Issue No. 5
COYOTE CALL May 2015
The Literary Issue, Part 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS POEMS THE ONCE UPON A TIME THAT NEVER HAPPENED By: Grace Ingraham ------------------------------------------------------PAGEs 2-3 THE DAY MY HEART DROPPED By: Jared Lambert --------------------------------------------------PAGE 4 A MAN NAMED IOTA By: Alexander Sayles -------------------------------------------------- PAGE 5 THE SPY DIARIES: PART ONE
By: Rachel Kuntz --------------------------------------------- PAGE 12 THE PHILOSOPHY OF EMOTION By: Bethany Corey --------------------------------------------- PAGE 13-16 THE SPY DIARIES: THE CEREAL MISSION By: Joanna Jarvis --------------------------------------------- PAGEs 17-20 THROUGH THE ARCHWAY - SECRETS WITHIN STONE By: Kaitlyn, Jordan, & Bailey Brooks --------------------------------------------- PAGES 21-24
By: Joanna Jarvis ----------------------------------------------------- PAGE 6-8 SEEING THE FUTURE By: Jordan Brooks -------------------------------------------------- PAGEs 9-11
“If I waited till I felt like writing, I’d never write at all.” - Anne Tyler “You don’t write because you want to say something... you write because you have something to say.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
“There is no greater agony than an untold story inside you.” - Maya Angelou “You can make anything by writing.” - C.S. Lewis
THE ONCE UPON A TIME THAT NEVER HAPPENED By: Grace Ingraham
All Lindsey’s life, she was alone. No one to care for her or for her to care for. She grew up an orphan, and frankly, she was okay with that. Lindsey had always been told that love was a weakness, and that if you cared too much for someone, you would be willing to risk everything to save them. Where she was from, the good guys got the happy endings and the villains were stuck with whatever was left, but the good guys also had a lot of loved ones so they were hurt along the way. She did not quite understand it then, but now... Now she knew why people said that. Lindsey lived in a land where all fairytales were reality; where happy endings were common for people like Snow White and Prince Charming. It was her home for the longest time. The Enchanted Forest was magical, but one wrong move would land you in trouble. That is how all the fairytale characters ended up in a place where there was no such thing as happy endings - our world. But, that is where Lindsey found her happiness. She had found her family and her powers. Over night, she became a princess, had more family than she could count, and had a power she could not control very well. She also found an old enemy who had not crossed her path in a very, very long time. “Pitch?” Her voice was almost a whisper and full of grief and fear. The air around her turned to ice and the sky grew darker than the night itself. “Well well well, isn’t this a surprise?” His voice came with a thunder that only she could hear. Everyone acted like it was a normal day. He stepped closer to her. “Lindsey Jones, the orphan I saved long ago.” Pitch smirked darkly with a wink. “If anything, I saved you. Or do you not remember?” Lindsey asked in a sarcastic tone while rolling her eyes, but in her head she was planning a way to escape his company. Pitch was silent, studying her carefully. It had been many years since they had last spoke in such a tone. She’s changed. A lot, He thought to himself, making sure Lindsey could not read him the same way he could read her. “I remember clearly, Lindsey. I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.” He was not playing around anymore - he was very serious. Lindsey was about to throw back an insult, but a voice beat her to it. “Oh really? I could’ve sworn you were.” The voice Lindsey recognized in a second. Her big sister stood to the side of her with a smirk on her face. Without thinking about it, Lindsey turned her head and saw where her sister, Darcy Winchester, came from. Darcy’s family sat in the Impala that belonged to her brother-in-law. She smiled to herself and turned to see Pitch had disappeared. Boy, that guy is scared of this family, Lindsey thought before turning to her sister, grinning.
Darcy!” She threw her arms around her sister’s neck and hugged her tightly. The excitement in her voice was hard to hide. Her family was the one weakness she was thankful for. They were her strength. Because of who they were, it was easy to think you were safe. In that moment, she saw that one person she always was on the line with. Her brother, Killian Jones or Captain Hook to most people. “So, I see Killi’s with you,” she whispered to Darcy. Her sister gave her a look and whispered back, “You should talk to him, Linz.” Lindsey looked at her sister and sighed. She hated that Darcy was always right about relationships with family, but there were still things about her and Killian’s relationship that she was not willing to fix just yet. “I can’t. Not right now at least. You know better than anyone how hard it is trying to have a relationship with him.” Killian Jones was not like any other brother or man or whatever you would call him. He was a pirate with a hook for a hand, too much rum on his boat, and oddly enough, a family. He had fallen in love and married a well-known wolf, Red or Ruby to most people in Storybrooke, but he made things impossible. Killian loved being a pirate, but being a pirate meant doing everything a pirate would do, and for that, she had left him a few times. Anyhow, Lindsey’s brother was not the best influence on her life. “I don’t care. Go talk to him right now or I will have you go live with Regina for a week.” Darcy spoke with such a serious voice that Lindsey did not dare take it as a joke. Regina Mills was the mayor of Storybrooke and the evil queen back in the Enchanted Forest. Everyone pretty much hated her, except for Darcy, her kids, and Henry Mills, Regina’s son. Lindsey had nothing against her, but every story she had heard about her was terrible. So she knew if she did not go talk to her brother, she would have to face the evil queen. “Fine! But if anything goes wrong, I’m turning him into a toad,” Lindsey smirked. But before her sister could say anything, she was off to see her brother. By the look of his face, Killian was not in the mood to argue so she was going to make this quick and fast. “Hey Killi!” she smiled when she reached him and started to go in for a hug, but he quickly stepped away so she would fall. Oh, how she hated her brother for underestimating her and being like this. So in the back of her head, she made a plan to get back at him. With the flick of her wrist, Lindsey set her brother’s arm on fire using the sun’s energy and the leather he wore as a surface. The whole family lit with screams and they were all trying to help him, but she put a protection spell over them. “Shows you not to mess with me.” She smirked and put the spells down. Lindsey Jones might have grown up an orphan and alone, but she knew how to deal with her family when she needed to. She could already hear her sister’s yells, telling her she better say sorry and that she was in huge trouble. All she did was roll her eyes and disappear into black smoke. The smoke represents one’s magic. So it meant her magic was dark, cold, and hard. Like her a lot of the time. Lindsey found herself on the beach right under the docks. Her family was the reason her heart was hard, but they were also the reason she could not bear to leave Storybrooke. She loved them too much and she always would. She would find a way to save them from her, but for now... Lindsey Jones was alone in a big family.
