May 2019
Midnight Writers
Table of Contents
Cover: “Graduation,” an illustration by Celia Bowen This Page: “In Bloom,” an illustration by Eos Page 3: Table of Contents continued “In Bloom Part II,” an illustration by Eos
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“Interviews with Seniors,” interviews by Eos and Andromeda “Mount Vesuvius,” a photograph by Eos
• A petite person embraces their height • A child-at-heart wants to stay young
“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Pineapple Delight,” an illustration by Mars
Ask Aphro & Dite Beyond the Gloss
• Eos says farewell Andromeda’s Introspective Odyssey • Andromeda gets real about Game of Thrones
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “A New Day,” a photograph by The Calico Cat
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“Geppetto,” a story by Wine Merchant “We’re Not Totally Antisocial,” an illustration by Tess
“Interviews with Seniors,” cotninued “Pie of my Eye,” a photograph by Pusheen
“Geppetto,” continued “Rootless and Free,” a poem by The Midnight Raven “Ode to Haikus,” a haiku by Tom Nguyen “Bud,” a photograph by The Calico Cat “Corinthians 13: 4-13,” a poem by Andromeda
“Interviews with Seniors,” cotninued “Melodies,” a photograph by Andromeda
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“Villainy,” a story by Blue Serendipity “Maleficent,” an illustration by Peach
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“Villainy,” continued “Hall of Mirrors,” a photograph by Eos
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“Villainy,” continued “Heart and Bone,” an illustration by Andromeda
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“Villainy,” continued “Confrontation,” an illustration by Kayden
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“Second Semester Sadness,” a rant by Eos “Goodbye,” a haiku by Tom Nguyen “Hero,” an illustration by HEHEHEH I AM A SUPAH STAR WARRIAH
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“In Loving Memory,” a poem by Blue Serendipity “Okay Sis,” an illustration by Tess 2
“Summer is Just Around the Corner,” a photograph by Anonymous “The Horizon,” a poem by S.B.
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“Interviews with Seniors,” cotninued “The Dancer,” an illustration by Mars “Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Early Summers,” a photograph by Blue Serendipity
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Light in the Night,” a photograph by Eos
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “May Flowers,” a photograph by Eos
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Crystal Sunsets,” a photograph by Blue Serendipity
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Rose,” a photograph by The Calico Cat
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Beside the Mountains,” a photograph by Eos
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Deep Blue,” a photograph by Eos
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“Interviews with Seniors,” continued “Hair,” an illustration by Mars
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“If the Ending Came First,” a story by The Midnight Raven “Narwhal Lady,” an illustration by Tess
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“If the Ending Came First,” continued “Wandering Earth,” an illustration by Kayden “Starry Eyes,” lyrics by Sacha Feldberg
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“Thank You,” a haiku by Eos “All’s Well that Ends Well,” a poem by Jojo Queen “Please Love Me,” a poem by Andromeda “Curiosity,” an illustration by Andromeda “A Seed,” a haiku by Eos “Graduation,” a haiku by Tom Nguyen
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“Our Castles,” lyrics by Sacha Feldberg “Wonderland,” a poem by S.B. “The Ever Growing City,” a photograph by Wine Merchant
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“A 95 Theses Style RANT,” a rant by Andromeda and Eos “Disgust,” an illustration by Eos
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“A 95 Theses Style RANT,” continued
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“Au Revoir, mes Amis,” a haiku by Eos “Même Strikes Again,” a comic by Idunn
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“Posters on The Wall Part 6: The Shadows,” a story by The Midnight Raven “The Shadows,” an illustration by Eos
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“Posters on The Wall Part 6: The Shadows,” continued “Our Childhood,” a photograph by Eos Page 39: “Posters on The Wall Part 6: The Shadows,” continued
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“Posters on The Wall Part 6: The Shadows,” continued “Galaxy,” an illustration by Eos
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“To the Next,” a manga by Aya Hatashima
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“To the Next,” cotninued
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“To the Next,” cotninued
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“To the Next,” cotninued
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“To the Next,” cotninued
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“The Building on 66th Street: Parts 9 and 10,” a story by Andromeda “Evergreen,” a photograph by Andromeda
“A 95 Theses Style RANT,” continued “The Permanent,” a story by S.B. “In the Woods,” an illustration by Eos
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“The Permanent,” continued “Risotto,” a photograph by Pusheen “The Rain,” a poem by Eos
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“A Hard Pill to Swallow,” a poem by Andromeda “Brimming with Words,” an illustration by Andromeda “Tell Her the Truth,” a poem by Andromeda
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“The Last Rant,” a rant by Même
“The Building on 66th Street: Parts 9 and 10,” continued “Church Bells,” a photograph by Eos “The Building on 66th Street: Parts 9 and 10,” continued
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“The Building on 66th Street: Parts 9 and 10,” continued “Still Life,” an illustration by Eos
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Good Bye Seniors!
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Carpe Noctem! 3
issuu.com/midnightwriters midnightwriters2018@gmail.com
Ask Aphro & Dite
Beyond the Gloss
Hello Midnight Writers! Believe it or not, we are officially at our last issue of the year, meaning that this is my last column ever as your President. But before we start convulsively crying and binge-eating ice cream, let’s flash back to my sophomore year. I was a casual member of Midnight Writers prior to that, coming to meetings occasionally but never really submitting. Dear Miss Shortstack, Being short isn’t a bad thing! There are a lot Then, in May of my sophomore year, I decided to take of benefits to being short, did you know short a risk and jump back into doing what I loved: writing. people live longer? You won’t have to worry I adopted the unintentional lip-gloss brand pseudonym Eos (I was going for the demi-goddess, okay peoabout getting cramped legs, not fitting on a bed, or bumping your head on things! Plus, if ple!?) and since submitting my first poem I have never I was any taller I’d look monstrous in heels. looked back. Looking back on it, Midnight Writers was a large part of what got me through my four years Instead of worrying about your height, you should embrace it and enjoy the perks you’ve at Churchill. The club provided a safe space for me to express myself, introduced me to new friends, and regot over tall people. connected me with old ones. (And let’s not even start With love, Aphro on the heavenly amount of free baked goods.) Whether I was going through personal issues, stress, or sadness, Dear Dite, Midnight Writers has always been a sanctuary in club I’m not ready to become an adult, is there any form, giving me motivation to forge on through days way to keep from growing up? that sometimes seemed to last for weeks. Being your Yours, President this year has been an honor, and I know A Child-at-Heart the club is in amazing hands for years to come. Even during the late-night hours making the magazine at 4 Dear Child, A.M., the many trials and tribulations of using IndeI doubt anyone’s truly ready to become an sign, and Business Office logistics, every second has adult. You could prepare yourself as much as been worth it because of you guys. Your talent, kindpossible and still not be ready. Life always ness and humor always blows me away and never fails throws unexpected situations at people when to put a smile on my face. So thank you all for sharing they least expect it. All you can do is trust that your awesome work and being on this journey with you’ll be fine. You know what you’re capable me! Seriously, I love you guys 3000. (That may or of. You know what your skills are. Without may not have been a subtle promotion for Endgame: any confidence in yourself, how are you sup- See Endgame!) Although my path in this club ends posed to support yourself as an adult? here, I cannot wait to see what new paths you all will With love, Dite forge in the club for years to come. I hope Midnight Writers will be a source of light in your high school career, as it was to the shy, awkward sophomore Eos who submitted a poem on a whim. Don’t stop creating, and if you have a passion, go for it! Goodbye Midnight Writers, and thank you for an unforgettable past few years. Carpe noctem! “Good bye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be.” -Walt Disney Dear Aphro, I don’t think I’m going to grow anymore. How do I make myself taller? Yours, Miss Shortstack
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Andromeda’s Introspective Odyssey OK so since the theme of the month is all
about endings, and resolutions I thought I would talk about something on that topic. My original plan was to give some parting advice from a not-so-functioning senior of Churchill High School, but instead I’m going to give a rant about the last season of Game of Thrones. I’ll keep the spoilers to a minimum but BE WARNED. It seems I’m returning full circle to my first column for Midnight Writers all the way back in October: the book is almost always better than the film adaptation. This cannot be more clear than in the most reason season of Game Thrones. It has completely deviated from the original source material, and the executive producers, D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have taken over in the terrible and infamous D&D duo. The only thing I can successfully say I like about this season is the minimal amount of skin-tertainment (a.k.a. nudity). However the plot? Out the window. The characters? Minimal to no development. And the budget? Well judging from The Long Night episode, I would say non-existent. It’s like they took every progressive story arc, especially Daenerys’ and butchered it in favor of delivering shock value. It’s like the writers were trying to insult the audience’s intelligence. With the pacing, the lackluster characters, heavy plot armor, and overall effort put into the writing, I feel literally any hard-core fan could have written a better ending than what they had planned. In conclusion, I am very and sincerely disappointed.
Special thanks to Sra. Steele, Eos, Andromeda, Celia Bowen, Kayden, Aya Hatashima, The Calico Cat, Blue Serendipity and Idunn.
Geppetto
By Wine Merchant
A rough, calloused finger pressed against the side of the wooden knob as a brush coated with paint was dragged across the face. Languid strokes were made across the head and the body until the figure was encased from head to toe in a rich caramel color. Then, a thinner brush, covered in ink, flitted across the head in precision and in return creating two almond shapes. With a flourish of red, thin lips rested under a flat nose. Finally, with a fresh round-tipped brush, so fresh that the hairs still curved down together, a dark-colored dot was placed in the center of each eye. The brushes sat still in the murky waters as the hands cradled the newfound doll. With its cold, wooden chest bare and its face simple yet bold, the doll seemed like a delicate being before the ragged, scraped hands that held it. Shifting the doll to one hand, the other brought out a widely cut fabric. The fabric was soft and a shimmery blue so that when the light from one of the loft blubs reflected off the material, it stirred to life. The hand wrapped the material around the body, twisting and folding it as it pleased, before piercing it with a gleaming needle to thread it in place. Finally, the hands found their way to a pliable chocolate-colored yarn ball and searched for the beginning. When they found it, snips were
made at the same intervals until a small pile of identical yarn strands had formed. Then, with a swipe of the oozing white glue and pat of the strands, the head was covered in brown strands falling stiffly onto the dolls back. It was finished. The hands brought it to stand on the wooden desk covered in shavings and paint stains. Not the ideal showcase but one nevertheless. One finger traced the side of the face, the slight unevenness of the eyes, the fall of the fabric pressed against the body, and the rough fibers of the hair. The hands gripped the doll as it moved it to the floor, resting it on an array of faded and worn red pillows. The end of one pillow cradled the head while another supported the rest. The hands caressed it one more time before leaving the doll to rest in its nest for a bit, returning with a pack of dust. The dust was gold and sparkled in the palm of the scratched and bitten hands, the bag that it came from had scripted in long elegant letters the word Blue Fair. The “B” was slightly smudged off and the bag was dirty and used. But with a slight shake to them, the hands leaned over the doll resting quietly in the creases of the pillows and tipped the dust over it. The dust fell from the fingertips, wavering a bit with the air before billowing itself over the doll’s face and covering it with a bright golden sparkle. The hands moved back.
The doll began to glow. Glow and grow. The wooden body and arm elongated themselves. The head inflated and widened. The nose popped off the face and the lips protruded off the surface. The doll kept growing and changing until what became of it was a body of flesh barely cushioned from the cold hard floor. A minute past and the hands, which had been waiting patiently, started to shake, pressing themselves into the body which they belonged to. Suddenly, with a flutter of long dark lashes, the doll opened her eyes. They were beautiful large eyes which stared soulfully at you and the doll moved her fingers to touch the tip of her lids, wavering when she felt that they were real.
The hands wasted no time in rushing to embrace her, gathering her up in their arms and pressing this warm breathing body against them. They stroked her long dark hair, falling in wavelengths down her body, and rearranged the ragged blue dress lovingly. The doll’s eyes were lined with tears as she smiled softly, her lips pulling back and opening slightly, as she whispered words of love. “Don’t cry Papa,” her voice hushed and rough, as if she still hadn’t mastered the art of speaking, “Don’t cry.” The body of the calloused hands collapsed, clutching his daughter’s hands as he shook. The doll bent down and wrapped herself around him, giving him the last of
“We’re Not Totally Antisocial,” Illustration by Tess
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her warmth. “Be strong Papa.” As the glow slowly ebbed, the hands found themselves with the small lifeless arm resting in their palms, all too small and all too cold.
They gripped the rest of the body tightly, trying desperately to feel the last of the warmth, but the wood was hollow. They trembled as they ran over the flat face and over the painted eyes
Rootless and Free By The Midnight Raven
She wished for tomorrow in the evenings, Tangled up in her blankets and her eyes fluttering open ever so often. She wished to wash the previous day from her skin, Scrubbing the ink marks that stained her hands and the dirt that lay under her fingernails with water until they disappeared down the drain. But wishing for tomorrow didn’t make the memories disappear, It just meant another day with thoughts regarding the past swirling through her head. During the summer, she awaited the frigid winter months. Longing for the protection of wool coats around her shoulders, and fur-lined hats to cover her ears that were dotted with golden earrings. When sweat sprinkled her brow from the shining beams of the sun, she wished for the feeling of the cold enveloping her within its spidery hands. In winter, there was steaming cups of hot chocolate, holiday specials that only came on the air once a year, and week-long breaks from school. Summer was cutting away her long vermillion hair and a constant anxious feeling that filled her chest as she thought of the ways she wished to change; the ways she never did. She ached for a chance to start over fresh somewhere else, anywhere else. A place where her choices and opinions would matter. Where she could cut back the unwanted roots that had tied themselves around her ankles and attached her to the barren ground, and leave their remains sitting on the cool earth. She longed to be free on the breeze like a sparrow floating through the air, But she was still in her own barred cage. A cage made of gilded metal. A cage of her own doubts. Soon it would be winter, Winter was her escape, And escape cascaded through the breeze on feathered wings. Wings not clipped back, Head not tucked under the folds of the plume. Rootless and free. 6
and mouth, both covered in the remains of the dust and trying to find humanness behind them, but it was gone. So the hand carried the doll to rest it upon a dark wooden shelf. Leaning
against the wall, the doll sat stoic and unmoving, with her dress spread around her perfectly.
Ode to Haikus
By Tom Nguyen The best type of poem Concise yet open-ended Every word’s essential
“Bud,” Photograph by The Calico Cat
Corinthians 13: 4-13 By Andromeda
When I was a child I did not talk like a child I did not reason like a child I thought like a woman And I spoke like a man And when I became a woman All I wanted was to be a child again
Villainy
that revealed only the face. She had bright red lips and dark, bottle-green eyes. A serene expression schooled her face into one of elegance. She was beautiful, I My shoes made a small wished I had features like squeaking sound as I came hers. to a sudden stop. I had ar“What the…” I trailed rived at an old, rotting door off as I tilted my head with its dark paint chipping to the side. The woman and peeling off in large thin didn’t copy me, meaning burgundy layers. The words she wasn’t my reflection. attic were carved into a rust- Suddenly her eyebrows ing bronze plate nailed into furrowed angrily. the wood. I reached for the “Get out of my face,” she weathered door knob, but snapped. I reeled back in the door creaked open on its surprise. Reflections weren’t own. It moved painstakingly supposed to talk back! slow and the hinges wailed “Who are you?” I asked at the movement. I hesitant- curiously. Reaching up with ly took a step forward. From my hand, I slid a finger the doorway I could see the across the smooth surface of beginning of a long hallway the mirror. It was completefilled with mirrors. Its end ly solid. It could’ve been a was shadowed in an eternal TV, but the lady had talked darkness that seemed to back to her. promise evil. I could turn around. I had “Maleficent,” Illustration by Peach the choice to leave and forget all about this place. No one pushed me through that door, no one was forcing me to stay. And yet I slowly took a step forwards. Two candles on each side of me lit up and I glanced behind me. The door remained wide open. Turning back around, I continued walking. Every few feet more candles would light up at either side of me, lighting up my journey. Eventually I reached the first mirror. At first, I thought nothing of it. I stepped past it, my heart set on reaching the end of the hall. Then, I noticed something strange. Taking a step back, I realized it wasn’t me reflected back in the mirror. There was a pale woman wearing a black balaclava
By Blue Serendipity
“Queen Grimhilde, you insolent little peasant. Get your filthy fingers away from me this instance!” ordered the woman angrily. I withdrew my hand and started touching the frame for any wires or cameras. “What are you doing? Leave my mirror alone!” “Just— How are you talking to me through a mirror?” I couldn’t find any wires or cameras. It seemed like a normal mirror. The woman looked strangely familiar, like I had seen her in a movie before. “Is someone watching me on a camera right now?” “No good comes out of questions, especially when some blithering fool decides to question magic,” warned Queen Grimhilde, glaring at her darkly. Her green eyes were piercing and filled
with venom. I wasn’t sure what I did to make her hate me so much other than be a little annoying. Maybe she wasn’t a people person. “Magic?” I asked unimpressed. How old did this lady think I was? “I’m not five. There’s no such thing as magic.” “I have no patience for ignorant little twats like you. I have people to kill,” huffed Grimhilde turning up her nose. My jaw dropped in surprise. This woman was a murderer? I was talking to a murderer? “What do you mean kill? Who are you trying to kill?” I asked, my voice going up an octave. “You realize murder is illegal right? I’m not sure what the laws are in Mirrorland but I’m pretty sure murder isn’t acceptable anywhere.”
