Apollo's Voice Issue 1 by Apollo's Voice

cover art by Joustine, grade 6

Apolloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Voice Staff Members Kelly Ritenour Astrid Weisend Laura Pace Savannah Anderson Lauren Giannini Morgan Lilley Rebecca McCann Madison Boyster Natalie Heatwole Mia Smith Tammy Navarro Nick Page Lily Casteen Min Su Kim Maggie Eastlack Jesse Du

The Bear, the Bees and the Honey Tree by Elly and Avani, grade 7 There once was a bear named Bobo. He lived in a forest of trees. One day he found some honey, but it was full of bees! Bobo was big, as big as a tree. When he went “ROAR”, he scared every last bee. “Go away bees” “you’re being a grinch!” “I want some honey” “and and don’t you flinch!” The bees were mad, the bear took their honey. So they stung his face, and it was not funny! Bobo was sad,

and his nose was runny And so it began the fight for the honey!

Who would win? no one could tell they battled so hard you could hear them all yell But in the end the bees did win And are the proud owners ofâ&#x20AC;Ś a new Bearskin!!!!!!!!!

An excerpt from The 13th Olympian by Graham, grade 7 Contrary to popular belief, there are 13 Olympians. The least known of these immortal beings is Umbra. The following tale is the chronicles of this immortal being. PART 1: THE HEIR Zeus was suffering a splitting headache. It had been four months since he had swallowed his wife Metis and their unborn child, and he was not expecting anything unusual to come from it. He called to his son Hephaestus to split open his aching skull. His son took his hammer and cracked his father's skull open and out sprang the two immortal children of Zeus and Metis. The eldest, a girl, was named Athena and ruled over the pantheon of knowledge and wisdom, the youngest, a boy, was named Umbra and ruled over the pantheon of Shadow and he had the ability to absorb other immortals pantheons. Zeus became worried, a female child was no problem, but a male full blooded heir? This young child would depose him as he did to his father. He went to Zephyr the west wind and asked the child to be

whisked away to an island as far away from Olympus as possible. Zephyr did as he was told and brought the child to an island in what is now known as the Bermuda Triangle. He abandoned the child and used his power to prevent anyone or thing from entering and escaping.

An excerpt from Social Media by Quinn, grade 8 Overall, social medias have pros and cons. They increase communication and allow people to express themselves. They also reduce privacy, open the door to dangerous people, and allow for cyber bullying. You might think that the cons outweigh the pros, but the truth of the matter is that the world is evolving. Technology is used on a daily basis, and while it’s not always ideal, it’s happening around us, whether we like it or not. The only way to deal with social medias effectively is to evolve right along with the human race; build up emotional shields, and use common sense to protect ourselves from online threats. Bullying, privacy loss, and cruelness already existed in the world before the internet existed, and they’re going to exist long after Twitter and Facebook and Instagram have stopped being popular. And like humans have been doing for centuries, we have to toughen our skin, sharpen our minds, and brave society, with all it’s assets and faults.

The River of Freedom by The Happiest Flower in the World, grade 7 I’m free to flow anywhere… Anywhere my path takes me. I’m free to flow east, west, south, or north, if my path takes me there. I’m free to flow to valleys, forests, grasslands, or wetlands if my path takes me there. I’m free to flow anywhere… Anywhere my path takes me. I love my path. I enjoy the guidance. But sometimes I want to diverge to a new path. Sometimes I want to contradict my path. Sometimes I wish I can flow anywhere I want. Sometimes I wish I control my path. I’m free to flow anywhere… Anywhere my path takes me. I free to flow anywhere… If my path takes me there.

“A Goshen Sky” by Ms. Jensen

An excerpt from The Amazing Maze by Jesse, grade 7 “Having a good time Theseus?” asked a creepy voice coming from all around the maze. “It was time I saw you here. You have been bothering me for a century. That dumb prophecy will mean nothing now that I have you trapped in here! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Theo and Adriad froze as the ending laugh capped their fear, but Theo was strong. As a fifteen year old, he had gone through many peculiar occurrences in school, like attempted bullies and hard-paced races. He was built up strong, so he dragged Adraid’s hand and they traversed the dangerous maze. SCREECH SCRATCH! An annoying sound filled a chamber of the ever-winding maze. A small creature appeared, and the sound seemed to be coming from it. It was a small dog-like animal that had sharp teeth and slick, just combed hair. Theo curiously tried to touch the creature.

