American Racket
by Fraoch Majdosz
Be loud, my lovelies, in all the things you fancy and the gods you make: these are the totems you carry close in darkness to be almost brave.
This brashness, this brass is tinfoil armor, so be careful out there.
Carina: the Keel Creative Work, Visual and Poetic The Missing Piece
by Jacob RathbunIn the depths of my mind lost in darkness. A want, a craving for something unexplained awaits. I search but find myself falling in, treading in darkness. The darkness it swallows me like quicksand- pushing every button, every desire, every fear. An abyss where no one sees, no one can hear. I’m trapped and can’t escape the darkness as it closes in. I scream to no avail for I continue to search. Nothing- no one comes when I start to notice I'm the only one but I could hear voices screaming “find it! It's here, find it!” I grasp for an explanation a road map but it never comes. I fall exhausted, broken, afraid and insane. I'm ready to give up when I feel a hand, a warmth on my shoulder. I hear a voice like silk “I’m here, no need to fret.” l look up and start to cry. What I was searching for was standing in front of me. She gave me a smile and I was struck by her beauty. “Why, why now,” I screamed. She kneeled down and hugged me then in a calming voice she spoke. “Because you finally quit searching. You finally let me come to you.” I started to quiver and she kissed me. As she did the darkness seemed to vanquish. I never caught her name, that was the last time I saw her. Now I wait. I wait with a hope that she will light my world once again.
Image: Jacob Rathbun, “Untitled” 2019
Image: Lakelyn Shaffer, “Elvis Kiss” 2019
The More Things Change
by Janae Dosh"Driving down old dirt roads, pointing out county lines and "Welcome to " signs. Signing along to every song that comes on the radio, never missing a beat. Windows rolled down, even during the fall. The chilled October air blows through my hair as memories of jumping into piles of leaves and walking down streets with my grandma dance in my head. I guide my hand up and down trying to grab something that only seems to slip between my fingers. My father tells stories of his childhood and I am blessed with a glimpse into his life before he met my mother. We drive through hills and hollows as cows greet us every few miles. The sun drenches us in a nostalgic warm glow as it begins to rest on the horizon. The east sky is a faded blue growing darker as the west sky is alive in an orange gold hue. I could be on my way home. I could be coming or going, either way it all stays the same. That old broken-down brick building still stands strong. The "Lonesome Ranch" is still just as empty as it was the first time I saw it. The flint hills still take my breath away. That grey empty shack with a hole in its roof still stands watch over the sheep. Memories of him still creep into my mind. I still think about the same old people when I go down the 45-mile-long road. My heart still aches as I think about the past. I've realized that the more things change, the more I look for things that stay the same. This old road will never get old. I will never stop chasing something that is out of my reach. There are three routes to take to get back to the place I grew up. I may not always know which road to travel on, but I know where I want to end up. I may not be coming back with the same people I left with, but I will always have memories to look back."
A Chilling Night
by Shyane Abbey
Akari Fukui stared to pack for another one of their journeys. In a small bag, they packed a nicely wrapped peanut butter and peach jam sandwich and their favorite candy. Then they covered up as much as they could, though their cat tail didn’t stay covered. Their face also wasn’t as easy to cover because of not having a scarf or the right kind of jacket. The wind howled, biting at any exposed skin. The rushing leaves tumbled down to the pathway of a forest. There were rumors of an empty house with an ancient artifact in the forest on top of a hill. Collecting artifacts slowly became a hobby Akari really enjoyed, though they didn’t tell others because of fearing their reaction. The only thing known about the artifact was that it’s a ring made from lapis lazuli and could heal wounds. An artifact that could heal things is something Akari never heard of before and filled them with curiosity.
The path to the house was through a forest then up a hill. The trees casted shadows that almost hid the mapped path to the hill. While walking down the path a snap made Akari jump, only to realize they stepped on a twig. The path to the hill was tedious and stressful for Akari. Not telling anyone about leaving made them question why they left. Finally reaching the hill, Akari took a well-deserved break and gazed as pink, orange, and purple colors creeped their way into the sky. After a while they got up and started their way up the hill. Walking up the hill would take longer than Akari thought it would in the first place. When the sky turned black, they often tripped over things in the darkness. Once their natural night vision adjusted to the night it was easier to navigate.
Upon reaching the house, Akari took a small break to eat and examine the building. There were beaten-down stairs leading to a porch and a door. The door, if one would consider it to be a door, was broken-down over time. The building was wooden, the roof had missing pieces, and it was smaller than any building Akari has ever seen. There
were no windows to see what was inside and the idea of an artifact in the building was now being questioned. The building looked like it tilted to the left. They walked up the porch steps, every single step made a high-pitched cry. Footsteps from the inside of the house caused Akari’s cat ears to perk up. The house was said to be abandoned for millenniums. Their tail flicked and they nervously opened the door of the house and carefully walked in.
