The Scribbler

2016

Volume 63
Grace Church School
New York City
 The Scribbler Staf
Phoebe Abitbol
Leila Bynum
Taber Cannon
Theo Carlston
Hannah Dietz
Kayla Feinberg
Aaron Hessel
Lila Hussein
Ruby Jones
Josie Schiff

Faculty Technical Advisors

Ilta Adler, Topher Nichols

Faculty Advisor
Benham Latimer
Short Story Contest Winners

First Place Anna Sorensen

The Circle of Sins

Second Place Wenhao Cai

Myself

Third Place Lorenzo Lizzeri

The Dream

Poetry Contest Winners

First Place Katharine Cook

The Reader

Second Place Wenhao Cai

& Lucy Schwalbe
Reflection

Third Place Aaron Hessel

School
 Art Contest Winners

First Place
Cover
Rafe DiDomenico & Luke Abramowitz

Second Place
Wenhao Cai & Lou Lou Sloss

Third Place
Wenhao Cai
 CONTENTS

Short Stories

Anna Sorensen 1......Circle of Sins

Wenhao Cai 20.....Myself
Lorenzo Lizzeri 31.....The Dream
Annabel Stevens 44.....Unlucky Eight
Ruby Jones 55.....Where Am I?
Kiera Hackett 60.....Ow
Ryan Kramberg 64.....Shadows of the
Dungeon
Lila Gimbel 70.....The Flaming
Hands of Death
Claudia Goodwin 80.....Red Roses
Lily Greenberg 87.....Roof
Bo Goergen 96.....The Screams
Liz Pollock 105....Is Black the
Official Color
of Madness
Ruby Jones 116....Untitled
Luca Vernhes 120....The Death
Crevice
Rania Challita 129....Underground
Garden
Lily Greenberg 87.....Roof
George McCain &
Alex Skrypek 142....The Lucky
Spider
 Taber Cannon 144....Free Writing
Phoebe Abitbol 148....And Then There
Were Six

Poetry

Katharine Cook 167....The Reader

Wenhao Cai &
Lucy Schwalbe 169....Reflection
Aaron Hessel 170....School
Charlie Wall 171....Haiku
Robert Rendine 172....There Is
Esme Fritton 173....What
Happened
George McCain 174....Rap About
Candy
Daniel Hua 175....Who Am I?
Natasha Rensky 176....City Lights
Aaron Hessel 177....Electives
Georgia Davis 178....Winter and the
Beach
Jackson Jones 179....Life
Leila Bynum 180....Night Time
Dax Bischof 181....Christmas Is
.......
Coming
 James Spindler 182....Hanukkah
Aaron Hessel 183....Halloween
John McGarry 184....Untitled
James Cave 185....Christmas Day
... is Near
George McCain 186....Christmas
Season
Nathaniel Berkman 187....Winter
Ruby Jones 188....Alone
Henry Levinson 189....Stars
Hannah Dietz 190....Who and
Where Am I?
Nina Berkman 191....Seasons Go By
Taber Cannon 192....The Starry Sky
Dax Bischof 193....Untitled
Charlie Wall 194....Untitled
Theo Carlston 195....Rain
Maximo Del Pino 196....Untitled
Otto Fritton 197....Life
Esme Towles 198....Spring Sway
Jack McCain 199....Winter
Phoebe Abitbol 201....My Dream
Keredin Samuel 202....Christmas
Sarah Weber 203....Wind Comes
Wind Goes
Chauncey Thompson 204....Untitled
Hayden Henry 205....Freedom
Lila Hussein 206.... Hot Cocoa
 Sadie Goodwin 207.... Christmas
Toys
Jonas Marcovitz 208.... Tom and Jerry
Sofia Galarza 209.... Untitled
Louise Giddings 210.... In My World
Kiera Hackett 211.... Pink
Julia Geniesse 212.... Balloons
Amani Agrawal 213.... Waking Up in
New York City
Alexander Skrypek 214.... Its My
Birthday
Kayla Feinberg 215....Christmas
 Short Stories

Art by Wenhao Cai & Lou Lou Sloss

 Anna Sorensen
grade 6

The Circle of Sins

I had gone ten or twelve steps in this

manner when the torn hem of my robe caught my

heel, causing me to stumble till I fell violently face

forward. I fell for a split-second until my head hit

a chilled, stone, and damp platform. I opened my

eyes and peered around at my fate. All I

remembered was that the Inquisitors of the

Spanish Inquisition had sentenced me to death.

They had captured me from my home and taken

me away from everything I ever loved. I

remembered the Inquisitors faces analyzing me,

trying to decide whether they should kill me or

not. The clearest detail I remembered was when I

told them that I was proud of whom I was, and

that I was never going to change it. I told them

that God gave me life, and to seize that life and

kill it would be a sin. They laughed at me as I

insisted. Back in my dungeon, everything was a

blur, and I was confused, hurt, and alone. At this

point I reimbursed myself with information. My

burning head was spinning, and I slowly opened

my rigid jaw,

My name is Nicolas Germain. I am

twenty-three years old. I am here because I am

not. I am not their way. Their discipline. This

2
means - on this note I paused and moaned. What

did this mean? For my wife and my unborn child?

For my future? I cringed with excruciating worry,

fear, and pain. My head spun with all the

possibilities. They spun around and around in an

interminable circle. The silence of the dead cell

seemed a drastic difference to the pounding

within my insane mind. It would not stop. I had a

sickness, an unpreventable disease, but I had to be

in control somehow. I was a monster to myself, as

I tried to calm down by slowly breathing. I flung

myself against the wall, with insanity flowing

through my body. My head made contact with a

deafening thud. I tumbled down to the floor, but

3
I was done. Done with the pain and insanity.

What a hopeless, idiotic man I was. Only I would

think I was done with this torture.

As I slowly opened my eyes, I realized that

there was something different concerning my

state of mind. I was in control once again. I

slowly rose to my legs in effort to stand. I took a

step forward. Over and over I stepped, as each

step ignited a flame of hope. At once, I came

upon a pitcher of water. With the water was a

knife. Obviously, the Inquisitors had

underestimated me. I would not give up this

easily. I took the knife, and continued to explore

my cell. Above the water was a map with one pin

4
placed. I let my eyes drift below the malicious

map to a cuckoo bird. Its eyes reminded me of

my wife. Such joy. I let her happiness overcome

me for a minute. I dreamed of the day we ran to

the ocean. I gave her flowers. Forget Me Nots

to be specific. We sat on the beach and talked

about our futures, and our deepest, darkest fears.

That day was the first time I told her I loved her.

She smiled at me and told me to promise her that

I always would. She asked me to cherish her

every moment of my life, and to tell her that I

would always need her. I promised all of these

things and I pondered them in my heart for the

rest of my life.

5
 A loud buzzing coming from around the

birds beak interrupted my dreaming. With

horror, I realized that there were insects flying out

of its gruesome mouth. Suddenly, I felt its eyes

glaring at me, as though it peered into my soul

like a preying lioness waiting impatiently for a

chance to leap. I felt the insects flying closer, and I

ran. The room resonated with my thumping feet.

I ran and ran. I could feel the cold air ripple

around me, disrupting the once serene

atmosphere. I kept running until I came to a stop.

My body slammed into something hard and cold.

The insects overcame me as they bit and bit with

6
vigor. I crumpled to the ground. This was when

they started. The hallucinations.

At first, I saw a large city with palaces

furnished with gold. The stain glass windows

shone in the magnificent sunlight. A sense of

familiarity coursed through my mind. I waited

for the sign. Everything was silent. A war cry

suddenly rang through the city, causing everyone

to freeze. The raiders tore down the glorious

palace, the city, and my hope, fire raging all

around. The scene continued for a minute or two,

and then there was silence. Sickness filled my

body. I could not continue to live, to witness this.

I remembered that I still had the knife, and I let

7
my hand drift to my pocket, but I could not do

what I knew I should have done. I was too afraid.

That was when I realized where I recognized the

vision. That city was Seville, the point on the

map. And it was gone. The empire destroyed

with the smoke. I screeched helplessly. It

couldnt be. I got up and ran. I ran for my life, for

my family, for my wife, for Seville. I skidded to a

stop at the bird. Those hideous eyes bore into my

skull. It haunted me through the hour. Day or

night. My sudden urge to die frightened me. If I

tried to survive, would it be worth it? The

question was too much to bear, so I let myself

drift off.

8
 When I woke up, I noticed that I had

unconsciously returned to the map. Another

point had appeared. Granada. My home city.

Where I grew up, and lived my perfectly happy

life. Was it destined to have the same fate as

Seville? I fell to the rocky, frigid ground. Two red

eyes glared at me. Then four, then six, then eight.

I cautiously rose to my feet. Beads of sweat

rolled down my forehead. The creatures crawled

creepily towards me. I stumbled into the wall. I

tried in vain climb up, but it was too late. I was

going to have a slow death. I knew I should have

ended my life when I could have, instead of living

through this hell. The rats clawed and scratched

9
at my heels as I screeched in pain. They hissed at

my ankles. And they started to bite. Their yellow

stained teeth struck my feet as a sear of pain

snaked up my body. I closed my eyes tightly, in

pointless attempt to rid myself of the pain forever.

What I hopeless, idiotic man I was.

I first saw Granada, with its plentiful

vineyards and fields. The citizens roamed freely,

gathering the harvest, without a single worry

entering their minds. Next, a disease began to

move through the city, and the people began to

fall. It slinked slowly and steadily, oozing and

striking. The sight of their eyes before they were

swept away welled up a series of emotions inside

10
of me. My face was hot, and soaked with tears.

Granada was gone. My past vanished with the

tears of my soul. To think I ever had a chance to

live seemed childish at this point.

Then next morning or night, I was unaware

of my state, I opened my eyes to a blinding light.

It flickered for a moment, and then receded. I

couldnt understand why I continued to believe I

had a chance. Vainly, I wished the end. Could I

escape this horrific fate, should I have faith in

God, for my family? Could I, should I continue, or

should I end it right here, right now? I pondered

each possibility carefully. My mind grew weary

and I slowly drifted away.

11
 I regained consciousness, slowly opening

my eyes, hesitant to wake. Once again, I had

unwillingly returned to the map. When my eyes

fell upon the new point on the map, my blood ran

as cold as icy rain. I dreaded the possibilities of

the near future. Each new prospect of its

destruction frightened me more. Upon fearing

the fate, I became aware of someone watching me,

getting ready to leap at me. I slowly turned

around, hopeful that this was my end. I angrily

comprehended that it was nothing but the bird.

Still watching. I suddenly felt sick. My head was

swirling, accompanied by my stomach. I knew

that the nausea did not have to do with the map,

12
and I suspected the worst. As I grew sicker, I

noticed out of the corner of my eye, a black fog

creeping towards me. I reached out my hand to

touch it. Hopelessly, idiotically. When the fog hit

me, a rush of cold ran up my body. It felt nice, so

I paused for a moment. Then I became hot, then

freezing, and then burning. I backed away

gradually picking up my pace with each step,

until I was running free. As I ran, I thought of all

the deaths I had witnessed. I felt lucky to be in

here. I was at the top of the bottom of fortune. I

stopped to catch a breath. That single breath

could have been my last. For that momentary

13
pause was just enough time for the fog to catch up

to me. It buried me with smoke.

My heart stopped in reaction to what I saw.

There was my wife, clad in white and robed with

Forget me Nots. I would never forget her. And

with her stood my son. From what I gathered, he

had come early, and as a result, he was only born

with one arm. Nevertheless, I admired him. I

was so proud. If only I could tell him that, if only

I could tell him that I would do whatever I could

to give him a chance at a hopeful life. For they

came, clothed in black and took away my wife

away from my son and I. He opened his mouth to

scream, but nothing came out. Not a thing. I

14
roared with frustration, grief, anger, and sadness.

They took her away. I yelled and thrashed for

her. We gazed longingly at her face. It was filled

with so much care for us. I wanted to be with her.

My son fought for her. He fought so hard. I

wanted to be there with him, protecting him from

this battle. Unfortunately, I did not know if the

battle was real or fake. My eyes filled with tears.

They fell, each with more emotion than its

predecessor. I ripped my eyes away from the

scene. The less I saw, the better. I knew it was

wrong, but I had no other choice. My eyes

suddenly made contact with his. I looked away,

humiliated.

15
 I woke to the sound of a slow trickling. As

expected, another point was placed. Toledo. My

current location. I was curious to know if all the

visions I had seen had actually happened. Maybe

I was merely imagining them. I wondered if this

was simply part of my torture. I peered around

the room in search for the trickling. The birds

beak had opened slightly, releasing water. That

single bird seemed capable of so much harm.

After all, everything had begun with the bird. I

took a step forward and my foot splashed.

Another foot splashed, as if it were in response to

my movement. I had not moved a single inch.

Another splash, and then another. Before I could

16
do anything, something whacked my head.

Blackness overcame me.

I woke up, noticing with dread that the

water was up to my knees.

I must have been knocked out for a long

time, I wondered out loud. I told myself that I

would fight back the next time I was in danger. I

heard footsteps, and I spun around speedily. A

broad man stood in front of me. He held a bat in

his hands.

I am here to kill you, he whispered with

menace filling his breath.

I am here to fight you, I replied shakily.

He swung the bat ferociously, but I ducked just in

17
time. The water was already up to my hips. The

bulky man grasped me by my shoulders and

threw me underneath the water forcefully. Being

fully surrounded, I noticed how frigid the water

was. It felt refreshing after all the hell I had been

through. He pinned me down, but I mustered up

the strength to pull him underneath with me.

The pressure of his body on top of mine knocked

the wind out of me. We wrestled mercilessly, and

I suddenly remembered something. My knife! I

struggled to grab it, but once I had it, I knew I

had won. A dark chuckle escaped my throat. I

thrust the knife into his chest, and he froze. His

hands flew to his heart, and he jerked

18
uncomfortably. Blood diluted the water, as he

slowly sunk to the bottom. I planted my feet on

the ground and rocketed to the surface of the

water. I could not stand, so I had to tread in the

water. I drifted off, but I made sure I did not

completely fall asleep.

I woke this time, hearing a loud boom.

Then a moment later, a crack. I tried to distract

myself, but once again came the set. Boom...

Crack. Thunder. Lightening. One of the most

dangerous forces of nature on the earth.

Gradually, I put together the pieces. There was

lightening, and I was drowning in water. I

haltingly lifted my head to the ceiling. Sure

19
enough, there was a hole. I swam as quickly as I

could to the entrance of my dungeon. I yanked

on the door and pulled and pushed it frantically.

Thunder. I counted: One - two - three - four -

five seconds. Lightening. It was five miles away. I

was running out of air so I swam to the surface to

catch a breath. Under again. My eyes stung

irritatingly like thousands of knives, forcing me to

close them, forcing me to waste my time.

Boom! One - two - three - four. Crack...

Four miles away I screamed for help, gulping

the freezing water, kicking at the door. The

hideous lock was jammed.

20
 Boom! One - two - three seconds. Crack.

Three miles away I pulled the knife out of my

pocket. It was soaked with blood. Only then did

it hit me. Only then did I fully grasp what I had

done. I had killed someone. Ended their

precious life. Their only life, as I believed. That

knife had taken him away from his family, his

hope, and his life. But wasnt he going to

ultimately kill me? Was he not the reason I was

going to die? Did he have a choice, or was he

forced to join the Inquisitors and their despicable

plans? I had no idea. Not enough information.

All I knew was that I had committed one of the

seven sins. I realized that I would be going to hell

21
after all. My worst fear was that hell was

eminently worse than this. I panicked, knowing

that I would be dead in a short moment.

I dont want to die! I yelled, tears

streaming down my face, I dont want to go to

hell! I dont want to work for Satan! Anything but

this!

Boom! One - two. Crack... Two miles

away I grabbed the knife from my pocket, and

dug it into the lock. Nothing happened. I

wiggled it around crazily, knowing that this was

my only chance.