The Day My Heart Dropped By: Jared Lambert
One day when I was seven years old, on Christmas morning to be exact, I opened up a gift that was from mom and dad. I had to dig around to find what was in the box; they had it stuffed with all kinds of shredded paper. I found it and I wasn’t all that excited until I opened up the wallet. I opened up the wallet, and then I got very excited - inside, the wallet contained three hundred dollars. That was a lot of money for me at seven years old. I finished opening up my other gifts and set my wallet down. I couldn’t wait to go shopping. My parents took me into town and went into the game store to buy something. I went to get my wallet and realized I must have forgotten it at home. I got back to the car and searched and no luck. I went back home and searched everywhere, and it wasn’t there either. I remember I stuck it in the computer desk drawer, but it wasn't there either. My heart just dropped and started freaking out. This was the best gift I received that year. Besides it is a lot of money to lose or misplace. I then had to realize that it was just gone. I didn't get to go shopping and buy any more games. I couldn't buy anything I wanted to get. I was so heartbroken and very sad. I watched my sister spend her money, and because I lost or
misplaced mine, I didn’t get to enjoy my Christmas. Then three months later my mom was cleaning out the computer drawers. She couldn’t get the top drawer to close. She pulled the top drawer out to see what was blocking it from closing. Then there it was, my wallet! It had fallen behind the drawer. I was so very excited and glad that it was found. Now I could go and do my late Christmas shopping. I couldn’t wait to go and spend my money. So, off I went. I couldn’t wait to do my shopping I wanted to do before my wallet was lost. I do have to admit it did feel good to finally get to be able to spend my money that was for me. I did use my money wisely, and I did not spend it foolishly. From all the stressing and worrying that I lost that much money, I did learn a lesson. I now always put my wallet or cash in the same place, or I give it to my parents to hold. That way if they lose my money, I will get it replaced. No child should have this happen to him. So this is my story of something that was lost but was found.
A MAN NAMED IOTA By: Alex Sayles There was once a man who walked the Earth. This man traveled vast distances to collect all the wisdom his consciousness could comprehend. He knew so many things it was as if he could tell the stars their birthdays. He knew many stories of all genres. He understood advanced mathematics, physics, quantum physics, medicine and anatomy, as well as philosophy of the modern and ancient ages. He knew primitive survival techniques that he learned from many aborigine tribes. He could fluently speak and dictate English, German, Italian, French, Swedish, Arabic, Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, as well as an assortment of African tribe languages. He was also six feet tall and had a perfect metabolism. Though this man knew nearly all there was of interest for anyone to know, he accounted one piece of knowledge as more valuable than all the rest combined. This was his knowledge of the lord Jesus Christ. In all his travels he would at first allow people to see his astounding examples of generosity, love, patience, faith and kindness. Then those who did not resent him in jealousy or hate him for his good nature would ask him, “Who are you and how did you become this way?” He would smile; realizing time and time again that this wasthe luscious fruit and evidence of his works of
true faith. Then he would say, “I have been called according to my true predestined purpose.” Many would scoff and mock, but those who then did not disregard this man would change. They would then ask, “Who called you to this purpose and what is this purpose you speak of?” He would then tell them, “I am a servant of the one through which all things good have been made. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega.” Then after he told them who he was and endured through many revilements, those who again delighted in his presence he would tell them his purpose. He would say, “He has called me to serve all with patience, kindness, truth, wisdom and most of all Love.” Baffled at this man who seemed unearthly, people would ask him, “How do I acquire what you have acquired?” Then he would say, “Forget everything you know and leave every thing and every tie to this world you have.” Many could not do this, as they loved all their possessions. He knew that if he loved his possessions, he was no longer the possessor but the possessed. He would explain to them, "I do not wish to live a life of poverty, but a life of sacrifice; these things will all fade away and break and you will stop loving them, they will cause great anxiety and leave you
in spiritual chains. I do not ask you to give up your things,Rather, I ask you to grab a hold of freedom. But who can hold freedom bound by possessions and furthermore possessions of a lesser value." This caused many people great vexation, but those who saw the light in his wisdom were given the power to take true freedom firmly. Those who were vexed would ask, "Well, if you’re so powerful why don't you work a miracle?" He would then tell them, "I already have. For you wish to see things of material, but how much greater of a mountain it is to move the avarice in a man’s heart than it is of rock on this earth!" It was then that they realized that it was this man's vulnerability that made him strong, for he lived in spirit and not in flesh. Many said they would follow him, but those who did follow him only followed Christ within him. This man lived a long life of great quality, for he was not bound by anything that made him hasten to forget stopping and smelling the fragrant roses of life's joy. Strength is in what you believe in and taking hold fast to having dignity and value to every action you take. A life spent in vain is not worth living.
The Spy Diaries: Part One By: Joanna Jarvis
Out of all the things that could have come out of that June day, I never expected to become a spy. My name is Claire Litchfield, and my friend Alexandria Bates and I are teenage spies. Does that sound crazy? Well, it is. You see, we were just two normal girls, going for a swim to keep cool on a sweltering summer day. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what happened next. I think I’ll start from the top though. It all started on our first day of summer break. Alexandria had spent the night at my house, and we had slept in my treehouse as we always do when she comes over. After waking up late and enjoying a delicious breakfast , my mom suggested that we should get out and be active, so Alexandria and I rode our bikes out to Redwood River. Redwood River is a small river on the outskirts of our quaint California town, and it’s never very crowded, even on scorching days like that one.
“let’s jump in!” I suggested right when we got there.
