Tales of Writers

Tales of Writers

Poetry and prose by the young writers of Robert J. McGarvey Elementary in conjunction with 916 Ink TA L E S O F W R I T E R S

Tales of Writers Poetry and prose by the young writers of Robert J. McGarvey 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 published more than 200 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 young writers at McGarvey Elementary have been my shining star amid the chaos that was this semester. I could fill the page with words about the baby dragons, heartfelt poems, alternate dimensions, and plethora of pets that you will read about, but I think this space should be dedicated to the amazing writers who made this workshop happen.

I want to personally thank: Morgan, for all of her amazing encouragement and feedback; Jocelyn, for writing through a broken wrist; Clark, for his neverending ideas and amazing Pokémon story; Gabe, for the joy both he and his pets brought to the screen; Miya, for her heartfelt wisdom and poems; Leng, for his incredible creativity; Will, for his escapades into Mafia Town (and fascinating language of the week lessons); Wilfi, for her boundless sweetness and warmth; and Daphne, for the smiles. I could go on and on, but at the end of the day, I want all of you young writers to know that your stories matter!

Your voices may be young, but the world needs them now more than ever.

Keep growing. Keep writing. Keep being.

Before I end, I want to thank Katie for being an incredible human being and co-slinger this semester. You helped me in ways I cannot fully express on the page. You are deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,

Zuzu Schmitke

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Zuzu Schmitke

Wordslinger

Katie Tat

Wordslinger

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 Group Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Great Wild Adventures of Bella and the Best Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Clark Jacobson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Fourth Wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Gabe Guerrero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Jocelyn Pena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Puppy Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Lengseang Savan Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Dimension Zoo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mysterious Poems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Sakura Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Holy Island Chaos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Miya Woodard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Rising Star: A Two-Part Collection of Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Morgan Hermano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Wilfi Yuma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Untitled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Wordslingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Bad Luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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Group Work

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The Great Wild Adventures of Bella and the Best Friends Group Story

Once upon a time, there is a dog named Bella. She lives with her mom, Skipper.

They live next to their neighbor, Mr. Grumpy, and they play in the backyard with their sassy dog, Scarfang, and the twins named Morgan and Daphne.

She wakes up in her reroofed wooden doghouse, and she sighs. The magical place she has been dreaming of was just that, only a dream. Instead of being on an adventure or something even slightly adventurous, she is stuck in her backyard. She dreams of the best adventure in the whole wide dog world.

Sprawling out and stretching, she hears a noise. It sounds like a small gerrrr.

She knows this voice. Exiting her doghouse, she spots a loud bird sitting up on the fence, singing its song. Sitting on the edge of the wooden fence, she sees Mr. Scarfang. Bella always likes seeing her friends, but Mr. Scarfang is no friend of hers. He always steals her toys and ruins them. She ignores his noises, and then he tells her to run off. She sees out of the corner of her eye that he’s watching her.

Bella thinks to herself that she wants to go on an adventure to find her lost dad. Looking around her backyard together, Bella spots an old piece of wood.

While looking at the wood, she wonders if she could launch herself up and over the fence with some help. Mr. Grumpy sees her trying and decides to come help her by jumping on the other side of the plank. But when Mr. Scarfang sees him, he tries to scare him off by hissing loudly. Mr. Grumpy gets scared, and Bella falls to the ground, hitting her paws on the plank of wood. While lying on the ground, she hears voices approaching. Looking up, she spots them: a group of teenagers that might be able to help them. She gets up and walks over to them, and she barks at them. She tries to tell them that she needs help, but she can only speak in barks. She knows they won’t be able to understand—no human ever understands. Looking down at the little doggy and listening to her sad story, one of the humans approaches. He tells her he can understand her and asks why she wants to escape.

The teenagers look around and decide that this is just too weird for them.

It’s one thing to talk to your friends, but it’s another thing to talk to animals.

Rather than stay in this weirdness, they decide to ride off on their skateboards.

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She sees more people walk by the front of the house, and she hears loud music coming from a strange device near them. That music sounds familiar.

It has interesting smells and sounds like a new adventure. The carnival has come to town, and Bella wants a part of it. How do they get to the carnival?