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“I am the Queen,” said Grimhilde simply. “Whoever dares defy me will lose their neck.” “Fine, different question,” I said realizing that this woman was delusional. Queens didn’t exist anymore. Well, there was the Queen of England but even she couldn’t just kill whoever she liked. “Why are you trying to kill someone?” “Without her I am the fairest of all.” “Wait so this girl is prettier than you and that’s why you want to kill her?” I asked incredulously. This woman was crazy! I knew there were some really messed up people out there but I didn’t ever expect to meet someone with this messed up logic. “You can’t kill someone just because you’re jealous! Or envious. Or whichever one it is. Wait, you shouldn’t be killing people anyways!” “Listen closely, child,” sneered Grimhilde acidly. “No one can be better than me. I am the Queen. So run along before I decide to carve out your heart too.” “That’s not a healthy mentality,” I said completely ignoring her threat. She was in a mirror. What was she going to do? Bibbity-bobbity-boo herself out of there? Unlikely. “You know, you shouldn’t get so hung up on other people being better.” Grimhilde just glared at me and I knew she wouldn’t talk to me anymore. My goal was to reach the end of the tunnel. “Fine, fine. I’m going, happy?” Grimhilde’s green eyes glazed over and she stared across the hall. When I turned around, I only saw 8
the candle. I didn’t think much of it, she was pretty weird anyways. I was getting closer to the end of the hall, there seemed to be four more mirrors on the wall. Hopefully Grimhilde didn’t decide to jump out of any of those mirrors. My steps quickened as I reached the second mirror. “You! You there!” exclaimed a deep voice. I froze and looked at the mirror. Instead of Grimhilde there was a large burly man with a sharp, strong jawline. He had bright electric blue eyes and well taken care of black hair. He was most definitely not Grimhilde and didn’t have the same air of elegance, but he was incredibly handsome. “Hello?” I asked a bit taken aback. “Who are you?” “You don’t know who I am?” he asked in disbelief. The man then threw his head back and began laughing. “Impossible! There’s no one who doesn’t know who I am! Now, have you seen Belle? She is the most beautiful girl there is. I’m going to marry her.” “Er, no I haven’t seen her,” I said frowning. Was there more than one person in the mirrors? Maybe this Belle person was in one of the two mirrors ahead. “Are you two engaged?” “Not yet. But who wouldn’t marry me?” he asked flexing his arm and admiring his own muscles. I made a face. Sure he was good-looking and all but he seemed a bit arrogant. I pitied Belle if she had to put up with him for the rest of her life. I surely wouldn’t marry him. “I, am the best there is at everything.”
“You can’t be the best at everything,” I scoffed rolling my eyes. He didn’t seem very smart either. “Like modesty?” “Why should I be modest? I’m the handsomest man you will ever meet,” he promised giving me a charming smirk. If I wasn’t so irritated by his huge ego I might have been more susceptible to his charm. “Looks aren’t everything.” “Ah, but no one’s as strong as me. No one’s a better fighter than me! And no one’s as admired as me!” he declared proudly. My lips pressed together tightly and I crossed my arms. Sure he was handsome but inside he was ugly. Just talking to him made me angry. The baffled look on his face as I stormed away gave me only a little satisfaction. “Hey, hey! Where are you going?
Don’t forget to tell Belle I’m—” His voice abruptly stopped. I looked over my shoulder and realized his face had frozen just like Grimhilde’s had. That meant the mirrors probably deactivated once I moved out of its range. That didn’t really tell me exactly how the mirror worked though. I was pretty sure there was a camera somewhere with people watching her. Perhaps Grimhilde and that man were real people responding to her through a digital screen. But why would they do that? What was the point of it all? A chill went up the back of my spine and I looked at the door longingly. It looked so small now, I didn’t realized I had walked so far. There was a soft warm glow coming from the door and I knew that
“Hall of Mirrors,” Photograph by Eos
if I left now I could wrap myself in its warmth and security. On the other side of the hall was covered by a dark shadow. Behind it was a promise of greatness, and I desired it more than anything else. Could I keep going? So far the mirrors hadn’t been dangerous but I was starting to get creeped out by it all. Screw your courage to the sticking place! I took a deep breath and continued walking. The third mirror had a lavish looking frame. It’s silver metal looped and protruded in strange but aesthetically pleasing places. I curiously stood in front of the mirror and stared at the woman being reflected back. She looked nothing like Grimhilde. This woman had a pug face, halfblack half-white hair, and dark green eyeshadow. A
white heavy fluffy coat was draped around her shoulders and she was holding a cigarette to her lips. “Hello?” I asked warily. This woman actually looked like a terrible person, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Grimhilde and the man didn’t look like horrible people but they definitely acted like it. “Who are you?” “Cruella, dah-ling,” said the woman suddenly coming to life in the mirror. Green smoke drifted out of her cigarette and drifted around her. She seemed to notice how I was staring at the cigarette and quirked her eyebrows. “Do you smoke?” “Smoking’s bad,” I blurted looking away from the cigarette. “Smoking’s fun. Bad things are fun dah-ling,”
“Heart and Bone,” Illustration by Andromeda
said Cruella waving it about carelessly. I frowned and narrowed my eyes at her. Her voice was scratchy and slightly raspy, no doubt from the smoking. “Just because it’s fun doesn’t mean you should do it,” I said vaguely realizing that I sounded a little bossy. Cruella snorted and I scowled. Why was everyone in the mirrors so rude? “You could get into some serious trouble you know.” “Don’t be silly,” she laughed completely dismissing my words. It sounded more like a cackle than anything. “Following rules all the time is so boring. Don’t you ever want to lose control every once and awhile?” “No!” I exclaimed. She was eccentric, just like Grimhilde. “Don’t you ever just want to tell your friend how hideous she looks? Don’t you ever want to just take something and call it your own?” Cruella continued, her eyes glinting maniacally. I took a step back away from the mirror. This woman was intense. My lips pursed and I glared at her distastefully. “I’m not mean.” “You’re not nice either,” she said with a smirk. “No one in the world is nice. I don’t know why anyone bothers to try and pretend like they are. I found that it’s a waste of time. All you have to do is embrace it.” “You’re wrong,” I said before realizing how childish I had sounded saying it. “There are genuinely nice people out there. You would know that if you stopped being so cynical. They won’t treat you nicely if you
don’t treat them nicely.” “Sweet, naive child,” chuckled Cruella, “what’s the point of treating them nicely? I get what I want from them anyways. Now, run along. You’re a bore to talk to.” Offended, I gave her one last glare before stomping off. I knew there was always going to be those types of people out there, the people that won’t listen nor change their minds no matter how hard you tried. Yet it was hard not to let them get to me and keep them from getting under my skin. Cruella’s words had a stab of truth in them, much to my own horror. I had wanted to just break all the rules before. To just let the stirring ugly monster out. But there was a difference between Cruella and I. She was completely unapologetic. She never felt bad for what she did. It was remorse that kept me sane. There were only two more mirrors left. I was a lot more cautious now, my experiences with the past three hadn’t turned out well. This one had a similar metal frame to Grimhilde and the man but it was a pitch black color, sort of the color you’d expect after burning something on a grill. I didn’t want to spend anymore time with the mirrors, my plan was to just walk past them briskly. “Welcome my friend!” came a voice with an accent. I cringed and kept walking. “Whatever you wish I can make come true. Riches, beautiful looks, a palace of your own… all it takes is just a little bit of voodoo magic.” 9
I stopped abruptly and shot the mirror an angry glare. All the mirrors contained horrible people, it seemed. This one contained a man with tanned skin and purple eyes. He looked just as strange as Cruella and he dressed just as fashionably. On his head was a tall black top hat with a skull embellishment and a purple feather. “You shouldn’t scam people,” I said a bit harshly. His face darkened before he plastered a bright smile onto his face. “Oh but it’s not a scam, little girl. Come, let me tell you your future,” he coaxed. I frowned and remained
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where I was. He was a sly man, I knew better than to fall for any of his lies or tricks. “Just pick three cards and I’ll tell you your past, present, and future.” “Actually,” I said thoughtfully. “I do have a wish.” “Ah, yes. Is it gold? Or a snappy young man to sweep you off your feet?” “I,” I paused for dramatic effect, “want you to leave me alone!” “Are you sure about that?” the man asked raising an eyebrow. I sighed and began walking again. Some people never learned to give up. “You’ll regret it! I’ve got friends on the other—” Silence. I liked that. There
was only one more mirror left before I could reach the shadowy end. The past four mirrors all had terrible people inside them which meant the last one was more than likely to have one too. I still couldn’t figure out how the mirrors worked but I was so close to reaching the end. The candle across from the last mirror lit up when I neared. “Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t,” I said as I walked in front of the mirror. My entire body froze when I realized who was in the mirror. It was me. Turning so that I was facing it I reached up with a hand. Mirror-me didn’t move. She
was completely still, eerily reminding me of a ceramic doll. I furrowed my eyebrows and stared at myself in confusion. This wasn’t a reflection, but I was pretty sure I wasn’t a terrible person. Right? Four people walked into the mirror. It was Grimhilde, Cruella, and the two men. None of them said anything which was strange. The man with the top hat just couldn’t seem to stop talking before. The four all stood behind me and Cruella placed a hand on my shoulder. I smiled.
“Confrontation,” Illustration by Kayden
Second Semester Sadness By Eos
Everything was perfect. Well, almost. I had classes with my friends, great teachers, and a genuinely ENJOYABLE second semester schedule. There was just one issue, and it involved my programming skills. You see, my programming skills are terrible. Imagine a coded smiley face in which the smile is programmed approximately 10 feet away from the face, leaving a haunting image in your mind that you see when you get sleep paralysis at 3 AM. Or an innocent sea landscape, except when I program it the fish look strangely hexagonal and the seagrass is bent into the shape of Ls. I told my programming teacher these Ls symbolize the inevitable L I would take in this class. (She agreed.) Anyways, the point is my programming is god-awful. Thus, I sought to transfer into regular tech, a class which I had HEARD was SUPPOSEDLY INFINITELY easier than AP Computer Science Principles, a class in which bliss was achieved via sitting there and doing nothing for 40 minutes. I needed this kind of skippable serenity and less satanic smiley faces in my second semester senior life. My counselor (let’s just call them BOBERT) said that I would be able to switch without my schedule being changed around. My 7th period AP CSP would simply be swapped for 7th period regular tech-nothing too drastic. But THEN. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BUT THEN. Now HERE is where the treachery occurred IN THE FXKCIDSDD FLESH. About a week later, I logged onto the MCPS portal to check my schedule casually. As soon as I logged on, I saw deception with my own two eyes. Here I was, promised that my schedule would not shift. And yet. AND YET. Looking at my schedule with horror, I realized my period of Psychology with my friends was gone. In its place, a period with the teacher whose class I was excited to leave. Now, my 1st period Euro, a sacred time of zoning out, was gone and shifted to 8th period. Now, skipping would be impossible unless I wanted to be accosted by a certain teacher of that subject. And WORSTLY, I now had tech first period in a class that is actually PRODUCTIVE. This was too much for my lazy ass self to handle, and as a result I proceeded to bingeeat ice cream and in a moment of regrettable rage send Bobert a slew of emails with vaguely aggressive questioning as to how this mess-up of epic proportions could have happened. As expected, Bobert did not take this too well, and called me in for a meeting. They told me the VERY inspirational advice that when one is not happy, they should simply suck it up. Then, they implied that the only reason why I was mad the order was switched around was because I am a creepy stalker. “You know,” they said, leaning back in their chair as
I internally screamed, “Are you just upset because you have a crush on a classmate and want to stay in their class? Because if so, that’s something I can actually help you with not by switching classes, but with DISCUSSION OF YOUR EMOTIONS” Externally I said nothing, but internally I said “how IS THAT RELEVANT TO MY SCHEDULE” (Internally, I also flipped over Bobert’s desk for effect.) I then left, realizing my battle to restore my schedule to what it once was was futile. The damage had been done, and I had to deal with it, preferably by drowning my sorrows in a bucket of ice cream. I suppose the moral of the story is that even if your programming sucks, don’t place your faith in the Boberts of the world because they will BETRAY you. Also, don’t overestimate said programming skills and take regular tech in the first place. Fin.
Goodbye
By Tom Nguyen Time for all farewells As we each go our own ways Hope we meet again! “Hero,” an illustration by HEHEHEH I AM A SUPAH STAR WARRIAH
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In Loving Memory By Blue Serendipity
I still remember him. I still remember the way he laughed So loudly that it’d echo through the living room We’d play with his beyblades or his legos While our parents talked in the other room His favorite movie and superhero was Captain America We used to watch it together I didn’t know any superheros But my favorite superhero is Captain America too Because if he liked him so much he had to be good To this day he’s still the one person I’ve had the most play dates with Although it was more of Our-parents-want-to-have-dinner-so-let’s-be-friends I think he was my age but I’m not sure We were just kids I still see those awards hanging on the kitchen wall With his name on them And his electric keyboard sits in his room collecting dust His beyblades and legos are stashed away in the same bin In the same room He would’ve gone crazy over Endgame I was too young to realize everything had an end I was too young to know what death meant I don’t think we were best friends But I miss him
“Okay Sis,” an illustration by Tess
“Summer is Just Around the Corner,” a photograph by Anonymous
The Horizon By S.B.
Feeling nothing As time stretches on and on, I wait another by-and-by, Which passes ever faster, Like an endless highway. I watch out the car window. The horizon ebbs and flows, And I’m brought new stretches to observe. New memories are etched into my mind, As images flash before my eyes, And I race away. As I recall what I’ve passed, The past becomes one image, Noticeably impressionistic, Painted by muscle memory, The car suppresses my senses. Had I smelled the morning air, Been soothed by the wind, And kissed by the sun, And felt the grass crunch under my feet, Perhaps I would have been there.
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As my life passes by I watch through a window And feel nothing at all.
Interviews with Seniors By Eos and Andromeda
Hello Midnight Writers! To carry on the amazing tradition started by last year’s lovely president, The Masked Lady, this year we decided to interview some of our senior friends to get the full scoop on their high school experience. Was it the High School Musical dream, or was it utterly and entirely soul-crushing? (Spoiler alert: the latter appeared to prevail.) For this project, we interviewed Tom Nguyen, Eos, Andromeda, Celia Bowen, Kayden, Idunn and Même. Firstly, we have Tom Nguyen. Tom has been a loyal member of Midnight Writers for quite a while, and is recognized amongst members as The Haiku Legend™.
class would you tell them to avoid like at all costs? Tom: Well, AP World I really liked--I think it’s good to know about history and be aware of the past to know about the present. Eos: Yeah, definitely. Tom: And...I don’t know. One that I’d say avoid... hm. Maybe like AP Econ? Because it’s like a GPA destroyer. Eos: (Laughs) Oh, yeah I heard about that class. Tom: Yeah, it’s not good. Eos: Ms. Malanoski goes pretty hard, right? (Eos and Tom in unison): Yeah. Eos: Alright, um...speaking of which, which teacher do you think is the hardest grader?