I promise! I shouted to the heavens, I

promise I will repent my sins if I survive this

22
torture! I promise I will do whatever you want me

to do! Just give me anything but this! I am a

good person, deep down. I have a family, whom I

love so dearly. I was only afraid! Please forgive

me! Please! I begged. Nothing happened. The

knife was wedged in the lock. I pulled it out, and

reserved to simply yanking at the door. I

screamed for help, but the only reply I got was the

trembling set. I was losing air quickly, and I

could hear my heartbeat in my head. Thumping.

Never ending.

Thunder. Lightening. It was only a matter

of time.

23
 Eleven - ten - nine - eight - I squirmed and

thrashed - seven - six - five - four - three - Pulling

and pushing. Screaming and crying - two - one - I

mustered up all the strength I had and pulled,

screaming - half a second - zero. A crack ripped

through the sky, and a flashing light penetrated

my eyes. A shock spun through my body, as I

realized my hand was still on the metal lock. I

saw my sons eyes once more. But there was

something more in them. Not fear nor panic.

Disappointment. In me. Hell was coming to me.

Or was I already there?

24
 Wenhao Cai
grade 6

Myself

I fell violently face forward. It was dark

and my whole body was numb. I was in a dark

room when I blacked out, or what I thought was a

blackout. I woke up. I slowly got up but it felt

more like someone pulled me up. I suddenly felt

like everyone was watching me. The dark room

seemed not to be dark anymore for it felt like it

was covered with the shadows of the inquisitors.

25
 I gathered up all my strength so that I

could explore this new dungeon. The room was

still dark but my eyes had adjusted and were able

to see. From where I was standing I could see over

10 corners. Where was I? was the only phrase

on repeat in my head. Around 5 minutes later I

found myself back in the same room. I tried again

and again but the walls seemed to only get longer

and closer together. It felt like so much time had

passed that the flowers outside had grown from a

seed to a blooming plant.

Maybe I went in the wrong direction? I

thought. I walked another few steps only to find

myself in the exact same spot. Soon I realized that

26
I was in a labyrinth. My heart began to race faster

and faster. A soft breeze brushed by my shoulder.

A small light appeared in the distance. A light

that brought hope of a new path to get me out of

this dungeon. It might have been a tiny dim light,

but it placed a big impression in my mind.

As I walked closer towards the light, it

seemed to have moved farther and farther away. I

closed my eyes, hoping to see the light right in

front of me. When my eyes opened, the door

seemed again, farther away. I took another good

look at the light and it felt like it had grown much

dimmer than before. I knew that if I ever wanted

to break free from this repetitive dungeon and

27
feel even just a little bit freer, I would have to run

if I was ever going to catch up to that light.

I took off running towards that light as if

my life depended on it to get out. I quickly

became very dreary. I had to stop to catch my

breath and soon enough, my eyes began to close. I

was back in the black out. My whole life had

flashed before my eyes. A scene of my childhood

appeared. I was in the town wandering around

when a couple of guards came to my neighbors

house and took them down to the town square,

where an angry man was standing next to a

stump and

28
 Suddenly I woke up, I felt the energy rush

through my body. I stood up and resumed my

journey. Still, it was hard for me to walk.

Something was holding me back. A pressure like

a hundred stones were pushing down on me. I

looked forward and I saw a reflection. As I stared

into the reflection, my eyes fell on that single

light. I had moved in the wrong direction. What I

saw was the reflection of the light. I turned

around and ran again. What I thought was a

success was actually a misfortune. The pressure

pushed back even harder.

I kept walking as the light of freedom

motivated me. About ten minutes later, the

29
pressure I had once felt, had revealed itself to

what I thought was a glass wall. It was so vague

that I could almost picture my hand going

through it. I took a break, for my arms were sore

from pushing the wall. I was looking around

when I saw something move.

It was like watching darkness move in

darkness. Once again I felt that I was not alone.

The wall to my left had opened a hole and

something slithered out from it. On the ground

there was a shard of glass. Right above it, on the

ceiling was a little shimmer of light. Right when I

saw the light, I heard another thing slither across

the ground. I watched as they went by one by

30
one. Soon enough my feet were surrounded by

thousands! A scream echoed through the halls

and it chilled every inch of my mind. I had

noticed that the chaos of the snakes were left with

glass. The shattered glass cut the bottom of my

feet as I began to push the glass. The blood

rushed to my head and I fainted to the ground.

I was back in the town square. The angry

man was still there next to the stump. Beside the

stump, stood my neighbors in tight, dry ropes. I

watched the angry man take them one by one

When I woke up, the shards of glass were

gone and my feet were bandaged. I looked across

the hall. My hand started to shake. I was afraid of

31
what I saw. Someone who looked like me, down

to the cut on my shoulder that I had just found.

Where was the cut from? Maybe I had cut myself

on the shoulder while I was pushing the glass? I

had a strange feeling in my stomach that I could

not trust, nor did I like this person across from

me.

The lights caught my attention as they

grew brighter. The lights stunned my body with

their brightness, but a second later they dimmed.

I knew that it was a warning. A warning that will

determine how I die. Would I die by this perilous

maze, or from the life I was meant to live?

32
 I started to run, the glass wall pushing

against me. The pressure was still against my

chest and strangling my hands. On top of all of

this, my fingernails were a centimeter away from

the callused tips of my fingers as it scratched

against the glass, like the sound of the dentist

scraping at teeth. I couldnt take it anymore, so I

stopped to readjust my hands, but the person I

had seen followed me, watching and mocking my

every move. I ran again from the mysterious

stranger. I didnt care about the glass wall. I

focused until I reached the end of the hall. There

were two paths, one to my left and another to my

right.

33
 The glass stopped pushing me, as if it was

waiting for me to make a decision. The light I saw

came from both paths. The person that I saw

looked back to me, as if also waiting for my

decision.

I closed my eyes again hoping for the

answer to appear. I slowly opened my eyes,

wishing that this journey would end. The

platform underneath my feet began to turn, but it

did not lead me anywhere other than to bread

and water. The glass wall turned solid and then

immediately disappeared.

I needed to eat, as I was so fatigued. I

picked up the food and was about to take a bite

34
when I realized that it was painted rocks. The

rocks were mocking me, just like the person who

had been following me. I turned around, and

another plate of food was set. I took a bite and

immediately fainted to the cold stone floor. I was

again back in the town square.

I watched the man tie my neighbors to the

stump and push their heads down. I watched the

ax cut their necks one by one. People wailed out

with disgust and covered their eyes. Others stood

strong and protested this execution. I did neither.

I just stood there like a rock, unable to move.

I blinked and looked up but instead of

seeing my neighbors at their death sentence, I saw

35
a large poster stating that you either run from

Christianity or stay and convert. I wanted to run,

but again my body was heavy as stone.

Everybody else quickly fled from the square.

Why hadnt I ran. This is not where I want to

be!

I woke up feeling as clearly as possible. I

got up and pushed that glass. My hands

trembling, tears dripping down my face. The

pressure was worse but the pushing of this glass

made a squeaky sound again. It burned my ears. I

grabbed the rocks that were painted to look like

bread and smashed them against the glass. The

pressure of the glass shattered. I ran with all my

36
might. I wanted to see the light right in front of

my eyes. I turned a corner, and another, and

another. Soon I did not believe what was in front

of me. The light shining brighter than ever. It was

hard to see, since I was in the dark for so long. I

looked to my left. The person who had been

following me looked at me with evil red eyes.

This person embodied all the negative aspects of

myself. I hate my follower-personality, and the

way I cant stand up for myself. I realized that the

stone and rock I had been seeing was an insight of

what my heart had become.

The pressure of the glass was the pressure

of being myself. The glass shattered when I

37
realized who I have become. The person in the

mirror was myself, the self that I disliked and

hated. The person who was weak and a coward. I

had realized who I am, the bad parts consumed

me. I was losing a battle to myself, a battle I knew

I could never defeat.

I walked out of the mirror and I took that

rock. I slashed it on my shoulder, where the cut

was. I cried in agony. I did not die of old age or

this perilous maze, but rather from my own

haunting spirits. I cant blame anyone but myself.

38
 Lorenzo Lizzeri
grade 6

The Dream
I immediately moved away from the huge

hole that loomed beneath me as if it were the

moon a million miles below. It seemed to hiss,

this isnt over, you will come. Frantic to get

farther away, I scrambled in the other direction

while looking at the hole. The results were not

what I expected: I hit a wall and blacked out.

During part of my blackout I had a dream.

It was a boy, a normal boy, named Gamma,

who was trying to find something to do. In his

39
boredom, Gamma looked around his room. After about

thirteen minutes, he finds a book. He thought out loud,

I love reading, why dont I read one of the stories in

here. He started reading the first story in the book. In

the story there was a boy named Beta. Beta had had a

horrible birthday party. Everything had gone

wrong. He received horrible gifts, his parents had

embarrassed him in front of his friends, and

worst of all, he hated the birthday cake. Gamma

shut the book. His mother was calling that dinner

was- deep, booming laughter like an evil, dark

laugh of a clown moving farther away. Before it

became inaudible, I heard the voice say he has

no choice now.

40
 The voice was wrong; I actually did have a

choice. Between rat torture and hurtling down the

pit. Turning around I realized that someone had

written a sign for me. It read, Dive into the pit or

die. What choices, slow death and probable death.

I quickly launched myself into the pit, hoping that

the rat wasnt inside me yet. I didnt want to die of

my number one hatred, and fear, rats.

On contact I blacked out. It was Gammas 7th

birthday, 12/13/1807. He had invited all of his best

friends. Later, while talking to his best friend about

how annoying it was that he had gotten only clothes as

his birthday presents, his mother interrupted dont

have too much sweet bread Gamma, youre on a diet,

remember.
41
 To this, Gamma responded Mo-m, and gave

her the Im talking to my friend, shut up look.

Gamma continued, As I was saying, my birthday

gifts really suck.

I got you a really cool sled, Charles, the boy

who he was talking to exclaimed, It goes really fast.

Anyways, I think its time to eat cake.

Gamma went over to eat some cake, but he soon

realized, this was vegetable cake. He, and everyone else

in the whole entire universe HATED vegetable cake.

HOW COULD YOU MESS UP MY BIRTHDAY

SO MUCH? FIRST YOU GET ME CLOTHES

FOR PRESENTS, THEN YOU EMBARRASS ME,

AND NOW, THE CAKE IS VEGETABLE CAKE, I

HATE YOU, YOU ARE THE WORST PARTY

42
PLANNERS IN THE WORLD, THIS IS, AND

WILL BE, FOREVER, THE WORST DAY OF MY

STUPID LIFE!

Im going to use the only good present I got

today. A sled. Gamma started climbing up the hill

so he could use his sled. He thought that if anything

good came out of this birthday, it would be this sled.

Riding it was going to be really fun. Woooooo, this is

so much fun, he thought while sledding down. Crack.

What was that? Crack No, the sled broke...

I woke up to the sound of a clock? Tick-

tock, tick-tock. Opening my eyes, I soon realized

that my assumption was true. It was a huge,

wooden, clock, somewhat like a grandfather

43
clock, just ten times larger. On the opposite wall a

message was smeared in blood. It read, YOU Will

Die In 12 Hours, at 1:12P.M, 12/13/1835. I

wondered: die, but how? I had heard of torture

stories where they used a clock but nothing ever

happened. That could be what they were doing to

me, but I couldnt risk anything.

I immediately tried to find a way out.

Every tic was a second closer to my death. First I

tried to climb out. Sadly, the slick, slippery

surface was too hard to climb. Quickly realizing

that there was no way out, I started throwing a

tantrum, much like a childs. I screamed, cried,

yelled, and shouted. I slapped myself! I shouldnt

44
be crying, I should be finding a way out of here.

The Clock Read 2:00. They couldnt kill me if I

broke the clock, I thought. I immediately started

working at this. I only had to reverse the gears of

the clock so that time would run backwards. The

problem was that I had to reverse 6 gears,

seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years.

With a lot of work, strength and persistence I

managed to get to where all the gears were by

continuously slamming my body against the

clock, like a wrecking ball destroying a house of

evil. I looked up. The Clock Read 3:30. I realized

that I might be able to live. I could reverse the

45
clock, with hours to spare. I fell asleep, exhausted.

I had earned it.

It was Gamma, again bored. He was in his

room because his mother had sent him there after the

party for throwing a tantrum as if he was a newborn.

He realized that he could read the book with stories. He

thought, why not read more, it will do me no harm.

Gamma started to read. This time he read the

last story. Strangely though, on the previous page it

said READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Gamma thought

this was a joke and somehow found it very funny. He

started reading. Beta was now 24 years old and

had now publicly declared that he didn't believe

in God. This led to much gossip and fear in the

46
town, fear, of the coming of the inquisition. One

horrible day in March, the fourth, to be precise,

the inquisition did come. They brought Beta to

their headquarters, FOR TORTURE. Beta

screamed and shouted, but to no avail. Gamma

stopped reading, scared, and started crying. He was

only eight, and such a reading scared him.

I woke up to a huge GONG. Strangely, my

eyes were wet and I was crying. Well, really not so

strange because I was going to die shortly. I

realized that the clock had released a GONG

because it was halftime, halftime to my death. I

immediately put myself back to work on reversing

the clock. So far I had managed to reverse the

47
seconds gear, minutes gear, and was currently

working on the hours gear. All I had left to do was

the hours gear, days gear, the months gear, and

the years gear. I was so close to living.

But then, a horrifying thought dawned on

me. I realized that my luck had run out. It didnt

matter what time the clock showed, it mattered

what time it actually was. Even if I reversed the

clock, I would still somehow die at the designated

time. In my rage I started pounding and kicking

at the clock. Eventually, all of the hands and the

gears snapped, snapped like an over bent ski. It

is now 8:12a.m. You have five hours to live.

48
 Who said that, I yelled upwards, where

the sound had come from. I got no response.

Frustratingly, I had destroyed the clock, but the

inquisition had come up with another way of

telling me the time, and therefore torturing me.

Not wanting to die, I immediately started to work

on getting out of that demonic pit. I continued to

try to climb up the walls, but they were too

smooth, lubricated with my sweat and tears.

About an hour had passed and I was starting to

get worse and worse at climbing. I heard 13 words

before I fell asleep. They were It is now 9:12 a.m.

You have four hours to live.

49
 Gamma is much older and is talking to his dad

about how he wants his own house and doesnt want to

live with them. Dad Ive already said it, I really dont

want to live with you guys anymore.

Why not, asked his father, knowing he would

get the same response he always got when he asked that

question.

Dad, Ive told you a million times, I dont

want to live with you anymore because you guys are

Christian. Im an Atheist, I dont believe in God. Also,

Im older. I dont want to live with you and mom

anymore. Even if you dont want me to have my own

house, I really dont need your permission: Im 24.

50
 One of the neighbors who had heard this

conversation inquired, What did you just say?

To this, Gamma yelled, Im an Atheist, you

heard me.

This time, someone else heard Gamma say this.

This time it was an inquisitor. As it turned out, one of

Gammas neighbors worked for the inquisition. He

force-marched Gamma to the Inquisition base.

NOOOO, screamed Gamma, but it was of no use.

He was to be tortured for life.

I woke up to much chaos. A new sound

came from the place where every hour the time

was told: the sound of pots and pans banging

together. Then I heard the worst thirteen words

51
that I ever heard in my life. It is now 12:12p.m.

You have one hour to live.

I knew I couldnt give up. I tried to use

another strategy. I would use the mattress as a

trampoline by jumping on it until I could get a

good enough jump to climb up the rest of the pit.

I did this for about 45 minutes, but could never

climb the rest of the way.

After five minutes of thinking about what I

could do, I gave up. I realized that I wasnt going

to live. I just didnt know what to do. I started

crying and screaming. My time was almost up.

52
 The voice counted down in the most

natural tone, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. It said,

begin releasing

Is anyone down there, shouted someone

from the top of the pit.

Yes, Im here, I yelled back.