Bella, Mr. Scarfang, and Mr. Grumpy arrive at the carnival. Bella smells the most delicious smells, a mixture of meats that to the humans smells gross but to Bella smells like a gourmet meal. She needs that in her tummy, so she decides to follow her nose and find the source of the smell. Approaching the cart, she watches as the humans approach each other and hand over a hot dog. Bella recognizes it—her mom, Skipper, used to always share one with her. Bella thinks to herself that she wants it, but sadly, she can’t get one. So, looking at the nearby humans holding the hot dogs, she decides to give her puppy dog eyes and hope for the best while Mr. Scarfang and Mr. Grumpy hide behind a bush. The first person says no, but the second one decides to share their hot dog with her. Bella thanks the human by giving them a lick. She hears a voice from behind her. A different sound that she hasn’t heard before.

It’s a rabbit. He tells her that he is proud of her cleverness in getting the treat.

He introduces himself. Hopping toward her, he tells her that his name is Mr. Dumplings, and he offers to help her and all her friends get the best treats.

But before he is willing to help Bella get some treats, he wants to put her to the test. So, he takes her to the Mystical Miya, a strange woman that can see beyond a person’s eyes. The mystic welcomes them all in her booth and invites Bella to look into the eye. Mystic Miya can see all. Bella looks into the eye and sees her one true desire: she wants to meet her father. The mystic then invites Mr. Grumpy up to look. He sees his first owner returning for him and a big question mark. Scarfang looks into the eye and sees himself helping all the other animals to find their own adventures outside their backyards. After seeing what they all want, Mr. Dumplings decides that it’s his turn. He looks into the eye and sees himself ruling the world once and for all. Hopping off the table, he thanks Mystic Miya for her time and tells Bella and the group Continued on next page

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that he wants to help them. Walking around the carnival, they all get to know each other a bit more. Dumplings asks them what their plans are and what they are going to do to accomplish their goals. Bella and Mr. Grumpy wonder if what they have seen will come true or if it is just a fantasy. Scarfang knows that what he saw won’t come true.

At the carnival, they decide to visit the information booth. Looking at all the fliers, they see a picture on one of the brochures. It looks eerily familiar.

Standing in front of it, the other animals are shocked. The dog looks just like Bella under the brochure of the name Gabe’s Animal Spectacular. Hopping up on the brochure, Dumplings gathers it in his mouth. He turns it over and sees a map. Luckily for them, it’s not too far. Wandering out, they begin their journey.

They cross streets and see murals. They pass signs like Morgan’s Gym and Zuzu’s Dollar Store. When they finally reach Gabe’s Animal Spectacular, they see a dog. He looks like Scarfang but just in a different color. He approaches them and takes a double take at Bella. She looks so familiar, almost like his long-lost friend. Putting that idea aside, he begins conversing with the group.

From their conversation, he learns that Bella is looking for her dad, and then it clicks. She looks just like his best friend from his youth. His name is Mr. Clark.

Mr. Clark and his dog Fabio were best friends. They came from the same home, when tragedy struck. The two best friends were separated when an evil painter accidentally left a door open and Mr. Clark ran. Fabio stayed behind at the family house. When the family decided to move locations, Fabio ran away from home. He wanted to find his long-lost best friend. While walking the streets, calling out for Mr. Clark, he was taken by the people who worked at Gabe’s Animal Spectacular. There, he was treated with the most respect: he was given food and a warm place to sleep. The people at Gabe’s Animal Spectacular loved Fabio, and when he told them his story, they agreed to help him find Mr. Clark. Scouring the streets, they worked as a group looking for Mr. Clark. They ended up finding him in an alleyway. He was scared and lonely. They decided to bring him back to Gabe’s Animal Spectacular. There he was treated with dignity and respect, and the two happily lived together.

During a sudden rainstorm one night, Fabio got scared and ran away. They tried looking for the elderly dog but had no luck. Mr. Clark has continued to stay at Gabe’s until he returned.

Walking around the park, Mr. Clark also recognizes another familiar face: Scarfang looks like Bubbles, the most handsome dog in the area who won

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Best in Show. Mr. Clark tells Mr. Dumplings that he also looks familiar, like Mr. Topsy, who was Best in Show until Bubbles came along and took the title role. This was one of the most contested Best in Shows that Gabe’s Spectacular had ever seen. All the animals picked sides, and eventually a war broke out.

