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Period 6’s

ADVENTURE STORIES

The Mysterious Magician

By Jeremy Blatt Tony and Ian were in the Marriott hotel in Chicago. They were bored out of their minds. Tony shouted, “Let’s order room service!”

Ian cried out, “Let’s go!” So, they ordered room service. Then, there was a knock on the door.

“Room service.”

When they opened the door, they saw that the man had a magician’s hat.

Tony asked, “Why are you wearing that?”

The man stated, “It’s magician hat day at the hotel.”

Ian nodded and said, “Ok.” “That makes sense.”

The man asked, “Would you two care for a drink?”

They cried, “Yes!” The man gave them the drink and they saw in amazement that it was a cola bottle and it was in a christalized can. Then, they drank it up as fast as a speeding bullet.

“Mm.” “What kind of drink is this?” The man stated that it was pineapple flavored water.

Ian said, “Ok.” When they woke up, they felt something furry. They were surprised to see that they have turned into a half man-half animal figure. Tony shouted, “What happened to us?!”

“I don’t know, but we have to get back to human form!”

In the afternoon, they checked out of the hotel and went to the nearest doctor. The doctor was astonished. The doctor asked, “How in the world did this happen?”

“We don’t know, but we got to fix this mess.”

“I don’t know if I can fix this.” The doctor tried as hard as he could, but nothing happened. So, they checked out of the hospital, not back to human form and they went on a bus and stayed on the bus until they reached Arizona. There they were met by a figure in the distance. When he reached them, he warned, “Don’t go in the Magical Forest.”

Tony asked, “Where would this Magical Forest be?”

He stated, “It is 10 miles south from where you are.” Then, the man went away.

“Well that was weird,” Ian stated. So, they went on and then they saw the Magical Forest.

“Let’s go in,” Tony stated.

Ian stopped him and whispered, “That man told us to stay away from there.”

Tony cried back, “I don’t care just come in the forest with me.” So, they went in the Magical Forest.

When they got in the forest, they walked for 5 miles. Then, they saw a mysterious house near the small lake.

Tony whispered, “Let’s knock on the door and see who is in there.”

Ian whispered back, “I don’t know if we should knock.”

“Why?” “It could be a criminal.”

“Let’s do it anyway,” as Tony was rubbing his hands in excitement. So, they knocked on the door.

A deep voice boomed, “Who is it?” So, he opened the door and standing in front of them was the room service guy from the Marriott. He still had the magician’s hat on.

He cried out, “You two again. Why did you come here?”

Ian screeched, “Sorry, we won’t come here again.” So, they left the house with their legs shaking for 5 more miles.

After they walked for 5 miles, they became hungry and thirsty. Tony cried out, “I’m so hungry!”

“I know Tony, I am too.” They went on their business and then they found a watering hole.

Ian cried out, “Yes, we found water,” jumping in excitement. Then, they drank the water and after an hour, they found food. After they ate the food, it became dark. They went to a tree and slept under there. When they got up, they ate breakfast from their leftover food.

Ian whispered, “We still need to get back to human form fast.”

Tony suggested, “We should sneak in the man’s house and see if the drink is there. Maybe that is what caused this to happen and if we drink it, then it will turn us back to normal.”

“That’s an amazing idea Tony.”

Later that day, they walked back to the house. Luckily, they did not get lost.

They snuck through the window and they saw the crystallized cola can sitting at the table. They drank it up fast and quietly. After they drank it, they felt dizzy and ill.

Ian suggested, “We should go to sleep,” his legs wobbling.

After they woke up, they saw that it didn’t work. Tony said in anger, “Aw man, it didn’t work.” So, they tried to get out of the forest. They walked for miles and miles and they could not find a way out. Then, they decided to sleep under a nearby tree. When they woke up, they walked for another mile and saw the end of the forest.

Ian shouted in excitement, “Yes, we finally found the way out!” Then suddenly, Ian said in excitement, “Look down!” Tony looked down and saw that they turned back to human form.

Suddenly a familiar voice shouted, “STOP!” They turned around and it was the man again, running after them.

“I know what you two did with my drink!”

Tony screeched, “Oh no, he found out!”

They started to run out of the forest but there was a tug on their legs. He pulled them back. Ian shouted, “Please don’t kill us!” He went into his hat and took out poison.

“Oh no!” Tony screeched in terrorizing fear. He poured it into the cup and tried to force them to drink it.

Ian cried, “You are not going to kill us that easily.” They tripped him up and the poison landed in his mouth.

“OH NO, I’M DYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!” Those were his last words.

He lay dead on the dirt. “What a relief.” Ian sighed. Then, they found a bus station.

“Ian, let’s go home.”

So, they went home on the bus and got back to the Marriott and they agreed to never go to dangerous places ever again. So they shook on it and had a nice relaxing dinner and slept for the rest of the night.

The Legend of Pigman and Porkchop

By Nicholas Demetri “A long time ago there was a hero by the name of Pigman,” said Grandpa to his grandson Nick. One day a man went outside of his house and saw a small pig in the distance. The pig was along the rivers edge at the base of a nearby mountain.

At first when the man approached the pig he was very cautious. The man hadn’t been outside of his home for years. Slowly, he approached the pig until he was finally able to touch it. The man fed the pig wild mushrooms and from that moment on the two of them became Pigman and Porkchop, friends who went on wonderful quests together. Every day they would take long walks together. They became great friends. One sunny afternoon, they saw a cave and inside this cave they saw a sign that read, “YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS DESTINE TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS.” Pigman and Porkchop did not think anything of the sign after they read it. A few minutes later they went home to go to sleep. The next morning the two woke up and went to the same cave again, but this time things were different. When they walked deeper in the cave they have found a dungeon with a chest. Inside the chest was a saddle and diamond sword that was enchanted to Sharpness V and Knockback II, which gave them special powers.

Pigman said, “Hey Porkchop, you want to take these tools to a village and gather food?”

“Sure,” said Porkchop. So they went to a village, but when they got there all of the villagers were gone. They thought that was really weird and wondered what evil came to this village.

“Say, Porkchop, we need to take shelter. It’s getting late and it’s too dark to go back home.”

“Ok,” Porkchop replied. The next day they went back home to their house.

As they got closer to their front door, Porkchop suddenly noticed a small book along the pathway. Porkchop read the title aloud to Pigman. It said, ”THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE GUIDE.” Porkchop told Pigman, “According to the guide they must mine 3 Diamonds with a Iron Pickaxe. Then they will be able to craft a Diamond Pickaxe. With the Diamond Pickaxe, they could mine 10 blocks of Obsidian to make a Nether Portal.” While Porkchop finished reading the book, Pigman started to prepare dinner and set the table. Pigman had steak and Porkchop had bread. After dinner they went to bed for a good nights sleep. The next morning Pigman woke up early. While Porkchop was still asleep, Pigman had a quick breakfast and ran out the door to begin his adventure. First, he went to a nearby cave to mine the Diamonds. Then, Pigman crafted a Diamond Pickaxe. Finally, he went deep in the cave to mine Obsidian. Then he went back home. But, he was shocked to find Porkchop was gone.

He screamed “NOOOO!!!!” and looked all around the house. He saw a note on his bed that said

“WARNING, DON’T FOLLOW US TO THE NETHER

OR ELSE PORKCHOP WILL DIE!!! The note was signed Farwell, The Wither.

As soon as he finished reading the letter, Pigman knew that his Destiny had just begun. He would not rest until he saved Porkchop. First, he sent a letter to his trusted friend Sheepman, asking him to help him on this dangerous quest. Second, he prepared for combat by preparing food, making armour and packing his tools.

Finally, he crafted the Nether Portal. Then, when there was nothing more he could do that evening, he went to bed and waited for Sheepman. At 6:00am sharp, Sheepman arrived. ”Hi, Pigman what’s going on.” said Sheepman. “Oh nothing, just the worst thing ever happened!!!” cried Pigman. ”Porkchop has been captured and was brought to the Nether!!!!” Together, Pigman and Sheepman entered the Nether portal on a quest to save Porkchop. The two of them searched all of the Nether for the Nether Fortress where Wither Skeleton lived.

Suddenly Sheepman was shot by an arrow in right arm. Then they heard “HAHAHAHA!!!!” and saw Wither Skeleton surrounded by minions.

“Funny seeing you here Pigman.” said Wither Skeleton.

“I’ll make you eat your words Wither,” said Sheepman. So the two heroes leaped into action and started the fight.

Then Wither said, “Get them you dumb minions.”

The Minions shouted “Sir, yes Sir.” In the meantime the Wither took Porkchop out of the cage where he was kept captive. Wither threatened to throw Porkchop into the lava. With quick thinking, Pigman and Sheepman successfully defeated the minions and knocked Wither Skeleton down before he could see them coming. Not only did they save Porkchop, but they also found the Potion of Eternal Youth. With their pig and prize in hand, they ran into the portal. Just

before they jumped into the portal, they all screamed, “So long Wither, better luck next time.”

“The End” said Grandpa “Thank you Grandpa for telling me this wonderful story” said Nick.

“You’re welcome,” said Grandpa

The Goodies By: Mikaylie DePalma Our story starts here, in the Big Apple. It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon in New York city’s best elementary school. Emily May was cheerful and happy to go to school today. She loved having an education; and was interested in learning all the things teachers had to offer. On her way to school, Emily’s daily routine began.

“Emily why are you walking by yourself?” Joseph asked.

“Well,” Emily started.

“Oh I know why, it’s because you have no friends to walk with you,” Joseph added.

The group of boys walking with Joseph chuckled while Emily started to become cheerless. She decided to do the right thing and ignore the bullies as she walked to the other side of the road. One of the boys, Derek, had a rubber band around his wrist and while walking, found a stick and rock.

“Joseph look at what I’ve got,” Derek pursued.

“Sitck rock and rubber band? Why that’s the perfect slingshot!” blubbered Joseph.

“C’mon guys what has she ever done to you,” questioned Nolan.

“What’s it matter to you Nolan,” Joseph angrily replied.

Nolan ignored Joseph as he crossed the street to walk with Emily.

“What’s gotten into him?” boasted Joseph.

Soon enough, Joseph was walking by himself while all his friends had gone to the other side of the road to walk with Emily and Nolan. The school day came, and

soon came lunch. During lunch Emily was sitting with her friends when Joseph felt the need to interrupt the conversation.

“Well, well, well, if it isn't Emily Rodgers,” emphasized Joseph.

“Joseph I don't want any trouble today. You may stay and talk, but please don’t start,” politely asked Emily.

“Ms. Rodgers I am appalled! You should know better than to accuse the Mayor's son of rallying up trouble.”

“Emily, just ignore him,” explained Emily’s friend Suzie.

“Suzie this is not your fight stay out of it,” exclaimed Joseph.

“Is there something wrong here?” asked a lunch monitor.

“Nothing at all,” explained Joseph.

Emily sat there speechless, not knowing what to say. Her face turned as red as ketchup as she shouted, “TELL HIM TO LEAVE! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” “What is going on here?” asked the curious monitor.

Suzie Shouted, “Its Joseph; it’s all Joseph!”

Nolan soon came into the picture curious of what was going on.

“What’s wrong, Emily?” wondered Nolan.

“I’m put through this everyday. I wish bullying didn’t even exist. It’s not fair that Joseph bullies and never gets penalized for it. I don’t necessarily want him in trouble; I just want him to stop.”

“One day, Emily, one day, bullies won’t even exist. It’s our job to be aware of bullies, and we can help them become better people,” professed Nolan.

“Nolan’s right, Em; sometimes people don’t know any better,” submitted Suzie.

“I just wish this didn’t have to happen,” shrugged Emily.

“Your wish is our command,” said Nolan and Suzie lawfully.

The next day approached quickly. Emily, along with her friends Nolan and Suzie, walked to school. With her friends beside her, Emily felt invincible.

“I wanted to thank you guys for what you did yesterday; you saved the day,” noted Emily.

“I guess we are a pretty good team, huh,” told Nolan.

“You guys are my superheroes!” shouted Emily.

“Superhero… I like that,” thought Nolan.

“Nolan why stop here? We can help kids all over the world,” Suzie said trembling with joy.

“Yah, but first we need a name,” stated Nolan.

“A name?”

“Yah, we need a superhero name,” Nolan said.

“How about the Goodies,” Suzie suggested.

“The Goodies... that’s perfect!” agreed Nolan.

“So then the Goodies we shall be. It will be our job to help kids being bullied, or in an uncomfortable situation.”

Throughout the school day, the Goodies were helping kids left and right, making sure everyone was having a good day. Not only did their fellow students realize it was their priority to do so, but their teachers did as well. Later in a

conference that occurs every Thursday with the school’s teachers, they discussed the incredible work of the two kids. They wanted the students to be recognized for their help, and put their names along with pictures on the school’s main pinboard at the front of the school where everyone could see and read the story of the Goodies.

Ying and Yang

By Natalie Frazzitta Hi my name is Ying and my sidekick’s name is Yang. We are the best superheros in Gotham city. When someone needs help they shine a ying yang symbol in the sky. We work with the police trying to make the city a better place.

Chapter 1 Right now we are trying to stop the evil Dr. Blue. He has been going around the city and kidnaping people and turning them into his own personal army so he can take over the world. But I digress, even superheroes need their sleep.

RING RING RING “Wake up, Isabella, time to go to school,” announced Isabella’s mom in a commanding tone.

“Five more minutes please,” moaned Isabella as she snuggled with her dog Charlie.

“No, I thought you had to go meet up with John,” Isabella’s mom yelled from the kitchen as she was making pancakes. It must be Monday; she always makes pancakes on Mondays.

“Fine,” Isabella groaned as she threw her body on the floor in her typical dramatic fashion.

Chapter 2 “Hey Isabella,” John yelled.

“Hi” Isabella whispered as she walked toward the bus stop. “Get excited it’s Monday” John said happily. “What’s so good about Monday” Isabella mumbled.

“The police found out where, Dr.Blue’s hid out is” John whispered. “That’s great new’s” Isabella yelled. “Shhh, do you want everybody to know who we are” John quietly yelled. “Lets go we have to go to school” John mumbled.

Chapter 3 “Good morning class” Mrs. Kafi yelled as she walked in the class with a big pile of work.

SLAM, good morning Mrs. Kafi the children hollered in fright. “Who’s ready to work,” Mrs. Kafi hissed as she handed out a forty page packet.”This packet is due no later than Wednesday” Mrs. Kafi yelled.

“Mrs. Kafi I have a quest... WHAT” Mrs. Kafi yelled, “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to know if we can work with a partner on this?” Shawn asked in fright.

“No, no you can’t.” Mrs. Kafi lightly said. “If I find out that you did work with a partner,” she took a long pause. BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ John’s phone was ringing.

“Hey Isabella my phone’s ringing what should I do” John mumble. “I don’t know let it go to voicemail,” Isabella whispered.

Chapter 4 John’s phone was still ringing. “What’s that I hear?” Mrs. Kafi yelled as she scowled across the classroom at the frightened kids. The kids looked around the classroom to see whose phone it was. “What should we do?” John said in fright.

“I don’t know” Isabella whispered. DING, The school bell rings, Isabella and John ran right out of the classroom and down the street to the police station.

“Do we know where Dr. Blue is yet?” John yelled as he walked in the station.

“Yes he is on a plane heading to California,” the chief yelled back.

“CALIFORNIA” Isabella screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Yes what’s wrong with that?” the chief yelled.

“It’s that we have a project due in two days and it’s. . .” before John could finish talking the chief commanded that two officer’s do the work so they can go to stop Dr. Blue.

Chapter 5 Isabella and John were on the plane for at least 6 hour. When they got off the plane they went to the police and told them that they were there to stop Dr.Blue.

The police took them to a safe house in Korona.

“Hey, John, wake up,” Isabella screamed. “Tom, wake up John from his room upstairs.” She must have called his name a thousand times and he would not respond. Isabella started to go upstairs until she heard someone knock at the door.

