Pittsburg High School's 2015-2016 Literary Magazine

Art Literary Magazine

DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE 1

PITTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

Table of Contents Art / Photo

Shadow Children

In the Mirror

Blue Flower

Sunset

Angry Girl

Poem / Story

Souls

1

My Monthly Friend

3

Naked Trees and Dirty knees

4

His Perspective

5

Romance

7

Imagery

8

Each Leaf, an Individual life

9

His Life

11

Long Nights Alone

12

The End of the Sun

13

Lost

15

Music

16

Tears I Cry

17

Juliana Mcbride

Beach

Page

19 Love

20

The Waves Face

21

Cheer

23

Ekphrastic Poem

24

Art / Photo

Pink Flower

Dark Sunset

Lil’ Fire

Yellow Flower

Boy In The Woods

Dandilions

Snow White

Poem / Story

Page

Let Them Be wild

25

Breakable

27

One Split Second

28

Lamb Of War

29

Ode To A Storm

31

New

32

Walls That Crumble

33

The Lonely Dwarf

35

sprout

37

Anger

39

Thy Rose Child

40

The Bridge

41

Greeted

43

When It All Settles In

44

Spring

45

Insert Title Here

47

Trust Me I Remember

48

Better Life

49

Asylum

51

Art / Photo

Pink Sky

Big Fire

Poem / Story

Page

Art / Photo

Poem / Story

Page

Depression

52

Love

75

The Lovers Dance

53

Objectivly

76

The Cold Snow

55

77

A Blind Night

56

Love An Unbound Pleasure

Thinking Of You

57

Ode To the Perfect

78

Things No One Knows

58

79

Dust Of This Art

59

Where the Meadows Mourn

Death Of October

61

Kendrid 2.0

81

Love Me

62 Through My Dreams

63

The Scream

64

Fireball

65 66 Your Choice

67

Day To Day

68

Winter Moonlight

69

Mask

70

Promise

71

Rejection

72

Lying To Forget

73

Memories

74

Amanda Bourbina

Souls

It pierces through And makes a mess Now it will never renew.

There is nothing more But only less.

Now what can you do?

There is no one to blame, For it turns numb.

Once we’re near the end, The path gets bumpy.

Take a left by the bend.

This path be never ending.

For I see the light, For I see the dark.

You can’t misread my sight.

Only the mind and soul.

Shadow Children Hannah Mwangi

Let there be no more.

My screams will screech.

For my body, For my mind, For my heart, And for my soul May be too sore.

I cannot reach the day’s end.

I shall be no more.

If only one would notice, For then it might mend.

I am here, Not upon thy resting place.

As I gaze off Into my broken mirror.

1

Designed by Jake Webb

So truth be told, I may be crazy, For here by thy soul.

Behold.

2

My Monthly Friend Kaylah Wilson

Dear monthly friend, Why are you here?

I’ve spent the last week being angry and upset And I cry at the stupidest things.

And now you arrive at my door unloved and unwanted Like a politician or someone wanting to give me Watchtower I have to worry now about my clothing And I have to worry now about public embarrassment And I have this raging discomfort Why are you here, My monthly friend or foe?

3 design by Shelby Smith

Naked Trees and Dirty Knees Darien Baker

My favorite time of year is when there are no leaves to cover the trees. When all of the covers have been torn away and everything is exposed. When their blemishes shine and their skeletons shake.

When sitting down for a picnic always results in a gray bottom and dirty knees, soaked through with soil. When bonfires are appropriate and sweaters are in.

When couples share intimate walks with rosy faces and delightful smiles.

When the air is crisp and the nights are hushed.

design by Hannah Mwangi

4

His perspective Savannah Jones

She looks in the mirror staring blankly at her reflection.

She touches her light, rosy cheeks and follows down her jaw, to her chin.

Her eyes glisten with fear that everyone saw her the way she saw herself.

Tears stream down her face as she began to weep.

I slowly watched the girl of my dreams disappear into society.

5 design by Kie’hre Henderson

Art by: Taylor McCauley

6

Romance Autumn Gillis

Maybe a little romance is needed Lightening our days in all this grey To place a smile on our faces You can’t have too much romance In a life that’s filled with sadness Making us laugh with pleasure Give me romance to dazzle me To make my heart sing out loud And make me feel I’m alive Bring on the romance to me It’s welcome in a soul of tears Appreciated from this coldness Give me romantic words and deeds So pleasing to my eyes and ears Make me happy for a little while Give me romance everytime To make me blush and smile Instead of all these teasing words

7 design by Eddie Stevens

Imagery Elizabeth Workman

I was told a poem has to show imagery hit a person in the feels.

Imagery is the picture you receive from reading.

A poem.

A book.

A quote.

Indeed close your eyes and view the marvelous art your mind’s eye gives you.

design by Zeke Mitchell

8

Each Leaf, An Individual Life Megan Munger

Cold, icy air hits my pale skin.

I sit, silent, watching thoughtfully as the same air hits the leaves, strips the, of beautiful color.

Artwork by Karis

arelli Meng

My soul sees it happen: each leaf, an individual life, tumbles down, crashes to its death, gives up the flight to reside with millions just alike.

I can’t help but relate those precious leaves to the human race. our cycle of life: a cycle of seasons.

Our birth is spring. Youth, summer. Aging, autumn. Death, winter.

Our lives are but a season-a terrifying and beautiful concept i will never truly be okay with.

9 design by Eddie Stevens

10

His life Adia Johns

Tears stream down his sullen face He looks in the mirror and sees disgrace Doors slam, kids cry, This is the story of his life Summers prolonged, school years brief His heart relies on false belief Overwhelmed with hopes and dreams to stop his sisters laugh all night This is no such thing as the perfect mother neither is there a perfect brother to him, life is a burning hell all he does is constantly fail He loves his mom with all his heart yet lately they have fell apart she’s become a big, black, pitt and now his family is unfit He’s here to keep his family strong making everyone get along stop the fights and broken hearts to stop them from breaking into parts

11 designed by: Kie’Rhe Henderson

Long nights alone with you Savannah Jones

Sitting in my bed, staring blankly at my English homework, once again It’s only 11:00 pm Good I still have time.

The clock ticks by.

I have nothing done.

11:30 Woah, it’s only been 30 minutes?

I’m exhausted.

I start on my math, struggling, open my book, and get to work.

I’m already confused.

Like everything I’m reading is foreign.

12:45 I’ve completed one problem, correctly.

I go back to English.

Scrambling my weary thoughts, I think, and think. and think, for hours on end It’s 3 am.

And my paper is still blank. design by Raquel Lopez

12

The End of the Sun

photo by Savannah Jones

At the end of the sun we imagine darkness, A black Abyss of empty space, But there may be something more to see, An existence greater than what we know, Wonderous fields of stories and dreams waiting to be explored and told, what would we name this land we’ve found, could our minds contain the joy discovered, would all of our souls be a part of this world, Is this the answer of life uncovered, What is this realm our hearts now love, is this what has been waiting above, or something people said was myth, is this what is called life after death?

At the end of the sun we’ll find much more than any of us was hoping for, beyond the stars and over the moon, finally the peace we wished we knew.

by Alexis Daniels

13 design by Grace Palmer

14

Lost

Music Lily Watts

Joyce Vanderpool

Imagine yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere, you’re in a forest, you walk a few steps, suddenly you stop, unable to move. The more you struggle, the more you sink.

Then, you plunge in the ocean. You swim up for air, find a raft, get on. Sharks are circling around. You get knocked off, land hard, getting the air knocked out of you. You stand up, realizing you’re hanging upside down.

Where do you think I’m going with this? Need me to spell it out for you? Okay, let’s start from the beginning.

People will leave in the middle of nowhere, leaving you on your own, when you truly need them the most. You struggle to get over something or struggle with school or work. Then people are bringing you down, leaving your world upside down.

Now are you still confused? Hopefully not.

15 design by Joseph Terry

So many to choose.

Beautiful diversity.

There’s no way to lose In every nation.

A universal language.

It unites us all.

Coming from the mouth.

Through all the high and low notes.

Pleasuring the ear.

design by Braxton Beachner

16

The Tears I Cry Autumn Gillis

The tears I cry, I try to hide.

I try to stop them, escaping outside.

The tears I cry just won't go away.

It's like I'm cursed 'til the end of my days. ...

The tears I cry stream down my face whenever I'm alone in a secluded place The tears I cry take over me, blurring my vision, so I can't see.

The tears I cry are worse at night.