Wait one second, well throw you a rope.

They threw me a rope and I climbed up. It

turned out that they were English soldiers trying

to abolish the Inquisition. They had saved me

right before my death.

As I was walking out someone said,

welcome back son. This, apparently, was my

father. It made sense because he, at fifty, was the

53
eldest of the soldiers. He brought me home and

told me that my mother had died during the time

that I was being tortured by the Inquisition. When

we got home I immediately went up to my old

room. I was looking for something to do, when I

found a book. I read the penultimate story in the

book, which was about someone being framed for

killing the king of England and getting tortured

for it. Strangely though, on the page before it had

a warning that had, Read At Your Own Risk

written as if the book was so dangerous one could

die because he or she read it. I thought that this

was a joke and for some reason found it very

funny.

54
 But then a dreadful realization came upon

me. This was Gammas book.

Annabel Stevens
grade 6

Unlucky Eight
I had gone ten or twelve steps in this

manner when the torn hem of my robe caught my

heel causing me to stumble till I fell violently face

forward. I hit a hard stone floor with a THUD!

55
I gripped the ground and managed to get up but

with a great shoot of pain up my back. I glanced

behind me to see the door swing shut, and with it

the light of all my hope. And then it was silent

and darkness surrounded me. I put my hand on

my head because of a pounding ache. I must have

hit it too because I couldnt remember anything. I

reached out my hands to feel if there were any

walls near me so I could possibly find my way.

But then I remembered. It was hopeless.

Minutes, hours, days may have passed, I

dont recall. Images were still fuzzy in my head,

but what I remembered was a burly man shoving

me down into a chair. I did not know who was in

56
the room because my face was being pushed

down into the table while rough voices spoke

softly but I could not understand what they were

saying. Then there was a silence in the room and I

knew something even more painful was destined

to come. A pair of hands grasped onto my arms

and lurched me upwards, fingernails dug into my

skin, as I was dragged down a hallway. The

person opened a metal door to my left, I was

given a push, and that was when I stumbled

down the stairs. A while later, I opened my

eyelids to see I was in a deep, dark and damp

dungeon.

57
 Yes! It was all coming back to me, images

reappeared in my head, I remembered why I was

there. I stood up and walked in a random

direction and hoped it would not lead me to

death. It was so dark I could barely see the floor

or my feet. I stepped very cautiously fearing of

any traps that might lie ahead.

As I walked I started to think of my family.

My brother had warned me of being caught. I

wondered if my husband had noticed my

disappearance. My husband and brother were

almost the opposite. George, my brother, had

light brown hair, almost golden, and dark brown

eyes. He was very caring and full of life. He was

58
also very empathetic, always making sure

everyone felt alright. And my husband, Louis,

always seemed to be worried or stressed. If he

were dead you couldnt tell because his body was

always as white as flour. In all the ten years we

were married we never shared a real smile. Did I

love him? Definitely not! But a woman without a

husband was nothing. In fact, I would like to snap

his pale twig-like body in half!

Just in the middle of that thought I walked

smack right into a brick wall. I sat down against

the wall, and to my surprise I had been so tired

that day that I dozed off.

The Spinning Wheel

59
 Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! It

sounded like metal scraping against metal. I

opened my eyes to see a black liquid in front of

me. Then I realized I was not in my original

position, I was looking down. I was not only

looking down but also spinning. I was not

spinning very fast but I knew that wouldnt last

for long. My thin ankles and wrists were in cuffs. I

could easily slip out of them but the question

was what was waiting for me in that dark

liquid?

Suddenly, as I suspected, I started spinning

faster, faster, and faster. The squeaking noise also

became faster, faster, and faster. All I could see

60
was a blur of black. My stomach was churning, I

was going to throw up! I was so sick that without

thinking I slid my hands from the cuffs and let

myself fall. It was about ten feet until I plunged

face first into the strange liquid.

SPLASH! The first thing I felt was my

head still spinning. All was a blur around me. The

second thing I felt was THE MOST PAINFUL

THING OF MY LIFE! The liquid burned more

than fire to the skin. I screamed at the top of my

lungs! I couldnt touch the bottom. I glanced at

my arms to see that they were raw and that big

yellow bubbles were forming on them. I looked

around to see that I was in a room with metal

61
walls. On the ceiling was the spinning wheel from

which I had fallen. Then I saw a narrow staircase

leading out of the room of doom that was barely

twenty feet away from me. But to my horror, I saw

a door was sliding down over my exit from death.

I started to kick hysterically to reach the

doorway. As I was swimming the burn spread to

my neck and up to my face. My face swelled and

bubbles were rising all over my skin, including

my eyes. I started to lose my sight. I kicked

quicker, as hard as I could. I tried to concentrate

on escaping and attempted to ignore the feeling of

one hundred knives cutting my flesh. I could

hardly see at all.

62
 When I thought I was about one foot away

from the exit, I reached out my hands, but to my

surprise they were stopped by a wall. The door

had already closed! But wait, it was still moving, I

still had a chance. I would have to swim under to

get to the other side. I took a deep breath and

plunged my head under. My hands reached for

the door that was descending. I used the bottom

of the door to pull myself in front of it. I then

started swimming to the surface. I gasped for air

as I reached the top. I found I didnt have to tread

water anymore, for I was standing on stairs.

At this point, there was no point of having

shoes because they were almost in shreds. As I

63
stepped on the cold floor with my bare feet, it sent

a chill up my spine. I moved my dark hair away

from my face, straightened my skirt and started

painfully ascending up the winding torch-lit

stairs. I rested my hands on top of my face which

was still burning, but the bubbles were

disappearing and I was regaining my sight.

These stairs seemed to last forever. And

then I started to think why hadnt I let myself

drown? A more dreadful and more painful death

was surely soon to come.

Finally the stairs ended and I seemed to

approach a gigantic room because when I stepped

forward I saw the light of torches very far away. I

64
started walking again, but on a smooth surface,

probably marble. Then, suddenly I stopped

because I had an odd feeling, a tickling on my

foot. I slowly bent down to see the most evil of

insects. The eight legged creature was bright red,

and had a black dot on its back. The tiny spider

was clutching to my skin. My heart pounded in

my chest. There was a small sting on my foot. I

gasped with relief. I almost laughed at myself

thinking of how I thought such a little spider

could do harm. I thought I could continue

walking but then I felt a great amount of pain, so

much that I fell down. It was from my foot. I

probably should watch out for those spiders.

65
 The Shrieking Piano

I managed to get up but as I took a step

forward, something very unexpected happened.

The floor dropped and there was a loud shriek. It

was so loud it almost burst my eardrums.

Suddenly, a giant metal block came alighting on

to me. I jumped away just in time but it caught my

skirt. I pulled away with so much force that I

went flying forward. Another step created

another shriek, except a key lower. I realized this

was some version of a piano. I looked up to see

another block falling down so I leapt onto another

key and the next and the next. And soon I began

to run but the blocks were also coming down

66
faster so I had to run as fast as I could. As I

stepped my last step, there was a low C shriek. I

saw that the falling block was enormous. I took a

dive face forward and went tumbling to the

ground.

The Spiders

I opened my eyes, surprised to be alive.

However, I was surrounded by red and black

spiders. I got up frantically. In front of me was a

door with a bright light coming from it. I ran

towards it, opened the door, and stepped in. The

room was carpeted with spiders. I turned to run

but my foot was paralyzed. Not only my foot but

also my leg and my waist. There were hundreds

67
of tiny stings all around my body and then pain

rushing all throughout my body. I fell down and

the spiders crawled on to me, in my hair, mouth,

nose and eyes. Tears ran down my eyes as I

gasped my last breath of air before I could no

longer move my chest to breathe. While I held on

to my last thread of life, I tried to think of all the

happy times in my life but there seemed to not be

any.

68
 Ruby Jones
grade 5

Where Am I?
I wake up. I dont know where I am. I dont

remember anything. My vision is blurred, I have

bruises all over my arms and legs, and I am

without shelter. The only thing left to do is cry. So

I do. I cry and cry, and my tears are like big heavy

raindrops. I suddenly hear a twig snap, and I

whip my head around. I see something, a human.

Life! Maybe they can help me! I wipe my eyes and

stand up. I run to where I saw the human. They

are gone, and havent even left a footprint. How

69
did they do that? And most importantly, where

did they go? I scream at no one in particular, just

because Im mad. Then I hear it. The most

beautiful sound in the world. A footstep. I try to

figure out where the sound came from. It

sounded like it came from above me, but that

makes no sense. I feel my head turning up

anyway. The tree above me looks perfectly

normal, but my vision is still blurry, so I dont

really know. I hear a rustling sound come from

the tree, and right as I look up, something big and

heavy falls on me. From what I can make out, its

a girl of about twelve. She is breathing hard and

looks scared. She has short wavy red hair. Her

70
blue eyes are very big, and she is quite thin,

though she feels quite heavy. She is wearing

brown shorts and a black tank top. Her skin has

been slathered with wet dripping mud. There are

some leaves stuck to the mud. She hops out of my

arms and tries to run away. I reach out my arm

and grab her. I pull her back.

Where did you come from? I ask her. She

just stares at me. I ask another question

Are there other people here? She nods

Are you capable of actually speaking to

me? She shakes her head.

Why? I ask, though she probably cannot

answer me. She shrugs.

71
 Take me to the other humans. I

command of her. She nods and starts walking. I

follow her. We walk for what seems to be about 30

minutes until we come to a clump of trees. The

girl starts to climb up one, and so do I. When we

reach the top, the girl jumps back down. So do I,

confused. She keeps on walking until we reach

another clump of trees. She climbs one, while I

wait at the bottom. When she has been up for a

while, I follow. My vision is still blurry. On top of

the tree sits a bunch of girls.

Hi Sheryl! One of them says Whos

this? A new girl? Sheryl nods. The other girl

waves at me and starts to explain.

72
 So pretty much, we all one day woke up

in here, and we, like, didnt know what was going

on. And pretty much we all lost one sense or

ability that day. I lost my sense of touch, so I, like,

cant feel pain or anything and its actually

awesome but can be dangerous. Sheryl here lost

the ability to speak. Anyway, now we just kinda

live here. What sense or ability have you lost? I

am really shocked at all the words. I havent heard

someone speak other than my one in a while.

Uh...I think I lost my sight? I answer,

Um.. also why is Sheryl covered in mud?

Everyone looks at me like Im an idiot.

73
 For camouflage One girl says Its

dangerous out there. Its why we stay in the trees.

So they cant get us. What? Whos they? Whats

going on? I start to feel dizzy. My head hurts and

my heart is thumping hard. My vision disappears

completely and I black out.

74
 Kiera Hackett
grade 5

Ow

I glanced up from my thoughts for a

second to see a ball coming at me. Get out of the

way! Someone shouted. I started to take a step

but it was too late. I blacked out. The last thing I

remember from that point was waking up around

with my team around me and my coaches and

parents saying, Syd, Sydney wake up. My eyes

fluttered open. Ow my head was throbbing with

pain. Uh-huh. I said using half the voice I

usually used. Syd are you OK? a voice said.

75
You got hit pretty bad. You have a

concussion. That was a voice I recognized, it was

my best friend Lily. We had known each other for

ten years and we had an infinite amount to go. I f

there was anyone I wanted here right now it was

her. I tried sitting up and I felt a restraint almost

like I was strapped down. I was having trouble

seeing things, everything was blurry. So I lay

down in bed and told my mom exactly how I felt.

I wanted her to know word for word so that I

could be cured. Just then I heard footsteps coming

into my room. My mom was saying something

along the lines of hello doctor. Then there were

footsteps going out of the room and a voice

76
saying only family can stay from this point. Lily.

I groaned I want Lily. Okay sweetheart, Lily can

stay. The doctor grudgingly agreed . My parents

walked outside to talk with the doctor and I was

with Lily now. She said I needed sleep and I

closed my eyes for about twenty minutes before I

fell asleep. During that time I heard some familiar

voices saying I might not make it and that the

concussion results were pretty bad. I burst into

tears along with my mom and dad as they came

rushing in for hugs. I asked the doctor if there

was anything that he could do and he said yes.

My heart practically grew wings. The only thing

was untested open head surgery. They would cut

77
open my head and move some of my nerves so

that the damaged part of my brain would work.

All my parents and I wanted was for me to live so

we agreed. My surgery was happening December

tenth two days before my birthday and today was

December ninth. I was horrified. The time was

finally here and I was in the hospital room

strapped to the table. My general surgeon came

in and he didnt talk much but he seemed nice.

Me gave me anesthesia and I was out like a light.

After the surgery I woke up with a huge pain

towards the back of my head. but all in all I was

fine. After five minutes of talking with my family

I needed X-rays to make sure it worked. It did we

78
all rejoiced and from then on I had the coolest

stories to tell.

79
 Ryan Kramberg
grade 6

Shadows of the Dungeon

A heavy weariness overtook me. It was a

struggle to get up. My legs felt like two wooden

logs. All the blood rushed to my head and the

pain behind my eyes was intense. I finally

managed to get up and visualize what was

around me. Nothing made any sense. What was

happening to me?

It was all very dark and blurry, I felt like

the shadows of the dungeon were watching me. I

80
felt my way around the room and got to a corner.

Then I sat down on the stone ground, from there I

could take a good look at my surroundings. I saw

human bones on the floor and engraved on the

walls. There were also roaches and mice running

on the ground. Drops of water were coming from

one of the cracks in the wall. My throat felt like

sandpaper. I ran to the water and drank as much

as I could. Suddenly the water stopped. I felt a

sharp pain in my stomach, and fell to the floor

feeling dizzy and dreadful. My stomach was

burning inside, like the embers in a fire. I

vomited all over the cold stone floor. I was losing

control of all my senses! Voices inside my head

81
were giving me a daunting feeling. Someone or

something was grabbing at my shoulders and

legs. I felt myself being dragged across the floor.

Everything went black.

When I awoke, I was strapped down to a

long wooden plank. I heard a strange whining

noise and turned to see some sort of wheel with

sharp steel blades along the edges. The blades

were slowly moving towards me, coming closer

and closer. I started to panic, sweat was pouring

down my face. The blades were now two feet

away. I look around frantically for anything to cut

the ropes. There was a knife on the floor below

me. Tempting me to reach for it, if only I could.

82
 I struggled with the rope on my right arm,

it had some give. I wiggled and pulled

desperately trying to free my hand. My arm came

free! The blades were now only one foot away! I

felt its icy breath on my skin. I swiftly reached for

the knife and cut myself free from the ties. The

wheel was just inches from my face.

I put the knife in my pocket and look

around. I hear a bang, I looked behind me and

saw that the wheel cut straight through the

wooden plank. I lean back on the wall and felt

something pushing back. Suddenly a trap door

83
released under my feet. I went down a small shoot

until I hit the ground under me.

I found myself in a dark corridor with a

few torches hanging on the wall. The torches had

faces on them like the souls of everyone that had

died there. I walked down the corridor looking

around. The faces on the torches were looking at

me. I tried to look away but they were tormenting

me. I saw two guards coming down the hall

behind me. I went down some stairs that led to

another smaller corridor. I heard someone

speaking, I saw a door with a little hole on the

top, so I peeked through. There was a person

inside humming along to a song. He looked up at

84
me but did not say a word. I asked him if he knew

a way out of the dungeon. He just pointed to the

direction of the exit. I thanked him and hurried to

the exit.

When I got to the exit I saw two guards.

They had no armor on so I took out the knife from

my pocket. I had a bad feeling inside me. I was

scared and overpowered by the guards but I took

the knife out of my pocket and murdered them. I

found a key in one of the guards pockets and

opened the door. I opened the door very slowly,

on the meere edge of my eye I saw sunlight for

the first time in a couple of days. There were

85
many more guards outside than inside. I took a

deep breath in and out.