Tom: Hardest grad-(Laughs) Eos: (Laughs) Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tom: Not to throw shade--I mean, she has high standards because she believes in us, so I guess that’s good. Eos: I had her for Precalc, she was probably the most intense math teacher I ever had. Tom: Yeah. Eos: Which teacher, however, is the most laid back? Tom: Probably Mr. Lee, like the science teacher. Eos: Ooh, yeah I had him freshman year. He was pretty chill. So, who would your favorite teacher be? Tom: Probably Rafferty, the math teacher--He was the sponsor for our Engineering
Club. Eos: Oh, he’s a nice guy! What is your best memory at Churchill? Let’s start with best. Tom: Uh...Can I say graduating? Or is that-Eos: (Laughs) Graduating? A large same. What would your worst memory be? Tom: Day one walking in. (Laughs) Eos: (Laughs) I knew you were gonna say that. I was like same. Wow, comes full circle: Worst day walking in, best day graduating. How many APs did you take in total, and what were they? Tom: Uh...ten? Eos: Oh dang. Tom: (Laughs) So, NSL,
“Mount Vesuvius,” a photograph by Eos
Eos: Are you ready for the intense interrogation? Tom: Yes, let’s do it. Eos: Okay, let’s do it. Hi Tom! Tom: Hello. Eos: How would you describe Churchill in one word? Tom: Hm, um...a handful? Eos: True. (Laughs) I would agree with that statement. Honestly...yeah. Churchill was a handful. Which classes would you recommend students to take and which 13
Lang, Physics, AP Java, World. Okay, and then Econ--I’m in macro/micro, that’s one right?
What are your future plans after high school?
Eos: Yeah, yup.
Eos: Oh yeah, what college are you going to?
Tom: Okay, and then English Lit, Spanish, Calc and then...shit, what was the last one? Eos: (Laughs) Tom: I don’t remember the last one! Okay...oh, Environmental Science! Eos: Oh, got it, got it. Wow, what a pro. Tom: (Laughs)
Tom: Uh...college? I mean--
Tom: WashU. Eos: Oh wow, congratulations! That’s amazing! Tom: Congrats on Tufts! Eos: Oh, thank you! (Laughs) Alright, any last words you have to people who might want to join Midnight Writers or just get involved in some sort of high school creative thing?
Eos: So, after taking like literally 10 APs and all that stuff, what advice would you give overall for the high school experience to incoming freshmen?
Tom: I mean, Midnight Writers is fun. (Laughs)
Tom: Manage your time. Churchill kind of emphasizes taking a lot of APs…
Next up, we have Eos herself. Eos was President of Midnight Writers for all of this year, and was interviewed by Vice President Andromeda, who immediately displayed her novice interviewing skills.
Eos: Yeah, that’s true. Tom: And the culture of stress or whatever, but I think most people can handle it as long as they don’t just procrastinate on Netflix all day. Eos: Oh, yeah. So just manage your time effectively, and don’t watch Netflix.
“Pineapple Delight,” Illustration by Mars
Eos: Yeah! Thank you Tom! Tom: Thank you!
(Recording begins) Andromeda: (Hysterical laughter) Eos: What are you doing??
Andromeda: (Laughs) We’re gonna go with “Uum” when we write this down. Eos: No! (Laughs) Yeah definitely...pretty intense. I would describe it as intense. A lot going on-Andromeda: You just said extreme. Is it extreme, or is it intense?
es would you recommend to take, and which classes would you tell them to avoid at all costs? Eos: Personally, I would recommend taking AP Art History. I personally really enjoyed that class, but that’s just me. I’m kind of an art history nerd, so if you like learning about art and the history behind it, I would definitely advise you to take that class. In terms of classes to stay away from...AP Euro. Do not take it. If you like European history, AP Euro will make you dislike history. So...yeah.
Andromeda: I couldn’t take it seriously. How would you describe Churchill in one word?
Eos: Okay, I needed a second to think about it. (Laughs) I don’t know how we’re gonna put this in the magazine--
Eos: (Laughs) Uum…
Andromeda: (Laughs)
Tom: Eh...I don’t know, 6 or 7. Seven. Yeah, fair enough.
Andromeda: That’s a good word.
Eos: Intense. Very intense. That’s my final answer.
Andromeda: Sounds about right. Can relate. Which teacher did you think is the hardest grader?
Eos: Sounds about right.
Eos: Extreme. Shut up.
Andromeda: Which class-
Eos: Oh...in terms of hard-
Tom: (Laughs) Yeah. Eos: Got it. Rate your experience at Churchill out of 10.
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est grader, probably...I was going to say Ms. Malanoski, because I did have her as a Precalc teacher and that was probably the hardest math class I took even though it was regular. But...after taking AP Lit, I would probably say Mr. Kim is a pretty harsh grader. Andromeda: Mhm. Eos: He has high standards for what he looks for. Andromeda: Which teacher is the most laid back? Eos: Oh my god, probably Mr. Achille, who teaches Physics and Mechanics. Because oftentimes, I--I don’t know if I can say this, but oftentimes when I skip Euro and am sitting in Physics he doesn’t even acknowledge
that I’m there and just goes with the flow. And also his classes do literally nothing, so… Andromeda: (Laughs) Eos: (Laughs) I mean that in a positive way! Andromeda: Who’s your favorite teacher? Eos: My favorite teacher was probably Ms. Goodwin, my sophomore English teacher. She retired though. Andromeda: Aw, that’s too bad. What is your worst and best memory at Churchill? Eos: Um...my best memory is probably, like...Hmmm-Like, best memory directly at Churchill, relating to Churchill?
“A New Day,” a photograph by The Calico Cat
Andromeda: What is your worst and best memory at Churchill--You wrote these questions! Eos: (Laughs) I know! Andromeda: (Laughs) Why are you asking me? Eos: Because I have good memories that took place outside of this school, but okay--Best memories at Churchill is probably every time we had a Midnight Writers meeting. That was pretty fun. Also the Wellness Day that the Thrive Club did. In terms of worst memories, probably every time I took an AP here. Oh yeah, when I took APs in sophomore year and only had like 45 minutes of sleep beforehand. Don’t suggest. Andromeda: (Laughs) How many APs did you take in total, and what were they? Eos: I took 9 and a half, if you count my first semester of AP Comp Sci before I dropped out. Andromeda: Mmm...no. Eos: Yes. We are counting it. Andromeda: You dropped. You dropped out, it doesn’t count. Eos: Excuse you, I am the interviewee here, I make the choices-Andromeda: (Laughs) You don’t get to make choices. Eos: I am the Judge Judy of this interview.
Our friend Benson who has been listening the entire time: (Points to Andromeda) She is the judge, right there. Andromeda: Yeah, I’m the judge, I ask the questions here. Eos: (Laughs) Okay. So the 9 and a half APs I took-Andromeda: Nine. Eos: AP NSL, AP Human Geo, AP Lang, AP World, AP Art History, AP Lit… Andromeda: ...Can you go a little faster? Eos: Excuse you. Andromeda: (Laughs) Eos: No wait, where was I? You made me lose my place--Okay, AP French, AP Euro, AP Psych, and one semester of AP Comp Sci. Yeah. Andromeda: Alright, hold up, my phone locked. (Author’s note: all the interviewing questions were on a Google doc on our phones.) Eos: Wow, okay. What a professional interviewer. Andromeda: Um…(Laughs) What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Eos: My advice would be... don’t feel like you have to do everything at once. Because so many people come in and feel this immediate pressure to be the best at everything, and I would just advise them to relax, and only pursue things that you’re actually passionate about. At the end of the day 15
not only in college, but in life, those are the things you’re really going to be invested in and that’s going to really help you as a person. Andromeda: Mhm. Rate your experience at Churchill out of 10. Eos: I would say that my experience was actually a solid 7.5 or 8. Andromeda: That’s like a C. Eos: (Laughs) An 8. If we’re rounding up. Andromeda: B minus. Eos: Yeah, great. I would say that I definitely learned a lot of things from high school, a lot of valuable lessons. Andromeda: Okay. Is that it?
Up next we have Andromeda. She was Vice President of Midnight Writers this year, and has been a loyal member of the club since freshman year. Eos: (Deadpan tone of voice) ...Hi Andromeda. Andromeda: (Laughs) Eos: How would you describe Churchill in one word?
Eos: Tacenda? Can you define it? Andromeda: I don’t even remember what it means. Eos: (Laughs) Oh, okay.
Andromeda: (Laughs) Give me a second.
Andromeda: We’ll go with dull for now.
Eos: Okay.
Eos: Dull. Okay. Which classes would you recommend students to take, and which classes would you tell them to avoid at all costs?
Andromeda: I need to think of twitterpated. (Laughs) (Author’s note: “Twitterpated” is the title of a poem Andromeda wrote for the February issue.)
Eos: Hm? Oh, is that the last question?
Eos: I feel like the Jeopardy theme song should play right now.
Andromeda: Yeah. Oh no, wait! (Laughs) No, it’s not. I just had to scroll.
Benson: (Starts humming Jeopardy theme song in background)
Eos: Oh my god--
Andromeda: (Laughs) Um... tacenda, does that count? (Author’s note: “Tacenda” was the name of another submission Andromeda wrote for Midnight Writers...Very funny, Andromeda.)
Andromeda: Hmm...I’d recommend taking at least one art class. It doesn’t really matter which kind of art class. Just find something that you’re relatively interested in in terms of art. I feel like it is important to take at least one. In terms of least favorite, I agree with
Andromeda: (Laughs) What are your future plans after high school? Eos: College! Becoming a competent adult. Andromeda: (Skeptical silence)…Mhm. Okay. Eos: (Laughs) Andromeda: Which college are you going to? Eos: I am going to Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts!
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“Pie of my Eye,” Photograph by Pusheen
the previous interviewee. Um, Euro was not fun. Do not do it. Ever. Never. Never. (Laughs) Eos: (Laughs) Yeah, if you guys couldn’t get the vibe, very clear PSA here not to take Euro. If you’re taking it, what are you doing with your life? I’m sorry. Please don’t sue me. Which teacher do you think is the hardest grader? Andromeda: I think Mr. Kim is probably the hardest grader. And just in comparison to Lit teachers alone, it was pretty tough. Eos: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. Which teacher is the most laid back? Andromeda: Either Mainwaring or Hanna. I honestly can’t decide. Because with Mainwaring, there’s only a fifty percent chance she’ll actually look at your assignment…(Laughs) And with Hanna, he’ll let you turn it in whenever, so it’s kind of like pick your poison. Eos: I thought you were
gonna say Mr. Baker for a second, but-(Author’s note: Mr. Baker is Andromeda’s very chill tech teacher this year.) Andromeda: Oh my gosh. Yeah, never mind scratch out both of them and just put Mr. Baker.
memory...Precalc. (Laughs)
even think about college.
after high school?
Eos: Oh wow, okay. (Laughs) I kind of had a feeling. How many APs did you take in total and what were they?
Eos: Yeah, I would agree with that.
Andromeda: Go to college.
Eos: (Laughs) Okay. Who’s your favorite teacher?
Andromeda: AP Euro, AP Physics, AP Lit, AP Spanish, AP Human Geo, AP NSL, AP Lang… did I already say AP Lit?
Andromeda: …
Eos: Yeah.
Eos: This is kind of sad.
Andromeda: I know there’s one more, I can’t remember what it is though. It’s from last year.
Andromeda: Um...you know what, Ms. Washam from sophomore and freshman art. She was pretty great. Eos: Wow, a strong agree. Andromeda: Yup. Eos: What is your worst and best memory at Churchill? Andromeda: Worst and best memory...Um...Homecoming was okay. Eos: That’s really your best memory? Andromeda: I don’t haveAt Churchill specifically? Uh… Eos: Yeah see, that’s what I was asking! Because it’s hard to think about it, right? Like when you think at Churchill specifically… Andromeda: I don’t know, Midnight Writers was fun. I don’t know if it’s the best memory, but it’s probably enough up there so that I could qualify it as one of the better memories. Worst
Eos: Last year? Andromeda: Yeah. Eos: AP Psych? Andromeda:: Yeah. Eos: Wow. Absolute mad lad. What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Andromeda: Oh yeah, that was 8 by the way. Eos: Oh...I thought it was 9. Because I was counting and I was like…(holds up 8 fingers that Eos mistook for 9) Oh wait, that is 8! (Author’s note: As Eos had said, it was actually indeed 9 APs.)
Andromeda: If you’re thinking about college freshman year, you’re thinking way too early. You’re just unnecessarily stressing yourself out. Eos: Yeah, exactly. That sort of ties into what I think, because I feel like so many people do stuff for college, when in reality you should do it for yourself. Andromeda: Like starting SAT prep freshman year... That’s just a waste of time. Eos: Oh my god, yeah. What are you doing? (Laughs) Also that’s just so painful, honestly. Rate your experience at Churchill out of 10. Andromeda: Uh...7...6.5. Eos: Oh, okay. So like a D to C. Andromeda: It’s not a failing grade. Eos:: I mean, true. (Laughs) What are your future plans
Eos: Yeehaw. Andromeda: Figure out what I’m gonna do and go from there. Eos: Okay, yeah. Sounds like a plan. What college are you going to? Andromeda: Boston College. Eos: (Sarcastically) Didn’t know that. That’s really cool. Andromeda: (Laughs) Guess where it is. Eos: Hm, Arkansas? Yeah, sounds about right. (Laughs) Alright, that is the end! Thank you, Andromeda. Now it’s time for Kayden! She is a loyal senior officer and one of our great friends. This interview was actually done in a Barnes & Noble in Baltimore whilst waiting to go to a Bring Me the Horizon concert that night. (Great band, 10/10 would recommend.)
“Melodies,” a photograph by Andromeda
Andromeda: (Laughs) Eos: ...I’m a functioning human. (Laughs) Anyways, what advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Andromeda: Don’t stress about college till at least the end of sophomore year. Like at least. You don’t 17
Eos: Hello Kayden. How would you describe Churchill in one word? Kayden: Toxic, I guess. Eos: Okay, which classes would you recommend students to take and class would you tell them to avoid at all costs? Any classes that you really hated? Kayden: Art. Eos: Art, okay. Was it because of the teacher? Kayden: Yes.
Eos: Ah, physics, that’s interesting.
Eos: The Physics teacher? How come?
Kayden: And Bio.
Kayden: Because I was literally about to fail his class and he gave me an A. (Laughs) So…
Eos: AP Bio? Oh yeah, I remember you taking it last year, right? Kayden: Schwartz (AP Bio teacher) retired though, so that sucks.
Eos: (Laughs) Wow. On the opposite end of the spectrum, which teacher do you think is the hardest grader?
Eos: Oh, so Ms. Schwartz made it a better experience?
Kayden: ...I think you know which one. (Laughs)
Kayden: Yeah.
Eos: Yeah, yeah okay. Her. She-Who-Shall-Not-BeNamed. And it’s kind of ironic because she’s an art teacher, you know? So it should be more laid back, but alas. What is your-Oh. (Laughs) Okay. This question, I don’t know how you might answer. Let’s just--let’s just give it a go. What is your worst and best memory at Churchill?
Eos: Got it. Speaking of which, do you have a favorite teacher?
Eos: Any classes you ended up liking because of the teacher, or…
Kayden: Yeah.
Kayden: Physics.
Kayden: Mr. Hanna.
“The Dancer,” an illustration by Mars
Eos: Wait who?
