeople erupted into cheers, and the elves left the courtroom in a colorful cloud of party streamers.

At that moment, Sir Leo awoke, startled. “What an odd dream,” he said to himself, panting heavily. As soon as he left his quarters, Sir Leo spotted the purple pelt and wild eyes of Miss Lilly hopping his way.

Anika Major

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The Menace in the Mountain “Wake up,” my mom whispered in my ear. We were in a black van with tinted windows. The car stopped.

The driver let us out.

“Go,” my mother told me. “Hurry, they will be here soon!”

I sprinted away through the dark wood, and a great mountain loomed in the distance: my destination.

I quickly hurried through the forest. The trees seemed to have eyes; they were watching me. How far could they be behind me? One hour? Half an hour? Five minutes? My heart beat with abnormal speed, not only because I was running, but because the question of how long I may live was causing me much anticipation.

I could see the mountain’s base in the distance.

“A little longer,” I thought to myself. I saw then, out of the corner of my eye, a black car coming up behind me. It was them. They had found me.

I veered off to the left. The car skidded as it turned and continued to chase me. I was almost there, almost there. The car was progressing with endless speed.

I came to a shroud of mist at the mountain base, I had made it. I crept into a dark corner of the mountain, an alcove of safety. Through the dense mist, I could see two headlights searching.

I waited a few moments, unsure of what to do. They soon backed away, then disappeared to nothing.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School I was at an arch, an arch carved by the men who once went to this ancient mountain. Through the arch was a magnificent shrine, a courtyard of magical objects of priceless value.

I continued past these treasures without much thought of them. The real prize was held deeper in the mountain - much deeper. It was this secret which had caused such an uproar, and which led to my pursuit.

I passed through a curiously carved tunnel. Murals of the ancient beast surrounded me on all sides of the cave. Such beauty and such power the beast held. I was coming closer upon the secret.

Now I came to the end of the passage, and entered into another court. This one lay in complete darkness, with the exception of a few lanterns that hung upon the walls, or lay upon the ground, giving off a soft, dim light that could barely fill the room. There was a small, shallow pool in the center of the yard, and in it sat a statue. This was the statue of worship for the powerful animal. And there they were, waiting for me.

“Where is it, boy?” asked the agents. They held a gun to my head. “It’s here somewhere. Where is it?” they asked again, this time much more urgently and forcefully. There was no use running anymore.

“I might as well show them,” I thought.

“It’s this way.” I lead them through the last passage. A painting of the beast in all his wonder watched us upon the entryway.

“It’s in here,” I said, gesturing them into the dark cave.

They followed behind me, slightly tense. Then we came to it, the chamber of the monster that was the

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School Yeti. It was completely dark; nothing could be seen, no light shone. A pair of bright, sinister, red eyes blinked open - the beast was awake.

An ear-blasting roar rang through the mountain. Suddenly lights flashed blue all around the room. A fight was to be held.

The agents began firing stun guns at the Yeti. He roared in anger - no weapons as simple as that could do much harm to the beast.

With one mighty swing of the beast’s forearm, the two agents were tossed across the chamber. They hit the wall and slid to the ground. They did not awake.

Now the high and mighty Yeti turned to face me. He roared his terrible roar and got ready to kill.

I came from the mountain, weary from the events that took place. A black van with tinted windows waited for me. The beast was meant to remain alone, and so he would remain. I got into the car and we drove away from the mountain, a mountain that never again would be disturbed.

A.L Lundgren

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Cinderalley Once upon a time, long, long ago and far, far away there lived a handsome prince. It was every lady in the town’s dream to be his wife - every lady, except one. Her name was Cinderalley, and she lived with her evil stepmother and wretched stepsisters. After her father had died, her life changed for the worse.

She now worked day and night along with the maids, doing all the chores that needed to be done.

It all started on a bright and sunny morning, when Cinderalley woke with a start at the noisy ringing of that treacherous bell.

“Cinnnnnnnnnnnderaaaallllley, you’re late. You do not live under this roof to sleep in. Now get up and start your chores.” Her stepmother’s voice called from the room to the right. Quickly, for fear of getting into trouble, she got dressed for the day and headed outside.

Her father had raised an apple orchard before he died and it had become one of the most magnificent in the whole valley. It was said to be a beauty to the eyes and magical to the heart and soul. For this reason, people from the castle often stopped by to enjoy the view. Unfortunately for Cinderalley, she didn’t get to enjoy the view, as most of her time was spent high up in the prickly branches picking apples.

She had just climbed to the top of an apple tree when she heard the loud clinking of the orchard gates.

Peering through the branches, she was immediately dumbstruck. The handsome prince from the castle had jumped off his horse to open the gate for a lady by his side. Here at last was her chance to meet the man of her dreams. She started down the tree helter-skelter, landing regrettably on her rump with a hard thud causing an agonizing pain in her derriere. As fast as she could, she tried to tidy herself up

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School to make a good impression. Unlikely as it was that he would even notice her, she held her head high and hobbled purposely down the main path so that “accidentally” she might run into him. She had never seen the prince up close, knew nothing about him and was ever so eager to meet him. As she strolled down the path, the prince leaped back on his mare and led the lady through the gate and within a few seconds of Cinderalley. She was so close she could hear their conversation.

WHAM!!!

Without the slightest knowledge of how it happened, Cinderalley realized she was on the ground and the prince was staring down at her from atop the horse, laughing uncontrollably. Lying flat on her back, gasping for breath, the prince bellowed, “Get out of our way, peasant girl! How dare you even encounter us like this? Now go away and work like you were meant to be doing.”

Horrified and without thought, Cinderalley ran away as fast as she could and as long as she could, letting the tears flow from her big brown eyes and soak her ragged old dress. She didn’t stop running until she reached the riverbank, where she threw herself into the plush green grass and cried. How could she have been more stupid? Had she actually thought that the royal prince would look farther than the ragged old dress and peasant girl role she hid behind? It was only after she spent a few minutes moping that she began to gain control of herself and finally realized how angry she was. She may hide behind a peasant girl role, but this so-called prince hid behind his handsome looks and let me tell you, Cinderalley wasn’t called Cinderalley for nothing. NO!! She was going to stand up to this prince and show him what she thought about his arrogant attitude. Cinderalley was a woman of action, and she immediately set to work to put the prince in his place.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

People. She needed a lot of people, but where to find them? But of course - the town square was the answer! She scurried to the barn and saddled up a horse. Then she was off!!! She raced out of the gate, down the path, and before she knew it she was in the village of WOE BE GONE. She had come to the right place. The place was full of despondent peasants reluctantly working for their masters. Cinderalley spread the word of “free money” for the taking at the castle courtyard. Once the word spread through the square, peasants everywhere abandoned their masters and headed towards Cinderalley. She had her mob.

It took no time at all for Cinderalley to explain her plan. The fed-up peasants were behind her one hundred percent. They soon stood before the castle gates, ready to rebel against the royals who had made their lives miserable. As planned, Cinderalley headed to the entrance where two peasants sat guarding the gates, and explained the situation. Without a second thought, the guards graciously let them in, for no master was worse than the royals and the poor people working for them had enough. Abruptly and without thought, the mob stormed through the gates shouting, “Down with the masters, put them in the pastures!” It was a sight never to be forgotten: the prince and his entourage running petrified from the castle. In the end, the castle was taken over by the peasants, Cinderalley was voted queen, and please don’t let me forget: everyone lived happily ever after. (Everyone, that is, except the prince who spent the rest of his life working in the apple orchard for Queen Cinderalley.)

