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The Isle of Gust Meets the Kingdom of Starsidious
CREATIVE WRITING FROM DETROIT PREP’S AFTER-SCHOOL WRITING LAB
SPRING 2025
Introduction — 1
Collaborative Story
Harper Hamilton — 5
Harvest Hickey — 10
Addilyn Urquhart — 11
Gregory Stevens II — 13
Thomas Gaabo — 19
Alexandra Taylor, Callan Gaabo, and Silvia Stella — 24
Alex Taylor — 31
Introduction
The following collection of stories comes from the brilliant and imaginative minds of students from Detroit Prep. We wrote with these students over two semesters, with some students joining for one cycle, and some for both.
In Cycle One, students discovered the world of poetry through elements. Each week, writers were given two different styles of poetry and created their own pieces with the subject of Water, Fire, Earth, or Air. In addition to their poems, writers were taught about Zodiac signs and what each one represents. With all of this information, writers then created a short story with their Zodiac sign as the main character.
In Cycle Two, writers began each session with a “What If . . .” writing prompt to get their creative juices flowing. The theme for this cycle was “Choose Your Own Adventure,” and writers got the chance to collaborate with one another on the characters and setting of the stories found in this book.
The first two chapters of this collection were written collaboratively and used by the students as inspiration as they wrote the continuation of the story on their own. As you read, you’ll get to enjoy each individual student’s take on how the story might continue.
We are grateful to have been in partnership with Detroit Prep this year.
Fasten your seatbelts, because you are about to embark on a journey that is out of this world!
Paige Bennett Lead Teaching Artist, 826michigan
Chapter One
There are many stories of royal families, but this will be one you may never forget.
On the Isle of Gust, any species—human or inhuman—is welcomed. Our “person” of particular interest is Gustavó. Gustavó admires his life on Gust Island, where everyone takes on the same name—some variation of the name Gustavó—and where all you see is pink houses for miles and kilometers on end.
Although lovely, Gustavó has always felt like something was missing.
One warm afternoon, while Gustavó plays basketball with some friends, a blinding glare comes from under a bench. He picks up a stopwatch and, once opened, Gustavó is taken to a different time . . .
Gustavó hears a muffled voice, someone saying something like, “Here? Out of all places!”
Who was that? Gustavó thinks, shaking off a tingling feeling as his blue scales start to shed.
Chapter Two
“Princess Clover, you are needed in the main hall.” Princess Clover’s grandmother is waiting there for her.
“Princess,” she says, “the Kingdom of Starsidious needs you.”
But Princess Clover did not need the kingdom. She always had a dream—not like a dream that you have when you are sleeping. A dream like when you have a destiny that
you need to fulfill!
Suddenly a thunderous sound is heard across the land.
“Your highness, we need your help,” Grandma says.
“It’s the volcano!” First, I find out I can transform into an alien, Princess Clover thinks to herself, and now an inactive volcano is about to erupt?! But, my destiny!
Racing down the hall, Grandma grabs her by the hand.
“Follow me,” she says, and they race down the hall together toward the sound . . .
Harper Hamilton
THE VOLCANO AND FAMILY
Gustavó: Chapter Three
It probably wasn’t anything.
I go to my house to take a nap. I still can’t sleep. I haven’t been able to sleep since the tsunami.
As I go downstairs to get some food, my scales stick up as THE DREADED CEILING STRING hits me. Instead of running past it, I pull it and a magical ladder comes shooting down and throws me down the stairs!
I get back up and climb up the ladder. Why are there so many boxes here? This is probably the “attic” Grandma was talking about.
A box in the far back catches my eye. My eye is actually stuck to a U-Haul box. I peel it off and open the box. There is a weird clear thing that’s broken into pieces and an old book. At the bottom of the box I find a photo of what looks like me, but as a “humein” sitting on the stairs, and it looks like it’s missing two people. Why does this person look like me? Do I know these people? Do they know me? If they do know me, do they know who I am?
Princess Clover: Chapter Four
Me and my grandma go toward the hall, toward the volcano, but I have no idea what to expect. I look over to my grandma and she looks like this isn’t the first time this has happened.
We cross the castle bridge and we see the volcano in the center of the castle. My grandma yells, “Take cover! It’s going to erupt!”
When it ends, I look at my grandma, and she does not look like the army soldier she was a few minutes ago. I hear her breathing, and it is hard and raspy.
She looks me in the eye and says, “Don’t give up, Clover. Continue with your training no matter what. Take this . . .”
She hands me a photo and it’s ripped in pieces. Why am I in the photo in alien form? What happened? Who has the other half? What does it mean?
My thoughts are interrupted when I hear my grandma saying, “Go into my room and get the bottle from the bedside table.”
I run to her room and grab the glass bottle, then run back and give it to her. She drinks it and her breathing returns back to normal.
“Thank you, Clover. You saved my life.”
