February 2018
Midnight Writers
Table of Contents Cover: “They’ll Tell You I’m Insane!” an illustration by “Linny,” an illustration by Celia Bowen The Masked Lady Page 12: This Page: “A Messy Heart,” an illustration by An- “#Space Husbands,” a rant by Incadescence dromeda Page 13: “You Said We’d Be Friends Forever…,” a poem by Hana Page 3: Bagheri Ask Aphro & Dite
“Like an Angel,” a poem by Helen “Deep Wounds,” an illustration by The Masked Lady
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A girl asks for advice about asking a prince out
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Someone asks for advice about forgiving someone
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The Masked Lady talks about love
“Santa, Not Satan Part 5,” a story by Incandescence
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Incandescence reviews the book, The Host by Stephenie
“Santa, Not Satan Part 5,” continued “Frosted Flakes,” a photograph by Calico Cat
Unmasked Lady
Incandescence’s Literary Investigations Meyer
Page 4:
“To the Nights and the Days,” a poem by Hana Bagheri “Thrice Upon A Now,” a story by Blue Serendipity
Page 5:
“Kittypillar,” a story by The Masked Lady
Page 6:
“Kittypillar,” continued “Kittypillar,” an illustration by The Masked Lady
Page 7:
“Dipper x Wendy: a Long-Awaited Reunion,” a story by Andromeda “Love,” a poem by HMscorpio
Page 8:
“Kittypillar,” continued “Sparkling You,” a story by Stella
Page 9:
“Sparkling You,” Continued “Forgiveness,” a poem by HMscorpio “Limitless,” a photgraph by Calico Cat “In the Castle,” a manga by Aya Hatashima
Page 10:
“Dipcifica,” a story by Eos “Johnlock,” a illustration by Celia Bowen “Linny,” an illustration by Celia Bowen
Page 11:
“Dipcifica,” continued “Kirk x Enterprise,” a rant by The Masked Lady
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“Santa, Not Satan Part 5,” continued “Satan’s Fifth Gift,” an illustration by The Masked Lady
issuu.com/midnightwriters midnightwriters2018@gmail.com
Ask Aphro & Dite
Dear Aphro, I have this crush on this exchange student at my school, who happens to secretly be a prince. He is a monarch and heir, obviously. Will he like an average girl like me, that loves the state of Vermont, loves bunnies, and has a younger brother that she does not get along with at all? Should I give this guy a shot or get over it and pass? Yours, One Day Princess Dear One Day Princess, You are assuming things. Have you ever made eye contact with the boy? What you were writing in the letter is all assumptions. Please don’t always think of monarchs as delicate snobs. They are much more than that. Princess Diana was a very generous duchess. My best advice to you is to just talk to him. Get to know him. Since he is an exchange student he won’t be around in your hometown forever. Honestly, I am using logic and I doubt he would be your boyfriend. But when you talk to him, you might become good friends. Try it out. Hope things go well. With love, Aphro Dear Dite, How do I forgive someone who broke my favorite vase? It was a very special vase that I inherited from my great-grandmother. This person who broke my vase was just a classmate at my school. I don’t know him that well. He did apologize, though. Should I accept his apology and forgive and forget or stay mad at him forever? I really don’t know what to do. Yours, Forgiving Classmate Dear Forgiving Classmate, Since he is a classmate, he probably doesn’t know you that well. If I were you, I would explain to this guy how important this vase was to you. Since he likely doesn’t know you that well, either. I bet his apology is sincere. So, I would forgive and forget. Staying mad forever will just increase tension between you two. Who knows, maybe he’ll buy you a new vase to replace the old one. With love, Dite
Unmasked Lady
Love is in the air, but none for me what so ever. Hello Midnight Writers, to celebrate Valentines Day, I’m go to talk about none other than love! Now, as a teenage girl that has never been in a relationship, what do I know about love? Nothing at all! So lets talk about my opinion on love! Now love and I have a not so great relationship. My parents got divorced when I was in 8th grade so love kind of so far has kicked me in the face. I kind of wish love, especially romantic love, had a handbook about relationships. But we don’t have that! So there’s the Internet instead. What makes a good relationship based on Internet: a high level of self-love, ability to communicate effectively, skills to engage tensions, and relationship role models. Yep, my parents had none of that. Anyways, my point here is that relationships to me feel very unpredictable and it’s an unknown road that no one is prepared for. Even though the lovely Internet has supposed guides and tips. Relationships seem like a game of chance. Maybe you got a good card; maybe you get a bad one. So I’m unsure how my love life will go in the future. All I really know is it will probably be a bumpy ride.
Incandescence’s Literary Investigations Hello and welcome to my fourth book review! Today, I’m going to be discussing one of Stephenie Meyer’s works, The Host. Internationally known for the tragic disaster that is the Twilight series, in which there are sparkly vampires, werewolves that are allergic to shirts, and a damsel in distress, Meyer shows that she can, surprisingly enough, actually be a decent writer in The Host. In this story, parasitic aliens have invaded planet Earth, along with 8 or 9 other planets. These aliens, called Souls, are implanted into humans, erasing the human’s mind, effectively allowing for the Souls to take over all of humanity. These Souls are convinced that doing so is for the greater good, as humans are selfish, violent, and overall bad beings. Souls, on the other hand, have rules that they are to always be polite and kind (when they’re not forcefully possessing other beings). A small group of humans that have resisted being taken over still exist, such as Melanie. Wanderer, a Soul, is implanted into Melanie’s body. Melanie, being extremely strong-willed, refuses to disappear, so she can still think and communicate with Wanderer. Although initially hostile towards one another, they end up becoming good friends, and set off to find Melanie’s family. Wanderer grapples with Melanie’s feelings towards Jared, her lover. As Wanderer becomes acquainted with the group of humans, Wanderer discovers that she herself is falling for another person, Ian. And thus, we have quite a complicated situation on our hands. Overall, the world building is great, and the characters are likeable. There’s a happy ending, promise! And with that, I leave you for this month. Read on!