“I don’t know C... I want to read this book for a while,” Alexandria said, “But if it makes you happy, I suppose I can read later.” “Hey, what’s that?” I asked after we had been swimming for a few minutes, noticing something intriguing at the bottom of the river. It glinted and shimmered like gold, and I just couldn’t resist the temptation to find out exactly what it was. “Come on, let’s find out exactly what it its,”I told Alexandria. Eagerly, I dived down and reached for the mysterious object. Victory! My fingers closed around it and I triumphantly rose to the surface.
“What is it?” questioned Alexandria, her curiosity obviously piqued.
“It looks like a coin of some sort. Here, let me get out and I’ll investigate further.” We both climbed out, dried off, and put some clothes on over our swimsuits, then began to investigate the coin. It was large and gold, and had an imprint of a lion on it, as well as an inscription that was difficult to make out. “Hmm, I think it might be a badge of some sort, considering it’s too large to be a coin,” Alexandria remarked. All of a sudden, the badge started glowing very faintly. “Whoa, A... look at this!” I squealed. “Oh my gosh, it’s glowing!” she replied. “I wonder it this is a sign...” I mused. Standing up, I began to walk in one direction, and the badge nearly stopped glowing. I then turned and walked in the opposite direction, and the glow became stronger.
“That’s awesome!” Alexandria exclaimed. “Maybe it’ll lead you somewhere cool.”
Deciding that this was possible, I continued walking in the direction that made the badge glow brighter. As I approached a giant redwood tree, the glow became blinding and the coin started to flash. “Well, it looks like we’ve reached our destination,” Alexandria chuckled as we stood face to face with the tree. As a little kid, I had wanted to be a detective, so I decided to use this strange circumstance to test my sleuthing skills. I knew that if there was a secret entrance to something in the tree, it would sound hollow. I quickly began knocking on the tree trunk, and sure enough, it sounded hollow. Next, I had to figure out some way to open it. I was delighted when I realized that all I needed to do was lean on the tree with all my weight. A large portion of the tree sung back, then slid up, revealing a steel door and a keypad for a passcode. “This just gets weirder by the minute,” I noted, shaking my head. “Why would somebody put a steel door inside of a tree?!”
“I don’t really know, but we don’t have any time to waste,” Alexandria responded.
“Here, let me see if I can crack the code. There's some obvious wear on the 2, 3, 7, and 9 keys, so it must be some combination of those keys. People usually set their passcode as their birthday, so the third digit is most likely 7. The 3 key has the most wear, so it’s the first key. I would bet the code is 3972, which could easily be somebody's birthday.” She typed that in, and the steel door slid out of view, revealing a hollow tree. "A, you're a genius! Let's go!" Eager to retrieve the stolen badge, I stepped closer to the tree and leaned my head in. Suddenly, a strong force like a gust of wind pulled me in to the tree and I started falling. “Whoooooo!” I yelled, exhilarated by this experience. Alexandria, on the other hand, began screaming fearfully. Just a few seconds later, we landed with a thunk in the corner of a massive warehouse-like room. Several people sat at computers, not noticing our arrival, but as soon as we landed, a tall redheaded woman stood and approached us. “Who are you?” she barked, towering over us in her high heels. “Are you working for the Ellie Institute? How did you get in here?” “Uh... I'm Claire, and this is Alexandria. No, we don't work for the Ellie Institute.” I replied. “We found this in Redwood River,” Alexandria interrupted, pointing to the badge, “and it led us here. Now, I have some questions for you. Who are you, and what is this place?” The woman sighed. “I am Dana Kovarian, and this is the Kovarian Spy Incorporation, better known as the KSI. We normally, uh, exterminate any trespassers, but considering your youth and the sleuthing skills you have demonstrated, I would like to welcome you to the KSI team!” She smiled, then paused. "Now, you can’t tell ANYONE about this. Not even your parents! Do you accept?” “I accept,” I responded, smiling. From that moment on, my life would never be the same – I was Claire Litchfield, teenage spy.
Seeing the Future Written By: Jordan Rose Brooks
“Can you keep a secret?” Will asked, staring down at his little brother, who was grinning excitedly. Something told him that James couldn’t keep a secret for any longer than he could refrain from smiling. Five minutes was the longest ever recorded.
Will couldn’t help it; he had to tell somebody and James was his best option. If he thought it was ‘adventurous’ enough he may keep quiet. James was pulling on Will’s shoulder. He threw his head back, “Fine!” Will groaned.
James nodded adamantly. “Of course I can!” Will knew that once he revealed there was a secret to keep he wouldn’t catch a break from his eight-yearold brother until he finally told him.
the air.
Will sighed, you’ve really done it now. He looked out at the ocean. The sunset obscured the line between sky and water, painting the endless deep with colors of orange and red. Will and James sat on the beach. Their mother had exiled them from the beach-house for the day after the two had broken a lamp in an extremely serious kitchen spoon sword fight. She wanted their father to have peace and quiet so that he could work on his book. They had spent the day exploring rocks. James stood. “Tell me!” he begged, jumping up and down with his pockets full of stone. Will blinked, what if he tells mother and father? “Please?” James asked, tilting his head to the side, hoping the ‘magic word’ would do the trick.
“Yes!” James shouted, throwing his fists into
“I can see the future,” Will turned to James. He tried to act serious, but instead he just grinned. His little brothers’ shoulders slumped, and he plopped himself back into the sand. He stared down at the beach. “You said you had a secret.” “Yeah, I do! I just told you that I can see the future,” Will argued. He was confused, having fully expected James to believe him. “Yes, but you can’t see the future Will, it’s impossible,” James looked up at his brother with a frown. Will stared at him in awe. How can he not believe me? “I’m not lying to you James; I can really see the future.” James grinned, and turned towards the sea and then back to Will. “No you can’t…” James said. Will nodded. “Well then, what am I going to say next?”