“Don’t touch it!” screamed Adriad, but it was already too late. The creature stuck on the hand of Theo and Theo screamed. He tried to shake it off, but it had a tight grip. Adriad went to the rescue and punched the creature in the face, sending it back a couple yards. Theo was left with a couple major scratches but there was nothing to worry about. “You saved my life,” remarked Theo. “I owe you one.” “If you do, then can you get rid of that gigantic monster behind you?” Adriad pointed behind Theo. Theo jumped up and turned around. He readied his fist for the battle of his life

Depression by Kelly, grade 7 I feel the pain of a wound but I can’t find the source It’s too late for me Self pity has already taken it’s course I immerse myself in dark song and screens Just to block out the internal screams. Nothing matters anymore Theres nothing left All of my hope has been ripped by theft I feel hollow I feel blind I can’t help but ignore The touch of all that was kind.

We fall fast from the light toward our resident devil Many things trigger the fall to this level The dread of the future The sting of the past The never departing pain of internal blasts The death of hope The cruel hand of fate Realizing your guardian angel came too late. The loss of what you called home Burning desires These are all things that change flame into fires For you it could be abuse Ignorance Abandonment For me it’s just emptiness And nowhere to vent . We grew out of childhood We did all that we could Just forget it It’s over We’ve lost all that was good Not all have explanations Not all know how it starts But it invades our minds

And slowly creeps to our hearts The darkness invades As we let down our guard Right at our weakest moment It makes existing just hard. Our options are limited The choice is cruel Theres no turning back So don’t choose like a fool You could turn right toward the untold The end And the start of the new But then you must ask Is something really out there for you? You could turn left Toward uncertainty To continue your existence on miserable mother earth The mother who forgot you And made you feel of no worth The currents never leave They still pull you underneath But here’s your chance to escape them So just grit your teeth I can’t say you’ll survive

I can’t say you’ll be saved The current could drag you Down to your grave. It will hurt to try You’re heart could end torn But if you triumph Then a new piece is born A piece of the puzzle A piece to the new world A world born through pain One person like you That is all we must gain. If you make it through If you make it to land Just remember that all, like you, Will be there to take your hand

Hope by Joanna, grade 6 there’s light in every darkness laughter in every tear a rainbow after every storm courage blooms out of every fear a white dove in a flock of crows a green leaf when all is brown a spark in every dying flame a jewel in every crown there’s a rose peeking from every thornbush a birdsong in every still dawn a child at play while all are working a rabbit in every front lawn there’s something good in every bad something happy in every sad there’s always something, some kind of thing that makes a dying soul begin to sing

Introvert (full text) by Kelly, grade 7 In my hand was a can of red bull, still left un-open. Why had I grabbed it if I didn’t even plan to drink it? Why had I even decided to come here, again? I examined the house, taking in every aspect of my surroundings. My head swirled around the room with uncertainty. Please let nobody notice me. Please, don’t let anyone ask me why I look like I’m not having fun. It didn’t make any sense. How could people enjoy themselves in the midst of this mess? To the left and ahead; a small stage filled with hyper teens crowded around a karaoke machine. They danced around, laughing like maniacs. To the right, a hoard of kids were shoving each other into the center of their human wall, forcing them to dance. People ran around the house, cheering, smashing, and taking pictures. To the side of the rickety stage was a bubble machine, blowing more and more toxic juice all over the house. All of a sudden a door in the back of my mind opened, revealing the blissful days of bubble blowing. Those were the days of fascination, where the simplest things could result in total amazement. I’d enjoyed jumping, and popping the colorful bubbles flying through the air on a breezy spring day. Bubbles didn’t belong here. I didn’t belong here. Here, why was I here? Where did I belong at some wild high school party? Noise blasted from every direction. Shouting, screaming, glass shattering, rap music. It all became one blur of agonizing sound. I wanted to leave. I wanted to escape. I stared straight ahead of me at the wide open glass doors. Out ahead lay a clear, starry sky. The chirping of insects. Firefly light. I would have darted for the quiet world if it wasn’t also ruined for me by more crazed, hyper, and loud high schoolers. They’d made a mess of the backyard, upturning lawn chairs, and littering the ground with plastic cups and Red Bull cans. Why shouldn’t I just leave? I should just shove my way toward the door and walk back home. Then all the reasons why I’d even come in the first place came flooding back. “Why aren’t you having fun?” “Why don’t you want to be with your friends? I thought you liked spending time with your friends.” “You need to get out and do more.”