She went back down the stairs and went to the peephole to see whom it was.

Isabella opened the door, and a box was sitting there, so she brought it to the house.

When she opened the box there was a letter and a disk. The letter said, Dear Isabella, I have your friend. You have exactly 5 hours to save him or he will be part of my army.

From Dr. Blue.

PS: Watch the disk.

Isabella took the disk and she put it in the DVD player; it was a video of John in Dr. Blue’s hide out.

“Oh no, I have to go tell the police!” Isabella shouted.

Chapter 6 While on her way to the police station, a random person came up to her and dragged her to an alley and told her to go back to where she is from. Isabella refused and continued walking, but the strange man kept following her. Isabella turned around and asked what he wanted and the man came up close and yelled at her to go back to where she came from. Isabella did not listen and kicked him in the gut and left to the police. When Isabella got there, she told detective backer what happened and that John was missing. A few seconds later they got a hit on where Dr. Blue was. She suited up and went to his hideout. It was located in an old warehouse. She and hundreds of S.W.A.T and police were surrounding the warehouse.

Chapter 7 As the S.W.A.T team moved forward, Isabella went to find John. With one minute left on the clock, she found John and let him free.

“SHH, be quiet so the he doesn't hear us,” Isabella whispered.

“OK,” John whispered back.

As soon as they got to the door, John stepped on a chip. CRUNCH, “Who goes there?” Dr. Blue yelled.

Isabella and John stayed still, but Dr. Blue saw them.

“AHH isn’t it little miss Isabella trying to save John.”

“Yea, so what?” Isabella screamed.

“It’s just that I can’t let you go now,” Dr. Blue yelled.

“Why not?” Isabella yelled back. “You can’t stop us,” John barked.

“Yes I can,” Dr. Blue yelled back.

“Yeah, you and what army?” Isabella screamed at him.

“This army!” the Dr yelled. Hundreds of people came in the room.

“What is this?” Isabella yelled.

“This is my personal army!” the Dr yelled back.

Chapter 8 In minutes, Isabella and John were surrounded by his army. The S.W.A.T were there to.

“Lets go,” Isabella and John yelled as they started to punch and kick the army.

“We will never beat them,” yelled John.

A few moments after the kids had out weapons to help them. At the end they beat the army but not Dr. Blue. As they were chasing him down the hall, John shot the back of his knee cap so he can fall down.

“Let’s go!” Isabella yelled as they kept running down the hall.

“Dr. Blue, you're under arrest!” Isabella yelled as John went to get the police.

“Good job, partner,” John gushed at Isabella.

A few moments later, John leaned in to kiss her, but before he could, Isabella slapped him across the face and yelle,d “What are you doing? I can’t kiss you; that can mess up our friendship and partnership . . . our everything.”

“I’m sorry, Isabella,” John agreed to that logic.

“Can we just be friends?” Isabella asked.

“Sure,” John mumbled.

THE END.

The Majestical Chest of Mystery

By Maddie Fryer

The forest of Doom Island was filled with spine-chilling creatures that roamed around in the unilluminated night. Kurt was as excited as ever to locate the Majestical Chest of Mystery. Each time the chest was opened a treasure appeared inside. If that was removed, another one would appear in its place. As he crept along, Kurt heard a soft dragging noise coming from the road to the left. As he slowly walked toward it, he collided with a monkey who was shuffling his feet along the dirt path. Kurt was knocked to the ground in a complete state of shock.

“Why traveler what brings you to this very forest?” cried the monkey. “And if I should ask, who are you?” the monkey questioned with his nose and eyes crinkled upon his face.

“Who me? Why I am Kurt, the one and only person that the Majestical Chest of Mystery will ever belong to!” he stated with his head held high. As Kurt peered down at the monkey, he noticed he was in a state of confusion and curiosity. He asked, “ Monkey what is your name?”

“I was called Samuel by my parents, however everyone else calls me Sam,” the monkey explained. “Say, can I join you on this magical journey of yours? This would be a good, once in a lifetime opportunity for me, not to mention I can be of much assistance to you.”

“Fine, but stay at least ten feet away from me at all times,” Kurt replied as he rolled his eyes.

They finally made their pact. They would start out at dawn the following morning, lugging all of the supplies they needed for the journey ahead.

What lay before them would soon be discovered, as they made their way to find the Chest.

Kurt and the monkey dreamt peacefully under a willow tree. Sam woke up at approximately four o’clock in the morning. As he sat around waiting for Kurt, he wondered about what would occur on the journey ahead. When it was time to rouse Kurt, the boy woke up in a sweat, very startled by this action. They gathered their things and went off, leaving what they knew behind them and facing the unknown world before them.

Passing various unknown species of plant life was truly mesmerizing to the duo. The two both discussed where they should begin excavating. “ Lets start under this tree over here,” Kurt suggested. “You know, they say that you are most lucky if you look in a graveyard, or you start digging under a tree with extremely large roots.”

“No!” shouted the monkey. “ You should look in an abandoned house, everybody knows that.” “ Sam you are just here to help me, and if you wouldn’t mind, I am going to pick every excavation sight.”

They began digging, with no sign of any treasure. Eventually they moved on, going from tree to tree. By and by, the day moved on and nightfall was approaching. Kurt and Sam gazed at the stars above, wondering if they would ever find the treasure. Gradually their eyes grew heavy, and eventually shut, ending the first day of the expedition.

Kurt had as much interest in the Majestical Chest of Mystery as anyone else did, however, some evil souls would manipulate other searchers in order to obtain the treasure. A girl, filled with evil and hatred, was out to get anyone who would stand in her way of finding the Chest. She, on an expedition herself, looked in the best spots. In other situations, she had often found treasure on the inside of a hollow tree trunk.

After the first dozen trees her patience wore thin and she exclaimed, “That’s it! I am fed up with not finding any treasure! If someone else has found it, their skull will be broken in two once I get a hold of them!”

She continued on, forgetting about the treasure almost completely, because she was focused more on finding the person responsible for stealing her quarry. As she moved on in a state of fury, she searched some more with no luck. At last she settled down to rest because soon it would be time for her to locate and steal the Chest and she needed her strength to carry out this task.

Kurt and Sam really did not have much luck in finding the treasure, not to mention they had no recollection of where they had already searched. They settled down near a spring to rest, when all of a sudden they heard a flapping noise coming

from hundreds of feet above them. A graceful white dove flew down to where the two were standing.

The dove spoke while shivering, “ Why sir yyyou should take the trrreasure before the girl whose name shall not be spoken arrives. She is filled with fury and anger because she couldn’t find the treasure herself, and she will kill anyone who will stand in her way.”

Kurt replied with a scared voice, “Wait! Won’t she kill us?”

“No, no,” stated the dove, “she will only kill you if you stick around here.

The treasure is in the tree over there.”

“How will I ever get that out in time?” questioned Kurt. “ I can’t lift the whole tree up!”

“Nonsense; it isn’t buried under the tree. The tree’s hollow; just go over there and look inside it.”

The trio rushed over to the hollow tree like a pack of cheetahs running across a field. They frantically searched inside the tree. Sure enough there was a large chest waiting for them. They didn’t pause to look inside because they were afraid that the girl would catch them.

“RUN, RUN!!” cried the dove. “Just warning you, she changes weather and makes poisonous creatures appear that bite people so keep a lookout!” he shouted.

“Thanks for all the help, dove! We’ll see ya soon!” ‘“Anytime!” he called.

Sam and Kurt ran for their lives. When all of a sudden out of nowhere it got pitch black and freezing, they knew the girl was up to something. Kurt’s face went pale with fright.

“Sam how are we going to survive this if we can’t see, plus it is as cold as ice out here!”

“We’ll be fine, but let’s stop worrying and keep on moving,” the monkey replied comfortingly.

They ran far, far away, as they hoped not to run into the girl. As they were sprinting along, something venomous, bit the back of Sam’s neck, causing him to fall dead in the middle of the path. As Kurt ran along, he could not hear someone running beside him.

“Sam?” he called, “Sam where are you? Sam!” Kurt began to retrace his tracks. He suddenly found his friend lying there.

“Sam?” he said with tears coming to his eyes, “Buddy where’d you go?”

Kurt knew he had to move on. He picked up Sam and held him in his arms as he ran along.

As he ran further, and far-away voice boomed, “Give me my treasure!

I want it this instant! You will not be breathing in two seconds if you do not hand it to me now!”

Kurt asked frightfully, “Who are you and why do you want this treasure?”

My name shall never be mentioned, however I rule over poor people on Doom Island, which is where we are standing right now. I deserve the best

and they deserve the rest. That is why I am here. I suppose you do not want me to make you one of my subjects, do you? Because I can, in a blink of an eye.”

“No ma'am,” replied Kurt with fear taking over his body. “You can have this precious treasure but you must give me one thing.”

“Why, what do I owe you, traveler?”

“My friend Sam, that you killed, you must save him, otherwise, NO TREASURE. And you must save him before I give you the treasure.”

“Why must I do that?” asked the girl with confusion. “ Do you want the treasure or not?” Kurt demanded.

“FINE.” Suddenly, Sam’s eyes began to open.

“KKurt?” he whispered “Sam it’s me. I’m here. I’m so happy you’re alive. We must give the chest to the girl, alright?”

“But Kurt, that defeats the purpose of why we came here.”

“I know Sam” he said “But she’ll kill you if we don’t.”

“Hand it over !” she exclaimed.

As Kurt was handing it over, all the venomous creatures, tired of being under her rule, attacked the girl instead. The girl fell lifeless.

Now that the quest was ended, the dove came to join them. The three slept under an oak tree, and would set off by dawn with the Majestical Chest

of Mystery. They knew they would be back home by Autumn, with everything being the same as it was when they left.

By late November they reached the town, everyone cheering as they entered the streets of the Land of Doom. All of the venomous creatures that saved them during their crisis with the girl were cheering and smiling as they walked by. All three were offered positions as expedition officers by the Expedition center in town, and the creatures that saved them were appointed as their sidekicks. All was going well, at least at this very moment. Kurt, Sam, and the dove would come across many more villains, and be able to conquer them.

Casey Goodman Emily turned to Casey and said “These are great seats you got us!”

“I know right? My uncle working at Madison Square Garden really payed off. Front row seats for Justin Bieber’s 1000 concert! If Joley could only see us now she would be so jealous,” laughed Casey.

Joley was a girl at school who thought she was the biggest “Belieber” (Justin Bieber fan) in the world. Casey and Emily knew she was wrong because no one was a bigger fan than them.

“How is everyone doing tonight?!” Justin Bieber said between songs. “Now you all know this is a special night because it’s my 1000 concert. So that means that this will be the 1000 less lonely girl in the world night!”

Justin was known for picking a girl from the audience and bringing her on stage when he sang his famous song, “One Less Lonely Girl.”

Casey looked at her friend Emily and screamed, “Imagine if Justin called on one of us to be his one less lonely girl tonight?”

Emily exclaimed, “Cross your fingers!” as Justin began to sing.

After about 30 seconds into his song, Justin called out, “Who wants to be my one less lonely girl?” When Justin said this every girl at the concert began to scream. To Casey and Emily’s disbelief, Justin grabbed Casey’s hand. And there Casey was, in shock in front of millions of disappointed fans. When Casey glanced at Emily, she saw that Emily’s jaw had dropped in shock.

Towards the end of the song, Justin stopped singing and said, “Now this is something I don’t normally do but, since it is my 1000 show, I want to give this lonely girl something special to remember me.” All the fans screamed!

“What is your name?” Justin asked.

“Casey” “Well Casey, you are one special girl so I want to give you something special so you can always remember this night.” Justin took off the ring that he wore on his pinky with his initials on it and said, “This ring I have worn for every concert, it’s a good luck ring. I want you to have it to remember this concert.” Casey was speechless.

45 minutes later when Casey and Emily were leaving the concert the two girls could not stop talking about the fact that Casey was the 1000 one less lonely girl. Emily turned to Casey and lowered her voice, “You know “Beliebers” would do anything to get that ring from you.”

Casey said “Well I am never gonna take it off so they will have a hard time getting it from me!”

For the next few weeks Casey wore the ring everywhere! Everyone at school was talking about her ring and asking to see it. Even the local newspaper interviewed her and took pictures of her!

One day when they started the volleyball unit in gym, Ms. Lang told Casey she had to take the ring off.

“But I never take this ring off.”

“If you don’t take the ring off I am going to have to fail you. Someone can get hurt if you wear jewelry for this unit. Go lock it in your locker. It will be safe there.”

Reluctantly, Casey took the ring off. She needed to get a good grade in gym.

She locked it in her locker and ran back to the gymnasium. Her hand felt naked without her ring on. The class was put into two teams so they can play against each other. Casey’s team was winning until Joley, the best spiker on the team, left to go to the bathroom. She returned a little while later and Casey’s team ended up winning.

After gym class Casey ran back to her locker to get her ring and could not believe her eyes! The ring, which she had placed carefully on the hook inside the locker, was gone! Casey started to scream and everyone came running over.

“The ring its gone!” Casey cried.

“What do you mean?” Emily demanded.

“I put it right here on this hook and now it is gone. Somebody stole it!”

Casey shrieked.

Ms. Lang, who had come over to see what all the commotion was about, said, “No one could have stolen it. No one came into the locker room.”

“Thats not true!” Emily protested. “Joley came in to go to the bathroom, and I know she is a big Justin Bieber fan.”

Everyone turned and looked at Joley, “I did not take it!” Joley said angrily, “I didn’t go into her locker!”

Ms. Lang sent the Emily, Casey and Joley to the principal’s office. After a long thorough talk, the principal had no evidence that Joley stole the ring. The police were called and Casey was told that they would investigate the matter.

On the way out of the office, Joley turned to Casey and muttered, “You know, a person could probably sell that ring and get thousands for it.”

Caseys eyes popped out of her head. “Did you hear what she just said?”

Emily mumbled, “Who said what?”

“Joley just said someone can sell my ring and get thousands. I think she took the ring and she plans to sell it. We don’t have time for the police to investigate the matter. We have to do something right away,” Casey fumed.

“What can we do?” Emily stammered. “What, are we going to break into her house or something?”

“I think that’s exactly what we should do,” Casey confided. “Later when Joley has dance practice I think we should sneak in her bedroom window and look around her room. Maybe the ring is there somewhere and we can get it back.”

So the girls made a plan. They would meet at Joley’s house at 5:00, when Joley was at practice and her parents were not home yet.

At 5:00 when the girls met, they easily climb through Joley’s bedroom window because it was left open. The two girls look around. There the ring was, right on top of the night table next her bed. Casey grabbed the ring and whispered to Emily, “I found it lets get out of here!”

Emily has one leg out the window when the door knob jiggled. “We do not have time to get out, let’s hide!” Casey whispered urgently. Both girls hid in the closet, leaving the door a smidge opened so they could see who came into the bedroom.

Joley came in the room and went straight to the night table. When she did not see the ring she started looking around on the floor. She became more desperate when she couldn’t find it there. “My ring, my Justin Bieber ring, I can’t find it anywhere. It’s gotta be here somewhere. I can get thousands for it! I took such a risk stealing it from Casey’s locker!” Joley continued to tear her room apart looking for the ring. When she pulled open the doors to the closet she screamed, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM! I WILL CALL THE POLICE ON YOU TWO FOR SNEAKING INTO MY HOUSE!!!!!! THATS BREAKING AND ENTERING!” Casey stepped out of the closet and said, “No you won’t because I video taped that whole breakdown that just happened. I have it on tape that you stole my ring.” Casey pressed play on her iPhone and all three girls watched a replay of Joley’s breakdown. “If you ever touch my ring again, I will bring this video to the police and show the whole school that you’re a thief. I got my ring back so we’re going to leave now.”