Will crossed his arms across his chest. “That is such an amateur question. Besides, it doesn’t work like that. I can’t see everything. Just some things…” Will told him, while thinking of the last vision that he had. The locket had washed up on this beach and Will would pick it up. A big wave forced it to crash here. “Well, that is just as equally an amateur answer,” James said, crossing his arms just as his brother did. “Have you asked that question much?” Will asked. James looked up at Will like he knew all there was to know about seeing the future, “No. I’ve read the books though.” “Ah. Well. I am going to prove to you that I can see the future. Just when we can barely see the sun in the horizon, a giant wave is going to crash a necklace onto the shore,” Will explained. “That is soon then, right?” “Yup.” Will grabbed his brother’s arm and stood them both up. He walked backwards up the beach and waited. “Oh! This one!” A giant wave came crashing towards them. Even though they were so far up, the water still reached their feet. Will ran to the spot he was somehow sure it would be. It wasn’t there. “NO!” he yelled, turning full circle in search of it. “It isn’t here… Why isn’t it here?” “See… you cannot see the future,” James crossed his arms again. Will sighed. It was supposed to be here. “I guess you’re right,” Will turned. All the blood drained from his head, his brain was throbbing
against his skull, and within seconds, he was surrounded by darkness. * * * “Will!” somebody was shaking him, and pounding him on the chest. “Wake UP!” the voice sounded desperate. Will opened his eyes. He was back on the beach. James was leaning over him, his face streaked in tears. “What happened?” Will asked, staring up at his now weeping brother. “You… you went to sleep,” James cried. Will tried to think of a way to calm his brother, as he had just spent an immeasurable amount of time trying to revive him and thinking that Will was dead. Yet, something seemed to push to the forefront of his mind, something that was more pressing. He tried to remember what he saw in his dream. Blank, nothing, it was gone. “You can’t actually see the future…” James said, “can you?” Will smiled weakly, “Are you starting to believe me then?” Will pushed himself up into a sitting position; his palms shoved deeper into the sand. A wave crashed over them both, but he took no notice. James seemed to contemplate the idea and then slowly nodded his head. “When you were lying in the water… was that you having a vision?” James asked. Will nodded. “What did you see?” Great, Will thought, How will he believe me if I can’t remember what I saw. Only there was something he remembered. He was almost worried that it was only a memory, but it wasn’t. He was absolutely certain; it was an image from the future. Amber eyes. They were so uncommon that, in his mind, he could immediately place them to the girl to which they belonged.
He knew her. Well… in fact they were good friends. But she didn’t look the same as he saw her then. She was older, maybe by five years. She appeared distressed too. Something that was very uncommon with her. Rebekah was a very happy person, nothing ever upset her, and everything was exciting. No, Will thought, there must’ve been something wrong… Something bad is going to happen.
“No!” Will turned, suddenly panicked. He bent down to look his brother in the eyes. “You can’t tell mom. She’ll turn me in!” James didn’t seem at all phased by this. “She’ll have me sent away… Is that what you want? Do you want me to go? James you cannot tell her.”
“Will!” James had pushed him. Not forceful enough to do any damage, as Will had six years on his brother and they were both sitting, but enough to grab Will’s attention. He snapped out of his thoughts, the creeping feeling of fear seeped away.
“What’s… what--” Will ran a hand through his hair, “What is wrong with it is…” Will sighed. “James… it’s dangerous. People with abilities are forced to get their power drained and they always die in the process… you can’t tell. You promised.”
“Sorry,” Will stood up, swiping the damp sand off of his pants. “What were you saying?”
James’s shoulders fell. “What is so wrong with seeing the future?”
“Fine, I won’t tell… But what did you see?”
“I asked you what you saw,” James said in an exaggerated tone. Will pulled James to his feet. “You didn’t tell me.”
Will smiled, coming up with an excuse that would get his brother’s attention. “I saw that we miss dinner because we left after the sun went down.” Will looked at his brother and then at the slowly setting sun.
“I saw… stuff,” Will said, “and things. Nothing really of significance.” Will was looking back at the sand. The locket was supposed to be here today. I saw it.
“We have to go!” James yelled, turning and running up the hill.
“We should get going,” Will said finally, “Mom and Dad will be expecting us home soon.” James crossed his arms. “Tell me what you saw, or I will tell Mom your fake secret.”
“Wait for me!” Will called, laughing. He ran up the hill after his brother, and together they made their way back to their home. Will felt the weight lift off his shoulders. He believed his brother would keep his secret… for now.
Poems by Rachel Kuntz
Love is the best Love is good to have Love can bring happiness Love is the best What is wrong with love? It is too strong to handle Love is good to have Love is the best thing Love can bring happiness Love is great Love is strong to handle What are friends? Are they good? Are they bad to have? Friends can be jerks Friends can be awesome Friends can be crazy What are friends? Are they good? Are they bad to have? Some aren’t Some are great Some are freaky What are friends?
C.O.R.E Magazine
The
Philosophy of Emotion
The diagram to the right is Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions, which
displays the basics of his Theory of Emotions. Plutchik was an American scientist and psychologist. He went on to be a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He studied the common emotions that we know as well as behavior that stems from these basic emotions. Note: The colors on this wheel do not necessarily coordinate with the given emotions.
The Theory of Emotion The Theory of Emotion was developed by psychologist Robert Pultchik. He did research in many different psychological fields, but he is most known for his studies in psychoanalysis and emotionpsychology. According to his theory, there are eight primary emotions that can mix and create other, more complex emotions. In theory, each of these emotions can be expressed at different levels, ranging within different consistencies; just like colors can be more saturated or more light. So far, his theory is the most
reliable and fundamental in the field of psychology and other neurological sciences. In his wheel of emotion (shown above), emotions have both opposite and compatible emotions. One can experience two different emotions at once, but not all emotions can mix so easily. Vigilance and rage are compatible, as they come from the same area of the brain. When they mix together, they create aggressiveness. But loathing and admiration, however, contradict one another. When experienced at the same time, they do not mix so
easily. Instead, they are felt as conflicting emotions, and stem from two different areas of your psyche. fbThis is a huge oversimplification of how emotions work. It takes lots of research and study to try and rationalize a seemingly mystical phenomenon, and scientists are not 100% clear on how simple chemicals and brain signals can manifest themselves in the human experience. To fully understand it would take a deep understanding of general human experience.