Afterward, I let out a shaky breath full of ash. I go into my room and hide the photo behind a loose stone in my wall.
Gustavó: Chapter Five
Idecide to send a letter to her, asking if she knows about the photo. I don’t know where she lives so I ask her to tell me. I look at the address and sigh, knowing I don’t have enough stamps to send it to Starsidious. I go to the store and get thirty packs of stamps. Why do I need so many stamps if it’s only 109 miles away? That’s only about an hour drive!
About a week later, the mail-frog gives me a letter. I open the letter and it says:
Well, I guess it’s time you know that you have to go to Stardsidious. If you do not make the trip to Stardsidious, bad fortune will happen to you and your island. So you can either go to Stardsidious or suffer the pain of ME!
Signed, Anonymous
P.S. If you remember what I told you earlier, you know who this is from and what will happen.
Jain: Chapter Six
Why did I give her that photo? I shouldn’t have done that. Well, if I gave it to her or not, we would still be in danger. They said I had to “give” the photo to both of them when it finally erupts. It couldn’t really be avoided, though. My breathing went back to normal after Clover gave me the bottle.
I take Clover down to the dungeons to practice in secret (none of the guards can even know). We practice for hours, things like how to transform quickly in case it happens or if somehow they meet. Soon, we hear the distant sound of a bell for dinner.
Afterward, she goes to practice, and I go to the tower and lift the loose stone and pull out the photo.
Clover: Chapter Seven
Icome up from practicing pretty much all day and find my grandma, Jain, in my room. “Why are you in my room?” I ask.
“Oh sweetie, I’m just cleaning,” she responds. I look around and it seems exactly like it was before I left.
Something feels off, though.
I sit on my bed after Jain gestures for me to sit down. Then she gets up and pulls out the loose stone in the wall and takes out the photo. Jain sits on the bed next to me and pulls out a piece of paper. “Clover, go get some scotch tape,” Jain tells me.
What is that piece of paper? I dig through the drawer and find everything except tape: scissors, a staple, a single Dorito, pencils—all in the drawer. At last, I find the tape inside of the bottomless drawer.
I go back into my room where my grandma is sitting. I give her the tape and I see the piece of paper and the photo she gave me. She tapes the two together and they fit perfectly. Jain sits on the top stair and I’m to the right of her on the step below on
the porch. Jain is in her human form, but then why am I in an alien form?
Gustavó: Chapter Eight
Idecide to get on the plane toward Starsidious. I don’t want to get on this plane, but I also don’t want them to destroy everything back on my planet.
After an hour or so, we finally land and get a ride to wherever this place is. I arrive and am greeted by a castle with a river guarding the entryway and towers covered in guards. I enter and a guard points me in the way of where both of them are. I climb up all the stairs only to realize they have a metal person holding a pulley. I find where they want me to meet them after wandering around. I think to myself, They could really use some signs.
I come into a room with a small table and low light. They see me, and the other person looks at me like I’m crazy with my blue scales. They are both in alien form! Finally, somewhere I can belong.
Jain tells me to sit down and introduces me to the younger alien, Clover. We all talk for a while. Then Clover asks me to pull out my photo. Should I give her the photo? I don’t even know her. I lay the photo onto the table so they can see.
Jain puts her hand out to reveal a piece of paper. “Take a look,” she says softly. I flip the piece of paper over and it shows the two of them sitting on a porch, Jain on the top step, Clover on the bottom. “Tape it together,” Jain says.
Princess Clover: Chapter Nine
When Gustavó tapes it together, I see him and me sitting on the bottom step and Jain on the top step.
“If we are not together, our home planet will be destroyed,” Jain says.
“But we haven’t been together for centuries, so why does it matter now?” Gustavó asks.
“Because the volcano erupted, so now we have to return to our home planet,” Jain replies. “Gustavó, go back home, pack your bags, and return to Stardsidious so we can all go back home. And Clover, I’ll explain this all to you.”
Jain: Chapter Ten
We pack our bags and I file the documents, giving the castle to my unicorn. “I thought this was our home planet. Why do we have to leave? What is our actual planet? Are there other people like us there? Why haven’t we been there before?” Clover asks.
“Because, Clover, your great-grandparents, my parents, forced me not to tell anyone about our actual home after your parents died.”
Gustavó comes running through the door with guards carrying tons of bags behind him.
“How much of that stuff do you actually need?” I ask.
We go to the portal plane that’s underground with our bags being dragged behind us.
Princess Clover: Chapter Eleven
We enter the portal plane, as Grandma calls it, and Gustavó—of course—brought wayyyyy too many bags. Jain enters a code and another keypad is unlocked. Then she enters a different code on another keypad. We finally reach a swirling door with a sign that says:
To another unknown place . . .
We enter the door and are teleported through space and finally we arrive . . .