They soak the pillow nothing seems right.

The tears I cry are too much to bare.

I can't get away, they're always there.

The tears I cry are because of you, all cause I thought our love was true.

Art by Hannah Mwangi

17 Design by Hannah Mwangi

18

Love Autumn Gillis

Soft and warm Sealed with care Sweet and kind Will ever share Brave and strong Yet so fair That is her She’s always there Sensitive to despair Harkens to others welfare Delicate she’s elsewhere Beautiful beyond compare

Artwork by Julianna Mcbride

19 design by Matthew Wood

If you meet her Best Beware She’ll steal your heart unaware Her name is Love This I swear There’s none like her anywhere design by Shelby Smith

20

The waves face Elizabeth Workman

Only ten years ago did I get a knock, an officer telling me my husband had drowned. Only a few hours before did his friends tell me it was an accident Police took me to identify him.

Pale and cold.

Dripping the lake water off.

He had said He took me a forty-three year old camping Tatkan Lake Campsite.

He kept telling me it was a long time ago.

It’ll be okay.

I was reluctant as he tried to get me in a fishing boat.

Artwork by Erick Mcloskey

no, no, no.

The boat malfunctioned.I often begged He had got caught always seeing my on a rope trying drenched husband’s to fix it. face in the waves.

My one and only child. My son.

Face my fear.

21 design by Jenae Long

But I found myself holding onto his arm as I put my foot on boat.

22

Cheer Sadie Carter

All sisters cheering as one We won’t stop until it’s done We try our best to work the hardest.

All we hear are shouts and screams And we know we’re living our dream.

Nighthawks A quiet and tranquil street corner Nighthawks is all that you see at first glance A common neighborhood diner about to close for the night with only the barflies left on the stools Many have sat in those seats but tonight the waiter converses with the few that sit solemnly The dishes are almost cleaned, the floors have been swept, and the “open” sign long since turned off Tomorrow the diner will resume but three chairs are reserved for those called Nighthawks

23 design by Jakob Helms

design by Janae Long

24

Artowrk by Karis Mengarelli

Let Them Be Wild Megan Munger

Children on a spring day, ripping dandelions from the ground innocently because they want to save them, they are so pretty Men on a lovely evening, lined up in the lobby of the local flower shop, nervously waiting on the perfect bouquet, hoping to impress the beautiful woman they love.

I will not chastise these men and children, I will not resent flowers on my doorstep.

I will accept them with a fake smile, a simple thank you.

But please know this: As I put them into a beautiful vase, I will apologize to them.

They have been captured and will soon wither.

Knowing that if they’d been left alone in nature’s pastures, in a field far away, untouched, they would be so much prettier, so much more, alive, and that thought saddens me.

So, I beg you, please do not bring me flowers.

Please, just let them be wild.

25 Design by Shelby Smith

26

Breakable Joyce Vanderpool

Imagine you’re falling, you’re falling for what seems like forever. Then you hit the floor hard. Then you look around and you’re somewhere new.

Everything you touch turns to stone, except water and food. Why would those things not turn to stone? Then you realize you’re lucky.

Imagine you’re falling again. Then you stop in mid air. You get up on thin ice, having your heart broken. Now you’re sinking, sinking under the ice.

Do you know what I’m getting at? no, too confusing? You’re broken, your heart is cold and frozen as stone.

Now do you realize we are not all strong. We break. We are as fragile as ice. We can break at anytime and sink. We can fall in love and never be able to recover.

Do you see it now? No matter what you do, someone will come along and break you, tear you down, sink you, and leave you in pieces.

One split second Savannah Jones

It happened all of a sudden, like a rushing wave.

I was confused at first.

I wasn’t expecting it.

He was leaning down to hear me.

I blinked, and all of a sudden his eyes met mine.

His hand was on my face His lips were on mine, and everything was okay again.

Now you understand.

27 Design by Eddie Stevens

design by Willow Williams

28

“Lamb of War” Meghan Hess

A dying lamb’s mournful bleating, Innocence lost, flying, fleeting, Cast away by a nation’s bidding, Bidding farewell to home.

Beat to a drum, my heart is thumping, A rush of adrenaline, coursing, pumping, Thoughts blurring, my mind is jumping, Jumping to memories of home.

Fallen friends, their glazed eyes gleaming, Soldiers around me, dying, screaming, Close my eyes and wish to be dreaming, Dreaming of life back home.

My dreams today I will be facing, Calming my heart’s beating, racing, Today, it’s my family I’ll be embracing, Embracing back at home.

Photo by Savannah Jones

29 design by Haleigh Mynatt

30

Ode to a Storm Elizabeth Workman

She doesn’t notice the first few drops.

She hears the drops, soft at first, then grow louder as she follows the gentle pounding to her door.Open, close.

She walks onto the bricked sidewalk, she grew up near.

Drops landing on her upturned face. The angry puffs of black roaring and flashing.

Though she found peace in the large drops. Arms Spread.

A smile shines on the fae that does not enjoy smiling.

She turns a small circle as her glasses begin to fog.

31 Designed by Raquel Lopez

New

Elizabeth Workman

Walking outside, the usual dark, but something was different.

She felt drops.

Drops of rain.

Her truck sprinkled with the drops.

“It’s raining” It was going to be a good day.

32

Walls that crumble Savannah Jones

It started off slow.

Piece by piece.

Everything just started falling apart.

The walls I built, mean just about nothing now.

I guess nothing lasts forever.

Photo by Savannah Jones

33 design by Haleigh Mynatt

34

The Lonely Dwarf in Bald City Dawson Haynes

There once lived a dwarf, his name was Carl, and he had no hair. Which made him sad, everyone teased him. Then one day while everyone was sleeping, he shaved his friend Dan bald. The next morning he realized he had no hair anymore. So everyone laughed and teased Dan too, but people still teased Carl more. He thought to himself “I need another victim.” Later that day, in the middle of the night, he went to Charlie’s house and shaved him bald too.

He got the same result when he shaved Dan. “Nobody but me.” said Carl. So Carl, Dan,

and Charlie walked the streets with their bald heads. Then one day, he got so mad he shaved Butch's hair, then his scalp, and finally his skull. Butch was the town butcher, and without him.

The meat would not get cut, but thanks to Carl, Butch is deceased. One by one Carl started shaving more intensely, until the police finally knew what was happening.

“Some sicko is breaking into people’s homes and shaving them bald” said Officer Hank.

“Who would do that?” Officer Chuck said.

Three years later, nobody noticed Butch was dead, until the pigs multiplied so much they were everywhere. Butch kept the pig minimal at six pigs. But now there were so many nobody could count them. The police were so busy eating donuts, and smashing mailboxes, (they were not very good cops). Carl walked past the police department in the middle of the night, with a bloody burlap sack tossed over his shoulder.

Carl went to sleep and when he woke, he couldn’t remember killing Butch. “IT WORKED!” shouted Carl. He paid Jeff and left. For the next week, Carl still shaved people’s heads while they were sleeping. He was almost done with half of the guys. Even though Butch is dead and Carl doesn’t remember. He can still feel as though he could have helped him. The police came pounding on Carl’s door.

“Were you responsible for Butch’s death?” said detective Austin, as he put his portable lie detector on Carl’s forehead.

Carl said, “No,” while light went green on Austin’s lie detector.

Austin walked out in silence saying, “Ok.” Carl went to the market, everyone was whispering about something. Carl wanted to find out; he walked over to Dan and asked, “What’s everyone whispering about?”

Dan yelled the question, “Did you shave all the men bald!”

“No!” Carl said truthfully, because he did not shave himself bald.

So Carl walked away with a smug grin on his face. He wanted to stop shaving but he couldn’t, so then he moved on to the women, but he decided to shave two women a night instead of one, like he did to the guys. He did it because the female population was almost twice as much as the men.

“I'm feeding the local hobos,” Carl replied.

On the first night of his new To Shave List, were Ashley and Patricia. He didn’t like Patricia that much, so he went to her house first, grabbed a pair of scissors, started cutting then shaving. Then he did the same thing to Ashley, but Ashley wasn’t home so Carl got scared and ran away, three seconds later he saw Ashley at the police department. She pointed at Carl like he had done something. He got arrested.

“Then what's that?” said Officer Rick as he was pointing at the blood leaking from the bottom.

“What did I do?” Carl said.

“Oh, those are the fresh tomatoes I bought this morning.”

“You killed Butch, and you’re the guy shaving people’s head in the middle of the night.” replied Officer Rick.

