A m u l e t
The End
2 0 1 1
V o l u m e X I V
Wakefield School 4439 Old Tavern Road The Plains, Virginia 20198
Amulet 2011
Every night around the world when children are about to go to sleep, the same question is heard: “Will you tell me a story?” All children desire to be sent on an adventure far beyond their imaginations, into mystical castles and mysterious caves. These stories are what open their minds up to the posibilities in the world. “Once Upon A Time” is the doorway into these journies that inspire us all.
Editor-In-Chief Amina Tobah
Art Editors Kate Weimer Kelly Mason Prose Editor Heather Swede Poetry Editor Juliet Mayer
Staff Emily Brown Emily Gunberg Jackie Gorman Lauren Wade Faculty Advisor Dr. Perry
Fiction is the work of the author’s imagination and does not necessarily represent an actual experience.
Mission Statement
Amulet is a literary-art magazine showcasing the creative efforts of Wakefield’s Lower and Middle School. It designed and produced by a small staff of students under the supervisiona of a faculty advisor. In chosing pieces for this publication, the staff strives to highlight originality in content and expression, and to offer a broad range of genres and subject matter.
Colophon Typset was done in Microsoft Word 2008. Page layot in Adobe InDesign CS5 Version 7.0.3. Prose and prose bylines are set in News Gothic Std. Poetry and poetry bylines are set in Chaparral Pro. Table of Contents and Index are set in Lucidia Grande. Prose Titles are set in Trajan Pro, Cracked, Lucidia Calligraphy, Viva Std, Harrington, Apple Chancery, Savoy LET, Chalkduster, Monotype Corsiva, Apple Casual, Princetontown LET, Bradley Hand ITC TT, and Curlz MT. Cover, Inside Cover, and Back Cover are set in Apple Chancery and Lucidia Grande. Coverstock is Classic Linen 100# Natural White. Inside stock is Classic Crest 70# Natural White. Printing by Piedmont Press, Warrington, Virginia. All layout and design executed by the students.
CSPA Awards
2004 Gold Medal 2005 Gold Crown 2006 Silver Medal 2007 Bronze Medal 2008 Gold Medal 2009 Gold Medal 2010 Gold Medal
Special Thanks to:
Dr Perry for being the advisor. Mr. Genther for answering all my questions and helping me with with your amazing software and Mac skills. Mrs. Tucker for allowing us to interrupt your classes on our way to the Talisman room. Emily Rutledge for the last minute help. Sojin Yeo for the artisitic suggestions. My Dad, Mr. Tobah for the advice.
My Mom, Mrs. Ahmed-Ali for all the help in inspiration.
And a BIG THANKS to Lara Kozak for always being there to answer my questions and help me out when I needed it. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you next year! We’re going to miss you!
Once Upon A Time... Amulet 2011
Volume XIV, Issue 1
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Tabel of Contents Prose
Dr. Otom
What Does This Call Mean? Wasn’t Thinking First
The Dull Christmas Eve
A Winter Day is Born Invisible Lines About a Boy The Wave Court Crazy Squirrel
Candy Town Sunny Fish
Falling Music CDs and Pets
Poetry
My Imagination
Tripp Dolan
12
Sophie Coolidge
30
Nora Ferrante Griffin Martin
Tripp Dolan
Caroline Kessler Henry Brewer Molly Cesanek
Claire Thompson Chandler Brown
Nik Giyanani Caitlin Baltazar Dylan Winick
24-25 35 39
41-51 58 61 66 75
78-79 82 7
Dogs Harrison McElroy 9
Cat Fiona Evans-Wells 9
Fire Dylan Winick 10 Fears of an Eighth Grade Class
Mr.Zontine’s
Composition Class
14-15
The Owl Connor Dunszynski 16 Grave Stone My Greatest Fear
Kelsey Winick Nicholas Lukens
19 20
Halloween Maura Thompson 23
Snow Brianna Handford 27 2
Snowflakes
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Kristen Guiney
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Frosty Flakes
Cade Burdette
29
My Pug Chubbs
Robin Ross
33
Whales Graham Zontine 32 Winter Wonderland
Dylan Fanico
34
The Guard James Wroe 36
Cold Evening
Logan Day
38
Nature
Allie Adrian
53
Ambition America Alive A Soldier’s Last Pillow
A Ragamuffin
Joshua Mohney William Robinson Eryn Peters Brittany Leggott
40 54 57 60
Hoax Rachel Bryant 60
Mad at Math
James Wroe
62
Spring
Allie Adrian
68
Wakefield
Dylan Winick
65
Mountains Brendon Park 70
The Cliff
Lucas Quinn
71
Lunch Time
Joshua Mohney
76
The Night
Maura Thompson
80
Waves Harrison McElroy 72 Memory is Like… The Sun Flowers Scramble
Arabella Westbrook Dylan Winick Isabelle Horn Megan Mossburg
and Jane Koch
77 81 83 85
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Art
Sunset Hannah Cole 6 Puppy Priscilla Gravette 8 Design Harwood Wolfson 11
Storm Kristen Guiney 12 Tornado James Reid and 13 Nicholas Capannelli Evil Snake
Allison Swede
15
Trees
Cam Abeel
18-19
Tree and Sunrise
Kayla Dowell
17
Bird Julia Leggette 21
Squares Nicholas Spiewak 22 Candle Nora Ferrante 23 Girl
Allison Swede
25
Swirls
Helen-Anne Gable
28-29
Snowy Day
Maura Thompson
26
Mountains Lilly Christenbury 31 Whale
Graham Zontine
32
Christmas
Sophia Carey
35
Puppy
Hayley Malinowski
33
Ghost Blake Brown 37 Gingerbread Man
Abbey Merchant
38
Chelsea
Caroline Kessler
41
Spring Morning
Ava Duszynski
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Snowman Sophia Carey 39 Nature Sword
Elephant Baby Giraffe 4
Red and Black Swirls
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Allie Adrian
Pierce Mingione Bobby Milligan
Caroline Clodfelt
Helen-Anne Gable
52-53 57 58 59
60-61
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Ruler Carson Bryant 62 Monkey Belle Leggott 63 School
School Bus
Gwynn Major Sophia Carey
64 65
Squirrel Maura Thompson 67 Spring
Allie Adrian
68-69
Mountains Brendon Park 70 Waves Emily Callahan 73 Colorful Swirls
Juliana Parra
74-75
Butterfly
Isabel Bryant
77
Boy and Fly Butterfly
Shark and Whale Sea Bear Sun
Spotted Puppy Pony Flower
Triangle Flower Lil’ Duck
Crayon Flower
Carson Bryant
Lexi van der Woude Garret Campos Allison Swede
Gwynn Major Chase Miller
Lexi van der Woude Helen-Anne Gable
Madeleine Wallach Allison Swede
Sarah Steenson Kate Welsh
76 77 78 79 81 82 82 83 83 84 84 84
Cover designed by Kate Weimer and edited by Amina Tobah 5
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Hannah Cole 6 Grade Seven 86985 Wakefield Amulet 2011 INSIDES.indd 6
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My Imagination
By Dylan Winick Grade Six
My imagination shows me places that only I can see. It shows me things as amazing as they could possibly be. I battle gruesome monsters that I fight hard to defeat. It transports me from the winter cold to the summer’s heat. From great heroes to monsters and everything in between In my dreams I have a world that only I have seen. In my dreams I am the hero, fighting brave and strong. A good guy to the rescue, who tries to do no wrong. My dreams are full of adventure and really quite a sight. All these thoughts going through my head at the speed of light.