Kayden: (Deep inhale) Hmm...That’s really hard. Eos: Yeah, it is a hard question.
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Eos: What’s up with the half? Kayden: I took half of AP World and then I dropped it. Eos: (To Andromeda) Yeah see, half counts! Half counts! Andromeda: (Shakes head vigorously) No it doesn’t. No it does not. It does not. Eos: (Laughs) Okay, so other than AP World, what were the other 4? Kayden: AP NSL, then AP Bio and AP Lang. And then AP Stat and AP Psych--Oh wait that’s 5. Eos: (Laughs) Gotchu. What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Kayden: … Eos: I was gonna say make it positive, but I know that’s somewhat impossible for you so...Just try to advise the children.
Kayden: My worst memory at Churchill is when...It was all of art last year. Because, you know…And then my best memory, I think it was either sophomore year or freshman year. But one time, I went outside with all the upperclassmen I was friends with, that I was sitting at lunch with, and we all went outside, and yeah. I have a photo.
Kayden: You don’t need to take every AP to do well.
Eos: That was shockingly wholesome. How many APs did you take in total and what were they?
Andromeda: We still dropped to 12 in the rankings despite all the APs.
Kayden: 4 and a half.
Eos: Yeah, I definitely think that’s true. At Churchill, people stress to take all the APs and “stack them on.” But at the end of the day, it comes to the point where some are going to help you depending on what you like and what you wanna do and other stuff--
Eos: See, exactly!
Andromeda: APs didn’t help!
Eos: Yay! I think that’s the end, thank you Kayden!
Eos: But also, people stress how APs are so important for college admissions, but ultimately I feel like it comes to a point where is the stress worth it? I feel like extracurriculars and doing what you’re passionate about is probably more important than just taking everything.
Next up, we have Celia Bowen! She is our lovely senior officer and main cover artist, and has been in our art class since sophomore year. Our wonderful editor, Idunn, was in the background to make some points as well. (Stay tuned for her full-length interview!)
Kayden: Yeah. Eos: Rate your experience at Churchill out of 10. Still a negative 17? Kayden: (Laughs) 3. Eos: Oh, okay. 3. Kayden: At least I made some friends…(Laughs) That sounded so sad oh my god! Eos: (Laughs) I think I teared up a little bit. What are your future plans after high school? Kayden: Going to college... Not dying. (Laughs) Eos: What are you gonna study? Kayden: Animation. Eos: That’s so cool! What college are you going to? Kayden: Can I say the full name of it, or do I abbreviate it? Eos: Anything you want. Kayden: Not CalArts. (Laughs) School of Visual Arts.
Eos: Alright, so. First question: How would you describe Churchill in one word? Celia: Churchill in one word? Um...I gotta say chaotic. Eos: (Laughs) Chaotic, interesting. Explain. Celia: Well, I came here from a school that was [small]...My grade was one hundred kids and we were the biggest grade in the school. I got here and there were so many people--It was chaotic, man.
(Laughs) Eos: Which classes would you recommend students to take and which class would you tell them to avoid at all costs? Celia: I would say do not take AP Chemistry senior year, you will want to kill yourself. Eos: Wow. Celia: But definitely do take digital art with Mr. Mac. It’s an easy A, especially if you’re in Advanced [Art], and that’s an easy advanced credit. And he’s super chill and stuff...I don’t know, take art classes, they’re fun! Eos: Yeah! Honestly I heard...interesting things about Ms. Boppana. That she rips up homework?
Celia: Oh my god, yeah. She likes me for some reason--No one knows why. Eos: (Laughs) Aw. Well you’re pretty likeable, so… Idunn in background: When I went to take my Spanish Lit exam, they didn’t have a room ready for me, so I was waiting there on the same day as AP Chem. So [Ms. Boppana] saw me and was like “What are you doing?” and I was like “Oh, just waiting for a room,” and she was like “Oh, good luck!” And I felt so good. (Laughs) It put me in a good mood, not gonna lie. Celia: Aaw, that’s so cute! Idunn: Yeah, she likes me because I did really well in her class.
Eos: Oh, wow. So going from one hundred to like... oh my gosh, I don’t even know how many people are in our grade. Celia: We have almost six hundred. Eos: Crazy. Celia: So that’s like six times the size. Eos: So it’s just like so many people, and new things, and just...wow. Well, it seems like you’ve adjusted pretty well! Celia: Thanks, man! “Early Summers,” a photograph by Blue Serendipity
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Celia: Wait, you took AP Chem?
Celia: I hoped for H for Lit, honestly. (Laughs)
Idunn: Honors.
Eos: So both are really lenient in terms of work?
Eos: Ayeee, Honors Chem! Idunn: (Laughs) Honors! Eos: Speaking of which, which teacher do you think is the hardest grader? Celia: Hmm, hardest grader...shit wait, I forgot every single teacher I’ve had. Eos: (Laughs) Celia: It’s probably Boppana, but like...Honestly... oh yeah, it’s Boppana. One time I got the right answer on an FRQ but she knocked me off because I put my units wrong into work but I had my units right on my answer...She just gave me zero. Eos: What the heck? Woow. Definitely Boppana then. Which teacher is the most laid-back?
Celia: Yeah. I turned in an essay a month late in H’s class! Eos: (Laughs) Oh my god. Wait, you turned in an essay a month late? Celia: The Frankenstein one. So I had an extension, and I hadn’t written it at the point he gave me the extension. And then he just kind of forgot about it, and I forgot about it...and then he tells me a month later, and he’s like “Hey, did you forget to turn in your essay?” And I was like “Oh my god, yeah, I forgot to turn in my essay.” So I went home that night and wrote it. Eos: Oh wow. Mr. Kim would never. Celia: Mr. Kim would never. (Laughs)
Celia: Probably H or Mr. Mac…Gotta say that.
Eos: Who’s your favorite teacher?
Eos: Yeah, I wish I got H for Lit.
Celia: I like Ms. Perrett. Ms. Perrett’s probably my
favorite. She wrote my rec last year, she’s pretty cool. Also...oh my god, Mrs. Brown! I can’t believe she’s retiring. Eos: The Mol Gen teacher, right? Celia: I. Love. Her. Oh my god, Ginny Brown, I would die for her. Eos: (Laughs) Why, is she really sweet? Celia: She’s like everyone’s grandma. She’s so sweet, she’s just--Ask anyone who’s taken Mol Gen, everyone loves her. Eos: Aaw! What is your worst and best memory at Churchill?
Eos: (Laughs) What better way to get introduced to Churchill than by having a kid asking you if you have weed? I feel like that’s the epitome of Churchill. Celia: Yeah. Epitome? (Author’s Note: Eos had mispronounced “epitome,” leaving the “e” at the end silent. Disgraceful.) Eos: (Pronounced correctly) Epitome! Oh my god. I’m fine, I’m fine. (Laughs) Celia: (Laughs) What a queen. Eos: Functioning at a very low level right now.
Celia: Hm...Best memory...I gotta say, this is Idunn’s fault, but being on tech. That was just so fun. We’ve been staying [at Churchill] super late and it’s so fun. Worst memory? Probably... Woah. I don’t remember anything. My mind...is gone. (Laughs)
Celia: Love that.
Eos: It’s good that you can’t immediately think of one.
Eos: Oh wow, got you. So how many is that?
Celia: Yeah. Oh. Wait. Deadass, my first day at Churchill. During lunch, a kid asked me if I had weed. It’s not a bad memory though, just freaking hilarious.
Celia: Five.
Eos: (Laughs) I mean hey, if that’s your worst memory, that’s pretty good. Celia: Dude, it was so funny. I was just like sitting and this kid just comes up to me and is like “Man, you got any weed?” and I was 20 in the Night,” Photograph by Eos “Light
like “Bro...I’m from private school.”
Eos: (Laughs) So how many APs did you take in total, and what were they? Celia: I took APUSH and Lang last year, and then this year I took Lit, Chem, and Calc.
Eos: Nice, nice! What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Celia: Definitely sign up for clubs early and get into stuff. Because I didn’t, and now I only have one cord. (Laughs) So like get into the honors societies and stuff. And I don’t know, take classes you like. Take APs early, don’t take ‘em senior year.
Eos: Yeah, I definitely agree with that. I feel like clubs are a really big part of Churchill, so go to Club Night I would say. Definitely. Even though it’s chaotic as heck. Celia: Join Midnight Writers! Eos: Ayee yeah, Midnight Writers! To future readers: Join Midnight Writers, cowards.
you’re on the higher end. Celia: Well, I was only here for three years though. Eos: Ah true, true...the freshman experience. Celia: (Laughs) Can’t relate. Eos: What are your future plans after high school? Celia: So I’m going to Colgate University…
Celia: (Laughs) Yes.
Eos: Wow, yay! Congrats!
Eos: Rate your experience at Churchill out of 10.
Celia: I’ve heard every single toothpaste joke.
Celia: I would say it’s a solid 7-8.
Eos: (Laughs)
Eos: Oh, that’s great! Celia: Yeah, not bad! Eos: So far from a lot of people we’ve interviewed,
Celia: Hopefully gonna go pre-med with a minor in Arabic. Then med school, internship, freakin’ residency, doctor. Eos: The whole shebang.
Celia: There we go. (Laughs) Eos: Wow...the scholarliness, I’m shaking. Alright, and any last parting words of wisdom? Celia: Join Midnight Writers, kiddos! Eos: Yay, thank you Celia! Next up, we have Idunn. She is our honorary editor and grammar checker for each issue, as well as an amazing artist. She has been one of Eos’ good friends since the start of high school. Eos: So...hi Idunn. Idunn: (Laughs) Hi. Eos: How would you describe Churchill in one word? Idunn: Stressful. Eos: True, true. That sums it up quite nicely. Just stressful class-wise, or also stressful socially? Idunn: Class-wise. Eos: Gotchu. Which classes would you recommend students take, and which class would you tell them to avoid at all costs? Idunn: Don’t take SPLIT. Don’t. Take. Spanish. Lit. Oh my god. Literally. Just don’t. Eugh. Eos: (Laughs) Oof. How come? Idunn: Well, a.) [the teacher] is crazy but I think
“May Flowers,” Photograph by Eos
she’s leaving. But it’s so hard overall y’all, because you have to learn like 40 works, and you gotta read in medieval Spanish--We don’t even read in medieval English, okay? Like they changed the letters and stuff and I can’t. And even the words, and I just...I can’t. (Sigh) Eos: Just reading old English gives me anxiety, so I can only imagine. Idunn: But yeah, like Celia Bowen said, any of the art classes [are good]. Mr. Dermont is super chill. When I had him, he let us use our headphones, but I don’t think he does anymore... But he’s still pretty chill. Art History is a chill class. You could take the regular [version] and still take the AP, so like you don’t have to take the unit tests. I wish I had done that, but whatever. And Ceramics is fun... so is Digital Art. That’s pretty chill. Although if you already know what you’re doing it’s pretty boring, but I just do other stuff so it’s okay. Celia Bowen in background: That’s my favorite class. Eos: (Laughs) So definitely a lot of the art classes? Idunn: Yeah, definitely the art classes. Eos: Which teacher do you think is the hardest grader? Idunn: ...Now all I can think of is Boppana. (Laughs) Eos: You had her for Honors Chem, right? 21
Eos: Steele? Got it. Oh yeah, Senora Steele’s our sponsor! (Author’s note: Senora Steele, we love you.)
Eos: Thaank you. Anyways, back to interview ASMR... How many APs did you take in total, and what were they?
Eos: What is your worst and best memory at Churchill? ...I feel like this is ASMR.
Idunn: Okay, so I took AP NSL, World before it changed--Because apparently next year it’s changing.
Idunn: (Laughs) Um...My best memory would be painting the dragon heads and the demon chair in tech. Eos: I just heard “dragon heads and demon chair,” I-“Crystal Sunsets,” Photograph by Blue Serendipity
Idunn: Yeah. But see the thing was, I thought it was really easy because I took Honors Matter and Energy freshman year. Eos: Hey, same! Idunn: So it felt like that entire chemistry section was just drawn out throughout the year. It was so easy for me [because of that], so she really liked me. Eos: Oh, that’s good! But you would say in general she’s a pretty hard grader? Idunn: Yeah, I would say so. Eos: *Cough cough ripping up homework cough.* Idunn: (Laughs) Yeah. Eos: Which teacher is the most laid back? Idunn: Hmmm...Mac. Mr. Mac. Yeah, definitely. Or um...God, I can’t think of any teachers. Trying to think of who I had this year...Szafran. Eos: He’s the Statistics
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teacher, right? Idunn: Yeah, he’s super chill. Eos: Honestly, his class looks so fun. Celia: Was he the guy who was on Jeopardy? Idunn: Yes, he was on Jeopardy. Eos: Wow! Did he make it far? Idunn: I don’t know because I wasn’t there when he showed the video. Celia: Mr. Tappis showed it to us. (Author’s note: At this exact moment, we were called out by the staff in the computer lab for talking too loud, so after a brief intermission we proceeded to lower our voices and resumed the interview.) Eos: So...who’s your favorite teacher? Idunn: Steele.
Idunn: Yeah, demon chair. (Laughs) And for the play She Kills Monsters, I had a lot of fun with painting it this year. Eos: Oh yeah, the dragon heads were such a cool part of it! Idunn: And they were there for like 30 seconds and we worked on them for like a week and a half, but that’s okay. Eos: Support tech crew, guys. They make everything for you. So be grateful. Idunn: My worst memory would be...I don’t know. I don’t really have a worst memory. Just a general feeling of “I’m going to fail and that’s okay.” Eos: (Laughs) So rather than a singular memory, just an ongoing feeling of “Oh god”? Oh shoot, [Andromeda’s] phone locked...Andromeda? (Laughs) Andromeda: Mhm. (Unlocks phone with mild annoyance)
Eos: Yeah, I don’t agree with that personally. Idunn: Me neither, but whatever. Not my problem anymore. (Laughs) Lang, Spanish Lang, Spanish Lit, regular (English) Lit, Euro-Don’t take Euro. Eos: True. Idunn: Don’t take it, Eos agrees, don’t take it. (Laughs) Eos: (Points at fellow Euro classmate sitting behind her) He agrees too. Fellow classmate: Yup. Andromeda: (Nods in mutual agreement) Idunn: Um...Art History, AP Stat...Is that everything? Eos: How many APs is that? Idunn: Oh, that’s nine. Yeah, that’s everything. I took nine APs. Eos: Woow. A scholar queen. What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Idunn: I would not take APs in classes you’re not comfortable in. For example, I took AP Stat which was...I don’t do math, but I took it. Actually, that class wasn’t
that bad. But now I have to take a semester exam because I’m not taking the AP, so be wary of that. And he’s also making us do a final project, so that’s fun. Eos: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. I feel like especially at Churchill people feel pressured to take APs in everything, when it’s like...If you don’t even like it, why are you taking the AP? Idunn: Yeah. Eos: Rate your experience at Churchill out of 10. Idunn: (Laughs) ...Six...I guess? Seven or six, yeah. Maybe like a six and a half. Six and a half. Eos: Six and a half? Final answer?
Même: I mean, I quit swimming because of high school. I stopped exercising, Eos: Alright, and I think that actually. is the last question! Thank you Idunn! Eos: Oh, really? Idunn: (Laughs)
Idunn: Thank you! Thanks for attending our ASMR. (Laughs) Eos: (Whispers) See you next time. Now it is time for the one and only Même! This is Même’s first year in Midnight Writers, but in her short time here she’s made a lasting impact. Her rants serve wisdom with a side of searing truth, serving as a slap-in-face that we never knew we needed and reflecting the inner rage within us all. Eos: Hello!
Idunn: Six and a half, yeah.
Même: Hi.
Eos: You know, that’s actually not bad. Based on what I’ve heard previously. (Laughs) What are your future plans after high school?
Eos: How are you today?