“What you doing there, Carl?” said Officer Rick.

“Ok, have a good one” Rick replied.

About an hour later Carl went to the dump to incinerate his body. He succeeded but at

what cost? The next day he stayed in his house alone thinking about poor Butch. Carl walked down the streets, passing every bald-headed person, mourning over Butch. He wanted to forget, so he went to the town hypnotist. Jeff. He asked Jeff if he could erase the last day of his memory.

So Rick put Carl in handcuffs and he told him he was sentenced to prison for 30 years. After 12 of his 30 years he died mysteriously, the new town question was, “How the Lonely Dwarf in Bald City die?”

Jeff asked, “What is this memory?”

“Butch's funeral,” Carl said calmly.

35 design by Haleigh Mynatt

36

Sprout Vanity Mclntier

li

en

l re ga

k

or

tw Ar

37

by

M ris

From black and white we grow.

Sprouting from our shells, developing from below.

Our roots keep us steady; the dirt makes us stable.

No matter where we go, we are able.

Our leaves are luscious, green, and give us balance.

The sun granting us with his many talents.

But as the wind blows, we remain.

Always changing, never the same.

Ka

design by Zeke Mitchell

38

Thy Rose Child

Anger

Autumn Gillis

Elizabeth Workman

Hold soft a rose, use gently a touch, for too harsh, and it may bruise.

Compare thy child to a red rose, the petals fall easily with bitter blows Child will grow like a wild rose bares its thorns prickles, beliefs that no one cares. hold fast a truth, cruel words fastly grow their roots like weeds in the garden soil and soot Spread uncontrollable unless cultivated with love. prayers for patience, and guidance above. remember though this blossoming child, isn’t always so prickly with tenderness riled Their precious feelings easily gets hurt, when thoughtless words cut too curt.

Nurture a cherubs chubby cherry cheek. they thrive in the love they’ll seek.

Clouds will gather there, it won’t always be sunny kind words bring a glow when the day is done hold close this rose and cherish its beauty each one to lovingly tend, a parent’s duty.

Cultured with grace and gentle care a rose has a fragrance to share see as a child flourishes and grows treated like a beauteous supple red rose.

I don’t understand how angry I get.

I get angry seeing her giddy seeing her happier.

39 design by Shelby Smith

I’m not mad at her.

I’m mad at myself.

Where did I go wrong?

I see her avoiding me.

Never look.

Never glance.

Never talk.

It hurts and angers me.

I all but want to get out move to the other side of the room.

No. I’d see her better.

I want to avoid the room.

It stings, So much anger is built up.

design by Raquel Lopez

40

The Bridge Ethan Tomasi

Jumping the gate to another land. Not my land, but another land. As we walk on the path, we see a dozen deer out in the little field. The dry grass crunches under our feet. The deer run od and leave us alone in the night.

As we get closer to the bottom of the hill, we can hear the water running and crickets chirping. We see the water flowing over the old abandoned bridge. Fallen trees and pulled roots. The air is cold and moist. As we get off the beaten path, mud starts to squish under our feet.

Ducking under and climbing over trees. I forget to duck under one, that hurt. As we get farther down the bank, we start skipping rocks. The perfect little pebbles hop across the water with such grace. It hits the other side. Then she throws one and it splashes into the depths.

I try to help her but there’s no use! She kept trying but got nowhere. The night sky is full of beautiful stars and a bright moon that shines through the trees.

Some frogs start croaking and the owls are doing their thing. It smells of moist and mossy air. The water still rushing over the bridge like an overflowing glass. We leave prints in the wet earth alongside many hoofs. She gives up on skipping rocks and we start walking back. I fall and get pretty muddy and wet. Now cold in the night we fight our way up to the path. Finally we are there, hard and dry dirt from under my feet at last. The shadows cast in the night crawl over us like a spider’s spindly legs. We then jump the gate back to reality.

3

41 design by Matthew Wood

42

Greeted Elizabeth Workman

The long house left and right.

The wooden steps.

Greeted by five dogs.

Two big. Three small.

I remember laying cold under three blankets.

A big black pit lab mix, laying on my feet, sometimes even in the crook of my curled legs.

I remember grabbing my stethoscope to listen to the dogs heart.

Wheezing, harsh.

Dirty I was from climbing under the long trailer to save him.

Months before two small were put down.

Was I there? No, I was at the other house.

My real das.

Grey dogs, Loved and played with.

One gentle and born around my birthday.

One thought to be one of the bigger dogs; explored with them.

They were our great grandmothers.

The last big dog gone a week after the black.

Was I there? No. Greeted by one dog.

Small, tame, caramel colored.

One surprise.

One large cage.

Two dogs.

One small.

One big.

43 design by Joseph Terry

When it all settles in Savannah Jones

It’s when you lose all motivation, when you put everything off, ‘till the very last second.

You think about doing all the things that need to be done, but you don’t because your mind, is such a disaster.

It’s when your grades start to plummet.

When you have 14 missing assignments.

When you feel like all hope has deserted you.

That’s when procrastination, has been there for too long.

design by Jakob Helms

44

Spring It begins with a sweet smell The golden sun the plants petals Welcome the plants did do when the aqua

45

46

(Insert title here) Alexis Daniels

There must always be a title, “Title your paper...”, “Find a title for your story”, “(Insert Title Here)’, There must always be a title for your work.

“She’s taken”, “I’m single”, “We’re dating”, “They’re talking”, There must always be a title for your relationship.

“Straight”, “Gay”, “Lesbian”, “Bisexual”, There must always be a title for your sexual preference.

“Dumb”, “Smart”, “Pretty”, “Ugly”, There must always be a title for your appearance “Popular”, “Loser”, “Goth”, “Jock”, There must always be a title for your group.

“Enemies”, “Allies”, “Friends”, “Companions”, There must always be a title for your associations.

Must there always be a title?

47 design by Eddie Stevens

Trust me, I remember Savannah Jones

The day you left me Was one of the worst.

I remember how tight the hug was.

I remember trying not to cry After you left.

But the tears just came.

And they kept coming.

I could taste their saltines As they rolled down my face.

I remember you saying, “I’ll be back, I love you” Then you walked away Through those double doors.

And then you were gone.

Leaving me with the Echoing sound of your footsteps.

The day you left me Was one of the worst.

But the day you come back, Will be one of the best.

design by Kie’hre Henderson

48

Better life Autumn Gillis

Artwork by Hannah Mwangi

I see you in sleep Pure beauty No expressions No disturbing features Of voice or gestures Sleep's serenity Sleep's simplicity All worldly feelings Totally arrested Only a dream May take you somewhere...

My dear, I love you Day to day struggles Leading to minor irritations May have created some Unpleasant situations And my reactions Might have troubled you At times unintentionally Forgive me please And I'll strive To build a better life Now and always 49 design by Shelby Smith

50

Asylum Alex Zellner

Friends, family, why even our parents have us forgotten discarding us to the waste of an institution so vain.

Gone are our minds to the world outside the compound, but to leave is an impossibility, fulfilled only by the rightly sane.

Now the swirls of dust and rays of grey light are our final comfort, shredded mattresses being the last embrace to our obliterated persona.

Feeble are we to persist, to do so is certain destruction and what’s left is only a putrid, reeking aroma.

Shattered we lay, some chanting incomprehensive phrases their minds too rotten beyond repair.

My own just sensible, just that alive, to smell the lifeless flesh in the air.

Depression Lily Watts

Drowning on the air.

How will I escape all this?

Lungs filled with black goo.

Never ending fear.

My suffering is unseen.

Will they ever hear?

Hoping for some pain.

I just want to feel again.

There’s nothing to gain.

Mentally we are eradicated, physically we are broken.

51 design by Hannah Mwangi

design by Kie’hre Henderson

52

A lovers dance Autumn Gillis

A lovers dance is patient and kind It feeds your heart, soul and mind It brings you joy and happiness within Knowing that he or she will be with you Through thick and thin.

A lovers dance can be recaptured Only if the partner’s heart has not been Fractured.

A lovers dance has no mistakes It plays no one not even games.

A lovers dance is slow and kind Easy to learn but hard to find.

53 design by Haleigh Mynatt

54

The cold snow Autumn Gillis

I hate the snow, I hate the sleet, I just want some rain, The clouds are running across the sky, Playing some silly game.

It’s already spring, And the snow is still pilling, That’s why the birds can’t sing, And why the sky isn’t smiling.

Out of all the towns, Why did Jack Frost pick one?