“I don’t care if you don’t want to. You can’t spend your whole life alone. You need to meet people.” “Come on! It’ll be fun! We can socialize!” “Why would you even come if you don’t plan on staying long?” I was so sick of people telling me that I need to get out more. I needed to always be around people in order to be happy in life. Go to more events! Get involved! I was tired of people gawking at me like I was some new species of animal when I’d pick up a book and sit in a corner, rather than join in a conversation. Or when I’d stay home writing instead of going bowling with a group of friends. I’d finally decided enough was enough. If I went to one party; just one, would the questions just stop? I could avoid just one night of, “You need to get out more.” or, “Wouldn’t you rather be having fun?” So my choices were: be happy and comfortable but with people interrogating me, or be insecure and uncomfortable in a crowd of crazed teens. As the seconds ticked by, I began leaning closer to my first option. I darted for the beautifully hand crafted mahogany front doors just as I heard the sound of more glass shattering and cheers behind me. (thank goodness.) The cold night air was like a new breath of life. I could hear the chirping of crickets. The party music behind me was muffled. I was easily able to tune it out and just admire the wide, starry sky. After taking in the silence and beauty for mere minutes, I whipped out my cell phone and dialed the only reassuring number. “Hey sis, I need a ride home.” The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the beeping coffee pot. It took me a few minutes to finally get up and out of bed. I thumped down the stairs slowly, grabbing a mug and filling it with the dark, bitter drink. I experienced a sense of calm I hadn’t felt in a while. The awkward butterflies in my stomach from the night before had subsided. I grabbed a book from the small, dark wooden table positioned by the edge of the kitchen. Sitting down, I began to read. Here I felt calm. Here I was relieved. At peace with myself, alone with my thoughts. Here I was alone but never lonely.

The Door at the End of the Hall (full text) by Natalie, grade 7 There was once a girl, curious, imaginative, and stubborn. She was given the name Pan. She grew up to be a playful little girl, always imagining up her own worlds and exploring the outdoors. However, there was one thing always tugging at the corner of Pan’s mind. When she was little, no younger than four years old, her mother and father had punished her for trying to enter a secret room in her house. At the time, Pan hadn’t known she wasn’t supposed to go inside, and she had almost slipped her tiny body inside when her mother came around the corner and scolded her. Ever since then, it had bothered her. Now, years later, Pan had shown her mother enough responsibility that her mother had finally agreed that she could stay home by herself for two hours. Pan had never been more thrilled. She planned to raid her parents secret stash of candy, search for her Christmas present, and sing at the top of her lungs. It had been a while since the mysterious room at the end of the hall had bothered her. As her mother walked out the door, she told Pan to be safe, don’t answer the door, and don’t go outside. Pan agreed exasperatedly, nearly pushing her mother out the door. As she closed the door, she saw her mother glance back, a worried expression. Then, Pan slammed the door and turned to the silent house with arms wide open. First, she stacked a few bags of candy in her arms, then she went to the fridge and grabbed a soda. She proceeded with difficulty to carry the heavy load up the stairs and nearly fell. At the top, she walked into her bedroom and tossed all the goodies on the bed. She started humming her favorite song as she opened a Twix bar and popped open a can of Coke. Now, the last thing on Pan’s list was to search for her hidden Christmas presents. She searched almost everywhere. She looked in the basement, in the kitchen and dining room, and in the living room. She even stepped foot outside for a second, but came back in because she didn’t want to disobey her mother anymore than she already was. She did not find a present in any of those places. The last place the excited girl looked was the top floor. She ran up the steps two at a time and searched in the bathroom, her parents