Bubbles went from a beautiful, kind dog that supported others to being known as the rebellious warrior that was scarred and misunderstood. He felt like the name Bubbles was no longer a name that fit his prowess, so he became Scarfang, while Mr. Topsy ran away before the war even started and made a new name for himself with the traveling circus.

Mr. Clark decides to try and show them a poster of Bubbles and Mr. Topsy.

Pulling one from the large board, he finds it, a picture of the two. They look just like the pictures. But before Mr. Clark can figure out who his new friends are, Bella spots another poster.

The poster says “Lost dog, looking for my daughter. Please help.” Underneath the picture of the dog, Bella sees an address. The dog on the poster looks familiar and, seeing the poster, Mr. Clark tells Bella that the picture looks just like Fabio. Mr. Clark knows the street and offers to lead Bella, Mr. Dumplings, and Scarfang to the house. If this is his long-lost friend, he wants to help them find him. Hitting the streets, the group heads toward the home. There on the streets, they get lost and can’t seem to find the street. Luckily for them, a kind man named Word Man offers to show them the way. He knows the area and can help the group find whatever it is they’re looking for. Headed toward the home, the group is shocked by the look of the house. It seems run-down and empty. Climbing on top of each other, the group takes a closer look inside the house. It looks like no one has visited in a while. Defeated, the group walks away. As they’re walking, Mr. Clark remembers that Fabio has a love for a fountain. Mr. Clark and Fabio’s owners used to take them on walks around a fountain. It was in a courtyard not too far from the home.

Gathering the group together, they decide to check out the fountain and see if they can find Fabio there. Luckily for them, Mr. Clark knows the way and begins to lead the charge. Stopping occasionally to sniff along the path, they finally reach the fountain. Its water is still bubbling, and there are few people there. Approaching the fountain, the group feels defeated. There is no Fabio, and no one knows who they are looking for. After asking a couple people if they had ever seen Fabio, another rabbit approaches. His name is Continued on next page

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Dexter. Dexter looks at Bella and tells her that they have been expecting her.

You see, Dexter has been watching the group from afar. He was the one that encouraged the teenagers to offer them help when Bella wanted to escape.

When the group went to the carnival, he was the one that ensured that Mr. Dumplings would approach their path. Most importantly, he was at Gabe’s Spectacular and put the poster on the wall, knowing that the group would find it. He was the one who put Mr. Clark at Gabe’s at just the right time. He put together this carefully crafted plan all so he could hurt Bella’s Dad, Fabio.

Leading the group back toward the pet store, Dexter shows Fabio tied up.

A long, large boa constrictor hangs from the rafters. Fabio is tied to a chair while a tarantula walks back and forth in front of him. Bella gasps, Scarfang shows his teeth, Mr. Dumplings looks unsure of the whole situation, and Mr. Clark looks in awe. Dexter laughs and laughs hard—cue “evil villain” laugh.

Luckily for the group, they have the benefit of a masterful warrior. Scarfang guides the group like an expert general. He tells Mr. Dumplings to handle Dexter while Mr. Clark fights the tarantula and Scarfang fights off the boa constrictor. Bella is told to try and bite off the restraints on her father.

Mr. Dumplings and Dexter fight hard, as both are bunnies and are able to predict each other’s moves. Luckily for Mr. Dumplings, he has also spent some time at the carnival and picked up a few moves from the clowns. Using shock and awe fighting styles, he raises an ear, which indicates he has heard something, to distract Dexter. While Dexter looks for the sound, Mr. Dumplings punches him in the face. Dexter falls to the ground hard, still alive but unconscious.

As for Mr. Clark and the tarantula, this is a bit trickier. The tarantula has considerably more limbs and is trained in stealth. Luckily for them, Mr. Clark is also a masterful fighter, as he received training at Gabe’s Spectacular. As a dog, what he lacks in stealth he makes up for in strength. Climbing on top of the spider, he attacks its head. Using intense strength maneuvers, he manages to get the spider weak, and he sits on him. The tarantula sighs in defeat.

Scarfang fights the boa constrictor by moving his head back and forth. The boa constrictor fights by moving fast at Scarfang, but Scarfang gets smart and moves toward a metal door. The boa constrictor hits his head on the metal door and falls. His teeth are broken, but he is still alive.

Bella runs to her father, Fabio, and saves him. She bites the ropes hard and

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long, and eventually she is able to free him. Fabio hugs her and thanks her for saving him. He has been looking for her for so long, and at last they are together. Bella, in the end, has gotten her grand adventure and decides that it is time to return home.