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Priscilla Gravett Grade Two
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Dogs
By Harrison McElroy Grade Two
I love dogs so much Their fur is like a blanket They are always fun
Cat
By Fiona Evans-Wells Grade Two
Listen to a purr Loves to play and glowing eyes Don’t put in water
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Fire Dylan Winick Grade Six
Blazing The combustion Killer, yet creator Bathing us in a shade of red Fire.
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Harwood Wolfson Grade Seven 11
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Kristen Guiney Grade Four
Dr. Otom By Tripp Dolan Grade Three
My superhero, Dr. Otom, helps me get over my fear of thunder and lightning. His super belt carries my favorite things that make me feel safe. He also has web shooters, so he can spray webs on my windows so I don’t see the lightning. He tells me it will be okay. “It is going to be okay,” he says to me. When I get scared, Dr. Otom tells me to watch T.V. or listen to the music on my itouch. Dr. Otom sometimes tells me to play, and that distracts me from the thunder and lighning. That is how Dr. Otom helps me get over my fear of thunder and lightning.
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James Reid and Nicholas Capannelli Grade Three 13
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Fears of an Eighth Grade Class
(inspired by Fears of Your Life by Michael Bernard Loggins) By Mr. Zontine’s composition class
I fear not knowing what the future holds. I fear the creepy guy in the New York metro. I fear getting “the talk.” I fear for America. I fear having no friends. I fear using a public restroom with a line behind me. I feel so rushed. I fear dying an unimportant life. I fear looking into a mirror. I have this odd tendency to find every last problem with my appearance. It isn’t seeing the problems that bother me. It is realizing I care too much. I fear getting locked in a closet. I fear my top or bottom coming off in a swimming pool or in the ocean. I fear having a long and painful death. I fear the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. I fear Venus flytraps big enough to eat me. I fear becoming overweight. I am scared because I don’t think I exercise enough and I like junk food. I fear going bald. I fear snakes. I hate their skin, and the cold touch they give. I fear their fangs, their ability to hide, and how quickly they can strike. Most of all, I fear their big, staring eyes. I fear becoming a cat lady. 14
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I fear Asia taking over. I fear vomit—especially when someone pukes on me. It causes me to puke. I fear hermit crabs. I’m afraid they are going to come out of their shells and bite me. You never know when they are going to pop out. I fear drowning. I fear getting stuck in Don Johns. I am afraid that I will get stuck in one, and it will tip over with me in it. I fear being put into a pit of man-eating spiders. I fear really hot drinks and food. They could burn your tongue, and then it hurts badly for awhile. I fear looking into darkness. I fear that something will happen to me or my sister while we are mad at each other, and she will never know how much I love her. Allison Swede I fear being like everyone else. Grade Seven I fear loving without being loved back. I fear a colorless world. I fear being a burden on other people. I fear having to grow up and be mature because I love being a kid. 15
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The Owl
By Connor Duszynski Grade Six
I walk Into the rain Into the summer Into the barn. I climb Up to the stairs Up to the loft Up to the hay. I lie In the hay In the dawn In the window. I see The misty pond The old oak tree The owl.
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17 Kayla Dowell Grade Four 86985 Wakefield Amulet 2011 INSIDES.indd 17
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Cam Abeel Grade Five
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Grave Stone By Kelsey Winick Grade Seven
Walking alone at night I pass a cemetery. I look at a gravestone And there on it Is My name, The date of my birth And the year after this. I stop breathing, Heart racing. Is this a sign? Is this real? The future Or a lie? Fake Never to come true I guess we’ll find out After another year’s passed
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My Greatest Fear By Nicholas Lukens Grade Five
Have you ever stood on a really high place and looked down and then wondered what it would be like to fall from that place? I have thought about this too many times and now my greatest fear is being in high places with nothing like a fence or barricade to keep me from falling. I know that I would never jump off a really high place, but just the thought of falling really makes me scared. Whenever I go somewhere that has a balcony, sometimes I just feel like I could fall or jump off. It’s quite scary. My fears began when I was a young boy. My family went to New York City and we visited the Empire State Building. We went up to the very top floor. When we got to the 102 nd floor, I’d never been so high and felt so scared. Just the thought of falling off made me so scared I could barely move. There was a tall fence around the edge that basically made sure that no one would try and jump off or fall off. For some reason, this really did not make me feel better. I think this was the beginning of my fear of heights.The wind up this high was really blowing hard and I was not sure I could keep standing up. My senses told me to hold on to anything I could. I tried to put one foot in front of the other and move forward, but I just could not move. I thought to myself I should just go back inside. What is strange is that I can fly in an airplane, but I guess since that is totally enclosed, I am not scared of falling. I have been back to Empire State Building many times, but never back to the top floor. My fear of heights will probably not be overcome for a long time and I will probably have to learn to live with this fear.
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Julia Leggette Grade Seven
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Nicholas Spiewak Grade One
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Halloween
By Maura Thompson Grade Three
Halloween is so fun But not so much in the sun. I play in the night until its dark That’s when I lit my candle but no spark. I go trick-or-treating in the night. The pumpkins are lit there so, so bright. Kids and their parents walking along While happily singing a song.
Nora Ferrante Grade Five
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What Does This Call Mean? By Nora Ferrante Grade Five
It was a warm, sunny, and altogether perfect day. My family was gathered together, having a great time when we got the call. It was my grandmother Rose calling. She never calls us, so we knew that something was wrong. She was calling to talk to us about my grandfather David. When my grandfather was 72, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He had become so ill that he couldn’t take care of himself. He eventually had to move into a medical care home. We knew it had to have gotten worse by then. What does this call mean? Why would this happen to me? What will we do now? Will Grandfather be alright? Will he live any longer? My grandmother said that my grandfather was probably going to die within the next few weeks. After about six weeks, we went to California to see him. On the night we arrived at our hotel, we got another call. It was my Grandmother Rose calling, saying that she thought my Grandfather was going to die that night. We rushed to see him. There he was, half asleep on his death bed. I scarcely knew my Grandfather. I had always pictured him as a lively and happy man, but here he was, a poor, melancholy creature, minutes away from his death. He’s going to die I’ll never see him again He is sad to watch Now’s the last time I’ll see him I can not bear to see him 24
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I stood by his bed, watching him inhaling the last breaths of life. I turned away. I couldn’t watch him die. Then, a miracle happened. I turned around, and saw that my Grandfather’s eyes were open with fire in them like I had never seen before. He stared at me, unimpressed, and then he stuck his tongue out at me. He still had a sense of humor. I knew that he would live for another few weeks, at least. But the night we heard about his death five weeks later, the last thing I remember is crying myself to sleep.
Allison Swede Grade Seven 25
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Brianna Handford Grade Three
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Snow
By Brianna Handford Grade Three
Snow, Snow What do I know, about snow? Each flake falling to the ground. Each one a different shape to be found. Snow is a wonderful thing, what will the next snowfall bring? A streak of happiness to all, during the next snowfall.