Special thanks to Sra. Steele, The Masked Lady, Incadencence, Eos, HMscorpio, Andomeda, Celia Bowen 3
To the Nights and the Days By Hana Bagheri
To the nights spent watching the stars patiently waiting for them to sleep, as we tell each other how we’re going to make our mark on the world. To the days spent riding our bikes into the sunset, and jamming to country music from the 90s. To days spent staring at the blue waves, and waiting for the sun to come out. To the afternoons spent floating on a boat with nothing but poetry dripping from our lips. To the nights spent dancing, laughing and singing like it’s our last day alive. To the evenings spent munching on pizza by the beach. To nights spent making s’mores by the campfire as we sing songs from High School Musical. To the families that teach us to love and not hate. To the mothers who conceal their tears with smiles just to make sure we’re happy. To the fathers who work late hours to help make our dreams come true. To the friends who make us hungry for life and adventure. To the strangers who smile at us at the coffee shop and compliment our outfit on the way to work. To teachers who save us when we need saving. To the old women on the 57th corner who say “thank you beautiful big brown eyes” each time I give her a dollar. To the school crossguard who says “good morning” to every single student in the cold harsh morning. To dripping ice cream on summer days and hot chocolate heaven on winter nights. To rainy nights spent lost in my bookshelf and little sips of camomile tea. To windy days that whip my hair to my face and get stuck on my chapstick To long drives on mountains spent soaking the music in. To mountain climbs that lead to a jungle of hope. To kisses that last centuries, To promises that are never broken, And to people, like you and me, who long to treasure every single second of moments like this. 4
Thrice Upon A Now
derful contraption called a phone!” Alieus exclaimed excitedly. Rosa quickly ran over to get a closer look at it. “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” Ella asked, leaning her broom against the wall and walking over. Everyone just Getting a job wasn’t easy. Alieus looked at her and she translated herlived most of his life as a prince and self. “What is that?” as a frog. He had never gotten a job “It’s a phone. You can send mesor needed one before. Now, he was sages to other people by talking into trapped in another century entirely it,” he explained dramatically. The with three other people relying on wide-eyed looks and awestruck faces him to get a job and earn money. were very satisfactory to him and he “You don’t have a phone?” Mr. grinned. Panesly asked surprised. He ran a “That’s sorcery!” Rapunzel exbakery and was desperately in need claimed taking it and pressing the of more workers. Alieus had no idea button. When it lit up, she yelped what a phone was and nervously and it slipped out of her hand. Alieus rubbed the back of his neck. quickly caught it before it hit the “I uh… lost my memory. What is ground. Rosa took it next and she a phone?” Alieus asked, wondering managed to reach what Mr. Panesif it was a good enough excuse. Mr. ly called the ‘home screen.’ Alieus Panesly stared at him for a moment smiled and tapped on the game he before taking out a small rectangular was playing earlier and explained to box. He pressed a round button in the her how to play. middle and the middle lit up, just like “Once I earn enough money I’ll buy the moving portrait box in the house. phones for all three of you,” declared “If you press this green button you Alieus determinedly. Ella and Rosa can call someone. Do you have a huddled around the phone while phone?” Mr. Panesly asked. Alieus Rapunzel just crossed her arms in shook his head and Mr. Panesly took disapproval. out a smaller version of his phone “We must figure out a way back and gave it to him. “This was my old home instead,” she said frowning. phone. After you get your first payAlieus pressed his lips together and check we’ll set up the phone plan.” cautiously spoke. “The what?” Alieus asked. The “What if we stay here instead?” older man just shook his head and “What? That’s lächerlich! Ridicexplained to him how the phone ulous!” Rapunzel exclaimed in a worked. It was utterly fascinating to hushed voice as to not get the attenAlieus and he found himself quickly tion of the younger girls. “You are a addicted. There were many things prince are you not? I have my duties you could do on the phone including as a princess at home and I’m sure a game in which you try to get a bird you need to go back too. Rosa has a through a small gap by tapping. mother and father and surely so does “Your first shift will be tomorrow. Ella!” I expect you here by seven tomorrow “I was tossed out a window,” he morning,” said Mr. Panesly, walking said dryly. “I’d rather stay here.” him out. “Well I need to go back,” she said, “Thank you!” Alieus said gratefulgiving him a glare and turning around ly before he walked home. A heavy with a spin of her heel. Ella and Rosa weight was lifted from his shoulders looked up in concern as Rapunzel now that he had gotten a job. Back stormed into her room. Her long at the small home in the building, he blonde hair trailed after her and it found Rosa watching the moving porwasn’t until they couldn’t see her hair trait box and Ella sweeping the floor. anymore that Ella spoke up. Rapunzel was braiding her extraordi“Is everything alright?” narily long hair. “Oui,” said Alieus in a bad French “Did you manage to get a job?” accent, “everything is alright.” Rapunzel asked when he walked in. “Yes! I was also given this won-
By Blue Serendipity
Kittypillar
By The Masked Lady I entered into the pristine, white elevator and turned towards the computer. “State your name,” the machine stated. “Sol Star,” I replied glumly. “Recognition accepted. Which floor?” the machine swiftly responded. “114,” I sighed. The elevator shifted upwards and took off swiftly. I stood there impatiently, waiting for my destination. I wasn’t planning on leaving my room today. But strangely, I found a note from Aurora saying, “Come to Lab J! I have something to show you!” in sloppy handwriting, along with some random smirking smiley faces and hearts. I found it quite odd how Aurora didn’t just come bursting in my room and drag me to where she wanted me to go. I can only anticipate that this was going to be another horrible game Aurora had created. I’m still scarred by the Let’s See How Many Different Things Will Explode game and the Guess If This Is Flammable game. At last, the elevator at last came to a sudden stop at our destination. The doors slid open to reveal workers buzzing around with their clipboards and test tubes. I stepped out, and immediately all the workers stopped and moved aside, leaving a perfectly clear path for me to walk through. It’s only formality that the workers do this, since I am their boss’s kid. I walked past them, ignoring their bows and headed towards Lab J. Lab J is one of the few labs that doesn’t have hazard warning signs. Aurora
and I are strictly forbidden from labs strictly meant for the workers, especially after The Incident. I knew fully well that Lab J was only used for creating new species of creatures, which only furthered my fears as I slowly pushed open the lab doors. I walked in. To my great surprise, there was nothing on fire. But, the lead worker of labs I through P and Father’s assistant George I were present. Since the star bases are so enormous, they require more workers than just asteroids and comets. To handle that requirement, the Star family created workers that are like robots, but actually are living beings for the sole purpose of working. There are many different lines of these workers who have different traits to fulfill their requirements. For example, George is a popular model used for assisting scientific experiments with very detailed and complicated formulas. Georges come with no noses and an extra set of arms. Their minds are created to be smarter than any normal creature in the entire universe, but that causes them to last only 100 years compared to simpler models that last 1000 years. And no matter what kind of models they are, they have one important thing programmed into them: they can never, ever go against their boss. George I turned around with an irritated look. Most workers avoid eye contact or give me a polite nod. But George is one of the few workers who doesn’t care for such formalities, yet he still has to follow all of our commands. “Are you here for your annoying twin?” George I snapped. “Yes, where is she?” I said. George I sighed and got up from his desk. “Your sister told me to lead
you to her,” George I groaned as he signaled me to come along. I followed George into the room next door to see Aurora standing in front of a bunch of machines. “Aurora, what are you-” Before I could finish my sentence, Aurora raced towards me and shoved something in my face. “Brother, look! Look!” Aurora chanted as she bounced in glee. My eyes widened to see the most disgusting thing I ever seen in my life shoved in front of my face. “Meoooorwww!” it cried as it wiggled a disturbing amount of paws. “Look what Father helped me create!” Aurora giggled. Before I could say anything, she shoved the monstrosity into my arms. Its body looked like a bunch of doughnuts stuck together. It had short fur to the point where it was hard to tell that it had any. It looked up at me and rubbed its pointy ears against me. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I gagged. “Don’t be mean to Kittypillar!” Aurora cried. “Kitty what?” I exclaimed. “Kittypillar: half kitty, half caterpillar!” Aurora announced proudly. I looked over at George I, who just kept shaking his head. “Aurora, may I please go back to work now?” George I pleaded. “But Father said you would help me finish this project since he had to go to a meeting!” Aurora whined. Realizing the situation he was in, George I rubbed his head in frustration. “How about I have Bennett help you instead?” George I bargained.