To send chilling winds, And abandon the sun.

It really is very cold, And the heater is always on, The inside plants are growing mold, It’s freezing from dusk till dawn.

A Blind Night Andrea McCloskey

I cannot see a single shaft of light, No movement nor a flick of color here It’s witching hour nothing is too bright The darkness is so stunning; I revere Tree crickets sing their happy songs at dusk A blanket of darkness conceals the sky A morning dew perfumes the daily musk Faint twinkle in the sky oh so high Frogs below croaks as if they have to say how nighttime is delicately sewn lace Serenity could tear away and frey The nighttime is my own amusment park I do not need my eyes to see the dark

I wish that I could be anywhere but here, It’s like a cold hell-- from the sky, I’ve had enough of it, it better change, Or I fear that I will die.

55 design by Willow Williams

design by Janae Long

56

Thinking of you Autumn Gillis

I thought of you today but that’s nothing new I thought about you yesterday and the day before that too for every day good or bad you'll always be in my head I hope you've understood everything I’ve said this isn't just a joke or a silly lie I’d never do anything to make you wanna cry I’m sorry if I do something to make you really mad it only comes back and makes me really sad I really do love you and everything you are I hope this relationship gets really far I’ll never get you out I simply don't know how in fact I’m thinking of you right about now you’re everything I need and everything to me you know exactly who you are and what you want to be you always make me smile just by being there I hope you know how much I really do care every time I think of you my stomach seems to twist This is why I love you, I’ve made a huge list the list goes on forever and never will it end neither will our relationship you'll always be my friend not just a simple friend but a special friend at that I want to spend my whole life with you.

57 design by Haleigh Mynatt

Things no one knows by: Savannah Jones

She kept them shut out during the day.

But when night fell,

and the moon was full.

The would come free.

Everything felt real again.

She would scream them to the stars, but kept quiet during the day.

As if the sun would tell every soul who walks the universe.

The starts are her diary.

The night hides her away, they keep her secrets.

Nobody needs to know

design by Hannah Mwangi

58

The dust of this art Megan Munger

As I wipe dust from my poetry notebook, I cannot help but feel saddened yet inspired.

Saddened-it’s been too long, too many thoughts passed so many ideas unrecorded.

Most nights, I’m too numb after ten painstakingly long hours of homework to want anything besides a warm bed.

However, inspiredwhen I do clear the dust to create, making the time and effort, I get such an old-soul feel.

Photo by Savannah Jones

Many hours, a cascade of thoughts, none of which go together but end up making a beautifully broken masterpiece.

So as I wipe another layer of dust, I let the thoughts flow, knowing that eventually I will feel nothing but relief and perhaps, for a while, genuine happiness.

59

design by Kierhe Henderson & Jordan Hawkins

60

The Death of October Darien Baker

Crisp evening air whips against my cherry red nose. Leaves cry in agony as I crumple their souls beneath my feet. I look at their beautiful, lifeless ancestors sway to the sweet songs of the wind, forever trapped in their trunks.

Skeletons of once full-figured bodies weep away the remaining leaves left behind from their summertime affairs. The sound of their secrets echo through the town as the last few blades shed off and fall to the ground.

Heat from the bonfire tightens my face while I scoot closer, exposing my need for warmth. The cold beer in my hand betrays me. I take a drink to chill my core then turn to my boyfriend. His rouged face and crystal eyes glow in the night.

He always preferred the livelihood of June.

Artwork by Hailey Denton

61 design by Matthew Wood

design by Matthew Wood

62

Through My Dreams Kayla Burns

Coming back from Wonderland was the worst mistake of my life. Time in Wonderland doesn’t exist the way it does on Earth. I left reality when I was five years old. I followed the Prince of Wonderland down the magic rabbit hole of my dreams and didn’t come back until I was seventeen. Although I didn’t realize it, we were growing up. In Wonderland, I stayed in the mind of the ever-curious little five-year-old girl that I was. Prince Alexander was my best friend. We would meet everyday in the meadow just outside of the royal grounds. I did not even realize that I had even been gone more than a weak. But everything had changed when I came back.

My mother was dead. I have reason to believe that my new stepmother, Cassandra, is to blame. You see, my father doesn’t realize it, but Cassandra is a witch. She had used her magic to kill my mother and make my father fall in love with her. My mother only left me two things. It was a magic mirror. It had been passed down from mother to daughter for generations. With is was a note saying that if I just think of something I want to see, then I will see it. It could also be used as a communication device across the realms.

So when I came home, Cassandra through my mother’s gifts at me and said we were going on a mother-daughter shopping trip. It definitely wasn’t a shopping trip. She took me to a larger tower in the middle of the woods. After hearing all of my “adventures” in Wonderland she convinced my father that I was an insane being and that I may not even be human.

So she locked me here in this tower with nothing to do. Nothing to eat. Nothing to drink. All I have is the magic mirror.

That’s it! I will contact Prince Alexander. I dig out my mirror, which the wicked witch foolishly let me keep, and picture the Prince of Wonderland lying in the meadow. An image transformed before me. It was like I was seeing him through a bouquet of flowers he was holding. I called out his name. When he looked around, seemingly befuddled, he finally saw me. The girl he used to know. We locked eyes. Almost everything about us is older.

Although, I know he recognizes me.

“You have to help me. My stepmother locked me in a tower. Everyone thinks that I am insane because I came back saying that I travelled to a completely different world and back.

Can you help me escape back to Wonderland?”

“Alice? I thought you missed your family, but if you really want to come back, I’ll make you Princess of Wonderland. After all, it is your rightful place. I will come as I did when we were younger. Through your dreams.”

With that, our connection was lost.

That night, my dreams were extravagant and too gorgeous to not know what it was.

It was Wonderland. Although it had ripples in the picture. I was seeing my home through a rabbit hole full of clear river water. Alexander’s voice came to me.

Test the water, Alice.

I dipped the tips of my fingers in the water. I felt a hand pulling me from the rabbit hole into my favorite place in the world, Wonderland. I saw Alexander and everything was better. He had saved me from the unhappy life of solitude. Now, I can be the curious little girl exploring her homeland with her childhood best friend.

63 Design by Shelby Smith

The scream Sadie Carter

I see my life flash before my eyes.

People walking by and i’m missing theses little moments.

The bright orange sky about to go down and i’m just standing here, I look over the sea just to realize i’ve missed all the little things in there. i’ve realized i’m missing life in the blink of an eye, i began to grab my oddly shaped face and begin to shriek, Just realizing i may not see tomorrow, that i may never get to see this bright orange skittle colored sky, Or stand on the dock and just watch.

Realizing all of this was very overwhelming I begin to do.

I take pictures of the sun that is about as bright orange skittle colored sky, Or stand on the dock and just watch.

Realizing all of this was very overwhelming I begin to do.

I take pictures of the sun that is about as bright as my future, I begin to piece it all together.

Satisfied with how productive and what an eye opening day this was, I realize one last thing, Why only treat this one moment like this, Just live in the moment.

design by Shelby Smith

64

To Define "Love" Justice Lankford

“To the Moon!” You said we’d go, and so we went but going and went-ing is not the same as arriving so arrive we did not in the tiny spaceship I crafted “To the Moon!” You cried in dismay at our shortcoming a now crashed pile of metal at your small space-man feet with all your stubbornness I collected each metallic piece

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“To the Moon.” I promised we’d go but you I sent to weigh you down to earth would be a sin when my admiration for you is much more admirable from 200,00-some-odd miles away

65 design by Haleigh Mynatt

design by Haleigh Mynatt

66

Your Choice Adia Johns

The choices you make now will forever define you so at the end, take a bow And think your choices through In the end it’s your choice And it’s your story to tell So tell the world in a strong voice Of how you crashed and fell You can turn your life about And tell a story that makes you proud Them, I have no doubt You’ll tell your story loud You know what’s right And you know what’s wrong So on this night You can be strong

Day to Day Elizabeth Workman

You called me that say, the day I didn’t want to be around.

You called me that day and at first your voice was a mystery.

Then it hit me.

My best friend.

My once Love My may be.

Tears were present.

Missing you is a day to day thing.

Fix the damage And take advantage Of the choices you have

67 design by Willow Williams

design by Braxton Beachner

69

Winter moonlight Autumn Gillis

The snow, so peaceful and serene, caressed by the soft moonlight, gave magical feelings to the night.

The soft blue glow, the lovers’ words that then did flow, their lips closer and closer until, locked in the throes of a passionate embrace, he decided to express his feelings, to keep her safe.

