Issuu

Just

say,

don’t

think

Poetry and prose by the young writers from H.W. Harkness Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink

Just say,

don’t

think Poetry and prose by the young writers from H.W. Harkness Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink

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 4,000 kids in the Sacramento region and have published more than 200 anthologies. 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.

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 young writers at Harkness Elementary have been the highlight of my virtual teaching experience. I can’t tell you how much I looked forward to our Thursday afternoon calls. I could fill the page with words about what you are about to read, but I think this collection of work is better explored un-prefaced. Instead, I want to shout-out all the students who made this program possible: YOU ARE AMAZING! Selena, Roberto, Justice, Maya, Davina, Abbie, JD, and Caitlyn, I want you to know you were the sunshine of my chaotic semester. Every one of you has been gifted with a unique voice. Whether through words or art, the world needs to hear what you have to say. Keep with it! Before I end, I want to thank Katie for being an incredible human being and co-slinger this semester. You always had my back when the next step wasn’t clear. I really can’t thank you enough for the support, humor, and energy you brought to the table. You are deeply appreciated. Sincerely,

Zuzu Schmitke

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Acknowledgments Zuzu Schmitke

Wordslinger

Katie Tat

Wordslinger

Karen Durham

Guest Editor

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 Group Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Royal Wolf in Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Abbie Moua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Flower Petals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Caitlyn Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A Broken Piece for a Broken World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Lost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Kitchen Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

JD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 What the Heck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Life As a Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 YT Animal School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 My Pet Shark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 World Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Justice Pinckney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Maya Philips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Sugar Mill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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Roberto Carbrera Arzola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 I Had a Gorilla Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Gaming Went Wrong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Different Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Selena Chen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 The Old Ghost Shack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Wordslingers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 I Am a Shooting Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Ramblings of a Delusional Expert in Parallel Universes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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Group Work

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A Royal Wolf in Time Group Story

Once upon a time, there lived a young alien wolf pup named Wolfgang on the planet Zorgio. Sadly, the planet was destroyed by an evil arch nemesis who used a sun-powered hyper beam to destroy the planet. Thankfully, Wolfgang’s mom put him in an escape pod with an ancient, jeweled gold necklace that allowed them to transform and sent him into the universe with the hope that he would reach safety. The child arrived on a strange planet in the Milky Way galaxy called E-A-R-T-H. This planet was strange. It had weird-looking tall structures that stretched into the sky. It had rivers and was surrounded by ancient buildings. Wolfgang landed at the base of the Shalon mountain in Ancient China. When Wolfgang opened his eyes, he noticed he was surrounded by monks. The monks adored Wolfgang but could not provide care for the young pup. They instead decided to present him to the royal family as a gift. Wolfgang’s items were bound with care as the monks brought them to the royal palace. The royal family happily adopted the strange orphan pup. As a beautiful young wolf, Wolfgang was the perfect addition to the family and was treasured. He was spoiled with all the food he could ever desire and received unlimited access to the palace. Wolfgang loved his new home, but on his twelfth birthday the full moon activated the power of the necklace and they transformed. They went from a gorgeous wolf to a young human girl named Yuki. They looked at themselves in the lake. Their rough, sharp teeth were replaced with the soft-looking, short teeth that could no longer chop through meat. They were now weak. Without their amazing strength, Yuki didn’t know who they were anymore. She sat next to the garden river and pondered. Was she a wolf or a human? Little did Yuki know that they weren’t alone in the garden. Yuki’s twin siblings, Angel and Zuzu, and their older sister Katie, were hiding from their royal guard in the bushes when they heard the footsteps approaching. They crouched down and watched as their wolfling sibling transformed. The three siblings were shocked: Who was this person, and where was their wolfling? Katie, the eldest of the three, did not like that the