“Hmmm. Alright. I suppose that would do,” Aurora grumbled in defeat. George I sighed in relief as he took out his communication device. “Bennett please come to Lab J, NOW.” Before we knew it, Bennett rushed into the room. “Yes! Yes! I’m here! What do you need? Do you need help? I can help! I am here! Yes?” he jabbered. “Bennett, I need you to help Aurora finish her… project.” George I commanded. “Of course! Of course! Anything for you sir!” Bennett clapped in glee. “Uh huh. Okay you three, don’t blow anything up please,” George I quickly said, before he rushed out of the room, finally free from my sister’s demands. Bennett skipped over and rocked side to side like a hyper child. “Hi, I’m Bennett! Remember me? I came last year!” he continued to blather. Aurora glanced at him and scratched her head. “Nope,” Aurora simply stated. “Oh…” Bennett whispered as he looked down at his feet in sadness. “Yes, I remember you. You are Bennett 1435. You are the last of your models and were bought by Father from a skin care lab,” I grudgingly answered. “Wow! I’m so happy you remembered me! Don’t worry, I won’t let any of you guys down!” Bennett cheered, a huge grin spreading across his face. “If you want to help, here.” I quickly shoved the kitty abomination into Bennett’s arms. “Aw, how cute!” Bennett cooed. “As much as I love spending time here… can I go now?” I 5
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said hopefully. “No! You need to stay and help me!” Aurora cried. “Why? I see no point in me staying. Plus, Bennett is here,” I pointed out. “I like helping!” Bennett piped up. “No! Please don’t leave! Please!” Aurora begged. Aurora buried her face in her hands and began weeping. I stared, dumbfounded at this situation. I knew that Father would yell at me for not taking care of Aurora, so no matter what, I was bound to lose. “Okay! Fine! Whatever. Let’s just get on with it,” I sighed. “Yes!” Aurora cheered. She instantly stopped crying and starting jumping in glee. I knew I would regret it. “What do you want to do?” I said reluctantly. “Father said I could make four kittypillars in total. So I need help with the incubator machine. Luckily, the machine can create eggs and hatch them really quickly. Thing is, I kind of zoned out during George’s directions,” Aurora stated. “I know how to do it! Let me get right on that!” Bennett said. Bennett scurried over the massive machine and started pushing buttons. “Don’t worry, I’ll be done in a jiffy!” Bennett grinned and gave us an awkward wink. “So, what exactly am I doing here if Bennett is doing all the work?” I asked. “You are here for moral support!” Aurora exclaimed. “Yeah, cause I am so amazing at that,” I said sarcastically. After a couple of switches were flicked on and several strange noises, the machine let out a couple puffs of smoke and finally, a ding. The door swiftly slid open and a baking tray slowly slid out. A strange
scent of scented candles and butter filled the air as smoke filled the room. Once the smoke cleared, it revealed three more kittypillars, all in random color schemes. They wiggled amongst the tray, causing them to topple over. “Yay! Thank you, Bennett!” Aurora cheered. Aurora quickly ran over and scooped them in to her arms. She rubbed her face against them. “All in a day’s work!” Bennett chuckled. Without warning, the machine began chugging and spewing out smoke. The room began to shake vigorously as the machine shook uncontrollably. “What’s happening?” Aurora tried to yell over the sounds. The machine shook violently like an earthquake until finally, it came to a complete stop. A loud ding echoed and the door once again slid open. Instead of a tray sliding out, something more terrifying did: mountains of Kittypillars began falling out. The machine collapsed, unable to handle the weight as Kittypillars continued to tumble out in a never-ending waterfall. The contraption dropped on its side, causing the Kittypillars to spill all over the floor. Louds meows filled the room as the endless parade of creatures began to crawl. I was speechless. “Oops! It seems that I might have done something wrong,” Bennett said, chuckling nervously. “Quick! We have to catch them all before they escape,” Aurora cried. We all quickly scurried around the room and began collecting as many Kittypillars that our arms could hold. We piled them all in a designated part of the room only to realize that the room simply couldn’t contain any more. Finally, the
machine came to a complete halt and the waves of Kittypillars finally stopped. All was left was piles of Kittypillars filling up the room, so many that I couldn’t even see the floor. “Oh god, Bennett. What have you done?” I groaned. “I’m so sorry. I’m not the best at these things,” Bennett mumbled sheepishly. “Man. Father is going to be so mad,” Aurora cried. “We probably should get George and clean up this mess,” I suggested, heading towards the door. “No! You can’t tell him! If you do, he will tell Father! And Father won’t let me do any more of these experiments!” Aurora shouted. “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise then,” I hinted. “Uh, guys…we have a problem,” Bennett yelled out. “What?” I shouted in annoyance. Bennett pointed towards one of the air vents to reveal that it had been broken. There were Kittypillar footprints trailing into the vent. “Seems like we have some runaways,” Bennett said. “Oh god,” I groaned. This was a complete catastrophe! “We have to find them!” Aurora cried. “Aurora, the Sun base has hundreds of floors and thousands of rooms. How are we supposed to find a bunch of small rats?” I hissed. “We can do it! With some effort, I believe we can find them,” Aurora said optimistically. “Yeah! We can do this,” Bennett agreed. “Guys, no!” I sighed deeply, at my wits end. “We should narrow down some rooms where they might be,” Aurora continued. “No guys! Listen to me! This is truly impossible; we need to
tell Father!” I argued. “Yeah, and with all three of us, we definitely can do this!” Aurora finished. “Are you two even listening to me?” I shouted. “Come on Sol! We can do this. With your brains, my talent, and Bennett’s... other qualities, we can do this!” Aurora’s encouraging words did little to dissuade my foreboding feelings. I let out a loud groan and began rubbing my face. How did I get roped into this situation? I was so close to having a nice peaceful day but no, it just had to be ruined. And of course, as always, it was Aurora’s fault. “Okay fine, whatever. But you owe me! Big time!” I hissed. Aurora held up her pinky finger. “I promise. Now, where should we start?” Aurora asked. “We should look at this logically. What do Kittypillars need to survive?” I spoke. “Love?” Aurora giggled. “No! Food you dumby, food! Now, we know that caterpillars eat leaves and that cats really like catnip. So where can we find these things?” I said. “Kittypillar,” Illustration by The Masked Lady
“Oh, oh! I know! The greenhouse on the 72th floor.” Bennett said proudly. “Yes, Bennett, that is correct.” I sighed in relief. At
least we were getting somewhere. “I know this because I often go to the greenhouse and snack on soap bars,” Bennett
said eagerly. “Too much information,” I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust. “Well, we better get there
fast if we want to do this, so let’s hurry up and go!”