He whispered softly, his words like music to her ears, “I Love You,” and her response the same, heard like the gentle breeze, “And I, love you, forever.”

That was the night they promised to be together through everything, each to care for the other when old and gray.

A lovers’ pact the most likely to last.

69 design by Janae Long

Mask Autumn Gillis

I was once as and lonely having nobody to comfort me so I created a mask that always smiled to wear on my face to hide my feelings behind a lie.

Before long I had many friends with my mask, I was one of them but deep inside I still felt empty like I was missing a part of me Nobody could hear my cries at night for I designed my mask to hide the lies nobody could see the pain I was feeling for I designed my mask to be laughing Behind all the smiles were the tears behind all the comfort were the fears everything you think you see wasn’t everything there was to me Day by day I was slowly dying I couldn’t go on there was something missing Until now i’m still searching for the thing that will stop my crying for someone who will erase my fears for the person who will wipe my tears.

Till then i’ll keep on smiling hiding behind the mask i’m wearing hoping one day I can smile without the mask I created till then i’ll be here. . . waiting

design by Joseph Terry

70

Promise

Rejection

Amanda Bourbina

Savannah Jones

You may be right next to me, But, still you’re a million miles away.

I know this person next to me, But, do i really know them?

But you see, It happened once again.

You made a promise You didn't keep.

How can i be so sure You are always going to be there When you’re always gone?

Have you not learned That a Promise Is only words you speak?

Don’t forget that promise Is only words you speak.

But i guess I’m done.

If you love me , You’ll be lucky.

But only if I try One last time.

You have to prove it to me, Rather than just say it.

I want the reassurance And the satisfaction of knowing, That whatever happens to me, You will always be there.

Don’t forget that a promise Is only words you speak.

Everytime I try, I get shot down.

Eventually, I’ll stop.

Someday, I’ll give up.

Then i'll be alone.

Because You seem to have forgotten That a promise Is only words you speak.

71 design by Joseph Terry

But why should I? Why waste my energy?

Why worry about What can only be my dream?

What am i supposed to do When this happens again?

You say you want me to be happy, But, you aren’t here to help.

Why do you fear me?

I am nothing but great to you, you see.

Maybe it’s fate, maybe it’s just a lucky chance.

All you need is trust.

Hold your stance.

Don’t give up too soon, be clever.

You just need to swoon, and then he will be yours forever.

Though I may be dreaded by many, I do fear any.

Don't make promises.

Because those words you speak, Are only words.

And i can tune them

design by Raquel Lopez

72

Lying to forget Autumn Gillis

These lies became a part of me For months I’ve played this game Acting like it doesn’t hurt Each time I hear his name Ignoring what’s inside of me pretending I’ve moved on As if the feelings I once had for him are somehow gone Spending each and everyday with happiness and laughs forgetting all our memories Avoiding photographs.

Last night when I saw him for the first time since he left my heart stopped for a moment...

I couldn’t catch my breath When suddenly it hit me as the tears started all this time...

I just can’t let him go

73 design by Matthew Woods

Memories Savannah Jones

Memories, thrown out the door.

Almost all of them but, I Kept some. don’t ask me why.

Everyone of them Mean something to me.

Each one is different. They feel, Forbidden now.

Odd. Like they aren’t mine.

Replacing them is hard.

Gone. I want all of them gone.

Every last one.

Talk to me until I forget them

design by Janae Long

74

Objectively

Love Lily Watts

Always breaks your heart.

It makes you forget your smarts.

But always worth it.

Don’t know what to do.

It always suffocates you.

Yet you yearn for it.

Your eyes will water.

It makes life so much harder.

Always cherish it.

Noah Braun

objectively i have opinions on what it is to be human however i have no idea on what it feels like to be human and that’s because there is no way to feel human sorry to burst your bubble to ruin your parades but deep down in your noggin in my noggin we both know there isn’t shit we make up this credo of feeling human so our chemicals and our hormones don’t make us feel bad about thinking about how mechanical we all really are FUN FACT: did you know that every thought you’re having right now was formulated seven whole seconds ago?

to feel human is impossible because feelings don’t exist in a scientific sense and all of the hints you missed seem to confirm this objectively to feel human is to be absolutely wrong about everything and being okay with it at anytime and i don’t know about you but everything you’ve enjoyed is a bunch of dopamine and everything that saddens you is a bunch of melatonin love doesn’t exist neither does happiness nor sadness or remorse or lust and revenge the only thing that exists are the functions that computes “feeling” objectively i have opinions on what it is to be human however i have no idea on what it feels like to be human and that’s because there is no way to feel human

well then well then well then

75 design by Jakob Helms

design by Willow Williams

76

Ode to the Perfect Outfit

Love - unbound pleasure Autumn Gilllis

In my heart there is a sensation Delicate delicious soft emotion

Darien Baker

Conservative and cool. Just the way shirts should be.

Mysterious mystic melody lies

sure everyone else hates it and make it the favorite.

Lots of secrets I wish to share

to the waistband of some

Some one so near and dear, my own

holes and dirt all over.

Perfect.

Now, walk to the mirror and notice

and reach for the ties. Pull the hair half

77

78

Where the Meadows Mourn By: Ben Kangas

T

he sun was setting over the shadow of the mountains, and it turned the clouds into that cotton candy swirl color my brothers always really liked. I was looking through the open sunroof in my mom’s car, and it was a hell of a sight. The sweet clouds were levitating in the citrus glow of the setting sun, and dim stars were creating constellations in the east. I looked around at the Antelope Valley desert that I knew so well. The cactus-like Joshua trees, which were so prickly that not even the flowing dust would bother to touch them, actually didn’t look so threatening in the shine of the sun. I saw the large tan rock formations--obviously organic, but looked as if they had been carved into awesome shapes by some kind of god--and they looked amazing. The view wasn’t always this great in the little Antelope Valley desert, but it seemed fitting that nature decided to put on its most beautiful outfit, because this was the kind of day I wished my dad could live in forever.

We spread his ashes that day. We went up to June Lake the day before, which was always his favorite place to visit. He was an adventurous man, and it made sense as to why he wanted to visit and camp there so often. It was the clearest and most beautiful of any lake I’ve ever seen. The surrounding area was covered in flowing meadows, with flowers waving in the wind at you as you passed by. There was a fishing spot he and I would go to every time we went. It was a huge rock, right beside the meadows, and we called it the Island.

“Have you ever been somewhere this cool?” my dad would whisper to me as we sat on our Island.

“Why are you whispering?” I would always ask, whispering back to him. I already knew what his response would be.

“We’ve been given an amazing view at an amazing place, with the best people beside us,” he would say, giving me a big, cheesy smile. “Best not to spoil it.” I always liked hearing him say that.

In the past, we would spend weeks at a time doing things like swimming,camping, (especially) fishing, and simply taking in the world. My father and I would spend all day sitting around the lake, telling jokes, talking about life. We didn’t really do anything physically tiring, with my dad’s bad heart and all. He was more of a “chill out, relax” kind of guy, so our days mainly consisted of fishing. When we got into fishing mode, we would always end up heading to the Island. The Island was a huge rock, and you could see sparkling waterfalls from across the lake perfectly from it. It was our fishing spot, ours alone, and it was our place of isolation. For us, it was a place of freedom. No one else ever went there. We even carved our names onto it with a pocket knife. We owned the Island.

The whole family: my mom, my dad, and my two brothers, always went to June Lake, and we always had a blast. There wasn’t one day where we didn’t have fun. We would take a boat out onto the lake and plunge into the ice cold water, not bothering to put on life jackets, because we had no fear of death.

We had no fear of what was to come, and what could happen

79 design by Haleigh Mynatt

and what might happen. We simply lived, in that moment, with nothing but joy. Those memories brought me happiness, but, on that day, we were going up to the Meadows and to the Lake to spread the only remains we had of my father.

The drive to the lake was gorgeous. As we drove out of the dusty Antelope Valley and into the mountain and forests filled with trees, we couldn’t help but sit in awe and take in the surrounding atmosphere. Redwoods, who were stretching up to the heavens, catching almost all of the light that the sun could provide, were all around us. They were so ordered, and moved together in the wind like a flash mob.

“Look, it’s a bear!” my mom yelled as we drove by a baby black bear, chasing some kind of butterfly or moth that it just couldn’t grab. By the look of things, it was getting pretty frustrated with that darn moth or butterfly or whatever it was.