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wolfling had transformed. She feared that her spot in line for the throne was no longer as solid. Katie charged at the young wolfling-turned-human, intending to reveal their secret by bringing them to the king and queen. The twins sprang into action and decided to help Yuki at once. Angel distracted the guards while Zuzu stuffed their wolfling-turned-human and their evil older sister Katie in the closet. Sitting in the closet together, Yuki and Katie stared at each other. They had to escape. Katie tried to figure out why this strange wolf-turned-human was staring at her. Yuki made a show of her teeth and tried to growl at her. Katie wasn’t sure what to make of this. Yuki tried to tell her to get in position for a fight. Knowing that Katie would tell their parents when she escaped, Angel and Zuzu worried that they wouldn’t be able to protect Yuki forever. They had to escort her to safety. Luckily for them, one of their guards, Armor Boi, was on their side and had an idea to save Yuki. The twins agreed, and Armor Boi took Yuki and Katie out of the closet and placed them in a cart that was headed to a distant land. While sitting in the cart together, Katie and Yuki began to talk. Yuki told Katie of her past and how she didn’t belong here. Yuki was an alien that was sent here after her planet was destroyed. The twins, realizing that Armor Boi had actually sent their siblings to a faraway land, decided to return to their parents and tell them that Katie and Wolfgang went missing. Their parents sent out a search party to find their girls. The cart driver ran into a horrible storm that destroyed the cart. Yuki and Katie survived and hid from the storm in a cave in the nearby mountains. The girls were attempting to make a fire when they heard footsteps approaching. They sounded kind and soft. Out came a dog wagging its tail. Yuki approached the dog. Katie freaked out, but Yuki wasn’t afraid. She could speak the language of dogs. The dog told Yuki about a mysterious Siren that might be able to keep Continued on next page

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them safe from the storm and help them get back home. The dog also warned them that they weren’t the scariest thing in this cave. Yuki asked the dog to show them the way to the Siren, and the dog agreed. Katie and Yuki followed the dog, careful to avoid stones. They arrived at a clear, shimmering lake at the heart of the cave. Katie and Yuki’s breath was taken away at the sight. The dog wished them good luck and disappeared into the darkness. Then the Siren emerged from the water and approached the two girls. She began to sing her song. The girls felt lulled to sleep. Their minds began to swirl but were still able to make out the sight of the siren transforming. It went from a beautiful creature to a monstrous scarecrow. The Siren’s song lulled Yuki in a dream state. She saw delicate meats and her family and her siblings. She heard a voice calling out to her, telling her that this wasn’t real. She had to wake up. The voice said that if they didn’t wake up, the Siren would devour them. A creepy doll entered Yuki’s dream, scaring her awake. She woke up on the shore of the strange lake. She looked over and saw that Katie was still asleep. Yuki tried desperately to wake her up, but nothing worked. She had to think of something. Her hand went to the necklace around her neck. Upon her touch, Yuki changed back into Wolfgang. In their first form as a wolf, he could take on the Siren. He leaped into the lake and began tearing into the Siren. The Siren tried to lull Wolfgang back into sleep, but as a wolf he was immune to her song. One final blow to the Siren’s neck rendered her incapacitated. The Siren crumbled into the lake, dead. Wolfgang raced back to Katie, who was lying on the shore of the lake. Katie began to wake up. Wolfgang placed his paw on the necklace and transformed back into Yuki. She helped Katie to her feet. They had to leave the cave. Yuki was able to remember the path the dog led them on to escape the cave. Outside the cave, they come upon the royal search party that had been looking for the girls. The leader of the search party explained and the twins told the king and queen the truth about Yuki/Wolfgang. The monarchs saw the truth about Wolfgang as a good omen and wanted their eldest daughter back. The girls traveled back to the kingdom. Yuki revealed themselves as a strong warrior/wolf from an alien world. The king and queen the revealed themselves as magical black panthers. Yuki was not sent to this planet by mistake. She was sent here because the royal family was always destined to protect them.

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Katie was punished for her weakness and was sent away to live with relatives in a far-off kingdom. At last, the kingdom had been returned to peace, with Yuki and the king and queen living happily ever after.

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Abbie Moua

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The Flower Petals Abbie Moua

A small, happy, poor, frail girl was picking up flowers in the garden. She picked up a colorful neon flower that was calling for her. She placed it inside of her basket of flowers and gazed at it for a while. It whispered, “Pick a petal from me. I will grant you a wish.” The little girl cautiously picked a petal from the flower. A light glow came from it, making her hair blow. She whispered, “I want to be rich.” Her wish was granted. It was full of greed. She didn’t need the money. The little girl collected the flower to grow more of them. Because the wish was made of greed, so the flower became dust. She was confused and angry. Soon, she became rich and was greedy, and she didn’t share the riches with anyone. She never gave it to people in need and used it for things she wanted. Eventually she used up all her money and she became poor again, but her anger remained.

