A journey already taken

“A journey already taken” Anthology Project

By: Logan Grady May 10, 2013

“A Journey already taken”

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Title Page

“A Journey Already Taken” By: Logan Grady 2012-2013

Publishing Information Grady’s Inc. Huntsville, AR May 10, 2013

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Table of Contents

Page number

Dedication Page

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Part I – Tragedies

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Quite a love story

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Heart Broken

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Oscar

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Part II – Poetry

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Tornado Town

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Thriving to live

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Fire

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Stolen

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Wedding Day

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A day at the Fair

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Clowns

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Dreamer

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Supper Time

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Mama’s Dream

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Part III – Travels

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Almost there

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Grandma’s House

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Biographical Sketches

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Dedication First of all I would like to dedicate this to my family, friends, and teachers the ones who have encouraged me to push on when I wanted to give up. I want to especially thank my friend Tori Lyman. Tori has been such a good friend in fact she has read all the stories I write because I know she will tell me the truth on how bad they are.

I also want thank all my teachers for teaching me all the skills I needed to make this anthology. Thank you everyone who supported me and believed I could do this.

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Biographical Sketch (Part I) In this collection of stories common tragedies are portrayed. These tragedies include love stories gone wrong and death. Yes these are things that we all have experienced. This describes me as a writer because I take things harder than other people. It describes my emotions as a person.

Part I “Quite a love story” I didn’t know exactly where the train was going. After paying my fare, I simply stood on the platform. Waiting for the train to whisk me away somewhere anywhere but here. And that’s when it happened………… I saw him, his sparkling blue eyes his perfect brown hair. I saw him stepping on to the train. Just in time to hear the conductor call to the crowd “all aboard.” I ran through the crowd stepping into the safety on the train right before the doors sealed. I lost him. The crowd on the train was packed so tight and was so big. It was a struggle but I looked and looked yet to my surprise he had disappeared. When the crowd dispersed to my surprise there stood the guy with the sparkling blue eyes. The seat next to him was open 5

when I walked up. So there I sat next to him for almost the whole ride. I awoke to an empty seat next to me. I shortly got off the train and back to my normal life.

For the next six weeks all I could do was think of him. The way his blue eyes sparkled, and his face burned into my memory. It wasn’t long after that I started to travel with my job. My job sent me here and there. It even sent me to France.

While in France I went to see my aunt. She said I needed to get out more I was to consumed with my work. So she told me about an upcoming art show at the local museum. She said a lot of sensible men would be there. I thought a lot about it and decided to go. I was walking through the park on a bright sunny day. I happened to see a familiar face sitting on the bench in front of a well-known café. I was simply just going to walk by. But someone running by pushed me and I landed in his lap. I apologized as I got up then a sparkle shined in his eye. He invited me to have coffee with him. So I did. He remembered me. We talked for what seemed like forever, but was merely an hour or two. We went our separate ways until the next day. I was at the art show looking at a painting. This painting seemed plain all it contained was a train platform and a man read a paper on a bench. I was about to leave the painting when I ran into someone. I was shocked it was him the man with the sparkling blue eyes. After that night we went on a couple of dates a lot of times just for coffee.

Five months later I quit my job and got the same job there. So I would have to travel. A year after seeing the man with the sparkling blue eyes we went back to the same museum for a new show. In this show were some interesting paintings, but one was still there. The painting of the man on a bench on a train platform reading a paper. We looked at this painting for a couple of minutes. While I was looking at close details I lost track of what the man with the sparkling blue eyes was doing. He had reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring and gotten on his knee. On this day in front of the painting I had almost knocked him down he asked me to make him the happiest man in the world. I said, “Yes” of course what else would I say. The birthdays and anniversaries came and went, and we grew weaker and older. It was two weeks after are 50th anniversary when I awoke with a strange feeling. This feeling was unusual I felt lonely and broken inside. I was worried. So for comfort I looked to my prince charming by my side. I tapped his arm and he did not wake up.

