The Path Before You

Poetry and prose by 916 Ink’s Author’s Lab Middle School Group

The Path Before You Poetry and prose by 916 Ink’s Author’s Lab Middle School Group

About 916 Ink 916 Ink is the only arts-based literacy nonprofit in the greater Sacramento region dedicated to providing creative writing workshops for youth, ages 5-25, to transform them into confident writers. We empower students to become the authors of their own lives, one published story at a time. Since 2011, we have served over 3,000 kids in the Sacramento Region, and published more than 100 publications. Our mission is to empower children and youth through creative writing. We envision a Sacramento region where every child and teen is given access to a creative writing program that leads them to believe in themselves and to understand the power of the written word. Learn more about us at www.916ink.org, or send an email to info@916ink.org to learn how to become involved.

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction and poetry. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author and publisher hold exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Copyright 2021.

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Dear Reader, What you see is the hard work and dedication of a community of youth and adult writers working together to tell stories that inspire, entertain, and heal.

At 916 Ink, we teach young people how to write, listen, and support each other in the pursuit of creating literary art. The words in these pages are carefully chosen and crafted to reflect their unique voice.

This book is a celebration of “taking the yes,” which is a motto of 916 Ink students. “Taking the yes” means that students are unafraid to collaborate with each other and themselves. It might sound weird—how does one “collaborate” with his or her own self? By shutting down the inner critics in our head that tell us that we aren’t good enough, our stories don’t matter, or what we might say is stupid or unnecessary. Stories are how we create meaning and make sense of the world. What’s better than to teach young people how to tell stories, create meaning out of their lives, and understand the world?

Creative writing carves a path to a better life. Writers know this, but maybe the rest of the world doesn’t. A writer is someone who truly gets to live twice—once through their senses and once through the page. Everyone needs writers. Favorite television shows? Go thank a writer. News articles?

Thank a writer. Education? Writers wrote the curriculum. Business? Can’t happen without writers creating marketing tools and business plans. Writers make the world go around.

By reading this book you’ve supported the growth of a writer. Thanks. Please consider making a donation to this great cause on our website at www.916ink. org if you’d like to further our mission of populating the planet with youth who can “take the yes,” and lead a happy life.

Ink-tastically yours,

The 916 Ink staff, the Board of Dreamers, volunteers, and youth writers

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From the Wordslinger Dear Reader, The e-book you are now scrolling through was put together by a group of extraordinary authors. I’ve had the pleasure of watching these younglings of my writer’s tribe not only persevere in a time of extreme change but also thrive. As one of our authors says in a poem included in this anthology: they are resilient.

This was our second semester meeting over Zoom. By now, I was no longer nervous, not even when I occasionally sounded like a robot, and the kiddos were seasoned professionals. We were all much more relaxed and ready to get on with our writing, however we needed to do it. I offer a great big thank-you shout-out to the folks at Zoom who made meeting online possible.

This semester, we took a deep dive into the world of The Hero’s Journey. Each week, we studied an aspect of Joseph Campbell’s theories on how mankind is connected by stories. We learned that the stories we’d been writing all along fit into a pattern that many, many stories fit into, from ancient times with stories like The Odyssey to modern tales like Star Wars and The Hunger Games.

We tried our hands at creating a hero’s journey on purpose. We brought our heroes to life in the realm of the page, gave them trials to overcome, played with archetypes, and gave our heroes assistance through wise elders and quirky sidekicks. We brought our heroes to the brink of disaster, exploring danger from the safety of the imagination as our ancestors have done for untold generations. We allowed our heroes to prevail and then brought them back to the ordinary world, a little stronger, a little wiser. And we grew with our heroes. We went on the journey with them without ever leaving our safe places: at desks, comfy in our beds, with laptops propped in our laps, or perched on a swing in the backyard.

The result of this exploration has produced some detailed and exciting writing.

Most of the youth in this anthology have returned to write with us again and again, and a few of the participants were with us for the very first time.

All of them wowed me with their words, literally. Sometimes I would forget my mic was not muted, and I would let a “wow” escape after hearing what Continued on next page

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they wrote. It has been a pleasure to watch them develop their writing skills, newcomers as well as returnees. I want to acknowledge their hard work and their fearless ability to “Take the Yes.” Sincerely,

Isabel Geerer

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Acknowledgments Isabel Geerer

Wordslinger

Eli Elster

Wordslinger

Lynn Belzer

Inspirator

Cindy Domasky

Guest Editor

Matthew Magill

Eagle Eye

Katie McCleary

Founding Executive Director

Michael Spurgeon

Founding Board President

DJ Waldow

Board of Dreamers, President

Dr. Beatrice Tetteh

Board of Dreamers, Vice President

Shelley Blanton-Stroud Board of Dreamers, Secretary Kathy Flynn

Board of Dreamers, Treasurer

Chris Worden

Board of Dreamers

Daniel Kaufman

Board of Dreamers

Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood

Board of Dreamers

Lynn Lizarraga

Board of Dreamers

Michelle Warshaw

Board of Dreamers

Patrick Harbison

Board of Dreamers

Tigh Rickman

Board of Dreamers

Vince Wong

Board of Dreamers

Ian Hadley

Executive Director

Angela Tannehill

Creative Director

Allison Stelly

Director of Development

Nikki Cardoza

Director of Programming

Paulette Greenhouse

Find Your Voice Program Manager

Brenda Nguyen

Program Coordinator

Jay Oatis

Program Coordinator

Nena Larieze

Program Coordinator

Emma Hoppough

Production Coordinator

Maria Gavia

Office Manager

Christina Nelson

ReadOn! Program Manager

Tory Scott

Bookslinger

Will Evans

Outreach and Development Associate,

AmeriCorps VISTA

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Contents Brandon Sin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Who’s That Guy?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Svetlana and the Snowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Boris and Nikolayev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chloe Fua. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 In the Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A Letter Regarding Mysteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Dominic Fischer. . . . . . . . . . . 13 Look. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Welcome to the New World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Elian Perez-Maghanoy . . . . . . . 17 Unfinished Pretzels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Contained. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Jack Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Octavius of the Defenders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Johnathan Ferriera. . . . . . . . . 29 Gumdrop Mayhem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Monkey Castle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 The Squash Monkey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Kaylie Henderson. . . . . . . . . . 33 Mushrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Perspectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 I Remember… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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Madeline Longoria . . . . . . . . . 37 Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Magnolia Orion. . . . . . . . . . . 39 Stitches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Stars Are Falling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Molly Seely . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 2020. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Nikeysa Stoute. . . . . . . . . . . 47 Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Zoe Dubois. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 A Sword, Wisdom, and a Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Trapped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Determined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Wordslingers & Inspirators . . . . 61 The Man Who Saw the Universe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Wide Open Spaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Astonishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Valor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

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Brandon Sin

LUMINOUS SCREENT S HAEN PA D O TH T HBEERF O PR OR E TYAOLU S

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Who’s That Guy? Brandon Sin

Oh my!