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Helen-Anne Gable Grade Seven
Snowflakes By Kristen Guiney Grade Four
Translucent windows Small as a grain for a mouse Light as a feather
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Frosty Flakes By Cade Burdette Grade Three
It’s winter, the snow is falling, It’s a snowball fight, My friends are calling, I put on my coat, boots, and hat I’m out the door in seconds flat. I grab my board, Sprint to the hill, Over the jump , I take a big spill. It’s getting late, I have to go, I’ll make that jump, In the next big snow!
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Wasn’t Thinking First By Sophie Coolidge Grade Five
My family and I were going up the ski lifts in Wyoming. The wind nipped at my nose as we got off and skied down the hill. I knew this trail well. At least I thought I did. What I didn’t know was the danger of a one foot jump. My older brother, Sam, went off a hill that was easy for him, so I decided to do it, too. Whizzing down trails felt unbelievable! Skiing down as fast as I could, I made the jump! Only after I jumped I realized how far in the air I would go. Whizzing down the hill. Getting ready for the jump. Wasn’t thinking first. Trying to grow up like Sam. But instead a bad choice came. I tried to stop myself, but that made it worse. Flying through the air for a second, I landed on my back and twisted my legs! Surprisingly, I was in such shock that even with my legs forming a T, I didn’t cry! It happened so quick, so I didn’t have time to think or feel. Mom told me it would be fine because the babysitter had gone for help. When ski patrol came they checked me out, and after they felt my leg, they realized my femur was broken. They took me down in a sled, and we got in an ambulance. I was really scared. I didn’t know what was wrong. Going down the hill. Popsicles for all my meals. Honored to ride Air Force Two. 30
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The next thing I knew, I was in a cast that went from my armpits to my toes. When it was time to go home, I couldn’t ride in normal airplane because I couldn’t sit upright during take-off and landing. One of my dad’s friends got me a ride home on Air Force Two! It was awesome because I got to meet Vice President Cheney. It was quite a ride! Air Force Two flew so fast, I thought to myself, “ Cool ride! Maybe I should I break my leg again next year or the year after?”
Lilly Christenbury Grade Three
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Graham Zontine GradeTwo
Whales
By Graham Zontine GradeTwo
The whales in the sea They make bubbles when they swim They eat other fish
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My Pug Chubbs Robin Ross Grade Seven
My pug Chubbs is such a delight He wheezes and snorts and farts through the night. When food is near he spins with a squeal, His pockets of fat show how he loves meals. I run my wallet dry with beds galore, But when I get home he’s snoring on the floor. He has more clothes than most of us folk, But rolls in the grass like it’s a joke. He jumps on the couch like it’s his own, He takes up the space with a sigh and groan. When I get into bed, I find he beat me there. The space for my sleep is an inch-by-inch square. When I get ready in fancy clothes and lace, I bend down to pat him and get a sneeze in the face. I love my pug Chubbs, he’s the best pet He’s the best friend anyone could get.
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Winter Wonderland Dylan Fanico Grade Three
The snow will fall so fluffy and light, The children will think it’s an amazing sight. When the children come out, They’ll simply shout, “Hooray, today’s a snowy day!”
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The Dull Christmas Eve Griffin Martin Grade One
One day, well it wasn’t just any day, it was Christmas Eve day! Isn’t that ridiculous? But this Christmas Eve was bad. This year I did not hear reindeer hooves on my roof. That is why Santa walked into my house. He could have taken his sleigh, but I guess Blitzen was too tired. The other reindeer couldn’t do it without Blitzen. Mrs. Claus was happy she could make more cookies with Cupid. When I woke up on Christmas day, I expected NO PRESENTS! But since Santa walked, I found my stockings full of Candy! I looked under my tree and I found gifts! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Sophia Carey Grade One 35
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The Guard James Wroe Grade Eight
That boulder Sitting right of the pass Inside a damp dark cave With nothing No light No flittering of bats for company Even the dripping of water has stopped A determined, silent guard A guard who forgot his real purpose long ago Brooding silently Leaning forward Slowly inching towards the edge Waiting for the push The push that will send it tumbling Racing down the path Like a bird, released from a cage, after so many years To have that brief glimpse at freedom Before it is halted again, Trapped again, Lost again Forgotten.
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Blake Brown Grade Four
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Cold Evening Logan Day Grade Three
It was a cold evening with a breezy wind whistling in your ears. There were icy roads with slick spots, driving cars, and wet patches of snow. It was cloudy, not very bright, and the setting sun made more vividly colored lights dance on the clouds. It was warm at my house with a bonfire’s heat on my back. There were happy dogs, one very healthy with shiny fur and the other rather old and lazy. Inside it was warm and comfortable in bed with the moon getting high. Sleep was welcomed and dreams sparkled with yet another winter day.
Abbey Merchant Grade One
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A Winter Day is Born Tripp Dolan Grade Three
When the day is born, you jump out of bed and join the fun. The very powdery, soft, light snow looks shiny when it glimmers in the sunlight. It looks like mountains after you shovel, and there are very giant snowdrifts. The very strong wind makes the snow move and look like sand. It feels like you are falling into a soft bed when you tumble into the light powdery snow. When you fall into the wet heavy snow, it feels like you are standing in rain. It sounds like tree branches breaking when thin ice breaks. It feels smooth when you slide across the ice with your shoes. It sounds scratchy when you skate on top of it. The ice looks very smooth like a blanket and shines like the snow. The sharp wind stings my face like a bee. When I am inside looking at the trees and the wind moving through the trees it makes a chill go down my spine. The wind smells like my neighbor’s fire burning.The strong wind bites my hands like a dog and howls when it moves through the bare trees. The trees bend over when it moves through the bare trees. The trees bend over when piles of snow gather on them. The tree branches break when a lot of snow piles on them. After you play outside and you are done, you go in and have a cup of hot cocoa. The fire crackles and makes me warm. If you are very cold you can go and take a hot shower. When the day has ended, I go to bed and wait for the next winter day to be born. Sophia Carey Grade One
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Ambition
By Joshua Mohney Grade Eight
Where is the line between ambition and greed? Why does self always supersede? Aspiration stands honorable. But greed sits intolerable. Where is this line between ambition and greed? Can we say “the ambitious do so out of general need” And “the greedy do so out of greed”? Are they here determined from the greedy? Where is the line that separates the ambitious and the greedy? Are all people greedy? Is ambition is an invention, For our own self view, So, we can tell ourselves that our greed is honorable? What does this say about us as people? It shows us the line between good and evil.