As Casey and Emily go to leave out the window, Casey looks at Joley and boasted, “Oh, and don’t you ever forget that I’m Justin Bieber’s number one fan!”

The Island with Gold

By Jared Katzelnick Mark is the most intelligent person in his town called Stean. Everyone loves him, even the parents. He follows rules and is nice, but is very mysterious. He disappears often and comes back very little. However, he comes back when the time is right and when the town is in trouble. There is an evil person who comes to the town and steals people’s money named David. Many people fear him and don’t now where he lives. But there is one boy in Stean named Matt, who is a brave boy and doesn’t fear him. He helps Mark when David comes to Stean. Mark and Matt are very close friends. Matt is the only one who knows where he lives and visits him sometimes.

David has come to town and no one knows who he is going after next.

Mark, like always when David comes, came back and has found Matt to stop David from stealing more money from people. However, when Mark got to Matt, Matt told him of a treasure he heard about on a different island that would make you become rich. Mark always like adventures and told him he is ready to take that risk. However, David overheard Matt saying this and decided to go looking for it as well. David knows he will have the advantage because they don’t know David is searching for the treasure too. A day later Mark and Matt have packed their things they may need and are ready to go on the adventure.

“Are you sure you want to do this? There are many things that can go wrong,” Matt reassured.

“Yes, I’m sure. You know me, I love adventures and besides I have you if something goes wrong,” Mark explained.

“Ok then, if you say so,” Matt agreed. “So where do we start.”

“First we have to find a boat that can take us to a different island.” They decided to go down to the ocean and fortunate for them, there was a boat there.

They were on their way.

“Do you have a map to the treasure?” Mark asked.

“No, I just heard about it.”

“Wait so this treasure might not actually exist.”

“Maybe not, but thats the fun part,” explained Matt and Mark agreed. There was only one island that was even close to theirs so they knew it was on that island.

Even though it was the closest island to them, it was far away. It took them 6 hours to get there.

When they got there it was a big forest.

“How are we going to find the treasure? The island is a huge forest,” asked Matt as they were first stepping onto the island.

“We are just going to have to be lucky,” Mark said not very confident.

“Do you that?”

“No, hear what?”

“Shhhhhhhh” Matt said quietly. They hid behind a large rock just incase. As they were bending down David spotted them from the trees.

“Run!” Mark yelled.

As they were running away from David, Matt asked. “How did he get here?

Do you think he knows about the treasure?”

“We are just going to have to assume he knows about.” Luckily for them, They were both fast. They outran David and were out of site. They were now safe.

“This is bad. Now we have him to worry about,” Matt explained breathing very heavily. When they caught their breath they decided to start looking for the treasure because now it’s a race to the treasure. There first guess was in the most dangerous place. Matt had heard about three caves that have very dangerous animals in them.

“Are you sure you want to do this?

This is very dangerous,” Mark asked.

“We knew it was dangerous at the beginning and we took that risk. We can’t turn back now.”

“So do you know where these caves are?” asked Mark.

“Well, there’s three caves right there,” he said pointing to the caves.

“Wow, that was easy. I guess we ran the right way,” he added as they walked over to the caves. As they started walking into one cave, Matt added, “What if David found these caves also and he is already in the cave.”

“He might, but we have each other’s back and if something goes wrong we can help each other.” Now they were in the first cave and it was dark and creepy.

They went in until they reached the back. Nothing was in the cave. They did this with the other two and the same result came up, they found nothing.

“This isn’t right. It has to be in one of these caves,” Mark said confused.

“Do you want to check again?”

“Yeah, but this time look for different paths that we could of missed.” Matt agreed and they were back in the first cave. Like last time they found nothing and no hallways. They tried the second cave and found nothing.

“If it’s not in the third cave, then we came here for nothing,” Mark said.

“Lets hope it’s in there.” They started walking in the third cave when they heard a noise.

“What was that?” They decided it was nothing and kept on walking. They were about to reach the end when Matt found another cave.

“Wait, I think I found another pathway.”

“Good job, Matt.” They started walking down the pathway when they heard a scream down the hall.

“Run, its David!” They were quick and got out in time. But David never came out behind them. They peeked back in the cave to see where David went and they found him lying on the ground, dead.

“Oh my god, he’s dead,” Matt commented.

“Its going to be ok, now we don’t have him to worry about.”

“Yeah but what in the cave killed him?”

“I guess we will find out.”

“Wait we’re going back in there?” “Yes, the treasure is in there.” They got to the pathway they found and started walking scardly. There was a big hole in the middle of the cave with a shovel next to.

“David must have been digging here, we should check if it’s there.” They started to dig more when they found something that was a goldish treasure.

“Its the gold! Matt screamed. They pulled the treasure out, when they heard a noise.

“What was that?” Just then they saw an animal, they have never seen before, that was coming after them.

“Run!!!!” They ran as quick as they can out of the cave however the treasure full with money is heavy and it slows them down. The animal was now hot on their tail.

“He’s going to catch us,” Matt yelled.

“Keep going we’re almost to the end of the cave.” They ran and ran and just kept on running until they saw the daylight. But right when they were about to reach the end, Matt tripped and fell. Mark came back to help Matt but the animal was right there and was about to kill them both. Mark looked around and all he had was his bag. He hit the animal with his bag and the animal flew back and hit the wall. Mark quickly got Matt up and they got out of the cave. They were safe and they had the lost treasure.

“We have it,” Matt shouted. They found the boat they came with at the ocean and sailed back to their own island. They were the heroes of the day. David was now dead and they had all the money they could think of.

“Another adventure goes down in the books,” Matt added.

Dan and Jack’s mystery hike

By Jake Lipskin “DING DING DING DING,” the doorbell rings and its time for the Johnson brothers Dan and Jack to get up and go on they’re next hike. Dad comes through the door and gives Dan and Jack they’re breakfast. Dan and Jack eat their breakfast as fast as possible so they can go hike another mountain. It’s the first day of summer and Dan and Jack love nothing more than hiking a different mountain. Dan and Jack are now able to go alone without their parents and have their permission.

As Dan and Jack pack any extra snacks and drinks they want, Dad says “Guys, I heard that there is a cave at a mountain that has some buried treasure somewhere in the cave near the town of Crabston” yelled Dad before they ran out the door. The town of Crabston is the next town over.

“Thanks dad, now we know where to go today.” said Dan and Jack at the same time “No problem just have fun kids” dad said with joy.

Dan and Jack took some money and took a cab to the town of Crabston and hiked up the mountain to the entrance of the cave. Jack and Dan took a breather and had some power bars and some fruit before they moved

on. Dan and Jack went into the cave with a ton of excitement and right when they took their first step in the cave they heard a sound of squeaking and out came a swarm of bats pouring out of the cave.

“OW” screamed Jack.

“Jack Jack are you ok??” anxiously said Dan. Dan helps up Jack and this time they actually get inside the cave this time. As Dan and Jack walk into the cave they notice how the cave isn’t just an ordinary cave.

This cave is much different. This cave has crystal hanging from the roof of the cave, the ground is crystal, the whole cave is crystal. Dan and Jack are so amazed with this cave until they see one guy just standing there with a lot of hiking gear. That one guy is named David Ryeberg. As David turns around he notices Dan and Jack just standing there. A minute of silence occurs.

“Hi my name is Dan and this is my brother Jack,” said Dan as he tried to introduce his brother Jack and himself. David doesn’t answer.

As Dan says, “Who are you, what's your name” David interrupts “ My name is David, David Ryeberg and you guys are looking for the secret treasure too aren’t you”.

Jack says anxiously “How did you know that”.

“Because... No one ever mines in this cave anymore” whispered David.

While getting a weird feeling Dan and Jack say “Why??”

David doesn’t answer.

“WHY??” yelled Dan and Jack

“There's an old myth about this cave... One day a man named Bobby went into this cave just like us now. He loved to hike and couldn’t stop.

Every single day he would wake up go hiking and come back just before dinnertime. But as I was saying, one day he came across this cave while he hiked this very mountain. He went in and found treasure. He died of starvation because if you find that treasure, you won't get back out. I personally come to this cave everyday but I don't look for the treasure because I’m very paranoid about it. You can go look for it but you guys got to be careful about it.” Said David “Yea I don't think I want to look for the treasure after hearing that” laughed Jack.”

“Jack, it’s getting late, it's 5:00, and we better get going. Thank you for telling us David, we will come back tomorrow around lunchtime.” said Dan. “Ok guys, see you tomorrow” said David.

“Bye David, see you tomorrow, nice meeting you.” said Jack.

Dan and Jack get back home just in time for dinner and tell their Dad everything about what they have experienced today. They mentioned how the cave was practically all crystal, how they met David Ryeberg, and also the myth. The dad was shocked how they know the myth and the dad spoke up and said “Kids, How do you know the myth”?

“We met someone named David Ryeberg, he said that he knew the myth so he told us” said Dan and Jack.

“DAVID RYEBERG” yelled dad.

“Yea David Ryeberg... what's so bad about that?” whispered Dan and Jack.

“Did he mention a Bobby at all???” yelled anxiously by dad while drinking his iced tea.

“Yea why.... how did you know that?” said Dan and Jack confusingly.

“Oh my god... David Ryebergs dad is Bobby Ryeberg and Bobby was my best friend,” said Dad. “What is going on” said Dan. “Oh my god” said Jack while his jaw dropped to the floor.

“Did David say he was going tomorrow?” said Dad. “Yea” said Dan and Jack.

“It looks like I have to come, I have to talk to David” said Dad. “You boys better go to sleep... it’s going to be a long day tomorrow” said Dad. Dan, Jack, and Dad went to sleep that night and couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Everyone wakes up, has breakfast, and packs their bags for a big day. Today they are going to the cave. They pay the cab driver and get in the car. It’s been half an hour and they just arrive at the mountain. They hike up the mountain and take a break by eating fruit and have some water. They move into the cave and they don't see David anywhere. They move farther and farther and farther into the cave and they see a light. They see David!! Dan and Jack sprint with Dad and they see David sitting there at the end of the cave crying in front of him, Bobby Ryeberg dead.

“David I’m so sorry for your loss” Said Dan and Jack.

“Dad, don’t cry, it’s ok,” said Jack.

“He was my bestest friend I have ever had....” cried dad.

Later that evening, Dan, Jack, David, and Dad arranged a funeral for Bobby.

Everyone was in the state of shock and heartbroken. Everyone goes to sleep that night crying. Now all Dan and Jack think about is where they are going to hike tomorrow.

Island Adventure Joe Lomuto We were looking to salvage anything from the plane crash. It has been one day since the accident. Jo and Aron landed on a mysterious island together. We were the only survivors. their inventory was low. We had a bottle of water, seven pounds of bacon and a can of beans. We made a fire with twigs and leaves. We both sat by the fire desperate for rescue. The next day Aron went to go try and catch fish while I looked for sticks to make us a shelter to protect us from the storm. Aron came back unlucky. That night, we went to sleep hungry. The next morning we built a help sign out of sticks. Aron caught three fish and we cooked them over the fire. We devoured them. After we ate, we prepared for the storm that was coming.

We caught more fish, put all our supplies in the shelter and hoped for the best. In the morning, after the storm, our shelter was demolished. Most of our food was soiled by the rain and harsh winds. All we had to do now is be patient and hope we are found. Aron said he heard a propeller like noise. I heard nothing. At this point I was worried for Aron. I think he might be delusional. He is on the verge of going insane. Later that day, I heard Aron talking to himself. It sounded like he was planning something. The next day, I went to try and catch food for us. I caught two fish. I ate mine but Aron was just sitting there with his untouched dinner. The next day Aron still ate nothing. I was wondering what happened to him. He wasn’t eating anything for the past three days. He got very skinny. That night he fell right to sleep. I had trouble sleeping because I was thinking if we were ever going to get off this island. The next morning I woke up, but Aron was still asleep. Hours past or

at least it seemed like it. Aron was still asleep. I got very worried. The next day when he was still lying there, I figured he had passed. Later that day, I heard propellers. I got up and saw a helicopter. I quickly lit the help sign on fire and started to yell “HELP!” They didn’t notice me. I started to lose hope. The next morning, I buried Aron under a shady tree. After, I sat on the beach in disbelief. I said to myself “This is just a bad dream.” it wasn’t. I was out of food. I was too weak to go catch fish. For the next two days I had no food. I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker as the days pass. I have completely lost hope of survival.

Then I heard something. It sounded like shouting. I almost thought it was real. I went to the beach just to make sure the noises weren’t real. Nothing was there.

Then I thought what if there is someone looking for me and that there might still be hope for survival. I desperately needed food. I tried to get to the beach. It was difficult because I was so weak from not eating. I made it to the beach and went in the ocean. I was very weary. I could barely stand. I managed to catch one fish. I felt revived after I ate the fish. I knew I had to catch more to fill my hunger. I went out later that day to build a new help sign out of sticks. I was anxious for rescue. The next morning when I woke up, I heard a loud noise. I quickly scrambled outside and saw a helicopter. I lit the help sign and screamed at the top of my lungs. They saw me. I thought to myself “I’m going to be alright.”

Saving Manhattan (and the Rest of the World) So there I was, walking to school, dreading the day. Little did I know that what happened that day would change Manhattan my life forever. My name is William, but most people call me Will. I am what most people call a troubled kid. I have been diagnosed with ADHD and I have a history of getting into fights, and causing trouble. Also, I’m an orphan. My parents died when I was very young I have been living alone. Well, not entirely alone. I live with a stray dog I found. His name is Aristotle. He follows me everywhere and even waits for me after school. He is the most loyal dog you will ever meet. The only reason I go to school is the school accepted me as an orphan and agreed to give me an education. I enjoy the learning, but the teachers and students dismiss me because I am an orphan.

I woke up that day to the sound of my dog barking. He always does this. So I got up and he wouldn’t stop. I said, “Aristotle, shut up.” so he stopped. I got ready and we went out onto the street. We live in an abandoned building in New York City. We got up and left. I walk to my school everyday and Aristotle comes with me. Once I was in school the usually bullying and dismissive behavior by the teachers and students. I was indifferent to it all. Then during 7th period there was a blinding light and I passed out. When I came to I was in the nurses office and my dog was at the window of the room I was in. The nurses didn’t seem to notice I was awake. I asked the nurse what happened. She just looked at me and said, “I should let the doctor explain that.” I was so confused. I asked her, “What doctor?” Then a tall man I have seen before walks in. Something about him seemed... sinister. He says to me, “You passed out in the middle of class.”

“What do you mean I passed out?”

“Well, you we’re learning math and you passed out.”

No one seemed to notice my dog. I looked at him and he seemed nervous. I looked at the doctor and said, “I wasn’t in math class 7th period.” I saw his face start to pale and he stammered nervously, “W-well, you weren’t in 7th period.”

“Yes I was.” I began feeling angry, but I didn’t know why. I saw him reach behind his back and I let my instincts take over. I jumped up and right before he shot me with his tranquilizer gun I knocked him on the floor. I picked up the tranquilizer and shot him and the nurse. I was thinking about leaving out the main entrance, but thought better of it. I opened the window and jumped out. Aristotle and I took off. When we made it home I packed everything and we left. I didn’t know where to go. I spent the rest of the day wandering the city and looking for suitable shelter. I saw a mom beckoning her children inside for dinner and longed for a family. I kept walking. I found myself in front of an apartment building. I was walking past when I bumped into a lady who couldn’t have been older than 35. She was carrying groceries and dropped them all when I bumped into her. “I am so sorry,” she said, “I should have been paying attention. Apparently she didn’t realize I was a child. I said, “It’s my fault, I was distracted.” She looks at me and realizes my age. “How old are you?”

I respond with, “15” “Where are your parents?”

“They are just down the street.” She studies me before responding, “I think not. You’re an orphan.” How she could tell I had no idea. Before I could respond she asked me, “What’s your name?”

“William, but most people call me Will.”