Idunn: Well, I’m going to Northeastern. I’m gonna study communications and graphic design, so that’s a lot of Adobe stuff. So that’ll be fun. I’m gonna continue Spanish, because if hopefully I did well, I get a 4 or 5 on that SPLIT exam so I can skip the intermediate classes and just take the fun ones. I don’t know what I’m doing after that, but we’ll see. Eos: Ah, so you’ll just figure it out from there. Wow. Love my Boston bro.
Même: Yeah. Eos: Why? Was it all the stress of high school? Même: Yeah, well that and also I joined tech, so I guess that’s…(Laughs)
M. Definitely take that. I don’t know if Mr. Fugal is leaving or not, because last time I heard he is. But then he was like “Oh yeah, I’m not leaving,” so maybe I can come back and visit [him]. One class that I highly suggest that you don’t take is... Uh, I don’t actually know. I haven’t had any bad classes. Eos: Wait, really?
Eos: Tech took over your life?
Même: Yeah. I mean, I had bad teachers, but they’re required classes and you can’t really avoid them.
Même: Well, yeah.
Eos: Ah, interesting.
Eos: (Laughs) Wow. Which classes would you recommend students to take, and which class would you tell them to avoid at all costs?
Même: (Muttering under breath) Like Ms. Meyers.
Même: Electricity and Magnetism. Physics E and
Eos: (Laughs) Oof. I remember Mr. Fugal seemed really nice because one day I came into your E and M class, do you remember
“Rose,” Photograph by The Calico Cat
Même: Not that good. Eos: Aaw. Same. Même: I’d be happier if I was graduating now. Eos: Hey. Same. (Laughs) So speaking of which, how would you describe Churchill in one word? Même: Horrible. Eos: Care to elaborate? Même: Well, first of all, there’s just a lot of fake people here and high school is just a dumpster fire. Eos: (Laughs) True. Wow, wiser words never spoken. 23
that? Même: Yeah. Eos: One day, I came into your E and M class, and it was just chaotic. Like [one of our friends] was doing a split on the ground, you were making up an experiment and I was just sitting there like “...Hi.” Même: (Laughs) Eos: And Mr. Fugal was like, “Hello!” He was really nice the whole time even though it was chaos. But he’s leaving, right? Même: He said that he might not be leaving. Eos: Fingers crossed for might not. This generation needs Mr. Fugal. So which teacher do you think is the hardest grader? Même: Hakopian. Eos: Oh, really? Même: Definitely, 100%. Eos: Mr. H? Même: Yeah. I remember there was the American Dream essay we had to do, and I thought it was the best thing I’ve ever written. And then he gave me an 86 on it, and I was just like “What the hell?” Eos: Did you have him for Lang? Même: Yeah. And...let’s see.There was another time when I think it was [a fellow classmate]...Hakopian was talking to him and he was like “Oh, [name of 24
fellow classmate], that’s a really good idea.” And then [fellow classmate] ended up getting a 92 on the entire project.
heck!?
Eos: Oh, yeah. I remember [one of our friends] ranting about that. He would tell her it was a good idea, then she wrote about it and he would be like “B! A B for you!” Which teacher is the most laid back though?
Eos: Four?
Même: Laid back? Fugal. Eos: I love Mr. Fugal! I only have met him once, but it was enough to leave a lasting impression. Which teacher is your favorite teacher? Même: Fugal. Eos: (Laughs) Fugal. Okay. Fugal for laid back and favorite. Take Physics E and M. I mean I wouldn’t, but if that’s what you like, do it. What is your worst and best memory at Churchill? Même: Okay, my best memory is when...All my best memories are at tech. So, I think it was this one time when I was helping [other tech crew members] paint one of the sets for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. They had to put the roof on top of the glass house that they built. It was like 30 feet tall or something like that, so there was no way that they could get up there. So what [tech member] suggested to do was to…(Laughs) mount the roof onto two long pieces of wood and then shove it up there. Eos: (Laughs) What the
Même: Then they screwed in four screws. Just four for that roof.
Même: Yeah. Eos: Wait, did this plan actually work? Même: Yeah, it stayed up for the entire show. But you know, it was always a joke like “Oh, if that falls then--” Eos: You have to mount it. (Laughs) Même: (Laughs) Yeah. [Tech member who suggested it] gets the most points if it falls. Then, let’s see, my worst memory was actually this past year when I took Comp Sci because of (under breath) Pomeroy. Eos: I did not like Comp Sci, honestly. Même: Yeah, that was not a good class. Oh yeah, don’t take Comp Sci! There you go. (Laughs) Eos: I don’t know, I took it because I needed a tech credit and I had heard from
people that it was easy and I was like “Oh, it’s an AP, might as well.” Même: It’s only easy if you have Smith, if you have Pomeroy then it’s just horrible. Eos: Mhm. Then it is a large mess. As you can tell by my nonexistent programming skills. Même: This is not going to be distributed to the teachers, yes? Eos: (Laughs) Oh yeah, no. No. Published online. The only way a teacher will find out is if they check Issuu one day and be like “What’s the tea?” But by then we’ll be gone, so ha. Ha. Même: But yeah, so I believe I followed all of the instructions correctly, but Ms. Pomeroy decided to give me a D on the entire project. And then she also marked me down because I was one minute late on Google Classroom. Eos: Why’d she give you a D if you had done everything correctly? Même: I have no idea! She
“Beside the Mountains,” a photograph by The Calico Cat
was like really nitpicky about it. Eos: Honestly in her class I did not do everything correctly. Thus, I got straight C’s! Même: (Laughs) Eos: Honestly though, my programming was not good. Like do you remember when we had to program a seascape? Même: Yes. Eos: One of my starfish was circular, and the fish looked like a blimp and she was like “I honestly don’t know what’s going on here,” and I was like “...Same. Me too.” (Laughs) Même: (Laughs) Eos: How many APs did you take in total, and what were they? Même: So I took NSL, Lang, Physics I, Stat, Comp Sci, AB Calc...Psych, right? Oh yeah Psych, E and M, Lit. Eos: Oh my god. Même: (Laughs) I’m missing one. Eos: Oh, did you get all the sophomore year ones? Même: Sophomore year was only NSL. Eos: Gotchu, gotchu. Même: I think that’s it. I mean, I did take the test for Human Geo. Eos: Even though you didn’t take the class?
“Deep Blue,” photograph by Eos
Même: Yeah, I guess that counts. Eos: So I guess eleven [APs]? Wow. I think you’re the highest one so far. But anyways, what advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Même: Everyone is going to hate you no matter what you do. Like seriously, the entire school is in agreement that we all hate freshmen. So don’t take it personally, it’s just something that happens. I remember when I was a freshman, I was like “Why do people hate me so much?” and now I’m just like “Who put the freaking gremlins in this school!?” Eos: (Laughs) Wow. So everyone’s gonna hate you, but it’s okay. You must accept the fact that you are hated by everyone. Même: Oh yeah, don’t be a people pleaser, like what the hell? Eos: I definitely wish someone had told me that earlier, because that’s something that I had to learn. Même: You should have become friends with me earlier. (Laughs) Eos: I should have! You scared me though because I just heard of you as the headbutt girl, and I was like “I don’t want her heabutting me in the hallway.” (Author’s note: One of Eos’ good friends who is also friends with Même mentioned that in freshman year, Même was prone to headbutting her in the hallway
as a form of greeting. Thus, headbutt girl.) Même: (Laughs) Eos: No but that’s definitely good, because that is a lesson I wish I had learned earlier. Not that everyone would hate me, because that’s just depressing, but the fact that you can’t be a people pleaser. That’s one of the things that I had to learn on my own, I guess. And that’s one of the things I did take away from Churchill, like throughout my four years. That-Même: Ever since you became friends with me. Eos: Yeah, ever since I became friends with you I turned into a jerk. So, yeah. (Laughs) Même: (Laughs) Are you saying that I’m a bad influence? Eos: No. Well yes. No. But probably just, don’t feel the need to always make people happy and put their happiness before yours, you know? If you are in a situation where you want to do something for someone else, but it will ultimate-
ly compromise your own sanity/happiness, just don’t do it! Sometimes you gotta put yourself first, and that’s totally okay. Même: You always have to put yourself first. Because you are the best. Eos: (Laughs) True, true. Même: In your mind, that should be your thought process. Eos: Even though you are hated by everyone, you are the best. Take that wisdom with you into Churchill. You’ll do great. Okay, so rate your experience at Churchill out of 10. Même: I would say a solid 2. Eos: I was expecting a 1, so I guess this is an improvement. Même: Slightly higher because of tech. That’s the only reason why I would come back. Eos: Oh, why a 2 overall? Même: Well, first of all, there have been good teachers, it’s just that I think the
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environment here is not that good. I know that Principal Heckert is trying to change that, but honestly she’s kind of failing. Eos: Oof. Yeah, I don’t know, I feel like it’s not necessarily an issue that’s predominantly the teachers persei, it’s also a combination of-Même: (Breaks out into random dance move at table) Eos: I-- (Laughs) I’m gonna have to edit that in, like *Does random dance move while discussing deep philosophical topic.* Même: (Laughs)
could be an explosion in your house causing you to lose your limbs. And now what do you do? Your dreams are ruined. You’re sad. Depressed. Eos: I feel like this analogy escalated very quickly. Même: (Laughs) Eos: Anyway, that’s a beautiful analogy for life. So basically, go into metaphorical house and get your limbs blown off and see what happens from there. Même: I mean, when life gives you lemons, you take the lemons and squeeze it back into their eyes.
Eos: But anyways, I feel like it’s also definitely parental pressure, and pressure on themselves, and it all just contributes to a competitive and negative environment.
Eos: (Laughs) That should have been one of your senior quotes. Which college are you going to?
Même: If you meet an asshole, just know that their parents are also assholes.
Eos: (Claps) Yaay.
Même: UMD, boyz!
Même: I know [Churchill] has a bad connotation with that place because it’s not Eos: (Laughs) Wow, yet “good.” But seriously, if another stunning nugget of you’re going into STEM, it wisdom from Même. It’s does not matter what school true though, because so many of these kids who are you go to. Literally, does stressed are being pushed by not matter. Maybe English their parents to do that, you though. know? What are your future Eos: ...Oh, yeah. plans after high school? Même: Well I obviously wanna be my own boss. I don’t know what I’m gonna be doing because you know, not everything goes the way you want it to. (Grits teeth) Unfortunately. Eos: (Laughs) Même: You know, there 26
“Hair,” Illustration by Mars
Même: Ha ha ha. Humanities, it does matter. But for STEM. DOES NOT MATTER. Eos: I feel like UMD is definitely a school on the rise though. Même:: Yes. It’s pretty close to Michigan actually.
A lot of people wanna go to Michigan, but UMD is right here. Why would you pay for so much more? Eos: Also the in-state. Gotta get ahold of that in-state tuition. Même:: Money is always a primary factor, okay? Eos: *Cries in out-of-state tuition.* Même: Ha. Well that’s private school, so… Eos: True. But that’s always something that really interested me, how people choose to go to an outof-state public university similar to UMD, which could sometimes be a smart choice for them personally, but the in-state tuition man!
Même: Yeah, especially if they’re going into STEM. If it was humanities, I would get it. Because I know UMD is not good with International Relations and Communications, so I would understand why you would want to go to a different place for that. Eos: Yeah! I mean College Park: Good in-state tuition, good location, good education...Yeah. (Laughs) Well I guess that is the end of the interview. Thank you, Même! And with that, we conclude our senior interviews. We hope you enjoyed reading them as much as we enjoyed doing them, and took away some useful information as well.
If The Ending Came First By The Midnight Raven
The world was scheduled to end in three hours. Those words were plastered on every newspaper and floated around every social media platform in existence; it seemed as if the entire world had stopped breathing out of fear at the same exact time. We didn’t know why the world was going to end, we only knew that in three hours, the oxygen in our atmosphere would deplete and we would be left without air. When we heard the news, my mother shrieked and tears began to drip down her face as she hugged my little sister to her chest. My father solemnly read the words over and over again on the newspaper, his disbelieve evident as he searched for any signs that it might not be true. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I slid to the floor and hugged my arms around my chest, too afraid to even begin to cry. All I could do was stare at the dining room floor. The carpeted floor that I had known since I was born, the one with a grape juice stain hidden under the table after I had spilled my glass on Shabbat a few years ago, the one with the repeating flower border that I used to study. The one that I would never see again in three hours. After staring at that carpet for a couple of minutes, I decided I was not to waste these fleeting hours and I was to go out and spend them wisely. So I grabbed my jacket and flew out the door, not with a faint plan in my mind, but pure fear driving me forward. When you think you have no time left, you don’t think straight. You let your fright drive you to do reckless things that you would never do if you had more life left to live. But that driving factor, that rush, it pushes you to experience the things you have yet to do, it makes you tell the truth because it won’t affect you later anyway, and it makes you suspend reality, forgetting about what is moral and what will hurt others all for the sake of getting
those experiences. Thinking that your in my lungs. But the untainted air time is up might hurt you even more seemed to burn my lungs, scald them than the ending that you are inevitably with a smoldering fire of anger was going towards. the realization of deceit had dawned With thirty minutes to go, I comon me. The ground seemed to be piled a list with two of my friends, littered with my mistakes, the rushGrey and Sera, as we sat by the side of ing wind swirling them in front of our county pool. A list of five reckless my face. I stood in silence as I gazed things we had done after we had found down at the reflecting lights on the out about the world’s end. surface of the pool, watching as the 1. We hopped the fence to get water swayed softly. They had lied and into our county pool everyone had believed them because 2. We texted all our contacts what that idea of the end caused a suspenwe thought of them sion of reality and reason, and maybe 3. We tried to sneak into a bar that was the goal. (and failed) The world wasn’t ending, not yet. 4. Jumped off the train tracks at We still had air to breathe and the the last second as a train was cool earth to walk on and maybe they coming wanted us to appreciate that. Or mayAnd maybe the most ridiculous thing be they simply wanted us to be afraid. of all, But whatever their goal was, we were 5. We set our alarms for tomorrow. still left with the broken pieces of our It hardly even made sense to us, but own creation. just that idea of setting an alarm for When I had believed my time was it never to be heard felt like the craup, I let those mistakes grow and build ziest thing of them all. Maybe it was into an uncontrollable mass because I denial deep within us that we would thought it would never matter. When I need that alarm for tomorrow and that thought the secrets of the ending came the end truly wouldn’t come. I would first, before life was even complete, I miss that blaring sound even though I stopped truly living in that moment. I had despised it every day I had heard didn’t exist for the purpose of existing, it. But you only start realizing and appreciating things when you know you will lose them forever. There were fifteen seconds left, my arms were around Grey and Sera’s shoulders and we were all whispering the remaining numbers. I squeezed Sera’s hand and rested my head on Grey’s shoulder as we uttered the final numbers. Three, tears began to prick my eyes and I blinked through my blurred vision to look at the two of them next to me. Two, I quickly touched the surface of the pool with my toe. I would miss the cool feeling of the water as I swam. One, I inhaled my last ever breath of fresh air and pressed my eyes shut. Waiting for the impact. But it never came. We all checked the countdown timers, making sure we simply hadn’t just gotten the time wrong. But it was two minutes past three hours and air was still fresh “Narwhal Lady,” Illustration by Tess
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I didn’t make choices that I thought were right or would lead to a certain goal because I knew that the goal wouldn’t matter in the end. When the future is laid out in front of me, I can
only move towards that point because my thoughts have been unwillingly focused on that ideal. Not knowing what comes next might just be life’s purpose, because, without it, life loses
all meaning. If the ending came first, that itself, would truly be the end.
I talked to the moon about you tonight There was nothing I could do You vanished in the light Days passed and I found you at a New York street Like a fairytale without a good ending Starry eyes Lighting up the dark I wish you could see You should be with me Starry eyes I love you so So hit me with the light of a thousand stars Starry eyes, be mine I want to go stargazing with you because time flies when I’m with you And I’ll be so lonely without your starry eyes Starry eyes
Lighting up the dark I wish you could see You should be with me Starry eyes I love you so So hit me with the light of a thousand stars Starry eyes Dancing on my own I wish you could see You should be with me Starry eyes I love you so So hit me with the light of a thousand stars Starry eyes Hit me with the light of a thousand stars, Starry eyes, be mine.