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Invisible Lines A Super Hero Story By Caroline Kessler Grade Eight
Caroline Kessler Grade Eight
Page breaks inspired by a design by Helen-Anne Gable Grade Seven 41
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She walked in the door, thankful to throw off her backpack and escape the people on the street. She leaned with her back against the wall and felt finally at ease as she slipped away into nothingness. The basset hound whined from the armchair. The girl sighed and appeared against the wall once more. She looked over to her grandfather, picking dog hairs off his sweater and leaning against the hard back of the armchair where the tired hound used to be. “You know I don’t like you doing that, Chelsea,” he said with his gravelly voice grazing over every word. “I want to be alone,” she shot back. “It’d be nice to actually see my granddaughter sometimes,” he growled. “You do, and, in fact, the whole world did. That’s why I’m never showing my face in public again!” “But Chels, if you would just—” “Just go talk to your basset hound, Gramps,” Chelsea snapped. And with a loud snap to make her point, she vanished from the room. Her grandfather gave out a low, mournful bay and rested his head back on the arm of the chair, his soft floppy ears lying beside him. “I heard that,” Chelsea whispered, materializing beside the chair. The dog jumped and just like that, her grandfather appeared in the chair, coughing on a hairball. “Chelsea…,” he coughed angrily, “Save it for the cats, Gramps,” Chelsea laughed. Then she grabbed her bag by the door and, silently this time, materialized in her bedroom. Alone at last she thought as she flopped down on her clean, pastel bedspread. Why does he always do that? Why do I always have to be in the spotlight? Just because he’s old and wishing for the glory days, doesn’t mean I want any of that. Chelsea sat up off her bed and unloaded her books. She gathered them in her arms, ready to disappear to her favorite spot in the whole world when there was a knock at the door. Make that two knocks, actually. “Honey, I’m home from work,” Chelsea’s mother’s voice sounded tentatively from the hall. “Just let us in for a moment,” said an almost identical voice, but Chelsea knew the difference. There was a long pause and the first voice came again, with a joking ring to it, “You know I can knock down this door at anytime.” And so she did. Chelsea’s mother and twin sister walked in and stepped over the fallen door, but Chelsea was nowhere to be seen. Chelsea was actually sitting in plain sight; just she happened to be invisible. “You know the insurance won’t cover that,” Chelsea said from her desk chair. “I heard it from over here!” her aunt said, feeling around the room for invisible Chelsea.
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Chelsea let her aunt get about a foot away from her before she whispered, “Ooh, so close,” and materialized at the other side of her room, still invisible, with a loud snap. “But just not close enough,” she said with a sinister grin, not that anyone could see it. This was one of her favorite games. “Don’t make me smoke you out of here,” her aunt said, smiling even more than Chelsea and sticking her left index finger up in the air. “You wouldn’t,” Chelsea growled, appearing on her bed and making her mother, who had, unknowingly, been sitting next to her, jump back in surprise. “You’re right, I wouldn’t,” said the aunt. “She’s just joking, honey – right, Suze?” Chelsea’s mother added with a dangerous look at her slightly air-headed sister, who didn’t notice because, at the moment she was spinning in circles on Chelsea’s desk chair, enjoying her own game of lighting a spark at the tip of her finger then blowing it out and watch the smoke circle around her head. “Right, Suze?” the mother repeated, louder this time. Suze stomped her foot down on the floor to stop her spinning chair. She held up her right hand, showing her innocence, while she held her stomach with the other from the spinning. “I swear I didn’t know I bought the sparkling birthday candles,” she said woozily, “And that all of your new furniture is on backorder.” Chelsea’s mother rolled her eyes at her twin, but turned the other way to hide her gloating smile, secretly loving the hand she had over her sister. After all, sibling rivalry is sibling rivalry. “Hey Mom, Aunt Suze,” said Chelsea, slowly picking up her school books where she had left them, “I can see this is something you two still haven’t completely worked out, so . . . I’m just gonna go right now.” Chelsea said, quietly vanishing from sight. “No, wait!” said Suze, stumbling dizzily out of the desk chair toward the spot Chelsea was a second before, but it was too late, Chelsea was gone. Chelsea sighed as she settled into the soft grass under a sturdy oak tree. She loved this spot, high up on a hill. It overlooked the whole city, but was completely solitary. She leaned back against the bark of the tree, rubbed soft from all the time she spent sitting there, and looked out over the city. She knew if she strained her neck hard enough, she could see her townhouse, distinguished from the other boring brick fronts by the giant scorch marks caused by her aunt on that disastrous birthday. Chelsea reached for her heavy textbooks to start her homework when— “How did I know that you were going to be here, right at this time?” asked a voice from the branches of the tree. Suddenly, a girl swung down from leaves and hung upside-down with her hair waving back and forth and her legs hooked around a branch. 43
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Recovering from the slight shock and returning visible again, after her instinctive reaction to hide, Chelsea looked up at the girl in the tree, “Very funny, Chrys,” she said sdryly to her old friend. “It’s just a mystery, isn’t it, how I can be so right all the time?” said Chelsea’s friend, Chrystal. “Mind boggling,” replied Chelsea sarcastically. Chrystal started swinging back and forth on her branch, making her necklace sway and edge further and further off her neck. After a few more swings, the silver chain with a large and slightly ironic purple crystal fell to the ground and crumpled in a pile of coils. Seeing her precious jewelry on the grass, Chrystal neatly unhooked her legs from the branch and landed lightly on the earth with a roll, stealthily grabbing her necklace as she turned. This was only the second time Chelsea had seen her friend without her necklace on. They had been friends since they were four years old when they had met at the local support groups for parents with “uniquely talented” children. When they were six, Chrystal (whose actual name was Mason, but was never actually called that) showed Chelsea how she could use the purple crystal to tell what Chelsea would get for Christmas. Chelsea had held the purple crystal in her hand but could see nothing; the shiny rock seemed cold and dim, but when her friend held it, the gem had an inward glow to it and reflected into Chrystal’s violet eyes. Over the years, Chrystal had used her small shard of a crystal ball to perfect her daily life; it had started with winning a radio show and a preview of the math test, but now Chrystal often used her psychic abilities to slip into anywhere she wanted when no one was watching and had developed a slight pick-pocketing problem. Chelsea didn’t like what Chrystal was doing, but never let it get between their friendship. Now Chrystal looked at her friend with a devilish glint in her violet eyes. “Guess what I have,” she sang gleefully. Chelsea rolled her eyes, “You’re the psychic, remember?” “Don’t you ever want to have fun? Get out there, show the world what you’re made of! Use your power, that’s why you have it!” “I told you never to talk about that again.” “What, your little—” “Chrys! Just, change the subject, or something. I don’t want to talk about it.” “Fine, but you’re going to have to…fine. You’re no fun anymore. Okay, listen, have you ever heard of a Mr. Andrew Green?” “No . . . why?” “Because I have. I know for a fact that that he is 47 years old, slightly bald, and at 4:48 today, he had his wallet stolen.” “Chrystal! What did you—“ “It gets better, just wait! He happens to be a very successful lawyer and in 44