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School Waking up with bright sunshine, I got dressed and grabbed my football cleats, getting ready for my game that hot afternoon. When I got into our car, my dad was telling me what I should do to be successful. They got the ball for the first play. As I lined up at defensive end, I thought about what my dad had told me.

The quarterback called “hike.” The offensive line came rushing towards me trying to keep me out of the back field, but that wasn’t gonna happen. I ran through and spun my way towards the QB. It was just me and him, no one standing in our way. I lowered my shoulder, kept my head up, my eyes focused on the QB when...

I trip. Out of nowhere I fell towards the ground, stumbling over my own feet. I watched, flat on my face, as the QB ran around me for the open pass. The only thing I could hear was Coach yelling and hollering at me. I listened carefully without saying a word, using the arising anger at myself to unleash on the QB. “Down, set, hut.” I jumped, nailing the center right in the shoulder, pushing him back into the quarterback.

With the high pitch blows of his whistle, the referee stopped the play. The refs discussed the penalty, “offsides #62. Five yard penalty. Replay first down.” Yes, it was on me.

“One more time. Just got to break through,” I kept telling myself I was gonna get a sack on this play.

“Down.” The ball shot out of the center’s hand, gliding towards the quarterback. No one blocked me.

Here’s my chance, I can get a sack. My first sack, I thought. But as soon as I got there the LB came out of nowhere defending the QB. Still with three seconds left I had a shot at having a sack. “Down, set, hut!!” I blew the linemen down on his butt.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Santa's Worst Christmas It was Christmas Eve when Santa was delivering his gifts at everyone’s house. He had all of his reindeer with him that night, his heart fluttering with joy because Christmas had finally arrived. The first house didn’t have any children inside, but it did have a lonesome man with decorations, so Santa decided he would go.

He started stuffing himself down the chimney when, suddenly, he noticed there was a fire in the fireplace!

But it was too late, sort of. Santa merely hung out in the middle of the chimney for a while, too fearful to attempt to leap over the fire. A couple of minutes later, he found fireworks coming up the chimney headed straight for him. They hit Santa one by one with all their strength! Finally, he recuperated and was O.K. When he got into the house, Santa decided he would turn on some jolly music to calm himself down.

When he pressed the “ON” button, hard metal started blasting tremendously! Santa quickly and furiously slammed the “OFF” button.

Then Santa spotted some milk and cookies. He popped a cookie into his mouth and soon found out, after a few more, that he was eating rocks! Later he found a note lying down beside the cookies that read:

Dear Santa, I didn’t have enough time to make some real cookies this year because I was busy.

P.S. I’m extremely sorry! Oh, and the cookies are really rocks!

Sincerely, Paul

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Santa was so angry at the note that he stomped his feet as if he were a seven year old. After Santa cooled down a bit, he strode over to the kitchen door to make sure that the man that lived there was still sound asleep. Unfortunately, on his way to the door he noticed that a gift that was under the tree had been unwrapped. The gift was an already-built robot that had started shooting at Santa with a load of darts.

Santa was now terrified. He could only think about what might happen next.

When Santa finally reached the kitchen door, he realized that the man was still sleeping and he headed toward the Christmas tree. On his way there, he accidentally stepped into a few mousetraps. Santa held his foot as he hopped around frantically.

After Santa made it to the Christmas tree alive, he first looked into his sack of toys, but when he opened the sack a cat freed himself from the bag while clawing at Santa’s angered face.

When Santa knew he was all right from the cat attack, he glanced at the Christmas tree and observed an unlit candle. He reluctantly reached for the light that was set on top of the television. When he attempted to light the candle, he pretty much lit his own hand instead.

While Santa was shaking his hand to get the fire out, he had stepped backwards a couple of steps to where he was on a skateboard that had been placed behind him. Santa was rolling slightly backwards until the brand new skateboard slipped out from under his feet. Santa flew into the wall behind him.

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When he saw another firework go off in the house, he screamed. The firework was going toward the curtain hanging above him! Before Santa could let out another scream, a bowling ball dropped on his head. Santa was unconscious for a while, and when he awoke he was dizzy. Even though Santa was dizzy, he still got up to march into the center of the room. He just stood there for a second, and then pointed at the ceiling (or the roof) of the house as he tried to blame everything on his own reindeer. Just as he was starting to curse the reindeer, a tiny black hamster crawled into Santa’s suit and made Santa laugh so hard that he had woken up Paul.

Paul came into the living room with a shotgun, and in a blink of an eye he shot Santa carelessly. As soon as Santa is shot, he decides he has had enough for one night. Santa recuperates again, and makes his way back up the chimney like nothing had ever happened. When Santa got into the sleigh, the reindeer leaped off the roof and went directly back to the North Pole. Santa never set foot into a lonely man’s house ever again.

Madison Bell

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

My Own Ugly Duckling “Hurry up! Shoot. Shoot. Shoot it now!” I whispered.

Boom!

“I got it, Dad, I really got it!”

“That’s my boy. Now let’s go see what you got.”

We went to the long itchy grass. I saw something just laying there. I went to it, and stared at it as it just laid silently.

“What is it?” the boy asked.

“That, son, is your duck. You got it. You earned it. “ “But I don’t want it, even if it is dead!”

“Well, we can’t just leave it here and let the big birds eat it.”

“No! I killed it! I didn’t want to kill it. These hands are not worthy!” my son whined, as he looked at his hands.

“Now, now, let’s not blame yourself, this bird is now dead. It s part of the cycle of life.“

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School “Well, I didn’t want to kill it anyway. I don’t know why I said I’ll come with you. I should have never come.”

This news shocked me half to death. I would have never have thought my son would say such a thing. This was a dream of mine, that my son and I would go bird hunting. I remember when my dad took me on my first bird hunting trip. I got my first dove. I was thrilled when I saw my dad pick up my bird. Now this was a memory I will remember forever. But, this, this wasn’t what I was looking forward to.

“I wanna go home!”

“But son, let’s take the bird too, right? We don’t want it to just lay there, do we?”

“No.” “So let’s just take it and we’ll show everybody what you did that made me so proud!” I exclaimed, patting him on the back.

“Really? Killing this bird made you proud of me?”

“Why, yes. My son’s first bird. You know, my dad took me once to my first bird. It was one of the best moments of my life. Now this has to be one of my favorite memories!” I answered with a smile. “Come, let’s go home.”

I pick up the bird, and we start to walk back to my truck. I think this hunting trip was quite a success .Even if we had a little trouble, it turned out just fine. Just fine indeed.

Jenna Rivera

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Mr. McBrady “Hurry up!” Janie called out to Larry.

“I don’t know, Janie, should we really go in there?” Larry replied, trying not to sound like too much of a wimp.

“You aren’t scared, are you?” Janie barked back in a chuckle.

“O-o- of course not, why would y-y-you think that?” Larry stuttered.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because you’re sweating like a pig! Now come on!” Janie yapped back, making it clear she wanted to go. Janie yanked Larry’s hand, and tugged him across Slasher Lane. They prowled up to the ancient house’s property. Janie peered around, making sure no one was around. Janie then took a baby step onto the crusty, brown grass. She abruptly fell onto her knees and yelled, “Help, Help!!!” Larry jerked her arm in his grip, and tugged her on the sidewalk.