Who is that guy?

He is wearing a suit and tie, I guess he’s a businessman, no lie.

Oh my!

Who is this guy?

He is studying, presumably for a test, He is a college student, I guess.

Oh my!

Who is he?

He is my age, He acts nicely around me, I guess he is my friend.

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Svetlana and the Snowman Brandon Sin

Once, out of the stillness and coldness of Siberia, there was a girl named Svetlana. She was free spirited and enjoyed running through the white, soft snow with her pet dog, Cassie.

One day, she stumbled upon a cave. Her dog barked at the entrance, and she was tempted to explore it, but just about then, her father, Nikolayev, yelled, “Dinner is ready!”

“I’m coming, Dad!” replied Svetlana. She would have to wait another day to explore the mysterious cave lying before her.

The next day, Svetlana woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and burst out the door while running to try and find the cave.

“Kids today, always in a rush,” Nikolayev muttered to himself.

Svetlana was running as fast as she could when she tripped and fell into the cave entrance. With the darkness closing in on her, she lit a candle, and standing before her was a giant yeti.

“H-h-hi,” Svetlana muttered in fear as she was standing before the yeti, sweating.

Mrrugh? the yeti grunted in question.

Svetlana screamed as she jumped back in fear. She dropped the candle, and the light went out, and once again she was plunged into complete darkness.

However, the yeti figured out how to relight the candle. That was when Svetlana realized that this was no normal yeti. This yeti was smart.

“You can light a candle?” questioned Svetlana. She observed the yeti’s features.

The yeti had white, snuggly fur, with a slightly blue-tinted skin.

Aeurgh, the yeti responded. The yeti then walked deeper into the cave.

“Wait!” exclaimed Svetlana, while running toward the yeti and into the darkness. The yeti walked up to a cave wall and illuminated it in the light.

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“Whoa, awesome!” exclaimed Svetlana as she saw ancient writings and pictures etched onto the cave wall. This was evidence that there was a generation of yetis before him, but they were wiped out. Then the yeti went deeper into the cave. There, at the end of the cave, were several older yetis.

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Boris and Nikolayev Brandon Sin

Boris and Nikolayev continued to venture through the odd, abnormal dimension. Nikolayev made many useful observations, telling them how to survive in their surroundings.

“The sky is a dark shade of purple, indicating an atmosphere polluted with argon and carbon dioxide,” Nikolayev proposed.

“We must get back before the other scientists erase our files from the government,” Boris claimed.

“You’re right. Every day here is five years in our world’s time,” said Nikolayev.

After several hours of wandering the odd wasteland, they stumbled upon an abandoned village. They began exploring the village.

They found a house and stepped inside of it, all the while sweating buckets. It smelled musty, like it had been abandoned for years. It was overgrown with long, twisting vines, and a gross gurgling noise could be heard from upstairs.

Then, hundreds of dimensional creatures came tumbling down the stairs at them with sharp fangs and claws exposed. Boris didn’t know what to do, but then Nikolayev handed Boris a pack of poisoned bullets.

“Load your gun and shoot them. I need them for my research,” declared Nikolayev.

Boris loaded his rifle and shot the creatures, which was surprisingly effective.

One by one, Boris shot the creatures, and Nikolayev threw syringes of poison at them. One dimensional creature remained. Nikolayev asked for a way out of the dimension.

“There is a way out of this dimension. You must defeat the Neon King, and we will all be free,” said the creature.

Boris and Nikolayev then snatched a knife, some bullets, and some blood extracted from the creatures from the house, and they left the village feeling confident.

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Boris and Nikolayev pitched up camp after leaving the village. The crackling fire, the eerie silence, and the presence of nothing around contributed to the feeling that something was off. After several hours, Boris and Nikolayev finally fell into a deep slumber after spending the rest of the day creating poison and coating bullets in them. However, they were not aware that something, or someone, was watching them.

“My King, the intruders have fallen asleep. We can eliminate them now and be done with it!” said a Neon Guard. The guard then showed the mysterious man a live feed of Boris and Nikolayev.

“No, I shall face them myself.” said the mysterious man. “After all, I am the Neon King, right, my guard?”

Boris, after waking up, realized that they had fallen asleep and had gotten off track.

“Hey Nikolayev, wake up. We need to hurry!” barked Boris.

Nikolayev then woke up with a jolt. After getting his bearings straight, they left on their journey to fight the Neon King. After wandering for several hours, they started to yawn, when they stumbled upon a mysterious gate. The gate opened with a welcoming gesture, and Boris and Nikolayev stepped in. Right after stepping in, the gate shut behind them, and the Neon King stepped forth.

The Neon King was truly an odd sight, indeed. He was fifteen times taller than a normal human, with glowing rocks all over his body. He had an aura of evil lurking around him, and his armor was glowing purple, with a red, pulsating stone at the center of his chest.

“My, my, my. The rats have wandered into my trap,” said the Neon King. He laughed in triumph as he raised his sword and swung it toward Boris. Boris tried to dodge the swing, but the sword chopped a large chunk out of Boris’s arm, resulting in blood splattering the walls of the arena and large blood loss.

Boris passed out. Nikolayev then grabbed the rifle, loaded a bullet clip into it, and fired at the red stone, which the Neon king deflected. The Neon King continued to butcher bullet after bullet until Nikolayev got lucky with one of his shots. The bullet whizzed straight past the sword and into the Neon King’s stone, which appeared to be his heart. The stone stopped beating, and the King died on the spot. Soon after Boris’s wounds were treated, a portal

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opened, and they were invited home. After moving through the portal, they found themselves in the twenty-first century, and they parted ways to start their new lives in 2011.

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Chloe Fua

LUMINOUS SCREENT S HAEN PA D O TH T HBEERF O PR OR E TYAOLU S

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Dialogue Chloe Fua

“What do you think it looks like?”

“A horse?”

“No! Definitely not that!”

“A…horn.”

“How does my drawing look like any of those?”

“Turn it sideways.”

“I don’t see it.”

“No, the other way!”

“It’s a map, not a drawing!”

“Well, either way, your map looks like a head of a weird animal.”

In the Woods Chloe Fua

There’s a place To hide I found it The first time Raven and I Wished For anywhere But here

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A Letter Regarding Mysteries Chloe Fua

To the Descendents of the Weaths, You either are reading all the letters, or you have found a chest already. I hope it is the latter. If you have, these chests hold forgotten secrets that we could not solve, but I am sure you all can. Seven siblings are better than two, but you all are too young at the moment. Just try not to blow up anything, all right?