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his wallet he has seven major credit cards, $150 dollars in free spending money, and—” “What…did…you…do?” asked Chelsea slowly, and in monotone. “I reached my full potential.” “By pick pocketing?!” “No…by taking full advantage of the situation. I have the ability, why not use it?” Now Chelsea really started to panic, was her friend really thinking this way? Did she really think this was something she was entitled to? Just because of what— a stupid crystal? “What?! No! Chrys! You’ve got to . . . no, you just have to, um, well, eh . . .” said Chelsea as she frantically ran her fingers through her hair and paced back and forth, spastically popping back and forth between being visible and unseen. Suddenly, she popped up beside Chrystal, “Where is Andrew Green right now?” she asked slowly in a raspy whisper. “In five seconds, he’ll be walking down 5th Avenue, looking for his wallet for the, um, third time,” said Chrystal, tilting her head in a way showing that this should be obvious and that she didn’t understand why this was important. She held her large pendant and scraped her thumbnail vertically against the smooth, slightly glowing gemstone as her eyes stared out in a sightless gaze and widened with a sudden vision. “Chels! He’s going to cancel his credit cards in two hours! We’ve got to hurry! What do you want? A new wardrobe? Shoes? Need any minor surgery? I’ve got it all right here!” Chelsea looked back in horror at her friend’s excitement for breaking the law. Her eyes burned with angry tears. She couldn’t believe Chrystal would think this way, and she was not going to let her friend go down. “No, you don’t. You really don’t. You have to go give that back to that man right now! Mason, look at me! Give it back!” Chelsea yelled as she fingered her hair and gnawed at the ends. “Don’t call me Mason,” snapped the girl with the angry purple eyes. “You don’t get it, I earned this money. It’s mine.” “Please, Chrystal, give it back,” Chelsea begged. She finally broke and let the tears roll down her face. “Suck it up,” Chrystal looked at Chelsea with a cold glint in her eyes that Chelsea had never seen before, “Chelsea, you can be such a wimp sometimes. Just get over it.” Chelsea tried to ignore the snide comment, but her voice still trembled, “Focus. You can see the future, look! You know this won’t end right!” “The future can change, Chelsea. You might not understand, but the future can change.” “You just don’t get it! This is wrong! What’s next, robbing a bank?” 45
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Chrystal looked at Chelsea with an angry fire burning behind her piercing violet eyes. “Maybe I will,” she said and with that, she ran down the hill, her feet lightly padding over the soft grass. A tear ran down Chelsea’s pale cheek as she stared out her bay window through blue eyes so light that they were almost clear. She wiped the tear away and fingered her light tulle curtains. Usually the thin airy material made her feel comforted, just like all the pastels and soft colors in her room, surrounding her with material just like her, transparent and barely there, but now they just showed her how things you used to know can simply float away. She longed something solid, something that could not be moved and could not ever change. There was a soft knock at the door that had been hooked back on its hinges while she had been away, “Honey? Chels? Dinner’s ready. Come down if you feel like it.” Chelsea listened to her mother’s footsteps as they padded away and down the stairs. For a moment, Chelsea felt like everything was going to be okay. Her mom always knew when Chelsea was being her normal moody teenager self and when something was really bothering her. Chelsea knew that tonight, there would be no more door-smashing. Then she smiled to herself: missing dinner? Was her mother crazy? Chelsea had never missed dinner her entire life. There was no normal reason to want to. Despite her natural clumsiness, Chelsea’s aunt’s ability with fire made her an amazing chef, and on her off time, when she wasn’t busy saving the world with her twin, Susan as the master chef and owner of one of the most successful restaurants in town. She only sometimes lost control, as with the candle incident. So Chelsea pushed herself off her pastel blue seat cushion and out of her secluded reading nook. Too tired to even materialize at the bottom of the stairs, she stumbled out of her room and into the hall and tripped down the stairs. Finally, at the dining room/living room, she slumped into the hard wooden chair. A mouse scurried in through the doorway to the kitchen and ran up the leg of one of the other dining chairs. The mouse plopped itself down in the middle of the seat and in a split second, morphed into Chelsea’s grandfather. In his better days, Gramps had been a successful shape shifter (and, of course, a hero to all) but now in his old age, was able only to change into a few different animals. He spent most of his time as the tired old basset hound, but could also change into the tiny white mouse, a tortoise, a pigeon, an iguana, and, very rarely, a bedraggled ostrich. Sadly transforming into an iguana left his skin dried out and scaly, the ostrich gave him a sore throat, and the basset strangely made him occasionally cough up hairballs. Next through the doorway came Chelsea’s mother, Amanda, followed by her twin, Susan. They had followed their father into “the family business” which was actually a long line of “super” generations. They uniquely worked together, twins with control of opposite elements, fire and water. Today, Susan came to the table with 46
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tender steak, perfectly cooked to each of her family members’ requests. Amanda walked over to the television and flipped on the news, a nightly tradition. After all, if you are going to keep up with the crime, you have to know about it. She came back over to the dining table and filled her dinner glass with water from her fingertip. They had been eating for about five minutes, making quiet and cautious small talk, aware of the thin ice they were sliding over when an emergency alert came on the news. The anchors were staring at each other with wide eyes and confused expression. The screen image split in half and you could see a blurry video from a security camera in a slightly crowded bank. The people were cowering by the walls as a small single figure stood in the center of the room, facing the tellers’ desks. The figure in the center had violently bright purple hair and was dressed all in shades of violet. The video did not pick up any of the words, just fuzzy sound waves, but you could tell that the figure in the center was female. She pointed at one of the tellers and he disappeared somewhere behind the desks. She stood there waiting, but suddenly looked up at the security camera the news show was getting the feed from. The video was poor quality and you could not make out any kind of a face, but you could feel the gloating smile through the television. And at that exact moment, the camera died and the screen turned to static. Chelsea felt her stomach sinking and the steak she had just eaten rising back up towards her throat. She had stood up to get a better view of the television, but now stumbled back and fell into her chair. Her mind racing and feeling extremely nauseous, she managed to choke out the words, “We, you . . . have to go, go, go g-get her.” Her family looked back at her with confused expressions, “You know we can’t do that, this will all be over by the time that we get there. Either she’ll escape or someone will get there first,” said her mother. Chelsea stared back at her family with a blank, emotionless expression, “No one will catch her.” “What do you mean?” asked her mother with a completely confused expression. “She’s planned this all through, and . . . and . . . this, this is . . . all my fault,” Chelsea replied with a broken and hoarse whisper. “It’s. All. My. Fault,” she whispered again and again to herself. “What? How? Do you know this person?” Amanda asked in a low serious voice. She grabbed Chelsea’s hands and led her into the living room and sat her down on the couch, facing her. “It’s, it’s Chrystal, Mom,” said, her voice cracking, and then, once she opened up, nothing could stop her. “It’s all my fault, Mom! It’s all my fault! I was mad at her today. She showed up when I was doing my homework. I told her to give the wallet back, Mr. Green’s wallet. She had stolen it. I told her to give it back. Then we got into a fight. I told her she was being stupid, but she just wouldn’t lis47
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ten. I told her again and again. She still wouldn’t listen. Then I blew up. What’s next? That’s what I asked her. She got really mad and ran away,” rushed Chelsea, stumbling over her own words. “And then, she must have known that we’d be watching her, that’s why she looked. She looked right at us when the camera went out.” “Honey,” Chelsea’s mom’s voice was stern but soft, “You’ve got to calm down. You’re going to hyperventilate. Suze, come here. Please take her upstairs.Try to make her go to bed. Today’s been too much for her.” Susan took Chelsea by the arm and led her up the stairs. She pulled out a pair of sweats from Chelsea’s drawers. Chelsea changed into them and collapsed onto her bed. She could hear her aunt’s footsteps walking down the stairs and her family’s sharp and hushed tones from downstairs. Finally, the exhaustion took her, and she fell into a fitful sleep. The next morning Chelsea awoke with a start. Had it all been a dream? Could that all have been real? No, no it couldn’t have. That was just some news story . . . maybe I should go tell . . . No! It’s really her. She’s gone. Chelsea thought as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked out her bay windows. It was already bright and sunny outside. How long had she slept? She stood up on her plush pastel rug. She stretched her arms above her head and walked with stiff legs towards her window seat. She sat down on the cushion and pulled her legs up to her chest. Under her left foot, she could feel the soft polyester of the cushion cover, but under the right, there was something crinkly, papery. She lifted her foot and found what was now stuck to the bottom of her foot. She nearly passed out as she peeled the hundred dollar bill off her foot. “Mom!” she cried as she read the message written in purple script on the bill: “The future can change, but the past always repeats itself.”