Larry blurted, “What happened?”, and “Oh my.”

Janie sprung up from the ground, laughing hysterically.

“I was just kidding,” she said, clearly trying to calm Larry down because he was hyperventilating. After he eased down, his face was still as red as a rose from humiliation. Janie, feeling kind of bad about what she did earlier, kindly tapped her watch. Larry nodded lightly.

Janie and Larry stepped on the dirt path very cautiously. Slowly but surely, they made their way up to the

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School house. Janie went first. She stepped up onto the first stair leading to the porch. Larry twitched as he heard the obnoxious creaking of the steps. Larry followed her, making sure he didn’t drift too far behind. Larry, trying to be brave, turned the door handle. Janie walked inside, and sat down on a dark green sofa.

“Don’t touch that, it’s yours,” Larry blurted.

“Okay, okay, chill out,” Janie replied. Janie got up from the sofa and headed toward the banister.

“So where is it?” Larry asked, sounding like he could’ve dropped dead that very second.

“I already told you, I don’t know where it is, so just look around,” Janie replied, even more irritated than before.

“Janie, that’s not what I am talking about!!! Turn around!” Larry said, about to pass out. Janie sighed really deep, then twirled around. A huge black shadow was creeping around the corner of the family room. Janie and Larry turned around and sprinted for the front door. When they were about a foot away from the door, it slammed closed.

Janie called out, “Who’s there?”

Nobody answered. Then an old man walked around the corner with a ruby medallion in his hand.

“Looking for this?” he asked, with a smirk on his face.

“Yes, that’s it!” Larry said sounding relieved.

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“Who are you?” Larry asked the old man.

“I am Mr. McBrady,” he said. “The question is, what are you doing here, in my home?!”

Larry looked at Janie and said, “Nobody lives here, it’s been abandoned for decades.”

“Does that mean you’re a g-g-ghost!!!?”

Mr. McBrady smiled again, except this time it lit up his face. Janie screamed when she saw the scars and dried- up blood on him. Larry and Janie’s eyes got big and teary. Larry saw a tall, steel rod with blood on it out of the corner of his eyes. Without even thinking, he ran, took the pole in his hands and shattered the closest window. Janie jumped through the windowpane and ran down the street. Larry followed, screaming like crazy. To this day, Larry and Janie don’t ever walk down Slasher Lane.

Sarah Reidy

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The Locket The old man stared blankly at the piece of paper lying on the kitchen counter. He knew his life would soon come to an end, and before he passed he only had one more task to accomplish: his will. He had already decided who should get the house, the car, and even the old china plates collecting dust in the basement.

But there was only one thing he had not decided on: who should get the locket.

His entire life was based around a golden locket that had never left his neck. Carved on the locket was a simple design that half showed a moon and half showed the sun. The moon represented the darkness in life, and the sun represented the light. I know what you are thinking, what does a stupid locket have to do with anything? But you are so wrong. If this locket were to fall into the wrong hands, your world as you know it would come to an end, because this special locket controls all the magical creatures of the world.

When the old man, Charles, was about fifteen and in the tenth grade, his whole life changed. On the first day of school, he met this young woman named Maryann. She was a blond-haired, blue-eyed knockout with no personality to match. Maryann was considered the most popular girl at Beagle High, but how could everyone like such a witch - and, yes, she literally was a witch. Charles didn’t find it hard to fall in love with Maryann at all. From the moment he saw her, he knew that that was the woman he wished to be his wife, and to the day of his death he felt the same way.

It was like Maryann had put a spell over him that never wore off, because the more Charles got to know her the more he loved her. He didn’t dare to think that she may not love him back, because the truth was too hard to bear. Maryann knew all about the locket and what kind of power it possessed, and that was the only reason she even looked in Charles’ direction. In the future, he did indeed marry the beautiful Maryann and never saw who she truly was.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School Today Charles lies buried in the ground, probably turning in his grave because of the decision he made.

The funeral was not a very joyous occasion, except for one person: Maryann. She was left with half of the locket she had so long hoped for, and now she was sent to the next keeper-in-line. Evil would soon take over. Now the only thing that can be done is the next three keepers need to get the other half of the locket back.

There are three lockets in all, and they were created centuries ago by what we call the council. The council is made up of six lords that are neither good nor evil. Because they are in the gray area, they will not have any personal opinions clouding their judgment, and they will be able to make a decision based on what’s right. They placed the lockets with humans because they feel that mortals have a better understanding of the earth and what is best for it.

There are three new keepers and they all have no idea what life is about to bring them. New keepers are called “kinder”, because in the beginning they are treated like children. The three new kinder are three young women named Brooklyn, Carly and Jessica. They are all about the same age, 15, and all attend the same school. Did I mention that they are all enemies?

Brooklyn is a quiet girl with lots of talent and a lot of brains. She is very opinionated, and likes the satisfaction of being right. Carly is a cheerleader who isn’t the nicest person to be around. She is a very shallow girl, and because her father is a wealthy man, she rarely ever has to work for things in life. Jessica is the kind of person who really doesn’t care about what other people think, and just has fun with life. She is a little wild at times, but really wants to someday be an actress. These three girls don’t even know it yet, but they are all bonded for life, whether they like it or not.

Beep, beep, beep, the alarm clock buzzed. Brooklyn peered over at the clock sitting on her bedside table.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School 6: 30 a.m. it read. She reluctantly got out of bed and slowly made her way to the bathroom. She squeezed the white toothpaste on her toothbrush, and began to wipe the little yellow spots clear from her teeth. She washed her face and combed her long brown hair once or twice, then threw on the first outfit in her closet.

Brooklyn never truly cared what she looked like. As long as her clothes were clean, she was O.K. At the same time Brooklyn was struggling to wake up, Carly was already up preparing her new designer outfit for the day. She had already called all her friends, just to make sure they weren’t wearing the same thing. Carly had to wake up two hours earlier than most people because it took so long just to fix her hair.

While putting the finishing touches on her makeup, Carly noticed she was running late. She threw her bag over her shoulder and flung herself out the door.

Jessica, of course, slept through her alarm and woke up 30 minutes late for class. Because she was in a hurry, Jessica didn’t even realize she was still in her pajama bottoms. Walking to school contributed to her being late but Jessica had a whole different story for her teacher. “My mother got into a terrible accident!” she exclaimed, with fake tears running down her face. Because she was a new teacher, she didn’t know about her parents’ death, or that Jessica was quite the drama queen. Mrs. Gathowitz, her teacher, bought the story and told her to take a seat. On the way, Jessica grabbed some tissue. She was trying to make her story seem more convincing. The first day was rough for all the girls, and they later noticed that they had all the same classes together. Not the best thing because, as I mentioned earlier, they are not the best of friends.

Their second day of school wasn’t that much fun either. As the first period bell rang, students in the hall ran to their classes, many of them not paying attention to where they were going. Brooklyn walked with her head in a book, and Jessica rounded the corner with her head in the clouds. They both weren’t watching where they were going, and ran right into one another. Carly watched as the two girls collided and began to laugh hysterically. As the two girls rose to their feet, they started to yell at each other, but then realized

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School that Carly was laughing at them. Brooklyn was willing to let this incident go, but Jessica wasn t. She marched straight up to Carly and smacked her clear across the face. A fight broke out, and by a short period of time, Brooklyn had joined the battle.