Sparkling You
led me to Vans. “Do you like hats?” He took a black cap off the rack and playfully placed it on my head. “Too big…” he adjusted it and placed it on my head again. “You have a small head.” His laugh sounded like chimes in the wind. We walked out, talking about life, and he led me to the Old Navy. “How did we end up in the kids section?” Somehow through our conversation, we ended up completely missing the women’s clothing. I laughed and followed him. “What type of clothes do you like?” He asked. Korean clothes? But I wasn’t going to say it. “I don’t really know…” “Hm.” He squatted down and looked through the clothes on the racks. In the spur of the moment, I reached down and fluffed his hair. “It’s like...dry…” He laughed. “It’s not. It’s hair gel. I have to use it or else my hair gets really messed up.” He picked out some leggings, a shirt, and a tank top for me. “Here. Try these on.” I was surprised. What kind of guy does this for a girl he’s not even dating? I surveyed the clothes he had picked out and carefully tried them on. I finished without a second thought and opened the fitting room door. “Did you try them on?” He asked. I nodded. “Wait, but I didn’t get to see you in them.” “Huh? You want to see me in them?” I went back to the dreaded fitting room and tried on the clothes again, opening the door and showing him each time. “Do you feel uncomfort-
able around me?” He asked, worriedly through the door of the fitting room. I stuttered a response. “Would it make you more comfortable if I came in there with you?” He widened the door and slipped in, shutting the door behind him. We leaned against the wall, facing the mirror but not each other. We talked. And talked. And talked. He glanced over sometimes, and we would make eye contact for a short while. I looked away, embarrassed. Meaningful conversations, life advice, dreams for the future. He checked his phone. “I’m so sorry, I have a work meeting. It’ll take about an hour. Do you mind waiting until then?” I shook my head. Just as he was about to leave, I tugged on his jacket. “Can I hug you?” I asked shyly. His response had been, “Of course,” and he tightly wrapped his arms around me. I staggered from how tightly he held me. We broke away and he left, a sparkle in his eyes. “You still here?” A message from him about an hour later. I quickly typed back a yeah, and he asked where I was. “Outside the food court,” I typed back. We couldn’t find each other. I stopped in front of the David’s Tea, and messaged him again. “Stay there,” and off he went to find me. He looked at my bubble tea, but made no comment about it. He led the way again and stopped in front of Sephora. “Hey, do you know what they sell here?” “Makeup…?” I responded in confusion. “Do they sell hair gel?” He
clarified. “I think so.” He smiled again and we entered the colorful store. He looked around, exploring the various rows of makeup products and colors. As we passed the eye cream, he stopped and picked up a sample. “Here, try this.” He demonstrated, and I followed, scooping up a little blob of white and dabbing it under my eye. He watched me as I did, an intense look in his eyes. I glanced up and he showed his bright smile again. We moved on and he casually asked a store clerk where the hair gel for men was. He took his time, trying out the gels and finding the perfect one. As we walked to the checkout, he picked up acne remover. “Oh, I have a bit of acne.” You don’t, I thought. His face was a picture of perfection. Out we walked, and again we talked. He told me about San Francisco and I shared bits and parts of art and school life. We entered Nordstrom, and he walked around, checking out clothing and such. “Hm.” He stopped to look at the belts. “What do you think?” As he compared two of them. “They look the same to me…” I examined them. “Well, one has a rougher texture,” he pointed it out. “And this one is more smooth.” That one, I pointed to the smoother one. He looked at both again and finally chose one. He looked around some more and picked out a cute black jacket. He took off his current jacket and tried it on, observing how it looked on him. I noticed how thin he was 7
By Stella
“How is he prettier than half of the girls at school?” my friend leaned across to show me a photo of a cute guy crossdressing in a kimono. He really is pretty, I thought to myself. “What’s his name?” Oh, why not? I hit the add friend button on Facebook and typed his username into the add friend search bar on Snapchat. Half an hour later, a ding went off and I saw the notification that he added back on Snapchat. From Raphael. He snapped me. Ahh, how do I respond? “Who’s this?” The snap read. I snapped back, “Hello! We haven’t met before, but I’m...” We snapped back and forth. We shared music and conversed about random topics. He was eighteen in California, I was sixteen in his hometown of Maryland. He danced, I drew. He dropped out of school to pursue programming, I struggled with math and just about everything. He had a stable job and income, I didn’t know if I’d even be able to get into college. “Do you want to meet up?” He was visiting for winter break. We set the time, the date, and I nervously waited for our first meeting. “Julia!” I looked up, and it was him. Black jacket, white shirt, and black jeans. His smile flowed with warmth and his eyes sparkled with joy. I nervously stuttered out a greeting and he smiled. “Where do you want to go?” He asked. I shrugged and he
“In the Castle,” Manga by Aya Hatashima ( Read from right to left)
and how much like an eighteen year old he really looked when he took off his jacket. When he turned around, he looked like he came straight out of a Korean drama. “What do you think?” He asked, posing with the jacket. “You look really cool,” I responded, examining how the jacket fit him. He laughed again, warmth in his voice. He took it off and looked for the price tag. It was at the bottom and I found it for him. He took one look at the $300 price tag and sheepishly smiled. “Maybe on my next paycheck…” He checked the time again. “Oh, do you need to go home soon? Are your parents waiting for you?” I called home and my parents said they’d be at the mall in twenty minutes. I relayed this information to him as he was purchasing the belt.
We walked outside, and onto the Nordstrom bridge. For twenty minutes, he waited out in cold with me. No guys I knew had ever done that for me. He entertained me with conversation, talked about life, and took photos with me. Soon, my parents called and he looked away as I spoke into the phone. “I think I have to go now…” “Yeah…” I leaned over to hug him again and he hugged back. “You sure you’ll be okay? You got lost earlier. Call me if you need help.” I smiled, and we parted ways. My first meeting with a boy who held the universe. Complex to understand, hard to read, but incredibly kind and caring. He sparkled like the stars, and radiated moonbeams. Maybe... the bright and sparkling him attracts the dull and gray me.
Forgiveness By HMscorpio I forgive you, too. Empathy is forgiveness. Forgive and forget.
8 “Limitless,” Photgraph by Calico Cat
Dipper x Wendy: A Long-Awaited Reunion By Andromeda
I can’t believe it’s been almost ten years since I’ve been to Gravity Falls. Will it be the same? Who knows? After so long, I feel like I’m a different person, looking back on someone else’s life. That’s not to say I’m not still the same, dorky, twelve year old kid looking for adventure on the inside, but a lot of things have changed since I’ve left. After Mabel and I returned to California, we went back to school. All our friends wanted to know about our trip, but we kept things on the down low. It’s not like anyone would believe us after all. Not that it bothered me. Keeping that summer a secret after saving the universe from Weirdmageddon, made me feel kinda like being a hidden superhero. Like Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, although probably not quite as cool. Anyways, even after leaving Gravity Falls, I couldn’t forget all the things that had happened there. Life back home became mundane and routine again, and I couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied. Was this really it? Was this really the end of our crazy exploits? It bugged me. As I entered into high school, I started researching urban legends on the internet one night, weird phenomenons from all over the world, like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. I was fascinated reading about and researching this stuff. So, once I graduated, instead of going to college, I decided to travel the world and solve mysteries. Just recently, I solved what happened in Roswell, New Mexico - turns out there really were aliens! Oh, and they really like pizza. Mabel didn’t decide to follow in the same path as me. When we returned from Gravity Falls she became super focused in her studies. Guess that obsessive fangirl personality can be really useful when applied to the right subjects. In fact, she graduated early and is currently studying at Yale. She just finished her first Masters in Forensic Psychology and is already working on her second. Occasionally, she and I will reunite to solve cases, but for the most part we’ve gone on our separate paths. Recently, she sent a postcard of her
and Candy Ciu next to Big Ben. Guess they’ve finally reunited after all these years. After seeing them together, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. That summer in Gravity Falls had been the weirdest, craziest, most fun time in my life, and I missed it. I kept wondering what Grunkle Stan was up to now? How’s the Mystery Shack? What about Soos and Wendy? Especially Wendy…. So here I am, on a bus, heading back after all this time. Will she recognize me, the once dorky tween desperate to grow up? I had such a bad crush on her. She found out after I basically confessed my feelings in the bunker. It was awkward at first, and I was mortified, but she sat down with me, and let me down easy. She said she was too old for me, and she was right. I knew that, secretly, even before I told her accidentally how I felt. But still, I couldn’t really forget her. The bus pulls to a stop at the yellow sign. I lug my suitcase off the bus and look around, studying the forest, with its dense foliage and endless number of trees. The air is still thick with the familiar smell of pine and mystery. With a smile on my face I say, “I’m glad to be back.” “Hello? Anyone here?” I say as I enter the gift shop portion of the house. Everything looks the same as it did years ago. The rundown wooden floorboards are just as dusty and unkempt as usual, and all the same knick-knacks are still hanging randomly around the room, including the infamous yellow submarine helmet. A blue and white hat with a tree on the front suddenly peeks out the doorway of the living room. “Huh, who’s there? Wow! Dipper is that you?” Wendy is now in the room, and she’s wearing the hat that we had exchanged when I left Gravity Falls that day ten years ago. She looks exactly the same as she used to, except her red hair is cut short around her shoulders now. Her hands are in her pockets, and she stands in the same laid back posture as before. Her eyes peer happily but questioningly back at mine, and I can’t help but feel a little nervous. “Ha-ha! Long time no see, Wendy. How
are you?” I’m so not cool. “I’m great dude, this is such a surprise!” She laughs, pulling me into a bear hug, and I feel my face get hot. “Yeah, I probably should have called, but it was kind of a spur of the moment.” “Naw its fine man, I’m just glad you’re here.” She pulls back and looks at me, her eyes traveling from head to toe. “Wow, you’ve really grown up! You’re even taller than me now.” She flicks one of the sleeves on the worn hunting hat that I sport on my head. “Still wearing my hat I see.” I smile at her. “Yeah, it’s become my new favorite hat.” “I can’t believe you’re actually here; it’s been so long.” “Neither can I, honestly.” It really is the truth. After all this time, I can’t believe I’m seeing her again. It’s almost like a dream. As I stare at her, my heart begins to beat faster, and before I can stop myself, I can hear the words pouring out of my mouth. “Wendy, I know it’s been a long time but umm…. B-but my feelings for you are still the same, so would you consider maybe going out with me sometime?” There’s a pause of silence where she just looks at me, surprise clear on her face. Suddenly, she smiles and laughs. “Pfft, how about we get to know each other and reconnect a little bit first?” “Oh yeah, okay, that’s probably a good idea.” My face is even redder than before, and I tip my hat lower so she won’t see. She gently lifts the hat away from my face and looks up at me. “That’s not a no, though.”