bedroom, and the attic. Still, she didn’t find a single present. As she walked back, head hanging, to her bedroom, the girl noticed the room that she had been scolded for entering so many years before. Her face brightened. It made perfect sense to Pan that her parents would hide her presents in a room that had always been off limits. So Pan, being the stubborn, curious girl she was, opened the door and found herself in a particularly odd situation. Surrounding her was not a dusty room with creaky floorboards and a low ceiling, but a meadow. It was vibrantly green and Pan had to blink because the sunlight winked off the bright green blades of grass like spotlights shining in her eyes. She took a wobbly step back and turned, hoping to see the door and leave, but there was nothing there. Pan was very confused. There was no meadow like this anywhere near her house, and she would know. Also, it was far too warm in the curious meadow to be late November. In her mind, Pan threw around ideas of what could possibly be happening. The only rational thing she could imagine was that it was all a dream. Calmly, she sat down and closed her eyes. She thought of being asleep in her bed and safe in her house, but when she opened her eyes, she was still in the same position, in the same peculiar meadow. Finally, Pan stood up. She turned and ran straight at where the door was, but she just ran right through where it should’ve been, and found herself full out sprinting through the meadow. She ran and ran until she was hunched over, gasping for hair. She looked around and in the distance saw an odd figure moving towards her. Pan, scared at first, realized that the figure looked like a human and she sighed with relief. She ran towards it. “Sir, sir,” she cried, “I seem to have lost my way. You see, I was in my house and I opened a door, and the next thing I knew I was in this eccentric meadow. Do you know how I could get home?” The man smiled at her, and Pan noticed his teeth were pointed. She also noticed his pointy ears. “You’re Helen’s daughter, are you not?” the man asked, cocking his head. “Y-yes,” Pan replied, unsure. The odd man stuck out his hand. “Herm,” he said with a smile.

Pan shook his hand and repeated her question. “Could you please help me get home?” The man shook his head, chuckling. “Dear child, we have been waiting for you for so long, I don’t know how you could leave yet. But don’t fret, your parents will know where you are.” Pan looked taken aback. “Waiting for me? I’m sorry sir, but I don’t understand.” “You see, child. You’re not like those human folk. You’re an elf!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “An elf?” Pan put her hand on her aching head. “How can I be an elf? What’s special about an elf?” “Well, elves in general can fly, they have sandals that help them fly. I invented them.” Herm puffed his chest proudly. “Anyways, elves also have a few special tricks up their sleeves, as well as some hidden skills that are soon to be discovered. But you, Pan, are special even among the elvish folk. You have a special skill that we need to defeat the evil king.” Pan looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. “Sir, what evil king? I’m pretty sure I’m just a regular human who’s supposed to be home alone being a responsible young adult. And besides, what kind of power would I have that would help anyone defeat a king? Especially an evil one!” Herm seemed amused by her babbling. “Look around you, Pan. What do you see?” “I see green grass, and trees and in the distance I see a lake and birds in the sky.” “Look closer.” “What do you mean?” Herm took Pan’s chin and tilted her head down so she was looking at the ocean of green grass expanding in front of her. Suddenly she noticed something she hadn’t before. “I see them,” she said, surprised. “I see little gold keys. Everywhere.” A smile played across the elf’s face. “My child, you see, you are special, for I cannot see the keys. Only several people can and your mother was one of them.” Pan, bewildered, asked, “Was she an elf, too? And my father?”