The first thing they noticed was that it was a one room house. The room had a couch, a few chairs, a small table with the artifact, and a rocking chair. There was a thick layer of dust on the floor. The smell of smoke slowly started filling the room. A cold chill climbed up Akari’s back causing them to tremble and flick their tail. Looking around everywhere a grey fog filled the room making it more difficult to see. After finding the artifact on the table, they slowly started walking to the table, then heard screeching. Quickly looking around, Akari saw the rocking chair moving. They started to tremble more and shake, then dashed to the artifact.
Akari quickly put the ring in their bag and headed for the door. Before getting to far from the table something grabbed their arm. They tried pulling away desperately and mewling to get someone’s attention that would be nearby. The grip on their arm became tighter and felt like claws were digging into their skin. Akari hissed in pain and with fear for their life bit the hand that had talon claws with their sharp teeth. The hand loosens its grip on their arm almost letting go, so Akari pulled their arm away and cried in pain. After being freed they took this chance to run to the door and escape. Once getting to the door they desperately tried to open it. The door was stuck, and footsteps were echoing closer to Akari’s location. Finally, with one more try the door opened and they ran down the hill.
Trembling, Akari fell to their knees then sat on the ground. They started to take deep breaths and leaned on a nearby tree. They looked through their bag for water then remembered they forgot to pack it. They slowly started to stand up but a surge of pain in their legs instantly made them sit back down. In the distance there was a snap, it caused Akari to jump up at the sound and start running. They followed the path as much as they could, not looking back. Finally, out of the forest, they kept running to their home, feeling it would be safe. Akari stumbled to open the door and quickly closed it behind them. They walked up the stairs to their room, still trembling. They put their stuff down by the bed then crawled under the blankets. They fell asleep tossing and turning throughout the night.
Modern Slang explained: by ICC Interpersonal Communications Class, Fall 2019
I'm dead - laughing really hard; I am bored capout - you are lying lit - something is awesome fire (fye) - something is lit Ope - excuse me
bang (banging) – it’s great Jit - a friend or familiar person periodt - end of discussion
slaps - good
flops - bad
sauce - earned long term respect
juice - earned short term respect
green - weird or wrong
slide through - come over
fasho - yes, ok
Students in class: Myles Johnson, Ethan Carritt, Margret Likert, Aaron York, Brooke Vicory, Caitlyn Tabor, Tana Wandabwa, Laurie Cren, Trinity Murray
Image: “Abandoned”
Janae Dosh, 2019
To submit original work for future issues, email LitGuild@indycc.edu.
Puppis: the Deck Recent & Upcoming Events
(Pictured:
The ICC Theatre Department is proud to announce their upcoming production, Tennessee Williams’
Glass Menagerie, will go up in the William Inge Theatre on Friday, December 6th at 7:00 pm, Saturday, December 7th at 7:00 pm, and Sunday, December 8th at 2:00 pm. Regarding the production, director Paul Molnar: “The Glass Menagerie was the first play I did in college. I played the Gentleman Caller. Since then I have been always wanted to direct it. Now 25 years later I have that opportunity. The richness of Williams' language, the depth to his characters, and the human struggle they face, makes this a privilege to work on. The great works of literature young actors get to explore will craft their minds, their hearts, and their souls. I hope to produce a compelling staging of an American Classic.”
Congratulations on a fantastic run, cast and crew of “Why Torture is Wrong, And the People Who Love Them”
The cast of The Glass Menagerie preforming a twenty-minute reading at the William Inge house on October 23, 2019
Austin Hancock, Tyler Ridgeway, Mylee Cronin, Kierra Kellum, Christian Lucas, Janae Dosh, Mckynzie Clay)
The
Pictured: (Seated) Austin Hancock, McKenzie Clay, Christian Lucas, Alyssa Winkleman; (Standing) Hayleigh McCutchen, Austin Bertie, Dylan Waterman, Page Petrucka, Kierra Kellum, Mylee Cronin
Upcoming Home Games:
Volleyball: Wednesday, October 30 6:30pm vs. Barton Community College
Football: Saturday, November 2 1:00pm vs. Highland Community College
Women’s Basketball: Wednesday, November 6 6:00pm vs. Redlands Community College
Saturday, November 23 4:00pm vs. Evangel University JV
Men’s
Fine Arts Events:
Student Support Services & Tutoring Center Events:
Current Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent Moon
Enrolment for Spring 2020 Semester opens Monday, November 11th .
Make an appointment with your Navigator and visit the ICC website to check out all the great course offerings available to you next semester!