Love
By HMscorpio It is affection It makes you feel warm inside I like the feeling
9
Dipcifica By Eos
Dipper POV I shouldn’t have said that. About her. In that way. But as soon as the words escaped my mouth, at that moment, when I was so angry and the world seemed on the verge of collapse, I instantly regretted calling Pacifica Northwest “just another link in the world’s worst chain.” So, I did what Dipper Pines always does in social situations that can’t be solved by any of the tricks in the Journal, my guide to all the supernatural oddities that populate Gravity Falls - I ran. Out in the Oregon wilderness, far away from the internal madness and chaos of the last few hours within the Northwest Mansion, I turned my attention to what mattered - disposing of the ghost that had been haunting the Northwest Mansion during their annual party for the elites. With a heavy exhale, I tried to banish Pacifica from my thoughts. However, it was impossible; despite all my knowledge of getting rid of paranormal ghosts, beasts, and monsters, I could never rid my mind of the enigma that is Pacifica Northwest. Pacifica POV Click-click. In the closet where I’m hidden from the rest of the party, I click my flashlight on and off as some sort of useless SOS signal. I can’t breathe. Tears keep springing up, clouding my lungs and making my breath come out in short, stuttered gasps. The tears staining the stupid, stupid sea green dress my mother had forced me to wear. I always do whatever my parents force me to do; After all, I’m just another “link in the world’s worst chain!” 10
He’s right. After we discovered what lied in my parent’s hidden room, I discovered that the Northwests are nothing but frauds who scammed our way to wealth, and I’m just naive, little Pacifica who responds to every command of her manipulative parents, even if that command is to take down others in order to succeed. Did he know I never knew better than to treat those below me like scum? Did he know that my parents had raised me from a cold distance, that I’ve lived a life where hugging is considered taboo? Does he know the mansion of ice that traps me? Does he know how much I care about him? But it’s too late now. The flashlight clicks on and off, sending an unseen signal into the darkness. Clickclick. Dipper POV I’m about to perform the last step from the Journal to banish the ghost that haunted the Northwest Mansion when I hear it speak from the mirror that I trapped its spirit in. “Hey boy, can I see the trees one last time before I go?” The Journal doesn’t ban ghosts staring at trees, so I assumed it would be fine. “Um...yeah, sure. Here you go, I guess?” I tilted the mirror upward, allowing the ghost one last look at the massive pine trees. The ghost began to laugh strangely. Suddenly, the handle of the mirror became burning-hot, and I dropped it in pain. The mirror shattered into tiny fractures, and I realized with dread what the ghost had really wanted. Its spirit leapt out of the mirror, soaring high above the pines in a violent gust of wind. I put my hands up to my cap to prevent it from falling, steadying myself in the process. “Where are you going!?” I yelled at the freed ghost. The ghost simply smirked, then said, “You
shouldn’t have to ask.” Pacifica POV I hear the screams from the party below, and I instantly knew. The ghost returned to the Northwest Mansion. Terrified, I hide under a bedsheet, closing my eyes and trying to think of nothing. Dipper would not have hidden pathetically like this, but he’s definitely not a Northwest. We Northwests deserve this. If my parents had simply let in the locals of Gravity Falls to our “elite” party, the local ghost of years past would not have raged at us for still barring the common people from our extravagance after all these years. I’m just another continuation of the corruption that chains us Northwests together. Just another link in the world’s worst chain Pacifica, just another... A slow opening of the door startles me from my thoughts. Through the crack, I see a blue pine tree hat. Dipper POV When I arrive at the Northwest Mansion, the first thing
I do is run to Pacifica’s room without even thinking about it. It’s only once I reach her door that I realize the potential awkwardness, but by then it’s too late. Cursing my eternal social awkwardness, I cautiously knocked on the door, and then softly walk in. All the lights are turned off, but I can make out Pacifica sitting next to her bed, clicking a flashlight on and off over and over again. She looks empty, blue eyes staring through me, and again I feel a pang of guilt for what I said. Gathering all my courage, I sit down next to her. “Pacifica, I was wrong,” I say, words rapidly spilling out, “You’re not a link in the world’s worst chain. You’re nothing like your parents-” Pacifica interrupts me, abruptly swinging down her flashlight. In the darkness, I can still make out her long blond hair that falls around her face. “Dipper, I am. I acted like a total jerk to your sister and all of you, really. I’m a Northwest - I’m going to follow my parent’s footsteps no matter what.” She picks up the flash“Johnlock,” Illustration by Celia Bowen
light again and resumes the soulless clicking. “Pacifica, a month ago I would have said you were right,” I begin cautiously, “You did seem like... kind of a massive jerk-face. No offense.” I see a hint of a smile, but it disappears behind her hair in a second. “But just because you’re your parent’s daughter doesn’t mean you have to be like them. You don’t have to be the bad guy. You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are special.”
I just want her to stop acting this way. I just want her to stop doubting herself like this because of her stupid parents. I just want her to be the Pacifica I now know. For these reasons, I do something entirely out of impulse. For once, I act without thinking.
Kirk x Enterprise
Season 3, Episode 13, Elaan of Troyius. Basically, in this episode, the Enterprise has to take Elaan, who is a member of the warriors Elasians, for a political marriage to their enemy, the Troyians. Part of the plot is that Elaan has a special ability: her tears are like a love potion. Guess who gets cried on? Our favorite captain, Captain Kirk. Great job, Kirk. Supposedly this weird love spell is unbreakable and Kirk is supposed to be doomed to love Elaan forever, which is bad because of her political marriage. But in the end, Kirk manages to break the spell and deliver Elaan to her wedding. Now, what was the key to Kirk breaking free from the spell? The Enterprise of course! Even at the end of the episode, when our favorite doctor, Doctor McCoy, finally creates a drug to remove the love spell, Spock tells him Kirk doesn’t need it because, “The Antidote to a woman of Elas, Doctor, is a starship.” So, way to go Captain Kirk, you love an object more than any woman you have ever met throughout the whole series. And believe me, there are a ton of episodes, and even more women. But that’s not the only exam-
By The Masked Lady Sorry, Incandescence, but I’m fighting against your ship of Kirk x Spock. But it’s not because of the many different ships out there. It because no matter who which ship we support, there is only one thing that Kirk cares about over any romantic relationship. Let me give you a hint, it starts with an E and is the most important part about Star Trek. That’s right, it’s the Enterprise. Now you might think I’m crazy, but hear me out because I’m going to state the sad, sad truth: no ship can defeat the Kirk and the Enterprise. ***Spoilers ahead*** Now we all know Kirk is a womanizer. It’s a fact that we all know and have to accept. But what does that have to do with anything about the Enterprise, you may ask? Well, listen up, because we are going down the evidence train, to Star Trek the Original Series
Pacifica POV Dipper Pines is kissing me. I like Dipper Pines kissing me. Below us, a ghost is raging through my house. What is happening to the world?? Dipper POV When I pull away, I’m
back to old Dipper. I instantly scoot away and apologize for whatever just happened. Pacifica does the same, instantly retreating back to her icy cool girl stance. It’s a minute before she speaks. “I...actually really liked that, Dipper. You. Us.” I’m simultaneously shocked and ecstatic, two words a month ago I never would have attributed to Pacifica. That I actually...like her. “Mabel will probably freak out,” I say, fidgeting with my hat. She looks back at me, and for the first time since I entered the room, I see a full glimpse of the old Pacifica. She whacks me with
her flashlight. “Ow! Why’d you do that!?” I yelped. She smiles at me slyly, and says “There’s a ghost ravaging through my house that could kill us, and you’re thinking about that now? I may be a Northwest, but I’m ready to do some ghost-hunting!” She levels her gaze at me, and says in a classic, now mocking popular girl voice, “You coming, nerd?” How could I ever misunderstand the enigma that is Pacifica Northwest? She offers me a hand, and I take it, ready to go into a new beginning.