Before too much damage was done, the principal was in between the girls. As punishment, they were put in a room together to work out their differences. Jessica was the first to come out and apologize, but only to Brooklyn. Then Carly said, “Oh, great, now you two losers are stealing my fashion. “ The two girls sat there confused until finally Carly pointed to her locket. “Well, Brook, you are only half of a copycat,” Carly said , because Brooklyn possessed the sun and not the moon. Brooklyn was the only one who knew about being a keeper, and she hesitated about telling the other girls. She got to the point where she couldn’t take the pressure anymore and just gave in. Brooklyn told stories of former keepers in great detail. At first Carly and Jessica thought she was crazy, but the more she talked, the more they knew she was telling the truth.

A wave of fear came over all the girls, and from that moment on, they all knew they were not even close to becoming a keeper.

Their next task would come fast and be very difficult, because it was a fight for their lives. They all agreed that only for this one time they would get along, which was a greater task in itself. They needed to learn every way they could use their lockets. Not only can they let out good and evil creatures, but they can also use their powers. One half of the one locket is already stolen; they cannot let another one slip through their grasp.

Two weeks of preparation was not enough for them to face what was to happen next. The girls were starting to feel the pressure of their destiny. Carly was starting to become a social outcast, because she had been seen around a geek formerly known as Brooklyn. Jessica was still taking this as a game, and to her this was a role that she was playing in a movie, not reality. That began to worry Brooklyn, because if Jessica wasn’t giving this one hundred percent, there was no way that they could get the locket back. Carly was

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School starting to see it too, and decided to say something about it.

“You better start working hard and focusing, because, face it, dork, this is life and if you don’t try, I’m going to have to pay for it.” She pushed Jessica in the shoulder as she spoke. Yet again, Jessica’s temper got the best of her and again a fight broke out. After many attempts to break them up, it finally worked and both girls went flying in opposite directions. Jessica stood up and stormed out of the door. If Carly wanted Jessica to get more serious about the locket, she went about the wrong way doing it.

That night when Jessica went to bed, the worst thing that could ever happen, happened. Creatures from Maryann’s half-locket snuck in through her window and took the locket right off Jessica’s neck. Now that Maryann had two of the three dark halves, she was more powerful than ever. School was tough the next day because Jessica had to admit what had happened the night before. Brooklyn was the only one she had to confess to because, for some strange reason, Carly wasn’t at school. Brooklyn took the news not-so-easy because it ended in more fighting.

Carly was at school the next day, but she wouldn’t talk to anyone and she couldn’t even look her so-called friends in the eyes. Brooklyn overheard Carly crying on the phone with her mom in the bathroom, but she couldn’t hear much.

“But...why...mommy...daddy...gone. “ At first, she wondered about these comments, but then she knew what this all meant. Carly’s father had died. Maybe this was a good thing for Carly, so now she can learn how to earn what she wants, but it’s also bad in so many ways.

Now that Jessica has realized that this was no game, and Carly has learned how to work and not rely on her

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School daddy for things, everything will be better. Even Brooklyn has gone through a life-changing experience: she has friends.

The next day was long and hard. They had come face to face with Maryann on the way to school. They didn’t suspect the elderly lady sitting on the bench to be any harm until they noticed a golden locket hanging around her neck. All their training and hard work only mattered from this one moment. This was it and it was all happening at once. The three girls outnumbered Maryann for sure, but she seemed so much more powerful.

The girls threw the first punch, but that wasn’t enough. Maryann came right back at them with more force than they could ever provide. Carly started to use her brain and not her money. She went and punched Maryann in the stomach. Maryann lost her balance, and the other two girls teamed up on her. Just like that, she was no longer in control. Maryann fell on her knees, and Jessica did exactly what Maryann had done to her - she ripped the locket off her neck. The girls hadn’t planned this far ahead, and didn’t know what they should do with the poor and helpless Maryann. Just like that, the council appeared, congratulating the girls with great intent. One Lord grabbed Maryann by the arm and disappeared. The battle was over and evil didn’ t win. The girls now had each other, and they could share their journeys together. In the end, everything was as it should be and there was also a little extra added to the world three great friends. And everyone lived happily ever after.

The End.

Paige Lindsey

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The Red Balloon There was once a little boy named Sam. While looking through his magazines, he saw an ad about the circus that was coming to town. All excited now, Sam ran all around the house looking for his mother to tell her about the great news. He came upon her preparing dinner in the kitchen.

“Mommy, mommy, looky, a circus is coming! Can we go, please?” he asked, with those puppy-dog eyes.

“I don’t know, sweetie, we’ll see.”

“O.K. mommy,” Sam said, as he slowly walked off with his head hanging down. Sam’s mom watched him slump away and let out a long sigh, then carried on with preparing dinner.

The following morning, Sam’s mother barged in and come up behind Sam, who was still pretty upset that he wouldn’t get to go to the circus. She whispered in Sam’s ear, “Guess what?” She flashed two tickets to go to the circus.

“Yay!” Sam shouted. “I can’t wait!”

The following weekend, it was time for the clowns and elephants. Sam’s mom rushed to the circus to get good seats, but something caught Sam’s eye - a red balloon. He wanted that one balloon, and asked his mother if he could have it before they sat down.

“Yes, I guess we could get you that balloon.”

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Both strolled to the man with the balloons.

“Can I have that red one, please?” Sam asked.

The balloon man responded, “Why, certainly.”

Little Sam had chosen good seats towards the front. And then it was time for the show to begin.

After clowns juggling, elephants painting, and tigers being tamed, the show had ended. Sam, happy as can be, walked outside the circus tent not knowing it was very windy. Sam’s balloon flew out of his hand and up to balloon heaven. Little Sam was very upset and wanted to cry, but he didn’t. Sam and his mother walked slowly to the car and drove home.

The next morning, Sam felt it was a nice day outside and would go swing. As soon as he stepped out the door, his mouth dropped. The red balloon he had had the night before was tangled up in the tree. Sam ran as fast as he could and untangled it from the branches. He had a glowing smile on his face, and leaped over to the wooden swing and little Sam swung with his red balloon.

Lauren Peck

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

Cindy never thought her home would become the worst thing she ever feared. It was during the day. Her sister was at a friend’s house, and Cindy was home alone. In a shirt and jeans, she got the rubber band from her pocket. She pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail. A coke was in one hand, and the remote was near the table. Her dad burst in the house saying, “Sweetie pie, Daddy’s got a new job and your dumb dog pooped in the front yard again. I almost stepped in it.” “Dad,” I said, “Charley’s not dumb. He is only a puppy.” She hesitated. “Fine, I’ll go clean it up.” She let out a long sigh. As she was about to turn the door handle, she forgot the shovel. Once she walked into the garage, that’s when she will never forget what was about to happen. Cindy heard the door open, and probably thought it was her dad going to check if she was going to clean up the mess. She stepped back into the house and heard some noise in the kitchen. Cindy didn’t want to say anything because she didn’t hear the doorbell ring. But she was always the nosy one in the family, so it wasn’t unusual when she peeked to see what was going on. There stood a man that she didn’t recognize.