Harvest Hickey
A LONG HARD JOURNEY
Where am I? Who are these people? I don’t know any of these people. Who is that girl? She looks like me. Those are all the thoughts I am thinking when I get transported to this random place. Is this the future or past? Before I can get the answer, the world starts spinning around and I’m back at home again in Gust Island.
What the heck just happened? Who in the world was she? Why did she look like me? I snap out of my thoughts before I get consumed in them. I try to go on with my life normally but I can’t because this girl keeps invading my thoughts. Who is she?!?! is my main thought. I shrug the thought off and go to bed.
I fall asleep within minutes of lying down, which is weird. It normally takes me twenty minutes, not four, but I shrug it off and just sleep.
I have a dream about the same girl I saw today. I did not see her for long, but while I did, she had dark blue eyes and her skin was tinted pink mixed with a little bit of blue. Her hair was black and long. She looked at me for a second. I saw my mother in her. Mother died when I was seventeen years old.
The next morning, when I wake up, I think I must find this girl and figure out why she looks so much like my mother. I will find her, even if it’s the last thing I ever do.
Here’s the thing you’ve got to know about this: it will be a long, hard journey.
Addilyn Urquhart
ODDLY FAMILIAR
Chapter Three
As I run down the hall I quickly peek out the window and see the volcano—not erupting, but smoking— and I know I have to get there quickly. I rush out the door and catch a glimpse of a face that is oddly familiar. Get back on task, I think to myself, I can worry about that later.
Then I see my grandma and I know I need to rush. I use my magic flying powers to go save my grandma, but when I get to her, she says, “Go save the other people. I’m gonna die soon anyway!”
I know not to defy my grandmother, so I grab the closest person—a short round woman with brown hair and hazel eyes—and I take her just outside the village. Then, after a few more instances like this, I see the volcano start to erupt, and I see my grandma trying to run.
“GRANDMA!” I shout, but I know it’s too late. The lava rushes over her as she says, “You have a brother. His name is AAAAAHHHHHHHH—”
Tears start to well in my eyes as she disappears. I rush to tell the royal guards, “We must hold a funeral!” The guards rush to tell the whole village as I run to my room, trying to hold back tears. I race in through the door and crash into my bed and cry into my pillow. Before I know it I have fallen asleep.
Chapter Four
Isee a volcano erupting in the distance as I stand next to a giant castle. How did I get here? I ask myself. I try knocking on the giant wooden door of the castle, and after a few seconds, someone strangely familiar bolts out the door and we lock eyes for a moment, but they quickly go back to sprinting toward the volcano. Then I think about myself, and since I don’t want to get burned to a crisp, I start running.
I eventually make it outside the village, where I’m safe, and I put my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath.
Gregory Stevens II
THE FORGOTTEN STARS
Chapter Three
The walls of the castle trembled as Princess Clover and her grandmother sprinted toward the main hall’s grand doors. Servants and knights rushed past them, their faces a mixture of terror and determination. Outside, the sky had darkened, casting a crimson hue over the Kingdom of Starsidious.
“What do we do?” Princess Clover asked, barely keeping pace with her grandmother.
“The prophecy,” her grandmother said between breaths, “it has begun.”
Princess Clover’s heart pounded. Ever since discovering she could transform into an alien, she had been overwhelmed by questions. But now—an erupting volcano threatening her kingdom? This was too much.
As they reached the balcony overlooking the land, Princess Clover gasped. Lava bubbled from the mouth of Mount Fyris, glowing hot against the dim sky. Smoke curled into the heavens, thick and foreboding. The ground rumbled beneath their feet.
A deep voice echoed through the air. “You cannot escape fate, Princess Clover.”
She spun around. Standing at the edge of the hall was a figure cloaked in black, their face obscured by a silver mask. The air around them shimmered with an eerie energy.
“Who are you?” Clover demanded. The figure took a step forward. “I am the keeper of the Forgotten Stars, the one who has waited for your awakening.” They raised a hand, and suddenly, Clover’s body began to glow.
The transformation was happening again. Her skin tingled, shifting from soft human flesh to something stronger, something not of this world. Her hands crackled with blue energy, and she gasped as she felt a surge of power rush through her veins.
The cloaked figure chuckled. “Good. You are ready.”
The volcano roared, sending a shower of molten rock into the sky. Clover clenched her fists, her destiny unfolding before her.
She had no choice. It was time to fight.
Chapter Four
Gustavó stumbled forward, his blue scales flickering under the strange, golden light of this unfamiliar place. His surroundings shifted—one moment, he was on Gust Island, and the next, he stood in what seemed like a grand celestial chamber. The walls shimmered like liquid stardust, and the floor felt weightless beneath his feet.
“Where am I?” he muttered, his voice echoing.
A figure emerged from the glow—a tall woman draped in silver robes. Her piercing violet eyes locked onto him.
“You have arrived,” she said, nodding as if she had been expecting him.
“Arrived where?” Gustavó asked, stepping back.
“The Hall of Realms,” the woman explained. “Your fate intertwines with another’s—one who carries the power of the Forgotten Stars.”