ple where Kirk’s love for the Enterprise triumphs over any obstacle. For example, in Star Trek the Original Series, Season 1, Episode 25, the crew, including Spock and McCoy, have been affected by pollen from a flower that makes people happy and unambitious. Kirk is left alone on the Enterprise and soon enough he is affected by this happy pollen too. He is about to join the crew to their supposed paradise on the planet where the plants come from, but some-
thing stops him. What stops him you might ask? That’s right: it’s the Enterprise! Kirk’s love for the five-year mission and the Enterprise kicks him back to his senses, where he then finds the cure for the pollen. Sure, Spock and Kirks friendship is deep and meaningful, but there is no way that Kirk is jeopardizing their mission for a relationship with Spock. So, Incandescence, you can continue to dream, but in the end there is no victory for your ship. “Linny,” Illustration by Celia Bowen
11
#Space Husbands By Incadescence
One of the most popular ships of all time, and possibly the first real ship (according to Henry Jenkins, a slash fiction scholar) is Jim Kirk and Spock of Star Trek, often abbreviated as K/S. Although they were never really officially together, it’s pretty freaking crystal clear that they are pretty much a couple. There is so much proof for this that there is actually even a Wikipedia page dedicated to this very ship. In fact, there is so much evidence that they’re at least kind of together that there have been literal papers written about this, complete with an abstract, figures and data, and citations. But due to the fact that, aside from 2 episodes of the original TV show at a friend’s house, I’ve really only seen the reboot version of Star Trek (the one with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto). So, to be quite honest, my knowledge is quite limited. But, even with this rather small amount of material watched by me, it’s insanely obvious that they have something going on between them. And now that it’s been empirically and scientifically proven that the Kirk and Spock ship is alive and real, allow me to present my findings. Let’s begin. In case you are not familiar with Star Trek, this universe is set in the future. Jim Kirk is the captain of a spaceship, the Enterprise. Spock, who is half Vulcan and half human, is his second in command. With their crew, the pair blast off into space to complete missions and explore. Part of the original script of the 2009 Star Trek had Kirk saying this to Spock: “You once said being a starship captain was my first, best destiny… if that’s true, then yours is to be by my side. If there’s any true logic to the universe… we’ll end up on that bridge again someday.” How incredibly romantic is that? Kirk is saying that no matter what, in no matter what universe, he and Spock were always destined to be together. Does this really sound like something that’s “just bros?” In the reboot version, although Spock and Kirk are initially hostile towards one another, they quickly bond (this tends to happen when you’re both almost killed like 36 times in a 12 hour period). In fact, 12
they work flawlessly together to defeat Nero, and then officially become captain and first officer, and close friends. In Star Trek Beyond, Kirk violates the Prime Directive, which was supposed to be followed at all times, to save Spock. This ultimately costs Kirk the Enterprise, but Kirk doesn’t seem to regret it, telling Spock that “the truth is...I’m going to miss you.” Spock, being the emotionally unavailable alien he is, responds neither to Kirk’s expectant gaze or subsequent groan. However, when Kirk sacrifices himself to save the ship, Spock arrives just in time for Kirk to say his last words to him. Looking deeply into each other’s eyes, Kirk says, “I’m scared, Spock.” This proves that Kirk looks towards Spock when he is mentally and emotionally distressed, like how many romantic partners do. Then, separated by glass, Kirk’s last act is to press his hand to the glass, prompting Spock the quickly do the same. The last thing Kirk wanted to do in his life was to pretty much hold hands with Spock? #SpaceHusbands confirmed. Then, Spock, a notoriously emotionless person who values logic above feelings, displays his first major emotion of the movie. Enraged, Spock yells out the name of the villain, Khan and then goes on to track Khan down and savagely beat him up in order to seek vengeance for Kirk’s death. Spock, of course wins, and procures the miracle cure needed to bring Kirk back to life. The reboot series is super well-made; I highly recommend watching all 3 of the movies. And if you pay attention, you’ll find many more moments that support my lovely ship. Now, what better way to prove that the Spirk ship is alive and well, but to go back to the originals? Star Trek: the Original Series, is absolutely littered with scenes that prove that Spock and Kirk are together. In one bizarre episode, Turnabout Intruder, Kirk and Janice Rand, another crewmember, switch bodies. During this time period, Spock talks to Kirk (in Janice’s body), and at one point, Spock and Kirk (still in Janice’s body) hold hands! For an entire 25 freaking seconds! (Yes, I counted.) Spock is not known at all for being very touchy feely at all. In addition, might I remind you that for Vulcans, hands are erogenous zones?? This therefore makes it highly unlikely
that Spock would hold hands with someone that he is not sexually and or romantically involved with. Still skeptical? Let me present to you words directly from the characters. In the episode The Wrath of Khan, Spock says to Kirk “I have been, and always shall be, yours.” Is this something you really say to someone who you’re just friends with, no matter how close? Here we have Spock directly and explicitly stating that they were together, and will always be together! And some people still have the audacity to doubt the validity of my ship? Mmmkay. A mark of a true partner is loyalty. And boy, do they show it! In The Mark of Gideon, Kirk goes missing. Oh no! What ever shall we do now? Spock, the acting captain, has the solution. He commands the bridge to “institute a sensor scan three hundred and sixty degrees, one degree at a time.” Shocked, Sulu points out “that [it] could take years.” Spock, refusing to give up the search, only replies, “Then the sooner you begin, the better.” Even though it will take literally decades of searching, Spock absolutely refuses to give up Kirk, insisting that they devote much of their time and resources to finding him. Luckily, Kirk is found soon after, negating Spock’s oh-so-romantic-but-impossible-plan. Later on, Kirk has the chance to return the favor. In The Search for Spock, in which, you guessed it, they search for Spock, the franchise completely gives up any notion whatsoever they Kirk and Spock are not soulmates. In order to get Spock back, Kirk sacrifices his not only his career, but some things that he that he is supposed to love above all: the Enterprise (checkmate, The Masked Lady), and even his son. But to Kirk, these things were all secondary to getting Spock back. When questioned about this, Kirk merely responds that “If [he] hadn’t tried, the cost would have been my soul.” His soul??? They are 10000% together; there’s just no refuting this simple and plain fact. There’s literally a mountain of evidence to corroborate with my ship; it’s basically canon at this point. And with that, I thank you for reading through the all of this rambling mess, the entirety of which was written between the time period of 3:305:30 AM. Thanks to The Masked Lady for prompting me to write this; I had an absolute blast (haha, get it?). And that’s it! Kirk out!