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Caitlyn Smith

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The Key Caitlyn Smith

This girl named Lillian found an odd-shaped key at her doorstep on November 28, 2017. She was on a mission to figure out what it unlocked. Two Years Later She was still searching but couldn’t find what it unlocked. Five days later, a man with a similar looking key was searching. So Lillian stopped him to ask what he was doing. He answered, saying, “Trying to find where this key goes.’’ Lillian started talking about how she also had a key like that. One hour later, they were talking at a cafe. Now they are married. The key is to your soulmate’s heart.

A Broken Piece for a Broken World Caitlyn Smith

As you see a boy crying while running away from a girl smirking, you figure his heart was just broken. You go ask your best friend Alice what happened. You were right: his heart was broken by Marina. Her brother is now attending the school, you heard from all the gossip. “Mason!” Marina says as she greets her brother to the school. Months pass, and you start to fall in love with Mason. You finally confess and... You get rejected.

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Lost Caitlyn Smith

“I hate this life!” The princess Willow slammed her door shut and planned on escaping. The next day, on March, 13, 2058, she ran away but took her crown with her. She found an abandoned house and ran in. Willow noticed the TV was on at full volume and saw that people were trying to find her. “Uh oh!” Willow said. A week later, she looked like a different person. She was going to attend a new school, and that day was today. She ran as fast as she could to the school. Then she realized she was early... “I mean, it’s better than late,” she said to herself, walking around and giving herself a tour. Then all the lights turned out. Willow heard a scream. She ran to the door, but it was locked. She tried breaking the door. It didn’t work. She saw a black figure running toward her as she banged on the door. It didn’t budge. “What happens next?” said a little kid. “Nobody knows,” the new queen said.

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Kitchen Fight Caitlyn Smith

There was a fight going on between a microwave and a stove/oven. They were fighting about who was better until a human walked in. They went silent. The human grabbed a Hot Pocket, warmed it up using the microwave, then left. “HAH! SEE, I’M BETTER! THEY ACTUALLY USE ME!” said the microwave. Then they continued fighting for a few hours until the human came back. Again, they went silent. The human put Pizza Rolls into the oven and walked away with them. “THEY USE ME TOO!” said the oven. The sink was tired of them fighting. “Shut up!” said the sink. “I agree. Shut up!” the fridge said. Then the microwave and oven went quiet. The human was secretly watching it all happen, eating the Pizza Rolls and Hot Pocket.

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What the Heck JD

I woke up and saw I was in a cat’s body, and I felt so happy. I was ready to sunbathe and break valuable items. So, I took a nap and started breaking everything in sight. I was then picked up by a human and petted, which felt nice. Anyway, see ya.

Life as a Cat JD

Hi, my name is Clawe. I’m a cat, and I live in Hollywood, LA. Anyway, life as a cat is exciting. I’ve met a lot of celebrities. And I am actually a YouTuber. If you haven’t, go subscribe and like. See ya!

YT Animal School JD

Hi, I’m Sakura, and I’m an otter. I go to school at YT1 Animal School, where I learn how to be a YouTuber. It’s two stories high and teaches coding, computer science, and editing. All types of animals are accepted, and it’s all the way from elementary to college. Oh no, my camera’s about to die. See ya.

YouTube

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My Pet Shark JD

Dunn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. Sorry about that; that’s my pet shark. It’s been 10,555 days since I’ve had him. So please don’t tell anyone. OK, cool. See ya.

World Peace JD

The best present of all is world peace, and I was going to give it to an anonymous person (who I will not share for personal reasons) because I knew that’s one of the things she wanted the most. So, I put it under the Christmas tree and waited for her to open it.