I started running, running as fast as I

could. I was breathless and weak, after having

very minimal food and water. I heard a loud horn

and saw many men coming after me. They were

telling me to stop but I did not listen.I tripped on

a rock and fell down on the ground but I got up

and kept on running. There was wind blowing on

my face but it could not slow me down. Suddenly

I came up to a cliff, I did not know what to do. I

had nowhere to go, I was paralyzed with fear. I

saw jagged rocks below with a fierce current of

86
waves. Then I heard a different type of noise. I

looked to my right and saw

87
 Lila Gimbel
grade 6

The Flaming Hands of Death

I tried to stand up, my head aching from

the agonizing pain of hearing water drip for

hours. I clutched my head, thinking back to the

happy memories of the rainy days I spent with

my young daughter, which only motivated me

more to get out of this horrible dungeon. I felt my

foot slide off the slippery stone as I reached for

the ground. I heard a loud smash as I hit my

sore head on the hard ground and tried to grab

onto air to save my life. I fell for what seemed like

88
days, but was really only seconds. I knew my

body was going to rot in the death black dungeon

that had been my home for the past eight months.

Finally, my body submerged in ice cold water, and

my legs went numb. For a minute it was peaceful,

but then my icy cold, feet hit the concrete ground

and I heard two loud cracks.

I attempted to clutch both of my weak and

crippled feet, while trying to swim to the surface.

I held my breath until I couldnt anymore. I

gasped for air and I heard June scream Daddy

no! just as she did when they took her away.

Wait, I wasnt there when they took her away.

How come My memory was interrupted when

89
my head somehow bobbed above the surface, and

I cursed god for not just letting me die and escape

these horrible tortures. Purely out of instinct, I

swam until I reached the side of the dungeon, and

tried not to think back to the memories of

teaching my sweet little girl how to swim in our

little port town. I wanted to cry, scream, or yell, to

tell the world of the horrible things they did to my

daughter, but I knew too well that yelling would

not free me of this horrid place.

I swung my arm around me to determine

how wide this circular pool of death was. My arm

did not hit anything, so the diameter must have

been greater than two feet, about the length of my

90
arm. My arms and legs started to get tired from

treading water for hours. I felt along the wall for

something to hang onto. My body started to sink

and I knew it was now or never. I threw my hands

into the wall, gripping the cold, scaly surface. I

managed to hold on for a minute, but then my

hand fell from the wall, and back into the water. I

clawed at the wall, but there was nothing to hold

onto, so I sank back into the water, too tired to

keep my head above the surface.

I was welcome to death, knowing that I

would never get out of this horrid place, and that

I would only get a chance of seeing my dear June

again if I died. I had given up on all hope of

91
survival. I felt crazy. I heard the tapping of tiny

feet and the screams of people being tortured but

I knew I wasnt insane, it was only my capturers

who were. They are the insane ones who came up

with these crazy ideas of how to make death more

horrible. They should be the ones in this

dungeon. Horrors beyond hell lay ahead of me.

Horrors I couldnt even imagine.

I sank further and further, and I still

scraped my hand along the wall for anything,

even the smallest indentation or latch to hold on

to. I felt the wall go in the smallest bit, and I clung

onto it. There was the loudest of sounds as a

circular object sunk down into the water. The

92
water began to drain and the feeling of hope, that

I had only experienced a few times in my life,

grew inside my heart. I swung my foot into the

spot where I assumed there would be a hole.

Half of my wounded foot smashed into a

hard material while the other half didnt hit

anything. Suddenly, a large object from behind

me pushed me into the emptiness and I quickly

hurtled to what I hoped was my death. Memories

appeared in my brain like destruction from fire.

Like insanity from knowledge. I remember the

last day with her. The last good day of my life, the

day before my whole world turned upside down.

93
 I was told that she was going to her first

day of primary school, as every child does at age

three. I told her to savour this education, because

it was the only one she was going to get. I walked

her out to a very pale man, who was waiting to

take her. She looked somewhat frightened, but I

thought nothing of it at the time. She left for

school and I left for work, teaching secondary

school. After a tedious day of work I went home

to find my wife crying with June in her lap.

Wait it couldnt have been June. June was

the one she was crying about. Who was she

holding when she told me that she was dead.

Who was the one who died? If it wasnt June who

94
was it? Does that mean no it cant. But that was

the only possible way. Shes must be alive. They

never took her at all. I was imagining it the whole

time? Then why am I here? Why am I being

punished? What happened next? My mind was a

blur, and all my thoughts were turned upside

down.

They thought I was insane, they thought it

was caused by the disease. Im crazy Im

crazy Im crazy they said, they are the only

crazy ones. They put me here because of fear but

their fear only grew, just like how the feeling of

hope grew inside me until I had a reason to live.

95
Clonk I hit the rock hard wall in front of me

and once again began to fall.

This time it was quicker. I fell onto the

ground almost immediately with a thump. At

least this room wasnt pitch black so I could see

what was ahead of me. I yelped as I immediately

identified a Brown Recluse, the most venomous

spider known of by man, crawled up my foot. I

yelled and yelled, but that would not help me

forget the horrible memories of that deadly spider

that made me an orphan, that ruined my

childhood. I had to decide whether to stay here

and slowly die, or to take my chances and go on

to the next horror which lay ahead of me, which

96
might lead to escape. I took my chances and kept

going, I took another step forward and I saw an

opening.

I scurried through only to find more

deadly spiders. I should've stayed behind. I

should've let myself slowly die there, let my

corpse slowly rot in that horrible dungeon I called

my home. I crawled along the floor of the room,

but this time I could see what I was doing. The

ability to see my surrounding soon disappeared

as the room fell pitch black, and a shiver went

down my spine.

I felt burning arms on my bare flesh that

pulled me to the ground and told me, without

97
words, that I should have died before. The

flaming hands of death ruthlessly threw me onto

the ground and soon madness wasnt the only

thing holding me down. Huge metal buckles that

almost crushed my body lay on top of my chest. I

heard footsteps as the carrier of death left. It

didn't seem so bad, in that split second of nothing

it didn't seem so bad. But that lovely second of

content soon passed.

I heard a gong sound once as what felt like

hundreds of spiders dropped down onto me. Did

they know that these were the vicious creatures

that killed my parents, did they know that it

wasn't just natural causes? They couldn't have

98
known, my parents died at home, and nobody,

except for me, ever knew. Wait, I did tell one

person, my good friend, Jon Bishop, but he died

the next day, or so I was told. The spiders,

creeping up from every corner, did what they did

to my parents, but quicker.

I squirmed, I struggled, but I could not

escape. I lost track of how many spiders sunk

their sharp teeth into my pale flesh. Blood poured

from inch deep holes in my body. I had to decide

whether to fight, and hold on to life longer or to

join my parents and possibly June. I choose death,

the easy way out. I let the spiders kill me quickly,

99
the less painful way. I closed my eyes, and I

never opened them again.

100
 Claudia Goodwin
grade 6

Red Roses
I had gone some ten or twelve steps in this

manner when the torn hem of my robe caught my

heel, causing me to stumble till I fell violently face

forward. Down and down I went forgetting

everything in my past, when all of a sudden the

last glimpse of blood red roses reminded me of

how it all started.

It was around two months ago when I was

working in my shop, finishing one of my maps. If

you havent guessed, I was a map maker. I had

just finished the key when I thought of a brilliant

101
idea! I had heard that some people thought the

world was round. It could be true, for no one has

proved that the world is flat. Just then I went right

to work, I was going to make a globe! A couple

weeks passed when I was finally finished! I went

to the square to show off my work. When I got

there the only spot left was one right next to an

old lady selling roses.

Ive always hated roses ever since I was a

little boy. It must have been when I was eight or

nine, I was in bed fast asleep when I woke up in

shock. I was having a horrible dream where all I

could see were roses, the same ones on the walls

of my parents room, only the ones in my dream

102
were covered with blood. I ran to my parents

room as fast as I could. When I got there my

mother was standing over my fathers dead body

with a knife in her hand. I dont remember much

about that night, except running and running far

away until a tall man with jet black hair stopped

me and said these two words I will never forget,

stay calm. He cared for me for about two weeks

before adopting me. When I turned fifteen we

said our goodbyes and I set out looking for a job.

Thats when I settled on being a map maker, I had

been running my entire life not knowing where I

was or where I was going. I thought it would be

great to know! To this day, Ive been making

103
maps, large ones, small ones, and now even

round ones!

It was now getting dark and people started

packing up. The old lady had left but her roses

were still there, staring coldly back at me. Time

passed until I was about to leave. All of a sudden

guards came from all corners of the square,

getting closer and closer to me. Out of the corner

of my eye I saw the mysterious and evil grinning

face of the old lady selling roses. The next thing I

knew I was locked in a room, no not a cell, a

room. It had a nice green carpet, a large bed, a

desk, and rose wallpaper! This room looked

exactly like my parents room when I was a kid!

104
Only there was something different. First, there

was no door and second, on the desk was a globe,

not just any globe, my globe! I was so confused, I

thought I was just seeing things. I was feeling

sick, partly from the roses but mostly from being

in my old house not knowing how I got there and

how I was going to get out. I collapsed onto the

bed and fell right asleep.

When I woke up something felt different.

The bed was as hard as a rock, the room was dark,

and I could not move. All of a sudden candles lit

the room. It took me a second to open my eyes,

for I was being blinded by the light. I looked

around the room and noticed that my globe was

105
gone! I was about to get up but something was

stopping me. I was strapped down to some sort of

hard object, not my bed. I tried to move my head

to see what I was strapped to, but all I could see

was the side of my globe! I could not believe it!

All of a sudden it started moving, faster and

faster. After a while I passed out only

remembering a big thud.

When I woke up I could barely move, for I

was badly wounded. The strangest part was the

circular burns all over me. I didnt know what to

do. As much as I tried to stay calm, I couldnt. It

was as if something was taking over me! I got the

chills when I saw my globe sitting on the desk

106
right where it was before. I closed my eyes hoping

everything would turn back to normal. I opened

them, everything was the same except for a tall

pitcher of water right in front of me! I was so

thirsty my mouth felt like a desert! Without

thinking I gulped down the entire pitcher. Just as

I was licking the last drops I saw the faintest

outline of a rose at the bottom of the pitcher. I

quickly dropped it to the floor making it shatter

into a thousand pieces. It took me about a minute

to realize I was cut and my eye was gushing with

blood! I slowly limped onto the bed where I saw

blood stains on the sheets, I looked up to see my

mother standing over me with a knife in her

107
hand. I was so frightened I could not move, the

knife in my mothers hand was coming down at

me.

Black, is all I could see. I was waiting and

waiting wondering what would happen next. All

of a sudden the room lit up and on the rug were

about twenty chameleons shooting poison at me.

Every time I was hit I would get a burn in the

shape of a ring, just like the ones I had before!

Thats not all, it took me a while to see that the

thorns on the the rose wallpaper had come out

and the walls were coming closer and closer to

me! I also noticed where the blood that had

dripped from my eye was melting the floor,

108
leaving a big ditch! It got worse. I started seeing

things again! My mother was standing in the

corner being pushed forward by the wall. I turned

around trying to ignore it, sitting right in front of

me was my father's dead body! I was so startled I

jumped off the bed, and started walking around

the room to try to find a way out! I had gone some

ten or twelve steps in this manner when the torn

hem of my robe caught my heel, causing me to

stumble till I fell violently face forward. Down

and down I went catching the last glimpse of a

rose. THUD.

109
 Lily Greenberg
grade 7

Roof
"Promise."

We are sitting on her roof. It is grey and old and

crumbling, just like the rest of her house; a Colonial

wonder planted in the mist of Suburbia like a sore

thumb. The roof is our secret place, to go and scream

and blow bubbles at midnight.

She stares at me.

"What?"

I look at her. Her eyes are deep, a honey brown

that you could just fall into. The starlight illuminates

110
the right half of her startled face, freckles warm against

her cold skin.

I take a breath.

"Promise that you'll stay with me."

She turns away, tears welling in her eyes.

"I can't do that."

"Eli."

I snap my head up. Peter has his hand on my

forearm, frowning.

"Eli, are you okay?" I nod, throat tight.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He squeezes my forearm, studies me for a

moment, and nods, turning towards the car

111
window. I look at his face for a moment. His face,

usually full of cheer, is dark, and his eyes are

deep. Like hers.

I choke back vomit and close my eyes.

When I open them, the dark blue van is

pulling over to the curb. Next to my window is a

sign reading "Sharonville County Church." Peter,

with a squeeze of my hand, opens the door and

leads me through. I follow like a rag doll, through

a doorway and into a parlor.

The parlor is full of people, full of "my

condolences" and "oh the poor family"s and "I'll

bring over a casseroles and I feel like I'm going

to vomit again.

112
 Because no casserole can erase everything

that's happened.

Peter squeezes my hand, and I clutch onto it,

leaning on him with my everything.

Peter leans into my ear. "Hey." he whispers,

"The service is only an hour long. Then the

speeches, and then it's over. Two hours. We can

make two hours."

I feebly nod.

I would nod to anything at this point.

He leads me to a row of folding chairs and

helps me sit down, never letting go of my hand as

he plops down next to me. I peer at him. He looks

so tired, the circles around his eyes pronounced

113
and dark. He has been taking such good care of

me that I forgot that he is hurting too. That he

knew, too.

"Peter," I rasp, "how are you feeling?"

He turns to me, surprised for a moment, then

laughs. He laughs and laughs until it turns into

sobs.

His chest shakes and rocks as he cries, and,

grimacing, he chokes out,

"I have no freaking idea."

The priest rises and begins to drone about

"the love of God," but all I hear is

I stare at her, dread flooding through my chest. She

buries her head in her arms, sniffling. I take her arm.

114
 "Listen," I choke out, "I know stuff is rough right

now. But it'll get better. And maybe we'll have to wait

a while. But I will wait with you. I promise"

"How do you know?"

She turns her head up to look me.

"How do you know it will be better?"

I look at her for a moment. Her eyes are deep and

dark and sad.

"Because I refuse to believe otherwise."

She laughs. A scornful, defeated laugh that scares

me to see coming from her. She continues laughing and

stares up at the sky.

"My future is nothing."

"Amen"

115
 The resounding chorus snaps my attention as

the people around me, dressed in near identical

attire, ascend from their seats and head to the

back of the parlor. Peter gently nudges me up, and

I follow his lead, my robot brain following the

simple commands he sends.

Stand up.

Move to the back.

Open the door.

Find another foldout chair.

Sit down.

Take the plate.

Put the food in mouth.

Hand away plate.

116
 Look at platform.

Try not to scream

"Eli, did you here me?"

Peter is staring at me intently, a worried look

on his face.

"I said it's your turn to give a speech. You said

you'd read a poem. You like those, right?" He

pauses. "Are you feeling well enough to do it"

I stand up. He nods sullenly, and make my

way to the platform.

I look out at the people. They who come

bearing empty condolences and casseroles. Who

didn't even realize. Who didn't even try.

I take her hand.

117
 Her tears look silver in the sky.

For a moment, she is the universe,

My universe

And everything I knew to be true shatters.

"I'm not at peace, Eli," she whispers. She looks at

me, a look of wide eyes and longing and

"Emptiness. Nothingness. That will be my peace."

Someone coughs.

And for the first time in a month, I begin to

cry.

"I'm sorry" I cry

"Don't worry about me"

and I cry

"I love you"

and I cry.
118
 I will never stop.

The crowd shifts and shuffles, uncomfortable.

The priest tries to take my arm, and I punch him

in the face. The crowd gasps as Peter rushes me

into a bathroom. He closes the stall behind us and

looks at me.

"Eli"

I clutch him, bury my face into his chest, and

scream. I scream and scream until my voice

cracks, and I can't anymore.

Then I just sob.

I have always loved writing poems. It is my

outlet, so to speak; how I say the things that

119
cannot be said by other means. So I thought about

writing a poem.