He was tall, wearing gloves and had hazel eyes. His hair was black and he wore a real fake leather jacket. He walked up to her father, and he stepped back. He pulled out a gun and said, “You didn’t do what I said, so I have to kill you.” A huge smirk was on his face, like my father’s fear was amusing. He walked toward him and pushed him against the wall. She had to do something, but the phone was in the kitchen and upstairs, and she wouldn’t make it because she had to pass the kitchen. Then she felt like the light bulb went off inside her head, and remembered her cell phone by her remote. Crawling her way to the couch, she got to her phone. The phone said low battery, and she knew that she could only make one call. She dialed 911 with trembling fingers and with fear in her mind. Then Bang. The first shot, then another. Cindy screamed so loud that he stopped pulling the trigger. Cindy thought her heart dropped, but it was only the phone. The

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

battery died, but she heard the operator say help is on the way. Cindy didn’t know what to do, she was so weak. Then out of nowhere, he pulled her ponytail back so hard that she started crying. She smelled his foul breath as he whispered, “Since you’re here, you can watch your father die.” He laughed, then pulled her hair in the direction he was going. She reached for a lamp and tossed it backwards. Of course she missed, but did manage to escape his grip. Sprinting up the stairs, he followed her with the evilest eyes ever. A balled-up fist in one hand and a knife in the other. She knew that she was going to die when he said, “After I make you bury your father, I’ll kill you next!” She tripped over her sister’s skates, banging her knee hard. He pulled her up, then cut her arm and she kicked during that scream. He dropped the knife, and she got up and ran into her parent’s room. The door burst open and he charged in when she stabbed him in the stomach. He dropped to his knees. By then, the police had arrived and told her to drop the knife. After telling them what happened, one of the officers informed her that her dad didn’t make it. She cried the whole time, while her mom made some soup. She didn’t say anything but stared at the door.

One year later, almost everything got back to normal then the doorbell rang and she opened it. It was the man again, and he said, “I came to finish the job.” She screamed ,which woke her up back to the reality.

Then she told herself it was all a dream.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

The Girl that Wouldn`t Listen Making sure all the luggage was in the SUV, Lauren sat patiently, waiting to go to Camp Yellow Stone. This was our first family camping trip, and we were all pumped about going. After our luggage was all in, we harnessed the canoes onto the top of the car. Lauren was the most excited because she loved to swim, and since had been on the swim team for three years, she was pretty good at it. Everyone else was just excited about canoeing, fishing, and the fact that they got to sleep in tents.

Joseph, Lauren’s dad, and her mother all laid down some ground rules that needed to be followed while at Camp Yellow Stone. “1. Make sure we know where you are at all times. 2. Always go with a partner whenever you need to go somewhere. 3. Don’t wander too far in the camp,” cautioned her parents.

She listened, but one day Lauren did not get her way and she became very upset. She would not come out of her tent until her parents would agree to let her do what she wanted to do. She had begged her parents to let her go swimming, but no one else wanted to go or even liked swimming because they really didn’t know how. Her mom and dad kept reminding her about rule #2. She couldn’t care less about rule #2. She wanted to swim. While her parents were cooking the fish they caught that day, Lauren yanked on her bathing suit and grabbed a towel and slipped on her flip flops. Lauren has been known for getting in trouble now and then, and she will be in so much trouble when her family finds out what she did! She sneaked out of her tent and headed for the lake. When she arrived, she ran and jumped in the water without thinking.

She had no idea what was under the water, but she found out real fast! Her legs were entangled in a swampy group of plants. Now that her legs were disabled, she couldn’t move and struggled to keep her head above water. She swallowed too much water and eventually became unconscious. Her head was barely floating over the water.

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Chapter 7 - JACKSON Middle School

When her parents discovered Lauren was not in her tent, they went crazy! They went in the woods in search for the lake. When they saw Lauren floating barely above water like a bobber floating on a fishing line, they let out a big screech! They brought a canoe in the lake to free Lauren. She was still out of it, but her parents managed to get her out before the rescue team arrived. When they did arrive, they rushed her to the intensive care unit at the hospital.

Once at the hospital, they had to pump the water that she took in from the lake out of her lungs and she still hadn’t woken up. Thankfully, hours later, a weak eyelid opened and she was awake. She did suffer a broken leg and had to wear a brace for two months, but she was alive and that was what mattered most!

Her family decided that from now on, it was best to stick to backyard campouts, and Lauren couldn’t help but agree!

Kaleigh Gembler

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Chapter 8 KRUEGER MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Retha Oliver

Chapter 8 - KRUEGER Middle School

Phoo

Spring

Floating in my river, Not a sight, Not a sound, Total silence.

Honey sweet Life Giving Love

I drift away and fall asleep.

White, white snow Gone

Otniel Octavio Negron

Friend

Warm as the Heart

Hard as a rock But ugly as a jock Who plays the cello With a cautious elbow His name is Dave and he’s Very brave When he went to Harris He was embarrassed.

Spring

Adam Silva 6

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Savannah Naiser 6th grade

Chapter 9 NIMITZ MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Diana Lopez

Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

The Twelve Days of Volleyball On the twelfth day of volleyball, my coach gave to me Twelve team members Eleven volleyballs Ten laps of jogging Nine liners of running Eight sets of wall jumps Seven subs on the bleachers Six players on the court Five spikers spiking Four setters setting Blue Three bumpers bumping Blue sparkles like sapphire Two coaches to coach me Blue looks like the sky And one round of warm-ups.

Blue moves like the ocean Blue tastes like salt and smells like seaweed Blue loves the calm of days Blue

Blue

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

The Twelfth Day of School Lunch On the twelfth day of school lunch, the cafeteria ladies gave to me Twelve soggy mushrooms Eleven round pizzas Ten fluffy muffins Nine frosted cupcakes Eight cheesy nachos Seven chocolate brownies Six giant enchiladas Five orange carrots Four warm biscuits The pencil kisses the paper Three nasty pancakes The paper kisses the book Two juicy hamburgers The book kisses my backpack And one giant tummy ache.

My backpack kisses my back My back kisses the chair.

Maria Duran

What Things Kiss

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

Colors Colors of the Earth Green Grass and earth Sounds like leaves crunching Smells like green apples Green Black Night and darkness Dirt and space Sounds like victory Smells like evil Black Orange Oranges and plants Sounds like an explosion Smells like an orange Orange

Matthew Tharp

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Blue Sky blue, azul Water, heaven, and sky Sounds like fresh days Smells like clean air Loves water Blue Green Verde, vert Happy, fresh, plants Sounds like nature Tastes like green apples Loves grapes Green Yellow Amarillo, jaune Happy, fresh, sun Feels like the sun’s heat Tastes like bananas Loves the sun Yellow

Cristal Arredondo 7

What Am I?

Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

I was born in a store.

My skin is made of silver.

My favorite food is spaghetti.

My job is to help you grab food so that you can eat it.

I sleep in a dishwasher.

My best friend is a spoon.

What am I? A fork!

Yolanda Rico-Gutierrez

What am I? I was born in a factory.

My skin is made of rubber, plastic, and wool, and it can be many different colors.

My favorite foods are pencils, journals, crayons, and books.

My job is to help little people carry many things.

I sleep in the closet or on the dirty floor.

My best friend is the back of a weak little student.

What am I? I’m a backpack.

Richard Diaz 7th

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

Halloween Twelve costumes for Halloween . . .

Predator, Killer Clown, Scream, Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy Krueger, school girl, cheerleader, bunny, baby, Peter Pan, and Elmo.

Ten treats for my goodie bag . . .