Long ago, there was another island not counted in the 104 today. It was named Gilli in honor of the first queen of Treas. It was considered to be a sanctuary for the unknown, the pure magic, the lost.

But something happened—something of evil magic that made the island disappear and almost everyone forget about it ‘til the right ones find it. The Oracles told me that the next generation will be the ones.

So here you are. There are 21 chests you will discover; each contains part of a letter from someone who did not forget what happened. Remember: 21.

There should be a map. I will leave the rest up to you. I will tell you what your ancestors knew soon. Keep your eyes open.

Sincerely, The Ones who never forgot

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Dominic Fischer

LUMINOUS SCREENT S HAEN PA D O TH T HBEERF O PR OR E TYAOLU S

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Look Dominic Fischer

There.

Can you see her?

No? Well, look closer.

Yes, that’s her.

The one cradling the dawn and painting the sky in shades of blue.

The one swimming in the stars and blowing dandelion seeds all over the lawn.

Yes. I know you hate it when people do that, but just watch.

See how she plants the sun carefully and waters it with her tears.

See how she prances through the ocean letting the icy waves wash over her.

See how she writes galaxies into existence with her invisible pen of dreams.

See how she cries for the moon and smiles at the horizon and everything that lies beyond it.

See how she looks at you and says you can be me someday.

You can.

You can.

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Welcome to the New World Dominic Fischer

“You promised you wouldn’t,” she says, backing up against the far wall.

I walk closer. “And you promised a lot of things, Inga.”

Her green eyes go wide, and she holds up her hands. “You don’t want to do this. You’re better than this.”

I throw back my head and laugh. Is she serious right now? I grip the small stone tighter in my palm, letting its sharp edges cut into my skin. “You’re fooling yourself. No one’s good. No one’s an angel, Inga. No one truly wants anything but power.”

She stands up straighter. She looks majestic, even though her auburn hair is tangled and her tattered clothes are smudged with dirt. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I can help you, Jade.”

I snap my fingers. A mirror framed in intricate gold leaves appears in front of me. I pick it up. “This,” I say scornfully, pointing at the unblemished mirror, “is what you see. Perfection, the beauty in every perfect little life. And this…”

I swing my fist at its pristine surface. It explodes in a shower of glittering glass. My knuckles are spiderwebbed with cuts leaking sticky red blood, but I don’t notice. I shake the ruined mirror in front of her face. “This is reality.”

“No. That is not reality.” Inga wipes the tears from her face and steps toward me. She takes my hand and slowly pries it open. I can’t move. I want to. I want to fight back. But I can’t. She takes the small ebony rock from my bloody fingers and holds it in front of her face. It sparkles in the feeble light peeking through the barred window. Her feet lift slowly off the ground, her hair darkens and straightens, and the room fades. I stumble.

“Jade,” she whispers from behind me, tossing the rock in my direction, “this is reality. Welcome to the new world.”

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Elian Perez-Maghanoy

LUMINOUS SCREENT S HAEN PA D O TH T HBEERF O PR OR E TYAOLU S

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Unfinished Pretzels Elian Perez-Maghanoy

A salty treat…or maybe not A buttery treat…or maybe not A sweet treat…or maybe not A sour treat…or maybe not A spicy treat…or maybe not All are in my pretzels The smell is powerful The heat is consuming The taste is intense The feel is painful The pretzels drown me with their power They are the window to the soul And yet…

And yet…

I am deemed not worthy of their power It is— Clink, clink …

—smelly in the garbage can…

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Contained Elian Perez-Maghanoy

I am contained I cannot move I am stuck I must pass I must move forward But how?

But how?

The bars are metal I have electric hands I will cut through the metal And it will alert the dozing guard I will run He will catch me I am subdued I am put back The cell is a force field I cannot move I am stuck I must pass I must move forward But how?

But how?

I am contained

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Jack Porter

LUMINOUS SCREENT S HAEN PA D O TH T HBEERF O PR OR E TYAOLU S

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Octavius of the Defenders Jack Porter

Waves of unbridled light and darkness slammed against him. He let them pound him, unflinching. He felt the two energies building up within him like a cup with water and oil inside. His sword burned hot on his back, the adamantine radiating heat. The other person in that strange world was also being battered by those waves, but her psychic force field granted a measure of protection.

“Where…” she said. Her ally was silent for a moment, then looked up.

“I don’t know.”

“Octavius, I’m sure you do,” she said.

Octavius answered, “No. Wherever we are, it’s suppressing my magic.”

The girl, about fifteen years old, motioned for Octavius to enter the force field.

He swam through the chaotic mass like water.

“Thank you, Starlett,” he said as he entered. He then looked out at the strange world around them. “You can get out. You’re a psychic. Get help and come back for me.”

Starlett looked shocked. “No. There must be another way.”

“I wish there was…” Octavius sighed. “Your portal can only hold one person.”

Starlett yelled, “Then you go.”

“Fine,” he said.

She opened the portal.

Octavius sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Starlett raised her eyebrows. “For wha—” Her voice died out as Octavius shoved her into the portal. It closed behind her.

A Week Before…

Octavius strode briskly across the hall of the Crystal Castle. He tapped a few buttons on his Defender Gauntlet, and he was teleported to the courtyard.

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He picked a few snapdragons and then summoned purple flowers using a spell. He tied them into a bouquet, sniffed them, and then walked back to his office. It was hard work running the Defender Society, and even harder when you were also getting ready to ask a psychic out. By that time, Starlett was sitting in Octavius’s office. Octavius panicked. He glanced at the bouquet, then snapped his fingers. The bouquet made a loud noise, kind of like a balloon popping, and then disappeared.

Starlett raised her eyebrows. “What was that?”

Octavius answered, “Nothing.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Why are you here, anyway?”

Starlett looked suspicious. “I wanted to ask you if Phoebe should be allowed to summon her avatar when she spars.”

“I suppose not,” Octavius said.

Starlett, staring at Octavius the whole time, left the room. Octavius, filled with relief, sighed and told the clutter in his office to throw itself away. It gathered itself up into a large ball and dropped itself in the garbage can, which lit it on fire. He picked up a small, bright red stone sitting on his desk and fingered it for a while. Setting it down, he then donned a suit and purple tie and strode out of the room.

Octavius’s friend Derek met him outside.

“A suit and tie? That’s not like you,” he said. Derek was fourteen, and he was tall and lanky. You would have thought he was a scrawny teenager until you saw his arm muscles. He had been training with his sword since he was young, and he could beat anyone in a swordsman’s duel. Suddenly, something clicked in Derek’s mind.

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“Aha! Today is the day, huh? Who wants to bet that Starlett says no?” he said playfully. Octavius frowned. “I didn’t mean it like that…” Derek looked concerned. “I know you didn’t. It’s just that she might. I don’t know what I would do then. Look,” Derek said, “Violett is your and Starlett’s daughter from two decades in the future. Starlett will eventually agree to go on a date with you, because you’ll eventually get married, because Violett exists.”