Princess Clover. The name whispered through his mind like a distant memory. He had never met her, but something
inside him knew—he was meant to find her.
Before he could ask another question, a violent tremor shook the chamber. A massive, swirling portal opened behind him, sucking in everything like a vortex.
The woman’s voice grew urgent. “Go, Gustavó! She needs you!”
With no choice, he leaped into the portal.
Chapter Five
Princess Clover barely had time to react as the cloaked figure lunged at her. Instinct kicked in, and she raised her glowing hands, sending a surge of blue energy outward. The force repelled the stranger, but only momentarily.
“Who are you?” she shouted again.
The figure stood slowly, their silver mask gleaming. “I am what remains of the Forgotten Stars. And I am here to test you.”
Before she could respond, the ground beneath them split apart. From the cracks, molten lava spewed into the air. The palace shook violently.
“Your kingdom is crumbling,” the figure said, tilting their head. “Do you have the power to save it?”
Clover felt the weight of destiny crushing her. But then, something unexpected happened. A flash of blue light appeared beside her, and a figure tumbled onto the stone floor.
Gustavó.
He looked up, dazed but determined. “Uh, hi,” he said. “I think I’m supposed to help.”
The cloaked figure chuckled. “Good. Let the real test begin.”
Chapter Six
Gustavó barely had time to process where he was before the masked figure raised a hand and the entire hall morphed into something new. The castle vanished, replaced by an endless field of stars.
Clover stood beside him, her alien form shimmering.
“What is this place?” he asked.
“A battlefield,” the masked figure answered. “If you are truly worthy, you must prove it here.”
With a flick of their wrist, shadows erupted from the stars, forming monstrous creatures with glowing red eyes.
Clover’s hands sparked with energy. “Are you ready for this?” she asked Gustavó.
He swallowed hard. “Not at all.”
But as the first shadow beast charged at him, something deep inside him awoke. His scales glowed brighter, and for the first time, he felt a power surge through him.
He wasn’t just here by accident.
He had a purpose.
Chapter Seven
The battle raged, a whirlwind of light and shadow clashing in the endless void. Clover fought with precision, her alien abilities sharpening with each strike. Gustavó, however, felt as though he were only beginning to understand what he was capable of.
One of the shadow creatures lunged at him, and on instinct, he raised his arm. A pulse of blue energy blasted from his palm, disintegrating the beast instantly.
“What—what was that?” he gasped.
Clover glanced at him, wide-eyed. “You have powers too.”
The masked figure observed them in silence. Then, they
spoke. “The fate of your worlds is bound together. You will either rise as heroes . . . or fall into oblivion.”
And with that, they vanished.
The battlefield dissolved, and the two of them found themselves back in the real world—standing on the edge of the erupting volcano.
Gustavó looked at Clover. “What now?”
She clenched her fists. “Now we end this.”
Chapter Eight
The volcano roared, spewing lava into the sky. The kingdom was in chaos, but Clover and Gustavó knew what they had to do.
“I think,” Gustavó said, staring at the molten core, “I can absorb energy.”
Clover nodded. “Then let’s give it everything we’ve got.”
As the volcano erupted in full force, the two of them joined hands. Clover channeled her celestial energy into Gustavó, and he, in turn, absorbed the fiery destruction before them.
The air crackled. The ground trembled. And then— silence.
The volcano had been neutralized. The kingdom was safe.
Clover and Gustavó collapsed, exhausted but victorious. They had passed the test.
Chapter Nine
In the aftermath, the masked figure returned, their silver mask glinting in the sun.
“You have proven yourselves,” they said. “But your journey is far from over.”
Clover stood, determination in her eyes. “What’s next?”
The figure extended a hand, and a map appeared in the air. “The Forgotten Stars were never truly lost. If you wish to understand your true destiny, you must seek them.”
Gustavó smirked. “So . . . a space adventure?”
Clover grinned. “Looks like it.”
And as they looked to the sky, they knew—this was only the beginning.
Thomas Gaabo
AND THE SOUND IS…
Chapter Three:
And the sound is . . . Gustavó’s watch! “Where am I, and who are you people?” asked Gustavó. “And who is this pretty lady?”
“That would be me,” said Princess Clover.
Wait, why does that guy look like me? thought Gustavó before he saw some enemy aliens come in and disintegrate everyone in front of Gustavó with their special laser guns!
“No!” screamed Gustavó. “I was gonna marry her!”
Just then, the enemies noticed Gustavó and had angry looks on their faces. “Now there’s another Starsidiouin we gotta get rid of!” said one of them.
Oh no! How do I get out of this? wondered Gustavó. After fiddling with the watch for a while, he got sent back to where he was before.
“That was weird,” said one of Gustavó’s friends. “Where’d that watch come from?”