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A week had gone by, but no one had heard from Chrystal. There had been nothing in the news, no other word but the message on the hundred dollar bill. Chrystal was gone, but no one believed it would last. Chelsea had explained all that she knew to her family, and they were all convinced that she would make a second move. Over the days that had passed, Chelsea had only been to school for two days. The rest of the time, her eyes were either glued to the screen of the news channel or she had her ear plastered to her radio. She was listening for any kind of hint as to where her former friend was hiding. Nothing. Nothing, that is, until on the night of the eighth night since Chrystal’s bank robbing, Drew showed up at Chelsea’s front door. Drew was Chrystal’s brother. Drew was also the reason for Chelsea’s extreme fear of people. Only the year before, there had been a few minor robberies at the local pet stores. Drew, like his sister was a free spirit (even though he never let it take him down the wrong path), and could talk to animals. Drew had convinced Chelsea to go with him to stop the robberies. Chelsea had gone with him, but in the midst of their plan, something had
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gone wrong and the police had arrived at the scene. There was a huge confusion and after finally proving their innocence, Drew and Chelsea had made the morning news. There they were in the newspapers and on TV, stupidly dressed in what they thought were “hero costumes”. She had never let anyone who knew her talk about it, or anything like it, ever again. It had taken her a month to make her leave the house afterwards. But now Drew was here (they had tried to avoid each other as much as possible since). He stood in the doorway looking completely disheveled and exhausted with large purple bags under his eyes. “Can I come in?” he asked quietly. “Um…sure.” “I need to tell you something. It’s about Chrystal.” “What?! What is it?” “Teddy saw her. She’s um, living in the woods.” “Teddy, your slightly rabid raccoon friend?! You trust him? Oh, anyways, what did he see?” “She was, um, planning something…another robbery, tomorrow. I thought I should tell you,” he mumbled. “Another one? We were right! That’s what the bill meant…wait! Another one? Is she insane?” “I think,” whispered Drew with a shy smile. “Well, we’ve got to stop her! You’ve got to come with me!” Drew started backing away in to the black of the night, “No, sorry, I’m not going down that path again,” he said as he disappeared down the street. Chelsea closed door and collapsed on her grandfather’s favorite armchair. What should she do? Should she go after Chrystal? But, no, that couldn’t go well at all. Chelsea closed her eyes and sat there for a long while, and when she finally opened her eyes, she knew what to do. She knew, but while every fiber of her being, she did not want to. On the ninth day, she was forced to go to school again, but slipped her headphones on anytime she could to listen to the most recent report. During her fourth period, what she was waiting for arrived. On the news broadcast, the radio host announced that people were in a panic at the city bank on Maple Street. Chelsea quickly asked for a hall pass and the moment she locked herself in the bathroom, she disappeared. She appeared straight back in her bedroom. She changed into what she thought would be the best clothes for fighting your former best friend in a public bank, hoping she wouldn’t make that mistake again, and she desperately hoped that she had chosen well. Chelsea sprinted down the stairs to make sure she had everything she needed when she met her aunt in the kitchen. 49
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“I came as soon as I heard,” Susan said. “You’re not going to stop me,” replied Chelsea warily. “I knew that. I just came to give you some advice. Take off the sweatshirt, you don’t want something anyone can pull over your head.” Chelsea quickly pulled off her hoodie and was about to walk away when her aunt spoke again, “There’s one more thing you’re going to need.” Susan reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of fabric. “Put this on, you’ll need to protect your identity.” Chelsea smiled back at her and put on the mask. Her aunt looked like she was about to burst. “Your mom would be so proud! You look so cute in the mask! Ooh, let me take your picture! Please, please, please!” “No, I’ve really got to go.” “Oh, you’re right. Go, go!” And with that, Chelsea vanished from the room. She appeared right in the middle of: “—Nobody move, just stay still and no one will get hurt!” Chelsea stood behind Chrystal and her newly dyed purple hair. She had appeared without a sound, perfectly positioned herself for a quick ending. She should have known better. “And for you,” said Chrystal as she shot around and stared right at Chelsea, not surprised by her appearance at all, “you should go right back to where you came from. This is a little more that a stolen wallet.” Caught off guard, Chelsea followed her instincts and hid from sight. She appeared on the other side of Chrystal, hoping she didn’t feel the change in the air. But Chrystal was expecting this and reached out with her hand and grabbed Chelsea’s shoulder. With a tight twisting move, Chrystal pulled Chelsea back and pinned Chelsea against her arm. Then Chrystal leaned in and whispered with barely moving lips, “You know, it doesn’t have to be this way. You can help me. We can have anything we want. With both our powers combined, we could accomplish anything. You know what good friends we are, stick with me.” Chelsea snapped. She found new strength and pushed away from Chrystal, “You mean what good friends we were. You’re sick.” Then Chelsea lunged after Chrystal, a move that the purple girl completely expected and neatly sidestepped. “You can’t win. I know exactly what you’ll do and when. You can’t beat me.” Chelsea knew the time for thinking was over, so she just followed a different set of instincts, ones led by adrenaline. She grabbed Chrystal and pushed her against the wall. Chrystal looked back at her in shock. She was completely caught off guard. Chelsea used this split second to grab the glowing gem and pull the neck50
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lace until the chain snapped. Chrystal cried out in anger and rushed after Chelsea, but Chelsea was ready this time. She disappeared to the other side of the room. Then she appeared by the tellers’ booths, by the doors, and the fire alarm. She loved the feeling, the feeling coming from the fight. She finally understood why her whole family was obsessed with crime fighting. Chrystal, dizzy from the changing directions, ran after Chelsea one last time but Chelsea disappeared again. Chrystal ran into the wall behind where Chelsea had been standing. She hit the wall hard and slumped to the ground, pulling down the fire alarm. The sprinklers came on and the bank was drenched with water. She looked up at Chelsea, standing straight in front of her through her wet bangs with eyes filled with hatred. “I’ll go. You win,” she growled. Chelsea was shocked. The adrenaline suddenly left her. She was tired, so tired. What should she do now? Should she agree or order her to wait and be taken away by the police? But in the time it took for her to contemplate, Chrystal had struggled to her feet, stumbled a few steps, and ran out of the bank. Chelsea watched and just like herself, Chrystal disappeared into the city. Everyone was starting to move now. They were checking on everyone else, but mostly just staring at Chelsea. Now all she wanted to do was hide, hide away in her pastel bedroom for the rest of her life. Become invisible and live a life full of simple pops down to the fridge and back to her room. She stood motionless in the bank. The police had arrived and were trying to interrogate her and see if she was hurt, but she was frozen. It seemed like time had sped up for the world around her, but for Chelsea, things moved painstakingly slow. She heard and felt each heartbeat in her chest and her mind was working too slowly to compute. Now what? she thought to herself. What should I do? I just want to leave, but . . . she’s gone. Or is she? Should I follow? They’re all looking at me; why did I even come? No, don’t think like that, I did what I had to. I should follow her . . . but . . . maybe tomorrow. I’m . . . so . . . tired. Chelsea yawned and, deciding that now that the public had met her, they might as well meet all of her, disappeared. She arrived back in her bedroom. Amanda was there waiting for her. “You did good, honey. You did good. Now get some sleep,” Chelsea’s mom said softly as she left and closed the door behind her. Chelsea stretched and pulled her covers back and curled up in bed. She was just about to drift into sleep when she felt something lumpy in her pants’ pocket, the crystal. So she reached down into her pocket where she had put the purple stone necklace. But it was gone. To be continued . . . 51
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Nature
By Allie Adrian Grade Three
Nature’s blessing is an enjoying time, With loving care and beauty kind. Water flows in river streams, With crystal sparkles in water dreams. Grass shines off the sun’s rays, Shadows gloom where trees praise. Flowers bloom beauty, While rocks stay muddy. Fish and turtles swim, Animals feed younglings, While birds fly wing to wing.