“Well Will my names Sally, and you’re going to stay with me.” I was hesitant to accept, but my instincts told me I could trust her. “Thank you,” I said. We went up to her apartment which was on the 15th floor. I took a shower and got dressed in whatever I had that was clean. I was wearing a grey t-shirt, a black hoodie over that, some jeans and sneakers. Sally then fed me dinner. “Thank you Sally,” I said, “You are very kind for helping me.”

“It’s no big deal, I am happy to help such a nice young man.” I slept in her spare bed and I woke up at 5:00 and left before she was up. I figured I wouldn’t be the only one up. I was wrong. I looked around and it was as if NYC had become a ghost town overnight. There were no cars, no people, no buses, no life. I looked around for any sign of life. I heard the sound of a dog barking and I ran towards the sound. I saw a dog dart into central park. The dog looked vaguely familiar. I ran after it. He was waiting for me. I sighed with relief. “Hey Aristotle, at least you’re still here.” I looked around and asked him, “Do you know what happened to everybody?” He looked at me with nervous eyes. “I didn’t think so.” Just at that moment I hear a helicopter and my dog whined and hid under a boulder. I don’t know why, I followed him under the boulder. I see several men jump along with the doctor. My dog

growled and I might have as well. The doctor barks to the men

“Find anyone who is still in the city, I want them all herded up and brought to me!”

The men fan out and my dog is breathing heavy. “Aristotle they’re going to hear you,” I whispered. He stops right then, not making a noise. I see a few of the men bring people back. The doctor studies them and takes the healthiest looking of the of the captured men and studies him. He says something to him that I can’t hear. The man’s face pales. He looks in my direction and nods. The doctor gives him a steel canister. He sprints into the park and runs towards the center. He places the canister down and turns it. The canister opens and a timer starts counting down from 5 hours. The doctor allows the man and the other men that were captured to leave the doctor stays though. He is watching the canister intently. I realized that the canister was a bomb. I hear a voice out of the doctors walkie-talkie and it said, “Sir, the rest of the bomb are in place around the world.”

“Good, now my plans can begin.” I realized that the doctor was orchestrating the end of the world. I knew I had to do something. I snuck out from under the boulder and go around the back. I realized the doctor was making sure that the bomb was not tampered with. I made a quick and dumb decision. I sprinted after the bomb. When the doctor saw me I saw two emotions in his face. I saw surprise and hatred. I guess he didn’t forget about the whole nurse incident. I was running as fast as I could when I heard a gunshot. A bullet whizzed right behind me.

I kept running. I saw the doctor was about to fire but he was aiming in front of me.

I realized what he was doing after he had pulled. Again I let my instincts take over.

In a split second I had gone from running at top speed to sliding under a bullet. I had made it to the bomb when the doctor pulled out a remote and clicked a button.

I saw the time go from about 5 hours to 10 seconds. I was panicking. I just reversed

what the man did and closed it. The doctor was staring at me with pure hatred in his eyes. I said, “Doc, next time you plan to destroy the world don’t put a timer on the bomb.” His answer surprised me. “That just shows them how naive you are. I was not trying to destroy the world I was simply going to recreate it in my image.” As I was distracted he charged at me and knocked me to the ground. He pointed the gun right at me, and said, “Any last words?” I responded with, “Yeah, one that is very cliche, and two get him Aristotle.” I saw a confused look on his face until he heard a barking. My dog attacked him and as he was preoccupied I jumped up and kicked him to the ground. I stole his gun, and said, “Any last words, Doc?” He said, “If you kill me things will only get worse for you. Your life will be turned upside down and you will be hounded forever.” I said, “It’s better than having someone as insane as you in this world. Then, I pulled the trigger.

Nicole’s Adventure

By Jessica McCoy

‘Mom can we please?’

‘No!’ ‘But mom please, they won’t stop bullying me.’

‘I said no!’

Nicole Taylor’s biggest dream was that she wanted to leave her hometown in California. She wanted to move to a beautiful island were no girls would bully her.

She hated going to school and having to deal with all the girls bullying her. But, the only problem was her mom. Nicole’s mom will never say yes to her. She begged and begged everyday but still never heard a yes.

At school on friday, Nicole and her best friend Rebecca Holland walked to lunch. Rebecca complained on how her mom and dad wouldn’t get her the new lipstick. The one thing Nicole and Rebecca had in common was they both wanted to run away to a nice island and that they were bullied every day of away from school and everything! Lets go on an adventure and never come home. We will build our own house on this island and start a new life together.’

Rebecca thought and thought and thought, but she finally spoke: ‘I’m in!’

After school, Nicole went over their life. When they hit the lunch table, they started talking about going to the island they want to go to. Then Nicole said:

‘Hey Becca, our parents aren’t letting us move to the island, but who said they would come with us?’

‘What do you mean?’ said Rebecca ‘I mean lets just run away, Rebecca’s house. They sat by the pool and decided how they were going to run away. Nicole thought they should take everything they own and walk to an island that she heard of. Rebecca thought they should only take important stuff they needed like food, water, and clothes then head for a bus to the island. They finally figured out that they would choose Rebecca’s choice. They also decided that they would leave the next day. Nicole and Rebecca couldn’t sleep all night because they were only thinking of the adventure they would have on the new island.

First thing the next morning, Nicole went to her house. Her mom and dad weren’t home, so she went right to the kitchen and took some food, water and then went to her room to get some clothes. She stopped, looked around at her house, took some second thoughts of what she was doing, then ran out the door.

Her and Rebecca met at the nearest church. They looked at what they brought with them.

‘Are you sure we should go?’ questioned Rebecca ‘Think about it Becca, we go to a adventurous island where we don’t have to worry about anyone, anything, just live our live together with no drama.’ Rebecca finally said: ‘Ok, then what are we waiting for?’

They took a bus for about 4 hours. Then got off and headed toward the ocean. Nicole new a island a few hours away by boat, so they made a raft and headed toward the island. They were both sleeping when they first hit the island.

Nicole woke up a bird eating there food!

‘Get away! Get away!’ she yelled Rebecca jumped up, ‘What is it?’

The birds flew away. There was still plenty of food left. They both got up, looked around in delight and then explored the island. Rebecca made a fire by the crystal blue ocean while Nicole got some more wood. She then sat down and said: ‘See isn’t this great!’

‘It’s beautiful, I never want to go home.’

That night Nicole feel asleep by the fire, Rebecca couldn’t sleep, she was thinking about what she had done and if her family was missing her. She got sad, so starting thinking of something else. But then she heard a noise in the distance.

‘Hello?’ She said ‘Hello? Anyone there?’ she said again She then went to the forest which was right by where there stuff was and where Nicole was sleeping.

The Next morning, Nicole woke up alone. She looked around for Rebecca and kept calling for her. She thought Rebecca might be finding some food, but when 2 hours past, she got worried.

‘Rebecca! Rebecca are you there?’

Nicole sat down and thought, is she just exploring the island more or was she kidnapped? Then she spoke: ‘No shes not kidnapped, no one is here to kidnap her.’

She waited for a couple hours, then realized something bad must have happened, so she took all her stuff and headed for the forest.

After walking for awhile, she came across a note, picked it up and read it.

There was so much dirt that she could barely read it. She finally understood it, the note read: ‘If you want to see your friend again, climb the big mountain, take a raft to the next island, wait by the shore, give me all your food and everything you brought with you and never ever come back here again.’

Nicole panicked, she pinched herself a couple times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She didn’t know what to do, but finally she started to hike up the mountain. When she reached the top, she heard crying in the distance. Then she turned her head to see a girl sitting by a fire.

‘What’s your name?’ said Nicole ‘Hi, I’m Samantha.’

‘Are you here alone?’

‘Yes, well I wasn’t, my mom was with me, but she was taken.’ She began to cry, ‘We were here on vacation. I went to get more water, and she was gone. A few minutes later, I found a note that told me directions to her, but I have to give them everything I have and never come back.’ said Samantha

‘Oh my god! The same thing happened to me. My friend was taken and I got a note to.’ They both stared at each other for a long moment. Samantha said: ‘Lets go and find them together!’

They walked a couple miles to the lake.

‘Let’s start making the raft.’ said Nicole Samantha got the wood and Nicole made the raft. The whole time they were making the raft it was silent. They were both too gloomy to say anything. When they finish working on the raft they headed for the next island.

As they sat on the raft, Samantha asked: ‘What’s your friends name?’

‘Rebecca,’ said Nicole sadly, ‘We ran away from home, but all I want to do is find her and go back home.’

After a few hours of silence past, they got to the shore of the next island.

There was not a soul there, but they sat and waited. A figure showed in the distance with Rebecca and Samantha’s mom.

‘Rebecca!’

‘Nicole!’

They wanted to run to each other but the figure was holding Rebecca.

‘Let them go!’ Screamed Nicole and Samantha They threw all the stuff they had to the figure.

‘Let them go now! Please! Don’t hurt them!’ Samantha said The figure then let Rebecca and Samantha’s mom go. Rebecca ran to Nicole and Samantha’s mom and Samantha ran to each other.

‘Never come back!’ The figure said Nicole, Rebecca, Samantha and her mom took the raft back to the island, and went down the mountain. Samantha and her mom went back to there house. Nicole and Rebecca went back to there house also. Nicole ran in her house, hugged her mom and said she will never run away again.

Shakespeare’s Final Play By: Ryan Miller

Chapter 1 Professor Robert Ross of the University of Oxford was sitting at his desk reading the paper.

“Why do we keep fighting,” he mumbles to himself, “So many people are dying on all sides. We are acting like savages, this is not prehistoric times, this is the bloody year 1917 we should act like so.” As soon as he finished his sentence the door to his office opened.

“Can I come in?” asked as tall slim man.

“Yes yes you can come in.”

“You are Professor Ross right, the English professor?”

“Yes and you are?” exclaimed Robert curiously.

“Oh how rude of me my name is Isaac Burns,” he humbly stated, “I teach science here.”

“You must be new, I know everyone here.”

“Why yes I am, in fact I just moved into my office today.”

“Well thats good, but why are you here?”

“Well sir I need help with this,” Mr. Burns exclaims as he places an old raggedy notebook onto the table, “It is written in old English and is very cryptic.”

Professor Ross picks up the book and exclaims, “This will only take a second, I am pretty good with old English, my favorite author is Shakespeare after all.” He opens the book and as he reads his jaw drops, “My friend this is Shakespeare’s journal, how did you get this?”

“Well about four years ago I was in Stratford-Upon-Avon, walking around to see some sights, and my next stop was the house of William Shakespeare, and as I passed by his house I heard a sound. So I stopped and listened, very quickly I noticed a strong German accent and the sound of something large hitting the ground. I ran to the nearest policeman and brought him there.”

“Then what, Isaac?” asked Robert sitting up, looking as if he would jump out of his seat any minute.

“Then as the policeman walked in to apprehend this man, the trespasser jumped out of the window onto me. He looked at me, jumped back up and ran off cursing in German, but this book was left on my chest. So I brought it back to my house, placed it into my bookshelf and forgot about it, until I unpacked it today when placing my books into my office.” Isaac sat down, took a large breath and hastily finished, “And I always thought that he was in there to get this book.”

Robert stood up and started pacing.

“Yes, that is the thing Isaac, this journal mentions a play script that I have never heard of. If someone finds this play, and puts it on production they could make enough money to last them two lifetimes like a king,” exclaimed Robert as he turned a page of the book. Robert put the book on the table, and then pointed to a

sentence, “Right here it says Shakespeare hid the script in a secret place in his house.”

“So what does this mean for us?” Isaac responded curiously.

“It means we can get the script, produce it, and use the money to help pay for scholarships or fund research efforts to benefit all of mankind,” remarked Robert.

“Then lets get going, Stratford-Upon-Avon is 82 km away.”

Chapter 2 Robert and Isaac stopped to take a look at the house. “Took almost a full day but we finally made it,” Isaac sighed, “Lets hope this will work.”

“Of course it will, I got a search permit, we can search for as long as we need.” Robert and Isaac walked into the house and started to look for the script.

Then they heard a scream from the second floor. They both stopped in their tracks and listened.

“Dang, looks like I need to leaf, or someone will find the body,” someone whispered.

“Leaf? Thats not proper English,” Robert said in a hushed voice.

“Shhh, he might hear us. Get into the closet, we might be safe there.”

“Wait, is someone there?” observed the person upstairs. There were footsteps on the stairs then they stopped. “Hold it, that plank sounded as if it was hollow.”

There was a creaking sound, then the man screeched, “Finally, took me four years

to get this script, with the money I earn with this play I could help Germany win this war.” The front door then screeched open and they heard footsteps walking out. Robert quietly opened the door and walked out to the threshold.

“Robert, we must follow that man. He is guilty of murder and an illegal search!”

“Well technically we aren’t supposed to be here either.” Isaac looked straight at Robert as he said that.

“What do you mean Robert?”

“I never got the permit.”

Isaac fell over. “You what?”

“Well we need to go after him, we can’t let him use the money that play will earn to help Germany win.” Replied Isaac. Robert perked back up, “You're right Isaac, we can’t let that money be used to hurt people, we must follow him and get it back.” They walked out the door and looked around. “There,” Robert observed as he pointed, “I see someone over there.”

“You sure it is him?”

“Positive, he is the only man in sight, so lets go.” Robert hastily said. They ran after that man and grabbed him.

“Sorry sir, I can’t let you keep that script since you want it for the wrong reason,” Robert explained to the man.

“I don’ts know what you mean sir, I am here on vacation,” the man hesitantly said as he reached to his side.

“You murdered a man at that house. We saw you, then you took Shakespeare's lost play,” Isaac said in an annoyed tone. The man then pulled a gun out.

“You can just walk away and let me going,” the man threatened.

“You mean let me go, right? That’s not proper grammar,” Robert corrected.

“Shut it, or I’ll shoot. Now just let me go or else.”

“Or else what?” Isaac asked curiously.

“Or you two will be murder two and three,” he responded.

“You wouldn’t, gunshots can be heard from a mile away, due to how the gunpowder inside explodes,” Isaac reassured himself, scared for his life.

“But I can use it to hit you on the head,” the man exclaimed as he knocked them out.

Chapter 3 “Where are we?” questioned Isaac when he awoke, his head throbbing in pain. “Robert can you hear me?”

“He is still out cold my interfering friend,” said a voice in the dark, “All the better, he won’t feel the pain of death.”

“Who are you anyway?” asked Isaac confused.

“I can’t tell you. After all, if I do, and if you somehow escape, you can tell the police.”

“What do you mean by somehow escape?”

“You’ll see as I light this torch.” As the man said this, a rush of light burst into the room and Isaac saw what he was dealing with. In the room he was in, there was a fireplace (filled with logs), a couch, a boarded up window, some rope leading out of the fireplace, and the man standing by the fireplace with a lit torch, and Isaac finally noticed that he and the unconscious Robert were tied to chairs.

“Have a nice day,” the man said as he threw the torch into the fire place and ran out the door.

“Robert!” Isaac shrieked as the rope caught on fire. He tried to get him to wake up, but he wouldn't. Then Isaac got an idea, “Maybe I could shake myself loose,” he thought. When he tried though, he fell back and Robert fell on his face.

“Huh..” Robert murmured “Robert get up we are in danger!”

“What’s going on Isaac?” asked Robert deliriously.

“The room is on fire, and we are tied up!”

Robert took a second then regained awareness. “Okay Isaac, we have one shot to get out. We need to try to get a tiny flame to burn through the rope a little,” considered Robert.

“Won’t that be dangerous?” Isaac wondered.

“It’s our only shot.” Robert firmly said.

“Lets do it then Robert.” Isaac said with a sigh. So they turned the chairs on its side, by rocking it, and scooched over to a small flame, and the rope that tied them up ignited very slightly. Slowly the flame burned through the rope and let them escape.

“It worked, Robert, it actually worked.” Screeched Isaac with joy.