Chapter Four:
Just then, an alien that looked like those enemy aliens from that watch showed up and introduced itself. “Hello, earthlings, our species is the Neila Lives, and we’re here for one purpose and one purpose only: to save the universe from the Starsidiouins!” they said.
“Who’re the Starsidiouins?” asked the earthlings.
“They’re an advanced nation, on the planet of Starsidious. The special thing about them is that they
overthrew other planets’ nations! Just last light-week, they overthrew our nation! Only me and two thousand others were able to escape! Everyone else has been captured! However, there’s a reason why they’re doing this! Forty-three light-years ago, they lost their princess’s baby brother for a reason we would rather not say, so they’re looking all across the galaxy for him, and capturing everyone else because they think they kidnapped him.” There was a pause, and then the alien asked, “ARE YOU PLAYING BASKETBALL RIGHT NOW?!”
“Yeah, your story was too boring!” they said.
“Oh, well, you know what isn’t boring? The fact that you, Gustavó, are a long-last family member of the Starsidiouin royal family!” said the aliens.
“Who? We’re all named Gustavó for whatever reason,” said the earthlings.
“Well, the guy with the blue scales,” answered the aliens. “Anyway, you, Blue-Scaled Gustavó, those scales aren’t a genetic mutation, they’re the way you can tell that you’re, in fact, that long-lost Starsidiouin royal family member and not an earthling as these liars want you to think!” exclaimed the aliens.
“Really, is this true?” asked Blue-Scaled Gustavó.
“Yeah, it’s true,” said the earthlings. “We’re the siblings of government agents who wanted to study you. Our names aren’t even Gustavó! We wouldn’t usually want to tell you this, but if aliens are dying, we think it’s worth it.”
Just then, the alien grabbed the watch from Gustavó’s hand. “That’s ours. We wanted to see where you were, and we accidentally lost this. That’s a time-traveling watch. It can suck you forty-three light-years into the past, and twenty light years into the future.”
Chapter Five:
After saying goodbye to his Truman Show–type home, Gustavó and ten soldiers went to the alien mothership. There, they saw two hundred aliens.
“I thought that you said there were two thousand aliens,” asked one of the earthlings.
“Oh, we sent all the others to another one of our refugee planets,” answered the aliens.
“Wait, you guys have more than one planet?” asked another earthling, before the alien yelled, “Okay, it’s time to go to Starsidious!”
Now, a trip from Earth to Starsidious takes twenty lightyears, so the aliens gave Gustavó and the earthlings each a hypersleep container to make sure they didn’t age too long. Exactly 7,289 light-days into the process, one of the aliens accidentally spilled Sosa Sola (extra terrestrial soda) on the hypersleep control panel, so Gustavó woke up unexpectedly. After wondering where the other hypersleep containers were, he heard the airlock doors open and crept over there to check it out. There, he saw two aliens throwing something similar to a hypersleep container out into the vastness of space.
“That’s so heavy, bro! If only Gustavó didn’t bring those soldiers with him!” said the aliens.
The next light day, Gustavó asked one of the aliens why they were near the airlock, and where the earthlings were.
“Oh, yeah, we forgot to tell you, all aliens can breathe space air!” said a Neila Live, which is the name of their species (BTW, I forgot to mention that). Since they didn’t answer where the earthlings were, Gustavó was suspicious about the Neila Lives.
Anyway, after living through the rest of the light-days in the journey, the characters were now on Starsidious.
Chapter Six:
At Starsidious, Gustavó ran into the Starsidiouin’s royal guards.
“Who are you?” asked the guards.
“Take me to your leader, because I am your long-lost family member,” said Gustavó.
“Oh, okay,” said the guards.
That was easier than I thought, thought Gustavó.
At the kingdom, Gustavó met Princess Clover for the second time. However, that had been in the future, so it took a light-week for the two of them to fall in love. However, while all this romance was happening, more interesting stuff was happening. You see, the peasants’ area was absolutely obliterated by the bad guys as the peasants were getting captured by them.
As soon as they were done falling in love, the other people in the kingdom, who were busy being their wingaliens (the alien version of wingmen), found out the bad news and told them about it. When he and Princess Clover were told this news, Gustavó realized that “Neila Live” translates to “Evil Alien!” They were the bad guys all along, and had used Gustavó to distract the kingdom!
“Did you guys invade any planets?” he asked.
“No,” answered everyone else.
“Just as I thought. The Neila Lives had been the ones to invade those planets all along!” Gustavó then asked, “Why’d you guys send me through the galaxy?”
“The Neila Lives came into the kingdom. We had to send you to Earth for safety,” answered the grandma.
“Just as I thought again,” replied Gustavó.
Just then the intercom yelled: “EVACUATE THIS AREA IMMEDIATELY! NEILA LIVES ARE DISINTEGRATING EVERYONE IN THE AREA! I REPEAT—and it turned to static.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the volcano started to erupt! “Princess Clover, you are needed in the main hall, by the way!” said a servant. As the events from Chapter Two happened, the thunderous sound was heard.