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America Alive By William Robinson Grade Six
The immense shining sea, Teeming with life. The endless fields of wheat, Swaying in the breeze. Beautiful days whisking you away into your mind. America.
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Ava Duszynski Grade One
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Pierce Mingione Grade Five
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A Soldier’s Last Pillow By Eryn Peters Grade Eight
White like the foam of waves, New smooth marble shining in the sun. Breaking the waves, Dark writing carves deep into the marble like scars. It stands, a sad beacon in the night. It calls out loud as a reminder, Of a once smiling soldier. Tears fall like rain from The woman he loved, From the children he cared for. This sad memorial, In a field of lush grass sits. Every day a new bouquet of flowers Is placed to give it some life. An oxymoron, Death in an ocean of life. It fits in though, With the millions of other stones. The fifth row down on MacArthur Drive.
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About A Boy By Henry Brewer Grade Three
All of a sudden, a lanky, tall boy appeared from behind a butterfly bush. He was covered with freckles and had shiny, buckteeth. He had long red hair that almost touched his shoulders. He had sparkling green eyes. His clothes were covered with patches and mud. He wore flip-flops on his dirty feet. He held a fishing rod in one hand and scratched his head with his other hand. The boy walked over and sat on a rock that was covered in moss. He fished for catfish, hoping to catch one for his dinner!
Bobby Milligan Grade Five
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Caroline Clodfelt Grade Three
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W.O.Ds
Word-of-the-Day Editor’s Note: All Wakefield Students study “Word-of-the Day” or W.O.Ds. Everyday, the students are introduced to a new vocabulary word that is typically used in everday speech. In order to help the students better grasp the meanings of these words, the teachers develop assignments which allow their students to use their new voablary words in a creative way.
A Ragamuffin By Brittany Leggott Grade Four
Poorly clothed and ragged, A ragamuffin. They don’t have much to eat Except maybe a muffin treat. Tired all day, Nothing goes their way. Awake all night, And they don’t know how to fight.
Hoax
By Rachel Bryant Grade Four
A hoax is a joke Or a trip or a poke. It’s funny if you look But not if you were took. 60
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Helen-Anne Gable Grade Seven
The Wave Court Citizens By Molly Cesanek Grade Four
There once was a citadel on a hilly terrain by the sea with intensive waves, where there was a fanciful town called Wave Court. Wave Court was a populous town, and one day an enemy armada came to wield their swords and fight. Then, the Wave Court patriots stopped them by building a strong and tall blockade. The stopping caused the armada to feel like lame ducks because the blockade stopped them from fighting. When the armada got back to their captain, he asked, “Well, how did it go?” “Bad” said one of the armada men, “They put up a blockade to stop us, and just look at us, we feel bad and look sallow from that long sea trip.” One of the armada continued. The captain was very angry, so angry that he yelled, “you are no longer working for me, I want all of you to go be ragamuffins on the streets!” So, back at Wave Court, not only are the waves strong but the citizens are too!
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Mad at Math By James Wroe Grade Eight
Mad at math, repeating Mumbling, jumbling within my brain Silly, mindless, basic concepts again and again An endless numbing pain The Pythagorean Theorem The square of two numbers Two numbers times themselves, Two numbers squared Marching forward, hypnotic monsters My mind long since melted, now a moldy mush Oozing from my ears in a slow motion gush I can’t bring myself to rush Then I leave, angry and flushed Too many triangles are bad for my brain I wish this were all just a stupid game!
Carson Bryant Grade Three
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Belle Leggott Grade Four
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Gwynn Major Grade Two
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Wakefield By Dylan Winick Grade Six
The school of great learning. Solving great mysteries. Teaching me ways of the world. I learn new things every day. The teachers are exciting, crazy, Unique, and all around fun. My drive to succeed. Sharpener of the weapons in my Arsenal of knowledge. It gives me friends and memories. It gives me goals I never Thought possible. It lets me express myself. It gives me the strength to carry on. I am its guardian. I love it and it loves me back.
Sophia Carey Grade One 65
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Crazy Squirrel By Claire Thompson Grade Three
One hot day in the park, I witnessed a scene I will never forget.
It all started with a chubby-cheeked, cute squirrel that certainly appeared well-fed. He was racing so fast around a wide oak tree that he was flying. His Olympic feet weren’t touching the ground. Suddenly, he stopped and looked up into the ancient tree. I looked where he was gazing and saw the greatest acorn I’d ever seen fall to the ground. It made a booming impact and bounced like a basketball, traveling to the bank of a swiftly swirling stream. The squirrel, with tail held high like a fuzzy shield, quickly ricocheted to the acorn. He grasped the acorn with his paws and used his sharp buckteeth, like a cat would use its claws, to pry the top off. He took the acorn top to the stream, tossed it in the water, and before I knew it, he hopped into it. He was using the acorn top like a boat to float in the chilly waters. The nutso sea squirrel captain rode his acorn ship down the extreme stream rapids! To where? To infinity, for all I know!
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Maura Thompson Grade Three
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Spring
By Allie Adrian Grade Three
A time for the sun’s rays To come out, Insects flying about. Enjoying the warmth About in the sky, Butterflies flying by. A warm spring day, Flowers blooming away. Birds spreading their wings, Others chirping to sing. Trees growing tall, Others still too small. Everything fine in a perfect way, Ever day is a special day.
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Allie Adrian Grade Three
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Mountains
Brendon Park Grade Two
By Brendon Park Grade Two
Mountains way up high In the sky with lots of birds Some have paths for you
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The Cliff
By Lucas Quinn Grade Eight
Wind wisps though the wide valley, Bringing with it the cool, mountain air; The kind you could live on forever. A sparrow swiftly swoops over the Sycamores On the ridge behind, looking like a dot On the cloudless deep blue sky. The mountains far out are almost As blue and distant as the sky itself. A leaf blows off the edge, Gliding to the valley and the stained green, keen rocks, A sight to be seen. The wind picks up again, Rushing past like the river in the valley below. The sparrow crosses the ridge of Sycamores once more, And shoots over and down the edge of the cliff.