“Both your parents were elves, and they chose to have a portal to the elvish world in their home. I installed it myself! However, your parents decided to keep it from you. They wanted you to lead a normal life. But how can such an extraordinary person lead such a normal life?” Pan blushed. “I wouldn’t say extraordinary,” she muttered. “Oh but you are, my dear.” Herm glanced at his watch. His eyes widened. “My goodness, we are going to be late! Epi will be waiting.” With that, he placed Pan easily in his arms and began to rise from the ground. His sandals sprouted wings and seemed to be carrying them both with ease. “Wait sir,” Pan said. “Whatever could be wrong now, child?” “Will I get back home? Once this is over?” Herm looked down at her, his eyes gentle. “Of course, my dear. In a few hours, you’ll be safe and sound in the human world.” Pan sighed. That sounded so much better than this. She had this strange urge to help the elf. She felt she would be obeying her mother by doing that. Just then, Pan realized that it didn’t matter what she was doing right now, whether obeying her mother or not, because when she got home, her mother was never going to forgive her, and surely never going to let her stay home alone again. After several minutes, Pan noticed that they seemed to be descending. She looked down and saw a canopy of leaves and, as they kept falling, they broke through it and landed softly on a shaded forest floor. The world surrounding them was dark, and something about it made Pan shiver. She huddled close to Herm. They neared a clearing where a young boy with the same pointy ears and sharp teeth stood, staring at the ground. He looked up when he saw them, “Herm, thank goodness,” he walked over. “Who is this young lady?” “Hello Epi,” Herm replied. “This is Pan. Helen’s daughter.” “Ahh,” Epi smiled, looking curious. “I presume she has Vision.” “Of course I have vision!” Pan blurted. Then, she stepped back, embarrassed.

“Vision is the nickname for your special power,” Herm explained. “Look around,” he said, “do you see anything?” Pan looked around and saw the little golden dots on the ground. They were everywhere. However, one stood out to Pan. She walked over to the key that exceeded the other’s size and shine and picked it up. As she bent down to touch it, Herm and Epi both yelled, “NO!” but it was too late. Pan seized the key and was thrown backwards and landed twenty feet away in the dirt. Epi and Herm ran to her. “She’s bleeding,” Epi observed, kneeling at her head. “There’s a gash above her right temple. Herm knelt down by her arms and examined them. “Nothing seems to be broken, but she may have a concussion. They say that the actual magic key only has the force field until it’s broken, but if the legend is wrong, it could kill her if she tries again. Epi looked at Herm, shaking his head. “No sir, we can’t risk that. Maybe she has the key. The legend also says that people with the Vision usually end up with the keys they touch, in one way or another.” “It does, son. You’ve been studying. Perhaps we should try to wake her up and see if she has it in her possession. So, very carefully, they pushed on her arms and called her name. Epi shook her and Herm tapped her lightly, but nothing seemed to wake her up. Finally, Epi stood up and yelled “PAN!” The poor girl jolted awake with a start, and moaned in pain as her head hit the ground. A tear rolled down her face as she clenched her teeth, trying to block out the pain. “Mom!” she sobbed. “Mom help me. I need help. Please.” Epi looked to Herm sadly. “We have to keep going, don’t we?” Herm nodded. “You see, son, since you were born you lived here in Randread. Therefore, you are loyal to us, and you’ve never thought differently. Pan, however, had never entered this world until today, and she is just beginning to experience this burning loyalty. If we convince her that it will help out world, she’ll come with us to the castle to help kill King Zuesinia.” Epi nodded. He had read about the bond he would feel if he ever left and came back to Randread.

With that, Herm walked over to where Pan lay, still calling to her mother. She looked pale, almost green, and very, very unwell. Epi noticed a small pendant around her neck, and realized it was the Symbol of the Elves. “Did you notice that?” he asked Herm, pointing to the necklace.. Herm nodded. “It was a family pendant, her mother must’ve given it to her. She must just think of it as a pretty little charm. How intriguing!” Epi looked down at Pan. He pushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. Her teary eyes met his, and they were filled with pain. Poor girl, he thought. She must’ve thought she was going into a secret room in her house. Now look at her. “Pan. Pan look at me. Are you okay?” Epi looked at her pleading eyes. “Help,” was all she said. After a few minutes of planning, Epi and Herm were ready to go to the castle. They both looked over at Pan, who had lost consciousness again. “She’s losing a lot of blood,” said Epi. “Once you return her to the human world, you should tell miss Helen to take her straight to the hospital.” Herm nodded. “She will be in the comfort of her home within a few hours. That’s assuming everything goes as planned.” “What’re we to do for now?” Epi looked at her with a concerned look. His heart panged. “Is she going to be okay?” “We’ll carry her in between us. She won’t have to put any effort in. This wasn’t the most fortunate thing that could’ve happened, but I do believe she’ll be okay.” Herm stared into the distance for a second, them he seemed to snap back into focus. “First things first, we’ll need to fly, but go on foot once we reach the king’s territory. Then, we’ll leave Pan somewhere safe, and proceed to kill that wretched man. After he and anyone else who deserves it is dead, we’ll run straight to the door and send a message to Purfed. After all that, we’ll take Pan back to Helen.” Epi, who had been writing all this down on a piece of bark, looked up when he was finished. He showed Herm, who nodded approvingly,