“Wait, that’s me! Come on, guys, let’s go!” said Gustavó.
Chapter Seven:
Then the events from Chapter Two happened, except this time Present Gustavó dodged the explosion, giving everyone the chance to defeat the Neila Lives in the area.
Just then the volcano that’s on Starsidious started erupting. Tens of Starsidiouins and Neila Lives were destroyed by the lava. Right before Present Gustavó and Princess Clover get burned to death by the lava, they told Past Gustavó to go back to his present and stop the Neila Lives from reaching Starsidious. So he did.
“That was weird,” said one of Gustavó’s friends. “Where’d that watch come from?”
Just then a Neila Live showed up, except this time Gustavó grabbed his laser gun and disintegrated him right in front of the fake Gustavós!
“That’s that,” said Gustavó. “Trust me guys, that watch showed me that they were evil.”
THE
END
Alexandra Taylor, Callan Gaabo, and Silvia Stella
GROUP WRITING
Chapter Three
They run down the corridor to the grand staircase and look down at the marble floor below, which is cracking.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah, my back!” Grandma cries.
“Are you okay, Grandma?” Clover asks, extremely nervous about the fate of Gran-Gran.
She collapses, planting her face right into the marble floor. She is barely hanging onto life. Clover runs down the stairs, and as she gets to the last step, lava bursts through the floor and shoots over her grandma’s head.
“AAAAHHHHHHHHH!” Clover cries. “GRAN-GRAN IS GONE!”
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!” her grandma screams loudly.
Clover runs up the stairs and down the corridor as fast as she can.
“Clover?” her royal advisor calls. “Where’s your grandma? Where should we go? Is it safe to stay here?”
The princess runs past the large crowd of people, desperate to find a place to cry.
“Clover, tell us SOMETHING! If you don’t, we could all die!”
Clover runs out of the castle doors, sobbing, as the large crowd of people gets absolutely obliterated by lava.
And there she stayed, she sat on the brick pathway to the docks, crying, for a long while.
The only thing that could comfort her in this situation would be her family, but that couldn’t happen. Why? Well, all her family had just died.
She would be the last of her bloodline, since she didn’t want kids. This made Clover even sadder.
Suddenly, she had an epiphany! She stood up quickly from her puddle of tears on the bricks and slipped on them. But her realization distracted her from the pain. She had realized: She had more family left!
Meanwhile, on the Isle of Gust . . .
Gustavó looked up from the mysterious watch, pondering the possibilities of the original owner. Was it the watch that made me time travel? Why would someone make something like that?
Gustavó was so shaken by the experience that he said, “Bye bye, friends, I want to go home.”
Later at the Gust Island Library and Archives, Gustavó searched up terms like “time-travel watch” and “weird magic watch” in a desperate attempt to learn more about the item he’d picked up while playing basketball. He kept asking the computer questions, but they proved to have no use.
After a while of research, Gustavó gave up and asked the librarian for help.
“Do you know anything about mysterious watches?” he asked in a discouraged tone.
“What watch? I don’t know about any watches. I think you should go home now,” he responded.
Once Gustavó left, the librarian, named Mr. Gustavaó, grinned maliciously. He was very relieved when his mortal enemy couldn’t find information on his invention.
Little did Gustavaó know, he had water poisoning from drinking so many of his library-goers’ tears.
Back at his home, Gustavó found a safe place to keep his magic watch. This place happened to be a little jewelry box with red velvet covered walls. It had a feather cushion—also covered in velvet. Later, he went to sleep.
“UNCZZUNCZZ,” he snores, as he dreams of skibidi slicers.
In the morning, Gustavó wakes up, his hair disheveled, drool coming out of his mouth and dripping down his chiseled jawline. He groans and sits up, and he wipes his mouth and runs a hand through his hair, making it look perfect again. He gets up and looks in the mirror, getting ready to Mew.
Watching skibidi toilet episode 77, Gustavó eats ten McGustavó’s sandwiches, the best fast food on the island. Next, he goes to the local community college to earn his Gustavólogy degree. He only has five classes until the final!!!! He is almost a graduate of Gust Island’s Academy of the Gustavans.
Later, in the community college . . .
“As you may know, Gust Island was created by the Gust leader, Gustava the Great and Gallant, and Glamorous, and Gracious, and Gentle, and Gregarious,” said the professor.
“But, do you, professor, know why it was created?” a
mysterious voice in the distance asked.
“No, amuse me, mere student, what is the reason? It makes perfect sense that you of all people would know.”
Gustavó had absolutely no idea. He had wanted to embarrass the professor, not himself!
“Um . . . um . . .” He reached for his watch and wound it back up.
“As you may know, Gust Island was created by the Gust leader, Gustava the Great and Gallant, and Glamorous, and Gracious, and Gentle, and Gregarious,” said the professor, for the second time to Gustavó, but the first to everyone else.