But I'm afraid that if I write her one now, it

will sound too much like the suicide note she did

not leave,

Singed,

Audrey

120
 Bo Goergen
grade 6

The Screams
I woke up tied down to a large cold metal

board, my joints aching. As I took in my

surroundings, it came to me that the room was

pitch black and silent besides from a faint ticking

sound getting louder by the second. All of a

sudden, a candle flickered to life, along with over

a dozen more. I finally saw the huge, menacing

grandfather clock that was now generating a

noise as loud as a fly hovering next to ones ear. I

noticed that my ropes were slowly getting tighter

and I looked at the clock to see if it would give

121
anything away. After five minutes, I realized the

inescapable truth, that every minute the ropes

that restrained me were getting tighter.

I felt a single bead of sweat run down my

face as the pressure increased on my stomach.

While tied down, I recalled every single hellish

and horrific experience of my life, including the

death of my only son, that occurred one year ago.

I had watched painfully as the inquisitors tied

him down and stabbed him in the back. A sharp

pain in my legs brought my mind back to reality.

All the feeling in my legs was lost and blood was

rushing to my head. I cried out in a failed attempt

to acquire some help.

122
 I need to stay calm, I need to stay calm, I

thought repeatedly. I looked around and noticed

that the rope was thinner at the point where the

metal met the rope. I tried to move my arm

slightly so that I could pull on the rope. I

attempted to do this with my entire arm but had

no luck. I then tried moving just my wrist and

grabbed onto the thin part of the rope and pulled.

The rope snapped like a whip, lashing out

and hitting me on the forearm. Even though I was

left with a shooting pain in my left arm I was free

from the clock and its ticking. I stood up and

walked straight into a torch-lit hallway and down

about half a dozen steps. As I strolled down the

123
steps I recounted all the good times in my life,

attempting to cheer myself up. My mind returned

to the night my father and I were sitting in a field

staring up at the moon and enjoying the moment.

Ever since that day I have believed the moon was

a good omen for things to come.

However, at the moment I was captured by

the Inquisition, and standing in a dimly lit

chamber. I turned around and tried to walk back

up the stairs, but a huge wooden door slammed

over the entrance to the staircase. Suddenly all the

torches in the room went out, making the room

pitch black. I woke up to find myself tied down

yet again. The long hours I lay there I cannot say

124
but I knew that I was going to die if I did not have

food.

How did I get here? Why are they doing this to

me and my kind? My last memories of how I

arrived here were that the inquisitors dragged me

through a door then set me down on the ground.

I heard them talking to each other about what the

door they were about to go through symbolized.

All I heard was something about a lion and how it

symbolized death to the enemy. I wished that

they had just killed me right there on the spot.

Just get on with it! I shouted into the

black abyss that surrounded me. But then I

realized: I am not going to die. I will do this for my

125
murdered family and all the other countless Jews who

have perished. The room was still pitch black but in

what I thought was the corner of the dungeon

there was a faint glow. I heard rustling to my left,

like the wind passing through a bush on a cold

fall day. The glow spread throughout the

dungeon and to my left I saw a huge steak, just

inside reach. I was about to ravenously eat the

steak, when I caught sight of a note lying right on

top of the meat. It read:

Dear filthy prisoner, here is a gift to you.

But be warned, this food might be poisoned.

Signed, The Inquisition.

126
 My eyes darted back and forth between the

seemingly safe and protein rich steak and the

dark, foreboding note that lay next to it. I knew

this was all part of their master plan, their

flawless plan. I figured out there was only one

thing to do, fight back, fight to avenge my sons

death. I grabbed the meat and sunk my teeth into

it. Nothing happened. I took another bite, still

nothing. As I began to smile, I felt a tremendous

amount of pain in my head. Suddenly, everything

went dark.

I awoke to find there was no pain

anywhere in my body. Just then I noticed that a

man had opened the door to the chamber, closed

127
it, and walked to the corner of the room. I quickly

dismissed this from my mind, thinking he was a

janitor, because I wanted to believe I was out of

the dungeon. Lying on a soft, blood-red couch in

a large chamber, I stood up and felt a cold hard

metal object beneath me. I grasped it and held it

up to my face. As soon as I saw it I was confused.

Why would this be here? Did someone break me out of

the dungeon? The cold metal object was a knife.

All of my questions were answered after I

read the second note. It said:

Do not let your memories haunt you. But

if they do, do not be afraid to use the knife we

128
gave you. You can end all your pain and suffering

with this object.

Then I heard the scream. It hit me like the

strongest gale wind I ever felt. The pain, the

memories, the ones I have tried to hide for so long

came flooding back. The deaths of my son, my

wife, my father, my mother and all the others who

have passed. Shrill shrieks, aghast howls, high

pitched screams. I was blinded by the darkness in

me, by the pain of those who have left me. But I

will not yield. With knife in hand I screamed, I

will never bow to you, you imposters, you

wrongdoers. God will avenge us.

129
 With a surge of new found strength fueled

by anger and pain, I lunged at the inquisitor who

was putting his key in the door, attempting to flee.

He had tortured children just so they would

haunt me, and because of this and all his other

crimes, I took my knife and plunged it into his

neck.

I took the key from his hand and opened

the door. Looking around I saw a heavy brass

door to my left, ran to it, unlocked it, and ran out.

This door led to another chamber which had

many weapons of torture hanging from the wall. I

noticed that there were three doors, each one very

different. The one directly in front of me was

130
metal, the one to the left of me was oak but had a

huge door knob which was designed to look like a

lion, and the third and final door on the right was

a huge circle with no door knob at all. I tried to

remember which door they dragged me through

to enter the dungeon. Suddenly, it all came clear. I

knew that I had to go through the door with the

lionshead. I opened the heavy door which led me

to a small hallway. Running all the way to the

end, I opened another wooden door, and finally

my bare feet felt the soft texture of grass. It was

night in the forest of Spain, and as I looked up, I

saw the moon and the stars, and for an instant I

thought I saw my fathers face in the sky.

131
 Liz Pollock
grade 7

Is Black the Official Color of

Madness?
I had gone some 10 or 12 steps in this manner

when the torn hem of my robe caught my heel

causing me to stumble till I fell violently face

forward. As I raised my head I felt blood seeping into

my mouth. My eyes were closed and my mouth was

open as I rolled around in the cell. I tried to remember

why I was here, but my mind was cloudy and the pain

in my head was overwhelming me. As I sat up the cell

seemed to spin. I raised myself slowly to my feet, but

my head slammed into a large object. I slowly walked

132
around the perimeter of the room in the light of

whatever my head had it. I circled the object a few

times, or whatever I thought were a few.

After what I thought had been a minute or two,

something fell from the object, and I went to see what

it was. It was about the size of a small childs hand.

Underneath the small objects reddish-orange glow it

seemed to be black. I reached down to pick it up, but

as soon as I did, I regretted it. The moment it touched

my hand there was a crackling noise. It felt as if

someone had just held a torch onto my hand. I

dropped it and screamed. The fiery object lay

steaming on the floor. Flakes of its outer layer were

peeling off as the fire completely encompassed the

133
small sphere. There were only two things that could

have started this small fire, coal and wood, and it

definitely was not wood. As I rolled around on the

floor my face stopped right in front of a wall. Once my

eyelids fluttered open I noticed that there was a

drawing etched into the stone wall. I could tell that

there was something else carved into the wall, but all I

could make out was, w-tch out -and torna-o. I was

perfectly quiet for a moment. A switch flipped in my

brain, the etchings were a message. My whole life I

had heard of the inquisitions torture devices, and now

I knew there was one about to fall upon me. Then I

noticed that the wall was covered in similar images.

My scream of fright broke the silence. I thought I was

134
going crazy. My eyes began to see sandy fog as I

drifted into unconsciousness.

When I awoke I could tell I was in a different

room. The large object was gone, but the room was

quite bright. The sun was coming through cracks in

the walls. I sat up and surveyed the room more

closely. As I stood up the sound of my feet echoed

through the chamber. The pale cold ground stung my

feet. As I wandered over to a wall I spotted a pile of

sand. As I picked it up and rubbed it through my

fingers I remembered the drawings in the previous

chamber. The memory was blurry at first, I was very

confused, but then the thoughts started coming in full

streams. Worrying thoughts began pelting my mind,

135
What if I am captured in a sand tornado, or drown in

an ocean of sand! My brain howled in fright. All the

thoughts swirling in my head made me dizzy. As I

stumbled around the room I bumped into a wall and

scooched to the floor. I moaned, without realizing the

wall behind me began slowly slide away from my

back.

As I fell into the new room I felt my arm plunge

into a sea of sand. Though dizziness still

overwhelmed me, I managed to get to my feet. Once I

was standing I kept my eyes closed until I could stand

up without falling. I opened them and looked around

and saw a long room filled with sand piled at least 5

feet high. At the end of the room was a table filled

136
with delicious food and drinks. My growling stomach

and parched tongue was what set my first foot into

the deep sand. Unconsciously, I set foot before foot

into the quicksand. I walked in this manner for a few

steps until my foot hit something unexpected. I wasnt

sure what it was, but when I lifted my foot out of the

sand, it was covered in blood.

I was so wrapped up in my foot that I didnt

realize I had sunk into the quicksand. The pain of my

foot and the quicksand all at the same time was too

much for me to handle. I lowered myself into the

sand, ready to give up. At that point half of my body

was submerged in the sand. What I had just decided

were sharp stalagmites beneath my feet were

137
impaling my thighs. Everything started to get fuzzy. I

could feel my body slowly giving way.

All of a sudden my body began squirming and

my arms flailed around looking for something to

grab. Finally, they found something, it was a spike. In

the process of grabbing the spike my hand was

stabbed. My hand now hurt as well and there was

blood everywhere. The world came back into focus

and I hoisted myself to the surface of the sand.

Something inside me propelled me forward towards

the table of food. I leaped across the sand impaling

my feet as I went.

Finally, I reached the table of food. My body fell

to the ground tears streaming down my face. I lay on

138
the floor and closed my eyes. I knew I would recover

as long as there was nothing else I had to face. Slowly,

I fell asleep. When I awoke I was still in the same spot,

but all the food was gone from the table. All that was

left on the table were a few pails of water. I stumbled

up and grabbed a pail. I poured the first pail into my

mouth and down my face. The refreshing water was

calming for me. The second pail was much larger, and

I poured it all over my body. As soon as the first drop

of liquid from that pail touched me I screamed, the

liquid wasnt water, it was lemon juice. The pain was

so overwhelming that I thought I would faint. There

was a strong stinging pain in all of my wounds. I

screamed for what I thought might have been minutes

139
on end. My eyes rolled back in my head and I began

murmuring nonsense. My brain was turning

somersaults in my head. My tongue stroked the outer

edge of my teeth, observing their smoothness. I was

going crazy from the pain. Once I could look straight I

hallucinated a man rolling his eyes in his and

shouting,

Im blacking out! Im blacked out! I just blacked

out! Help me! Please! My mind was telling me, And

I thought I was crazy! Then I began laughing

hysterically and letting out high pitched screams. I

was going so crazy that I finally blacked out.

When everything came back into focus, I couldnt

remember what had previously happened. I limped

140
up in pain and noticed I was in a long passageway.

The ceiling was filled with long cracks. The cracks

looked as if they were damp, and some liquid had

recently fallen from them. I hobbled to what I thought

led to nowhere. The ground below me was a dark

reddish stone, and it was filled with small dents and

ragged edges. The hallway was skinny, probably two

or three people could have stood side by side in it. I

walked on and on for hours. The soles of my feet were

raw and bloody ,and my knees began to buckle. I

thought my legs would fall off if I walked any further.

My chest heaved as I stumbled on Finally, I sat down

for a few minutes and then began walking again. I

141
went on like this for a few hours until something

dripped from the ceiling.

The liquid drop landed on the floor leaving a

small indent. My jaw clenched in self defence.

Another drop fell from a crack onto my hand. I

flinched, but began walking at a faster pace. My hand

ached and the skin was bubbling slightly. My eyes

looked straight ahead and I began running. The

substance that I now presumed was the recently

discovered substance called acid, was now falling in

steady streams from above my head. My skin was

now bubbling all over and I wanted to sit, but I kept

running. My face paced run had quickened to a

sprint. The liquid was now gushing from all around

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me. My feet were flicking up and down so fast, that

they barely ever touched the ground. All I was

thinking about was running. I kept my eyes ahead

and tried to ignore the increasing pain. Finally, the

ceiling gave way and the acid was free falling onto

me. All I could see was the clear liquid that

encompassed me. Suddenly, I saw an exit door. It was

glowing because of the light behind it. I ran,

screaming the whole way towards the door. I flung

open the door, jumped in, closed the door, and fell to

the ground.

I expected cool floors, but they were sizzling hot.

An ear piercing scream left my lips. I looked up and

saw a ten foot tall hourglass with coal spilling out of

143
it. An alarm began beeping It may have been my mind

but I wasnt sure. It germinated through my body

until I was yelling nonsense and letting my tongue

hang from my mouth. Coal was falling onto me from

the hourglass. My skin was still bubbling, and it was

now turning reddish orange from the heat and from

the blood at the surface. My physical state was

terrible, but my mental state was worse. I could tell

that I was only minutes away from death. I thought

about the acid rain, but mind was in such a

conundrum that I lost my train of thought every few

seconds. Finally, I opened my parched lips and

squaked,

144
 Im blacking out! Im blacked out! I just blacked

out!

Ruby Jones
grade 5

Untitled

145
 What if you got dreadfully sick? What if

you lived in a world where no one got sick? What

if this meant death? My name is Andrea Johnson,

and I have been asking myself that question for

the past three hours. Its the year 2032. Everyday I

take a pill to stop any sickness. I have a healthy

diet. I dont know what happened. I look around.

Everything looks so unused. Probably because it

hasnt been used since 2018. I think about what

has happened. The doctor seemed nice enough,

even though it felt like he shoved the needle in a

bit hard. My eyes start to droop. I drift into a deep

sleep.

146
 When I wake up, the doctor is standing

right next to my bed.

How are you doing? He asks in a tone

that sounds like he really couldnt care less.

Good. I dont feel sick at all. I answer,

and smile. The doctor scowls.

Ill take care of that. He mumbles under

his breath.

What? I ask.

Nothing he replies, and leaves the room.

The next day theres another girl in my

hospital room. She says her name is Anna. She is

also very confused about how she got sick.

147
 Somethings not right. She states. I agree.

We need to do something, fast. We are starting to

hatch a plan when the doctor walks in holding a

needle.

New medicine! He announces. He

injects us both in the arm. After a few minutes I

begin to feel dizzy. I cough and sneeze. I feel hot,

then cold. So does Anna.

Something tells me that that wasnt

medicine. Anna thinks aloud. She gets out of her

bed, and I follow, both of us stumbling a little

from the not-medicine. We peek into other rooms

and see more patients. How strange! We keep on

walking until we see a room marked Doctors

148
ONLY It should really be marked doctor only,

since I have only seen the one doctor here. We

step into the room. I see a table with tons of vials

on it. All the vials contain strange liquid. We

explore more when we hear a voice.

What exactly is going on here? Anna

and I whirl around to face the doctor. Anna places

her hand on her hip and remarks,

Shouldnt we be asking the same of you?

The doctor's face turns bright red. He starts to

explain,

You might not know this, but the earth is

getting overcrowded. The only way we can fix this

is to start killing people off. The government

149
doesnt realize this yet, so I have taken matters

into my own hands.

Youll get arrested for this! Anna yells at

him.

Not if no one figures it out. He smiles.

But we figured it out! Anna points out.

But you cant tell anyone if youre dead.

Realization dawns on me, then terror. He

splashed some liquid at us, and it gets in our

mouth. My heart stops beating, then Annas. This

is the end.