Emotions are a Part of Us Emotions are essential aspects of the human experience. We can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. Yet without our emotions, everything we cogitate would simply be bland, boring, and meaningless. We would lack the inspiration and insight that allows us to actively utilize the imagination, and the ability to enthusiastically create things would be lost. There would be no means of empathy; therefore, many of the morals that we hold as humans would become obsolete. We would have no motivation to be vigilant in acting to improve our lives, for we would lack the positive emotions that keep us interested and passionate about life. Without emotions such as love and admiration, we would never be able to feel grief for the loss of a loved one or something that mattered to us. Without the emotion of terror, we would be indifferent to the dangers in our environment, and we would become easily subjected to harm and fatality. Without amazement, life would seem meaningless. Without ecstasy, love would not exist, and the leisures of life would be pleasureless. Without rage, one would never fight for change and betterment. The lack of emotion can be experienced by people as depression, as it is in our nature to yearn for emotions and a deep connectedness with life. Even during depression, people can feel sadness, loathing, and apprehension. Emotions are a part of our DNA. They are permanently woven within our psyche in the form of chemicals, brain waves, and neurological responses. Ultimately, emotions define human nature. They make us both weak and powerful; flawed, yet somehow balanced. Because emotions are so intricately and directly related to the functions of the human body as a whole, it is nearly impossible to separate emotions from human nature. To simplify how emotions work: when you feel a certain emotion, your brain secretes specific chemicals that react with specific nerves and your body reacts according to this combination. Depending on your brain’s wavelength and electrical activity, the type of chemicals that are present, and which nerves are receiving these chemical and electrical impulses, you experience very unique and specific emotions. Things as tiny as atoms and electricity--which are made of the energy that comprises physical matter--can create emotional reactions that can vary from slight irritation to overpowering rage; from simple apprehension to absolute terror. Everything on the micro scale of your body affects macro scale of your body. On this level of thinking, your conscious choices can have a direct affect on your health, personality, quality of life, and the course of your life as a whole.
Trying to understand emotion is very difficult, as they come form the most complex and intertwined organ of the body: the brain. However, emotions can be divided into 8 different specifications: Rage, vigilance, ecstasy, admiration, terror, grief, amazement, and loathing.
Rage Rage is an emotion that triggers anger, contempt, and annoyance, as well as agrassion and fervency. It can be a result of some form of irritation or “fiery” motivation. It is mostly experienced as a negative emotion, and can lead to negative effects. One can be full of rage, yet not be loathful towards something; however, rage is usually accompanied by hate, for hate is its main outlet.
Vigilance Vigilance is the feeling of being careful, responsible, and aware of possible dangers or potential threats. It is triggered by awareness of one’s self and environment, and often leads to making responsible choices or taking precautionary actions. It is mostly felt as a sort of anxiety, interest, or anticipation of future events.
Ecstasy Ecstasy is a feeling of joy, elation, bliss, and happiness. Combined with trust, it creates love, which is believed to be the strongest emotion felt by humans. It is what we experience when doing the things we enjoy, such as eating delicious food or looking at a brilliant sunset. It can be triggered by humor, amusement, or entertainment.
Admiration Admiration is what we feel when we have reverence and respect towards something or someone that triggers the previous emotion of ecstasy. It is what we feel towards someone when they do something nice for us or make us feel good as a person. When we admire someone, we trust them and accept them.
Terror Terror is the sense of overwhelming aversion of something that has a suspected potential to cause one harm. It is triggered by the “flight” instinct, and can be from simple aversion to full out run-for-your-life fear. Interestingly though, it can combine with admiration--a seemingly conflicting emotion--to create submission and obedience.
Amazement Amazement is the feeling of being completely enthralled and captivated by something outstanding or prominent. It is what we feel when something happens suddenly or unexpectedly, and our attention becomes fixed on it. Things that are unique or out of the ordinary tend to trigger amazement, and it can lead to a sense of surprise and may cause distraction.
Grief Grief is a feeling of despair and emptiness. It is triggered by the loss of the emotion of ecstasy, joy, and love. It can be expressed as the absence of positivity, and is often followed by loathing or rage. It can combine with loathing to create remorse, and with amazement to create disapproval.
Loathing Loathing is hatred towards someone or something, often triggered by the offensive actions of a person or the negative effects of a thing. Loathing is often accompanied by rage and can form contempt. Combined with vigilance, it can form emotions that trigger anarchy.
The Spy Diaries: Part Two The Cereal Mission By: Joanna Jarvis
“Alexandria! I missed you!” I shouted as I spotted my best friend in the airport. Alexandria Bates had just been on a two-week family vacation in Maine, and I missed her like crazy. You see, for the past two months, we had shared a major secret: Alexandria and I were spies. As Alexandria walked towards me, she smiled and replied, “I missed you too, Claire Bear! We have so much to talk about.” “Oh yeah, we definitely do. But that'll just have to wait for a little while," I chuckled, glancing at the parents standing next to us. One downfall of accepting to be a spy was that we couldn't tell anybody, not even our parents. This meant that during the month of June, when we spent nearly every day at spy training, we had to come up with different alibis to tell our parents. “I have something really exciting to show you at my house,” I told Alexandria a few minutes later on the car ride home. Though spying has its downfalls, it also certainly has some perks, one of which I was anxious to share. When we arrived at my house, I made sure that Alexandria could stay the night, and then I took her out to my treehouse. “And voila! This treehouse is now equipped with its very own SPY SCREEN!” I placed my hand on the wall, and after my fingerprints were scanned, the wall lit up, becoming an interactive screen. “No way! That's awesome!”
“Isn't it the coolest? When I get a message from Headquarters, the screen will start beeping. I also got a watch, a laser pen, and a key that molds to any lock. Oh, and they modified my phone so it has tons of spy apps on it," I told Alexandria excitedly. "Here's the best part: you get all of that too! You'll just have to put a chip in your phone to get the spy apps.” “Whoa... could this day get any better? This is amazing!” “I know! I just can't wait for our first mission. It's already mid-July, and we haven't done any missions yet!” “Well, missions will come eventually. For now, I just want to focus on having fun.”
“I guess you're right. Hopefully a mission comes soon, though!”