“I know, but we need to get out of here.” Robert pointed out, and when they did, they noticed they were in the middle of a marsh.

“Where are we? It looks as if we aren’t in England anymore,” Isaac worried out loud.

“I don’t know where we are, but I know where the man who tried to kill us is. Look, there are some footprints in the mud.” Robert pointed out.

“We must reach him as soon as we can Robert.” Isaac suggested, “Or he might get away.”

Robert started running and so did Isaac. They almost tripped while running a couple of times but they finally caught up with the man. He was loading some suitcases onto a motorboat.

“It seems we are on an island right now,” Isaac observed.

“Yes it does seem that way, but can you see the man?” Robert wondered.

“Yes, there he is Robert should we jump him?” Isaac questioned.

“Yes to the count of three... one, two, three.”

Chapter 4 (and Epilogue) Robert and Isaac slowly snuck up to the mysterious man, and as soon as they got close to him, they pounced onto him and knocked him out.

“Should we tie him up, Robert?”

“Yes, but lets only take him and the script with us on the motorboat, we don’t need his things.”

“Good idea Robert.” Isaac said as he contemplated the idea. Robert started to tie the man up and search for the script. When he finally found it, Robert loaded him onto the motorboat and left with Isaac, the script and the man, and left for England.

(Three months later) Isaac and Robert are sitting at a dinner table dining on fine steak.

“So Isaac, what do you think about that man we turned in?” Robert broke the silence with.

“I don’t know what to think. He was a wanted man and thats that,” Isaac responded, “So what did you use the money we earned for?”

“Just put it towards the Oxford scholarship funds, so I can help people who can't afford it follow their dreams,” Robert said staring off into the distance, “What about you?”

“I put it towards research funds for a smallpox cure,” Isaac said with a smile, “It’s such a horrible disease, and I hope to help to rid the world of it.”

Robert smiled and lifted a glass and said, “To Shakespeare, my friend, for without him none of this would be possible.”

“To Shakespeare.”

As Robert and Isaac sit and eat their meal, they don’t realize how the money they put into the smallpox research was just enough to start the development of a cure, a cure which saved many lives.

Race To The Throne By: Danielle Nussbaum

“I demand to know where that Jessica is!� shouted the Queen.

Jessica heard her mothers shout and came running.

That poor girl, always doing what her mother told her, never disobeyed. Jessica, always friendly and loyal, but that is not noticed by her mother. On the other hand, her sister Katherine is never loyal and never obeys and although she may be the prettiest of the two. The only thing their mother ever cared about and noticed was looks.

Ever since the girls were young and slid on the slides and swung on the swings all that their mother was concerned about was looks. And because Katherine was the one who had curls in her long blonde hair and big green eyes, she is the prettiest of them all- so she thought. But Jessica with her long brown hair and bright blue eyes did not care what her mother or her sister thought of her. All the villagers knew that Jessica was the prettiest of the two and definitely the kindest.

Every morning the girls would take a long walk on the shore to the cafe on the river bank and they would sit and laugh and talk. As they grew up and apart Katherine came to realize there would only be one Queen, where Jessica was living life in the present and wasn’t worrying about the future.

Their mother grew old and there was to be a replacement for Queen soon. As you know there shall only be one Queen, so only one out of the two Princesses shall be crowned Queen. Of course Katherine was positive the she would get the title of Queen. What she did not know was that she was not next up to the throne. On the other hand, Jessica knew that she may be crowned and her sister had the same chance to be crowned Queen.

“Jessica! Kathrine! Come here now!” The girls heard their mothers call.

Jessica, as always, was the last one to her mother’s throne. When she arrived her sister was already there with her hand on her hips and tapping her foot.

“I’m so extremely sorry mother” Jessica admitted, “I will never be late again!” she added.

“Yes, as always, Jessica this has been your response ever since you have been a little girl.”

Jessica glanced at Katherine and saw the smirk on her face.

“We heard you shout mother,” said Katherine as she looked away from Jessica and turned to her mother.

“As you both know the will be a replacement for Queen soon and you two know the rules.”

“Yes mother we do know but who shall hold the title?” both girls questioned.

“This is where you two come in.” replied the Queen.

“We shall have a challenge, a challenge to see who is responsible enough for the role. This challenge will take weeks of practice but you two have been living in a palace for a countless number of years and have watched me and my mother. For

this reason you will only need 5 days. You will need to practice eating manners, dance steps, and at the end of it all a surprise challenge which will prepare you for planning. The last challenge will show that you are ready to either plan gatherings, parties, and maybe even a royal ball.” explained the Queen.

The girls stood there with their jaws dropped and eyes wide open. They couldn’t believe that they would have to compete against each other.

“Well, why are you two just standing there? Get to work!” instructed the Queen.

The princesses rushed out of the room to practice. Jessica practiced eating manners in the dining room and Katherine practiced dance steps in the ballroom.

Three days went by and the girls practiced and practiced although,Jessica was a little behind on practice.

“Jessica!” yelled Katherine, “where are you ?”

Jessica came into Katherine’s bedroom and said, “Yes what is it?”

“Oh, I was just wondering what you have left to practice?”

“Well, I have to finish up learning dance steps and that should be it! How about you?”

“I’m finished with all of my practice.” Katherine snapped.

“Ding ding ding” “Oh my! Dinner already?” exclaimed Jessica.

Jessica started to walk down the stairs to the dining room when she noticed Katherine wasn’t behind her.

“Katherine! Aren’t you coming down for dinner?”

“Uh... I’ll be right down!” shouted Katherine.

Jessica sat down for dinner and her mother asked: “Jessica, I am very surprised! Where is Katherine? She has always been the first.”

“Well you shouldn’t be surprised because I can be on time too you know!” shouted Jessica.

Katherine heard her mother and sister talking in the dining room and decided that it was now or never. She tip toed down the hall to the ballroom. As she entered the ballroom she opened a bottle of water and carefully poured it all over the floor. She closed the bottle and walked out of the ballroom, hid the bottle under her bed, and crept down the stairs to the dining room.

“There you are!” exclaimed her mother.

“Oh..... yes I was just..... um...... finishing up some........ practicing, yes, just practicing.” Katherine finished.

“Okay, I called you here for dinner but I wanted to let you know that the challenge will start tomorrow at noon,” said the Queen “and you will start off with dance.”

The three ate and then went to sleep so that they could get up early and get ready for the competition. The girls met in the hall at noon to walk into the ballroom and start the competition. They saw their mother standing there with Samuel- her assistant- and 2 muffins so the girls could have a quick breakfast. They ate their muffins and got into costume to start the Ballroom Challenge. Jessica offered to go first and as she stepped onto the floor she slipped.

“Ouch! My arm!” cried Jessica.

“Oh no! Jessica! Are you okay?” the mother said.

“No no no no! I can’t possibly do my dance steps with a bum arm!”

“My! What could have possibly happened to my poor sister Jessica! Is there anything I can do to make her bum arm better?” asked Katherine, “I have taught you so well, Samuel give Jessica and Katherine both one tally to the final total.”

“Of course your highness.” Samuel said.

The next day was the challenge for eating manners. The princesses woke early in the morning to get some extra practice time.

“Girls! It’s time!!!” shouted their mother.

“Coming mother!” replied Jessica.

“I will be there in a minute mother!” yelled Katherine.

Katherine snuck into the dining room where the challenge would take place.

As she walked into the room she saw the two china plates, silver forks, silver knives, and silver cups. Tea was in the cup and eggs and muffins were on the plates.

Katherine walked over to the setting that said Princess Jessica and picked the cup off the table. She examined the cup and poured in a clear liquid.

“KATHERINE!” screamed her mother, “where are you?”

Katherine rushed down the stairs to her mother and sister. As Katherine entered the room she could see her mothers face bright red and Jessica, imitating her, tapping her foot with her hands on her hips.

“I’m so terribly sorry mother.” exclaimed Katerine.

“Yes, yes of course you are.” replied her mother.

As the three of them walked up the stairs to the dining room Katherine couldn’t help but smile.

“Now, this will be testing your manners. So sit down at your assigned seat and Samuel will be in shortly to start the task.” explained the girls’ mother.

The girls glanced at each other as Samuel entered the room.

“Good luck Katherine.” Jessica said.

“Believe me I don’t need the luck you do.” whispered Katherine.

“Huh?” asked Jessica.

“Okay we shall begin.” Samuel said.

As the girls picked up their cups and began to drink the tea, Katherine looked over at Jessica before she took a sip.

“Excuse me Samuel, but my tea smells funny and I am not sure that it is safe to drink.” Jessica stated.

“Oh, let me see that.” replied Samuel as he picked up the drink and examined it.

“Well I’m sure that it is fine to drink, go ahead Jessica, finish the tea.” ordered Katherine.

“No I’m pretty sure that it isn’t safe, but thank you for the suggestion.” replied Jessica.

“One point for Jessica!” exclaimed Samuel.

The next day was the surprise challenge and the girls were very excited to see what the task was going to be. Like the past days, they woke early to practice some more. But when the girls woke there was a note on each of their beds explaining that the challenge is going to be held in the office. The girls met up in the hallway and walked to the office together. They sat down at the desk with paper and a writing tool and soon the Queen walked in.

“Good morning girls. What a lovely day! The final challenge is based upon planning skills. You will each have to plan a party. The planning must include invitations, decorations and of course wonderful entertainment. Now get to work!” explained the Queen.

Katherine had no idea of what to plan so she booked her cousin Kenneth to sing and used some ribbon she found in the workroom for decorations. She created her own invitations and didn’t think of what Jessica was planning because she thought that her idea of saving money and making a homemade party was a great idea. Where as Jessica planned a fantastic party. She picked out lovely invitations that were lined with gold ribbon and the information of the party was written in gold. Jessica purchased gold curtains, red chairs, silver forks and knives, and a collection of old photograph to hang up around the room. She booked the best group in town to perform at her party, The Swell Singers.

“Congratulations Jessica for planning the best party and receiving a point each round.” Samuel said.

“Why thank you!” replied Jessica.

“I shall now declare you next to the throne!” exclaimed the Queen.

“Oh my! I can’t believe that I, Jessica shall be Queen after my mother!” exclaimed Jessica.

“We shall use the party that you planned to celebrate this very special occasion.” announced Samuel.

Jessica could see Katherine in the corner upset, so being the good girl that she is Jessica said “I will only go to my party if Katherine can come too.”

“Really?” asked Katherine.

“Of course! I can’t live without my sister, we are best friends!” exclaimed Jessica.

So the girls and their mother attended Jessica’s party and every girl and boy in the town came to celebrate. They came to celebrate Jessica’s new title, Queen.

In The Woods

By Alyssa O’Donnell One day Aurea and her little brother Jesse where outside in the woods by their house. Aurea had to go inside to get something to drink. Just as she reached her house she heard Jesse scream, “JESSE, JESSE!?” she squealed like a pig as her long legs skimmed agent trees.

She got where they were, and he was gone. She stumbled back home her blue eyes filled with water, she could hardly see where she was going. When she got to her house she ran to her mom who was on the phone and said “JESSE IS GONE.” At first her mom laughed like it was a joke but after awhile of Aurea crying she believed her and call the police.

The next day Aurea, her mom and the police went looking around the neighborhood. There was a house at the other side of the woods. They walked to the house hoping for some questions answered. A young man answered the door and said he didn’t know anything. A week went by and they still didn’t hear anything about Jesse, Aurea thought it was her fault. She would sit where she left him and just cry. When one day the boy came and sat with her making her feel better, he asked her to come to a party with him. She was very undecided about what to do but she decided to go.

When they got to the party a group of guys stood by them yelling at the boy “Ryan, go back from where you came from!” Aurea and Ryan went inside and everyone knew who he was, but not in a good way.

When they went to go home they saw that the group of guys smashed his car. They both started to walk home and Ryan had to explain to Aurea why no one likes him.

“It started when I was younger and I got a call from the police that my parents were dead, and my sister killed them. No one knows where my sister is now” Ryan said harshly, putting his rough fingers through his brown hair.

“Do you know where she is?”

“No, I haven’t seen her in a very long time. Some people say she is dead and some say she is alive and is living in the woods.”

“Thats horrible, i’m sorry people treat you like this.”

“Thank you, for not treating me like that.”

As Ryan said this Aurea leaned in slowly and kissed him. He was taken by surprise and gasped.

“I’m sorry i just...” Aurea trembled thinking she made the wrong decision.

Ryan but his finger to her pale quivering lips and said “shhhhh don’t regret anything just go for it!”

She looked in his eyes and said “it your turn to go for what you want”

They both leaned in and kissed, when Aurea’s phone rang, It was her mom saying that she had to come home.

When Aurea got home her mom asked “who were you with and why they don’t have a car?”

“I was with ryan and his car broke down on they way back.”

Aurea didn’t want to tell her mom what really happened or she wouldn't let her see him again. Shewent up to her room, and went to bed.

When she got to school the next morning Ryan was acting weird and wouldn’t tell her why. When the last bell rang Aurea went to Ryan’s locker like she did everyday, so he could take her home. Ryan didn’t talk much on the way home.

As Aurea got out of the car she noticed a paper on the side of the door that said “secret basement.” She thought about why he would have that in his car and thought of her brother, but she needed more clues.

Aurea talked to her mom about what was going on and her mom said to talk to him about it.

Aurea called him and he said she should come over later to talk and he had dinner planned for them. So Aurea got her jacket and walked through the woods to his house.

The house was dark but he had candles lit and music on. He had the table set for two and said he only does this for the ones he “loves.”

As they sat down for dinner she noticed the basement door and wanted to find a way to got down there, without him noticing. After they ate she asked him

about the paper in his car he said it was nothing and she shouldn’t be worried. But she still wanted to see the basement.

He went to the bathroom and aurea didn’t know if she should go down or not.

“Yes, go you could find your brother” said one side of her.

The other side said “No, what of he sees you.”

She got up to walk down stairs, she grabbed the doorknob and walked down stairs. Everything seemed normal. The dryer was running and she couldn’t see another door. She heard something yelling from down below. she moved the small rug to see what was under it. There right in front of her was two doors to go to another room. As she was going to open it Ryan came down the stairs, “Now you know to much and too much is never good.” He started walking toward her with a knife in his hand. “Ryan please stop. I love you” He murmured “don't make this hard for me Aurea.”

“Don't you love me?”

“Yes, I just have to do this for my sister. I can’t be like her.”

He opened the door to the underground basement, brought her into a room and tied her to a chair. Then left the room. She tried to untie the cloth, but she couldn’t. She saw a light and heard Ryan coming down the stairs. She kicked the light onto her arm, burning the cloth off. His phone rang and he had to go back

upstairs, so she had a chance to get out. She opened the door slowly and found another room. She opened the door and her brother was on a bed with cloth in his mouth.

Ryan came down the stairs and Aurea stood in the door was with a smile on her face, she knew what she was going to do. He came running down the hallway and picked her up. She didn’t resist to fall in his arms. He put a towel over her face which had chloroform on it and she passed out, went into a room and put her in the trunk of a car.

When she woke up,she couldn’t see anything because it was so dark. She knew where she was. Kicking anything she could a small hole appeared. She kept kicking in that spot and the hole got bigger and bigger until she could squeeze through it, getting out. When she got out she was in a car parked in a garage. She noticed a glass window in the door to the rest of the basement. She found a hammer and smashed a the glass. She got through the window, and had to find her brother.

Running down the hall as fast as she could. She found the room and got her brother out. Now how does she get passed Ryan? They went up the first set of stairs to the upper basement. There was Ryan with a knife in his hand, waiting for them like he knew they were going to come. Aurea held the hammer in her hand, and slowly got out of the basement. Knowing he was going to throw the knife she ducked, the knife barely missed her head As he threw the knife she gave jesse the hammer. Jesse was still peering out of the door. Ryan didn’t even want him any more he wanted Aurea.