About 30 minutes later, my mom found another couple of animals. It was a pair of white-tailed deer. It was a doe and her child, and they looked at our car in the same bewildered look that our faces had. Then there were all the birds, flying above the trees, then around the trees, then above, then around, taking in all the sights.

“We’re kind of like the birds, huh, Mom?” asked my brother Matthew, who had turned 10 that winter. “We’re just, adventuring, searching, huh?”

“Exactly,” she replied, giving him a little smile as she said it.

We kept driving, on the curvy, windy roads on the way to the lake. I’ll admit, we got lost a couple times, mainly because of me. I was the navigator, and the curvy roads on the map made my eyes cross, I swear they did. Usually, my dad was the one to drive us up to the lake, and I have no idea how, but he knew the whole damn drive to the lake by heart. With Dad driving us, we always got straight there, and we usually had time to jump in the lake and have a nice dinner, before we had to coast off to bed in our tents. But me, no, no, no, I got us lost so many times.

I probably added an hour to our drive up there, if I had to estimate. If Dad were there, we would’ve zoomed up to June Lake.

Without him there, it was so hard for us to find our way.

Eventually, after my many navigation mistakes, we got unlost, and we made our way to the hotel. There were still a lot of sights to see, but I could tell everyone just wanted to get there.

“Fina-freaking-lly, we’re there! Jeeze, I thought my butt was gonna fall off after sitting for so dang long,” said my brother, Andrew, who was witty and annoying, being 12 and a half and all. We got out of the car, and we checked into our hotel. It felt so strange, going up to the lake, just us four, staying in a hotel rather than tents, eating at a fancy restaurant instead of cooking hot dogs on sticks. It was weird, but we knew why we were there. We weren’t there to go camping and fish and swim and hike and whatnot. We were there to put my father where we wanted, where he belonged.

As the sun was setting that day, I took a little walk outside, just because the hotel room was so damn quiet, and boring.

The stars coming out, the brightest I’ve ever seen them, and I got to thinking. I thought of writing, and songs and art and poetry and life. I thought of Harper Lee, and of The Beach Boys.

I thought of Walt Whitman. My mind just went. Then I asked myself something. I thought to myself, if I died, where would I

want to be? Would I want to be in a coffin, a gravestone six feet above me, with people I knew (maybe some I didn’t) bringing me flowers? Or did I want to be here, or some other lake or forest, ashes taken in the wind, without the act of people bringing me flowers, but flowers growing from my essence? Saplings, taking the nutrients of my bare remains, what was left of my body, contributing to something so beautiful. Contributing to the view my dad and I saw every day at the Island, where some day, a child and his father may bring his child to our Island, to fish and take in the sights, and fall in love with the place they’ve visited. I thought this to myself before I dozed off, and I didn’t know the answer. In all honesty, I still don’t, but I think I have a pretty good idea.

I walked back up to the hotel room at about 10:30, hopped in bed, and fell asleep instantly.

We all woke up early in the morning, about 7, and we prepped for the long day ahead of us. We got dressed, got a nice breakfast in, and went back down to June.

“You boys ready?” my mom asked, trying her best to be casual.

“Not really, but we have to be. Besides, it’s such a nice day,” Matthew said, while Andrew nodded.

It was a very nice day, to be honest. There were a few clouds in the air, but the sun was out bright and beaming at us. The air was crisp, new and fresh, and the morning dew was still clinging to the meadows near the lake. The weather riding the wind was just cool enough; it felt fantastic. I swear that day that we spread my father was a perfect tragedy.

We arrived at the lake, and it was a bit of a relief. The anticipation had been building up like rainwater in a dam, and the dam had cracked. We walked around the meadows of flowers, still waving at us. This time, it didn’t feel like they were greeting us, it felt more like a goodbye. We kept walking, moving our way slowly toward our Island. We were in no rush, and there was no need to be in a rush anyway, not with the beauty all around us. When we finally reached the Island, we all stopped, and my mom took the urn from her backpack.

“All right, let’s do this.”

“Okay, Mom,” my brothers and I said, almost in unison.

We didn’t say anything as she spread his remains. Nothing was to be said. My mom opened her mouth to say something, but must have decided not to, because no words came out.

The last of the ashes were spread into the air, and they fell to the earth gracefully. A gust of wind came by, and our dad was free in the air, floating, unbound, towards the waterfall we always saw from the Island. Finally, we were alone, just a family at a rock, next to a lake, at a beautiful place on Earth. My mom looked over at me and my two brothers, and gave us a soft smile, while her eyes watered. I wasn’t sure if it was out of happiness or out of sadness, but I didn’t want to ask. I looked out to the waterfall across the lake, and tears started to form in my eyes, too. It was both happiness and sadness for me. I don’t know why I started tearing up, but I think it was realization.

Realization that there was one less person to share this view with. Realization that the world was neither more beautiful or less beautiful with fewer people to share the view with. Realization that some day in the future, I could come here and have the

same experiences with a son of mine. He could even carve his name right under mine. I wiped my face and turned to the rest of my family.

“You guys should put your names onto the Island,” I said. “This is all of ours now. We all deserve this.”

And they did. All of our names were there now, and it looked a lot less lonely. Seeing the whole family on the Island made everything a bit more perfect, more natural. I knew, some time in the future, there would be more names on the huge stone overlooking the lake.

We stood there for a couple minutes, and decided it was time to leave. So we walked back to the car, beside the crystal clear lake, across from the waterfall, beside the flowers, sending us their farewells, and we got back to the car.

The trip back home was much more alive than the drive there. We turned the radio up louder, talked much more, and rolled the windows to take in the cool spring air. My brothers were playing games in the back of the car, and my mom were playing the Alphabet game, struggling to find Q’s and J’s on our way back home. We stopped only a couple times, just to eat and go to the bathroom and whatnot. We would’ve been upset to be leaving the forests and meadows surrounding June, but we just wanted to be home after a long weekend.

The drive took most of the day, and we didn’t get back to the Antelope Valley, with the blacked-out mountains, the bright orange sun, and the pink and blue clouds in the sky until the sun was going down. The sun was covering behind the mountains, and my brothers were asleep in the back of the car.

I was taking in the scene: the prickly Joshua trees, the rock formations, the dust flowing in the wind. It was true, that day was a perfect tragedy.

“Hey, you still up?” my mom said, eyes fixed on the sunset on the horizon. I hadn’t been talking in a while, I guess she thought I’d fallen asleep.

“Yeah, why, what’s up?” I responded.

“Oh nothing, just seeing if you were still awake,” she said. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure thing, Mom. What is it?”

“Are you happy with everything right now? I know that may be a dumb question, considering everything that’s happened, but I just… I don’t know. I don’t want you to be sad.”

I thought about it for a second. Was I happy? I wasn’t exactly sad, but then again, I wasn’t completely happy. I had lost my father, and most of the time, when I thought of him, I felt like I was empty, or defeated. The fact that I could never be with him at all just felt wrong.

But then I remembered earlier on in the day, and I remembered the floating ash, gliding toward the waterfall. Then a thought came into my mind. I imagined the meadows, waving, toward the island, waving at something. I looked across, and it was my dad, sitting on the Island, looking across at the waterfall, with a smile on his face. The meadows, they were waving hello to him, I could just tell. He looked over, at me, with the smile still on his face, and I knew, wherever he was, whatever he was doing up at June Lake, I knew he was happy.

I looked over at my mom.

“Yes. Yeah, I’d say I’m pretty happy.”

80

Kendrid

By: Elizabeth Workman

I

t killed many who were 23 years or older. T-92 began in a nearby town called Haldreb. It circled throughout our lovely nation named Cauldrawn.

It’s found in the continent called Delspire found near the European area on Earth. Soon many became ill and died.

T-92 was a strange disease; scientists, doctors, nurses didn’t understand much about it. They haven’t figured out why it attacks only the people 23 years and older, but they are on the search now, at least my group is.

There wasn’t a cure anywhere and not many other countries saw the disease. The symptoms begin with a simple runny nose and an upset stomach. People’s eyes begin to itch and some people’s temperature rises. At first many believed it was a simple cold but they were wrong. The virus moves through the body quickly and begins to destroy the internal organs. People begin to bleed through their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The blood is contaminated so many of the nurses and doctors in training began to die.

Kendrid, the town we live in,was so beautiful to begin with trees planted in random spots. The flowers were scattered all over the grassy ground. The roads smooth dirt. The capitol building was large and a pearly shade of white. The houses were marvelous bright colors. Festivals every month to celebrate seasons, birthdays, awards. A great place to live.