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Waves
By Harrison McElroy Grade Two
Waves are very rough You can get knocked down so hard It is fun to jump
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Emily Callahan Grade Seven
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JulianaParra Grade Seven
Candy Town By Chandler Brown Grade Two
Long ago there was a town called Candy Town, because candy falls out of the sky. It rains candy all day. In the morning it rains Jolly Ranchers. In the afternoon it rains Skittles. At night it rains M&Ms. It changes everyday, so it is always a different candy. One day the news reporter said that there was going to be a storm that would produce mint hail. The hail destroyed the windows in homes and stores. The next day a cotton candy tornado tore down houses and trees. They decided to leave Candy Town and headed to another town where candy did not fall out of the sky.
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Lunch Time By Joshua Mohney Grade Eight
Stark seats stand solemn In the dark dining den, Here come kids calmly in. A lunch line looms Racing others past Waiting for my water Lunch is lurking close as the line is less long Tap, Tap, Tap, my toes tingle, Now it’s near! Now it’s here! Lunch Lady says hello. I take my plastic plate Move my way, to my chair. The food flies to my face, Again seats stand solemn.
Carson Bryant Grade Three 76
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Isabel Bryant Pre-K
Memory is Like... By Arabella Westbrook Grade Four
A picture from days or years ago. It stays in a frame in your mind. You hold it with you wherever you will go. This is a picture that will move. A picture with your favorite people at your favorite time. A picture that you will love forever.
Lexi van der Woude Pre-K 77
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Garret Campos Grade Four
Sunny Fish By Nik Giyanani Grade Five
It was a warm, sunny, beautiful day at the beach in the Bahamas. I was with my brothers, parents, and friends. I was being the brave one and I was the first one to dare step in the water. It was amazing because the water felt like a heated swimming pool. A bit later, Mom and I dared each other to go snorkeling. We raced to the deep area of the ocean and looked around. At first, we saw nothing but water, but then, behind a wall of coral and seaweed, we saw them. Dive into the sea We raced to the deepest part Look down to the floor What is that behind the wall Do I see the fish I want “Wow, we just got here. I have found what I am looking for. This is awesome.� Right below me were schools of fish. Seeing the fish made me want to burst with joy. The fish were all different colors from red to vivid yellow. I did not expect to see such vivid colors. Mom and I went farther into the ocean. I noticed the farther out we got, the more fish there were, and the bigger they were. We saw a lot of fish. It felt wonderful to swim with such amazing and graceful creatures. I saw the shadows I was amazed at the sight What a graceful scene Thousands of fish below me Colors shining left and right 78
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Garret Campos Grade Four 5/19/11 4:55 PM
We swam back into shore, and we vowed to come back later. “What a sight,” I told my dad as we were walking back to the hotel. “I was amazed at how many fish there were. I did not think I would find any fish at all.” Dad said, “I am happy you found the fish, Nik. I know you really were trying hard to find them.” What a perfect finish to a perfect day. I loved what I had found. I will always remember the lovely, warm water. I love fish and had never seen them swim free before.
Allison Swede Grade Seven
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The Night
By Maura Thompson Grade Three
When the night sky is lit By a thousand stars It’s lit very bright One is mars. The sky is partying All night long, Before the sun-sets Its bright and strong. When the sky rests All is dark Except a speck Which is a spark. Night is gone It’s has fallen Now is now For the sun is callin’.
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Sun
By Dylan Winick Grade Six
Shining so brightly, Bringing light to our planet, Your rays touch the land. From your touch, we get our food. The symbol of life, the sun.
Gwynn Major Grade Two
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Chase Miller Grade Two
Falling Music Cds, and Pets By Caitlin Baltazar Grade Two
Long ago there was a tower named Town of Falling Pets and Music CDs. Town of Falling Pets and Music Cds was like any other town. It had schools and stores, but it did not have any pet or music stores. The reason they didn’t have any pet or music stores was because they didn’t need any. Pets and music cds would fall from the sky then times a day. The people who lived there even had a weather reporter who would predict what singer’s cd would be falling and what kind of pet would be falling. The people who lived there also took very good care of the pets. The people were not careless at all about the cds. But there became too many pets and music cds, so the people started throwing some of their music cds away. People started building boats and sending some of the pets to the town of ponies. They sent them there because the people who lived there wanted some other kinds of animals besides ponies. At the end of the story everything works out fine and they find places for the music cds so the won’t have to throw them away. They kept sending the pets to other towns. They all lived happily ever after.
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Lexi van der Woude Pre-K
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Helen-Anne Gable Grade Seven
Flowers
By Isabelle Horn Grade Two
Some flowers are pink Lots of them have long petals They break easily
Madeleine Wallach Grade Seven
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Kate Welsh Grade Seven
Sarah Steenson Grade Seven
Allison Swede Grade Seven 84
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Scramble
By Megan Mossburg and Jane Koch Grade Six
Too many words, Flooding my head, I can’t make sense of any of them. Tapping my pen, Looking around, There are still no answers, To be found, After sometime, Still feeling sublime, I’m staring at a blank sheet of paper. Maybe some thoughts will form, If I come back later.
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Abeel, Cam 18-19 Adrian, Allie 52-53, 68-69 Baltazar, Caitlin 82 Brewer, Henry 58 Brown, Blake 37 Brown, Chandler 75 Bryant, Carson 62, 76 Bryant, Isabel 77 Bryant, Rachel 60 Burdette, Cade 29 Callahan, Emily 73 Campos, Garret 78 Capannelli, Nicholas 13 Carey, Sophia 35, 39, 65 Cesanek, Molly 61 Christenbury, Lilly 31 Clodfelt, Caroline 59 Cole, Hannah 6 Coolidge, Sophie 30 Day, Logan 38 Dowell, Kayla 17 Dolan, Tripp 12, 39 Duszynski, Ava 55 Dunszynski, Connor 16 Evans-Wells, Fiona 9 Fanico, Dylan 34 Ferrante, Nora 23, 24-25 Gable, Helen-Anne 28-29, 60-61, 83 Giyanani, Nik 78-79 Gravette, Priscilla 8 Guiney, Kristen 12, 28 Handford, Brianna 27 Horn, Isabelle 83 Kessler, Caroline 41-51 Koch, Jane 85 Leggette, Julia 21
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Leggott, Belle 63 Leggott, Brittany 60 Lukens, Nicholas 20 Major, Gwynn 64, 81 Malinowski, Hayley 33 Martin, Griffin 35 McElroy, Harrison 9, 72 Merchant, Abbey 38 Miller, Chase 82 Milligan, Bobby 58 Mingione, Pierce 57 Mohney, Joshua 40, 76, 82 Mossburg, Megan 85 Mr. Zontine’s Comp. Class 14-15 Quinn, Lucas 71 Park, Brendon 70 Parra, Juliana 74-75 Peters, Eryn 57 Reid, James 13 Robinson, William 54 Ross, Robin 33 Spiewak, Nicholas 22 Steenson, Sarah 84 Swede, Allison 15, 25, 79, 84 Thompson, Claire 66 Thompson, Maura 23, 26, 67, 80 van der Woude, Lexi 77, 82 Wallach, Madeleine 83 Welsh, Kate 84 Westbrook, Arabella 77, 83 Winick, Dylan 7, 10, 65, 81 Winick, Kelsey 19 Wolfson, Harwood 11 Wroe, James 36, 62 Zontine, Graham 32
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