M&M’s, Gummy Bears, jawbreakers, cookies and cream, Skittles, Snickers, Dove, bubblegum, Nestle Crunch, and Jolly Ranchers.

Eight faces on a pumpkin . . . creepy, angry, sad, happy, frustrated, scared, worried, and mad.

Five scary movies . . .

Scream, Alien vs. Predator, Scream Predator It It, Night of the Living Dead, Dead and The Hills Have Eyes.

Eyes One party!

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

Colors Brown CafĂŠ and brun Sounds like an angry bear Tastes like chocolate Brown

Memories

Blue Azul and bleu Sounds and tastes like water from the ocean Blue

My earliest memory Leaving Burundi with my family Going to Tanzania to escape the Hutus Cold night and hard ground Young and scared

Red Rojo and rouge Sounds like love Tastes like apples and cherries Red

My latest memory In my apartment in San Antonio Celebrating Christmas for the first time Turkey smells and odor of new foods Confused and curious

Karina Lerma

Clementine Bayisenge

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

What am I? I was born in a factory.

My skin is made of plastic and glass.

My favorite foods are cartoons and movies.

My job is to show you the news.

I sleep in your bedroom or living room.

My best friend is the remote control.

What am I? I’m a television.

Memories My earliest memory Playing basketball with my brother My house Shooting a basket Happy and excited because I made it Proud My latest memory In the stairway Almost falling down Feeling the stair slip beneath my feet Happy because I didn’t fall

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

Halloween Ten costumes for Halloween . . .

Freddy Kruegar, Jason, clown, cheetah, fairy princess, Batman, Spiderman, Power Rangers, nurse, and witch.

Ten treats for my goodie bag . . .

Snickers, M&M’s, Hershey’s, Dots, Baby Ruth, Blowpop, Hot Tamales, Payday, Skittles, and Lucas.

Eight faces on a pumpkin . . .

Mad, sad, happy, sincere, curious, indifferent, confused, and shocked.

Five scary movies . . .

The Exorcism, Exorcism Freddy vs. Jason, Jason The Hills Have Eyes, Eyes White Noise, Noise and Gothica Gothica.

One awesome Halloween party.

Brenna Benavidez

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

The Cafeteria I taste the food they give us.

Today we eat pizza.

I hear the noise of everybody talking, my friends laughing about funny stuff they say to each other.

I smell the tasty food they give us.

Sometimes I don’t like the food, and I have to buy something else to eat.

I see people walking to the line to get their food or going outside of the cafeteria.

I feel good to be with my friends, to talk to them.

All my friends say that lunch in the cafeteria is their favorite part of the school day.

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Chapter 9 - NIMITZ Middle School

Memories My earliest memory Big city in Houston Running through the park Skipping the rocks and falling on the dirt Hurt and scared My latest memory The black chair in the living room Watching “Topo Gigo” cartoon Hearing goofy noises, looking at the funny man Happy and relaxed

Stephanie Vences

What Am I? I was born in a factory.

My skin is made of ink and paper.

My favorite foods are fingers and eyes.

My job is to inform and entertain people.

I sleep on a bookshelf in a room or store.

My best friends are you and kids.

What am I? I’m a comic book.

Daniel Heredia

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Chapter 10 TEJEDA MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Retha Oliver

Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

Shyness Shyness is a chain, Restraining everything Shyness is a tiger Or cheetah Eating courage Shyness is the one thing Holding me back From fun Shyness is a fire That only you can put out Or it will Burn you like Wood in the fireplace During a cold, winter night Shyness is the one thing You have to control Before it controls you.

Laura Ortiz 7 grade

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The Ship in Storm You’re on a ship, rocking, rocking You’re on a ship, talking, talking The sky is gray, and dark, and cold No one knows what the weather holds Rocking, talking, talking, drip!

Drop, drop drip, drip, drip drop, drop The rain is falling, harder, harder The rain is falling, faster, faster You’re on a ship, yelling, yelling You’re on a ship, running, running Hoist the anchor! We’re gonna sink!

That’s what the crewmen think But Cap’n Burnell steps out Suddenly starts to shout “My men, my men calm down, calm down There’s no way we’ll hit the ground” You look at his face Filled with disgrace And run to pull on the rope Drip Drip, Drop It stopped.

Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

Back in the ‘40s in Amsterdam, some time during the Depression, there was an old man named Mr. Oldman. He was tall, a little chubby, very manly, with faded tattoos from when he was younger. He owned a little shop that sold food, medicine, all sorts of stuff. There was a little thug kid named Jimmy who always came in and stole little things like gum, magazines, and donuts. Mr. Oldman would get after him, but he was fast. He had short red hair, freckles, a brown jacket with lots of pockets to hide things in, and no shoes.

One day Mr. Oldman was just sweeping the floor when Jimmy crept in and stole a huge loaf of bread.

He ran out and Mr. Oldman said, “Hey, get back here you munchkin,” and he ran off after him. When he got out the door, Jimmy was just going around the corner. Mr. Oldman went the other way and caught him. Jimmy was crying for mercy, “Please sir, don’t send me to jail, I just want to eat.” Mr. Oldman looked at him and had a little tear in his eye and said, “All right, you can have as much bread as you want.”

After a while they became friends. Jimmy would always hang around the shop and visit. Mr. Oldman found out that Jimmy lived under the railroad tracks beside the shop. They became such good friends that Mr. Oldman adopted him, and he was his son. When Mr. Oldman died, the shop would be Jimmy’s so he can find a little orphan son for himself.

Jacob Murphy

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

Coffee beans Dogs

The aroma of freshly ground beans Fills the air.

That special something That makes waking up Worthwhile

Furry, happy Run, play, sit Fun, colorful, fuzzy, hairy Animals

This aroma makes everything reverse It makes school great, a sanctuary And makes home not a prison, Reversing a child’s day Work is horrible - home is a safe place on a hard day

Roger Delgado

To maintain An adult’s life I will one day need this aroma I will need it every day for years to come But for now, spare my nose

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

Destructive Duo My brother and my cousin Make a perfect team When our family sees them, We want to run and scream .

They track mud in the house, Pick off others’ plates The whole family hates them We give them tons of space The break the vases They smash the chairs And I think they may have Attracted bears

Baseball Poem The grass, the rolling ball, the shortstop’s glove The ball enters the glove, The shortstop grasps with his big hand, his arm reaches Behind his body He flings it toward first First baseman Makes his stretch To the ball “Out!” the umpire barks.

The college world series is ours MLB scouts swarm every player My chance for fame Unstoppable. Unbeatable. Undeniable.

But in the end, They’re just trying to have fun And after all that Their story’s all done.

Connor Coombes

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

On Sea... (excerpt)

“Ahoy, Maties!” screamed the captain as the lower deck came to life. “Yar she timbers and blows.”

Everyone hustled and bustled, putting on the worn clothes from many days at sea. We had just got the news that there were pirates up ahead.

“Back down,” said One Eye, pushing me to the lower deck. “This is no time for a six year old to be up here.”

“Na,” I heard the captain sigh, “She’s just a hollowed rock.”

One Eye slowly moved out of the way, giving me an opening to run up and see the rock. Staring at the big mass of blankness, I saw a face. Not just any normal face, but a cold, shy, yet somewhat wanting face.

The rock seemed to move by like it was running and couldn’t stop for anything.