150
 Luca Vernhes
grade 6

The Death Crevice

When I woke up, I was lying on the ground in

some sort of underground cavern. I got up and

walked slowly because it was dark. I had gone ten

or twelve steps in this manner when the torn hem

of my robe caught my heel causing me to stumble

until I fell violently face forward. I struggled back

up, and felt my face for any injuries while I took

stock of my surroundings. Suddenly, I felt a sharp

pain in my leg. It was a rat, the biggest rat I had

ever seen who now scuttled away. I looked at the

151
bite. To my surprise, it dripped green slime,

oozing out of the wound like a full cup of water

getting filled again. As I was wondering how I

didnt hear the rat, I felt a drip of water on my

nose. Hello! I yelled. Or at least I think I yelled

it because I didnt hear anything. Then it hit on

me. The drop of water too, but also an

explanation. I was deaf, probably because of the

bite. That is why I didnt hear the rat coming or

my own voice. Then, feeling the wall, I pushed

myself up onto a ledge and pushed on what I

thought was a stone slab. After some effort, the

stone finally gave way and fell on the ground

releasing a rush of water. The water knocked me

152
off the ledge, making me black out from the pain.

When I woke up, I was on the slab looking up at

the night sky.

When I pulled myself out of the hole, some

people were talking in what looked like a

graveyard, I couldnt be sure in the dark. I started

to walk toward them saying what I think was

Hello. Do you have any food? As soon as they

saw me they sped away as if I had a deadly virus.

As soon as I turned around, a flash of light caught

my eye. I moved toward the flash and saw a

middle aged man.

In sign language, he motioned Come quick.

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 I scrambled to him and asked in sign

language Why do people run away from me?

Who are you?

He motioned Im Depha. Kid, you're

supposed to be dead.

Who? What? me? I signed in quick

succession.

Depha motioned A few months ago the

Inquisitors came here with a body. It was you.

You didnt move even when they put you in a

hole and poured water over it. Ever since, there

have been strange things happening. Giant

mutated rats that traveled in packs running all

over the place. Were in a Inquisition fort. The gate

154
is manned by two guards. As one person, I

couldnt get away. The guards seem scared of you.

How about we escape?

Im in. I motioned.

We silently began to creep forward until I

could see the two guards with spears talking in

front of the gate. Depha signed Now! Run

towards them!

I started to jog toward the guards. As soon as

they saw me, one of them dropped his spear and

ran. The other started to try and throw his spear

at me but my friend grabbed his arm and pushed

higher and higher behind his back until he

dropped his spear. My friend whispered

155
something in the guards ears grabbed his keys

and let him go. The guard bolted like the devil

was at his tail. Depha unlocked the door and we

jogged out into the night.

As soon as we saw the crevice, I began to have

my doubts. So far everything had gone perfectly.

But that crevice, something about its size and

depth terrified me. Even though it was probably

only 6 feet across, to me it looked 15 feet across.

Depha motioned Looks easy.

He ran and leaped across as gracefully as a

cat and his feet scrambled for purchase on the wet

ground. He motioned from the other side

Jump! Before my feet even left the ground, I

156
knew I wasnt going to make it. As I lifted into the

air, my foot slipped and I fell. Suddenly, a hand

caught me and threw me up onto the ledge on the

other side where I tried to pull myself up. As I

managed to get back on top I heard a high pitched

scream. Depha had just slipped into the fissure!

Then it hit upon me. He must of swung me up on

to the other side but while doing that, he must of

slipped and fell. I dropped to my knees and threw

up. It was my fault Depha was dead. I looked over

the edge and saw Dephas body land on the

ground which broke and cut him.

When I finally got a hold of myself and

stopped crying, I got up and started to walk. I

157
dont know where I was walking, I was just using

walking as a distraction from grief. After a couple

hours of pushing forward, I finally arrived at a

small village. I walked until I saw the market

square. As soon as someone saw they shouted

something and everything living left the street.

Something was definitely wrong. Maybe as

Depha said Kid youre supposed to be dead. I

spent the night on the street and scavenged for

information and food. I managed to gather that

this village was called Perusleroc which was

where I think I lived. The fort I had been in had

been called Sargon. From the signs on every block

I managed to gather that I had probably died of

158
a mysterious disease called Cancer, which would

why the Inquisitors went to so many lengths to

stop my escape, and why everybody was scared

of me. The rats a received mutations from Charles

Darwin who had discovered DNA. One thing was

sure. They were looking for me to actually kill me.

For the night, I slept on the cold ground until

I suddenly felt something cold under my neck. As

my body struggled to get up someone whispered

Dont move or I will kill you.

Obediently, I froze. I sat up suddenly,

grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back

as Depha had done until the persons sword

dropped into my hand.

159
 Then slashing my new sword in a menacing

arc, I whispered Leave. My voice deadly quiet.

Taking the hint, he ran away. I noticed

something. I could hear. I wasnt deaf anymore!

Being deaf must have been caused by the rat bite!

I grinned until another man with a sword ran at

me. I blocked his slash and body slammed him

forward. Taking advantage of the moment, I

bonked him on the head with the hilt of my

sword and knocked him out. Without warning, a

rat jumped out of the shadows and bit my sword

hand. I kicked him away and looked at the

wound. The world seemed quiet all of a sudden,

because the wound was oozing green slime.

160
 Slowly, I turned around. Seven rats had

gathered and more were coming.Not thinking

anymore, I turned and ran to the only place I

could think of that might stop them. The fissure.

Now followed by at least twenty rats, I struggled

to remember any useful information from town.

The rats were fast, loyal and would not stop until

they had tracked down and killed their prey. All

information being depressing, I continued to run

until I saw the fissure. I turned around at the edge

and saw no rats. Thinking myself to be out of

danger, I turned back around when suddenly I

felt the pain of many poisonous bites. My body

fell into the fissure. As I was falling, my friends

161
words came back to me. Kid, youre supposed to

be dead.

Rania Challita
grade 6

Underground Garden

The sound of my limp body when it hit the

ground echoed throughout the enormous cavern.

I felt every inch of my chest hitting the ground

with an agonizing pain that shot through my

veins. I had walked in this direction for many

days now, and still I found no trace of light or life.

The eeriness of the darkness and silence made it

harder and harder for me to move on; not

162
knowing where I was going or if I was alone in

there. Even though I was not trapped, I was still

in prison, a one where I had one foot in the grave,

a one where I was in purgatory. There was few

things to torture me but still nothing to live for.

Sleep was the only thing that would give me

comfort, but even then, every few days I had a

nightmare that would haunt me for the rest of my

life.

I woke up to my daily meal of bread and

water. I was on the brink of starvation every day.

The pain in my body was shooting through, like

an arrow that pierced my skin, over, and over

again. I was ravenous and quickly ate the bread

163
and drank the water. But as soon as I took a sip of

the water I spat it out. It tasted like salt water! It

didn't smell like that so I tasted it again. The

water tasted normal, just like regular water. That

was peculiar. I sat and pondered this for a

moment, It was just my imagination, thats all. I

knew had to keep walking, so I took a deep

breath, and struggling, I walked into the

darkness.

I had walked for some time now, and I

paced myself so I would not tire out. I thought

about why I was walking. I went nowhere in

weeks of walking, what was the point!? But then

I looked around and saw a very faint glimmer in

164
the darkness not far ahead. It was the first trace of

light I had seen in months and I was curious and I

wanted to see what that shimmering thing was.

Maybe a way out or a trap! Dozens of thoughts

raced through my mind. I had to get a closer look.

Shoving all the bad possibilities in the back of my

mind, I sprinted towards it. I ran as fast as a dog

on its four legs, almost with an excited jump to

my steps.

As I approached the light I started to feel

ill, as if the blood in my body was depleting. It

didnt matter, though, I kept going. I saw that the

light emitted from a small crack in the floor, and

in that small crack, there was a bud of a red

165
flower. It seemed as if the flower itself was

glowing, but I couldnt be sure. I reached out to

try to grab it but I didnt, because before I touched

the flower, I fell to the ground, unconscious.

CRACK! I leaped to my feet and ran, I

didnt know in what direction but I still ran. The

sound of the rocks smashing and breaking echoed

in my ears, the sound of disaster. I ran as fast as I

could until the sound stopped. I looked around

but saw no shimmer of light, no glowing in the

distance. It had vanished. I tried to guess what

had just happened but so many thoughts raced

through my mind that I could not tell. I was

curious but too frightened to go back. I tested one

166
of my ideas of what had happened by throwing a

rock in the direction I came. I waited to hear the

rock hit the floor, but that never happened. I tried

again but still no sound. I sat down for a few

minutes, thinking.

I heard light footsteps in the distance,

creeping closer and closer. I stayed calm even

though I was terrified. Maybe it's the inquisitors

or an animal or someone who will save me. It

couldve been anyone. It was sneaking closer and

I knew I had to make a decision. I can face this

person walking towards me or run into the

distance into where my rock had not hit the

ground. Grrrrr An animal maybe? I reached out

167
to feel for my pouch but instead of grabbing my

pouch, I skimmed the surface of fur. The animal

leaped at me! I ran fast in the other direction but

in not more than my sixteenth stride, I felt no

ground beneath my feet. I had tumbled right over

the edge of a gorge. I only fell for about ten

seconds but it felt much longer than that. I could

feel my feet swinging in the air and my arms

flailing. It felt as if I was flying. But as soon as it

started, it was over.

I slapped the water and every inch of skin

burned from the impact. It felt like my body was

on fire. I was thankful, though, that I had landed

in water. I was too afraid to open my eyes but I

168
noticed that the black insides of my eyelids were

red, as if light was shining through them! I

opened my eyes to a garden of glowing flowers. I

was still in a cavern but it was filled with light

from the flowers, a very picturesque moment,

beautiful in all ways. The flowers were red and

glowing like the one I saw before, but these were

huge, the size of me. They had thorns and a black

liquid running from the thorns. I reached out to

touch it, but once I touched it, a searing pain shot

through my fingers, and streamed up my whole

body! I quickly plunged into the water but that

only made it worse. The pain faded after a few

minutes but I could still remember the sensation

169
like it was still happening. I stayed as far away as I

could from the flowers and tried to make myself

comfortable enough to sleep. Even though I was

scared, I was weary and knew I needed sleep if I

were to survive.

I woke up and stared at a flower, it was

beautiful and elegant. Then reality struck me like

a big boulder. I was trapped, in an endless prison.

My quest for freedom was coming to an end, an

end where Deaths frigid icy hand would come

and carry me away to hell.

I saw that my bread and water was waiting

next to me. I reached out to drink the water but

knocked it over instead. I tried to catch it but it

170
was no use. The water poured all over the

ground. I watched as it moved towards the flower.

Almost like it was slithering, it crept on and on.

The black dew was dripping from the thorns and

I was curious to see what they would do if they

touched. They finally reached each other and the

most strange thing happened: The black liquid

burned in the water at contact. Then it hit me, the

reason it burned when I touched the liquid was

because my skin was wet! I grabbed the pitcher

from the ground, filled it with water and poured

it on the thorns. The liquid burned up, the flower

immediately started to wilt and the light was

extinguished instantly.

171
 I did this for many flowers, extinguishing

the poison from them. This made me feel better

inside and I knew why. I had been too focused to

realize that I had been ill this whole time since I

saw the small bud. The scent flowers made me ill,

and when they wilted, they lost their ability to

make humans sick. I felt energetic again.

I was ready to move on. I knew that there had

to be a way out of here and since there is light, I

could see. So that night, I filled my pitcher with

water and set off in the direction that had the

most amount of flowers, hoping that it would

lead me to a way out. I decided to mark the

172
ground every hour with the direction I came from

in case I ever needed to come back.

When I was digging my third mark on the

ground, I hit something hard. Not a stone,

though, it had a wooden texture. I dug faster and

faster, but then I blacked out. That was the last I

saw of that underground garden.

When I woke up my head was pounding

and by chest was sore. Pain shot through my arm

from a broken bone. I opened my heavy eyes to

see where I was. I was in a corridor of sorts. It was

longer than I could see, the walls were covered in

spider webs and the only light was a torch every

few yards. I struggled to get up. I slowly walked

173
down the corridor. There seemed to be stairs

leading to a door on the ceiling every thirty yards

and I wanted to explore them but then a well-

remembered sound came from the end of the

corridor. It was the crack of thunder. I followed

the sound up dozens of stairs and winding

passages until I came to a cave.

I stood at the opening of the cave, I saw

rain, felt rain and heard rain. I was ecstatic that I

reached the outside world. I wanted to stay here

and watch the rain but I knew I had to get as far

away from here as possible. The guards probably

already knew I was gone and we're looking for

me this very moment. So I ran, I ran as fast as I

174
could, as far as I could. I stopped every once in

awhile to drink but kept moving.

It was dawn and I thought it would be best to

sleep now. I found a berry bush to eat and then

found a group of plants to sleep in that were away

from sight. So I slept there until the night came

again.

The night had come and the sky had

cleared. I could hear the wolves howling in the

distance and the call of the hunting owls. I saw

the moon for the first time in months. The fresh

smell of the wild encompassed me in a blanket of

joy, but I knew I had to keep going.

175
 I ran towards the smell of the ocean,

hoping I could catch a boat away. I heard the

hooves of the men's horses not far behind so I

picked up the pace. Finally, I got to the water but

there turned out to be a cliff between me and the

water. There was no port on this bank either. I

was trapped.

The guards reached me in a matter of

minutes. Their huge horses pounded their hooves.

The men were here to bring me back to my

prison.

Tell us what you know about him! A

large man on a horse bellowed.

176
 I know not of what you are asking me

about! I lied.

This is your last chance!

I didn't know what to do. If I told them

what I knew, I would die and so would all of my

family. But if I went back, Ill suffer endless

torture. One thought did cross my mind, though.

The frigid hands of death will sweep me into the

heavens for this.

I leave you in this world, cursed for all

eternity! I screamed, and I tumbled over the

edge. I heard them scream in anger and

frustration as I was falling, a small grin appeared

on my face as I took my last breath.

177
 George McCain
& Alex Skrypek
grade 5

The Lucky Spider

Once upon a rainy day there lived a spider.

The spider was nameless. He was also very, very,

very lucky. Or so he thought.

It was raining and the spider was hungry.

So he dreamed of all the food in the world, then

food fell on his head. He had flies, roaches, and

many more insects.

The next day he was cold, so, he wished for

warmth. Just as he thought about it the sun

178
seemed to move in his direction, and the clouds

parted

The spider then thought to himself, Well

I can have anything that I want! So he wished

and wished and it all came true. Sadly he himself

wasnt wishing and getting the wish, it was the

little spore, a lucky spore. That spore was

nameless and was very, very powerful.

The spore then thought, Now that the

spider thinks he is magical I will crush him! And

then the spre detached from the spider.

So the spore removed the life from the

spider, and disappeared.

179
 The moral is, luck may help, but work is

necessary for life

180
 Taber Cannon
grade 5

Free Writing
Today is the fourth day I have been stuck

in this cage. The people brought me to this cage.

A giant pair of furless paws open up the shiny

door and reach in the cage. I decide I should bite

the paws so I do. After I bite the furless paws

they shake and grab me. I think this will be the

day I die. The paws are attached to a thing

standing on two hind-legs, other things are

standing around the first one. The one on the

first ones right is making a sound that sound

181
like cooing. I decide I want to fall asleep, it been

a long journey.

The furless animal brings me to an

enclosed space with other dogs. The other dogs

tell me its a dog run. Whats a dog run? I think

my person really really loves me. (The dogs in the

dog run told the giant furless thing that brought

me here is my person.) I really think that my

person really really truly loves me. I want to kiss

him, I guess I will. After the dog run, my person

brings me to a dark box. The door slides close. I

think we will die in this box, thats bad, as I was

just starting to really really truly love my person.

After what seems like all the time in the world the

182
door slides open again. But its not the place we

entered from, it is a giant room with things to

sleep on and places to lie on the sun. Wait a

minute, this must mean my person really really

truly loves me. Wait another minute what is that

scary-warey thing, it is grey with scary blue eyes

and it looks at me like its going to kill me. I run

to the corner of the room and say to myself I will

go to sleep now, after all this must all be a bad

dream. Wait, before I go to sleep, what is the

really really truly good smell. This must be food,

my person must really really truly love me. I eat

the really really good smelling food. I will go to

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sleep now, my person must really really truly love

me.