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Justice Pinckney

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Untitled Justice Pinckney

Part I I was in the spider-filled basement, cleaning with my mom. I found a key. I asked her, “What does this key go to?” She said, “It goes to a door.” She took me to the door. She opened it. She said, “Someone in our family used to live here. And they lived here in 1724. And this is their room. Her ashes are in here.” I walked into the room. There was a lot of pink, and posters of famous ballerinas hung on the walls. I heard a song start playing. It was from a music box. It was ballerina. My mom said, “The person who lived here was really your great-great-grandma times four.” I got scared. She said, “Time for bed.” I said, “OK, can I sleep with you?” Part II I picked up something (a book or a toy spider) in the room. I heard a voice. She said, “Get out of my room or you will be stuck in here forever.” I ignored it, but the door closed. I tried to open it, but it did not work. The voice said, “I told you to get out of my room.” I seen something go through the walls. It was my great-great-grandma-timesfour from 1724. She was dressed in a tutu. Her hair was long and gray. I saw her go to sleep on her bed. I tried to touch her. She woke up and was really mad. She said, “Do not touch me!”

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Untitled Justice Pinckney

I went to the beach with my mom. I started swimming. I sank under the water. I looked down. I had a tail, and I could breathe in the water. I seen a lot of fish. I seen people with tails. I seen them going to a castle, so I went inside. They were saying to talk in the water. A fish came to me and was talking. He said, “Hello.” I said, “Hi,” back. “How can I hear you?” I asked. He said, “You are a fish and person.”

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Maya Philips

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Sugar Mill Maya Philips

One day, a long time ago, children would play by the sugar mill. Adults would take the children and make them work in the mill. The air was so cold they would get hypothermia. When the children died, the adults would throw them in the lake. They say that ‘til this day, the children are in the sugar mill laughing and crying.

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Roberto Carbrera Arzola

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I Had a Gorilla Head Roberto Cabrera Arzola

One day I woke up in the morning, and my head was a gorilla head. I also smelled bad, like if I slept in the trash. I could also feel my fur. It was very fluffy. Believe it or not, I always wanted a gorilla head. Then I could see and hear people screaming loudly. They moved from California to Canada because they were afraid of me, so I had the whole city to myself. I went to the China jungle, and the bamboo tasted great. It felt good having a gorilla head.

Gaming Went Wrong Roberto Cabrera Arzola

One night I was playing Minecraft for twenty minutes. Then someone was knocking on the door. It was 3:05. I panicked, so I opened the door and said, “Who are you?” “I’m Herobrine,” he said. I ran to my Minecraft house. It looked like my real house. It really was Herobrine! I got a weapon and knocked him out. I put him in my garage.

NOT OFFICIAL MINECRAFT PRODUCT. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG

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Different Universe Roberto Cabrera Arzola

Part I One day I was walking in the streets, and then a hole popped up under me and I got stuck in there. I couldn’t get out, and I landed on my back. Fwooom! When he was in front of me, it was a flash.

To be continued… Part II Previously on “Different Universe”… A portal popped under me. It’s a flash. Flash! “Why am I here?” I asked. “I need your help,” he said, “but first, let me tell you something: you have the same powers as mine.” “OK, but what’s the problem?” “You remember all the villains I fought, right?” “Well, yeah...Why?” “I’m going to fight all the villains!” “Wait...What?” “Yeah, sorry.” “Why didn’t you tell me before I came?” “I was scared you would be mad.”

To be continued ...

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Selena Chen

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The Old Ghost Shack Selena Chen

Part I Walking through the corridors, you hear screaming. You rush to the sound, but the halls become endless. Finally, you reach the end, and there sits a doll. Creeped out, you turn to run away, but natural instincts glue you to the floor. You wonder, How am I supposed to get out? You turn to the doll and think to yourself, This seems harmless... And suddenly, BLOOD (aka “ketchup” for a family-friendly edition). You finally come out of your fear to run away from the doll—anything to separate you from that monster. Then, the farther you run away, the hall starts to be caked with what looks like burning human flesh (aka “baby food”). Your stomach aches from the smell as you slowly but surely make it to the end of the hall. Things get worse as your vision gets dark, and the maze of halls seem to be echoing with one phrase: “One of us.” You start to run more slowly, as if concrete bricks are pasted around your ankles. Then you see clearly again, and your ears ring, and you’re standing at the edge of a ditch. You breathe a sigh of relief. Then you get pushed into the endless void of black, but you look up. There’s a black, shadowy figure with bloodred eyes looking down at you. It turns away from the edge you got pushed off of, and only one thought booms in your mind: This is what I probably get for entering the old ghost shack... And then you hit the dusty ground, conked out, regretting to ever want to prove to your friends that the paranormal was real.