I rubbed his arm and he was cold to the touch. I knew then the reason for the feeling. My prince charming had died in his sleep. At least I knew he was peaceful because he had a smile on his face. That was the day my other half died. It made me wonder when it would be my turn to go. It only took one year for my answer to come. It was the day before our 51 st anniversary. I felt as though I had no a care or worry in the world. I had been put in the hospital due to my cancer they thought was gone. I had stage four leukemia. My family visited and left all except my daughter who stayed by my side. The doctor came in and asked to see my daughter in the hall. They shut the door and began to talk. My daughter shortly returned with tear filled eyes and red streaks on her cheeks. I knew what was said right away. I soon fell asleep. I awoke to a voice the voice of my little girl. She was praying. She said,” Lord, please take my mother home she is in pain physically and emotionally since daddy died, she is suffering.” She just wanted me to be at peace once more.

Later that night I started to see a bright white light. Next thing I knew a man was standing beside me he led me to a tunnel. My feet lifted off the ground I was being carried by a force down this tunnel. At the end of the tunnel I saw a light. The end of the tunnel was near I could see a train platform. I got to the platform to find a 6

man sitting on a nearby bench reading the paper. A voice came from the man it asked, “Are you ready.� I had no words all I could do was take his hand. I noticed the voice but I thought I was mistaken. This voice was the voice of the man with the sparkling blue eyes. A train pulled up and we stepped on. It took off towards the sky. Finally my broken heart was mended. Yes this is quite a love story and this is where it ends.

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Heartbroken</3 We were young what could I say I loved him The question was did he feel the same The way his blue eyes shined and his blonde hair laid Made him perfect in every way I hide the feelings I feel every day We are the best of friends and that is how it will stay If I tell him what is to say I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be heartbroken the next day I will continue to hide this feeling For friendships sake

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Oscar His name was Oscar He was my friend We grew up together I took care of him He would be mine forever Oscar and I the best of friends Together forever or so I thought He was playing in the street Not paying attention He was crossing the road The bus was coming so fast The driver tried to stop He applied the brake But he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fast enough Oscar was hit He was killed That was the day I lost a friend for life

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Biographical Sketch In this collection of poems there are many different scenarios such as natural disasters, kidnapping, fires, and fun days. These are just random poems they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t describe me as a writer. I do like to write poetry though. Life is like a big poem all together. My life especially is a poem.

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Part II (Tornado Town) An alarm sounds The sky dark The air thick The rain Cold The wind strong It’s getting worse Trees break Foundations crack Cars stop on this November day A Swirling mass is coming our way Momma yells for us to get in the cellar I don’t move I can’t The dark mass inches closer I am staring death in the face I try to move I try to scream No one could help me I doubt they were even listening My knees buckled To the ground I fell I stayed there and prayed The town destroyed A small price to pay for the lives lost On that November Day

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Thriving to live What am I doing here?

Things are not so clear I feel a sense of fear A spinning sensation in my head I am being lifted in to an ambulance I feel a prick on my arm A warm sensation feels my body Bright lights and heavy doors I am at the hospital Tubes and monitors Electricity travels through my body Again and again No response I am alone In a dark room I hear the long beep Of a heart monitor Am I dead?

Or just thriving to live

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Fire Smoke is filling the room Alarms sound Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to breathe I run to the door I reach for the knob I accept my fate I crawl to the edge of the bed That is as far as I make it I am laying on the floor A set of arms grab me They carry me to safety I wake up in the hospital An oxygen mask on my face A strange man by my side I open my eyes I try to move I can tell I am badly burnt He calls for the doctor The doctor rushes in The doctor says I am a lucky woman The man sitting to the side Is the man who saved my life

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Stolen Walking down the street to the park Ready to play all day Running through the play set Swinging on the swings Walking home It’s almost dark I feel like I am being followed Arms around my waist Hand over my mouth I try to scream My vision goes blurry I hear a thud I’m being taken somewhere Somewhere unknown I don’t know where I am All I know is I was Stolen