“Wandering Earth,” Illustration by Kayden
Starry Eyes
By Sacha Feldberg Every once in a while I look up at the sky and I remember when I met you Standing alone in a crowded room You looked so alone But I’d help you through Starry eyes Lighting up the dark I wish you could see You should be with me Starry eyes I think I’m in love So hit me with the light of a thousand stars Starry eyes, be mine 28
Thank You By Eos
I would like to say From the bottom of my heart Thanks, Midnight Writers
Please Love Me
All’s Well that Ends Well By Jojo Queen
it’s so hard to say goodbye the inevitable change i will surely miss you all graduate and celebrate parties and festivities we all know hard work is key but sometimes we let it go success and failure made me “Curiosity,” Illustration by Andromeda
By Andromeda Words are promises Words are everything You’re my one You’re my only I’m your love I’m your life Marriage is promises Marriage is everything But Words are broken Words are suffering
Words are the marriage Between you and me These words This plea “Please, please Love me.”
A Seed
Graduation
By Eos
By Tom Nguyen
A seed in the ground Sheltered and kept in the sun The future is bright
The day’s almost here When I am finally free! From jai—I mean school 29
Our Castles
By Sacha Feldberg You made a promise Another lie that turned to stone You told me that you loved me I haven’t seen you for so long I want to believe you But I can’t get my head around this The last time I saw you, Everything had changed… In my dreams We’re everything I hoped we would ever be And I have you here, lying right next to me Living in the castles that we made We’re ruling the world You’re king and I’m your queen And I have you here, standing right next to me Living in the castles that we made So paint me a picture In anything but gold The goddess in her mind Must know you Right down to an art And it all goes just to show That, baby there are chains around you now She’s begging to destroy you Since the last time that I saw you, It felt like everything had changed In my dreams We’re everything I hoped we would ever be And I have you here, lying right next to me Living in the castles that we made In my dreams We’re ruling the world You’re king and I’m your queen And I have you here, standing right next to me Living in the castles that we made Our love became a canvas for cruel honesty And I knew inside my heart I had to let you leave Our love became a canvas for cruel honesty I knew inside my heart I had to let you leave So I let you leave I let you leave I let you leave… But in my dreams We’re everything I hoped we would ever be
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And I have you here, lying close next to me Living in the castles that we made The castles that we made In my dreams We’re ruling the world You’re king and I’m your queen And I have you here, standing right next to me Living in the castles that we made Like a ghost, I tend to vanish with the rain But I’ll remember the castles that we made.
Wonderland By S.B.
A miniature wonderland Beautiful castle in the sand It’s estate an oceanfront Where it will take the cruel brunt Of the waves This castle is life itself It’s too near the oceans shelf Inevitable: the oceans blasts Not beautiful because it lasts Or coming waves They come to wipe its every trace And nothing we can do can brace Ourselves for death is bound to come All we can do is wait and hum For the waves We are beautiful as we are Much like a slowly dying star Not beautiful because it lasts More the castle waiting for blasts For waves, for death “The Ever Growing City,” Photograph by Wine Merchant
A 95 Theses Style RANT By Andromeda and Eos Author’s Note: For the sake of privacy (and for the sake of our grades) we shall keep the name of the teacher and class we mention private. You know you made a mistake scheduling your classes….. 1. When the warm-up takes 45 minutes. 2. When you are told that this class has minimal homework, but then every night you get either a textbook reading or worksheet to complete that takes up 30 minutes of time that could be spent watching quality television. 3. When you get over 23 pages of homework over Winter Break 4.When class is so boring you steal your friend’s pen for entertainment 5. When the teacher spends half the class repeating themself and the other half off task 6. When the teacher treats you like a elementary schoolers who don’t know how to study for themselves 7. When you could zone out for the broad majority of the period and daydream about cheese but not miss any core content in the class whatsoever 8.When they promise a flexible testing schedule but aren’t flexible at all 9.When they grade EVERY SINGLE homework for accuracy 10. When after an extended period of time in this class, it feels as if you are
in a never-ending void from which only the bell and cold water can save you 11. When said friend of whose pen you stole engraves their name into their eraser with their key as yet another form of entertainment 12. When certain students (who shall not be named *cough *cough) continually ask useless questions so you learn nothing 13.When you blackmail your friend with said pen in order to gain Ramen, and other food because you’re still bored but hungry 14. When your friend has nothing better to do in class but beg for gum. 15. When your teacher won’t stop talking in bad foreign accents (that all sound vaguely British) 16. When the class is expected to understand random out-of-context pop song references that definitely are not mentioned in an attempt to make the class relevant and “hip” *shudders* 17. When after said references are made, there is an awkward period of uncomfortable silence broken only by someone exclaiming “Aaaah…...ha-ha…” (If you can feel the cringe radiating from this sentence, that is entirely the point) 18. When it’s impossible to meet with your teacher during office hours 19. When your teacher scares the heck out of you on a regular basis 20. When your teacher makes seemingly sympathetic comments about how they feel “sO bad” that you’re sick, but continue to hold you accountable for
homework on days you miss 21. When your teacher goes on uncomfortable rants about good and bad behavior like your a little kid 22. When your teacher spends all of class on the same Slide of the powerpoint 23.When your teacher is inflexible about students makeup schedules 24. When your teacher suddenly gets mad about you going to the bathroom at the beginning of class without telling the teacher, even though they were fine with it nearly the entire semester up until that point 25.When you never EVER get to watch fun movies or video clips in class 26. When your teacher rushes the last 10 minutes because they suddenly
realized we accomplished nothing 27. When you decide to teach your friend Roman numerals and sign language during class because you’re still just that bored 28. When the highlight of the class was when a random kid brought a baguette and handed it out halfway through 29. When you live in fear of getting called out for a sudden unnecessary demonstration 30. When the teacher attempts to make badly pronounced puns of words in another language 31. When you are given an assignment during a snow day 32. When the teacher is mad at you and so they decide to terrifyingly glare directly
“Disgust,” Illustration by Eos
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into your eyeballs during your presentation 33. When your friend decides to draw on your notebook to the extent of breaking it due to sheer boredom 34. When you and the teacher’s other classes are constantly pitted against each other in subjects such as “laughing at the teacher’s references” 35. When “laughing at the teacher’s references” is used as a reason to evidently prefer one class over the other 36. When over half the class is spent discussing a question asked by a student that has minimal relevancy to the content that will be assessed 37. When you learn more from the reading in the textbook than you do from being in class 38. When the second highlight of the class was when on Halloween, a student walked in dressed as Jesus Christ with bread but did not spare any for the class 39. When you contemplate your life choices in class 40. When there is a glimmer of hope for seeing a movie, but all hope is shattered when it turns out to be rated R 41. When a student using a laptop is continually accused by the teacher of being distracted 42. When you want to ask a question about the test but you are too scared to ask the teacher for fear of being accosted for asking something “obvious” 43. When you are fluent in the sign language alphabet, but unable to recall any of the content from a week ago 44. When all the content 32
begins to meld together into one uniform blob of stuff you learned last year 45. When you tentatively approach the teacher’s desk to ask to go to the bathroom, but then after they narrow their eyes at you jump backward 4 feet and retreat to the safety of your desk 46. When you can’t remember the last time you smiled in the classroom 47. When you glance across the hall longingly at whatever the class across from you is doing 48. When the bell ringing at the end of the period is a heavenly sound from above 49.When you check the clock every 10 minutes to see if class ended yet 50. When your teacher stops a student from handing out cookies to students yet confiscates 5 for themself 51. When your teacher waited until the end the year to do everything. 52. When your teacher freaks out and lashes out at you and your fellow students because the teacher waited until the end of the year to do everything. 53. When your teacher forces people who take the AP exam to self-study for the more than half of the unit. (You can forget about in-class review.) 54. When the teacher has an irrational dislike of students in your class. 55. When only 20% of the study guide is actually on the unit test. 56. When there are too many homework assignments coupled with reading guides. 57. When the students won’t stop singing.
58. When your teacher gives you approximately 1525242 slideshows to compensate for class time wasted and almost no time to work on them. 59. When your teacher assigns textbook reading assignments over spring break. 60. When you dread the class so much that you don’t show up 90% of the time. 61. When you dread the class so much that you only show up when a certain student brings cookies. 62. When you dread the class so much that you try to join your friend’s tech class. 63. When you think the class will actually be okay but then you’re hit with cruel reality. 64. When you’re so bored you fall asleep in said class after never falling asleep in a class for all 4 years of high school. 65. When you’re constantly confused in the class because you’re hopping from one time period to another. 66. When you don’t know what’s going on 90% of the time second semester. 67. When you’re too afraid to ask for old assignments because you’re too scared your teacher will yell at you so you retreat to your desk. 68. When your teacher calls you out for copying (on a homework assignment by the way) when literally only one sentence is the same. 69. When the reading guides don’t follow the textbook. 70. When you get there in the morning and you’re already dead inside knowing you have to go to said class. 71. When you’re way more scared of your teacher second semester than first.
72. When your teacher tries to justify her technique of cramming all important content into the last two days before the AP, but the logic is simply not there. 73. When you and your friend get separated at the beginning of the new semester so you show up a lot less to class. 74. When the class isn’t even barely tolerable anymore. 75. When everyone is on their phones for the first half of class because there’s nothing else to do. 76. When the only thing you remember from first semester is how to do the sign language alphabet. 77. When you don’t even remember the sign language alphabet. 78. When you’re still learning new content a day before the AP test. 79. When upon filling out a feedback form for the class, you have to think for approximately 18 minutes about one positive thing that happened in the class. 80. When your teacher won’t stop singing during the movie. 81. When your teacher won’t let the other class finish the movie. 82. When your teacher won’t stop talking about Game of Thrones. 83. When your teacher favors students from their previous classes. 84. When your teacher threatens to call the parents of a student because they showed up late to class. 85. When the class goes from easy to hard in the span of 1 quarter. 86. When your teacher claims it is an easy class,
yet most people don’t do well. 87. When your teacher skips coming to school 2 days before the AP. 88. When your teacher grades assignments at the last minute.
The Permanent By S.B.
The only thing which could be perceived was a slight downward slope as he descended, pace by pace, into a world of pure white. By the time the slope had leveled out, the man began to realize the whiteness he was shrouded in was simply mist. Everything seemed profoundly undefined, for there was no source of directional lighting, and the silvery fog occluded the surroundings from view. Luckily, the surface seemed to be completely devoid of tripping hazards, and the man walked with ease. Slowly but surely, the fog began to lift and he became aware of his surroundings. Knowing that there was a hill behind him, and the fog should continue to clear ahead, a mental image of the landscape took shape. The ground gradually became an odd opalescent blue as more of the mist cleared, and eventually a silvery lake became visible on the horizon, nearing quickly. The dissonance between the fast approach of the lake and his slow footsteps was so severe in that it felt eerie, supernatural even; perhaps this place was not intended to be understood the same way as the world from whence he came? The
89. When your teacher ignores you when you try to be polite. 90. When your teacher’s personality does a 180 when it’s time for AP exams. 91. When your teacher hates students in your class for no
particular reason. 92. When we watch terrible musicals in class. 93. When you feel tricked by your teacher because they gave a false impression of the class. 94. When your tricked by
last year’s students of this class because they gave you the same false impression. 95. When you realize you wrote 95 complaints about a class that was an elective.
man took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Upon exhaling, the lake appeared suddenly before him. Lake, perhaps, was an ill-fitting word for what the man had seen. Whatever filled it, while deliquescent, did not behave like water, but rather was more reminiscent of a clear mercury. Rather than forming waves or ripples, it simply danced, relatively free of surface tension, back and forth, in a rhythm. The “lake” refracted little of the ambient light, yet the blue surface disappeared quickly after the shore became wave, indicating a steep drop. A dark silver bottom seemed to be found somewhere infinitely below the seemingly clear water. As the man pondered stepping in, he heard light breaths and some of the subtle sounds of movement. “HEL- oh,” He began to bellow as he turned around, only to see a young, petite woman with light blonde hair that flowed ethereally over her shoulders, standing rather uncomfortably close behind him, wearing a beautiful white dress. She raised her cheeks so to narrow her kind eyes as she gave a tranquil smile. “Well hello!” the woman responded in a dulcet voice. The man, simply awestruck with this woman’s entrance, struggled to reform the question “why are you
here” to be more mannerly. She offered no assistance of her own to this awkward situation, simply gazing at him curiously as he formed words. “It’s so nice to see someone here! Useful, actually,” He added rather awkwardly, not knowing if she could help him, “You see, I’m lost.” “Well, I see you’ve found Ether Lake.” said the girl, cheerily and entirely unhelpfully. The man kicked a loose pebble that was sitting awkwardly on the mostly eerily flat blue shore. The lake began to shake unnaturally in the moment of contact. He felt underdressed, wearing khakis and a button up shirt. “It’s made of thoughts and memories,” she continued,
speaking soft and slowly, “All of the thoughts and memories in all the known worlds can be accessed in the various ether lakes.” “Memories?” He inquired, reserving asking the woman about why she was wearing a dress. “Ether Lake?” She simply looked at him, returning his inquisitive smile listlessly. “I know it sounds confusing” said the woman consolingly as the man turned towards the lake and kneeled beside the liquid, “but it is hard for me to explain things around here. Things are so different everywhere.” “How do you access the memories?” said the man, feeling rather apologetic about his cluelessness as he examined the water, “Can
The end.
“In the Woods,” Iluustration by Eos
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you drink the ether?” “Drink?” said the girl, puzzled. Looking up once more, she frowned and looked off at the lake, which was finally beginning to settle where the stone had made contact. He noticed a bit of sorrow settle in her expression as she looked up at him. “Do you know what type of creature you are?” She asked plaintively. “Human, I suppose” said the man earnestly, gesturing towards his body with his hands, “why do you ask?” “Well, to be honest I hoped you were a permanent. It isn’t often you run into another one. You are what I would call an ephemeral. The world sent you here because you were a peculiar person somehow. Of all the sprites I see here, only one before has been human.” At this she looked back into the lake and sighed. “This is not the only ether lake though, so don’t think you’re too special. Anyways, this lake will help you remember your identity.” “I’m sorry,” said the ephemeral honestly, “I should have introduced myself. I’m James Paine, from Massachusetts, and I’m 22.” He stuck out a hand but the permanent only turned red with embarrassment. She spoke covering her own face. “I’m deeply sorry,” said the permanent, in distress. “Excuse my presumption. The last human who came.” “Its okay,” said James reassuringly, “Just know now that one human isn’t the largest sample size.” The permanent, still 34
blushing with embarrassment, began to speak to her feet. “Just go drink the water. Hopefully we meet again.” Hurrying over to the “water”, James tried to do as she asked, trying to ignore the ominous undertone of her preemptive farewell. After cupping the fluid in his hands and attempting to raise it to his lips, it slipped immediately through his fingers back into the lake. It was perhaps the least viscous fluid he had ever seen. “Not like that! You need to go to the center of the lake first” commanded the permanent, who had sat down, apparently to get a view of whatever was to come. As strange and unrelated to drinking as the instructions were, James attempted follow them. He stood up, took one look at the deep drop, and tried to believe that he could swim in this liquid if worse came to worst. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out onto the lake. His feet easily glided on the surface of the liquid, as if he had socks on a wood floor. As he ventured farther, the fog began to close on him again. Colors swirled around him until a familiar sight began to take shape before his eyes. With a sudden whoosh, James began to fall directly through the superfluid lake. As the world became real around him, worry became real as well. The heat and danger of everyday life returned to him as he fell.