The next morning, Alexandria and I went up to the treehouse to hang out and read magazines, and we discovered that the wall screen was beeping! I pressed my hand to the wall, and the face of Dana Kovarian, director of Kovarian Spy Incorporation, popped up. Good morning, Miss Litchfield. I hope you have Miss Bates with you, because she will want to hear this. Today you girls are being assigned your first mission. This will not be easy, but I have faith in you. Your assignment is to infiltrate the Kingston Mansion. While you are there, you will collect files on Kingston Food Inc.'s recent product development. I am sending additional information to your phones. Good luck!”
Once we got to the mansion, we had to figure out a way to enter. There was an
entrance to the cellar that we could use, but the tricky part was figuring out how to enter without getting caught. We knew that Thomas Kingston was on vacation, but there were still servants on the property.
“We should just sneak behind the bushes to get to the back of the house,” Alexandria suggested, which I agreed with. However, once we began to sneak through the bushes, we realized that there was a gardener trimming them! Fortunately, we had been trained how to move silently and quickly, so we got past the gardener with relative ease. Getting into the cellar was easy, because we had the key, and the staircase was vacant, making it easy to get upstairs. Once we were upstairs, we discovered that the house was bustling with maids! It took great difficulty to make it to the office, because we had to stop every few feet and hide. (The mansion's lavish decor did give us lots of hiding spots, though.) After what seemed like an eternity, we finally made it into Mr. Kingston's study, where his files were located. To the right of his desk was a towering file cabinet, which was the logical place to look first. The files we had been instructed to retrieve were all the files on Kingston Food's latest venture: a brightly colored, flavorful cereal that had three times the nutrients that its competitors had. “Fruity-O’s” was the cereal's name, so we looked in the “F” drawer first. Once we found the files, our task was to scan all the papers in the file using our phones. We had just finished doing that when we heard loud footsteps approaching. “Hide!” Alexandria whispered to me as she put the file back in the cabinet. I frantically scanned the room, looking for an easy hiding space, and my eyes landed on a wardrobe in the corner. I dove into the cabinet and hid behind the coats, praying that we wouldn't be caught. However, the study door opened, and a booming voice filled the air. “Just what do you think you're doing, missy?” “Mr. Kingston?” I heard Alexandria whimper. “Nooooo!” Oh no! I thought. I have to inform Headquarters! I heard the door slam shut, and knew that Mr. Kingston had taken her elsewhere. Frantically, I spoke into my phone. “This is Agent Litchfield. Agent Bates has been caught. Send backup immediately.”
I knew everyone would be safer if I stayed where I was, so I curled up in the wardrobe and tried not to cry. Barely ten minutes later, I heard Alexandria's voice. “C? Are you still in here?” “Yes!” I exclaimed, and opened up the wardrobe to see my best friend. “Oh, thank goodness! Some agents came and rescued me, but I didn't know if you were safe!” “Thankfully, I am. But I’m never letting you out of my sight again!” “Me either, Claire. Me either.”
Through the Archway Written By: Kaitlyn, Jordan, & Bailey Brooks
Chapter One: Secrets Within Stone The calm before the storm is always the most peaceful, and yet the most unsettling. It is a time when the world falls silent and still, and the sky itself seems to be holding its breath in preparation. A deafening quiet. An empty silence.
away, back to the earth, wherever she stepped. Her stance felt far from sturdy. She backtracked, craning her head over her shoulder as she went, until she found a more suitable path. She let her instincts take over, focusing on the task at hand.
Word had spread throughout Delmont that a storm was brewing in the west — a storm that would cause even the bravest of people to barricade themselves indoors; hoping to be ignored as it raged around them with a howling fury. It was threatening to pummel the mountains with twelve feet of snow and it was steadily approaching; a swollen mass of clouds that obscured the line between earth and sky in its totalitarian vastness.
A high ledge loomed above, wide enough to rest on for a few minutes. Rebekah pulled herself up, ignoring the shredding pain in her forearms as she did so. Through the years she had built up enough tolerance that the pain was merely an annoyance. She cleared the edge and eased herself down on shaking arms, careful not to slip as the stone was slick with ice, and dangled her legs over the side like a child in a chair that was much too big.
Rebekah Grey took this as a sign that not even the weather believed she would be able to reach the top of the mountain she had been scaling before the storm blew in. Before it blanketed her world in white and silence. She was determined to prove it wrong.
The climb thus far did not provide the distraction she desperately needed.
In the isolated kingdom in the mountains that Rebekah called home, the people were accustomed to heights and snowstorms. It was, simply put; a way of life, and Rebekah wouldn’t have had it any other way. She had begun mountain climbing before she had even developed her powers, when she was ten. Now at sixteen, Rebekah considered herself an expert. The mountain radiated cold from within its very core. Through her thin climbing gloves, Rebekah could feel the chill of the stone numbing her fingertips as she climbed, seeping into her bones and joints. However, the sun had broken free from the massive wall of gray, and beams of heat and light struck her back so that her muscles were saved from freezing. Rebekah was near the summit now and, thankfully, someone had left a top rope in place, as the final few meters to the summit were nearly impossible without one. Rebekah wound her left hand through the climbing rope and grasped higher up the rope with her right. She began to pull herself up while she walked vertically up the wall. Her teeth chattered within her skull and she shivered. She climbed further, digging her boots into the mountain. As she increased, Rebekah found that the rocks were starting to have an unstable quality; loose gravel shifted and fell
Rebekah had hoped that today’s climb and fresh air would clear her mind of everything falling to ruin in her life. She’d been wrong. As she had progressed up the mountain she couldn’t help but think about the argument with her father; bust mostly she thought about Will. It was obvious to her, but not her father, that the pressure of the situation was digging up old wounds that she had only recently buried. Warm tears sprung from her eyes, cooling and then nearly freezing as they slid down her cheeks; she found herself gasping for breath. The air was so thin that she began to feel lightheaded. The mountain trembled and quaked. Careful, you’ll cause an avalanche, Rebekah warned herself, You’ve got to control your feelings! They get out of control when you’re emotional. Get it together, just ... breathe. She tried to steady her emotions, taking deep, calming breaths. The air seared like fire in her lungs. Rebekah put the thoughts aside and slid her pack off of her shoulders. She tipped the contents lightly onto the shelf and examined them. Canteen (half–empty), two apples, trail mix, an extra length of rope, a few carabiners, a lightstone, and her Tablet. She snatched up an apple, and put the remaining items back into her back. Munching lightly and gazing off distantly at the obscured horizon, her eyes glazed over, Rebekah turned the situation over in her mind, looking for an escape.