You Said We’d be Friends Forever… By Hana Bagheri
We’re standing face to face with a blank stares painted on both our wistful eyes. A cloud of regret appears above our heads and, seeing us as strangers, begins to cry. I’ve been practicing my game face, acting as if I feel nothing when your presence haunts the room. I study it like a history book of lies and repeat it over and over to myself as if I’m trying to memorize lines for a starring role in a heartless musical. My breathing quickens as I yank on my hair and throw my hands on my forehead. Why can’t I do it? Why can’t I pretend you mean nothing to me? How can I pretend you’re just another guy haunting these halls when you were once everything my world revolved around? Seeing you felt like a sudden wind was knocking me off the edge and making me lose the balance I had worked months to regain. You’re shaking, confused at what’s standing in front of you. More than anything, I want to break this staring contest of bitter grief, to run to you and hug you as I drown your clothes with my tears, telling you how sorry I am, promising I’ll never let go. But I can’t do that, can I? I can’t because I’m no longer the owner of the smile you lived for. I no longer own the bright sparkly eyes you’d melt into. And I’m no longer one in a million. When I hit rock bottom, you didn’t like what you saw, so you didn’t bother staying around to put me back together. I was starving for your support. But you weren’t anywhere to be seen. Back then, whenever the sun said goodbye, we would say hello and drown our emotions in each other. I miss you so much. I really do. No matter how much I try to camouflage it as emptiness, you can read all of that crystal clear on my face. You said you’d never let go. You said we’d be friends forever. So what happened? You said we’d be friends forever. I can’t fix this. And we both know it drives me insane when I can’t control situations as I desire. So I’ll leave it at this. Hate me if you want.
Pretend I don’t exist. But please, never forget all our smiles, tears, highs and lows. How you spun me in the air and stared at me as if you had the whole world in front of you. How our hugs often lasted 10 minutes because neither one of us wanted to let go and miss out on the comfort the others arms provided. How you sighed with relief when I told you I would always be there for you. I kept my promise, but why did you break yours? It’s okay if you don’t like the person I’ve become, But never forget the person I was. The person you fell for all those months back. The person who dragged you out the storm and showed you what it meant to be okay again. That’s all. And now we walk away. No words, Just the loud, beating music of heavy-hearted, pounding silence.
Like an Angel By Helen
She is magnificent Her eyes appear to be the ocean When someone happens to look her way They want to swim in her eyes Her hair, like the moving clouds She walks as if she is stronger than God himself She flies like a bird Like an Angel
“Deep Wounds,” Illustration by The Masked Lady
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Santa, Not Satan Part 5
By Incandescence “Scientists remain dumbfounded as to what is currently happening all around the world: a mega-blizzard that has blanketed the entire Earth, from Texas to Taiwan to India. Reporting live on the ground is Terri. Hi Terri, how are things?” “Hi Michelle! I’m reporting live from Cancún, Mexico, a city normally known for its beautiful beaches, luxurious resorts, and raging nightlife - pretty much a perfect paradise to visit for vacation. But now, believe it or not, it is snowing! As you can see, this snow has been falling for the past 24 hours straight, and shows no sign of stopping. At least 2 feet of snow and ice has accumulated, which has never, ever happened since this city was founded in 1972. This city has effectively shut down, but that hasn’t stopped tourists and locals alike from taking up snowballs in what has essentially become one of the biggest unofficial snowball fights ever. And this is BBC’s live weather team, back to you Michelle.” “Thank you Terri. This global weather phenomenon has surprised many; here to speak to us today in the studio is Arthur Levine. Dr. Levine holds degrees in meteorology and climatology and is a professor at the University of Irvine. Dr. Levine, welcome, what can you tell us about what’s been going on lately?” “Thank you, Michelle. What is going on is truly a mystery, even to us; we’ve simply never seen anything like it. None of this has been predicted by our 14
grid graphs, sounding balloons, or paleoclimate models. Up in Canada, tremendous air circulation has been reported moving down from the Arctic. In Siberia is a low pressure system unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and in countries like Australia and Puerto Rico we’re getting the lowest temperatures since the beginning of their records. But the only force strong enough to impact so many places at once is the sun, but we’ve checked; solar output is normal. We don’t know how long this may last, so I’d recommend everybody to stock up on supplies if possible, stay indoors, dress warmly, and stay safe.” “Thank you Dr. Levine. You heard it, stay at home and stay safe. Thank you for tuning in; this has been Michelle Turner from BBC News, signing out.” Click. The television screen turned blank. Using her freshly manicured hand, Shayla chucked the remote on the ground. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?” she groaned. Karen and Fabia looked at each other and could do nothing but shrug hopelessly. Fabia, who was sitting on the floor, laid down, spreading her limbs out like a starfish. “Such perfect timing. Snowed in. This is just so romantic.” It was February 13th, one day before Valentine’s Day. Shayla, Karen, and Fabia were all at Shayla’s house for a sleepover before the big day. They had planned on spending the night having fun and talking about what exciting things would happen the next day. Then, they would spend the morning helping each other get ready for their dates that night with their respective boyfriends. Being that these were the first relationships each girl had been in, and the fact that this was the first
Valentine’s Day with a special someone, the girls were understandably angry with the possibility that their Valentine’s Day might not have such a happy ending. This might have been Florida in February, but like every other place on the planet, at the moment, there was several feet of snow on the ground, thereby barring them from getting to their dates. Karen rolled her eyes. “I know right? But instead of love in the air, the only thing in this year’s air is this stupid snow.” Shayla joined Fabia on the floor. Staring up at the ceiling, she sighed. “Normally, I’d be jumping with joy if we got snow. It’s so pretty and fun to play in…” Fabia chimed in. “And most importantly, we get school off!” She threw her arms up in excitement. “Our dumb math tests will be postponed! And I won’t have to see our disgusting classmates’ faces! But this year, this snow is just really bad timing.” “Does this mean that the dresses and makeup that we had spent so much time looking for was all a waste?” Shayla, asked, forlorn. Fabia held up her phone, where her texts with her boyfriend, Colton, were on screen. “Colton’s saying that he’s completely snowed in. And because we just so happen to be in Florida, no one has snow blowers or snow shovels or salt trucks... This is just really disappointing.” “Totes,” agreed the other girls. “I wish that we all had magical lucky powers, like Harry Potter did when he drank that potion. Then we’d be able to have a perfect date on Valentine’s Day, just for that one night,” sighed Karen. Shayla scoffed. “Sure, when
Hell freezes over.” Abruptly, Fabia sat up straight. “I have an idea! Why don’t we summon a demon like we did last month? Maybe they can somehow help us. After all, we did help them with Princess Serafina’s birthday bash. Come on! Up and at ‘em!” Since the girls always convened at Shayla’s house for sleepovers, including the one in which they summoned the demon Steve, all the supplies necessary for a successful Satan-related request was present. So, the girls went around the house gathering the various materials. Karen ran downstairs to grab Diet Coke out of the fridge, a dash of thyme from the spice cabinet, and a cup of bleach from the laundry room. Fabia coaxed Shayla’s dog, Snickerdoodle, to drool into a paper cup. Meanwhile, Shayla ran across the hallway to bargain with her brother for the use of his plastic horse mask that he’d gotten one Christmas to scare people with. Armed with their supplies, they met back at the garage, where the chalk pentagram from last time still remained. After mixing the ingredients, they sat cross-legged in a circle around the pentagram and held hands. “Ad ligandum eos pariter eos coram me,” they chanted. Suddenly, a strong wind blew out the candles. From the center of the pentagram came a whirling black mass. Soon enough, it stopped, and a demon was there. It was the same demon from last time. “Steve!” the girls chorused. They were all super happy to see him. Continued on Next Page