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Dexter was eventually adopted by a loving little girl that enjoyed dressing him in silly outfits. His new best friend was a dog that they also adopted. The dog kept Dexter in line and licked him from time to time.

Mr. Dumplings decided to return to the carnival, where he lived there happily telling anyone who would listen about the time that he singlehandedly fought off a dog, a boa constrictor, and a lion. He claimed that he just took some artistic licenses.

Mr. Clark returned to Gabe’s Spectacular, where he continued to be spoiled rotten by the lovely workers who adored him.

Scarfang, Bella, and Fabio returned home to Skipper, where they were loved and kept together.

Mr. Grumpy went on to stay at the pet store for a while, trying to work with all the animals and let the workers know what happened to them. The Boa constrictor and the tarantula were treated for their injuries.

As for Mr. Word Man, he is still attempting to figure out whatever happened to the little dogs and bunnies that he assisted.

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Clark Jacobson

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The Fourth Wall Clark Jacobson

Yes, I know that I am in a story, all right? I think the title should have made that clear. But I’m not going to argue; I’m not going to get mad at it UNLESS the writers make me do something embarrassing. So, I’m saying this to the writers: DO NOT MAKE ME DO SOMETHING WEIRD! So, all right, who am I? I am Dan Benny Summers, and I live in Miami, Florida. I am in the sixth grade. (Or at least, I think so? Maybe the writers put me in fifth grade. Can’t remember...) I enjoy playing baseball, and my favorite video game is Space Blaster: Ultimate Zapper: Deluxe Edition. Also, my hobby is to do the chicken dance while singing “Yankee Doodle” as loud as possible. Wait, WHAT? Oh, goody, the writers already made me say something embarrassing; guess I shouldn’t trust ‘em. My actual hobby is watching that one movie that plays on TV all the time. You know the one. The one with that epic twist where the main character turns out to be the villain. Oops, shouldn’t have spoiled it. I like to eat triple bazoonie mega slop burgers for breakfast, and I eat cheddar salmon for lunch, and I eat chickens stuffed with party favor food for dinner, so yeah. So, I got a funny story for you...

One day, I was playing soccer with my friends. The sun was shining. It was hot, yet fun. It was great, man. I scored sixteen points, and my friends only scored eleven combined.

“Man, Dan, you’re good,” Peter panted since he ran like a person trying to outrun a lion even though they knew they were too late while we played soccer.

“How do ya do it?” he asked, surprised.

I just told him that I AM GOOD! George could hardly move. He looked like he was just recovering from a tarantula bite. Billy Beewer was not tired at all since he always does 2000 bench presses each day with a 150-pound weight.

And REN? He...was terrible. He didn’t get the ball once. He only plays Zippy Shrooms in his free time, even though that video game STINKS!!!!! Professor Shroomy? Please. I won. But then, but then, all of a sudden, a bully kicked a soccer ball straight into Ren’s leg.

“Ouch!” REN started crying like a bear was about to catch him.

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“Ronny-Wonny needs his mommy!” the bullies taunted. So I got ‘em with the soccer ball back.

“Oh, no, now we need our mommy!” the bullies wailed, but it wasn’t taunt wailing, it was REAL wailing. I just blew a raspberry at them. I high-fived Ren, and we all went home. We saw the bullies on our way, and we blew more raspberries at them. So yeah, that’s the end. Short? Sorry, limited space. I have to help a sibling beat Super Cool Math Battle. Bye until, I dunno, a couple months, maybe? Yeah, bye.

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Gabe Guerrero

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The Dragons Gabe Guerrero

Prologue The sun rose over a hot desert. It was barren except for a few sand dunes. A middle-sized dune shifted. A massive wing poked out of it. Then the sand dune exploded in a burst of sand. When the sand settled, a yellow dragon the size of a bus launched itself into the sky. At the same time, a volcano erupted on the other side of the world. Two fiery-red dragons flew out from the skyborne ash.

Welcome to the world of the dragons.

Chapter One: Two Years Later “Gimme back my rock!”

“No way, I had it first!”

Two baby dragons were arguing in a stinky and dirty hole they dug.

“Uh-oh! Mom’s coming!” said one of the dragons. “She said we couldn’t dig holes! Let’s hide!”