The face haunted my dreams that night. In the cold, dark silence I found noises that followed me into my deepest dream. A dream no one can explain, a dream so tortuous and crazy it was beyond the stars. I would tell you, but it’s too graphic for young people. The next day I died a horrible, slow death.

Kelsey Alvey

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

The "It" Poem This is it What you’ve been waiting for A poem that beats all others To the floor This is it The time has come For poems to kneel up to one No other stands a chance Not one from London or from France This is it A poem that rises above the rest No doubt it has to be the best When people read they will see That the best poem was written by me This is it The #1 poem That’ll show ‘em That this here poem is the best Far greater than the rest

Brown Brown tastes like chocolate Smells like cake Feels soft Sounds good.

Matt Reynolds 7th

Poems are the things that express you Make you feel brand new Poems tell you Why the sky is blue Make you wonder about life Are as sharp as a knife Poems can take you anywhere.

7 grade

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School He walked into the diner for the second time that night, looking like he was ready to kill someone. He was. He shot a quick glance at his now-wrecked bike - someone was gonna pay.

Then without warning he jumped up on a table and shouted, “Who’s the scumbag that wrecked my bike?”

All the diners looked at the tall, burly, middle-aged, tenacious biker, but no one moved out of fear. No one but the two young boys who burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, was that your bike?” one said.

“We’re truly sorry,” said the other kid, with a grin on his face.

Well long story short, they ended up sleepin’ with the fishes.

grade

Things That Really Piss Me Off When my brother is being annoying when I’m trying to work When my mom is yelling at me when I feel like dirt When my friend is acting like a jerk When I feel like everybody’s coming after me And my life is getting worse And worse.

Madison Kaye Noordsey

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

A Poem About Me I’m a girl..

With a hairbrush microphone Singing in the mirror Who loves to take too many pictures And get caught in the rain Who loves surprises Gets addicted to TV shows Takes too many helpings at dinner Who hates to say goodbye.

You can call me at 4 am And I’ll be there in a second I’m a girl who counts the stars all night plays a favorite song over and over until I can’t stand it anymore

Who chooses friends and pizza over parties and boys Who cries at movies, and dances without music I’m a brown haired, green eyed girl Who goes to church every Sunday Stays up all night talking Runs the phone bill way over I am this girl I will rock your world

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Chapter 10 - Tejeda Middle School

Basketball Blue Tastes like Homemade blueberry muffins On a Sunday morning.

Blue Smells like the deep Salty waters of Jamaica Blue Feels like my Soft fuzzy blue blanket that I cuddle up with at night Blue Sound like promising winds Flowing through The clear skies.

Blue

Samantha Tower

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Exciting, energizing Running, sweating Cheering, shouting Clapping Basketball Cheering, shouting Clapping Teamwork

7 grade

Blue Tastes like a blueberry Smells like a flower freshly picked Feels like a bad day Sounds like water running down a stream

Chapter 11 WOOd MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Trey Moore

Chapter 11 - Wood Middle School

Animals How would you like to be a fish? A bear? A horse? A fly?

What about a monkey Swinging from tree to tree, Or a reindeer, Dashing around in the snow with glee?

A school of fish In the deep blue sea Or an insect, How about a honey bee?

Maybe a ferret, rolling around, Or a mouse Making no sound, What would you like to be?

GO ask your dad, But don’t ask me!

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LIFE In a room, when you are all alone.

No one is here to call your own.

That in which many words are Simple Silence So silent when you scream, you can’t even hear yourself.

“What is this place?

Who put me here?” you ask, The nonsense of your screaming, and the air barely going through your lungs.

As you take your last breath…

You awaken to this nightmare which suddenly became a dream.

The bad man dies and you, the woman, gets all the pride.

So, now you know that this not a dream.

THIS is reality.

Chapter 11 - Wood Middle School

Outside No. 2 the waterfall refreshes. oh, what is in a lake - could it be me or could it be pop star Drake? when I look at a lake I think of a colorful drape. I can feel the fresh brisk air tapping on my shoulder, and I can, I can hear the water rushing, just rushing, but what is that noise? could it be a boy with some toys, or maybe a leaf running downstream? oh, must we crawl through the mud to find the place where we hear the noise coming from? the mud is all sticky and wet; I do not want to get wet, but I will in order to find that noise. when I finally get there I find out it was a boy with some toys. the end.

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Chapter 11 - Wood Middle School

If Someone Says If someone says you can’t feel green, they’re wrong. Green is being surrounded by nature and quiet friends. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you haven’t lived. It’s caressing the grass with your fingers and almost being able to touch the clouds, breathing in the sweet air that you would never smell in the ever-growing city. If you’re quiet enough, you can hear the birds and ants going about their lives as you go about yours. So if someone asks you if you can feel green, I hope you aren’t wrong.

Victoria Guerrero

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Rosko A chocolate face Emerald green eyes You look for days But you get no reward Many nights just sitting by the phone Waiting desperately for it to ring All those nights Waiting on the porch The signs all around you Those two words haunt you Just those two “If found” drawn in green crayon Roaming the streets calling “come home buddy” But nobody answers The rains come and go The season changes You’re hanging on to the tiniest bit of hope You don’t want to give up The dreadful year passes You can’t eat You can’t sleep Your grades drop You don’t talk You lose the will to live

Chapter 11 - Wood Middle School He’s more than a pet He’s more than a friend or companion You know he’s more than that You love him Love him to death Friends come to your door The snacks and goodies can’t even cheer you up Nothing can You cry at random times of the day You won’t leave your room Won’t let anyone in Memories make it worse The one question they ask: “Are you ok?”

They beg you to come out You ignore them You think to yourself Why would someone take him?

Is he happier ?

Is he better off?

Where is he?

Where is my Rosko?

Where is my cat?

Suzanne Michelle Winters

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Chapter 11 - Wood Middle School

My Little Town My small little town is like a neighborhood as big as you see, Smells like cigarettes and spaghetti, Tastes like garbage, And feels so rough But it’s my little town.

I play at the basketball court made of metal and cement at the playground small with writing all over it.

In-between the houses we play seek and destroy.

Stone Bull Hard as a rock blowing cold air made a leaf fly off the ground your horns harder than steel, You move at the speed of light running through houses destroying them in the blink of an eye.

Please stone bull, Don’t come through my house!

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Chapter 12 White MIddle School Writer-in-Residence: Lyle Rosdahl

Chapter 12 - White Middle School

The Worst Day of Someone Else's Life

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One time I was looking for a ride My car had broken down I was a come for Las Vegas Someone needed to bring me back to the station.

The first car came.

It lurched at me.

It almost ran me over.

I got my weapon out And shot the tires Just because I Was mad.

The next car Came and I Made them Take me To the station.

When I got There I gave Him money And I put A knife In the Tires And he left Not knowing.

Marcus Williams

Chapter 12 - White Middle School

Christmas Time We’re putting up the Christmas lights On Christmas Eve. Wrapping up the presents while I sit around Waiting for it to snow.

I wish for some snow To sparkle in the light.

That’s all I Want for Christmas As a present tonight.

Last year I got a lot of presents, But not snow.

Next Christmas I want light To shine for my family and I. This year I Got what I wanted as a present The light The snow Just for this Christmas.

The smoothness and color Reminds me of my rock. It Was pitch black like the night Sky. A few cracks but not too Many. The sweet and bitter Smell it had. Sweet like a Fresh rain, but bitter like Ground dirt. The smoothness Like a piece of paper. Oh, All the things that remind me of My rock.