Ryan was now on the floor crawling to get to a covered area. Aurea ran to the door but it was locked. The key was in Ryans pocket. She got him where she wanted him and was yelling at him.

“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS. ARE YOU SANE. I TRUSTED YOU.” As she was saying this Jesse ran behind him and hit his head with the hammer. Aurea got the key from his pocket and left the house.

When they got home the police went to Ryan’s house and he was put into a mental home. Ryan didn’t tell the tell the truth about himself. He killed his parents when he got older and when he was younger his sister died because of a disease.

Jesse and Aurea where ok and never had to see Ryan again. Unless Aurea chose to.

Golden Chain By: Emma Petruzzelli My name is Carly, and until now I was just a normal girl, all that was about to change. I live with my parents and they spoil me rotten, I have all the friends in the world, and I thought my life couldn't get better, but it did. I became a hero, a spy, and much, much more.

So it all started Monday morning when I woke up for school... “Mom I DON’T WANT TO GET UP” “I’m sorry but you don’t have a choice!” my mother sternly responded. This happens every morning, its a war of going back to sleep or going to school. In then end my mom always wins, so I took defeat and headed for the shower. I slowly stumbled into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I saw my frizzy, messy, blond bun, my tired, baggy, blue eyes, but I didn’t see one thing. My golden chain, ruby stone necklace was not on my neck. I started to panic; I have worn this necklace for my entire life never taking it off, even to shower. It was a gift from my departed grandmother at the age of 2. I am now 15, so in short I’ve worn that necklace for 13 years. I knew I had to get it back, my self.

I was dressed and ready to go but my bare neck stuck out like a sore thumb and my mom couldn't know my necklace was gone. If she knew I could get in trouble, or she might even call the police to get it back, and for some reason I knew I had to

find the theft my self. So to hide my neck I put on a scarf and hoped that my mom wouldn't get suspicious.

I made it through the house ok but school was bad. Living In Florida not many people wore scarves, so my best friend questioned me first step through the door. “It’s May 20th Carly, take off the scarf!” Lily snapped.

“Wow Lily, it’s nice to see you too,” I stated trying to dodge the question, but Lily was too smart for me. We have been best friends since pre-k, and she always knows when I am hiding something.

She stared at me with her deep brown eyes and whispered, “I am your best friend and you are not telling me something, so tell now or I’ll force it out of you.”

“Fine,” I gave in, “My necklace is gone and I have to get it back.”

“WHAT!?!?” She expressed her pale skin becoming red with rage and astonishment.

“Yes, its gone and I just know that I have to be the one to get it back, so I would appreciate you keeping this between us,” I warned.

“I’ll keep it a secret on 2 conditions.”

“And they are...”

“I get to help, and if this gets dangerous we go to the cops, agreed” “Agreed.” So, with that we headed of to class, not realizing our pack to find my necklace would so deeply affect our future.

In English we were working in pairs to write a creative story, so there I was sixth period in English, working with Mason Greenson. Mason was my crush since 6th grade. I was super excited to work with him, but it turns out that he wanted me

to do all the work. Not that I minded though I did the work as long as I got to look at his cute face.

After school Lily and I began cracking the case. We started by tracing my steps. “Ok so when do you remember last seeing it on your neck?” lily asked “Umm, when I brushed my teeth last night” “Ok and It wasn't there this morning, so you had to lose it in the middle of the night.”

“So does that mean someone broke into my room in the middle of the night and took the necklace of my neck?” I asked shakily.

“I’m afraid so Carly.” With that we headed to check out my room for evidence.

When we walked in our skin prickled with goose bumps as we saw the window open. “So who ever it was came through the window?” I stated. Even though we both knew the better option now would be to call the police, but I wanted to do this myself. “So, what do we do now?” Lily asked.

“We...” I cut off because I saw on the window sill sat a note.

“Should we read it?” Lily said uneasily “I don't know, I guess so.” Lily and I slowly opened the note and read it.

Come to the school at 2 am, and if you call the cops or bring anyone with you all be forced to take extreme measures. -Mx “I guess I’m going!” I stated boldly knowing this is what I had to do. “ No your not! Carly this is extremely dangerous and you're staying right here!”

“I’m going, I’m going alone, and you can’t stop me!”

“I can’t stop you but your mom can” She stated smartly flipping her long brown hair over her shoulder and placing her hands on her hips.

“You wouldn’t” “Only if you make me!”

“Ok, what if you go with me?”

“I don’t think it’s a smart idea but, it’s a deal” So at 1:55 Lily and I snuck in to school and began walking around to look for someone. And that’s when I saw him...

“MASON!!!” There standing in front of me was Mason Greenson.

“I have something you want Carly,” he whispered “Give me my necklace Mason!” I said trying to show any fear.

“I’m sorry, but I want something in return” “What do you want?”

“I want and A+, Carly.”

“I doing the project I’ll try my best but I can't make it an A” “No I want an A+ on every assignment in every class for the rest of the year!”

“I can’t do that, Mason” I hoped saying that was a smart idea.

“Ok Carly, but be warned I will keep taking stuff from you until you give in.” At that moment in walked a figure wearing all black clutching a gun while dragging Lily by her hair.

“Jeff, I told you to bring her to the car!” Mason growled.

“I’m sorry Mas...I mean boss the cops were at the car so I grabbed her and we came here” Jeff apparently stated.

“Which one of you called the cops!” Mason barked, “you know what it doesn't matter I’m going to hurt both of you!” I ran toward Lily kicked Jeff and we ran.

The rest of the saving and rescuing went to the police. So I may not be a hero, but I felt like one, and I may not be a spy, because it turns out Mason has done this tons of times before, but I did have an adventure.

The Adventures of Julie and Alex

By Jake Santangelo “Just another day in the jungle,” said Julie. “Ah yes, the jungle” replied Alex. Julie and Alex are two of the best archeologists in South America.

“I don’t understand,” said Alex. “Why are we looking for ancient things in the jungle and not in a cave or in an ancient city/” said Alex.

“Well, maybe we can dig something up or find an old mine” said Julie. “It would be nice to be out in the jungle surrounded by animals and exotic plants”.

Alex thought for awhile about what Julie had said. He finally replied in a nervous voice, “Yeah, with animals that might think we are food and plants that are probably full with poison,” replied Alex. “I heard that someone very old, creepy, and has no family lives here in this very jungle.

People call him one-eyed Jim and he uses traps to hunt for animals” said Alex.

“Well lets hope we don’t fall into one of”... Julie paused.

“One of what?” replied Alex.

“Quiet, I heard something.”

“It sounds like hollering, from an animal,” said Julie. “Lets check it out.”

“Lets not,” replied Alex with fear.

“Look!” yelled Julie. “Its a tiger stuck in a net trap”.

“The net trap is probably one-eyed Jim’s” replied Alex.

“I’ll get my pocket knife!” Julie kept the frighten tiger calm while Alex cut the net trap with his pocket knife. After the tiger was able to get out of the net trap and ran off, Julie and Alex went on.

“Wait,” said Julie, “see that.”

“See what?” replied Alex.

“That small cabin. Its probably one-eyed Jims,” said Julie.

“Maybe he’s home. Should we go see?” replied Alex. J Julie was already at the small cabin, looking through a cracked window. “He’s inside and he’s sleeping,” whispered Julie.

“I have an idea,” whispered Alex, “We’ll set up a net trap with that balloon animal we have inside it and next to it will be another net trap laid flat on the ground.” Julie was listening intently. Alex continued, “When one-eyed Jim gets too close to the first net trap with the balloon animal in it, he’ll get caught in the second net trap.”

“That could work,” said Julie, “but let’s set it up before he wakes up.”

Julie and Alex set up the traps and then hid behind a tree and waited for one-eyed Jim. “I don’t think he’s going to wake up.” said Alex.

“Quiet, the door is opening,” replied Julie. “It’s him, and he sees the trap.”

“Lets hope he doesn’t see us,” said Alex. One-eyed Jim started to walk closer and closer to the trap, and when he got there, TWAMP! “One-eyed Jim got caught!” said Alex.

“Lets get him!” the two friends shouted. Julie and Alex ran to the trapped one-eyed Jim. “Why are you trapping these poor animals?” asked Julie.

“I ain’t trapping no animals,” replied one-eyed Jim. “Oh really?” said Alex. “Well that tiger you caught earlier is back and I think he is about to make you his lunch,” said Alex.

“Okay, I’m the one who is trapping them animals,” replied one-eyed Jim. “But why?” asked Julie. “I sell their fur for money,” replied one-eyed Jim. “Can you please stop,” said Alex. “That’s why animals are becoming

endangered.”

“Okay, I’ll stop hunting the animals,” replied one-eyed Jim. The kids were happy but had a few more thoughts. “How do we know that we can trust you?” asked Julie.

“I’ll sell all of my traps and the money I will get can help me fix up my cabin,” replied one-eyed Jim. “Then it’s settled,” said Alex.

The Adventures of Maniya the great and Spicegirl

By Maniya Smith Once upon a time there was two incredible superheros named Maniya the great and spicegirl they had so many epic adventures, and know you have been invite.

“Hi my name is Maniyagirl and my sidekick is spicegirl.she can shoot spices out of her hands and make fire to burn down a house and I can shoot laser’s out of my eyes, and able to read people’s mind.”

Maniya the great and Spicegirl go on so many adventures but recently they have been going to save the tristate area more frequently.”Me and spicegirl have a mission to go on. We have to stop Dr. switzerland from steeling the mona lisa.” Dr. Switzerland is a evil villian who loves to bring torchure to people.” “ Me and Spicegirl hate Dr. Switzerland he is our archenimie. Dr. Switzerland’s latest scheme was a babyray to turn people in to baby’s so he can rule the tristate area. Well anyway we have to try and stop Dr. Switzerland so on our mission can you help us? Well if you answered yes come on over to our secret layer.”

Maniya the great and Spicegirl always go to there secret layer to find out what there missions are for the day. “Me and spicegirl have a secret layer it is called..... are you ready..... ok girl fabulous

boutique. In here we have our big flat screen T.V. so our boss can contact us so we know what our mission is for the day.”

Maniya the great and Spicegirl are very buissy superheros “Lately we have so many missions to go on, but I guess it is worth it to save the tristate area. come on everyone! Right now me, you, and spicegirl have to head over to the Tristate museam to stop Dr. Switzerland. Come On!” “Hello Dr.Switzerland” cited Maniya the great “There you go again striking again.” acknoleged Spicegirl in a melicoius voice.

Dr. Switzerland emphazied in a sarcastic voice “Hello Maniya the great and her shadow Spicegirl. I thought you would never make it.” “ Well we did.... We know what you are up to Dr. Switzerland, you are trying to steel the mona lisa.” Dr.Switzerland said in a modise voice.

“Smart girls very smart but you are never going to get me.They here a big Boom!! and start to see smoke cover the air. “ what was that? Can you see him supergirl? No! you? No me either. Were could he possibly be? I don’t know? Look supergirl the Mona Lisa it’s gone!”

Spicegirl starts to panic.

“NO... What do we do Maniya the great? You know what we do, we hunt him down. we are going to get him spicegirl like we always do.”

After Maniya the great says that Maniya tries to calm down Spicegirl and make her believe they are going to catch him.

Maniya the great says to Spicegirl in a soft voice. “ we just have to believe and be determined.” Later that day “ Ok spicegirl we have to think up a plan to get back the mona lisa, let’s brainstorm.”

Maniya the great and Spicegirl brainstormed for hours and it finally came to them. “ I got it spicegirl, but it involves wonderwomen, superman my father, and the wolverine. Ok, I will call them now.”

So the next dayManiya the great and Spicegirl contacted all of them, they each said they would help. They each were all proud to help save the tristate area. “ Maniya the great we would each would be happy to help.” Later that day wonderwomen, Superman, and the wolverine had just arrived.

Maniya the great and Spicegirl each updated them on there mission they were getting ready to go.Superman cited in a excited voice. “ I am just so happy you asked me and my friends to come and help you, it makes me feel good because you are saying you trust us.” “ AWW dad I knew i was going to need your help during this mission and I wanted as well as Spicegirl.”

After Maniya the great and Superman reconciled for a few minutes they finally came back to reality. Wonderwomen says in a shyvoice.

“I don;’t mean to rain on your parade or anything but we have to go stop Dr. Switzerland after all that is what we are doing here.”

Superman says in a remembering voice. “ You are right I guess we just had our AHA moment, but let’s go save the tristate area.”

So all the superheros headed over to Dr.Switzerland evil labaratory to go get back the mona lisa. Supergirl says in a quiet voice.

“Come over her. He will never notice us coming in through here.” When they all go in through the side Spicegirl accidentaly trips and falls, and Dr. Switzerland here them and comes over and sees them.

Dr. Switzerland says in a sarcastic voice. “ Hello my friend I see you brought along a couple of your other friends.” “ I know what your after I am assuming you noticed the Mona Lisa was gone” Supergirl has this look on her face like an embaracing look. Maniya the great repplies in a shameful voice. “ You are very said Dr. Switzerland.” “ OH really why is that?” “ Because...” “ Because what....” “ Because since you were bullied when you were a little boy you want to bring pain to everyone in the tristate area.” “ How do you know all of this?” “ Because I was there.”

“ So you watched them torture me I would never want to come to school because of them. You never would say anything to them.” “ I know I am sorry I ws just scared of them. Why do you think I wanted to become a superhero? Because i felt bad I could not stop the bullies.I felt guilt for years. That is why I decided to become a superhero.”

Dr.Switzerland started to think about what Maniya the great just said to him. “ I was not as strong as I am today.” Dr. Switzerland says in a remorsefulvoice. “ I am sorry for bring pain to the tristate area and you.” “ I did not know you were scared truthfully I would have been scared to.” Dr. Switzerland decided to give back the Mona Lisa to Maniya the great and Spicegirl. “ Thank you Dr. Switzerland for giving us back the Mona Lis. You won’t regret it.”

He replies in a sweet voice “ It was my pleasure.”

They soon returned the Mona Lisa back to the museamand Dr. Switzerland becomes a good man he actually became a doctor he helps people.

As for Supergirl and Spicegirl they are still saving the tristate area. As any other story this story must come to the end.

We had a great adventure saving the tristate area. We hope you enjoyed. THE END...... OH wait and they lived happily ever after.

The Fight For the Crown

By Emily Sokobin

Hollywood 2090, Queed Ebab lived in the first “O” of the Hollywood sign.

There she sat in her gold sparkling crown sitting on top of her long brown hair.

Ruling all of California. The crown she wore wasn’t an average crown, this crown was quite special. It had the power to read minds. She unfortunately used it for evil and in a selfish way because whenever she heard someone think a bad thought about her she would kill them right then and there.

“Casey, I need you to do me a favor.” announced Caseys mother across the dinner table.

“NO MOM!” shouted Casey, “ I will not fold the laundry, do the dishes, baby sit Jessica or clean the bathrooms for you! I have friends who would like to hang out with me. I am not doing anymore of your jobs for you.”

“Maybe next time you should wait until I finish before you go on and yelling at me” “Sorry” “ I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to Queen Ebab’s O for me.”

She thought that was an amazing offer. She called her friend Jolie and told her about the great news. The next morning at school, Casey bragged to all her friends about going to the Queens O. “That’s not a very good idea Case.” announced Emma.

“Why not?” she questioned

“The Queens crown,” Emma started, “It has this power to read minds and if she catches you thinking about her, well... then it was nice knowing you kid.”

“Oh don’t worry, nothing is going to happen to you” Emily argued “Wait but isn’t that a good thing? If I were queen were I would use it for good.” “ CASEY! Why don’t you take over California?” Everyone thought that was a good idea except for Casey. She was nervous. She didn’t want to die, she was only 13. Later that night she went home and sat in her room for a while. She couldn’t get this thought out of her mind. Casey had a fight with herself in her large room looking at her hot pink ceiling...

“It would be nice to be Queen” “ But wait, what if I die trying to take over?”