On the other side of the world, three pink baby dragons were having a dirt fight in a plain that was barren except for a lot of tall grass and rivers. The smallest dragon kicked some dirt at the biggest dragon.

“Ow! You got dirt in my eyes!” yelped the biggest dragon.

“Serves you right,” said the smallest dragon.

“You got dirt up my nose. Mom’s coming!” said the middle sized one.

“Let’s hide and scare her!”

Back at the dirty and stinky hole, the two baby dragons were franticly trying to bury themselves.

“What did I tell you about digging holes?!” said their mother, Mudslide, wearily.

“Rockhill made me do it, Mom. Honest!” said the smallest dragon, pointing at the bigger dragon.

“No I didn’t, Clayrock, you big liar.”

“Enough arguing, you two,” said Mudslide.

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“You’re going straight to bed.”

“No, don’t put us to bed!” cried both baby dragons together.

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Back in the plains, the three baby dragons, named in order from largest to smallest are: Sanddune, Reddirt, and Yellowriver. They have successfully buried themselves in dirt. Their mother, Greeneyes, starts walking where all the baby dragons are hiding.

“BOO!” shout all the baby dragons at once.

“AAAHHHHHHH!” yells Greeneyes.

“Don’t scare me like that!” says Greeneyes while the baby dragons are laughing.

“You should have seen the look on your face!” says Yellowriver while laughing.

“WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?” Greeneyes roars. The three baby dragons all point at each other. Greeneyes sighs in exasperation.

“I don’t care. You three are going to bed,” sighs Greeneyes.

“Please don’t put us to bed!” cry all three of the baby dragons. In Rockhill and Clayrock’s den, their mom is out cold, and it isn’t even dark out yet.

“Mom is so mean,” huffs Rockhill. “We’ve got to escape.”

“But how?” says Clayrock.

“Mom put a rock in front of the door, remember?”

“We’re dragons, dummy, we have wings,” says Rockhill, puffing his chest out proudly.

“We can fly out of the hole in the ceiling,” says Rockhill.

“Good idea,” says Clayrock enthusiastically. Without another thought, they both fly out of the hole into the night. On the other side of the world, the pink baby dragons have distracted their mother and slipped away…

To be continued...

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Jocelyn Pena

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Puppy Dreams Jocelyn Pena

Hello, my name is Loreen. I live a happy life in San Jose, California with my owner, Crystal Heart, and her cat, Calm, but he is actually crazy. I always dreamed about going into the sea and meeting a seahorse. I dream about seahorses because my owner, Crystal Heart, paints seahorses. And I always wanted to see one.

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A few months later, my owner has booked a cruise ship with her new friend.

We are leaving in two weeks! I am so excited that she is letting me come. I overheard her saying that there is a dog playground. I think that is going to be really fun. Calm the cat is coming too. I am not sure what he is going to do.

I think he is going to be stuck in the hotel room. Maybe he will make friends with the owner’s friend’s cat.

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I am so excited that today is the day we leave for the cruise ship, but we have to fly three hours to get to where we are going. I am going to be in a room with bags and other animals.

k

At last, we are here after four dogs thronging up and two dogs flying into their cages. We are boarding the cruise ship; my owner read we are heading to Room 19 on the fifth floor. And we are scuba diving at 3:00 p.m., and I am taking dog scuba lessons.

k

At last, it is time to go scuba diving. And I still wish to see a seahorse. We see fish, starfish, and coral, but no seahorses. We are done and heading toward the boat, and all of the sudden, under the boat is a big group of them. It all happened so quickly, and they blink, and they are gone. I leave the cruise as a happy dog.

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Lengseang Savan Son

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Dimension Zoo

Lengseang Savan Son

Part I A portal had sucked Shadow to the blank zone, where he was a god creating another world. Also, he needed to create a livable world. Everything could live?

He started by creating the entrance to the zoo, which was named Dimension Zoo. He created the entrance and made paths and big areas with fences splitting the creatures’ pens and started to plant.

Part II After Shadow finished planting and started placing animals and signs, every creature was put in a section of one of the biomes in the zoo, and he started to put dinosaurs, prehistoric creatures, and mythical creatures.

Part Final Lots of people from other dimensions came to visit Dimension Zoo. Then Dimension Zoo was successful and is a story.