I’ve played these games before, Gustavó thought, and didn’t question his professor again, because this time he knew better.
After class, Gustavó went back to McGustavó’s.
The doors of the restaurant were busted open. Clover stood in the doorway, waiting for someone to say something but silence filled the air instead.
“Is anyone here named Gustavó?” Clover finally asked. The response happened so quickly and so shockingly that Clover couldn’t tell if everyone had remained silent or a chorus of yeses were let out.
Epilogue
POETIC STYLINGS
Throughout the two cycles our students flexed their creative muscles. They also crafted some poems that show their range and ingenuity. These poems close our chapbook, but are only a turning of the page in the literary lives of these young writers.
Addilyn Urquhart
Dirt
Dry, Wet, Dark, and light
Flowers and grass that grow in sight
Daffodils, Lilys, sunflowers galore
dirt, dirt, dirt, near the floor
Refreshing
Splish, splash, sploosh, and splosh
Quenching my thirst
Plain but refreshing
The Dance of Water
The dance of water
The water moves and groves
As it goes with the blues
It moves back and forth
And back again as the music plays
Forth in vain
Libra I am libra
Harmonious I am air
Laid back on the couch like a potato in a pouch
Harvest Hickey
Untitled
Home sweet home
Can’t wait to go home
At home I can be who I am
Also the creek is cool
Untitled
Books you are my one and only love till the day I DIE
Books, I don’t know why I love you so much. Maybe it’s the way you suck me in. Or maybe it’s how you always seem to make me happy. I don’t know why I love you so, I’ve always. Probably always will. It’s just how I am so get used to it, but I might change and be different but books I will always love you so even if I don’t know why. Literally, to the day I die
Water You Are What You Are
Water is everything like it has a temerity like if it’s hot or cold or just normal. Water can bring life out too it keeps us alive and many more things too water doesn’t have a color it’s clear like you can’t see through it, it’s weird, but I’m glad to have water
Alex Taylor
The Will of Life
Water: Waterfall, pour with power! Refresh the creek! Take away all the sorrow. Fill the cracks with power, refresh, replenish all life. Waterfall o’ waterfall pour with power!
Fire: Ash will crumble, volcanoes will rumble. Falling like snow, calm and slow, as it glows in the sky, falling for all of time. Watch the ash become covered with grime.
Air: Clouds float through the sky, mighty and high.
Silvia Stella
Mountains
Tall and intimidating.
Sharp rock ledges branching off the side.
Leaning trees and majestic goats.
Winding roads and occasional tunnels.
Oxygen… and Some Nitrogen and Some Argon
Air-fresh, alive-buzzing with excitement.
Meets the moon, mysterious and peaceful.
Can such a refreshing thing be toned down by such an unfriendly object in the sky?
No, for the moon intensifies the power of the air.
The air is crisp, now crisper.
The forceful wind may seem unwelcoming, but it breathes life into the world.
Air breathes life.
Air is life.
Take away my air, and great devastation should follow.
Nevermind That . . .
Air, as peaceful as it may seem, is the enemy.
Air cowers in the face of substances denser than itself.
It rises and goes above the water as if it is better.
But, both you and I know that Air is the enemy.
Eliminate it at all costs.
Kill the trees and sacrifice the plants to the vacuum that is space.
My name is Pure Nitrogen Esq.
Move
Water is delicious, refreshing, but more than that.
From every cat to every bat,
In its own way, it is the fuel that life runs on.
Wish, wash, down it goes.
Down hills, from rivers it flows.
Flow, flow, flow, go, go, go
Wish, wash, down it goes.
In its own way, it is fuel.
Woosh, woosh, woosh, life, life, life.
Flames
Fire, a symbol of life and rebirth
The phoenix rising from the ashes
The seritonous pine cones releasing their seeds in the heat
Fire, a symbol of strength and power
The phoenix rising from the ashes
Flames burning through forests
Fire, a symbol of strength and power
Fire is surprising and unexpected
Inferno appearing and bringing surroundings to dust.
Fire Shovel
What does it destroy? Almost everything
Fire’s intense heat does not spare anything
Does the common ‘thing’ become food?
Not necessarily, maybe just a drink
Destroy, destruct, ruin
It might Harden it could
Michael Urquhart
Swamp
Life unbound, untouched
Let stew, renew, and refresh
Tainted, yet alive
What Fire Does Not Destroy
What is left untouched not changed by the Fire that destroys, gives, and lives
Does it comprehend its own devastation I think Not sought out by many to Destroy without judgment or feeling
It sees not its victims or the skin it
Hardens with burns, an unbiased killer
Burn
Let them burn
Twas said stern, commanding
Through cinder, ash, bone
Left standing
Twas said stern, commanding
A task as demanding
As landing on one’s feet
Such deceit
Through cinder ash and bone
I stand alone
Royalty on a throne
Let them burn
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to our Detroit Prep partners: Kyle Smitley, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Chad Shellabarger, Operations Manager
Primary sponsors of 826michigan’s Detroit-based work
The City of Detroit
Leinweber Foundation
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
With additional and heartfelt thanks given to
Detroit Arts Support, presented in partnership from the Kresge Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, and Hudson-Webber Foundation
The Hawkins Project
James A. & Faith Knight Foundation
May Family Foundation
Michigan Arts & Culture Council
The Robbins Family Fund
Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities
The Russell Family Foundation
Strategic Staffing Solutions
For twenty years, 826michigan has supported K-12 students through free writing and literacy programs. Each year, over 4,000 students in Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor participate in our high-quality programs.