Rebekah’s father, King Elijah, had been putting pressure on her to find a husband, a notion that seemed increasingly ridiculous to Rebekah the more she thought of it. She wasn’t ready to settle down. She was ready to climb mountains or flee into the forest … perhaps befriend a magical animal from Sylvain. She wasn’t in the mood to pretend to fall in love with a man she didn’t know just so her father could acquire more riches. Rebekah didn’t care for money anyway; if she could, she’d give it all to the villagers without a second thought. She closed her eyes and Will’s face appeared there at once, waiting for her in a world only she could see. He grinned — that stupid, wild grin of his, his eyes shining with excitement. The scent of the sea filled her mind, and she could almost smell it ... but it was just a shadow, nothing more. This was how she liked to remember him. Not as the shell of a man she had seen at the funeral. Now her father was trying to find her another “marriage opportunity”. Rebekah didn’t know what to do. She’d barely had any time to grieve. A few months, and she was expected to marry someone else. She finished her apple and tossed the core away, watching it tumble and skid. Maybe a squirrel would eat it. Rebekah decided she could climb the last few feet without the rope, but it didn’t hurt to use it as a safety device. With a sigh, Rebekah tugged at her rope. After she was sure it still was secure, she tied it around her waist, knotting it at the front and letting the remainder hang down below her. She dug her boots into a foothold and leaned back from the mountain, keeping only her footing and letting the rope support her weight. She pulled her light brown hair back into a ponytail and out of her eyes. Her mother insisted that she wear it down, but her mother couldn’t see her up here. Rebekah grinned. She found a crevice with her hand, tested its durability, and shifted her weight, pushing upward with her knees. She did this over and over, tentatively making her way to the peak. Tight pain spread through the muscles of her arms and thighs, yet she pressed on. As she climbed, Rebekah amused herself by imagining ways in which she could disappear. What if I just vanished? Maybe they’d think I was lost on the mountain. I could cut off a finger and leave it, like in the detective books. Nope, then I wouldn’t be able to climb as well anymore. Plus they’d just be looking for a girl without a finger and I’d be easier to find. Darn. Rebekah sighed, blowing stray hair out of her eyes. Even if she managed to escape through the mountains, it would only be a matter of time before she was spotted in one of the realms and returned home. She was royalty — they’d never give up looking. There was no escape. A weight settled on her chest, compressing her lungs, constricting her breathing. She gasped for air, clutching at her throat with shaking fingers. This is ridiculous, Rebekah thought, How can I be feeling claustrophobic when I’m so exposed? The weight lifted, yet the feeling remained. Stay on the mountain, hide in a cave, Rebekah suggested to herself, Dye your hair and rename yourself Monica.
Her thoughts again turned to Will, who refused to stay buried, but kept floating to the surface with that goofy grin of his. In a way, she still couldn’t believe he had died. Even though she knew he had, it was impossible to think of him that way. He had been so full of life. Rebekah had been friends with Will for years before either of them realized they wanted something more. When they had their first official date, despite being friends for so long already, he had been so nervous that he spilled his drink down his shirt. Then there was their first kiss — her first kiss, and everything had changed. They were inseparable after that, a perfect match. If Will hadn’t died — Rebekah shook the thought from her mind. There was no point to any of this, no point dwelling on the impossible. He wasn’t coming back. The sun was beginning to set, bathing the mountain in golden light, and she was near the top. Rebekah began to wonder what the time was, and pulled out her Tablet to check. Before she pressed the power button, she saw her face reflected back at her; her amber eyes were filled with tears. Five fifty-three pm popped up on the rectangular glass screen. Time seemed to fly by whenever she was climbing. Fly by, tick away in an hourglass, too fast for me to stop. My time is running out, my freedom is almost gone. Rebekah grabbed hold of a thin ledge jutting out from the mountain high above. Too late, she realized that it was unstable. Part of the rock crumbled away, slipping through her fingertips like sand. The fragments seemed too fall away in slow motion, drifting lazily in the wind like snow. In the same moment, her rope from snapped above, in a loud CRACK. She screamed, clambering to grab a hold of something, anything, else as her other hand began to slip. There was nothing. She gripped what remained of tiny ledge with her fingertips. Her legs dangled over clouds, blowing in the breeze. The top of the mountain was mere feet away, the bottom hundreds below. Her fingers were slipping away. Rebekah felt her heart hammering in her chest, she heard it thudding loudly in her ears. It seemed almost a hypnotic sound. The muscles in her arms ached in protest. What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!? this.
A thought entered her mind, calm and quiet, You can fix
Rebekah let go with one hand, closed her eyes, and concentrated. She didn’t need to see what was happening; she just knew. She held out her palm toward the rock. Within seconds, fragments flew back up from the mist below and swirled into a ball of pebbles. The pieces molded back together like they had never broken, and grafted themselves back onto the mountain seamlessly. The rope then came snaking up the mountain and reattached itself to its severed half above. She felt her safety harness tighten, taking her weight, as the rope did.