“Good point,” Octavius noted. Violett happened to be walking by at that moment, and she had overheard everything.

“Was I supposed to hear that?” she asked. “Hahaha! I won’t tell her, don’t worry.”

Suddenly the ground shook and the blue, crystal-like walls turned red. Alarms went off around the castle, and the Defenders were in a state of panic. “Romra wer’da utho xa,” Octavius whispered, and a dark, metallic suit of armor appeared around him. He drew his sword and ran through the door, literally.

He phased through the solid crystal, and to anyone watching, he would have looked like a ghost. Suddenly, he stopped. He saw what he was facing.

“Psyblades…” he whispered. Psyblades were deadly warriors that wielded the sword as well as a far more deadly power. They could manipulate opponents and themselves with the power of their mind. Octavius shuddered, and then, determined to stop the threat, plunged into the fray. He struck a deadly blow to one of them, but the Psyblade did not fall or even suffer any wounds. Then Octavius realized that they were all illusions. He dispelled the illusions and smoothed his hair.

He debated in his head whether to call a council or not, but he eventually decided not to.

After all, he thought to himself, they were illusions, not actual Psyblades. Still, he was very concerned because only something very powerful could keep that many illusions going simultaneously. He walked up the towering stairs over to the highest balcony of the Crystal Castle and stared over the edge into the distance. For a few minutes, he sat alone in silent contemplation until someone patted him on the back. He turned around quickly. It was Starlett.

“I was not expecting to see you up here. I thought no one else knew about the passage that leads here,” Octavius said, relieved that it was not a monster that had sneaked up on him.

Starlett replied, “Oh, there’s a passage? I thought you could only get here

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by teleporting. The moment I saw you here, though, I knew something was wrong. So, what is it?”

He was silent for a second. “I have a feeling the ‘attack’ was a warning.

Something out there is trying to get control of this organization, but what it is exactly I can’t say.”

Starlett opened her mouth to tell Octavius something, but then she closed it again. Finally, she decided to tell him.

“I know where they came from, and I also know someone who can help you stop them. Grab my hand.” Octavius slowly reached out and grabbed it. The two were suddenly whisked through a vortex of psychic energy and landed deep in a forest.

“Shh,” Starlett warned.

Octavius was silent. They crept through the forest toward a stone cliff wall.

Octavius was wondering why they were walking into a wall but remained silent. When they reached the wall, Starlett pressed a hidden button. The wall opened up. Inside was a dark passage.

“I can’t teleport us in,” Starlett said. “Plus, the person in there wants the one seeking advice to face the trials.”

“Trials?” Octavius asked. In truth, he was quite relieved that the creature in the cave was a person and not a monster he would have to fight.

Octavius entered the cave. The door slammed shut behind him, and he descended the stairs. He spent a few minutes descending them and feeling along the walls, when suddenly the stairs stopped and a light appeared. In front of Octavius was a pit.

An inscription on the wall read: In this test of courage, you must prove your worth, and ensure that there is still bravery on Earth.

Cross this chasm and reach the opposite room or hesitate and meet your doom.

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With that, a single spool of rope appeared, tied itself to a post about three feet from Octavius, and then tied its other end to a post on the opposite side of the chasm. The rope was frayed and seemed ready to break, and Octavius was hesitant to cross it. He tried using magic to mend the rope, but the spell fizzled away. In fact, every spell he cast was suppressed by the cave.

He thought about what course of action to take and then suddenly realized that he should cross the rope. There was no other solution. Breaking into a run, he crossed the rope. Inches from the end, the rope snapped. He made a desperate leap of faith, and against all odds, he landed safely on the other side. Unfortunately for him, however, he hit his head on the ground as he landed and was knocked unconscious.

Octavius’s head was spinning. Where was he? He should have been on the other side of the rope, but instead he was in a cozy room with an old man.

Octavius stood up.

“Patience, child,” the man said. “Sit down.”

Octavius felt the man manipulate him with his mind. He tried to resist, but he eventually succumbed and sat down in a soft chair. He was about to say that he wasn’t a child, but according to the law of the Arcanian Empire, those under the age of 22 were children, and there were no exceptions.

“Please note,” he smiled, “that your trials are not over. I could sense you were worthy of my aid, so I brought you here.”

Octavius was still dazed, but he managed to piece together that the wizened psychic was the one he had been looking for.

“I need your help,” Octavius told the man, still feeling a little dizzy. “Illusionary Psyblades appeared. Starlett told me that you could help me.”

“Ah. Psyblades are only trained in the realm of Light and Darkness. The illusions likely came from the same place. You and my apprentice must travel there and defeat their leader.”

“Your apprentice?” Octavius queried.

“Starlett. Hasn’t she told you? Hmph. Obviously not. Take this and toss it in the air when you’re ready,” the man sighed.

Octavius opened his mouth to say thank you, but he was whisked away by a psychic whirlwind.

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Funny, he thought to himself, I never learned that old man’s name.

He landed directly outside the entrance to the cave. Starlett was leaning against the cliffside wall.

“You came back pretty quickly,” Starlett noted.

“You were his apprentice. Why didn’t you tell me?” Octavius asked her.

Starlett looked up. “I didn’t think it would be that important.”

Without a word, Octavius tossed the stone in the air…and everything went wrong.

That’s where he is now, stuck in limbo. He has just pushed Starlett into the portal, and the bubble of light and darkness is closing in. He accepted his fate, when he was pulled into another portal. He will escape, though, and the future is still out there. It looks something like this: Starlett has just returned from a long journey in which she defeated a psychic lord and returned unhurt. Octavius has escaped from the other dimension and meets her at the castle’s gate. The next day, rumor has spread through the castle that Octavius and Starlett are on their first date and that this time, nothing will interrupt them.

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Johnathan Ferriera

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Gumdrop Mayhem Johnathan Ferriera

Whenever I cross a street, weird things happen. Cars and people disappear.

I see a shop that sells ramen, my favorite food, and I enter. The person there looks lifeless and is on the floor but stands up and gives me a bowl of ramen.

It looks more squishy than usual, but I decide to eat it. The next thing I know, I am in a world made of gumdrops. The residents there look disapprovingly at me. I decide to run into a forest made of gumdrops, and I choose to stay there.

I was walking down the gummy forest when I picked up a star lying on the ground. I didn’t mind it following me around. I kept on walking and a herd of gummy creatures attacked me. The star enlarged and turned into a brightred igniting fire. Burning the gum drop creatures to nothing. The star then returned to normal. I was wondering what had just happened. But I was fine with the star.