The town began to collapse and mayhem broke loose after the disease hit. Many didn’t know what to do with an unknown disease that could not be cured. It didn’t take long before a monarchy was formed. The King and Queen of the nation were dangerous people. Always threatening to lock away anyone after 8 p.m. outside of the people’s homes. The once beautiful town now filthy and dull. Festives were cut off. Dreams were stolen.

Lives were ruined.

We believe there is a way better place beyond the wall My name is Schatten. It’s german for shadow.

I gathered this name from my appearance. Long black hair and grey eyes, skinny, and swift. I’m about five feet and ten inches tall. I am in a secret organization called Frieden.. I’m stealthy, intelligent, observant and obey orders given from my leader. I also am co-leader of the organization.

This group holds 20 people and growing everyday.

There are roles given to us especially for our abilities.

Such as stealthiness, intelligence, adaptable, well organized along with plenty others. The roles are given as such, the leader, scribe, technician, designer, etc. This group is owned and led by Grim. Plenty others follow suit fitting into their roles. I, myself, help with planning

81 design by Haleigh Mynatt

and getting supplies. I also bring up ideas for the group.

Our mission is to bring peace to the people or escape and create a safer environment elsewhere.

There is a total of 3 different groups within Frieden.

The first is Common who are the newcomers their job is to follow simple orders and learn the ways of the roles. The next is Vile. Vile is the group I am in. I am the leader of this group but certainly not the best. Vile’s job is to possess at least one from each of the roles and learn them. The final group which Grim is in. Gather. Gather is the finest group. Their job is to protect the group, recruit others, and help plan our next move.

We have specific call outs used to speak to each group through simple communication.We use German words so no one would quite understand. Gadget is the call out when we notice a contraption has been set up to alarm the monarchy that people have escaped or that the monarchy uses against the people in their kingdom.

Watch is used to tell the groups to look around or watch out for contraptions. Secure is to tell the groups to hide and stay undercover. Stat is common to tell each other to run, to sprint. Hund is to tell each other an attack dog is around. Safe is to tell the groups that the specific group is not harmed or are in a secure location.

The few people I know of inside Frieden include, Grim Jewel, and Alice.

Grim is the oldest out of us all. He is 25 and has survived the disease. None of us know how. He stays to himself all too often. His brown hair and green eyes always make you feel comfortable. He gets upset if what he demands is not met.. He is the tallest here standing at six feet and eight inches. Muscles rule his italian colored skin. Grim takes care of the difficult issues such as the deceased, planning, and ordering our next moves. Rumors were passed around that he had a cure or he was the cure. Even rumors that he started the disease, but hasn’t or won’t confess to it.

Jewel has blonde hair, cut short on the sides. His multicolored bangs hugged the right side of his face.

His green eyes were gentle and shaded by black rimmed glasses. He was so pale, he hated the sun just like Grim but I never understood why Grim was so protective of Jewel. He knew he was different from the beginning and soon placed the sexuality homosexual. Jewel takes care of designing clothing and bags. He even assists with the weaponry.

Alice the youngest only five years of age. She has beautiful long blonde hair which is often put in pigtails. She was taken in when Grim found a young lady in labor during the plague. He helped deliver the child and the mother soon passed away from the disease and bleeding out. That’s all Grim told us and has taken care of her ever since. Once I joined the group I ended up assisting as well as Jewel when he was old enough.

“Grim, we have to proceed with this operation. The

wall will be completed late next week.” I replied as I moved to be in front of Grim on the other side of the table. I placed my hands on it.

Grim looked up from his paperwork. “Is there still a hole somewhere near the cave?”

“From what I saw they haven’t started working near there, but the people are working fast.”

“That’s not good. We need to get started on moving out of this cabin and to the cave.” Grim finished as he stood from his chair moved to pull his jacket on.

I gathered my jacket by the door and went to the main hall where word was passed for a meeting. The meeting was assigned to discuss the big move near the wall.

All twenty of us came to the living room some still on the top floor but able to hear from the stair well.

Many even came down from the process of catching a nap before going on lookout or scavenging. Others still covered in food from making lunch or holding fabrics for clothing. Most came not bearing any extras.

“Grab what you can and we’ll be heading to the cave near the wall. Each and everyone of you has already been there. It will be chilly and it needs to be swift.

Next week will be the finishing of the wall. This will be dangerous. We leave tonight at 10. The investigation for everyone in the town is at 9. We know the backway through the field into the forest and we’ll use that as cover so we can get there safely. You have 9 hours.”

Grim announced from the middle of the living room in the beloved place we called home. He walked in a circle as he spoke.

I let Grim walk past the crowd and I took his place, “Let’s keep this orderly , you all should know this by now. Cooks we’ll need food for the trip. Designers, clothing. Technicians, tools. Scavengers, supplies.

Break!” I moved through the crowd to my own room and gathered the backpack I scavenge with and placed some clothes and extra food for survival occasions such as this.

I placed extra supplies and water bottles in my bag.

I looked over and nodded to the other three I shared a master bedroom with. They nodded and I headed downstairs looked back at the group, Jewel was in the crowd among my group called . Jewel came forward, “Baby doll! I-” “Jewel I told you not to call me that.” I said to him as he backed a little seeing he upset me. I knew this organization was suppose to be some-what strict and these baby talk remarks annoyed me. He slid into the small group that had followed my lead. I noticed Grim come to Jewel quietly. Jewel beamed upon seeing him. He let his leader speak to him and just when they thought no one was looking as I told my group to double check if they forgot anything. I noticed Grim kiss Jewels forehead and placed their hand behind the others head and

meeting foreheads. I never understood why.

“Be safe. Vile! Be safe!” we heard Grim call out as we began to leave.

We all returned with, “‘Till we meet again!” With that we dismissed and walked out the back door.

I walked with my group, not ahead of them, because we are all equal and began to guide them through the field that held long golden and grassy strands of weeds.

I took them to the entrance of the long forest. The trees feet above us. I counted heads as they entered. there was one person lagging.

I didn’t recall her name but she was part of Vile. I moved quickly to her to begin to get her out of the trap that was set up by the king and queen’s guards. She was bleeding where the contraption had caught her wrist. I called over the nurse of my group and she began to subdue the blood as I released her. I let the two run ahead of me to reunite with Vile. Vile then carried on with the mission. Get the entire cabin to the forest.

The alarm blared and I soon heard attack dogs barking. I watched my group hide as I looked about a mile down to see the captain of the other squad standing at the edge waiting for the third group. I threw up a hand when I caught sight of the third group, Grim and another close behind the group. “Gather, Gadget!” I heard us both yell to the the third group.

Grim had the youngest of our group in his arms. It was the five year old. I heard them call back, “Gather, watch!” And so the warning was spread through simple communication.

Grim replied, “Stat!” as he came closer to me. I mimicked the call to the other captains. They replied the same. I watched my group and the Common take off into the forest I counted heads as they rushed into the woods and I allowed Grim to hand over the upset five year old and I took off running with her and the leader of our group.

He managed to cross into the forest toward where they hadn’t started building the wall at and began to search for the cave. I had marked it a few weeks before, so I handed the five year old to Jewel who bounced the whimpering girl.

I pushed through the group. “Alright ladies and gentlemen.” I said as everyone relaxed and huffed. I too was out of breath as I stood on top of a log I had moved to the middle of the path. I took a breath. “Up ahead there is a fork in this path. We take a left.” I took another breath. “We follow that path to a three way fork. Never go right! Go straight down that path.”

I sat down on the log. “Everyone just sit down and relax for a second.” The groups seated themselves on the ground and the boulders close to the path. “I think the dogs lost our scent, so everyone just relax.”

I regained my breath as Grim came to stand next to me. “From going straight there will be a left bend and

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then a right bend with another fork. You’ll take a right.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “We saved everyone” he said to me.

I stood and moved to where the nurse was aiding the girl I saved from the trap. I suddenly heard a growl and a bark and spun around. “Attack dogs?” I questioned.

Grim and I got everyone up and we, once again, took off in a run for our lives. I stayed behind the mass group and made sure no one was left behind. I looked back and soon noticed the dog closing in. Grim noticed my act of courage to face the dog suddenly I was running again.

“Let Gatherers take care of it…” I felt his large hand gripping mine as I was yanked through the path. I glanced back and noticed the three from Gather taking care of the dog. They were swinging from ropes. Soon they too were ahead of us using the trees to travel. I envied them. I wanted to be like them. To protect everyone. To be awarded. Grim finally released my hand as we moved into the last right.