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Wedding Day It was their wedding day The bride and groom were on their was The perfect wedding The perfect venue the perfect setting There was a crash He was dead she was in trouble They were clueless of one another Their wedding was ruined Their lives were a wreck Lights and sirens The Jaws of Life clawing through the car door Everything went dark Then came a spark No response She is cold Her big day Turned out to be her last

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A day at the fair A day at the fair What a better day The food, the rides, the freedom Funnel cakes, lemonade, and cotton candy We scream and yell The time flies Ride after ride Lots of fun and games to play Today is the last day It is time to leave Good bye fair See you next year

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Clowns Rainbow wigs and painted faces Squirt flowers and jokes All day Kids scream and cry Painted on smiles Deep inside They enjoy the sound of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screams and cries Under Neath they are dark and evil I feel hatred towards clowns Hatred for everything they do With size twenty-one feet and curly rainbow hair

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Dreamer Mom says, “get your head out of the clouds” “Wake up, get up, and do something with your life.”

“Don’t out smart your common sense.”

In my dream world I control my self No one tells me what to do I am free to do as I please No teachers, No parents, No work or detention Just fun and games No worries or broken promises Just me in my own little world

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Supper time Momma calls for supper time I know not to make her call twice I get inside and wash up I set the table And had a seat Mom fixed our plates We bowed our heads And prayed Lord, thank you for this day Then we ate

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Mamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream Daddy gave life to mamas dream A house with two porch swings A happy family A hard working man Mama never asked for anything more Just those little things She was always happy All those years Just sitting on her porch swing

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Biographical sketch In these few stories it describes my travels. This is my travel section. This describes me as a writer because it shows where I have been and what I have done. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t traveled many places. The place I traveled were plenty for me.

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Almost there I have traveled to Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and I live in Arkansas so I guess you could count it to. I didn’t really meet new people but we stopped in all these places on the way to where we are going. I did meet a couple of people. One guy I met in Orlando his name was Bud America. He was originally from Arkansas but moved to Florida because of the work he was going to do. He ended up working as a waiter at steak and shake. He works on Tuesday and Thursday from 4pm – 10pm. He is 68 years old and has three kids. He has two boys and one girl. He was recently divorced. He missed our Arkansas accents he missed Arkansas all together. While we were on this trip a lot of people could tell we were not from the state of Florida. We stayed in Orlando, Florida for one week and the first five days we were under a tropical storm. We left June 22,2012 and returned June 29,2012.

It was a 14 hour drive and so we drove half and stopped. Half way to Orlando is Montgomery, Alabama. In Montgomery we met a couple of very sweet black ladies.

We got the elevation floor soaked. We went upstairs and couldn’t sleep so we got in the elevator and pushed buttons for people. Sometimes we got tips. We left the hotel the next morning and drove the last seven hours. We played a card game called spoons for the whole ride. We arrived at Orlando after what seemed like forever. We got a better condo because we got an upgrade. After that the adults went out in the town leaving three teenagers alone until morning. We went swimming then played hide in go seek in the dark I fell of the top of the fridge. We sat on the back deck later that night and watched the huge sling shot shoot people into the night sky. We ordered pizza at 2:00 am from dominos. The delivery man was not happy. It started to rain again. We decided to take a walk. It started raining and the door handle fell off so we had to walk all the way to the front of the duplex thing to get a repair man. In the pouring rain and of course we wore white shirts.

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Grandma’s House On the road again just can’t wait to get on the road again. WRONG. I was dreading this trip. Going to grandma’s house fun, fun. My grandma lives in Texas.

Every summer we pack our bags and go. We stay three weeks. My grandma smells like ham and moth balls. She is old and wrinkly and has bleach white hair. Moth balls in the closets and fly traps on the walls. This trip is always dreaded. She pinches our cheeks and forgets our names. Maybe this trip will be different who knows all things change.

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