“Oh nothings going to happen to me I will be fine “No I won’t. This is such a hard decision! I don’t know what to do!”

The confused girl slams her face into a pillow and screams. She just gonna do what she wants. Take over California. At school she told her friends that she was going to be the new queen. “ No, I don’t want you to die” cried Emily with everyone agreeing.

“Don’t worry I won’t die ill be fine.”

A few days later Casey tells her parents that she wants to be queen and take over all of California. They thought it was a great idea but they were still worried about her.

She keeps says that she wants to follow her heart and do what is right for the people. She plans to go to the O in a few weeks but she needs to prepare before

she goes. Casey buys a lot of protection, melting powder, a padazzle gun and a lazer watch. She shows her family and they help her prepare for this upcoming event in their family. Its going to be all over the news all around the world. Queen Ebab and Casey need to fight until one dies. Now this is what everyone is worried about. She has a fifty fifty shot of dieing. After for preparing for weeks for this event, the say is finally here.

All of her friends and family are gathered at Caseys house to watch the fight.

Once the event was on T.V. people were on the edge of their seats. Casey and Queen Ebab where fighting back and forth until Casey called a timeout.

“Its not fair. Queen Ebab should have her crown off because she can listen to what I’m thinking about doing next.”

“Queen Ebab, hand over the crown.” yelled the judge. She handed it over and they continued the battle. Casey realized that she had her melting powder with her but it can only be used when the she is wearing gold. She needed that crown.

Casey was running around like a crazy person. She needed that crown.

“What is she doing?”

“I don’t know! We didn’t trane like this.”

She got the crown. Ebab was coming right at her so she threw the powder at her and the Queen melted to the ground. Casey won. She was now Queen of California.

Everyone would now live a better life now that Ebab was gone. The people of California were so happy and so was Casey!

A few years went by and Casey made a few changes. She used her crown for good. She listen to what the people wanted, not what she didn’t want to hear.

Her friends and family gave her visits once a week.

“Wow Casey this is so cool,” shouted Emma “I wanna be queen,” followed Emily “No, then we will have to fight and then one of us will have to die” “ Yeah, I don’t want that.”

Casey loved her new life. It was everything she imagined. Even though it was a lot of work she was still look forward to the rest of her life as the queen of California.

Fantasies are Never Reality

By Abby Stern It was a late April night. The sky was a navy blue. White, shining stars were everywhere. That was the night Rufus Hunter was born. His parents were Mary and George Hunter. They were so happy to have a son in their life. The Hunters got more proud of Rufus every day. As he aged, he became bigger, stronger, and more popular. Every kid in school wanted to be friends with him. Only one kid did fully accomplish this goal. Jerry Harold. Jerry and Rufus will be friends for another 16 years, but that is not where our story begins.

It was the first day of kindergarten on the playground, when Rufus and Jerry first met.

“Hi! I’m Jerry! What’s your name?” Jerry exclaimed with great joy of a chance of a new friend.

“Hello, Jerry. I’m Rufus. You seem nice... did you want to go on the swings?”

Rufus said willingly. He had also not had a friend before. " Yeah! That would be great!" Jerry was super excited that he had met a new friend that he could do everything with.

Jerry and Rufus grew up together and were in the same classes every year.

Throughout elementary school, middle school, and high school, Jerry was always a

third wheel. Even though Rufus and Jerry had been friends, Rufus was getting more popular by the year. Rufus had been getting more attention than Jerry. Jerry was being blown off all the time because Rufus “had a cold” almost everyday. Even though Jerry would be mad at Rufus, he would get over it because everytime he and Rufus hung out, they would have a blast. Jerry and Rufus had the same experiences as their schooling with college.

Rufus and Jerry both got their scholarships to Michigan from being the MVP (Rufus) and runner up (Jerry) of their school’s football team. Rufus knew that college would be GREAT! He was the most popular kid in high school, and why couldn’t he be the most popular kid in college too? Jerry had thought differently though. He was a bit nervous for two reasons. The first reason was his school work.

Jerry wasn’t sure that he would be able to keep up with the college curriculum. The second reason was Rufus. Jerry was small and would be going into a big place. He knew Rufus would be fine at making friends and even getting girlfriends, but Jerry was worried about how Rufus would act. He didn’t want to lose a friend he had been getting along with for years. College went by fast. Neither Rufus or Jerry had gotten any extra degrees. Their education was standard, like any other. Both the boys had gotten along just like the rest of their lives except for one night. It was graduation day. They had thrown their caps in the air, but now they didn’t know what they would do with their lives. Rufus had some idea. He wanted to be some sort of body builder or wrestler. Jerry was happy to just go with the flow. Jerry was willing to go wherever Rufus was going.

Rufus got a girlfriend, Britney Starr, and they moved to New York to get an apartment together. Rufus and Britney weren't able to pay for an apartment on their own. They decided to ask Jerry to live with them to help pay for the rent. Jerry agreed, but still, he felt like the third wheel. Britney and Rufus went out every night, leaving Jerry to clean up their daily messes. Britney and Rufus would also stay out late and get up late. Jerry would have to wake them up to get ready for their day, which took away from his free time. Jerry was starting to get mad at Rufus for all the times he had forgot about him. But Jerry knew that friendship was the key in a happy life. He sometimes wondered if Rufus felt the same way.

One day, Britney was coming home from her old college friend's bridal shower when she got stuck on the train because the conductor passed out. Rufus was so worried that he was going to the train station, but he had no way to get there. It was 30 minutes away by car and there was no way he could run to the station. He asked Jerry to drive him, with his car, to the train station. Jerry said sure, but not so happily. They got to the train station and were trying to call for Britney.

"BRITNEY!!! BRITNEY!!!" Rufus said horrified of the dangers that could Britney could face.

"Can I help you?" Jerry said worriedly. And then mumbled, "I hope she's okay."

"I'm good on my own. I got this covered." Rufus said nervously wondering where Britney was now.

"You see this?! EVERYBODY! DO YOU SEE THIS MAN?! This is Rufus. Rufus and I have been friends since elementary school but now, it seems like we're NOTHING anymore!!! I am just the same as him and there is NOTHING that is different between us. He has always forgotten about me when I have thought about him. He never thinks about what I have to say. It's always been HIM, HIM, HIM! But not anymore!!! This is for all the times you needed my help and never repaid me. This is for all the times I followed you around. And, this is for NEVER EVER being the friend to me that I was to YOU!" Jerry took out a knife and within 3 minutes, Rufus was gone... Forever. When Britney came back from being saved from the firemen who helped the people like her, trapped on the train, Jerry picked Rufus up and threw him in the tracks. Jerry told Britney lies. He said that as Rufus was looking for any passing trains, he tripped and fell in. Jerry then proceeded to tell Britney that Jerry was devastated when he first saw Rufus was dead. Britney believed everything Jerry said because there was no other proof of Jerry killing Rufus. Britney walked away crying while Jerry walked away laughing under his breath.

Jerry eventually married Britney and they had children and a nice life together without Jerry ever telling Britney of his murder. Jerry felt no regret and was happy to be married to Rufus' true love. Sometimes what you expect is not the result.

When the Earth was Gone

By Amanda Stark AD 8016: The first astronauts have left for Antae, a planet approximately 2.10986743155545274845*102823 miles away from the earth. They were pleased to find not only earth-like living conditions, but compound Al36Z8X2, which they brought many gallons back to earth. 200 years later Scientists discovered that the compound was useful for making cars fly. Many people wanted to move this practically perfect planet.

AD 9016:

On New Year’s Day, the Earth’s migration/evacuation process began.

A black hole has been moving towards the earth for a long time and was predicted to engulf it AD 9876. Men and women, young and old, started the migration to the new planet. Welcome to a time like no other.

1/23 AD 10016: It was a snowy night, and my parents were going to a party. My new babysitter, Teri, just rang the doorbell. Mom and Dad will be out, let’s have some fun. “Torterina is here, you better treat her with the same respect you treat us,” cautioned Mom. Dad opened the door ever so slowly, greeted the babysitter, left, came back to see if we were being good, left, came back, left, and came back to say a final goodbye.

"Where do you want to go first, the mall, the movies, or the flight station?” I asked Teri calmly. She talked to us as if she was talking to her best friends. “ummm÷is this a joke, because it is not a very good one,” my brother Mike replied concerned while checking the toppinginator for blue whipped cream. He gave me the signal.

“Tour-tree-rayna...” I started.

“One, you can call me Teri, and two, you guys will not need that whip cream tonight,” Teri copied our signal. “So, where do you want to go?”

“Are you serious!” Mike and I said simultaniously.

“Oh my gosh, if I was kidding that would be like super cruel!” Teri laughed.

“Can we go to the park?” I said without thinking.

“Get your coat on then!”

Little did we know, during our conversation, our neighbor, old man Fidleman accidentally dropped his diary in front of our door. Mike and I were getting ready to go to the park when Teri opened the door and found the diary. Oblivious of what the book may be, Teri opened the book. She would remember everything perfectly because of her photographic memory. After a first look, Teri knew that this was not an ordinary diary, it was a plan to destroy all of mankind. Mr. Fidleman planned to go back in time to infiltrate NASA and plant a virus in their computer system. The virus would make it impossible to eventually discover Antae.

Teri quickly put the diary in her bag when she saw us coming.

“Are you ok?” I asked, “Teri, you look...different.” Teri looked very frantic.

I knew that behind those sky blue eyes Teri was withholding a terrible secret.

“Do you still want to go to the park?” Teri brushed her fingers through her strawberry blonde hair.

“Is that even a question?” I smiled, I decided to not bring the moment before into the conversation for the rest of the night.

While my brother and I raced to the elavator, Teri looked out the window and saw my neighbor building a weird sort of car.

“He is definitely the one,” mumbled Teri in the elevator.

The park is only eighteen miles away, so it took one minute to drive in air lane two (20 yards in the air).

“Stay on the blue pavement,” Teri cautioned while going through her bag to find the book.

“Ahh.........ok.(pages turning)..no...NO.” Teri realized how loud she was, so she looked around but luckily nobody was close enough to hear. “Here it is.”Time Machine by the Genius of the world “Time Machine by the Genius . of the world? Ha, maybe the “genius” will be outsmarted.”

She brought us both home and my parents were pleased that for once the house was not trashed and the babysitter didn’t quit, but Teri had more important matters on her mind. She half listened to my parents compliments and ran out of my apartment. She rode home on her trequarcyc and got the keys to sneak into her dad’s mechanic shop to start working.

“This isn’t normal by any stretch of the imagination.” She looked over the blueprints again, the project seemed difficult, but all of the parts were in the shop.

Finally, after ten painstaking hours, the time machine was done. Ten hours is very

long, considering she has built a rocketship in less than ten minutes. Because of this, Teri had to sleep all day in order to stop old man Fidleman that night.

After sleeping the day away, Teri looked through the diary to find that Mr. Fidleman was going to Los Angeles, date: 9/8/7898. She went to the shop, making sure nobody saw her, lifted the cover off the time machine, climbed in and set the date. Teri prayed for her life and nervously pressed start. Teri had no idea what happened, but suddenly, she wasn’t in Antae anymore!

Poof. Clunk. Beeeeeeeep. The Time Machine landed on the hardwood floor and Teri fell onto the button for an emergency hatch, opening the roof up the same way as a double door. Teri popped up to see where she was. Once she saw she was not alone, she became so scared she didn’t come back out of the Time Machine until ten minutes later when the boy said, “Are you an evil villain or a superhero?”

“Neither, I am from the future” “Whoa, why did you choose now? Here? Me?” he asked “Well, there is a man here to destroy the future of mankind and I am here to stop him.” Teri tried to be as simple as she could because she could see he was around five years old.

“Superhero!” exclaimed the boy.

“Can you keep a secret?” asked Teri with lots of hope.

“Yeah,” replied the boy longingly.

“People can’t know about me, that I am from the future or that there is a man that wants to destroy the human race walking around Los Angeles”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Anything.”

“Let me come with you. I have always dreamed of saving the world. When I was four, we all had to write a poem about what we wanted to be when we grow up. Most people wrote boring stuff about doctors, firefighters, and athletes, whereas I wrote that I was going to be a su su SUPERHERO! The teacher, Mrs. Canzuli pulled me aside after class and told me I couldn’t be one.” He was practically crying.

“You have to come, prove her wrong! Just don’t tell anybody. Just making sure, what is the date?”

“Yesss! Where are we going? Oh and today is September 8th 7898.” His voice was filled with adventure and goodwill.

“This address: 26 Bird Lane, Los Angeles California,” Teri had no clue what she was going to do.

“That is the hotel across from my school! Shall I show you the way, just gotta find my best cape,” The boy could not have been more excited.

“Great about the school, but you will not need a cape,” Teri was happy with her decision of bringing him.

“Like undercover superheroes, super cool” the boy loved the thought.

“Let’s go!” Teri hoped her plan would work out. She started telling the plan to the boy on the walk to the hotel, “I am going to find out what room he is in from the people at the front desk. While I do that, you are going to sneak into the back to borrow a cart and two cleaning people’s uniforms. When we get in his

room, I will attempt talking the old man out of ending human life and you put a gps chip on his laptop.”

“Cart, uniforms, chip, got it,” he took his responsibilities seriously. They were arriving at the hotel as he said this. Time to see if the plan would work. The boy got the cart and uniforms quickly and efficiently, while Teri only had t ask one question to know the room number. On the elevator, they threw the aprons over their clothes and got out looking like real housekeeping.

“Housekeeping,” Teri said with a smile.

Fidleman opened the door, “Isn’t it a little late?” he groaned.

“Well, gotta do whatcha gotta do for work,” Teri looked at her hand. It was shaking so much from her nerves.

“I guess” “Have you ever heard of the planet Antae?” Teri wanted to get right to the point now because the chip was in place.

“It was discovered 7899 not. (pause) Why are you following me? Who are you? I don’t understand, are you a stalker? Mind your own business lady!”He was panting loudly, you could tell he thought nobody would ever find out.

“You should tell me all about it ‘Genius of the World’, I found the diary on your neighbor’s doorstep while I was babysitting and saw you had ill intentions” “How could you build the Time Machine that fast?”

“Doesn’t matter, all that matters is the people you want to let die, you would not live! There is still time to change,” Teri was eager to hear his answer.

“Life is overrated and Antae is a disgrace,” he would not budge. “Also can you get the windows!” he screamed, so we started cleaning the windows as people went by and he slipped out of the room with his laptop.

“Where is he going?” the little boy asked taking off the apron.

“Look right here” I showed him on a tablet the exact route Mr. Fidleman took and where he was likely to go.

“He’s probably going to the airport” “We should take his time machine with us, I have a plan.” Teri knew how to get rid of Mr. F for good.

“Are you scared?” asked the boy.

“I’m immortal,” Teri was looking at the tablet.

They ran to the airport and Mr. Fidleman seemed to be waiting outside for someone. Teri set the time machine to BC 10000 and self destruct when the trip was over.

“Fidleman, you need your laptop don’t you” He had put it near his feet because he did not want to carry it and Teri carefully took it and ran to the time machine. Mr. Fidleman figured he could come back and destroy the world later so he jumped into the time machine to get the laptop with the virus. He was locked in and sent to simpler times where life is a reward, and not an overrated thing. He never came back.

You’re probably thinking that this was a made up story about a crazy babysitter, or a dream, but this actually happened! Only a few people know about

the time machine because most mortals cannot be trusted. How would I know Teri didn’t lie about it? I took a couple spins on the time machine!

The chalkboard adventure

By Sydney Rachlin

It started on a school day. Little boy, Jake Bowman, who is 12 years old, was looking for adventure. He was adopted from an orphanage at age 7. Living in California, Jake only had one friend. Her name was Jade Destiny.

Jake got bullied everyday by all the other kids only because he used to be an orphan. Jade also gets bullied for being friends with Jake, but, not as much as her.