Everyone soon was found inside the cave. I made sure the vines covered us well. People collapsed against the wall huffing and puffing the air that had once escaped their lungs. I moved back to Vile and counted heads again. I had everyone. I looked over at Grim as he ventured further into the cave. He found the path Vile and I created to get to the lower level where the water was and proper lighting. “Safe!” We heard him bark and we soon slowly got up and followed to the lower level. The five year old found herself in the group of Commons.

I noticed Jewel rush to Grim and repeated the ceremony of touching foreheads. Once they parted and went separate ways I closed in on Jewel. “I need to know.” I wasn’t jealous or nothing. I just needed to know what my group member was doing with the leader of Frieden.

“Need to know what, Buttercup?” Jewel replied. He then yelped when my fist made contact with his shoulder. “Ow! What was that for?”

“I told you not to call me those puppy names.” I replied to his yowl. “What is going on between you and Grim?” I said as Jewel and I wandered back away from the group. Not my idea. He had guided me back.

He grinned as he looked back at me, “Well You see.”

He touched my shoulders and had me sit on a pallet someone had made. “Grim and I…” This was bugging me. “Grim and you are?” I urged, I was messing with my shirt by now. “Grim and I are family.” I stood up now, “Family!” I said a little too loud. “Shhh.” I heard him tell me. “Yes. I’m his baby brother. The middle died from the- you know..” He trailed off then and I replied.

“Why haven’t you told any of us?”

“You know how dangerous it is?”

“To state your family with the leader of Frieden.”

“Yes, now calm down.”

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“Calm down?! I’m perfectly calm! Why should I calm down!”

“Schatten, your voice is getting squeaky again.” Jewel said to drive me away from the conversation.

“Sorry.” I replied. We both knew that if the enemy knew about the others families and friends, loved ones, would use it to get what they wanted from. He nodded and pushed his glasses up and once again seated us both, with his hands on my shoulders, “If anyone outside of Frieden found out we were related they’d use that to get information. You should know-” I interrupted, “I understand. I get it now.” I looked at him quietly and took in his features to compare them to the image of Grim in my head. Same eyes, nose. No doubt about it.

“Why would you want to know. Oh! Does someone have a crush on my big bro?” I slugged him again.

“No.” I said sternly, but maybe there was a little bit. I contemplated this. I then moved toward the middle of the room. Jewel still sat there grinning from ear to ear.

He could always see past my lies. No doubt about it he saw it in my face. He was always good at reading that sort of thing. I moved to where Frieden had gathered near a big campfire in the middle of the cave. It was to make dinner and to keep warm. Grim was sitting among them all and was telling a story. The five year old now sitting in another member’s lap.

I looked into the flames of the fire as I heard Grim tell the same story he did every night. Of how a rumor went around, “Before this wall was built or even the sky was green. Before the disease and the monarchy. Beyond the wall is a beautiful forest and inside the middle of the forest is a pond. A very beautiful pond. Made of spring water. Freshest of fresh. The grass was so green rather than the earth drying up and filled with plenty of dirt. The sky is a bright blue and late at night you can see very shiny lights above-” I grinned hearing the girl I rescued say, “Oh! Shiny?!”

“Yes, very shiny.” He continued his story. “The sky is filled with all sorts of birds. They chirp the most beautiful songs. The cricket even sound the song of their species.” I listened to the story until it all seemed to morph into pictures in the smoke and flame of the fire. I smiled at how beautiful the imagery came through.

I imagined myself walking through a field smiling and I noticed that Frieden was following. The grass was marvelous. I brilliant shade of green. The flowers were big and small. Vibrant and dull. Everyone was smiling. I felt great success that everyone was safely past the wall.

I imagined our group rolling down hills and running to the picnic area the cooks had created.

I broke the image to look at Grim who was covering people up with the blankets people had grabbed out of the cabin for the adventure. I stood and began to assist.

Everyone had seem to fall asleep to the story-as usual-

and to the crackling of the bright fire. I listened to the soft humming that escaped Grims lips as he kiss Jewels’ forehead and then seemed to startle seeing me standing near by. “I was just…”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Why don’t you sleep as well. I know It’s been at least a couple of days since you slept.” I changed the subject concerned for his health. He seemed to be kind but his eyes were dull and had bags under them. “Alright.

You’re Watch?” I nodded to his comment. I then let him settle near the group and relax. I moved toward the entrance of the cave and sat near the path to keep watch.

They’d be safe under my watch.

Right?

I woke to hear someone shaking me. “We have to move out! We have to exit the wall!” The person’s voice was still rough with sleep but he was extremely concerned. “Schatten! Get your ass up! “ I then rushed to stand hearing Grims angered voice. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”

I said and then grabbed the dark cloak that Jewel held out to me. I slid it on and slid the hood up. The perfect shadow. I then noticed the groups assembling outside of the cave. Commons. Gathers.

I asked the others why we were in a rush and they said that there was something on our tails. Someone knew there was something happening. The attackers were on their way.

“Where’s Vile?” I snapped and grabbed someone’s shoulders concerned I had lost my group.

“Easy! Easy. They’re grabbing your equipment on the bottom layer.” I looked over to see the few and retrieved it. “Right. Let’s move out.” I said and moved my way to the field. I walked behind the groups among the shadows of the trees.I then heard the unnatural.

I looked around,the sound seemed to whirl and gasp for air. “GADGET!” I screamed as I noticed a giant metal spider looking gadget stumbled through the woods plowing down a few trees. The giant metal spider was sent out to protect the wall that was being built around the city.

This spider is suppose to look like a giant metal thing with long robotic arms and hands that are too human-like to not be. It has deep red eyes at the base,almost looking like fire. Its legs were metal, long and skinny but swift. Its mouth flamed and open to release a vicious wail that was similar to a human scream, bat, and a hiss of smoke.

“Stat!” I yelled and I ran with the group as they started to sprint away from the metal disaster. I heard trees cracking and falling and the whirl and the unnatural scream that sounded pedestrian but robotic. I watched as the groups slid down the steep hill to the edge of the stone wall covered in moss and vines.

“No!” I heard Grim yell as he smacked his hand into the stone wall. “Schatten! The hole!” I heard him call for me. I ran to the wall and touched my hands to it.

“No,” escaped my lips. “No. No. No. No.” I went a few feet away running my hand through. “It was here!

I marked it!” I ran to the tree and touched the familiar green shade I marked a sign in. “It’s here!” I yanked my hood down and began to panic as I backed away. “It has to be!”

I just lost the trust of my people. I just lost my plan.

Our plan. The beautiful world ahead. The blue sky. The flowers and field. I felt hot tears fall down my face as a distress flooded Frieden. I collapsed to my knees in total defeat. “It couldn’t have just disappeared. It couldn’t” I murmured. I heard the whirl and the awful screech of the machine. I didn’t move. Frieden backed against the wall.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Schatten, stand.” I heard a voice say in my despair. “Schatten, you need to join us by the wall.” I recognized Grim’s voice in the blur of terrified whimpers and crying. The questions were loud and flooding through the crowd of 20.

I saw the five year old move to me and hug my arm and then walked forward in the path of the spider. “Alice…” I let out in soft whisper. Grim by this time yanked me to my feet and shoved me toward the group.

“Alice!” I heard Grim yell. She looked back at Grim and smiled but still walked to it. “Alice!” I cried this time. “Alice, please!” I had arms latched around me. I recognized Jewels arms wrapped around me and holding me back. I felt others hold me back and soon I saw one other person from my group shielding most of the image from my line of sight. It was going to get bad. I managed to catch a view over his shoulder.

Grim ran toward the little girl just as the gadget came forth to the five year old. seemed to calculate but scooped her into one of its long robotic arms with a human hand at the end and shove her into a sparking ‘mouth’ at the base of the metal. I screamed as Grim slid into a ball and rolled under it. Grim let out an unbearable cry of agony.

By this time I realized the whimpers of Frieden had ceased. I was being pulled back to the wall where I soon realized people were escaping through. They were climbing to the hole that I indeed did mark. I began to cry as they handed me up into the hole and through.

The rest caught me at the bottom.

We were past the wall. The group was still passing through the large hole near the middle of the wall. The grass was dried the trees were dead. The sky was green.

There wasn’t even a sun the clouds were so thick. There had to be a better place beyond the mile we saw. We all had the same thought.

We made it… Minus two.

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