I cant sleep, the monster with the blue

eyes is really really scaring me. I decide I will

sleep with my person tonight. I walk into one

room and there he is, my person. Now how will I

get up. In my head I count one, two, three. I jump

on to the really really truly soft bed. I will kiss my

person. As I kiss him, he pushes me off the bed.

Why would he do that? I keep on trying to jump

up, but he pushes me down. After a while I

decide I will stop. I sleep under my persons bed,

he must really really truly love me. I woke up to

find the monster hugging me, I guess I liked her

184
to. My person puts me in the cage with the shiny

door. I cried all morning, the monster cried with

me. My person said something to the monster

and he opens the cage door and hugs me. I lick

him back.

185
 Phoebe Abitbol
grade 5

And Then There Were Six

I guess you could call my house

overwhelming, but I dont really think thats the

right word. Yes, my house is crowded with four

siblings, but its not that bad. Unlike almost all

other siblings on the planet, my sisters and I get

along like best friends. Weve never gotten into a

fight, or played pranks on each other, or tried to

sabotage each other's plans. Instead, we play

together, laugh together, and hang out together.

Were like a group that cant be separated, a piece

of paper that doesnt rip. Age difference isnt a

186
problem for us. Neither is popularity. Thats how

everybody thinks of us: a group of sisters that

gets along. I, personally, dont care that some

people think Im weird for being friends with my

sisters. But some of my sisters do. My sisters and I

have always been best friends. Until one day

when a little boy changed that. And thats what

Im here to tell you.

Tess, move over! I hip bump her as we

are brushing our teeth. One thing I will call

overwhelming, is trying to get ready for school in

the morning with four other girls. Hey! Tess hip

bumps me back. Tess is thirteen. She is the only

one in our family with green eyes. We all have

187
dirty blond hair, except for my twelve year old

sister Sydney. Sydneys hair is brown. Gals! Its

time for breaky! Max calls from downstairs. Max

is our babysitter if you could call him that. Hes

always prancing around saying weird australian

phrases and sayings. Coming! Tess shoots down

the stairs. Tess is what you would call a foodie.

She lives for food and loves candy. I smile and

follow after her. When I get to the table,

everybody else is already there. As soon as I sit

down, Max comes dancing out of the kitchen

singing, breaky, breaky, breaky is served. I

giggle when hes done. Max is funny. Thanks

Maxamillion, Madeline rolls her eyes and we all

188
laugh again. Just trying to be funsters, Max

replies. Avery punches him in the arm, resulting

in another ripple of laughter. I cant say that

mornings are boring in my house.

When I get to school, I am greeted by a big

sign saying: Sixth Grade Dance! This Friday, 7:30-

9:30! I sigh. Why cant it be an ice cream party

instead? The day goes by pretty fast, which is

a miracle. I have some homework which I am

planning to do as soon as I get home, but my

plans are ruined by a text from mom. The text Ive

been dreading ever since our family meeting last

Saturday: weve made a decision!:). This means

that mom and dad have made a decision about

189
adoption. Mom and dad want a little boy in the

family, so dad can teach him how to play

basketball and soccer. I think its a little offensive

to us girls, because Avery and Maddie play

basketball and soccer! When my sisters and I get

to the adoption center, were pretty sure that the

decision was to adopt a kid, and we find out that

were right two minutes later. I shouldnt even

bother explaining all the boys we looked at. There

were at least one hundred. We finally narrow it

down to two: a brown haired twoyearold named

Spencer, or a blond haired threeyearold named

Carter. Sydney and Avery want Spencer, and

190
everyone else wants Carter. Its unanimous. Yay.

Sigh. I liked our family just the way it was before.

Carter is so annoying! I know hes only

three, but he is! This morning he toddled into Tess

and my room, and started ripping things up! You

know the saying my dog ate my homework? Well,

now the saying in my house is Carter ripped my

homework in half. And teachers really dont like

our new saying. Im a good student for the most

part, so if Carter messes up my straight As, then

hes going to get it from me. Whether hes one, or

ten. Mewany, Carter crawls into my room. Oh,

and thats the other thing. Carter can walk! And

say my name correctly! But he chooses not to

191
because it makes him look cuter! Carter, Im

doing my homework, I reply sternly. Carter gets

up and WALKS over to my desk, makes puppy

dog eyes and says, Mewany, will you pwese

pway wif me? Hes so cute! I cant resist puppy

dog eyes! Wait, no. Resist the eyes! Carter, I cant.

Im really sorry, I turn back to my homework. At

least I was nice about it. Ill play with you

Carter, Tess stands up. I glare at her and gesture

toward her homework. She just shakes her head

and walks out of the room.

On Wednesday at breakfast, Tess and I sit

at opposite sides of the table. Instead of sitting in

my usual seat, I move over two chairs and sit next

192
to Sydney and Avery instead. When the rest of my

siblings come down

stairs, they give Tess and I both weird looks.

Why did we have to have a fight? I love Tess. Shes

so nice and a great older sister, but if shes mad at

you, you know that you did something seriously

wrong. Like not play with your little brother.

Come on lets hup to it! I know that we can eat

it! Max sings and skips into the dining room.

Carter gurgles and claps his hands. Maddie

snorts, and Avery punches Max in the arm again.

Carefull there, Ave, Max snorts right in front of

Maddies face. I just stare out the window. Hey,

Mel, want to get frozen yogurt after school

193
today? Sydney asks. I love frozen yogurt, but

today just wasnt the day. What, with Tess and

everything. I really cant believe that were

actually fighting. Ill pass.

The sixth grade dance sign greets me again

today. I feel even less like going now. Melanie!

Sydney stops me in the hall. Theres going to be

a new kid in class today! She squeels and starts

to jump up and down. Great, now theres going to

be one more person to think that Im a weirdo.

Why is this so exciting? I ask. Before Sydney

can answer, the late bell rings and I dart inside my

home room just before it stops. I unpack my

backpack and load all of my books into my desk.

194
When I look up, the new kid (girl) is standing by

the desk next to me. She has long, wavy brown

hair and hazel eyes. She smiles at me and I smile

back. Hi, Im Alex, she says. I feel like I can see

into her and know that we are going to be best

friends. Im Melanie, I say, happy that I finally

have a friend thats not Sydney, Tess, Avery, or

Maddie. Or at least I think that were friends.

Today goes by so slow, that I think time

might have frozen for at least two hours. Alex and

I play together at recess, sit together at lunch, and

walk to all of our classes together. Its almost like

how Sydney and I are. I am getting my books

from my locker for study hall when Alex walks

195
up to me. Want to hang out after school? she

asks, I know we just met and everything, and

maybe youre busy after school, orlike... you were

just trying to be nice to me, seeing as Im the new

kid and everything, but I think we could be great

friends... not that I can tell the future only if you

want to... the friends thing I mean... sooo... maybe

could we hang out? Please? I really like you Mel.

Can I call you that? It has a nice sound to it. If you

ca

Alex, Id love to hang out with you. And

yes, you can call me Mel if I can call you Al, I cut

her off. I knew that wed be friends! I just knew it!

196
 I love the nickname Al! Alex (Al) smiles, I

also love that we are going to hang out after

school!

Um Alex. Would you mind getting frozen

yogurt with my sister Sydney and I?

I text Sydney to meet Alex and I at the

frozen yogurt place after school. When we get

there, Avery is eating frozen yogurt with a girl

that Ive never seen before. Hi Mel! she motions

for me to come over, this is Jacey. Jacey, this is my

sister Melanie.

Hi Jacey, I say politely and then whisper

to Avery, What happened to Maddie? I thought

you guys were going to get froyo together.

197
 We got into a fight. I know, hard to

believe, but Carter is just on my nerves and

Maddie thinks hes the cutest little thing and that

I need to be nicer to him, Avery rolls her eyes,

but Im over it. I have a new friend. I never

realized how fun it is to hang out with someone

whos not my sister.

I got into a fight with Tess about being

nice to Carter, too, I exclaim, maybe Maddie

and Tess should start hanging out. Avery replies

by laughing and punching me in the arm. Alex

and I walk up to the counter and take a cup. We

get our frozen yogurt (we get the same kind! We

have so much in common!) and while we are

198
getting our toppings, Sydney walks in redeyed. It

looks like she was just crying. Syd! Whats

wrong! I run over.

I hate Maddie and Tess! she sputters and

starts to cry again.

Sydney, what happened? Are you ok?

Come on, lets get frozen yogurt. Maybe that will

make you feel better, I lead her over to the

counter and take a cup. She takes the cup from

me and sulks over to the froyo machine. When we

are sitting down, Sydney tells us what happened,

I was crying in the bathroom because my teacher

yelled at me for having ripped homework when

Maddie walks in. She asked what was wrong, and

199
when I told her that Ms. Raymond got mad at me

for having ripped homework, she screamed at me

to keep my stuff away from Carter. Maybe she

was just having a bad day, but then Tess walked

in.

She yelled at me, too. But this time she was

yelling about being nice to Carter. I mean, what

does that have to do with anything! So then I

cried some more until the bell rang. I got my stuff

and walked the long way here, so maybe you

wouldnt notice that I had been crying, Sydney

finishes. I hug her and try to make her feel better,

but I think she just feels worse. I decide to change

the subject. Alex, Sydney, and I talk about stuffed

200
animals, cake, and dogs. I think that made

Sydney feel better. On the walk home, I start to

think about the dance and how Tess promised to

help me get ready. Carter is turning out worse

than I thought. Hes the cause of all the fights that

my sisters are having. I wish that I could go back

in time and make my family choose Spencer.

Spencer was cuter anyway. Not that Carter isnt

cute, he is, but I dont think Spencer would break

our family apart.

When Sydney and I get home, we hear

yelling coming from upstairs. We both sigh,

throw our backpacks on the couch, and then

climb up the stairs. The yelling was coming from

201
Sydney, Avery, and Maddies room. Avery and

Maddie must have gotten into another fight. But

when Sydney walks in, Tess is standing there,

trapped in a corner by Maddie.

I know you took it! Maddie screams,

Just give it back!

I didnt take it, Tess looks like she is

about to cry, Carter did. Carter is just breaking

up our family even more than he already has. I

really cant believe it. Maddie is blaming Tess for

something that she didnt even do! I really cant

take this anymore! Ive had enough!

202
 Maddie! I grab her arm and pull her

away from the corner so that Tess can scramble

away, what do you think Tess took from you?

My diary! Maddie glares at Tess, Tess, you

have one more chance to give it back to me, or Ill

Madeline Grace Tyler! I shout. Now

everyone is paying attention to me. This is my

chance to bring my sisters and I back together as

friends, and all the rest of you! I am so sick of

Carter getting us into fights! I mean, Its ok if you

want to make a new friend, but Carter shouldnt

be the cause of it. Do any of you understand what

Im trying to say? my sisters nod their heads.

203
The room is silent for a moment. I think, for the

first time in maybe forever, I might have made an

impact. I am happy and relieved.

Just then, Carter walks in, hands Maddie

her diary, and then toddles out. Maddie stares at

it, and despite the situation, begins to laugh. I join

in, too. Then Avery joins in. Then Sydney, and

then Tess. Today might have been stressful, but

laughing with my sisters again feels so good.

In bed, just before Im about to turn out the

light, Tess turns to me. Thank you Melanie, she

whispers, and Im sorry that I got mad at you. I

know that you had homework, and now I know

204
what it feels like to have, like, your best friend

mad at you.

Its ok, I whisper back, every best friend

has to get into a fight one time or another. Tess

lets this sink in, but then turns to me,

remembering something, oh! And Ill help you

get ready for the dance! And thats how my day

ends. Short and sweet.

Ten Years Later

So, did Carter mess things up? Yes. But in a

way it was preparation. Preparation for now. I just

finished college. Without any of my sisters. After

middle school, we all went our separate ways to

high school. We still lived in the same house and

205
everything, but we all had our own friends. Alex

and I got really close through middle school and

went to NYU together to study to be doctors. We

are now best friends. The way my sisters and I

used to be. We do everything together. We were

even in the same dorm for four years.

Anyway, Maddie started playing ice

hockey and (believe it or not) now she is on the

USA olympic farm team. Avery still lives in New

Jersey with our cousin Emily, and they both go to

Princeton University together. Avery is the star

player on the Princeton University basketball

team. Sydney went away to California for college,

and my sisters and I haven't heard from her since

206
the day she left. Well, except for one voice mail

that she sent me two years ago, saying that she

was having a great time in California and she was

going to be a writer when she finished college.

Tess didnt turn out as well as everyone

else though. She started hanging out with the

cheerleaders and getting all bratty and dumb. She

didnt even go to college. She just moved to a

different part of New Jersey with her boyfriend

Nick. Mom and dad were really mad, but let her

do whatever made her happy. I wouldve locked

her in her room for a month.

And now the topic that youve all been

waiting for: Carter. Hes thirteen now and in

207
seventh grade. Hes really good friends with

Jaceys little brother who is... SPENCER! Thats

really all there is tell, so wait! I forgot one little

part. Carter is still as annoying as he was ten

years ago.

208
Poetry

Art by Wenhao Cai

209
 Katharine Cook
grade 8

The Reader
You see that girl in the corner?
Yes, her.
The one with wild hair tumbling down her
shoulders
and onto the crisp pages of her book.

She sits unnoticed

Camouflaged by the shouts of her peers
Her bowed head rarely moving from its position.

However
Something this sets this quiet girl
Apart from everyone around her.

She alone inhabits countries

All across this world, and others
Traipsing through the centuries
With one flick of her hand.

210
 She alone has ridden dragonback
Watching the sunrise while
Drinking in the crisp air of a new dawn.

She alone has felt the sword upon her hip,

The burden as they place
A crown upon her head.

She alone has witnessed

The deaths of her friends,
Silently standing guard
As they draw their last breath.

At a sign from the clock, the girl rises

Shouldering her heavy bag with a grim smile.
She exits the room at the back of the crowd.

As she fights her way

Through the hallways relentless tide,
No one can imagine the adventures she has had.
This girl has lived.

211
 Wenhao Cai & Lucy
Schwalbe
grade 6

Reflection
It was as if time had stopped
The wind ran through my fingers
As it chilled my soul
Thoughts began to swarm my head
I tried to look away
But I could not
My feet were stuck
Bolted
Attached to the ground
As I stared into endless space
I could no longer recognize myself
Hope
Love
Joy
All forgotten
That was when I realized
Nothing was left but
Misery

212
 Anguish
And wretchedness

213
 Aaron Hessel
grade 6

School
School oh School,
The sounds of school.
The chalk,
The sound of creaking doors.
The whiteboard screeching sound.
The pencil sharpener and the pencil.
The computers turning on and off.
All are things happening in school.
School is fun,
School is here,
School is everywhere.

214
 Charlie Wall
grade 5

Haiku
the sun is rising
everything comes back to life
it is the morning

the ground is so wet

the rain trickles down on leaves
will it ever stop

the ocean ripples

it goes on and on and on
the waves keep coming

the birds are chirping

it is so peaceful right now
soon it will all end

215
 Robert Rendine
grade 5

There Is
There Is dark and there is light

There is black and there is white

There is bad and there is good

There is mad and there is happy

There is strong and there is flappy

The world is full of there is

What are you

216
 Esme Fritton
grade 7

What Happened
whyd you leave me in the dust
where is the living trust
what happened back then
i wish we could start again

was i not good enough

or was it something else
what happened back then
did the planets not align

where did our friendship go

it left like melting snow
what happened back then
what happened within

217
 George McCain
grade 5

Rap About Candy

Sweet or Sour
It doesn't really matter,
Sometimes chocolate,
Dark or milk,
Sometimes hardened,
Sometimes like silk.

You can get it at the grocery store,

Sometimes it's bubble gum at the core,
Sometimes a kid's dream is to have candy
galore.
Sometimes little ones always want more.