Samantha Guerrero

Lynn Duong

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Chapter 12 - White Middle School

2 Frogs One frog leaping the other sleeping One green the other mean But they still live together even in the really bad weather Then one pretty sunny day where the other animals play The frogs decide to jump they both jump Ker-plunk!!!

Courtney Cannon

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Stranger in the Bushes Popping up and out of the bushes, I started to run - my blood rushes.

Go inside, a voice calls, I open the door; I trip and fall.

I ask myself, do I think I’m dead?

I see a figure overhead.

He picks me up off the floor, He looks behind him; he closes the door.

I wake up from my bed with a fright, I heard a strange noise all through the night.

I look at my closet door, And there the figure is standing in the middle.

Chapter 12 - White Middle School

It was a day like any other day. I was asleep, but awoke when I heard the phone ring. It was my best friend from Washington, D.C. She said, “Hey! Guess what?” I answered, “What?” Then she said, “I am going to visit New York.” Then I said, “No way!” Then she said, “Yes way!” Then I said, “Well, what do you want to do when you get here?” Then she said, “Well, why don’t the two of us go get some coffee?” Then I said, “Okay.” Then she said, “I’ll call you when you get to New York. Bye.” So then I got up and started jumping on the bed because after so long, I am finally going to get to see her. Then I made up my bed, brushed my teeth, and got dressed. Finally at 3:00, she called me. I picked up the phone and said, “Hello?” Then she said, “I am in New York. Get in your car, and go meet me at Starbucks.” And I said, “Okay, bye!” So then I got my car keys, opened the house door, closed it, and locked the house door. I went to my car, opened the car door, got inside my car, and turned it on. Then I drove to Starbucks and ordered myself some coffee. A long time passed, but she never showed up. Finally she called me back. She said, “I’m so sorry.” Then I said, “You should be.” Then she said, “I didn’t show up because I was visiting my cousin.” Then I said, “Oh.” Then she said, “How about you and I spend all day together tomorrow?” Then I said, “Okay.” Then she said, “I’ll meet you at McDonald’s to eat, bye.” After that, I said to myself, “If she doesn’t show up tomorrow, I will not see or talk to her anymore.” The next day, I woke up again, then I left. I called her and said, “I’m not your friend anymore.” After that, I stopped talking to her and our friendship was over.

James Fierro

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Chapter 12 - White Middle School

Snowy Days I remember the time I played in the snow. When I saw it, my face started to glow. The white, fun, and exciting snow is falling to reach the ground. As we spin round and round. In the snow, you can make snow angels and sing joyfully. Joyful, joyful, joyfully because it’s a sight to see. You can lay there at night to look at the stars. And even have a snowball fight. And, of course, it’s a wonderful sight. Trees covered with snow. As the kids start to sled. And carolers come to sing, dressed in green and red!

Taylor Smith

The Crazy Day It was a rainy day, very gray, just like my soul. The day before, I had left my family. I didn’t know why. I was standing on the side of the road. The flood had gone up to my ankle by now. I was waiting for someone, though I didn’t know who. My soul was telling me something will come, yet nothing happened. Cars and cars sped by, but none of them stopped to notice that the water went up to my knees. I went into the coffee store. I saw a kid there. I thought, Weird, kids don’t usually drink coffee. I walked up to him. He turned around. I went outside and everything was blank. I turned around without a point. I decided to lie down and close my eyes.

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Chapter 12 - White Middle School

In Between When the wind blows I’m thinking of essence When the fire blazes, I’m thinking of anger When the water splashes, I’m thinking of life When a rock falls, We picture ourselves When there is dark There will be light, When there is light, of course There will be dark When we meet twilight, In between, We meet twilight In between.

Where is the remote?

An old man once said to a boy, “How can you lay in hay all day and say ‘Where’s the remote?!’ ” “I do not whine nor grouch, I only ask one question! ‘Where is the remote?’!”

“I hope you learned nothing is free! Even when you ask a simple question like ‘Where is the remote?’!”

Winston Dam 6

Tyrin Lindsey

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Chapter 12 - White Middle School

Picture Article Poor people, what did they do wrong? Why would they get frozen? So much fun they must have had dancing with each other. But something must have happened. Something very bad.

Maybe they had a certain religion and they disobeyed it. But how would dancing with each other be wrong? Or, maybe they were trying to commit suicide. This picture doesn’t make any sense to me. All I know is that there is a man and a woman dancing together while they are frozen. It’s kind of hard to write something about this picture. Maybe they weren’t supposed to be together and got executed. That’s what I think. But the person who made the picture probably knows why.

The picture that I have to write about looks like two people dancing together while they are frozen. You probably already know that, because I’ve already told you that. In the picture, the ice makes it so that you can’t see the man and woman’s face. I wonder why. If you look closely, it looks like the woman only has one leg. I can tell that the color of the man’s hair is blond and the color of the woman’s hair is brown. The man is wearing a blue uniform, and the girl is wearing a yellow dress. The color of the background is red. That’s most of the information I can write about this picture.

Kyle Stafford

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Chapter 12 - White Middle School

There was once a princess. She was like no other princess. She did not wear fancy dresses. Come to think of it, she wasn’t very fancy. Her name was Madeline. She was very short and of the age of fifteen. She loved to eat meat, all kinds of meat. Her castle was in the middle of the forest. A forest full of trees and cute animals. The trees so tall, so beautiful. A forest where everything grew with love, and everything is peaceful and full of hope. The princess loved to run around the trees and play with the small animals. As soon as the princess stepped out on the forest grounds, the animals would be so happy. The forest mainly had oak trees, but still nature is beautiful and there the princess was happy. Her parents were King Roger and Queen Rachel. The parents were always busy, so she wanted parents who were not busy. She may be rich and have a giant palace, but she wants parents. She would give all she had to have loving parents.

Was it true she would give away all she has to have her parents with her at every moment? The thing princess Madeline did not know was that her parents would work hard because they love her, and want her to live happily with everything she needs and wants. So her parents love her!

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GEMINI INK is the only community-based center for literary arts and ideas in San Antonio and South Texas. During the past year, we served more than 5300 readers, writers, and literary performance-goers representing a diverse sampling of our community’s population. Four programs currently serve our mission: •The Autograph Series presents writers of national and international stature in a community-wide public program.

Previous Autograph Series writers have included Annie Proulx, Margaret Atwood, Peter Matthiessen, Tim O’Brien, Grace Paley and Phil Levine.

•The University Without Walls (UWW) offers three semesters of workshops, classes, readings, and events led by recognized professional writers, as well as artists and scholars whose work relates to writing.

•Dramatic Reader’s Theater (DRT) features professional actors interpreting literary works in a reading format, often accompanied by original music.

•Writers in Communities (WIC) sends professional writers with specialized teaching experience into a wide range of community settings to work alongside students of all ages, needs, interests and abilities. WIC writing workshops have been offered in schools, justice settings, neighborhood community centers, and healthcare facilities, among many other venues. While in residence,WIC writers help students create dynamic writing projects, often reflecting their own lives, that challenge, celebrate, inspire and enlighten. Most WIC residencies culminate in the publication of an anthology of participants’ work and a celebratory public reading.

For more information, visit www.geminiink.org; or call 210.734-WORD (9673). Toll-free: 877.734-WORD (9673).