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The Monkey Castle Johnathan Ferriera

In the monkey castle, it is a paradise for monkeys. There are death matches fighting for leadership and more! The current leader is a chimp. There’s a food bar that is run by orangutans. You just have to pay with banana pellets. There is a swimming race that goes on. Mostly proboscis monkeys win. There’s also a daycare where a bonobo takes care of your monkey children.

The Squash Monkey Johnathan Ferriera

An all-powerful being named the Squash Monkey was the one that ruled the lands. When humans came, the Squash Monkey wanted to help. So, he gave them a Squash. The humans wanted more. They killed the Squash Monkey.

Little did they know planting the Squash would revive him.

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Kaylie Henderson

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Mushrooms Kaylie Henderson

I was sitting in a round orb, waiting for something to happen. I looked around, seeing only gadgets on the walls and empty space around me. It was cold and dark. I decided to get to the little cot next to me and get some sleep.

When I woke up, I was on a strange, mushy land with mushroom trees around me. I stood up and looked around. Mushrooms as far as the eye could see. I saw a clear path and started walking toward it. There were a lot of twists and turns and multiple forks in the road. Eventually, I got lost. I did not know where I was or who I was, but all I knew was that those mushrooms were driving me mad.

I started getting hungry. And so, without any knowledge whatsoever, I stripped a piece of the mushroom tree and ate its bark. I blinked and saw a blue mushroom with a door attached to it. I felt like I should not go through the door, but my curiosity was going more insane than myself. I opened the door.

Through it was the orb-like spaceship. I left this world behind. When I stepped through, the door disappeared. I was then sitting in the orb-like ship, waiting for something to happen.

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Perspectives Kaylie Henderson

I was a little girl in a red dress. I was carrying a picnic basket. I was walking around in the forest. I was hoping that I would be able to get to see my friends that day for a picnic, but I had gotten lost. Then, a branch caught one of the ruffles on my dress.

I, the branch from the bushes, caught a little girl’s dress. She stopped in her tracks and tugged on her dress and kept walking. She then saw that the trees had suddenly separated to the wind.

I, the wind, pushed the trees out of the way to form a clearer path. The little girl was able to see the sky. Soon, the birds were able to see where the picnic was being held.

We, the birds, saw where the picnic was. We were able to form an arrow-shaped formation to show the little girl where it was. She ran after the arrow and was able to go to the picnic with her friends.

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I Remember…

Kaylie Henderson

I remember when it was the last day of fall.

The leaves on the trees were all gone.

The leaves covered the grass.

I sneaked outside to see the trees.

The trees reached to heaven itself.

I saw a glowing white rabbit.

I came up to it and saw it left a trail of snow.

I pet the rabbit, and it disappeared.

Suddenly, a large cloud appeared and started snowing.

I ran back into my house and realized that winter had begun.

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Madeline Longoria

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Untitled Madeline Longoria

Laszlo’s voice shook with the fright of a small boy. In all his years of life, never had he been this scared, not even when he had died. At least then he had been spared the liberty to suffer alone. Now people surrounded him, their piercing stares cutting into his skin and making him squirm uncomfortably. This was worse than death. And that could only mean it was bad.

“Tell me why you did this.” The commanding voice of Mr. Alidine boomed around the room, bouncing off the walls and back into Laszlo’s ears like the room was a pool table and his voice the balls. The large man leaned down from the podium he stood at, causing it to creak and groan with age. Sweat prickled at the back of Laszlo’s neck, and he gripped the railing of the platform he stood on. He wished this were all over and that he could return home safely, free of punishment. But that was something he knew would never happen as long as Mr. Alidine was the judge.

“You know when I died, sir, my sister was all alone, and I felt guilty about that,” Laszlo began, his voice shaking. “I always have. I haven’t been able to see her normally like anyone living could. When her granddaughter, my grandniece, was looking for an invisible friend, I couldn’t help myself, sir. I felt as if I owed it to my sister, so I signed up.”

“Even though it was against the law? Even though you know Invisible Friends of the Isle of Dreams are not allowed to befriend direct family members, you still did it, simply because you felt you were bound by blood to do so?” asked Mr. Alidine.

Laszlo cringed under his gaze, aware that nothing he said could defend himself. He had broken a law without trying to hide it, and now he must face the consequences.

“Yes, sir. I did.” He looked down to the ground. The tension in the room was taut. The silence dragged on, and Laszlo thought the waiting was even worse than committing a crime.

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Magnolia Orion

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Stitches Magnolia Orion

A stitch in my finger, a cut underneath.

Pain in my finger from a knife unsheathed.

A scar there will be from a stupid mistake, won’t make it again, not to date.

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The Stars Are Falling Magnolia Orion 1 The stars are falling, and it feels like a sign. I perch on a rock in the middle of a lake. The lake reflects the moon and stars, both still and falling. My silver hair spills around me. My pure white skin shimmers in the moonlight. I dive into the freezing water and swim below the surface to my domain.

2 My feet are fins, and I wear the simplest of clothes: a crown of stardust and diamonds, and a gold and plum-purple dress. My silver hair reaches my feet and, along with the pure white of my skin, looks very out of place under the dark light of the lake. My domain is protected by a bubble of air. As I look around at everything I have built here on the planet Seerna, I know tonight is the night I must leave.

3 My eyes are the darkest black pupil, iris sclera, which is why my birth name is a flower that only grows on my home planet. It is called an Ansidia. The Ansidia is a flower that looks as though it is made of black glass. With black translucent petals and leaves and an almost invisible stem, the flower and leaves look as though they are floating. Ansidia translates to black glass, which is quite fitting for the flower.

I was banished here two years ago, when I was twelve, by my father. As a test done by all children of the Chief, The Test of the Stars.

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Molly Seely

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2020 Molly Seely

I remember that day when they were handing out the pamphlets at school.

“New virus: COVID-19,” they said.

“Wash your hands and take safety precautions.”

Back then, we didn’t know.

Not of the sirens and late-night news stories.

The tears and disbelief that would come.

We should have guessed, but we didn’t.

The cruise ships were quarantined and our school, that Friday the thirteenth in March, was closed.

Just for a two-day cleaning, they said.

Then for a month.

Then indefinitely.

In this time, the threats we witnessed from afar, pitied, but didn’t take seriously, became real.

We were told to stay in our homes, and friends and family were separated.

Many had no home to be confined to.

Safety became a political statement, and untruth and unrest reigned supreme.

There was violence and bias, and death.

Death.

Death.

Rows of cars stretched on like ants marching, uniform at food lines.

There was deafening silence living alongside resounding hope.

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Light and dark and every shade of gray in between.

We wilted and grew and survived.

And through it all we were resilient.

We are resilient.