If you eat too much youll end up throwing

up,
Thats why you should never have eaten that
Reeses butter cup.

218
 Daniel Hua
grade 5

Who Am I?

I like to cackle and I think it is illegal to

have a pet jackal. Oh how I wish I could set it free.

However Im getting chased by a miniature sized

bee. I will set the jackal free in a week. But I feel

like my Heart has a leak. I have decided to get a

new toy. I feel like Im a little boy. I felt very goofy.

Oh my, my hair has gone all poofy. I have been

insulted by a man named Jim. I feel like my

remains of my heart has gone all dim. When I go

home there is a man in my house. I feel like I need

to cry in a blouse.

219
 Natasha Rensky
grade 5

City Lights
City lights City lights
Oh shine so bright
In the morning
In the night
Why are we the city that never sleeps
Its a mystery to us
And a secret to keep
For the people who know
And the people that sleep

220
 Aaron Hessel
grade 6

Electives
Electives oh Electives
The flash in Yearbook,
The making in Digital Playground.
The discussing in UN,
And the reading in DEAR.
All are a part of electives.
Scribbler,
Mood indigo.
Jewelry making,
Watercolors.
And many more.
Electives are fun,
Electives are there,
Electives are Eve.

221
 Georgia Davis
grade 5

Winter and the Beach

In the cold snow
In a winter coat
I call for you, summer,
For your warmth.
Before I arrive
I hear your waves crashing,
Like the noise of a book hitting the ground.

222
 As I approach
I see the waves push the grain like sand
I am welcomed
By the smell of sunscreen
And seagulls up above
But when I must leave
I must leave behind,
The rainbow of beach umbrellas
And kids in the sand,
With pals and shovels.
Now I must go so
I trudge slowly back to winter.

223
 Jackson Jones
grade 5

Life
life
a beautiful thing
spend the time wisely
and when you grow old you will feel like you
have
done everything possible
and feel rewarded
so be thankful for what you have
life

224
 Leila Bynum
grade 5

Night Time
When the moon comes out and the sun goes
back
When the sky is lit up by the stars
When the constellations dance around in the
light of the moon
When all that can be heard is the hum of the
cricket and the hoot of an owl
When you have settles down to sleep
When you feel you are the only one awake
When you have a wonderful dream
It is night time

225
 Dax Bischof
grade 5

Christmas Is Coming
Christmas is coming, people are drumming
and practicing for the band.

Hanukkah is just around the corner,

and people are lighting their menorahs and doing
their chores.

People are having a ton of fun and playing in the

snow.

Kids are throwing snowballs in great happiness

and great delight.

The Christmas tree is lit, with beaming lights and

ornaments, beautiful it is.

The fireplace is warming, and the Christmas spirit

is forming.

226
 James Spindler
grade 5

Hanukkah
Hanukkah oh Hanukkah
you make me want to shout hurrah
spin the dreidel yes I win
here comes the chocolate ding ding ding
light the menorah
watch its pretty aura
time for presents what did I get
just what I wanted yes yes yes

227
 Aaron Hessel
grade 6

Halloween
Halloween oh Halloween
The Pumpkins are carved,
and the spooky decorations are up.
Trick or Treat the kids say,
Lining up in front of doors.
The Pumpkins are put and lighted,
while the kids are being frightened.
Everyone in costumes, no one knows,
who everyone is.
Horror around the area,
and Halloween is the best.
And Halloween is the best.
And Halloween is the best.

228
 John McGarry
grade 5

Untitled
A curious lad from Dover
crossed poison ivy with a four leaf clover
the curious lad was struck
with a rash of good luck
before his experiment was over
he had no four leaf clover
the poison ivy did not vanish
so he started to panic

229
 James Cave
grade 5

Christmas Day is Near

Christmas Day is Almost Here

Cant You Fell That Festive Cheer
If You Listen Very Well
Cant You Hear the Reindeers Bell

Christmas Day is Almost Here

A Blanket of Snow Will Appear
When You Look Underneath Your tree
All There Will Be Is Gifts for Me

Christmas Day Is Almost Here

I Am So Happy I Might as Well Cheer
Santas Belly Is Nice Round and Big
When He Laughs Its Like a Bowl of Big Jelly

Christmas Day Is Almost Here

Cant You Feel That Festive Cheer

230
 George McCain
grade 5

Christmas Season
Its the Holiday Season and Thats the reason
for great joy.
Every year Christmas comes and everyone
gets a new toy.
Its the time for that red-nose reindeer
Its the best time for that Christmas cheer.

The snow falls down.

And the Glow comes up.
I cant see a single frown.

Its time for that mistletoe,

Its that time for falling snow.
Its time for Hot Cocoa.
231
 Frosty the Snowman comes out to play.
The TVs are turned off and the phones are
put away.
I love the Christmas season,
And thats the reason for great joy.

232
 Nathaniel Berkman
grade 5

Winter
The winter is like a cloud
It is gloomy but very loud
But kids playing all over
Like a playground roaring with joy.

The white snowflakes coming down

They are going all around
Like the leaves in the fall.

Winter is cold
As its impact is bold
Oh Winter, what a magical season you are
Enjoy every boy and girl there are.

233
 Ruby Jones
grade 5

Alone
That knotted, twisted feeling in your stomach
That you feel when youre alone
That horrible aching pain
That will make you groan
Out will fall a tear
Sadness in the air
And that awful pain goes to the bone
When you are all alone

234
 Henry Levinson
grade 5

Stars
They light up the sky like fireworks in the
dark of night.
They shine their way into a special spot in our
hearts.
They gleam like the suns rays off a mirror,
beautifully shining.
They stay high in the sky, but during the day
they hide.
They are brilliant sparks of pure light.
235
 They greet you warmly when you look up.
They are spread among the sky like
snowflakes in a breeze.
They are all different, like clovers in a field.
They are there when you need them and
listen to your wishes.

Hannah Dietz
grade 5

Who and Where am I?

I do not know who I am or what I am
I do not know if I am something
236
 I might be an idea,
Or a piece of dust,
I could even be dead.
I do not know where I am or how I got here
I do not know why I am here
I do not know if I am somewhere
I could be locked away in someones head,
Or maybe in a video game that no one plays.
All I know is I am alone.

Nina Berkman
237
 grade 5

Seasons Go By
Seasons go by
in the summer
there is heat and you can go in the pool
there is soccer, swimmer and so much more
to enjoy the summer for
but once it ends its sad again there is school
its fall
there are colorful leaves falling from every
tree
and dont forget the hot cocoa
then its winter
you learn new things in a different way
and youll always have fun at school plays
then come spring with showers
but flowers bloom like the ocean
were back to summer one by one
thats the end of the seasons

238
 Taber Cannon
grade 5

The Starry Sky

At night after the sun sets
I start to see the stars, and the moons
silhouette
The stars bring all their friends
To dance with them in the sky until the end
Suddenly I see a shooting sky
Going on for so-so far
The stars put on their little show
Their performance glads everyone, even the
weeping willow
You and me under the same starry sky
I feel as if we can just fly
Maybe tonight dreams will come true
Because they are dreams of me and you
I just have to look up to get lost
239
 I wish upon star that our paths may cross
Because life without dreaming
Is a life without meaning
For I love the star too fondly
To be scared of the night
There is and only one starry sky

240
 Dax Bischof
grade 5

Untitled

The night was gloomy, dark

The fog thickened as the dawn lurked upon
night
The sun arose from slumber
The sun was lurking behind the shadows,
preparing to take over the sky
The sun let out a screeching battle cry and
charged into the sky making an aura of light
The night was howling in defeat, realizing his
time was over

241
 Charlie Wall
grade 5

Untitled
There once was a funny notice
I read and its true that it read like this
If you notice this notice
Youll notice
This notice is very noticeable
And if you notice this notice youll notice
That this notice is not worth noticing

242
243
 Theo Carlston
grade 5

Rain
Drip drop
Splish splash
Rain rain
Coming down
One drop at a time
Gray clouds
Big clouds
The sun cant be seen
Below freezing
Coming down
Harder and harder
Still one at a time
Tomorrow is December
When the rain will turn to snow.

244
 Maximo Del Pino
grade 5

Untitled
The days of a baseball
Crack! Goes the baseball bat
I soar far over the field
load in the space around me
bang! Ow! as I hit a wall
And the crowd starts screaming like crazy
All I can see are birdies
peanuts! Cracker jacks is all I hear

245
 Otto Fritton
grade 5

Life
Winters come
Winters go
Summers come
Summers go
Days come
Days go
Months come
Months go
Seasons come
Seasons go
Years come
Years go
Then its gone

246
 Esme Towles
grade 5

Spring Sway
Color surrounds me
flower grass a tree
I look up to see a butter fly
Flying towards the sky
Wind runs and hops all around
I listen and listen to no sound
birds chirp grass ways
all the trees and birds get their ways
the whistling trees
the humming bees
I look to see a baby bird lift its wing
And that is my vision of spring

247
 Jack McCain
grade 5

Winter
The snow is falling down
Joy is in the air
Under warm blankets
Snow Boots are your wear
Having fun playing in the snow
Running in the snowy field
Drinking warm hot chocolate
Inside away from the storm
You fall asleep
Safe and sound

248
 Eleanor Livings
grade 5

New York City

Many people think of New York City as a
noisy place,
As a cold place,
As a gloomy place,
But I see it from a different perspective:
I hear the sirens as a call for help
And rescue is on the way,
Cradled in your mothers arms
And she reassures you
You are safe
The animals,
Who are constantly
Saving themselves from large,
Barreling trucks that come their way,
Are small stars scurrying across the pavement
And eagerly
Bringing life
To the city,
The one light that is on
In the middle of the night
249
 That keeps you from sleeping soundly,
Is the light that tells your heart
To stay full

250
 Phoebe Abitbol
grade 5

My Dream

Colored lights glide over me,

Inside its dark, deep, safe.
Something pulses inside of my body,
Under my legs the dirt breaths.
The sand flows in like water,
My eyes burn like a candle.
The shock waves ripple out to my hole,
I crumble into a pile.
Everything turns into a rocky heap,
Nobody seems to know that there is a living
soul.
I see pools of red water,
Piles of white sticks.
I feel myself crack and rip,
And then I fall apart like a house of cards.
DEAD.
I open my eyes,
Fluffy pillows,
Fuzzy blankets.
I am back.

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 Keredin Samuel
grade 5

Christmas
While cookies and milk are on your table,
Santa gathers all his reindeer from his huge
stable
most adults think hes a fable,
and the children are watching their favorite
shows Christmas special on Time Warner
Cable.

The final month of the year December,

is a month to remember,
because everyone is very jolly,
and this girls getting a new dolly.

Santas traveling secretly at night,

and when he comes to your home hell have
an appetite,
as Santa finishes giving out gifts,
he has finished his yearly work shift.

As everyone wakes up from their sleep,

they get out of bed by doing a huge leap,
and no one is malicious,
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 because today is Christmas.

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 Sarah Weber
grade 5

Wind Comes Wind Goes

The wind howls swirls and creeks

You can hear it on the streets
The sky is gray
There is not much time to play
The Frisbee is tossed
It almost gets lost
I jump so high
It feels like I am touching the sky
I here thunder
Thats a bummer
Thats the end of summer
Going in your house all snuggles and
cuddled
Watching a movie youre not splashing in the
waves in summer
Drinking hot chocolate its the end of summer

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 Chauncey Thompson
grade 5

Untitled

Holiday season is the time of year

when everyone is in the holiday cheer.
Presents, food, and even candy
But nothing better than hanging with your
family.
Waking up and opening your presents its so
exciting
Seeing your friends thats even better, or not,
but maybe a letter.
Its the best holiday, so dont be gray.
Merry Christmas everyone
AD HAVE SOME FUN

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 Hayden Henry
grade 5

Freedom
I didnt need to worry about anything. I was
free. I didnt need to think. Obviously I was free.
Water is as clear as well as freedom. My heart felt
warm to the sound of the music. Music is as free
as me. The smell of freedom tickled my nose and
went down to my stomach like hot cocoa on a
cold winter day. Are you free? Because Im as
free as a bird flying on a cool spring day.

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 Lila Hussein
grade 5

Hot Cocoa
A steaming mug,
Delicious warm flavor,
Little white puffs,
Sitting on top.

Warm and creamy,

Down through your body,
Warming you,
Forever and ever, nonstop.

Up comes your mug,

Getting closer
And closer,
A little porcelain,
Chocolate shop.

This is hot cocoa,

A warm winters treat,
Something you drink,
While the snowflakes still drop.

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 Sadie Goodwin
grade 5

Christmas Toys
Christmas bells,
Christmas joys.
All the fun
All the toys.

Christmas bells.
Christmas joys.
Santa gives presents,
To girls and boys.

260
 Jonas Marcovitz
grade 5

Tom and Jerry

Once there was a cat that was fat.

He lived in a house with his favorite mouse.
They played all day long and sang sweet
songs.
When they fell asleep and they heard a creak,
the cat went to peel.
The mouse heard it too, but got stuck in the
glue.
When the cat found no clue and saw the
mouse stuck in the glue he didnt know what to
do.
Alas, the cat and mouse lived no more.

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Sofia Galarza
grade 5

Untitled
I cant find the charger
Im running out of time
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
Gone
We think it will save us
Netflix
Instagram
Facebook
Snapchat
But now Im alone
Im gone
Im disconnected
Im nothing
Was I ever something

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 Louise Giddings
grade 5

In My World
I am in my own world. Everything is good,
everything is nice. I am in my own world, the
universe is nice to me, just like Clara is, sweet,
loyal, doesnt ask for more than Ive already been
given. People here, in my world, care. They say
please, thank you, excuse me, sorry. Its nice. All
we do here is talk, paint, read, and relax. Its very
nice here, the birds chirp, the leaves fall. Its all
just, good. Its always fall here. Summers too
warm, winters too cold, but falls perfect, just like
my world.

264
 Kiera Hackett
grade 5

Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink
The color whizzes through my mind like a
shooting star
Its all that can be seen for miles far
Pink is the color of my crayon and my book
I really like the color because of its unique
look
I color the page with my neony flare
My very cool color makes everybody stare
I throw my color into the sky
I keep on playing with it until evening is nigh
When its time to sleep I begin to whimper
My family hated pink and smirked with a
simper
At this time my poem must end
Good night to you all and a happy amend

265
 Julia Geniesse
grade 5

Balloons
Balloons, balloons, floating high in the sky,
Watching as weeks and weeks go by.
One minute theyre there the next theyre
gone,
Theyre floating around from night till dawn.
A speck of different color, in a vast blue sky.
Sometimes floating low, and sometimes
floating high,
As crowds of people watch them go by.

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 Amani Agrawal
grade 5

Waking Up In New York City

Waking up in NYC I see the sun
Peeking out behind the drape of night
Afraid to appear
Waking up in NYC I hear the honking of cars
People already awake driving to work
The day has begun

Waking up in NYC I taste the freshness of the

day
The dogs greet the day with their loud barks
The city sings its song
As the day salutes the city

Waking up in NYC
The Statue of Liberty towers above the
bustling city of NYC
Everyone floods the city wanting to see every
sight

Waking up in NYC I taste the freshness of the

day
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The dogs greet the day with their loud barks
The city sings its song
As the day salutes the

269
 Alexander Skrypek
grade 5

Its Your Birthday

Its your birthday!
Well, tomorrow is.
All you can do is
Wait.
What will you get?
No, what wont you get?
Oh,
My,
Its bedtime

270
 Kayla Feinberg
grade 5

Christmas
Christmas is the time of year to spread joy to
everyone near,
Hang up your stockings,
Hang up a tree,
Spend time with family while sitting around
the fire
On Christmas eve you are so anxious,
Hoping that Saint Nick will come,
and that you have been good all year, good
enough to get presents!
Take time to look at a tree,
and see the lights glowing iridescently,
Snuggle with your parents,
while watching a movie,
Get into bed,
and hope that Santa Claus will soon be there.

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