the bark. Just then, Pan moaned and lifted her blood-soaked head. Her brown hair was matted to her face and it was a scarlet brown color. Her lips were cracked and dry, and her mouth drooped on her tear-stained face. She looked absolutely pitiful. “We should hurry, sir. She losing too much blood.” So, Herm and Epi walked over and they each took an arm to drape over their shoulder. Then, they both pushed of the ground and rose above the trees. Pan who had been murmuring incoherently, seemed to lose consciousness again. Both men gripped her tighter, causing them to have less control over their flight. They dipped to one side quickly and had to straighten themselves out before Pan fell. After many minutes of flying, Herm instructed Epi to land so they could enter the castle from the ground. As they flew, Pan woke up and fell back asleep a few times, changing every few minutes. When they landed, she was awake, and Herm spoke to her, “Pan,” he said, “I need you to try as hard as you can to stay awake for the next, oh, about thirty minutes. We’re going to walk for a little while to look for somewhere where you can rest.” Pan nodded tiredly. Her head lolled, but her eyes stayed open, as alert as they could be. Epi and Herm dragged her but her legs made walk-like motions. They walked for several minutes and quickly found a place to put her. “Alright, stay with Epi, Pan, and try as hard as you possibly can to stay awake. When I come back, I’m taking Epi, and you’ll need to be as strong as possible incase we encounter any, erm, difficulties.” As Herm walked away to look for an entrance to the castle, Epi went and sat down next to Pan. He could see the concentration it took to stay awake on her face and he wanted to ease it, so her asked her a few questions. “Are you okay? How do you feel? Do you think you can stay awake for a little while longer?” Epi eagerly waited for her to answer him. After a few seconds, Pan did something that Epi thought he detected as frowning, but it turned out she was smiling. “Epi, why do you care so much about me?” Her voice was scratchy and weak. It seemed to take a lot of concentration for her to form words.

Epi blushed immensely. “Well, when I first saw you, I, well I sort of, I don’t know. I guess I just feel the urge to protect you. Like you’re my sister.” Pan frowned- or at least that’s what it looked like.“Oh.” Epi, not expecting this said, “No, I didn’t mean that I want to treat you like my sister I just meant-” “Hey, it’s okay. If you’re face gets any darker I’m afraid you’ll explode.” She laughed weakly and slouched a little. Epi grabbed her shoulder and steadied her. “Are you okay?” he asked, examining her eyes. “Yes, I’m okay. I just need rest,” she lied. “Herm’s calling you, you should go.” Sure enough, Epi turned around and Herm was watching him intently. He began walking the other way, and Epi hurried to catch up. As he was walking away, he called, “I love you” to Pan. He didn’t expect her to hear him, but she did, and she smiled before letting her consciousness fade. Later, much later, she woke up to a scratching sound. Dazed, she looked around, assuming that they were back. However, when she looked, there was no one anywhere. She could’ve sworn she heard something. As she began to fall back to sleep, a huge creature leaped out from behind the trees. Since her head was so damaged, the figure was blurry, but she could tell by the rate it advanced towards her that it was dangerous. Using the tree as a support, she pulled herself up, her head throbbing and her vision going black. As she began to fall, she told herself that she was going to die if she wasn’t strong. With all her might, she opened her eyes and steadied herself as best she could. Once she was steadied, she realized that the strange creature was now very close to her and that it was much bigger. Involuntarily, she reached for her necklace and ripped it from her throat. Though she was surprised and shaken by the strength she had mustered up, she was far more astonished when the pendant turned into a large sword and the chain turned into a shield. Confused as humanly possible, she placed the shield in front of her body and branded the sword with her right hand, as the monster