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Nikeysa Stoute

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Untitled Nikeysa Stoute

I could take one good glance at Tuhlola’s face and tell that this was a very bad, no good, terrible idea. But my friend didn’t seem to care that it was a very bad, no good, terrible idea. In fact, she seemed quite fine with it.

“Tuhlola, do you know how dangerous this is? Do you?!”

She kept walking toward the back entrance of the house. “Uh-huh,” she responded nonchalantly.

“Well, clearly you don’t, because you’re still walking!” I desperately grabbed the back of her brightly colored Christmas sweater (it was the middle of June) to try to get her to stop walking. Unfortunately, Tuhlola’s determination was no match for my noodle arms.

“Oh, calm down, would ya! Nothing is going to happen; I swear on my greatpappy’s grave.”

I stopped trying to drag her away from the back door of some random person’s house. “Isn’t your pappy still alive?”

An odd, clouded look took over her face. “Is he?”

I stared at her, raising my eyebrow. “Is he?” I asked her, confused.

She shrugged her shoulders and kept walking.

“Tuhlola!” I called out to her, remembering my goal. “Why are you doing this?

This is illegal!”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is. This is breaking and entering!”

Tuhlola turned around on her heels and stared at me with a puzzled look.

Her bubblegum-pink eyes and wild blue hair were extremely visible against the night sky. “But this is my house!”

Looking at the cozy brick house with the mahogany roof, I knew that this definitely wasn’t her house.

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“This isn’t your house, Tuhlola, and even if it was, why are you breaking into your own house?!”

Another foggy expression took over. “You know what? I don’t remember.”

I face-palmed. Why me?

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Zoe Dubois

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A Sword, Wisdom, and a Journey Zoe Dubois

Deep in the forest of Akito Lumno, there was a small, dark-haired girl who wandered around searching. The sky was a beautiful, see-through, deep blanket of everlasting blue. The wet earth beneath her bare feet was strong yet delicate. The girl set one foot in front of the other and began to walk slowly, cautiously. Suddenly, she began to run, her long hair dancing in the wind. The wind began to roar, and lightning began to flash; thunder started to sound, and rain began to pound. Running with all her might, the girl ran to find shelter.

Within a few minutes, she reached a small, dark hut. After staring at it for a few minutes, the girl knocked on the door. An older figure appeared.

“H-hello?!” the girl started out nervously, blowing warm air into her hands.

“M-m-may I c-come i-in pl-please?”

The figure stepped aside and led the girl into the warm hut toward the fireplace. It was an elderly woman.

“Come now,” greeted the elder. “Sit by the fireplace and tell me who you are.”

The girl stared at the woman, her mind racing. Can I trust her? a little voice in her head cried. But somewhere inside, she felt safe. The question rang in the girl’s head: Who am I…?

“M-my name is Istas,” began the shivering girl.

“Ahh,” replied the elder, “and what are you seeking?”

“T-the S-Sword of W-W-Wisdom,” answered the girl.

“And why do you want it?”

Istas stared into the eyes of the elder. “W-well,” she started, and her shivers began to slow. “I-I’m looking for it because…” the little girl’s voice trailed off. Istas closed her eyes and thought hard. Why did she want the Sword of Wisdom?

“I-I seek it because I’m not always sure what to do.”

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The elder stared at Istas. “Listen, child, the Sword of Wisdom is hard to obtain and requires pure courage. It only likes peace. When the sharp blade cuts through anything, the sword stops working. The minute the blade touches anything to do with war, its power will never be the same again. You must be careful. The sword doesn’t like rain, thunder, or noise. It likes quiet and only trusts those who are deserving.”

Shocked, Istas stared at the elder. How did this woman know so much about the Sword of Wisdom? But Istas didn’t ask; she simply nodded. But inside, Istas couldn’t help but wonder…was the elder speaking the truth?

Istas turned and ran out of the hut. The rain began to slow. The sun now shone. All seemed right. Istas wandered farther into the forest. Deeper… deeper…and then Istas heard a roar. Panicking, she turned and ran. But she ran in the wrong direction.

Directly in front of her was a young lion who looked at her with fierce eyes.

Istas was frozen.

“I-I,” she started.

The lion ran toward her as if to tear her apart. Istas stood frozen and closed her eyes…Istas opened her eyes and looked up. The sky was a deep blue color.

But then she realized it wasn’t sky; it was something else. Istas did not know what it was.

“Oh, my days,” Istas cried out. “Where am I? Wait—is this the hut?” The elderly woman she had seen before walked toward her.

“Are you all right?” asked the woman nervously.

“I-I-I think so…w-what happened?”

The woman didn’t answer; she simply went on with what she was doing. Istas let out a small cry of frustration. Istas wanted to know what happened. As the elder opened her mouth, Istas grew impatient! What would the elder say?

“One day, you will know. But I cannot tell you yet.”

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Istas tried not to roll her eyes; she couldn’t have been more frustrated. Sighing, she smiled at the woman and tried to act happy. But she felt desperate! When the elder wasn’t looking, she snuck back into the forest…

Istas ran. Soon, the cold made her numb. The sun was gone, and tiny pinpricks of stars appeared in the sky. As Istas looked around, she felt as if everything was lonely, dull. Every time a branch moved, something made a sound, or the grass blew, Istas would hold her breath and wait.

In the distance, Istas heard a howl. A wolf? The thought of a wolf made the hairs on her neck stand up.

“It couldn’t be,” she told herself, but deep inside, she knew it very well could be a wolf. Sounds came closer. Istas knew it would be no use to run from a wolf. What could she do? Quick! Hide—wait no, wolves could smell me—quick!

Climb that pine tree! Quickly, hoping with all her heart the animal wouldn’t find her, Istas tore up the tree, ignoring the pain that shot through her. Istas kept climbing…

A lone creature howled; it wished it could have something to do. After singing a soft song of sadness, the creature was sure it heard and smelled something in the distance. The animal trotted off into the direction of the scent and sound. Soon, it came to a clearing. After glancing around and looking up, the creature spotted something. A Human. A shocked feeling ran through the animal’s veins. Humans? thought the creature. I didn’t think there were any humans here…The animal looked up again to see eyes from a young girl, up above in the nearby pine tree, staring back at it….

Istas stared. It was a furry black-and-white animal with sharp teeth. That’s not a wolf, Istas told herself. It’s a husky, maybe?

Istas climbed down from the tree slowly. Her feet made a soft thump on the earth as she reached the ground. “What should I think?” Istas cried out.

Istas didn’t think the dog meant any harm, but what if it did? The dog gave a small, sad whimper.

“I-I think I can trust you,” the girl stammered. Stretching out her hand to greet the animal, Istas stood poised and tried to keep away her fright. Istas took a seat on the ground, joined by the dog, who rested its big head in her lap. The dark-haired girl patted the dog’s head softly.

Ista’s feet began to get cold; they grew numb.