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Mysterious Poems Lengseang Savan Son

Version One Roses are red Violets are blue Mysteries are not true I hope not me too Version Two: Dawning Sunshine Roses are red Violets are blue The sun is shining Dawned to sail too Version Three: Infinity Run Roses are red Violets are blue Running is unknown Infinity is too.

Sakura Tree

Lengseang Savan Son

Sakura leaf spinning with wind Sakura tree dropping leaves blowing in wind I caught a sakura leaf

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Holy Island Chaos Lengseang Savan Son

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Miya Woodard

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Rising Star: A Two-Part Collection of Poetry Miya Woodard

Part I: Heart Anxiety Snowflakes fall outside the windows, And I get up out of my seat.

My nervousness gets up with me, packing itself into the bag that is my thoughts, bundling up before it spirals out of control.

Anxiety.

The thoughts that are supposedly “only in my head” yet circle me, shadows casting doubt onto my internal glow, a black blanket of regret.

And I struggle, and I fall, And yet there’s only one thing that gets me through it all.

The sun, and its strange glow, never faltering and never letting go.

So, if the sun can do it, then I can too, Letting go, And winning the battle that is me and you.

In the Woods The trees, thick around me, Weeping willows, Confident redwoods, All representing me.

Snow crunches under my boots, White and pristine, Yet somewhat tarnished, like the part of me they all see.

A candle, majestic and burning out, The rising and falling sea,

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In each I see myself, a broken and shared glass, hidden behind the tallest shelf, Full of the dustiest books, whose stories weren’t interesting enough to tell.

A Queen’s Charade Thou are represented, Thou are strong, Thou are not brave enough to climb, only to prolong.

A castle fit for a king, but a queen living in it, Oh, imagine what they would say if she actually did it?

Alive High up on the tower, A bird’s-eye view, If only it was possible…

If only they knew.

So many more people would have flew.

Golden Glow They are mystified throughout the land, Words unspoken, buried up the mountains, under the sand.

Meaningless words, A sheepless herd, All because of a golden glow.

Tinting windows, breaking through the class, Yet the benefactor always sits in the back of the class.

She could have been brilliant, what a shame, And they all deny that they know my name.

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They’re all popular, so what are problems?

You wouldn’t know when you have money to solve them.

So they all sit down in front of the “Mirror of Truth,” Which is really just life, Shining its golden glow on me and you.

Her When she walks in the room Everyone is rapt, Looking at the masterpiece they act like they helped to craft.

But before she was like this, before she was golden, you treated her badly, now you act like your words are frozen?

Frozen in ice, rock, glass, take your pick, but you weren’t there during the time she wasn’t happy like this.

But let’s move on, it’s another chapter, and this time it’s full of only fun, games, and laughter.

She forgives, but she won’t forget, So remember that next time you try to love her for the string of diamonds around her neck.

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Part II: Soul An Inner Monologue People act like writing is a choice, but really, it’s more of an inner voice.

Because that’s what writing is, isn’t it? A world inside a rare individual’s head, begging to be let out, and all you can do is agree to it. Agree to let the words be free on a piece of paper; then you can finally be at ease. And as my fingers fly across the keyboard as I write, and my mind turns to pure bliss, I feel the world turn off around me, just as it is as I sit writing this. Everything is silent; everything is peaceful. What are problems? You’re simply just focused on whether this book you’re writing deserves a sequel. People also say that poetry, in particular, is nonsense, rambling on and on if it’s not strictly about rhythm and rhyme. “What’s the point?” they say and wish that we’d move on. But writing, for me, has always been about how people relate; doesn’t matter if they’re down or feeling great. So, the rest of this will not rhyme, for real writing doesn’t need to fit into a mold, not now or any time. When you read, you’re transported into a different galaxy, and reality disappears, and you finally feel free. You lose all consciousness to the world around you and can only see the innocence and the gracefulness of the fake, the fantasy, the false, the perfect. Real writing is a form of art where the emotion is raw and plain, relatable yet happy. Real writing resonates with you, stays with you, helps you through triumphs and failures. Real writing makes you cry, smile, and feel inspired to get back up and try again. And THAT’s what writing is.

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Morgan Hermano

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Untitled

Morgan Hermano

“I’m heading out to the store,” Marie’s mother, Celine, announced. “I’ll be back soon; do you need anything?”