Jake has a younger sister who was adopted by the same family. She is now 5 years old and her name is Jamie. Their parents treat Jamie like a queen but Jake like a slave. Jake always sneaks out of the house because he feels like nobody cares about him. When he sneaks out he goes with Jade.

One night, around 9:30, they both snuck out but didn’t know where to go.

They decided to go to their school to see if anyone was there.

Jade whispered to Jake, “ I don’t think that this is a good idea.”

Jake replied, “Of course its a good idea. nothing bad will happen.”

Jade answered, “ Fine but if we get caught, I blame you.”

As they entered the school they looked to see if any lights were on. None of them were. They did not know what was heading their way. They soon see red eyes glare at them in pitch black darkness. They run as fast as they can but all the doors are locked to go into one. Soon they see that their english classroom is open, so they run in. Jake slips and falls onto this giant, ball sized, key. Jade found a flashlight

in her pocket and looked all over the room to find a slot that the key can fit into.

Soon she sees a slot under the chalkboard that was hidden.

Jake yells, “CATCH.” Jade softly says “ Stop yelling they might find us.”

Jade caught the key Jake through to her and she slowly turns it in the slot. It opens and it is a room full of diamonds. The room was 5 miles long! As they walk in the red eyes come into the room and the lights turn on. It was the principal of the school. Followed by him was all the teachers who worked in the school as if they were under control by the principal.

Principal Sunwalk yells, “GET THEM! Don’t just stand there. ATTACK!” The teachers took duct tape and taped the kids to the wall.

As soon as the teachers are done tieing Jake and Jade, The kids realized its just tape and they can rip it. They run out the window. They are out of breath and trying to get home.

Jade complained, “ I can’t do this anymore. I’m too tired.”

Jake replied, “We are almost home just keep going.”

Jade and Jake finally reach Jade’s house and sneak through the window. Her mother is standing there speechless.

After 10 minutes the mother screams out, “Where were you MISSY. You had me worried.”

Jade praised, “um.... um... I I I... was sleepwalking and then Jake saw me and took me home.”

Jade’s mother answered, “well ok but try and be more safe. Jake, it is time to go home.”

On Jake’s way home, the principle and army stopped right in front of him.

Jake just froze in his place. Luckley Jake knew karate so when all the teachers came at him, he knocked them out. Except for the principal. All of a sudden Jake turns around and heads for the school. He goes right to the english classroom and enters the diamond room. He found a giant bucket and starts filling it with as many diamonds as he can. When the principal sees what he is doing, Jake turns around and they are both staring at each other not even attacking. Jake then takes a stand that the diamonds were on, and throws it at principal Sunwalk. While the principal is knocked out, The teachers are back. Standing in front of Jake, they peel their skin up to reveal their true identity.

One teacher Remarks, “Hello there Jake. We are from the FBI. We are so sorry to scare you. We thought that you were Hoof Knockcaugh, the robber of the town, in disguise. Well we were in disguise too because we thought Knockcaugh had found our secret room.”

Jake replies, “ oh, well i’m sorry but i’m Jake. Are you going to do anything to me?

Another agent answers, “ We are going to have to erase your memory of this whole diamond thing.”

All of the FBI agents take out a device and point it at Jake. After they erase his memory, he ends up at Jades house. It was weird because Jake remembered everything....

It turns out that the FBI used the wrong machine but thinks he lost his memory. Jake told Jade everything but they cant tell anyone. With this information they don’t know what to do. They took all the diamonds and became rich. The FBI won’t know that it was Jake and Jade who took it.

A Life Worth Saving

By Mark Amorello ~ Prologue~

“Hello My Lord,” a woman exclaimed. She had a confident voice. Each word rolled off her lips perfectly in a beautiful, almost demonic manner.

A shadowy humanoid appeared before her and replied, “Why hello, My Queen” in his raspy, but powerful voice. “ Why what do you want with my services as of now. “ Oh not much Natas, but I think I deserve a promotion in rulership of your kingdom,” the woman said.

“Why Lilith you happen to be my favorite subject.” Natas hesitated ,then finally decided to pull out a pitch black key that darkened the room. “ You’ll be needing this key. It’s for your new position as ruler of purgatory.

However, if you lose this key your spirit will die again, just as you did 18

years ago. You will lose all power that you’ve backstabbed your way to get and die.”

100 Years Later Chapter 1

The colored Autumn leaves blanketed the ground on a crisp New England day. Gemma was in the kitchen with her brother stanley Drinking apple cider.

“Hey Stan, you know I’ve been wondering for awhile about something,” Gemma said with a distant erie, look in her peaceful, tropical, blue eyes.

“What Gem? You’ve been acting really weird lately, but you know you’re always weird.”

“Ha ha ha very funny Stan... Oh shoot, I just remembered I gotta go to Ally’s to work on our big science project. Peace!” “ Wait, what were you gonna tell me though?” “ Byeeeeee!” Gemma yelled.

Chapter 2 Gemma ran down the street and hopped over the fence of the gated community were Ally lived and sprinted to her house.

“ Crap it’s 10. Guess we’re pulling an all nighter,” Gemma thought to herself.

Gemma walked for what seemed forever, but after awhile she finally arrived at Ally’s intimidatingly beautiful house. It looked like a cathedral with stained glass windows with ornate curvy details, and the grand fountain of a nymph spewing water out of her hand.

She found Ally sitting on her porch with a grouchy look on her face.

“Gemma you should have been here hours ago. Come on dude, like seriously!” Ally whined. “Girl, you’re lucky, I like practically finished it.”

“Well that’s good, cuz I’m great at this stuff!” Gemma said in a sarcastic tone.

“Now come on, let’s finish that project,”Ally said happily.

“Hey Ma, home from Ally’s. We just finished our science project,” Gemma yelled.

“Why, Missy, it’s half past one and you best be going to sleep before I make you. Stan and Lucian are already in bed! Why are you so late?”

“Its fine, Mom, I was at Ally’s finishing our science project. No big deal.”

“Just get in bed! We’ll deal with this tomorrow.”

Chapter 3

Gemma’s dreams were never a comfortable place. Her dreams were haunted with nightmares and curses, but this night’s dream stood out.

“Stop!Stop! You’re hurting him! “Gemma screamed as she saw a woman-like shadow break off a part of a gigantic dark key, than unhinge her jaw and engulf the key. A few seconds later, with part of the key she broke off’ she started shocking Lucian, making his eyes turn a bloody red color. “Why are you doing this to him!” she shrieked. “ This is what Lucian wanted!” the figured shrieked in a painful response. Gemma tried to run up and rip off her face, but she couldn’t move her body. Suddenly ,Lucian’s ivory skin turned a dark grey. The woman then said some sort of ancient ritual chant. Then fainted. . “Hello...Sister.”said Lucian in a raspy, unnatural voice.

This didn’t make sense because Lucian had severe brain damage, and was unable to speak. Gemma tried to respond to him, but at that time she awoke from her dream. She was in lying in a puddle of cold sweat, barely able to breathe, and had a nasty stomach ache.

She ran into the tiny guest bathroom and stuck her head above the toilet. Her stomach ache was only getting worse and worse and worse.

She was in bad condition. Her arms suddenly started thrashing, then her

legs, and her head, and everything blacked out. Hours later Gemma regained consciousness. She was in her bed.

“Thank God, it was just a dream,” Gemma said to herself in a relieved voice. She got out of bed and went to go shower. When she walked into the bathroom, her heart skipped a beat. She saw the shard of the black key in the toilet with a note written in some green substance attached to it that said “Come home.”

Chapter 4 Breakfast that morning was erie. She knew she couldn’t tell anyone what happened. Nobody would understand. Everyone else at the table was also quiet. The room was dead silent besides the occasional noise made by Lucian when Gemma’s mom helped him eat his food.

Stan finally broke the silence and said awkwardly, “ Hey Gemma, how’d you sleep last night?”

“Bad as always , you know with all my nightmares.” Gemma responded just as awkwardly, “How about you?”

“Eh, I slept fine... I’m gonna head off to school now,” Stan said getting his backpack.

“Why Stanley, you’re not doing any new sports?” Mrs. Warrenson asked.

“ Yeah, I’m just going...”Stan replied.

“Uh, me too, Mom!” I’m gonna help Ally write a script for our science presentation.” Gemma ran out and tripped on a rock. Before she knew it, all of her stuff flew out of her backpack, including the key shard.” Here I got it Gem. Stan sprinted over to help pick up her stuff when he saw the key shard.

“Gem what’s this thing?” He picked it up. “Where did you even get this?” Stan questioned.

“Oh... umm, it’s nothing- just some old thing I found in my room.”

“Why does it say come home?” Stan questioned.

“Long story, I’ll tell you in the car. They both got in the car. As Stan backed the car out of the driveway, Gemma pictured Lucian with the red eyes and grey skin again. Gemma knew she couldn’t avoid this problem much longer. She knew she had to do something. “Hey Stan can you drive a little faster.”

Chapter 5

In the car Gemma told Stan everything... the nightmare, and puking, and Lucian and the key.

“Gemma are you kidding me? Why is this even happening?” Stan said in a shocked voice.

“Oh God, Stan! Something’s happening to me! It’s the shard. It’s going into me!” Gemma screamed while the key shard stuck itself into her. Stan yelped scared to death, then started shaking Gemma.

“Gemma! Gem...Gem! Wake up, don’t leave me!” At that moment everything went black.

Chapter 6

Gemma found herself lying on the ground in a field of alien- like blueish, chrome tinted, unnatural flowers. There was molten lava all around her. Gemma had a bad headache, and felt as if she was dreaming. She finally stood up.

She saw no human life forms, just some weird looking pink and yellow beetles, and the towering blue flowers. She walked for about an hour and saw a building that resembled a federal building and some sort of castle.

It didn’t look that far away, In fact, it was on a grass hill sticking out of the uneven lava ground.

Chapter 7

Night time fell upon Gemma and she started hearing voices, but they were speaking some sort of different language. She walked for a few more minutes and stumbled upon people on the edge of the cliff . There were a lot of them. It seemed like millions of people that spread out forever. They were set-up in some sort of poor housing tents. The tent city was not fit for human life. She was tapped on the back by a small black girl. She was speaking this foreign language. For some reason, Gemma could understand bits of it. Gemma was pretty sure the girl said, “ Are you new here? The new people always come from the Lilithian Gardens.”

Gemma wasn’t quite sure how to respond. She stared blankly into the girl’s creamy butterscotch colored eyes.

“Oh yes, you must be new here. You can’t speak Purgatese, but don’t worry it starts to come naturally within a week,” the girl said in English.

“Wait, you speak English, and what’s Purgatese? Where are we?”Gemma bellowed in a confused voice.

“Why, we’re in Purgatory. I’ve been here since 1856. I’m from Mobile,” said the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Umm... Gemma. I’m from Belfast, Massachusetts. You must have been here awhile, since its 2043. “ Nope, I reckon its about 1862.”the girl said in a firm voice Gemma thought this girl was delusional, but maybe time went by really fast here.Gemma started thinking “Why am I even hear? I didn’t do anything wrong? That lady... she brought me here, but why? I gotta find her.!”

“Sorry little girl I’m going to go to that castle building to get some answers!”said Gemma in a strong voice.

“Oh you don’t want to go there Gemma, those souls are crazy , they had the same idea as you, but that barrier there prevents them from getting to the Lilithian federal building. They set up houses on the edge of the cliff near the bridge, hoping they could still get to the other side.” said the girl. “Here follow me, I can help you survive in this place.

Chapter 8

“So wait, where are you taking me?” Gemma yelled running after the girl past the crowd of people.

“Just follow me, I know what I’m doing,” said the girl.

“Wait.. what’s your name?” Gemma asked.

“Oh I’m Mary, Mary Groenhart,” Were nearly there just keep walking and don’t stare people in the eye here. There crazy!”

The girls walked for about 15 more minutes untill they reached a large pit. It looked bottomless and was about the size of a lake.

“Why’d you bring me here Mary?”Gemma asked in a slightly scared voice.

“This place is pretty secret, not many souls know about it,” said Mary “Well, what is it?”

“People assume its a portal to the Lilithian building, which I’m pretty sure it is, but you have to jump in the right spot or your soul will be destroyed.”Mary warned. “I’ve seen it happen, but only once. It was with my grandpa. He jumped through and later that day I saw him on the bridge, some of my friends here have tried it, but I’ve seen there souls get shredded. You could try to jump through if you want,” and at that moment, Mary slipped into the pit and “poof” she was gone.

Chapter 9 Gemma was scared. Mary was the only person she really talked to in Purgatory. For hours she stared into that hole, debating what to do.

She knew this I what she needed to do to beat Lilith and get home. This

is what Gemma had to do. At last Gemma took a big breath and jumped in.

Chapter 10 Immediately after Gemma jumped into the pit, she started seeing things. Her arms and legs were thrashing. She felt like she was having a seizure, except that she had an unexplainable happiness and warm feeling like after you have homemade chicken soup.

A quick flash blinded her eyes. When it faded, she was on top of the bridge that led to the castle. She was overjoyed, jumping up and down. She noticed people on the other side of the barrier screaming and trying to break in. Gemma tried to ignore it.

She stared walking up the path to the Lilithan Building. Then it hit her. Mary wasn’t with her. Her soul must have been destroyed. Gemma started to tear a little, but she knew she had to be strong to beat Lilith.

Gemma opened the door, and saw a woman who looked a lot like her.

Chapter 11 “Why hello, Gemma, welcome home,” said Lilith in a soft voice that was sort of sweet sounding in a devilish way. Lilith was a strong, skinny woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She was wearing a stunning black dress.

“What do you want,” Gemma barked.

“I just want you back, Sweetie.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t know you and I don’t like you!”

Gemma shouted. She was annoyed and very confused.

“Oh don’t you get it, Gemma, you silly little girl? I’m your mother. “ “NoooÖyou can’t be. We’re nothing alike!” Gemma’s heart was beating ten miles an hour. She didn’t want to believe it, but Gemma was practically a mirror image of Lilith.

“Lilith, you’re not my mom, Sarah Warrenson is!” screamed Gemma.

“Oh Sarah is just a mortal I used a spell on to make her think she was your mother,” said Lilith in a hysteric voice. “Face it Gemma. I am your mother!”

“Even if you are my mother, my feelings toward you don’t change.

Now let me go back to Massachusetts!”

“Oh but if you go, what will happen to them?”

A wall revolved and Gemma saw an almost lifeless Stan, Ally, Mom, and Lucian. She also saw a handsome young boy with the same golden eyes as Mary. They all looked zombified and almost dead.

“Let the go now!” Gemma yelled at the top of her lungs.

“Make me, Sweetie” said Lilith in a sarcastic, evil manner.

Gemma didn’t know what was happening to her. She could feel her blood pumping faster. She noticed her skin was turning dark grey, like the color of Lucian’s in her dream. She felt so powerful. She shrieked and a beam came out of her mouth that made the black key from her dreams rip out of Lilith’s body. Instantly, Lilith collapsed on the floor.

Gemma felt her body turn back to normal. She was tired and covered with sweat. “Now release them, Lilith!”

In a raspy sounding voice Lilith said,” I don’t have the power to do that.”

“Yes, only I can,” said a man. He came out of nowhere. Hid presence made the room feel cold and deadly.

“Natas, cough, cough, this is my daughter, Gemma. She’s a powerful girl,” said Lilith in a lifeless voice.

“Oh, why aren’t you a pretty one? You’ll be a nice soul for my collection.” Natas used his staff to shoot fire at Gemma. She jumped out of the way and stole the staff. With all of her power she skewered Natas with the staff. He made some groans and moans, but eventually turned to dust sand blew away in the Purgatory wind.

Chapter 12 A split second later a large flash blinded Gemma’s eyes. She appeared in her backyard with Stan, Mom, Lucian and Ally allying next to each other in her garden.

The End