“Risotto,” Photograph by Pusheen
The Rain By Eos
Dear Brother, i can taste the rain but i don’t want to pounding on my head on a sunday morning blurring my vision and opening my eyes to all i could not see refused to see never saw Dear Brother, a bridge is a two-way street along the edge you’ll always walk i grip your hand till the knuckles turn white so you don’t fall into the abyss that calls your name its tongues enticing all who have fallen all who will fall i grip your hand till i see red. Dear Brother, once in a distant dream we pushed sleds down the hill leading to the snow-covered bridge don’t fall in the creek, you said and i listened. Dear Brother, on a sunday morning you called out to a name with no face and i watched. you turned to face me and the only noise now was the rain pounding with an indifference for all in the universe that crumbles to the ground. don’t fall in the creek, i shouted and you listened. Dear Brother, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky but we will always be in the rain.
A Hard Pill to Swallow
“Brimming with Words,” Illustration by Andromeda
By Andromeda
prozac xanax lithium baptism is a bitter cocktail my therapist is my priest my therapist is my God i don’t listen to my therapist i am my therapist their voice rings hit me (you) hurt me (you) bite me (you) bleed me (you) but i hurt back i go to church i am unfit i am unclean so i scrub my hands under hot water till my skin is dry too proud to worship we all worship we traded sexual purity for a clean diet we traded marriage for a six figure salary we want kids not the commitment we want God not the commitment we want love not the commitment we want freedom but we aren’t any better than a pet dog wagging its tail when brought its leash we don’t want to be free i go to my therapist i say hit me (you) hurt me (you) bite me (you) bleed me (you) but God hurts back i go to their office i am unfit i am unclean so i choke down my pills under tap water till my mouth is dry
Tell Her The Truth By Andromeda You’re Weak You’re Stubborn You’re Insecure You’re Arrogant Be honest with the mirror Be honest with yourself I am you You are not me Stop lying But I never lie Swallow your tears You are beautiful
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The Last Rant By Même
Liars, passive aggressive people, fake people, penny-pinching people, over-sensitive people. All of these people has something in common: they are all COWARDS (and types of people I hate, but you already knew that). Cowards really suck. They hate confrontation and are afraid of the truth. For example, an ex-friend of mine, let’s call her Mildred, very clearly hated me. But, being the coward she is, she never told me and continued to be buddy-buddy with me. In fact, she was so much of a coward that she tried to turn my closest friends against me to exclude me from my friend group! Maybe that’s an over-exaggeration, but she still bad-mouthed me to my friends and probably expected them to agree. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that some people think it’s better to lie to peoples faces rather than tell the truth, especially if they’re close friends. And in many times that my friends decide to lie to me, it’s so fun to expose them One of my close friends in particular thinks that her time is so valuable that she thinks she has to lie to get out of things I invite her to. And she thinks she’s so slick too, like every single excuse to get out of any event I invite her to is just “Oh, I can’t. My relatives are visiting.” Like first of all, do you think I’m dumb? That excuse is so overdone and why do you think you need to lie to me, your oldest friend? Do you think I’m gonna be heartbroken because you can’t make it to this ONE (1) event? Or do you hate telling the truth and want to avoid confrontation? COWARD! So, my final piece of advice is DO NOT LIE, which is rich coming from me. I understand you want to “protect feelings” or whatever, but more damage has been done lying. And if you do lie, you risk being eXpOsED. Have fun with your awkward silences with your former friend.
Au Revoir, mes Amis By Eos
Another day gone When will I see you again? Au revoir for now
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“Même Strikes Again,” Comic by Idunn
Posters On The Wall Part 6: The Villainous Heroes
By The Midnight Raven Addelyn: Everything in my life had led up to this. I was not some bake sale organizer or poster decorator, no, this is what I was meant to become. A worker for the wall, the assistant of the head director, someone who goes out and fights for peace, not just someone who draws the idealized version of it. I was meant to be at The Wall that day, I was meant to get this job, I was meant to take his infecting voice out of hearing range of the public. He won’t deceive them anymore, I swear it. My thoughts swirled in my head as I pushed away from the one-way mirror that looked in on Elias. The monitor clearly was the focus of his attention, but it was only a ploy to make the feeling that he was being watched even stronger. Maybe this deception represented something bigger, that the thing you fear is only a distraction from the danger laying right in front of you. He looked so pathetic in there, tied up to a chair and flailing about like a madman. But that’s what he was. He deserved all the distress, all the pain, so he could experience what he had done to the citizens of the city. He was nothing but a liar and he would never be anything more. I walked towards the door of the room Elias was in, as my chin was jutted up towards the ceiling. I inhaled slowly as I took my new key card out of my pocket and unlocked the door. He would regret the day he stepped foot in our city, I’d make sure of it.
resented his fears. Elias blinked back tears as he clamped his mouth shut as Addelyn asked him question after question. How had he gotten into this mess when all he had wanted to do was be good? Why had he been given luxury and comfort when he was thrust into wrongdoings but when he changed himself for the greater good, he was only met with pain? Soon, Addelyn became aggravated with his silence and left the room in a huff, her burning anger seeming to linger in the room even after she had gone. Elias closed his eyes and imagined a simpler time, when he was miserable, staring at those computer screens but at least he had been safe. He had been sure before that he was willing to give up his safety and comfort for the well being of the community, but each moment seemed to be another fatal blow that knocked back his determination. Elias once again allowed his body to go limp and his hazel hair to fall slack over his eyes. Maybe it was just easier to give up and accept his fate.
Then, he felt a twitch in his wrist and the sensation of the undoing of his bonds. The rope was loosening. Addelyn: I pressed my back up against the wall and slid to the cool, linoleum floor, my head pounding with whirring thoughts. I was starting to hear voices in the back of my head, the head director, threatening me for crimes I had not committed, my mother scolding me on skipping so many classes and then, louder than all the others, my own. And I was screaming. I clutched my hands to my head, as my ears seemingly strained against the noise within my own mind and the world began to blur from my view. I let the darkness claim me as the sound began to fog my reality. In the inky blackness, I saw myself with purple-dipped hair and a poster clutched in my hand. That girl held my face but she was not me, she was weak and had fallen for the propaganda and lies of a wall destined to destroy us. I stepped towards her but she shrunk back from me as if my touch would burn her.
“The Shadows,” Illustration by Eos
Elias: Elias couldn’t hear her words as she interrogated him, all he heard was the voice that had been tainted with the words of his father and all he could see was the face that had once represented hope for him. Now it only rep37
“You’ve forgotten, Addelyn. Remember what he said, remember what you once fought for,” she whispered. I shook my head violently and tried to place my hands over my ears, trying to block out her lies, but even despite that, I could hear her screams as even she began to fade in the darkness. My head throbbed as exchanged words I could not remember swirled through my mind. Then the conversations stopped and my final grip on the small room I sat in began to fade. All that was left was her screams, those aching sounds that engulfed me as I lost my consciousness. Elias: Elias left a fracture of himself in that room and it wasn’t from the physical struggle against the ropes; it was that he knew Addelyn was truly gone and that small hopeful peace in him faded away. He had focused himself on that ideal of Addelyn and her rebellion against society and that it would one day save him from his own despair. But in the end, he had escaped and it may have been the cost of her capture. But Elias knew in the back of his mind, as much as he wanted it to be simple and for him to blame himself, that his father had been the cause of all of this. And after all this time, after hiding away in the shadows except for a monitor as light and following his father’s every command, Elias was finally ready to stand against him, with or without Addelyn there beside him. Sometimes, a person was too far gone to save and other times, you just keep on fighting. Elias had punched out the monitor on the wall before he had left that room, and that feeling, that painful but magnificent feeling, rushed through him. He had always wanted to punch out one of The Wall’s monitors, and today he finally had. Elias’s hand throbbed with pain from the broken glass shards from the monitor that had sliced his skin, but he cradled his hand to his chest and kept running forward. The bleak halls turned into a gray blur as he ran, the empty walls and lack of windows causing every hallway 38
to look like the one before it. Elias remembered how to navigate the halls and was able to find the exit easily, but he was seemingly shocked at just how little effort he put in to escape. Usually, The Wall was teeming with not only the workers, but also security guards that patrolled both outside and within the halls. But it was silent, and no movement or activity seemed to be happening at all. That emptiness filled Elias’ stomach with dread and caused the thought that something was wrong to swirl through the back of his mind. As Elias ran up to the final exit, his eyes adjusting to the shining sun that glinted through the dusty glass of the door, he stopped in his tracks. He was so close to being free but something tugged at him to stay. Maybe it was to find out why it was so empty, maybe it was to confront his father, or maybe it was to save Addelyn. Elias shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut at his own foolishness. He could leave now, simply walk through that door and be done with all of this. He could go back to the city and help save the people from The Wall, but he would always know that he deserted an innocent because he gave up, and Elias couldn’t accept that. Trying to make the world better, trying to spread the truth, isn’t something that you get to pick and choose from. You can’t decide that you will single out people from your help because it is harder to help them than others. Truly making the world a better place is helping everyone, even when a situation seems impossible, even if you fail, and Elias could not ignore that fact. His grazed his fingers across the door handle for a single moment, before turning from the exit to the outside and heading back within the wall. Even if he didn’t succeed, he needed to try, because a villain would leave people behind, and Elias was no villain. Addelyn: When I awoke, I felt my arms and legs bound to the cool metal of a chair. I jerked my eyes open and began frantically began screaming, “Help! I’m trapped in here!” My
head pounded from the constant screams, from the ones I myself was making and the ones that had previously echoed in my head. I screamed until my throat was raw and hoarse and I could no longer yell. When I finally stopped making noise, I heard the door slowly swing open. I swung my head to the side, expecting to see Elias, but instead, I was met by the stern eyes of the head director. I sighed in relief and frantically, I began to explain myself. “I don’t know what happened, sir. I fell unconscious after going in to speak with Elias and when I woke up, I was here. I don’t know how this happened, maybe it was when…” I rambled but the head director held up his hand to silence me. I quickly stopped talking and watched as he began to circle around me, his footsteps echoing throughout the room. “I had so much faith in you, Addelyn. I thought that you could be the one who would help me save The Wall, but I was wrong. You only came here so you could destroy it.” He spat, his voice tainted with anger. I shook my head quickly, my mind swirling with confusion. “I don’t know what you mean, sir. “Our Childhood,” Photograph by Eos
I would never do anything to hurt something that helps so many people.” I replied quickly. The head director let out a small chuckle and wrung his hands as he looked straight at me. “Then why did you help Elias escape?” He asked bluntly. My eyes widened in horror at this news. “He escaped? How? When I last checked on him he was exhausted and he was still tightly bound, as I am now. He must have done this while I was asleep, maybe so I couldn’t alert you sooner.” I said, my limbs burning from the abrasion of the rope. The head director once again started laughing, but this time, he turned his back to me and began walking towards the one-way mirror. “You really think Elias did this too? Stupid girl! I tied you here because I knew what you did. You fell ploy to his games and helped him escape. What was it about him that changed your mind? Was it how hurt he was? Need I remind you that it was you who did that to him. Was it that he pleaded you to escape? Or was it the fact that you fell for his lies and believed that he used to watch you and other people like you and then gave it up to save the city and you? Was it that, Little Addelyn?” As he said that name, Little Addelyn, my head once again began to throb with echoing voices. I put my hands on my temples and shook my head as the volume of the echoes increased. “I didn’t free him! I didn’t know what happened, I swear! Give me a second chance, please! I care about the wall so much, I just want everyone to be happy the ways I never could be. Please, don’t give up on me!” I pleaded, the sounds in my mind raging on. The head director turned back to look at me and squinted at me as if that single look could decipher my entire personality. He inhaled deeply and began to speak before the door of the room crashed open. Elias stepped through the doorway into the room, took one glance at me in the chair and the head director and grimaced. “Finally showing who you truly are I
see, father.” Elias: “The second you left The Wall, you lost the privilege to call me father. You are no son to me.” Elias’ father said. Elias saw Addelyn’s eyes widen at the interaction, her gaze shifting between the two of them. “You act like that is some sort of punishment. What kind of father are you to throw your son into villainy when he was only sixteen? You were never a father to me, you were only the person who pushed me to want to be better because I knew that I never wanted to be like you.” Elias shot back. Elias’ father squinted his eyes at him and began slowly walking forward. Before, Elias would have backed away from his father but he was stronger now, and he wouldn’t stand down. “I gave you opportunities, you just never wanted to accept them! You call what I do villainy but all I see is a small, afraid, little boy who is so obsessed with proving that he is good, that he thinks the only way to do it is by bashing his own father. When will you ever learn, Elias? All I ever did was so I could help you.” His father said. Elias scoffed and raised his eyebrows. “So, if that’s true, then how was tying her up a way to help me?” Elias questioned as he gestured towards Addelyn. At her mention, Addelyn looked directly at Elias, her eyes not flickering back to his father. But her gaze was not one of hope or pleading or fear, it was filled with a spark of burning anger. Addelyn gritted her teeth and yanked so violently on the ropes that they began to loosen. After a few moments, Addelyn had managed to free herself and began stalking towards Elias. He looked shocked as she walked towards him with such a furious expression. “He has done nothing but try to help the people within The Wall achieve a better life. You will no longer stay here and spread your lies. You will regret your decision to have come back.” Addelyn threatened, her voice
dangerously low. Elias glanced towards his father and his stomach dropped as he saw his expression of pure pride that was directed towards Addelyn. Elias took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out both of their faces and the empty room. “All I ever did when I was here was look to you for hope, Addelyn. Day and night, I watched over your bravery to stand up against the tyranny that was clearly occurring. Then he wiped your memory, and I thought all hope was lost but then I left, I came to the city to help you. All I have ever done was in hopes of helping you and all the people that are being watched. I even came back here for you, Addelyn. I knew I couldn’t sit back and leave without helping you. Please, don’t let him continue toying with your mind. Let me help you.” Elias said softly. He didn’t know what he’d expect. For Addelyn to believe him or for her to get angry and accuse him of lying again, but she did neither, and what she did was much worse. Addelyn turned to his father and said a few words that shook Elias to his very core. “I’m sorry you have a son like him.” Elias took in a deep shaky breath and then he ran. He didn’t care to even look back to see if they had chased after him. Elias ran because he knew there was no hope anymore. Addelyn would never get back her forgotten memories and his father would never admit that he was wrong, he would just blame Elias to his final days. Elias was a coward and he knew he was, not able to look his father in the eye, nor a girl who he had once pinned his hope on. But Elias knew now that he was not a villain and he never was one. Villainy tries hard to grasp on to any innocent soul it can take and deform it into the being it wants, but if you are able to let go and escape its clutches, you were never truly a villain in the first place because there was some good in you that made you want to escape in the first place. Elias ran through the halls as he just 39
had, his eyes pricking with hot tears and his heart racing within his chest. But when he reached the doors, he burst out into the glorious sunlight and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. Elias would not give up, not yet, he would keep fighting for the city and for the truth. One day, maybe all of this would be behind him and he could thrive in the fact that the people of the city were unwatched and free. Elias looked towards the distant city and the light that reflected off the roofs of the skyscrapers, and for the first time in a very long time, he smiled. Epilogue Addelyn: The head director deemed my old city unfit for further testing and permanently shut down The Wall to allow for a new program to form. I found out later that he had already transferred all the employees of The Wall to their new location across the country. I was never allowed to see the citizens of The Wall let go, but I know that they were unhappy to leave the safety and protection that it had provided them. The head director officially appointed me as his second and took me with him and the rest of the employees to our new wall. I was never allowed to do anything directly regarding the citizens, but I was tasked with carrying out promotion of The Wall and to keep protesting at bay. I never missed my old city, I stopped by once to pick up my things and say goodbye to my mother at our apartment and then I left. I passed by the coffee shop windows and felt no inclination to go inside and have a cup of the tea I had once loved. I threw my old art supplies away in a dumpster behind my apartment building. I never understood why I had them in the first place, art was unsatisfactory and didn’t help anyone, both of which I did with my work at The Wall. Sometimes, I think of Elias and what was wrong with his mind to make him convince himself that all his lies truly happened. But I quickly stop, because I myself do not 40
even want to recall his vileness. I have never been happier than I have been at The Wall, I felt like I have truly found my purpose. Each morning when I step into my office, I always see a poster on the wall that promotes the happiness that the wall provides, and I smile. I sit down in my chair so that I face my window and I look out on the rising, golden sun, turning away from that poster on the wall. Elias: With The Wall truly gone, everything seems to be at peace. An investigation was enacted, with Elias at the lead, that searched the old grounds of The Wall and found the truth behind what it truly surrounded and who was truly being watched. The newscast showed their entrance to the grounds that The Wall surrounded and the people watching were horrified to see the massive, empty courtyard used for staff services. For a while, the whole city seemed to be in shock of what had truly been going on for a majority of their lives, but slowly they began to adjust and continue on with life despite that fact. Elias was seen as a hero in the city, but even despite his realization about his lack of villainy, he still didn’t truly believe he deserved that title. Soon, Elias too began to move forward from his past and learned to accept what had happened. He
“Galaxy,” Illustration by Eos
only wished that Addelyn was happy wherever she was. Elias had to recognize the fact that he had given up and couldn’t save Addelyn, but maybe he wasn’t destined to save her. Maybe, Elias was destined to be motivated to escape through her, but not so that he could save her, but so he could spread the much-needed truth. Over time, Elias began to believe that idea more and more. Most nights, Elias went to his windowsill and stared out at the sparkling lights of the city and looked up at the barely visible stars in the night sky, and sometimes he wondered if Addelyn saw them too. But as he looked up at the sky, he knows that he is seeing a sky he would have never seen if it were not for Addelyn. A sky he would have never got seen if he had stayed behind the monitors. Elias knew that his work was not truly done yet, and it would only be once every program of The Wall had been diminished. He hoped that somewhere out there, in another city like this, there was a girl who had the bravery to protest what she knew was wrong, and a boy who was inspired by her to rise up himself. Elias’ entire existence had once been spent behind his computer monitor, but now he had grown and found there was more to life then doing what was simple, and now, Elias was free.