advanced, she drove the sword through his heart as if she had been training for years. She felt an exhausting power pumping through her veins. It made her vision cloud at the edges. Once the monster fell and seemed to be dead, she expected to be done, but with despairing realization, she saw two more creatures advancing towards her. The first one grabbed her sword by the blade, and once again, as if she had been practicing for a long time, she pulled the sword from his chest and sliced of it’s head in one motion. The blackness was taking up most of her sight now, and her head hurt so much she could barely think. The last monster approached her with caution as if sizing up his options. Suddenly, he ran at her full speed and she was taken aback. The monster’s huge fist collided with her stomach and she coughed and coughed. The thing then turned and walked away, taking his place again, as if he was going to do the same thing. Pan, who was bent over spitting up blood, was not ready. She was losing steam fast, and she estimated she could last for about five more minutes. This time when the monster ran to her she was ready, and she dodged him. He ran into the tree she was leaning on and knocked it down. Pan who no longer had her support, staggered back and fell onto her backside. By now, she basically couldn’t see and when the monster came at her, she stuck her sword out and hoped for the best. It sunk into the things chest, but the monster fell forward and crushed poor Pan. The last thing she saw was the monster’s ugly head fall off, and then everything was still. Three Days Later “Doctor, when do you think she’ll wake up?” “Soon, soon. Her heartbeat has slowly been coming back to normal.” “Will she be okay?” “She seems to have a serious concussion, and the weight of the refrigerator seems to have broken her arm and three ribs.” Those were the words that Pan struggled to make sense of as she opened her eyes. The light of the hospital room was so bright she

blinked many times and still had to squink. A monitor by her bed started beeping by her bed and the doctor said, “Alas, she’s awake!” “Oh, Pan! Are okay? Can I touch her, sir?” Helen asked eagerly, her voice choked with tears. “Of course, ma’am.” Pan’s mom sat next to her on her bed and Pan said, “Mom, are you real?” Tears streaked her mother’s face. “Oh, Pan, my baby. You’re never staying home alone again!” The two women sobbed into each others shoulders and hugged and laughed for a long time until finally Pan had to ask. “Mom,” she said, “how long has it been? Is everything okay in Randread?” Her mother smiled at her with a pained expression. “Actually, someone is here to talk to you about that.” Her mother stood up and went to the door and called someone in. Not knowing who to expect, Pan nearly fell off the bed when she saw Epi. She had heard him say that he had never been to the human world. “Epi! What’re you doing here?” Helen smiled and walked out of the room calling, “Don’t get to close.” Pan blushed but she laughed. Epi, walked over to her bed and sat down, pushing her hair out of her face. “How are you?” “I’m fine! How are you? How’s Herm? What’s going on in Randread?” “Woah! Calm down!” he said. “I’m fine, Herm’s fine, and Randread is amazing! We did it, Pan, we killed the king, all because of you.” He smiled appreciatively. Pan blushed yet again. “I’m sure you could’ve killed him without the key.” “The key? Well yes, but we surely would’ve died if those monsters had come in there to kill us. Those monsters you remarkably killed?” “Yeah.” “Well, they were programmed to kill anyone whose bloodline the king didn’t like. He sent them to come for us. They should’ve been there quickly to guard the castle, and when they didn’t show up, me and Herm ran. Pan, you’re a hero! You saved Randread!”

Pan was very confused. “I don’t understand. How did I know how to use a sword so well?” Epi nodded, as if he expected this question. “You see, each person has a skill and a power. Your power is the Vision, seeing the keys, but your skill was a sword. Your mom programmed that necklace to turn into a sword and shield and your instincts were to use it. By the way, I brought you something.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver chain with her charm on it. He placed it around her neck and smiled at her. “You left it.” “Thank you,” Pan said, a tear rolling down her cheek. “What’s wrong?” Epi looked very concerned. “Nothing,” she said. “You see, I’m so happy that I’m crying. Humans cry when they’re happy and sad. They also cry when they love someone.” Then, as if on cue, a tear rolled down Epi’s cheek. “Which reason do you have to cry?” he asked. “The same reason you do.” And Epi laid back next to her, and Pan’s head rested her head on his shoulder, and no one in the world was happier than the to kids who had so much to learn from each other.

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