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J U S T S AY , D O N ’ T T H I N K

Untitled Selena Chen

“REINFORCE THE WALLS!” Rohan yells. Oh, you new here? OK then, let’s warp back in time by three months. Get comfortable; this will be really long. Wait, no, tomorrow. Right now? No, no, no, no, no. There are Staff out there. No, we can’t go somewhere else, are you insane??? No buts, no cuts, no coconuts. Meet at the top of the box shelves at first light, real early. Why? Because of the Staff. OK, no longer. Go to sleep. Whizzing to Daytime So You Don’t Have to Wait… Climbing up the ladder, you try not to look down. You see the man you talked to last night when you were trying to get a freaking nightstand! OK, you arrived! Here it goes...What do you mean? Why are you sleeping here? There’s an exit? No, there isn’t an exit! You’re trapped in an infinite Ikea. What’s an infinite Ikea? This place. No, it is infinite, all right. Now let me begin, and stop interrupting! Here it goes... Whizzing Back Three Months Ago… I am finding a desk for my house when suddenly the lights turn out. I try and find a Staff member to tell him I’m in here still. I walk out the room to see a Staff member, but something is off... Why is the Staff member so big? He’s not big as in fat, OK? He’s big as if he’s a bit buff on the top half of himself and a bit skinny on the other half. I try and contact him by tapping his shoulder, but it doesn’t seem that it’s getting through to him. He turns 90 degrees, just enough to see he doesn’t have a face! I turn around to run, but there are more Staff! What they do is if you get into their line of sight, then they start to chase you and use the kindest voice possible and say: “The store is closed,” or, “Get out, the store is closed,” or the general things. Back to the story! No, it’s not stupid! This is tragic! How about you find that out when you die because one of the Staff KILLS you! You’re the one who wanted to know! Shush, now back to the story. No, I’m not mean! I’ll get mean and throw you

J U S T S AY , D O N ’ T T H I N K

Wordslingers

J U S T S AY , D O N ’ T T H I N K

to the Staff—then you’ll see how mean I can get! Now, shut up; back to the story. YOU WANTED TO HEAR IT!!! Back...to...the...fricking...story... I start to run, but the Staff are FAST. I find a ladder and climb up a shelf of towels, shampoo, and soap. I camp there for ages, and then the lights come on. I figure out that there are camps with living people! And now I’m here! Why do you go out when the lights are on when Staff are out there? They turn peaceful and walk up and down the aisles, and that’s the time where we get food like I did the night I got trapped here...

To be continued...

J U S T S AY , D O N ’ T T H I N K

I am a Shooting Star Katie Tat

I am a star dancing through the sky It’s my favorite part of the day Where I allow myself to burn as bright as I can Soaring across the sky, I hope there are people out there to see me I am a shooting star Shining and flying as fast as my neurons will allow I want to be remembered To be recorded in the books about the stars and the galaxies A bright inspiration I want to be wished upon For someone to be brave enough to say their deepest desires out loud I want to shine Shine so darn bright that astronomers will record my glory Seeing the trail that I leave behind At the end of this trail I just want to be remembered I want a living, breathing thing on this planet To give me a name I want to be the source of awe I want to be something, anything, instead of just a star I want to inspire someone Anyone down there To believe in some magic To know that they are loved and cared for

J U S T S AY , D O N ’ T T H I N K

I am a shooting star Shining as bright as my neurons allow At the end of this trail, I just want to be remembered I wish to the source of inspiration and awe As I dance above the Earth I wonder if anyone is watching…

J U S T S AY , D O N ’ T T H I N K

THIS BOOK WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WITH MAJOR SUPPORT FROM

AND FUNDED IN PART BY

The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation

The Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture, with support from the City of Sacramento.