“Hello, girls,” Steve said. “My advice worked pretty well, did it not?” Shayla spoke up. “Yes, it really did. And we’re super grateful for your help, but, the thing is, we’re not going to be able to get to be with our boyfriends on the most romantic day of the year: Valentine’s Day! And all because it’s snowing like crazy, we’re all trapped! Like, seriously? This is Florida. It’s not supposed to snow at all!” she cried. Steve coughed. “I might know what’s happening.” It had all started several days ago, on an ordinary day. Although Valentine’s Day was a purely mortal day, some of the demons and angels, particularly the younger ones, were swept up in the festivities. Some even tried their hand at matchmaking. One of these demons was Patches. On one particularly slow day, Patches had finished all of his duties, and was people watching. As he gazed down at one particular café, he noticed that the college-aged barista kept on stealing longing glances at one particular customer sitting at a table right in front. Bored, he used his magic to nudge the customer up to the counter in order to get the two to interact. Sure, technically, he wasn’t supposed to be doing this, but as Ulhua, his kind-of girlfriend, didn’t really celebrate anything similar to Valentine’s Day on her planet, Oecury, he was feeling a bit left out of the festivities and figured that at least someone should have a romantic holiday. The barista, whose name tag read Mitch :), blushed as the businessman customer ordered his macchiato. When Mitch handed the drink over to the customer, he suddenly lost his grip, dumping the entire drink down the customer’s
expensive bespoke suit. As the customer gasped and sputtered in anger, he was suddenly wrenched backwards into the chair he was sitting at previously. The blonde waitress zoomed out with a perfectly made macchiato to his table, almost as if she was being pushed. Patches straightened up. Maybe she was. He could sense the use of magic; not of his own demonic magic, but that of an angel’s. While he was trying to get the barista and the customer together, an angel was trying to match up the customer and the waitress! This would not do! Patches would not be outsmarted by some know-it-all angel who thinks he knows best. Patches knew that the barista was a way better match for the customer than the waitress ever would be. After all, Patches was an expert on love - he was Dr. Patches Love!* (*Patches is not certified by any medical board, neither is that his last name.) As he watched, he saw the waitress begin to flirt with the businessman, and noted
that he was rather angry and didn’t seem to be responding. This was the optimal time for Mitch to swoop in! Patches once again used his magic to push the waitress to another table that needed something, and shove the barista over to where the businessman sat. Then, Patches put the words he wanted Mitch to say in his mouth, prompting the barista to stutter out “Do you want to go on a date on the 14th?” Mitch clamped his hands over his mouth immediately after, looking shocked at what had just come out of his mouth. The businessman barely spared him a glance as he grabbed his winter coat and laptop, having already given up on salvaging his suit. “Sure, when hell freezes over,” he muttered.Then he stormed swiftly out the of café and disappeared into the busy crowd, leaving behind one very shocked and hurt barista. Suddenly, a voice spoke from beside him. “That was so mean of him!” Shaken out of his reverie,
Patches screamed a very manly scream. It was Princess Serafina! Satan’s daughter! And she caught him using his magic when he wasn’t supposed to! Aw man, he was going to be in some serious trouble. “Serafina, what...what’re you doing in my room?” Patches squeaked. Serafina flipped her fabulous hair. “That’s Princess Serafina to you. And to answer your question, I was just bored and saw that you were doing something you weren’t supposed to,” she sang, wagging her finger. Patches sighed. “Look, I know I’m not supposed to do that, but since Ulhua isn’t here and I haven’t seen her for so long, I just wanted to match up other people so they’d be happy on Valentine’s Day. So, I used a teensy tiny bit of magic to nudge the couple together. But some other angel tried to split them up by matching the customer up with this other girl! And I couldn’t stand back and let that happen on my
“Frosted Flakes,” Photograph by Calico Cat
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watch.” Serafina’s eyes softened. “Yeah, I know. I get it. It was so mean of him to say that to Mitch though. But I do know for a fact that that barista and customer of yours would make a good couple.” She tapped her nose knowingly and winked. Patches wasn’t surprised. Serafina, after all, was the princess of Hell, and the daughter of two of the most powerful beings there was alive. She had magical powers that extended far beyond what Patches, who was a measly underling in comparison, possessed. Several days later, Patches was just making his way to his workplace when everything started shaking violently. Patches thought. An earthquake? Impossible! Hell doesn’t have earthquakes! Then, to his horror, ice began to spread. Frost covered the entire palace floor and walls. When he peeked his head outside, he saw that the entire Hellish landscape had been turned to an icy tundra. What could possibly be going on?! With a poof, Serafina appeared beside him. Startled, Patches slid on the ice and nearly fell over, grabbing an icy column at the last second in order to prevent his fall. “Princess Serafina!” he gasped. “What the Hell is going on?” Looking bored, Serafina examined her nails. “Hell has frozen over,” she stated simply. For the first time in his life, Patches was speechless. Seeing his flabbergasted expression, Serafina spoke. “Well, I wanted that couple to get together, and I thought it’d be fun, since things are so boring around here, so I went to Daddy and asked him to do it. He refused, of course, but I guilt-tripped him into saying 16
yes when I reminded him that he and my mom had gotten divorced, and how hard that was on me,” she said, mock pouting. Patches was still stunned. “Hell has frozen over? So that means that all the things that people have said would only happen when Hell froze... they’d all have to do it?” Serafina smirked. “Exactly. Scurry along now, all demons are on double duty today to carry out my orders.” Patches did as he was told. Back in Shayla’s garage, Steve had just finished telling the girls what had happened. “And that’s why the entire planet is covered with snow. What happens in Hell affects the human world too. But Hell doesn’t officially entirely freeze over until the very beginning of Valentine’s Day. It takes at least a day for everything to be complete.” The girls looked at each other. Steve continued. “But don’t worry. I know that before I came here, you girls had wished for a lucky potion for a perfect Valentine’s Day date, but said it would only happen if Hell froze over. I have three magic potions right here with me. Just drink it on Valentine’s Day, and your wish will come true.” The girls cheered. Valentine’s Day was back on! Finally, it was Valentine’s Day. Demons were being dispatched all over to world, appearing in people’s bedrooms ominously and demanding that they live up to their word. Having a legit demon come into their houses and tell them to do things, along with the fact that Hell really did freeze over, persuaded even the most stubborn into fulfilling their promises. If they did not, their soul would become Satan’s. Patches made sure he got assigned to one Jacques Hare,
aka the customer from the café. He was pleasantly surprised when Jacques explained that he did like Mitch, but he was in a foul mood that day, which only worsened when he had his designer suit ruined. In addition, he had just been assigned a mountain of work from his boss to do, and he would only possibly get it done if he spent his next week dedicated only to that. So, he had no chance of getting Valentine’s Day off just to go out with a cute barista. Jacques eagerly agreed to take Mitch out on a date. When all the demons came back, Patches went to his room to rest. As he watched, he saw Jacques hand a blushing Mitch a bouquet of flowers before helping him into his car for a fun day at the local space museum. Meanwhile, the girls had impeccable hair, and makeup and dresses designed to kill. Their boyfriends’ jaws dropped right open when they saw them. As promised, their
dates did go perfectly. Serafina once again teleported into his room unannounced. “You’re welcome,” she winked. Then, she stepped aside to reveal Ulhua, whom she had contacted and retrieved from Oecury just for Valentine’s Day. Ulhua spoke. “I have been told it is customary to visit someone one is interested in one day every Earthen cycle while bearing customary gifts.” She held out the chocolates. Patches’s smile was blinding as he hurled himself towards her to give her a big hug. After a second, Ulhua relaxed, bringing her arms around him to hug him back. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she murmured.
To Be Concluded...
“Satan’s Fifth Gift,” Illustration by The Masked Lady