We inspire students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers and provide students with the formative experience of seeing their work reflected back to them via a professional publication (in a book, on an album of songs, in an exhibit in a museum; publication projects are varied in iteration). Our programs improve student academic skills in writing, boost self-confidence in literacy work, and provide a positive outlet for socialemotional growth, while also instilling a lifelong love of reading and writing.
826michigan utilizes volunteers to provide students with one-on-one attention and small group work in every program offered. With the help of caring adults, students not only gain experience and confidence in writing, but also find a community of like-minded peers, and experience mentorship and social and emotional support that will feed them for a lifetime.
826michigan—the power of story.
WRITING LABS
In this weekly program, we build a supportive community of writers where students brainstorm, write, revise, and publish a story of their choosing. At the end of
the program, students’ writing is published in a book and celebrated with a book release party. Each session includes a mini lesson taught by 826michigan staff and introduction to a new writer’s habit, such as “Writers change their minds” and “Writers make plans–and break them!” Students discuss and practice these new habits as they go through the writing process, building their own toolkit of writing practices and preferences. This program is offered both during the school day with select partner schools, and also as an after-school program open to students from the community.
WORKSHOPS
We offer a number of free writing workshops taught by professional artists, writers, and our talented volunteers. From comic books to screenplays, bookmaking to radio, our wide variety of workshops are perfect for writers of all ages and interests.
DROP-IN WRITING FOR WEE-BOTS
Each week, the youngest 826michigan writers meet to play and explore what writing can do. With stories that spark creativity and games that inspire students to write, the Weebots work in small groups—and with trusted volunteers—to bring imagination alive for these young writers. Students experience the joy of writing however they are able, from the physical act to conversation-based brainstorming and development of new ideas.
YOUNG AUTHORS’ BOOK PROJECT
Each year, we undertake a multi-session partnership with a class or grade that culminates in a professional publication of student writing. Whether it’s third graders writing poetry about frogs and learning about book
publishing in a project-based learning format or fifth graders imagining their world in fifty years for science fiction that starts in Detroit but travels the galaxy, these projects enable students to take a deep dive into the writing process. They learn revision, editing, and all the steps it takes to go from a brainstorming a first draft to being published.
FIELD TRIPS & ROADSHOWS
Always full of surprises and theatrics, our Field Trip program is an experiential writing extravaganza. We welcome teachers to bring their classes in for field trips during the school day or we can bring the party to schools as a field trip roadshow. Students join a group of volunteers, interns, and staff to help solve a problem through writing. Our field trips always end in a finished publication of original writing that students take home. Often the field trip writing is connected to a second leg of the students’ journey, whether a trip to a museum, library, or local record label, thanks to our many incredible community partners.
OUR STORE
Our Robot Supply Co. store is a one-stop shop for student publications, apparel, gadgets, drinkware and more. Our online store is always open; visit the Robot Supply Co. at onwardrobots.com. All proceeds from our store directly fund our free student programming. Onward robots!
WRITING IS
We create a safe place to be ourselves and try new things
We support the ways that writers work (like thinking, sketching, talking)
We study the writing we want to do so we can try it
We learn how to change our writing for genre, audience, and purpose
We work with a group of writers who help and support each other
www.826michigan.org
A way to figure things out by ourselves
world
826 National was inspired to take a stand on issues of inclusion and diversity in light of the many events that spotlighted social and racial injustices throughout the country. We as educators, volunteers, and caring adults need to be aware of the wide range of issues our students face on a day-to-day basis. We need to support these young people as they navigate through and try to make sense of the world and their own identities.
We need the support and the feedback from our community to ensure 826 is living up to these standards. Through our inclusion statement, our internal diversity and inclusion group, cultural competency resources provided to staff and volunteers, and partnerships with other organizations, we are always working towards being a more inclusive and supportive organization.
We at 826 have the privilege of working with the next generation of scholars, teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, and writers. It's our job to make sure they are able to take their own stands.
As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps in learning happen, we commit ourselves to inclusion: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, military service, or disability.
The 826 National network is committed to encouraging youth to express themselves and to use the written word to effectively do so. We encourage our students to write, take chances, make decisions, and finish what they start. And 826 strives to do this in an environment free from discrimination and exclusion.