Rebekah exhaled and opened her eyes. She grabbed onto the ledge. "A day is never finished until you almost die," she grumbled. A few more swift movements up the mountain and she had reached the top. She lay there for a moment, breathing hard, her chest heaving. Finally, Rebekah pushed up from the ground and stood tall near the absolute peak, reveling in her triumph. She thrust her arms in the air and shouted. Her father’s kingdom was behind her, and the whole world was before her. She was facing the ocean now. It was still too far in the distance to reach by the end of the day, but she could see it plain and clear, sparkling in the setting sunlight. The ocean realm of Oceanus was below the surface somewhere, hidden from the world above. To the left, Rebekah could see a vast forest, the kingdom of Sylvain. The trees were a mixture of evergreen and deciduous. Tall redwoods stood out from the rest like skyscrapers among houses. Down below in the valley she could just make out a majestic castle, and the kingdom of Glendale. On the distant horizon she could see the massive, swirling mass of clouds approaching, and she suddenly felt small and insignificant. She looked down the mountain. There were more peaks nearby, more places to explore. Something in the distance caught Rebekah’s eye. At the top of one of the lower peaks was a crevice in the rock that the snow seemed to have avoided. A ring of dry stone surrounded the opening, like a perimeter. It seemed almost an entryway to the heart of the mountain. A thought crept into her mind, in a voice that was not her own. This is where it begins. Everything is about to change. Rebekah decided that it was close enough to get to. She descended the peak she was on, determined to see what it was. A pathway was carved into the mountain on Rebekah’s side, winding through narrow tunnels. She jogged along the path, and came to a narrow gap between the two mountains where a stone bridge had once been standing. Most of it had fallen away long ago, leaving fours posts behind. Rebekah examined the one closest to her and saw that it was covered in strange runes; nothing that she recognized. She could see the opening on the other side. As she got closer, it became more distinct. There wasn’t any door, just an opening, and inside … darkness, silence. Old runes, just like those on the bridge, were carved into the stones that made up the entrance to the cave. Rebekah made a quick judgment, unhooking her gear. She jumped. Rebekah landed before the opening on light feet, crouching to absorb the impact in her knees. She stood and fished around in her pack, finally retrieving the lightstone. She
took a deep breath, and with that, entered the crevice. Rebekah took a few steps and then squeezed the stone in her closed fist, concentrating on light; how it danced and warmed the air. The stone lit up, illuminating the cave. The walls were etched in strange carvings, most unrecognizable. She stepped in further. The pathway before her twisted downward in a smooth spiral that could only haven been made by man. Somewhere water was dripping in cold, sharp splatters, echoing off the walls to meet her ears. She began to wonder just how deep the tunnel ran. As Rebekah trotted down the path, a strange sense of exhilaration overcame her. Who would build something so hard to reach? Time passed, and Rebekah felt the air become warmer and heavier, as if drops of water were suspended in the air. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness slightly, and she began to get a sense of the scope and vastness of where she was. A few more yards down, she turned a corner that led into an enormous cavern. Rebekah again held up the stone of light. The walls curved up in the center forming a dome. Purple stalactites of crystal dangled precariously from the ceiling. In the center was a raised dais, with a stone archway perched on top of it. The rest of the floor seemed to have fallen away from the dais, until only a narrow bridge was left standing from the crumbled stone, leading a dangerous path to the archway. She walked towards it, causing the whole cavern to shake, rocks crumbling around her. The stalactites trembled dangerously above. She suddenly became afraid; of what, she was unsure. Maybe it was the archway. It was intimidating, but at the same time, she felt drawn to it, and she knew at that moment that she could not leave, let alone turn away. She stepped towards it again, and the cavern continued to decay, so she took her chances and ran all the way. Carefully, she stepped onto the dais. As soon as she did, the shaking ceased and an eerie silence expanded in the damp air. Rebekah smelled pine needles, although there were no plants in sight. Rebekah scrunched her eyes tight together and leapt through the archway. She stood there on the other side, her eyes still closed tight to the world and she thought, Maybe if I don’t open my eyes, I’ll be somewhere else. Maybe I just have to believe. Her eyes parted slowly like trapdoors, delaying the loss of the hope that was swelling within her. She did not want to lose that feeling; she wanted to hold onto as long as she could. Finally, Rebekah saw that she had gone nowhere; still stuck in the same trap of a life. She sighed, and hopped off the dais. As she turned to leave the cavern, she looked back at the archway one last time. A light flickered in the center. Rebekah saw it out of the corner of her eye; a spark of hope that she was too scared to face, certain that she had imagined it. Rebekah decided she couldn’t pass up the chance.
She turned back. The outside of the curved stone arch showed nothing but the cavern Rebekah was in. But looking through the arch, as if it was a veil to another place, there was something else. An image had filled the empty space beneath the arch. Rebekah saw fire dancing merrily before her vision, a mirror of what she was feeling in her heart as hope reignited within her. She watched the flames grow brighter and brighter and then came rain, dampening the flames, and the fire died out to a small flicker. Soon, it was extinguished. A young, blond girl appeared on the other side of the arch. She was frowning slightly, but when she saw Rebekah, her face lit up. “I see you!” The girl shouted triumphantly. Rebekah felt a stab of familiarity. She knew this girl. But... how? The light flickered away as suddenly as it had appeared. "Wait! Come back!” Rebekah shouted, and her voice echoed around the cavern so that it seemed like a thousand people were agreeing with her. Rebekah went numb, as if she her soul had vacated her body and left her standing there alone. She glanced around the cavern, eyes wide, half expecting a little girl to come running out of a hidden area and laugh at Rebekah for falling for her trick. If she wasn’t going crazy, which she doubted, she had no proof of anything.
Taking a last, hopeful chance, Rebekah passed through the archway again. Again, nothing happened. In a scream of frustration, Rebekah threw her lightstone at the cavern wall where it fell down, down; the glow fading in a small pool of light until it vanished. Rebekah pulled out her Tablet and checked the time again. Six forty–five p.m. She had lingered far too long. Dinner would be served in a half–hour or so and there was no way she could make it down the mountain in time without her parents noticing her absence. Rebekah knew she’d have to call an airship if she wanted to avoid their questioning stares. She exited the cave, using her Tablet to illuminate her path. She glanced back at the archway longingly, one last time, her heart sinking. She was careful to descend the mountain a ways before the airship arrived, in order to hide the cavern from being seen and try to keep anyone from finding out what she had been doing. I’ll come back, she thought. A gleaming triangular ship descended from the sky, shining a beam of light down on Rebekah. She squinted and waved her arms high above her head to flag it down. It lowered to her height, hovered silently there, and extended a ramp. Rebekah climbed aboard. The airship flew away to the largest mountain in the range, Rebekah’s home. She watched from a window, her hand on the glass, as the cavern steadily vanished from sight.
This is Chapter One of a book, Through the Archway, we have been working on over about five years (and have recently complete the 85,000 word rough draft). It is the first book in an expected series of five. We hope to one day have it published.