“Nope,” Marie replied, focused on her essay.

“Then see you later!” Celine said, kissing Marie on the top of her head. She gathered her things and shut the door. Marie continued working on her essay.

Forty-five minutes later, she finished and exhaustingly sat back on her chair.

Her dog, Lilo, walked up to her with his tongue dangling from his mouth. She got up and got a snack for Lilo in the kitchen. Marie then sat down on the couch and turned on the television. Not even five minutes later, Marie was out like a light.

Her father, Nicholas, got home and noticed Marie sleeping. He gave Lilo a pat on the head, then walked into Celine’s office, looking for her. After failing to find her there, he woke Marie up and asked her where she was. “She’s not home yet?” Marie questioned. Her father shook his head.

Marie checked the clock to see that it had been more than three hours since her mother left. She turned on the TV to see a breaking news screen.

“Breaking news: a mother reported being taken after being seen dragged into a car. About 5’5” with brunette hair and blue eyes. Last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Please call us if you know or have any further information on this woman. This is On Time News, keeping you updated 24/7.

Back to you, Dave.”

Marie and Nicholas’s eyes widened, a feeling of fear trickling down their necks.

The news had described Celine, Marie’s mother. She took out her phone to see nearly 30 missed calls and two voicemails, all from the same person, her mother. Marie nervously opened the first voicemail, not knowing what to expect but hoping it wasn’t anything bad. It said, “Honey, please help me. Please.”

A tear started falling down her cheek. Had her mom been taken? She looked at her father, who was now sitting down next to her with a very vivid expression of fear on his face. Marie opened the second voicemail. This one said, “Marie, if anything happens to me, I love you. Just know I’m proud of you. I love

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you so much.” Then she heard shouting in the background; after that, the voicemail ended.

No, Marie thought, this can’t be happening.

“No,” Marie said, crying. “Why? Why Mom, why not me...”

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Wilfi Yuma

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Untitled Wilfi Yuma

“Megan! Come on here! We have to first see the golden rose in the Garden Rosalina!” I shouted with my hair gushing in the wind.

“I’m coming, Maya! Be careful with that dress! Your mom and my mom said they are very rare!”

I got in line and saved a spot for Megan; my mom, Suzie; and her mom, Sherry. We got a really good look at the golden rose. Then something rubbled and grubbled, and then thunder hit a statue. Someone shouted, “THUNDER STORM!!!”

Everyone was leaving the garden; we were the last ones there. Then we saw a portal MOVING! It was so confusing, but maybe it was just a door. Then all of us rushed into it, but we fell with a glittery background and landed softly on the ground. A bunch of pink and blue bears came with colorful fish, and all the colors of the rainbow from different animals came!

A pink bear shouted, “Queen Suzie and Queen Sherry are Back!”

Everyone put all of us on their shoulders and shouted, “They are back! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!”

When Maya and Megan got to a huge castle, we asked our moms.

“What is going on here!?” shouted Megan and I. After they came out of their changing room with the prettiest gowns on, my mom said, “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you dear, but we didn’t want you to tell the whole world about this place! It would’ve been very dangerous!”

Megan’s mom then said, “So we only wanted to tell you on the day you came to Garden Rosalina. The day when you both turned eleven!”

Megan gave me the look that told me I MUST say something nice, so I did, and I said, “It’s OK; I guess I understand why you hid this from us.”

My mom was pleased with what I said and told us to come to dinner when the servants told us it was time for dinner. They sent us to go wear these really nice clothes. I got something pink and white, while Megan got something blue and white. When they called us, there was a whole feast for all of us four! I

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first noticed the shrimp and mac and cheese, my favorite meal! While Megan was stuffing her face with french fries. After we were done eating, we were sent to our bedroom, which was really huge! An Australian shepherd puppy came running to my bedroom with excitement!

“Wow! An Australian shepherd?! This is, like, my favorite dog! Who could be behind all of this?” I shouted with excitement but with a hint of confusion.

I got into bed with my new dog, who I named Cloud, snuggled up with me. I drifted off to sleep. The next day, our moms said to come to the Royal Throne Room to have a talk. Megan and I were walking down the stairs.

“I have a feeling that we’re going to have a hard day,” she said with a frown. I could feel the room getting colder walking down. I opened the door.

They told us, “Sit down.”