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“Yikes!” she cried. “How much longer will I be able to walk?” In response, the dog walked under her as if it wanted her to climb onto its back. Nervously, Istas climbed onto the dog’s back. The dog’s thick fur helped warm her. The dog broke into a slow run…and soon, a swift, lightning-speed run. To stay on the dog’s back, Istas had to cling to its fur. Thump…thump…thump…And soon, a tired girl was asleep.

Thump, thump, thump! The dog’s feet pitter-pattered all along the forest floor.

Then—thump, thump—the dog paused. Istas rubbed her eyes and awoke to find somewhere completely different from where she began. She looked around.

“Where did you take me?” Istas asked the dog quietly. But the dog ran away into the shadows and kept running. Pain swirled through Istas’s mind.

“Where are you going?” she screamed angrily. But she was too late; the dog was gone. Tears trickled down the girl’s face; the dog had been her friend.

But…now what?

Heartbroken, Istas cried herself to sleep.

Istas awoke before dawn and quickly ran deeper into the forest. Maybe, she decided, I can find my way back to where I was before… Istas broke into a run, letting her long, dark hair fly behind her with the wind. But then—she heard something behind her. It was a lion. A voice inside Istas cried, Nononono! Not again! What if this time there is no one to save me?

With its fiery eyes, the lion stared. Istas held back in fright. Before she could stop herself, she stared back. Standing up tall, Istas thought of her happiest thoughts, smiled softly and tried to think of things that made her laugh. The elder’s words came back to her: The Sword doesn’t like rain, thunder, or noise.

It likes quiet and will only trust those who are deserving. Istas took a deep breath and stared at the lion; the animal looked at her and bowed its head.

Wait—is it coming forward to attack? Fear filled her and Istas clenched her fists. The lion ran toward her.

Opening her eyes, Istas found herself in a meadow; the smell of flowers filled her, making her want to laugh and dance with joy. Her mind flicked back to the lion. How had she survived?

The black-and-white dog was staring, and Istas understood. Istas clung to the Continued on next page

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dog and wrapped it in a hug.

“I’ve missed you!” she murmured. “Amani,” she muttered, stroking the dog’s fur. “Thank you for saving me…”

The dog nuzzled Istas’s leg. A roar sounded throughout the forest. Hearing footsteps, Istas turned, frightened. What was happening?

No! No, no, no! a voice in Istas’s head cried. But when she thought about it, the lion seemed to have been after her. Maybe she just had to face it. The lion approached her, looking strong and mighty. Surely, I can’t defeat this… Istas told herself. But then, something happened. New words came and focused into her mind. Yes. You. Can…the words said. Holding herself tall, Istas took deep breaths. She stared the lion in the eyes.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore!” she said confidently.

The lion looked at her with fiery eyes. But nothing the lion did changed the way the girl thought about it. The lion roared—but Istas stood perfectly tall, still and as calm as ever. Peace flew over her. Calm…Peace…The girl took a deep breath again, and then—Istas let out a cry as she watched the sight before her. The lion stood taller and bowed its large head. The girl looked wide-eyed as something fell into her hands. It was a sword. To the small girl’s amazement, words formed in her mind from the lion: You are the sword’s true master now. You’ve earned this. Wisdom will be with you. But you must never use this sword to do anything except add peace to the world or its power will stop working. It’s up to you to use this well. YOU.

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Trapped Zoe Dubois

I wait, I watch.

I stand solid and strong.

There is really nothing for me to do in this miserable world!

I am stuck here.

Lonely.

I can’t move.

The solid stone holds me in place.

So I almost can’t breathe.

So I am confined.

Bound and unmoving.

I haven’t moved in 1000 years.

I don’t even know if I can move anymore.

Someone rushes over to me with a key.

They jam it into me.

I feel like screaming…

I have feelings too, And that hurts A lot.

The key doesn’t budge and neither do I. Even the ivy growing next to me doesn’t budge.

So the person kicks me hard.

I cry loudly but try to hold my cries in.

But I can’t. The person kicks me again and shouts angrily.

What did I do wrong?

Isn’t my job just to stand there?

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As I cry, I use my mind to tell the ivy to move.

They’ll teach this rude human A lesson that they’ll never forget.

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Determined Zoe Dubois

The ice glistens ahead.

The tundra seems like a never-ending mirror before me.

Like an illusion… trying to discourage me.

But I won’t give up.

My paws can go numb…

My heart can feel cold…

The wind can chill me, so I can’t think straight…

But I will never stop.

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Wordslingers & Inspirators

LUMINOUS SCREENT S HAEN PA D O TH T HBEERF O PR OR E TYAOLU S

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The Man Who Saw the Universe Eli Elster

The man who saw the universe was 35 He wore a coat of leaves and the steeples were no match for him, nails brown against the brick.

When he got to the top he stopped and screamed Man This Whole Sky Is Boomin’ Whole Sky Been Hungry And No One To Bring Home The Bacon ’xcept Me, then he pulled out a sandwich and threw it through a cloud.

Soon the clouds were pouring so the man had himself a nap right there on the steeples watching the people flow for he slept with one eye open to spot the bad ones told ’em Atone For Being So Blind but they just walked on, not knowing they’d spoken to the man who saw the universe.

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Wide Open Spaces An Excerpt Isabel Geerer

Every ending is a new beginning. The thought kept circling Elise’s mind as she woke, yawning. The first Monday after graduating high school. It felt like floating, knowing she wasn’t headed back to school in the Fall. Her gap year had begun.

For the first time, she had no school and a nice savings account from a babysitting gig she’d been doing so long that the girl was almost the same size as her and the boy had surpassed her earlier this year. She had Mom’s old Subaru Forester with 100,000 miles on it, still going strong. Checking her phone, Elise saw she had a text from Sienna, her cousin. Three in the morning? Why was she texting so late?

The text read: Call me when you see this message, asap! Elise looked at the time display on her phone. Eight in the morning? I’m still on school schedule.

Wonder if she’ll be up?

“What took you so long?” Sienna said, picking up on the first ring. “I just woke up and saw your text. What’s going on?”

“I can’t stay at my dad’s house anymore. I need you to take me to my mom.”

“Why me? You live, like, 2000 miles away! Can’t your mom get you a plane ticket?”

“I already asked her, she said no.”

“Don’t you think they’ll just send you back if you show up at your mom’s unannounced?”

“I think they’ll understand how serious I am about needing to be with my mom if I get there myself.”

“It’s so far, Sienna! It’ll take me two days just to get to you and then another two days to get to your mom’s!”

“I’ve got my driver’s permit now; I can do some of the driving. We can go to Continued on next page

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Disney World when we get to my mom’s. You know you wanna go with no parents!”

“Aw, man, your mom’s going to kill me!”