“To the Next,” Manga by Aya Hatashima (Read from right to left)
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The Building on 66th Street Parts 9 and 10 By Andromeda
house, the trees seem more ominous. Tall and dark, stretching bony fingers into the skyline. Perhaps because of what had happened there it is impossible for that place to be uncorrupted. There’s no going back Ariana now for both of us. When I get back to my Irregardless, I find a house, dawn has just begun strange sort of peace. I don’t creeping in on the horizon, worry about the bloody the light cascades in from clothes spilled onto my the windows casting sinister carpet, or the police when shadows around the room. I they find Kate’s abandoned take off my shoes numbly, car. For a moment it’s just my whole body aching and still. I can worry and clean dirty. There’s blood evup later, right now I need a erywhere, from my hands, moment to myself. to my hair, to my clothes. But suddenly, Heading to my room, I take Crash! off everything, and stand The sound comes from under the freezing shower. I the next room unexpectedly stand there until my whole and I jump. After a moment, body is cold and red and I slowly get up, and wareshaking uncontrollably. I get ly approach it. I find the out and change, wrapping Grimoire on the floor, fallen a warm blanket around my off the dining table, cover shoulders and sit underlying face up. I begin walkneath a window. The room ing towards it, eyes darting is silent, large and empty. around the room, to see Dust has begun to pile up what could have knocked it where the house has reover, but the room is dark mained undisturbed. A ghost and quiet. Once I’m cerof the home it once was, tain there’s nothing or no it still seems as if nothing one else here, I pick up the in this house, not even my book and inspect it. I flip presence could disrupt its through the pages, they are stillness. all blank. There is nothing I don’t know what I exout of place. Closing the pected after everything that book, I stare at its cover. had happened. I don’t know If it weren’t for this, thing, what I had truly wanted whatever it is, likely none of from this outcome either. what happened would have Satisfaction? I thought so. happened. I can’t decide Yet for some empty reason how I feel about that. Deep it doesn’t feel like I quite down I recognize that even have it yet. I look out the after all it’s done for me, window, and remember it is still something that my brother’s fleeing back fed off my emotional pain as he ran from the house and hatred. Justified or not, that night. He didn’t know nothing good can come out he was going to die even be- of keeping it. fore he had started running. I pick up a plastic groIn the woods outside my cery bag from the kitchen 46
and wrap the book tightly inside. I get an ominous feeling as I hold it. Keeping it at arm’s length, I hurry it outside of the house, and toss it in the trash can sitting by the curb. With a relieved sigh I quickly close the lid and go back inside. There is a clattering in the next room, and I pause. Whatever was here earlier is back. I grab the shovel from where I left it at the front door and grasp it tightly in my hands. Slowly, I begin walking towards the living room. I push in the large white double doors. Inside the room is dark, the curtains float mysteriously without an open window. I see several figures on the couch, one is a pudgy man is his mid twenties with a bullet hole in his chest,
and beside him is an older woman with tight bruises around her neck. The young man across from her in the football jersey is pale and his eyes are bloodshot. The girl sitting next to him has a large bloody dent in her skull where it looks to have been bashed in. They all sit motionlessly on the couch, pale and stiff, staring glassy-eyed into space. For a moment I’m in too much shock to move. How? Why is this happening?! This isn’t possible. It takes all my effort not to let out the scream creeping up my throat, but I stifle it and begin slowly moving backwards. I need to get out. Suddenly the doors slam behind me pushing me into the room. Their gazes fix directly on me. Their expres-
“Evergreen,” Photograph by Andromeda
sions are blank, lifeless, but their eyes speak volumes. I know hatred when I see it. “Aren’t you going to say welcome home?” asks my mother, her voice icy. “It’s been so long since we’ve last spoken.” I don’t respond, instead I reach for the door knob but it refuses to open. “Did you really think you could just do what you did and get away with it?” hisses Kate. Her blue eyes are pale like glaciers, they peer into me as if trying to freeze me from the inside out. I shiver as the temperature in the room drops and let out a whispy breath. “Is this my punishment?” I say flatly, straightening my back. “Have you come back to pay me back for what you deserved?” “Church Bells,” Photograph by Eos
“We never deserved what you did,” my brother says quietly, even in death he is still afraid. “You went off the deep end, and we were the collateral.” I look at my brother and feel the first inkling of remorse. “I didn’t want to hurt you Derek…you were just circumstantial.” “And what were the rest of us?” asks Aaron, his voice hollow with hurt. “You murdered us.” “I may have orchestrated your death, but you’re the one who let yourself be killed. Killed because of your own arrogance and insecurities. Maybe if you had all been stronger, better people, none of this would have ever happened.” Kate stands up and takes a step towards me. I clutch the shovel closer to my
body as she gets closer. “What was I then? How can you say it was my fault when you brutally mutilated me. All because I wasn’t a nice enough friend? Let’s be honest, Ari, you just wanted to assert your power over us like the raging narcissist you are.” Kate’s voice doesn’t rise when she speaks, but it increases in intensity until the whole room seems palpable with her anger. “You were weak Kate, a jealous weak, and bad person and you deserve what you had coming to you. You couldn’t even pretend to give a damn about anyone but yourself when my father died.” “We are all flawed Arianna, don’t act so self righteous,” snaps my mother, also standing up. “You are not one to judge others when you are very clearly no angel yourself. You are just a stubborn child.” Aaron stands up too, followed by my brother, and my fear begins to spike. “I just didn’t understand how you could do it,” he says sadly, “I didn’t understand how you could so easily hurt someone you cared about like that.” Then his gaze hardens and boars directly into me, “Until now.” I forcefully slam the shovel into the door behind me and start running. I just need to get out. I need to find the Grimoire and then I can fix this. I CAN fix this. I just have to put their names down in the book again….I just have to get the book. I sprint down the hallway, the room is so cold now
there’s frost forming on the walls, and I can see my heavy breaths pouring out of my mouth. I reach the front door but it’s locked and the doorknob is frozen shut. Quickly, I turn around and run for the back door, I can feel the cold gaining on me. They’re right behind me. I run faster, and when I reach the backdoor, I fling it open hastily. Outside the clouds blot out the sky, making it as dark as if it were night, and snow begins to fall and cling to the frozen ground. I continue to sprint even faster as adrenaline courses through my veins prompting me onwards, fueled by fear and a desire not to die. I jam open the gates to my front yard with a hard push and the freezing wind rushes in. I push against the current with all my might, and run as hard as my legs will allow me to push them. I see the curb getting closer and I begin to feel a rush of relief creep in, but just before I can reach it something, or someone trips, me. I fall to the ground with a grunt, landing heavily on my right shoulder. The pain doesn’t even register as I try with all my might to push myself up, however the wind pushes me down. It bites painfully into the exposed skin on my body, making my eyes water and the skin on my face tear and openly bleed. The wind sweeps up the snow all around me until I can’t see in any direction. However even in the current I see silhouettes in the darkness approaching. Fears spurs me to take action and I struggle 47
harder and harder against the pressure, but to no avail. A cold, veiny blue hand grabs my ankle, and when I look back I see a butchered, rapidly decomposing face. The missing skin around their teeth pulls their face into a cold smile and their pale eyes glare soullessly back into the depths of mine. “I’ve got you now.” A voice cackles. I scream and as I am jerked backwards and pulled away…... Part 10 A man walks into a shop one day. The door is tall and red, and when he opens it, a cool breeze sweeps in and jingles the hanging bells. He enters, his shoes creaking along the old wooden floor boards. To his right is a bookshelf filled to the brim with dusty books and pages. To his left, a redwood table covered in antique mirrors, globes, and maps. On the ground there are piles of musty carpets and intricately carved figurines. On the walls hang animal heads and portraits of sullen victorian women. Yet despite the clutter, on the ceiling there are no fixtures or decorations of any kind. The sole brightness comes pooling in from the window at the front of the shop. He walks in familiar to his surroundings, and does not pause to look at any of the curious and out of place items within the shop. He keeps one hand in his pocket and uses the other to adjust his tie right before he rings the bell at the counter. He is dressed immaculately from head to 48
toe in an expensive black Brioni suit. On his wrist he fashions a Rolex and gold cufflinks. His hair is slicked back without a strand out of place. Despite his fashionable clothes his face is plain and indistinguishable, if you saw him on the street you surely wouldn’t remember it. A woman emerges from the back of the shop. The purple curtains fluttering as she enters, her hair and skin are snow white. She adorns colorful mismatched clothes covering her sagging wrinkled skin. “It’s been a long time. What can I get for my most distinguished guest?” “Coffee. Black.” He replies. She smiles at him a toothless smile, and he doesn’t blink. “If you will just come back here,” she gestures behind her, “I will fetch the coffee.” The man takes a seat in the back and the woman comes back moments later with two cups of coffee, setting it down in front of the both of them. “I assume you are here for the book.” She says, it is not a question. “Of course, I had to come back for it after I learned you had given it away.” He glares. His eerie gold eyes boring into hers. She laughs hoarsely. “I see you doubt me.” He sets his cup down and continues to give her a harsh look. “I have good reason to. We made a deal for your life if you don’t recall, collect me souls equal to the weight of your crime and I will set
you free.” “Ah yes,” she says wistfully, “Finally free to die in peace.” “Well, I doubt the afterlife will grant you much peace.” He muses. “I think you and I both know an eternity in purgatory, shackled to this shop, unable to leave, is worse than any sort of afterlife.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “We’ll see.” “I have done my duty,” she says coldly, “The souls have been collected, and a replacement has been found.” “Is that so?” He says with mock humor. “I should have expected nothing less, and where is my book?” “Right here.” She says and drops the book down on the table, “You can see all the ones I collected here.” The man picks up the book and flips through the pages, as he turns each page endless names and signatures begin to form. “It seems they are indeed all here.” The shopkeeper laughs and says, “Of course they are, everyone in the world, and more specifically everyone who walks into my shop is missing something in their life. A whole in which I can heal, at the right price.” The man shuts the book and takes another sip of his coffee. “You say you have found your replacement as well. Tell me about them.” The old woman leans back in her chair with a cruel smile on her face. “The girl walked into the
shop one day, it was clear she wasn’t like the others. Although I freely admit the power from the book can sway even the most pure souls. When I picked her card however her fate was clear, and wrath can be the strongest and most bitter of sins.” The man nods. “That is true.” Standing up he grabs the woman’s hand and on the palm of it is the satanic cross tattooed in red ink “Upon the completion of your contract and the repayment of your debt, I, Beelzebub, remove your mark and free you, Esmeralda.” He lets go of Esmeralda’s hand and the woman standing before him is young and beautiful with icey blue eyes and dark black hair. Her body may be young again, but her eyes betray her age and her mouth betrays her cruelty. “Finally it is done.” She smiles with a mouth full of pearly white teeth, and her whole body crumbles to dust. Ariana Walston finds herself in a white room. There is a large desk at the front of it, the chair behind it is luxurious and the furniture is the same pearl white color as the rest of the room. The chair positioned in front of the desk is smaller and much shorter than the chair behind it. On the ceiling hangs a bright chandelier, but on the walls there are no decorations or windows save for a large singular Continued on Next Page
painting hanging above the desk. Ariana recognizes the painting as The Last Judgement by Michelangelo. The room is completely empty save for herself. Ariana takes a seat in the shorter chair. Her clothes are bloody and there are track marks from where she was dragged. Where am I? “You are in purgatory.” Says a voice behind her. The man who approaches is dressed in a luxurious suit and his hair is slicked back. His face is plain but his eyes are shocking, a bright amber, like staring into the sun. “Ariana Walston I take it.” “Who are you?” She says sitting down, “The last thing I remember…” Her expression darkens as she begins to flash back and quickly shuts those memories down. “The last thing I remember is dying.” “Yes and here you are.” He sits down behind the desk, peering down at Ariana at such a height he becomes even more intimidating. He pulls the Grimoire from the desk and sits it down in front of them. Then he folds his hands neatly on the table and looks her up and down. “You knew there had to be a price. You cannot be allowed to do the things you did without a price.” Ariana narrows her eyes. “Yes, which I payed for… painfully.” The man laughs at her coldly, and in a low, mocking voice he says, “That my dear, was not nearly enough for what you did. Did you really
think your soul alone could account for the ones you killed?” Ariana glares back at the man. “What more could you, the book, or whatever is making these inane claims possibly want from me?” His voice lowers and his eyes glow ominously. “Your soul.” Ariana shivers and leans back away from him. “Well,” he says relaxing back in his chair. “At least until you have payed off your debt.” Ariana swallows. “For how long?” “Until you have gotten me 400 times the number of souls you have taken.” Ariana gapes at him in utter shock. “How? How is that equal to what I have done?” She says hoarsely. “You didn’t just kill people you used the book to do so. You used dark magic. Most importantly you borrowed from me, and this book is worth more than you could ever know.” The man stands up and pulls a paper out from his desk. “This is the contract. If you want your soul back, you have to fulfill it.” Ariana pulls the paper towards herself reading it top to bottom. “And if I refuse?” A cruel smile breaks across the man’s hard face. “Then your soul is mine in hell for eternity.” Ariana’s knuckles turn white from where she’s gripping her chair. Biting her lip nervously she stares down at the contract. “I really don’t have a
choice do I?” She says softly. The man doesn’t respond. Ariana sighs. “Please hand me a pen.” The man smiles and pulls one out from his desk. “You’re making the right decision.” “No,” Ariana says, her voice empty, “I’m making the only decision.” She signs the paper in black ink, and then the man does the same. As soon as he lifts the pen off the paper Ariana yelps in surprise when the whole thing sets itself ablaze. The man stands up from
behind the desk, and walks around taking Ariana’s left hand, a tattoo appears on the back of her hand in red ink. He looks her directly in the eyes, and says, “The deal is struck.”
The End
“Still Life,” Photograph by Eos
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Goodbye, Seniors! Eos: Maya Simon Andromeda: Samantha Hahn Celia Bowen: Dalia Skolnick Kayden: Julia Maa Idunn: Elaine Birnbaum Même: Stephanie Ton Tom Nguyen: Tom Nguyen
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