Then Megan’s mom said, “So, we’re going to talk to your guys about our enemies. Their kingdom is called The Dark Roses.”

Megan then didn’t give me the look when I thought she was going to. She just said, “You guys can go on, and we will ask questions at the end.”

I just felt how serious she was, so I decided to keep my mouth shut for a while.

“The kingdom doesn’t like any bright colors or cute bears. It’s harsh for what happened to our dear Pearl,” she said with a sigh. I realized that in our school there was a teacher named Ms. Pearl. She usually called herself Queen Dark Roses…

I shouted, “MS. PEARL IS THE QUEEN!” I saw Megan do her think face, then surprised, and then she shouted, “YEAH! She nicknames herself Queen Dark Roses!”

My mom said, “Wait, really!? How is this possible!? No wonder why she avoids me at Bingo night!”

“Mom! Try to focus on the problem!” I shouted.

Continued on next page

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“You’re right, sweetheart. Anyway, we have to find a way to find more information on her so we can tell her we want no harm.”

I gave Megan that look, and she gave me the look back.

We both shouted, “WE’VE GOT AN IDEA!!!”

After minutes of explaining and thinking, we had the plan. The next day, we dressed up in our dark-colored outfits and went to The Dark Roses.

Before we left, our mothers said, “Don’t let anyone find out you’re spies.”

We nodded and headed our way out.

The butler said, “We’re here.”

As we stepped our way out, I felt somehow warm as others felt cold. We walked by sick children coughing and homeless stealing. It felt so cruel that a kingdom could be just like planet Earth.

As we almost walked into the castle, a guard said, “Hey! Are you a threat or friend?”

I didn’t know what to say, but I just said, “Friend! Yeah, yeah! We just w-want to s-see the Q-Queen and l-l-leave! He-he!”

I felt the guilt of shame swim through my body, but I couldn’t stop now! I was just too close to give up!

“Oh! Then you’re welcome! You may stop at the gift shop while exiting!” he said with a smile. We walked left, right, up and down, side to side, but then we saw a huge door that had a sign that said The Queen is in Here!

We walked in saying, “Your highness? We’ve come to talk to you.”

“Oh! Someone from the Rose Garden Kingdom has come to save me!” she said with a twirl.

Megan gave me the look that said, “Say something, you fool!”

I got startled.

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Wordslingers

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Bad Luck Zuzu Schmitke

It was Monday. Nope...Tuesday. Honestly, could have been Saturday for all I care. I haven’t left the apartment in two months.

Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck...Can’t cross the threshold because it is all bad luck.

Whatever day it was, I was sitting on the couch and eating my last can of beans when I heard the knock. I wanted to scream. Nobody bothers to read signs these days.

DON’T KNOCK. DON’T KNOCK. DON’T KNOCK. IT’S NOT THAT HARD! All I want is for everyone to have good luck. Can’t have good luck if you knock on doors! Sorry, I keep getting distracted...I set down my beans. My palms were sweating. A cold chill ran down my back. I really wished people would read the signs.

In a moment of courage, I walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. No one was there. Odd, why would you come up to floor fourteen, knock on a door, and not stick around to see who was on the other side? Now that is truly bad luck. Unless...Unless I dreamed it all up? I am known to do that, dream up sounds and voices. I’m supposed to take medicine for that, but like I said, two months in the apartment means all your prescriptions run out. I wanted to open the door, but my head was on fire. My back was ice. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Bad luck. Bad luck. BAD LUCK. But the knock! That sounded real. Like, real real. Not dream real. I tapped the doorknob four times (less bad luck) and opened it.

Nothing. The hallway was empty. The lights were dim, and one flickered three doors down (a small comfort in a world of unknown variables). I looked down.

At my feet sat a package. I hadn’t ordered anything. Strange...It was black and ornate, carved with hundreds of tiny ridges (pictures? I don’t know; can’t see that well). A million questions swirled in my mind like alphabet soup gone bad. I couldn’t think. And when I can’t think, I do stupid things. Stupid things

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like grab the package and run back inside.

Stupid. Stupid. STUPID! I wanted my beans. But the package...it moved in my hands. I dropped it.

Dreaming. I had to be. It moved again. This wasn’t real. Then the box tore open. I opened my mouth to scream but my voice had left me. The black shell of the box peeled away, revealing a tiny blue lizard with wings.

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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

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