“Not if your mom gets you first!” Sienna laughed.

Elise’s mom stared at her phone, mouth gaping.

“You’re doing what!?” she said.

“I’m on a road trip, Ma. I’m picking up Sienna at her dad’s house and taking her to Aunt Becky’s.”

“Where will you sleep? You can’t check into a hotel with a Pitbull,” Sam said.

Elise reached over to the passenger seat and rubbed Buddy between his ears.

“I’m gonna sleep in the car, then I’ll camp out at that KOA dad took us to in Moab. Buddy will protect me.”

“You’ve never been out of California, how are you going to find your way?”

Sam said.

“I’m using GPS. I’ll link you to my trip, so you’ll know where I am.” Elise said.

“You know there’s no Wi-Fi once you hit the mountains, right?”

“I’ll get a map when I stop at the gas station.” Elise said.

“You and Sienna barely know each other. Why are you taking off at a moment’s notice for her?”

“I need an adventure before I get tied back down to school. I want to taste some freedom. I love you, Mom. I got a long way to go.” Elise hung up, turned up the radio, and began to hum along.

Elise held Buddy’s leash as she knocked on Sienna’s door. He tended to jump on people when he got excited. The apartment was upstairs, overlooking the back of a run-down supermarket. Over the fence separating the apartments and the store, she saw an overflowing dumpster and stacks of wooden pallets.

Someone had fashioned a hut by tying together a few of the palettes. Nice view, she thought. Nobody answered. She knocked again. Nothing. She tried

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the knob, and the door opened. The living room was strewn with trash. Where there used to be a dining room table last time Elise visited, now the skeleton of a Kawasaki motorcycle was parked. Its parts lay spread around it as if they had been falling off the bike one piece at a time. The brown nubby carpet was ruined with oil splotches and had holes in some places.

“Sienna!” Elise called, stepping over the threshold. A black cat made green eye contact before speeding out the door between Elise’s legs. Buddy tried to chase the cat, but Elise had a good grip on him.

“I hope you’re an outside cat,” she said, shutting the door. Elise walked back to Sienna’s room and knocked. No answer, but she heard Sienna in there swearing. Elise opened the door. Sienna sat on the floor in front of a huge TV she’d dragged in from the living room. Her back was to the door. She was playing Mario Kart and swearing into a headset. Elise pulled one of the ear cups away, revealing a dime-sized ear gauge. That’s new, she thought.

“I’m here.”

Sienna jumped up. “You made it!” She embraced her cousin.

“Of course,” Elise answered, hugging Sienna back. Buddy jumped up, joining the embrace with one paw on each girl, hopping and barking a high-pitched welcome, licking them.

“Down! All right, all ready, we love you, go lay down!” Elise said. Buddy padded to the living room with a satisfied grin.

“Where’s your dad? This place looks like crap.”

“He’s been gone four days now. I got an eviction notice yesterday.”

“No wonder you want to go to your mom’s.”

“There’s my backpack over there, grab it,” Sienna said.

“Whoa, I’ve been driving for three days. I was planning on sleeping here and leaving in the morning.” said Elise.

“We gotta get out of here before my dad gets back. I don’t think he will let me leave. I can get us some money if I sell this TV,” Sienna answered.

“I’m not helping you steal your dad’s TV. Are you serious?”

“My dad used child support money for that TV. It’s mine. Help me get it out.”

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Sienna strapped on the army-style duffle. The girls each took a side and walked the TV to the front door.

“I don’t wanna trip over Buddy on the stairs, lemme put him in the car,” Elise said, taking the dog out.

“Who’s going backwards down the stairs?” Elise said.

“Rock, paper, scissors for it,” Sienna said, turning her back to Elise. Sienna won, so Elise got to back down the stairs with Sienna holding up the other side.

“How do people do this?” Elise said, grunting. The TV lurched in the girl’s arms as they made their way down the steps.

Just as they made it to the bottom of the stairs, a rusty Monte Carlo pulled into the covered parking a few spaces away.

“It’s him! Hurry!” Sienna yelled. The girls hobbled double-time over to Elise’s car. Sienna’s dad got out of his car in the carport across the apartment parking lot. Turning toward the house, he saw the girls scurrying to the car with the TV. “What the hell are you two doing with the TV?” James yelled. Elise pulled out her key and clicked the lock open. She wrenched the rear hatch open. Buddy tried to burst out, growling and snarling and barking toward the strange man chasing them.

“Buddy, down.” Elise grabbed the leash trailing from his neck as she hoisted her end of the TV in. Sienna shoved it, slamming the hatch. The girls raced into the front seats, Elise pulling Buddy’s leash, forcing him into the back.

“Let’s get out of here.” Sienna said.

Elise put the car in reverse.

Her dad tried to pull Sienna out of her open window, but Buddy jumped over the seat, into the girl’s lap. He stuck his head out of the window, made piercing eye contact, clamping down on the man’s hairy forearm, a growl curling out between the dog’s teeth like smoke. Sienna and her dad and Elise all screamed.

Elise reversed out of the parking spot. James walked with the car, trying to wrench his arm out of the dog’s mouth.

“Drop it Buddy!” Elise commanded. The dog released him, and Elise sped away.

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James called after them, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to Mom’s,” Sienna yelled out the window. She gave him the finger as they drove out of sight.

Elise and Sienna burst into laughter.

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Astonishing Lynn Belzer

The tall Cypress bushes appeared fully wrapped in golden brown coarseness.

Stepping closer, I saw bright oranges, golds, black.

Shimmering. Monarch butterflies everywhere.

Quiet, calm, anchored in clusters, tens of thousands.

Intricate museum pieces, theater creations.

Me, an audience of one.

Having journeyed 3000 miles from Mexico’s mountains, in a multigenerational relay race, they settled in a California coastal community.

Too cold to continue, they knew to stop to huddle up for warmth.

The next day, gone.

As the sun warmed they departed in unison, a kaleidoscope, waterfall whirrs, a symphony created by masses.

Migrating toward extinction, still barred from the official Endangered Species list.

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Valor Lynn Belzer

Deb’s journey was challenging. She was terrified but assumed she would find her way, if only she could enlist a mentor-sidekick. At that moment, Nina, her friend of 40-plus years, called. Braver, more experienced, seemingly fearless; perfect timing. Deb asked her. Initially declining the request, Nina changed her mind after imagining how rewarding it might be.

She agreed, with the stipulation that Deb would not be stubborn about asking for support and that she would be responsible for making her own decisions.

Deb knew she needed Nina’s encouragement to take the long, dark journey into her new land of aloneness. While traveling together, Nina would not lead the way, but instead, she would push Deb to lead herself.

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THIS BOOK WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WITH MAJOR SUPPORT FROM

AND FUNDED IN PART BY

The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation