Adventures in Writing 2020 by Jenny Chan

Photo by Jolin Ma

Edited by Jenny Chan Cover

Adventures in Writing 2020 A Collection of Poems and Short Stories Guest Editor: Jenny Chan

Writing is an important part of our daily lives. As I read through the poems and stories submitted by our young writers, I would like to commend all of them for their sheer excitement, commitment to hard work, and enthusiastic responses. What they have written are truly inspiring, and they have done them remarkably well.

“Adventures in Writing: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories”

The third anthology, “Adventures in Writing: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories”, is a collection of prose and poetry written by some of our talented young creative writers. This anthology is a reflection of a diverse range of contemporary writers every poem and story have been painted in many landscapes and identities. The written pieces are not just about making identity, but also about reflecting on the various identities these young writers have constructed for themselves. There is a very strong connection between our writers and their written work, as expressed vividly in body text and languages.

FOREWORD

Our first anthology, “Friends”, released in 2017, was a collection of illustrated writing and creative writing short stories about friends. Our second anthology, “I Am”, was released in 2018, and included over 100 original illustrated writing and creative writing work.

This is the third anthology series for Success for All.

I am also very grateful to the parents who have been very supportive, and who have encouraged their young writers to write. They have behaved in the same spirit as these young Iwriters.hopethat our anthology writing program provides a platform for these young storytellers to get recognition from a wider audience, by giving them a head start to develop their writing skills at an early age, and eventually helping shape their future success in becoming stronger Discoverwriters. a multitude of creative poetic and prose forms in this inspiring anthology. Adventures in Writing features over 40 poems and short stories by 35 contributors. There is no shortage of good poems and stories in this anthology.

JennyEnjoy!Chan SuccessEditor for All (Canada)

By: Isabelle Chan (17 years old)

Fear

Fear is an emotion, that controls how we live. Under its strength and power, we are all held captive. Through the eyes of a friend, we may look different, than through the eyes of another, one who is more distant.

Fear is triggered, by events, feelings, or thoughts. It tangles our lives, into inextricable knots. Our soul, it’s damaged, it’s bruised, it’s cut. We keep our dark secrets, locked away, shut. We all act differently, as we fear the result. For it may be death, pain, or simply an insult.

Fear is the reason, that I am who I am today. It taught me not to ignore the grey, without it, I would have gone astray. Fear is something, no one can get by. Even the bravest, whose heads are held up high. Darkness all around us, the demons are here. The strange thing is, is that, that’s not what I fear.

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Isabelle is an enthusiastic, hardworking, and curious learner, always seeking new challenges and experiences to grow. She has a passion for community-centric engagement and relationship building. She is also a quick learner and a self-starter. In 2017 she won global gold for a literary award competition. In 2018 she won 3rd place in the Global Math Olympiad. And in 2019 for outstanding achievement in the University of Waterloo Beaver Computing Challenge.

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9 Bonds

The sister is the only one

At the table that once held more Now only three remain

To talk about what’s left to live for “Dad, Brother, Why can’t you two see?

A family is told That their mother has passed

Although upset, she understands They cannot keep reliving She makes them both sit down

The once joyful, vibrant brother Never seems to smile at all

Do you think this is how Mom Would want the two of you to be?”

By: Jason Chan (15 years old)

The once warm and loving father Drowns himself in alcohol

While she was walking on the street She was hit in a car crash

Who knows they must keep living

Although their mom was no longer there Their bond would live to see tomorrow

Jason is an optimistic, balanced, and resilient person. He perseveres in tough situations, and is always in pursuit of knowledge. Jason is an avid reader, and plays different musical instruments. In 2018 he won 2nd place in the Eye Level National Public Speaking Competition, and in 2019 he won an outstanding achievement award in the University of Waterloo Beaver Computing Challenge.

“Mom loves us three, And would never want us to part. But if she was to see us like this, It would surely break her heart.”

The once warm and loving father Made her feel like it was worthwhile

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The once joyful, vibrant brother Showed his sister his big smile

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This family’s strong connection Helped them deal with all the sorrow

It’s almost impossible to find the positives. Everyday I try to Start thinking that way. Friendship is for me.

By: Jason Chan (15 years old)

I say sarcastically, cause I know “People don’t want us.” or that “Friends don’t exist.”

I have never once thought that I’m worthy of having friends. * Now read it backwards (this is a reversal poem).

I’m lonely. So I won’t ever say, I’m not okay with that. Nobody will ever see me look for friends. It’s easy to believe that I am not good enough. I will never make relationships with others. But I will do my best to forget about people.

11 Perspective

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By: Micah Da Costa (12 years old)

Micah enjoys story and poem writing, comic book creating, ancestry researching, people and animal imitating, Marvel movie watching, basketball playing, snow loving, corn hating, sushi devourer who rode a camel and was chased by a clown…but not at the same time

climbingintelligentorangutanflexibleswingingbuildingmanofthejungleendangered

Orangutan

14 Nature

Big trees and small animals Nature at its best. Look at this forest

By: Adheem Imran (10 years old)

Look at this forest

In shambles, in flames – from us Nature at its worst.

Adheem loves sports. His favorite sport is soccer. Adheem has never played Minecraft in his life before, but he does watch YouTube videos about it. He loves watching and playing games. He also enjoys talking to his friends. Adheen likes school, and his favorite subject is Math. He loves recess and lunch the most. He lives with his mom, dad, and older sister.

By: Inaayah Imran (12 years old) Placed on the top of my head lays thousands of thin flexible creatures. They tangle and twirl, Crawl and curl. Want them short? They don’t. Want them long? They won’t. Nothing can be worse than this vile curse! Placed on the top of my head lays thousands of thin flexible creatures.

But today they’re ok. None of them go astray. They’re shiny and free, Vey long, like a tree. As I walk on the street, I feel upbeat. Nothing can be as refreshing as this beautiful blessing.

A Blessing and a Curse

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Inaayah enjoys reading and embroidery. She has a talent for adapting to new situations. She works hard to improve herself and become a better person. Her goal for the future is to work with young kids. She is moving to a new community and a new school, so she’s looking forward to meeting her new friends and creating close bonds and relationships.

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By: Andrea Lachica (12 years old)

Reflect....On what the beating heart loves best. Eyes closed, for but just a minute. Maybe two?

OwningDreaming.theMilky

Restless, hurried to rush harbours

Way

Realizing planets though significant Are not hurried, are not rushed. There is tranquility in their movement Every second enjoyed. Peace

Embracingovercomesthecalmness.Claimingtime.

Today on that finite moment, I am set free.

Daily, constantly, the plate is full Then the elusive pause.

Feeling exhausted, pressure building up. Rest, then, but endless time, is there?

Claiming Time

Taking quick, unmindful steps to make it to the next... Time to breathe, hardly the chance

Andrea loves Math, Science and Language Arts. She is passionate about volleyball, badminton, and track and field. Andrea likes to read books pertaining to scientific discoveries and breakthroughs, and inspirational books. Her favourite book is the Diary of Anne Frank. Andrea is very curious with how the mind works. She plans to be a neurosurgeon or a neuroscientist.

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The Gift

Today is our anniversary I still remember when I got on my knee. I need to get you a gift, as I’m afraid you may drift. I wonder what you got me, the gift I can’t wait to see. Today is the day to get you something from Hudson Bay. I see a bright red flower I’m pretty sure it will wow her. As I was on my way home, Suddenly, the flower burst out some foam. Instead of going in the right direction, it led me to another dimension. Today is our anniversary an important day I may never see.

By: Jeremiah Lam (12 years old)

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Jeremiah is a 12 year old kid who used to go to St. Anthony of Padua. He will be going to grade 8 at Richmond High in September. He was born and raised in Richmond, BC. He has been coming to Success for All for about a year now and has improved a lot. He loves meeting new friends and spending time with them.

And that would be very scary

Not when the whole world already been affected

Essentials

Many senior in a care home were left to die

Because all our extracurriculars got cut out

Because some health care workers didn't bother to try School switched to online with lightning speed

By: Verik Li (14 years old)

We want to go out, plant some flowers and seeds

But we couldn't when new rules came about So instead we stayed home and began to read

When we thought going to school was essential Many ordered take out, ‘twas like a stampede

When we wanted to again taste food continental No warm fuzzy blanket could keep you protected

Some things we want and some that we need Some things we couldn't go without And some that we actually could indeed But not my hairdresser, without a doubt Without which we’d be hairy

Verik Li enjoys doing art as well as playing sports like volleyball. He just finished grade 8 at Steveston London Secondary School. He likes to spend his time reading, playing video games as well as a variety of many other activities. His favourite book series is the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series because he thinks it has a good plot and some good humor.

22 This virus that ravages like a wild steed So we need to support one another Or we will never ever succeed Stop fighting your brother or mother In order to stop the spreading of fear We banged our pots and pans to join in the cheer So listen to the rules we need to heed Even when we have only essentials For this is the only way we will be freed To curb the virus spreading exponential As businesses start to open up again Maybe we can travel by car, boat or train -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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By: Abdullah Naeem (18 years old) I deny The feeling of OnlyPeacehappinessisamyth, Being experienced by those less fortunate War is among them Now and then, I feel their peace Is lost Their desire for hostility Is prominent It's a lie to say that war is simply an illusion ThisWar Wil be prevalent above Moreover,Joy Death by war will be their fate How can you say that War will die down, Fail It is true that violence will Rejoice

23 Crisis

What

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OrDarkness,upondeath,

Tears will be shed in They all desire to live in sadness makes you think that Peace is important to them * A reversal poem

Abdullah Naeem enjoys spending free time playing outside and hanging out with friends. He also enjoys playing video games as well as balancing this with study, as he has recently entered university.

But when I do rhyme because I try to make time, the outcome will be fantastic I bet it will be simply majestic And everyone will be ecstatic.

Aaren is a 10 year old kid who goes to Richmond Christian school. Like other boys, he likes to hang out with his friends. He also likes to bike, razor ripstick, read, and play video games. He lives with his mom, dad, and brother.

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By: Aaren Ng (10 years old) I don’t rhyme because I don’t have time. So my work won’t be that nice just like a bucket of melting ice. I guess it won’t be that much of a surprise.

* Rhyme is a metaphor for studying or working hard

To Rhyme or Not To Rhyme

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HighSoothingStringsViolinbowcalmingrelaxingpitchedmelodynotesMusic

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By: Andrew Ng (12 years old)

Violin

Andrew is a 12-year-old boy who likes music, nature, and animals. He plays the violin and the piano. He has a dog and birds as pets. He also lives with his parents and younger brother. In his free time, he likes to read, play with his dog, and sometimes goes online. He goes to Success for All English enrichment program.

Living and Dying

By: Isabella Ngan (12 years old)

Isabella Ngan loves reading, math and dancing. She also participates in various competitions. She achieved a perfect score in Beaver Computing Challenge 2019. She is also one of the 3 finalists in Spelling Bee Canada Talent Show 2020 (dance). At school, she participated in Destination Imagination 2019, where her team came in 2nd.

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When we live and grow We are like flowers that glow We go through the wheel of life Vibrant colours that tells the world we are alive Cherishing each moment everyday Hoping you are ready in every way But when the day has come We can’t be glum We are broken and blotched Our petals are aged and crutched In an abandoned field, dry and dark We wither and decompose next to the bark -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mattias likes reading, playing sports, and going outside. He also likes chess and typing. He wants to be a fish seller. He likes his family, community, and country.

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28 Nature By: Mattias Wan (9 years old)

BeautifulPlantsNaturemountainscaptivatingcalmingTheartofGodLandscape

By: Michelle Wan (11 years old)

29 Books

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Michelle Wan loves reading books, enjoys writing, and adores cats and dogs. She wants to become an author someday. Her favourite book series is either Percy Jackson or Keeper of the Lost Cities. She lives with her parents, a younger brother, her grandmother, and five fish.

Books are fun to read So much words, lots of pages Improves your English. Reading helps me grow Large collections of genres Favourite hobby.

Corona Summer (through the eyes of an 8 year old)

By: Autumn Woo (8 years old) Double rainbows in the sky. I imagine sliding down the colorful ribbon with my little sister. Oh what fun! Playing superheroMaybe, we can save the world, one step at a time. My first penpal: Hajimemashite! (We are oceans away but we are all the same.)

Quarantine haircuts: OMG Daddy- your hair is so bushy! LOL

A quiet day at the parkSipping bubble tea on a hot day with my mommy. A hungry little caterpillar joined me for lunch. One day, it will turn into a beautiful butterfly. One day, I will say, "Oh what a corona summer it was!"

Singing Happy Birthday twiceEverytime, to keep us safe. Life is a marble runSometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes unexpected turns. Picnics and al fresco dining... in our backyard. Postponed weddings, or no weddings at all. I sooo wanted to be a flowergirl :o(

Saying goodbye to Fishie, aka Mr. Moustache who lived in our pond (like foreverrrr).

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Autumn hopes to one day adopt a corgi and a guinea pig, one of which she will name UNO. She loves reading; her latest favorite is "Beezus and Ramona" because like Beezus, she has a little 4 year-old sister who is annoying (sometimes) and naughty (most of the time). As part of her home schooling, she enjoys solving Rubix Cubes, taking care of her garden, skipping rope, and teaching her little sister piano.

Mother Knows Best

By: Francis Chan (14 years old)

My mother was always right. She was gifted with the ability to guess almost anything and be correct. That was why I didn’t like watching crime shows and game shows with her. Before I would go out to meet my friends, she would lecture me about being safe and cautious, and that proved to help me a lot.

“Ryan,” She would say. “Remember to watch where you’re going. The forest is a mysterious and dangerous place.” “Ok, Mom.” I would reply. That afternoon, I went hiking alone. She strictly reminded me to watch where I was going and sure enough, I almost walked off a cliff. I have never stopped heeding her advice after that. On the other hand, my dad was a wild spirit. He enjoyed dangerous and challenging activities. I’m pretty sure I got my love for adventuring from him. Free solo climbing was his favourite pastime, but he often climbs with his other care-free friends. But that was before the accident. A few days after my 15th birthday, he was climbing the Dawn Wall with some of his friends. Unfortunately, a few angry looking clouds rolled in and started to

36 unleash their anger. Just before my dad could grip onto a rock, his foot slipped and he fell. Fortunately, his harness caught him but the force and tension of the fall fractured both his femurs. The doctor reported that he could not participate in any activities involving his legs and was given a wheelchair. Because of this, my mom was extra cautious of where I went and what I did. Of course, I dismissed her worries with a “I know, Mom.” or a “Relax, Mom.”

I stared at her, trying to process what she had said. “Thanks Mom. I won’t let you down.”

Michael’s parents were accompanying us on our trip there. Once we hit the road, we instantly fell asleep, but I was thinking about how my

I strode out to Michael’s car, where they were all half asleep waiting for me. I climbed in the backseat and mumbled my greetings.

This frosty morning, I had plans with my friends Michael, Nicolas, and Oliver to drive up to Whistler Mountain to ski. We were staying for the weekend and driving back down just in time for Christmas, where we were celebrating at my place. I groggily trudged downstairs, made a hot breakfast consisting of oatmeal, eggs, and juice. I quickly inhaled my food and quietly sat down on our old couch. I waited for my mom to lecture me, but I heard no footsteps from the stairs. A while later, I called for her and she came down slowly and stopped in front of me.

“Ryan, I trust you to make your own decisions, and I will let you do whatever you want, but just remember to be careful.”

Eventually I fell asleep dreaming about our skiing expedition. A full day had passed into our trip and we were all enjoying our stay. I had hit most of the hard runs and I planned to cool down with the simple runs. We had luck on our side; the weather was crisp and cloudless which made skiing much more enjoyable. With my body full of adrenaline I approached my last ski run of the day but I felt that my skis were a bit loose. I dismissed the danger and filled my head with the thought of hot chocolate at our cabin and hastily skied down the mountain. Just as I gained momentum, my ski boot unlatched and I lost my balance. I desperately tried to stop myself from crashing into a tree but I was moving too fast. Just as I was about to crash, I woke up drenched in sweat and realized that we had just arrived at our cabin. Nicolas was shaking me awake, concerned about me. I nodded my head to tell him I was fine and tried to remember what just happened. Now I knew why my mom had that glint in her eye. She knew that I would do something reckless and injure myself. I promised myself to never forget about what my mom had taught me, as I headed toward the place I almost crashed.

37 mom had a knowing glint in her eye while she was speaking with me.

Francis is going into Grade 9 at Vancouver College. Like most teenagers, Francis likes video games. He also enjoys reading and writing, which is not common for boys his age. His room is full of fiction and non-fiction books. Francis likes to play golf, volleyball, biking, and basketball. In academics, Francis is interested in English writing and reading, where he constantly receives high marks.

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Deja Vu

“Thanks so much, Rose. You’re so helpful.” “No problem. If you need anything else, just find me at the office.”

“Mom! Liam is going to make me late for school! Can we leave him? 10 minutes later, Tiffany made it just in time to Ravensville High School. “Hi, Tiffany. I’m Mrs. Blue, your principal. Welcome to RHS. Rose here will show you around the school.” “Thank you, Mrs. Blue.” Tiffany said. As Rose was showing Tiffany around, she asked, “Where’d you get that pen? It’s really pretty.”

“My dad gave it to me to remind me that he is always with me.” Rose replied as she started pointing to the door to Tiffany’s class.

Monday, May 9.

By: Isabelle Chan (17 years old)

As Tiffany entered the classroom, Mr. Galloway introduced her to the class. “Have a seat over there please, Ms. Brook.”

“Mom! We’re home!” “How was your first day?” “Mine was fine. RHS is amazing. I met this girl, Rose, and she’s really“RESnice.”is better because we get to play! I love it here! Let’s stay here forever!” Liam screamed. Tuesday, May 10. Tiffany was so excited to go to school the next day, until she heard the news. “Please, Mrs. Blue, Rose didn’t come home last night. And I’m 100% sure this is the last place people saw her.” Rose’s mother begged. “Tiffany! Have you seen Rose today or yesterday?” Mrs. Blue questioned. “Only when she showed me around the school yesterday. Oh wait! I think I saw her walking with a man dressed in black after school. I thought it was her dad or brother.” “Thank you, Tiffany. Now you can go back to your class.” “Is everything ok? Is Rose ok?” Tiffany asked without hesitation.

“She must have gotten lost on the way home,” David suggested, trying to calm Tiffany down. “I doubt it dad, but thanks for trying to cheer me up. My first friend in Ravensville is missing, and I have no clue where she could be! Her mom must be terrified.” “I’m sure the police will find her soon. Don’t worry Tiff, Rose will be fine.” Anna said. “I hope so.” Wednesday, May 11. “HELP! It’s Rose Lam! Help me. Anyone. Please.” Rose screamed at the top of her lungs. A shadow was walking towards her. Tall, skinny, and smelt like cigarettes. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here. With me.” The mysterious man said, followed by an evil laugh. Rose gasped.

Where is Rose? What is going on? Tiffany thought to herself. That night, Tiffany told her parents about Rose and her sudden disappearance.

“Rose didn’t come home last night, and this was the last place people remember seeing her. Mrs. Lam here is worried sick. Now we can use your information to find Rose, so thank you for your help.”

“Cyrus Lake! You’re Cyrus Lake! The man who killed Mayor Luke and covered up every trace!” “We have a smart one here, don’t we? Indeed. I am the man who killed Luke.” Cyrus said confidently. “Why? Why would you do something like that? He was such a great man.” Rose said as she started to cry. Luke was her father. As Tiffany was walking to school, she saw Cyrus coming out of his car. He carried a silver pen in his pocket, which told Tiffany everything. He has Rose’s pen. He has Rose. Rose would never give up that pen because her dad gave it to her. “Mom? Are you home? I need to talk to you.” “Hi Tiff. What’s wrong?” “When I was walking to school, I saw this man. And he had this pen. A silver pen.” “What’s wrong with that?” “That pen was Rose’s. Her dad gave it to her. She would never give it up. I think that man kidnapped Rose.”

“TIFFANY! Are you sure? “Mom, please believe me. He took the pen! He took Rose!”

“TIFFANY! You’re going to be late for school! I don’t know what you’re doing up there, but you better not be in bed!” Anna yelled with frustration. It was a dream? Tiffany thought to herself. “IT WAS A DREAM!” Tiffany screamed with relief. “Mom! Liam is going to make me late for school! Can we leave him? 10 minutes later, Tiffany made it just in time to Ravensville High School. “Hi, Tiffany. I’m Mrs. Blue, your principal. Welcome to RHS. Rose here will show you around the school.” Tiffany’s eyes widened. To be continued…

Isabelle is an enthusiastic, hardworking, and curious learner, always seeking new challenges and experiences to grow. She has a passion for community centric engagement and relationship building. She is also a quick learner and a self starter. In 2017 she won global gold for a literary award competition. In 2018 she won 3rd place in the Global Math Olympiad. And in 2019 for outstanding achievement in the University of Waterloo Beaver Computing Challenge.

At the edge of the beach, Lian saw Irina dive into the clear liquid with no uncertainties. The boy watched his classmate swim gracefully underneath the transparent tides like a dolphin. Every individual movement that Irina made beneath the ocean was breathtaking in Lian’s mind. As she swam, Lian unintentionally started to forget his resentment against water. Abruptly, Irina began swimming towards Lian, the bewildered boy gasped as the swimmer pulled herself out from the sea. Dripping in liquid, Irina took off the goggles that protected her vision."Why were you watching me," Irina asked in a loud tone.

44 Water

By: Kathy Chen (15 years old)

Lian detested the oceans’ uncontrollable waves and the horrors that were hidden below its glass-like surface. Before seeing his classmate, Irina, swims, he always wondered how one could enjoy the so-called wonders of water.

After contemplating, a single phrase blurted from Lian’s lips, "why do you swim in the ocean?"

"There's no such thing as being free," Lian screamed back in retort."Why did I believe that it was a good idea to talk to her," pondered Lian.The boy lifted his head to face the dark copper-coloured eyes of the startled swimmer. "A year ago, I found myself entrapped within dark blue waves, everything seemed unbearable. But when I opened my eyes, I saw an image I'd never forget," Irina said, the girl’s soul resembled to be inhabited by a spirit of contentment. The swimmer tilted her head and beamed in glee," I saw the wonders of "Therewater."areno wonders of water!" Lian yelled angrily. The boy imagined potential causes of why this simple-minded girl couldn't comprehend? Yet, no explanations came to mind. Lian's lips quivered, accompanied by the clenching of his fist. Suddenly, Irina grabbed Lian's hands, her face inches apart from her classmate. "I've seen it before, the astonishing phenomenon, let me show you," Irina murmured peacefully, "I promise it's real."

Taken back by what he said, Irina’s eyes widened, blinking slowly in skepticism. "I feel free in the water, it's like everything is possible," Irina responded carefully while her eyes shimmered in awe.

"Look," Irina replied, her finger pointed to the sandy floor of the dusky sea.

Lian nodded his head in agreement despite wanting to be left alone. In response, Irina rushed in the direction of a polyester sack. Instantaneously, she extracted two items from her bag. Both of the things, a pair of silicone goggles and an orange life jacket, were related to swimming.

The instant Lian finished putting on the items, Irina shoved the poor boy into the sea. Lian howled in despair as he swiftly sank into his worst nightmare, water. As he hit the surface, Irina dove into the uncontrollable ocean. Despite wearing a life-jacket, Lian grappled to keep his head above water, his eyes were evidently covered in dismay. His arms thrashed around, attempting to find land. Noticing the struggle between Lian and the sea, Irina swam unhesitatingly toward the flailing boy. Her arms reached out, quickly steadying Lian and preventing him from being submerged in the crystal clear liquid. "Why did you push me!" cried Lian, he confirmed his thoughts, water was undeniably detestable.

"Put these on," exclaimed Irina excitedly, Lian carefully plucked the swimming gear from Irina's hands. The boy hoisted the goggles and placed the back straps over his head. Afterwards, he put on the tangerine-coloured life-jacket and buckled the buttons.

A single word immersed with confusion escaped from Lian's mouth, what. In response to Lian’s uncertainty, Irina lowered her head into the water, her hair bobbed around in the murky liquid. Lian let out a sigh of defeat and copied Irina’s actions. When Lian's head was fully engulfed in the liquid, he saw a spectacle that would never disappear from his memory. Behind the protective layer of plastic, Lian’s eyes were filled with curiosity. He saw colourful fish racing between the flamboyant corals that decorated the seafloor. A family of green sea turtles floated nearby his feet. The more time he spent emerged in the ocean, Lian felt all his doubts and anxieties slowly drift away. He raised his head above the blue waves to meet Irina's eyes. Like a waterfall, two words poured from Lian’s lips, it's beautiful. Lian finally understood what Irina was babbling about, the resentment against the ocean dissolved like salt in water. Lian finally felt free. Kathy Chen enjoys spending time with her beloved friends and family members. She also adores swimming, writing, and watching anime or tv shows with her friends. During Kathy’s free time, she is often found playing on her phone or studying different languages such as Spanish. In the future, she hopes to travel around the world.

By: Adheem Imran (10 years old)

Once upon a time, a guy named Pro-King was really good at video games. There was another guy named Noob-King. But he was bad at video games. One day, Noob-King challenged Pro-King to a Minecraft game. “I want to challenge you to a video game,” Noob King said. “Yes, of course.” Pro King replied. “If you die in Minecraft, then I will take everything that you own.”

The Gaming Fight

“The same thing applies to you, too!” Pro-King said in a scary way. The challenge began and Pro-King got a lot of wood to make a pickaxe, sword, and an axe. Then he went mining. He found stones, mined them, and made a stone pickaxe. Then he found a jackpot of iron that he mined as well. Under all that iron, he found a lucky block that he mined too. It spawned a chest, which held 1000000000000 diamonds. He was shocked. Pro-King made diamond armour and a sword, pickaxe, and axe. And just to show off, he made diamond blocks too!

Noob-King got really scared. In the first 30 seconds, 10 ender dragons killed Hacker 709. “Hacker 709 is eliminated. 4 people left. Good luck.” Minecraft said. The game continued. Entity 303 got eliminated. 3 people left. The game is now between Herobrine, Pro-King, and Noob-King. Herobrine used a hack; it allowed him to take something from any

Promessage.-Kingand

HerobrineError!said.Error! Error! ‘Entity 303’ joined the game. It said the same thing Herobrine said. “If I win, I will get everything you have in Minecraft.”

All of a sudden, there was an error. In the chat, it said ‘Herobrine’ joined the game. “If I win, I will get everything you have in Minecraft.”

Noob-King, on the other hand, started digging. He was getting dirt and a bit of wood, so he made a wooden shovel. He reached some stone and tried to mine it, but it didn’t work because he only had a wooden shovel. So he used the dirt to build back up to the surface. He got more wood and made a wooden pickaxe. He went mining again. This time, he got stone and a speck of dirt.

Pro-King went back to the surface to go to the Nether. Nether was really scary. Pro-King only went to get blaze rods to make potions like health, strength, and poison potions.

Error! Error! Error! ‘Hacker 709’ joined the game too, and said the same

50 player’s inventory. Herobrine took Pro-King’s sword. Luckily, Pro-King had another one. But Herobrine teleported behind Pro-King. Pro-King saw him, but he was too slow. He got stabbed. Herobrine ate a golden apple and used a hack that allowed him to hold swords with his mind. Then he threw 10 swords at Pro King, who almost died. Pro King threw an ender pearl back; now he only has one heartHerobrineleft. used an invisibility potion to sneak behind Pro-King again. This time, he eliminated Pro-King.

Minecraft beeped, “Pro-King got eliminated. Two people left.” Error! Error! Error! Noob-King came back. Herobrine was happy he won over Pro King, but little did he know that Noob-King was sneaking behind him. Noob-King killed Herobrine with a wooden sword, and he won.

Minecraft’s last chat showed “Herobrine is eliminated. Noob-King won!!!!!” Adheem loves sports. His favorite sport is soccer. Adheem has never played Minecraft in his life before, but he does watch YouTube videos about it. He loves watching and playing games. He also enjoys talking to his friends. Adheen likes school, and his favorite subject is Math. He loves recess and lunch the most. He lives with his mom, dad, and older sister.

“Another bear?” You asked. “Bigger. It has footprints almost as big as your luck. The farmers said that whoever kills it first will have free wheat for life!” Luck? You thought. But having a fight with Neal is harder than any animal you’ve hunted. “Gimme that!” you said, snatching the paper from his hands. It was true! Free wheat and fame. What else could be better?

Fling! You had just shot your arrow through the heart of a rabbit. The crowd danced and cheered “that’s why we call him Bullseye!” You are the most famous hunter in all the land. You could hunt even the swiftest of jack rabbits. But being talented did have its cons. For instance, your younger brother, Neal, felt that he had to be better than you. Most of his attempts were shooting the same animal blindfolded. Unfortunately, this often lead to broken ceramics instead of dead animals.Next morning you woke to find Neal at your door with a flyer. “Guess what? There’s a new animal that’s raiding all the crops.”

By: Inaayah Imran (10 years old)

A Hunter’s Karma

“Please, Brent, stay out of it! I’ll give you the wheat. All I want is to make a name for myself!” You took a deep breath. “Fine.” With that Neal left. But you weren’t completely honest. As much as you wanted Neal to succeed, you’d rather him live. If the flyer was true, then the animal must be strong since it has gigantic feet. So you took your bow and arrows and heat out. After forty-five minutes of walking, you heard a sound that sounded like deep purr. You spun around and saw a wolf. Yet it didn’t seem like a wolf at the same time. It had the face of a wolf but the lines were less intense. The skin had an ethereal glow. You saw the ground and the paws were massive! It didn’t match with the body. The creature couldn’t hurt anyone. The paws are just on the scary side. “The jokes nature plays,” you chuckled. As you reached for an arrow, the wolf-like creature bolted. You chased after it. After what felt like years of huffing and puffing you caught up to the beast. This time the animal had a look in his eye. The look of being ready to kill. You slowly moved and realized why this calm animal had become so vicious. It was guarding what seemed like miniature versions of itself. The cubs. You didn’t want to hurt it. But it was either you or Neal.

“Why are you telling me this?” You questioned.

The footsteps stopped, and there stood Neal. “Neal, it’s me! Put the arrow down!” You cried. He probably didn’t hear you. You were an animal so it was probably roars. “Stay back, beast. This is the one chance I have.” Fling! Neal had been practicing and the arrow hit you in the neck. Like magic, you turned back to your human self. Neil ran over. “Brent, I don’t understand. You’re the beast?!”

“Now you can have free wheat for life.” You laughed.

And Neal prefers slow and painful deaths so he could stay in glory longer. “I don’t want to hurt you, but it’s either you die quickly or painfully slow.”“I’m sorry,” you whispered. And with that, you let go of your hand, and the arrow shot the poor animal perfectly. You never felt bad about killing an animal, but this one was different. You felt a pull. Before you knew it, instead of seeing the clear path in front of you, you saw paws. You didn’t know what was happening. And then it clicked. You were now the creature. You looked around for your human body, but it was nowhere to be seen. Then you heard footsteps. You wanted to run, but the young cubs looked so defenseless. You couldn’t possibly …..

“There is no time for jokes!” Neal yelled. “Let me bring you back home.”“It’s too late for that. Neal, I’m sorry.” Then your world went black. Since then Neal never hunted again.

By: Lorenzo Lachica (14 years old)

There once lived The Red Dot, who more than anything else in the world yearned to learn his ultimate purpose. “Certainly, I am more than here just bouncing around, corner to corner, sitting and doing virtually nothing. Perhaps my life isn’t pointless*, after all!

The Red Dot on the Dot

Instantly, she began to talk, beginning with, “People think I’m so square*...“ Yet, The Red Dot thought every time Ms. Square was getting straight to the point*, Ms. Square would simply shift angles* and essentially, restart; thus, they’re back to square* one.

The Red Dot by now was feeling impatient, exhausted and out-ofshape*! He eventually realized that he was running in circles* and absolutely getting nowhere.

So The Red Dot walked away and decided to go ask Ms. Square.

The Red Dot decided he had enough. He summoned all courage to ask Mr. Line, “Do you know, by any chance, my ultimate purpose?” Unfortunately for The Red Dot, this action proved to be futile as Mr. Line just would not budge no matter how many times asked and kept a straight* face.

That moment, out of the corner of The Red Dot’s eye saw something, something he had never seen before“O my! What a joy! There are those that looked just like me, just slightly different.”

“Hi! We are The Orange & Yellow Dots! Both seemed very welcoming, encouraging and optimistic. The Red Dot was already filled to the brim with excitement when he learned of even greater news. It turns out that there are many more of them, more of “us!” The Red Dot successfully met all of the other colours, all but one --the elusive The Indigo Dot. While in search for The Indigo Dot, The Red Dot asked if they knew their ultimate purpose. They remarked that all of them are in search of the same answer but would need The Indigo Dot to help them find it.

Subsequently, came The Green Dot, the wise. He explained that The Indigo Dot used to be the happiest of them all but suddenly, The Indigo Dot just disbanded and faded* away. The Blue Dot mentioned that if they were somehow able to get all the colours to band together, they may finally seek their answers. Many days have passed. The Red Dot was bent on finding The Indigo Dot. Finally, as soon as he found The Indigo Dot, The Red Dot convinced The Indigo Dot to join all the other colours in their quest. It took a lot of convincing, and eventually, The Indigo Dot concurred.

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“This is it, ummm, I think …! ” The Red Dot uttered with splattered* confidence while he directed for all the colours to form a circle, with closed eyes, expecting something big to happen. Minutes passed. And passed. Yet, nothing happened.

The Red Dot soon realized it was his doubt that was holding them back, not finding their answer and disabling them from realizing their full potential. The Indigo Dot voiced out to The Red Dot, “Let go! Believe!” And The Red Dot did just that...

Puns intended on words ending with *

Lorenzo aspires to be a politician and human rights lawyer in the future.

Instantaneously, a burst of light appeared carrying all seven of them in the sky. Together, they flew from every corner to corner, filling everywhere they went with colours.

Eventually, they found a perfect spot, their perfect corner. Silently, The Red Dot, and all the other colours finally found their answer!

Lorenzo Diego L. Lachica's favourite subjects are Science and Math. He likes to read a variety of books/materials ranging from current events, science fiction, sports, banking, and business. He volunteers at a local church to help out with the breakfast program for the homeless.

By: Jeremiah Lam (12 years old)

One day, a man named Nelson was walking down the busy street trying to find an anniversary gift for his wife. A gift is not the only thing he has to get his wife, he has to get her flowers as well. Obviously, the flowers were easier to find, so he started with that. He went to the flower shop. He looked around the place and saw nothing that fancies him. The main problem was that he didn't really know what kind of flower to get. So he decided to ask the worker what kind of flower to get. The worker did not know the different types of flowers since she was still very young. The worker felt bad for not knowing the types of flowers even though she was working at the flower shop, so the worker told Nelson to ask other customers for help. Nelson quickly told the worker that he didn't want to get the deadly virus that can kill a person instantly, which is called the Somethingvirus. He didn't want to take any chances. So, he quickly left, hoping to find some beautiful flowers growing outside. He walked around the place for about 30 minutes, like an exercise, while trying to find a flower. He found nothing good looking,

The Mysterious Pedals

Nelson was very scared and didn't know what to do so he yelled for help. That is when he found out that everyone there were frozen. Since no one could help him, he slowly faded away… When he got in the flower dimension, he was amazed by all the different kinds of colors there were. Then suddenly, there was a very joyful voice saying, “you must go through the pile of sweet pedals over there to go back to the real world”. Obviously, Nelson had no time to do anything since his anniversary was soon, so he followed the instructions. He went. He thought to himself, nothing bad could happen from just a few pedals, right? He went to the pedals and took the first step. He found out that all the pedals were like a disappearing staircase. In order to get back to the main world, he had to run as fast as Usain Bolt. So, he

59 so he decided to call it a day. He still has 2 more days until the anniversary, so there’s still time. While he was walking back to his car, he saw a very beautiful flower under a tree on the other side of the road. Nelson quickly walked across the road to pick the flower up. When he picked it up, he smelled a strong smell of sweetness. Nelson picked the flower up, checking whether the strong smell was coming from the flower or not. When he smelled the flower, … suddenly, he found himself slowly disappearing into thin air, starting from his toes working its way up.

60 did. He ran as fast as he could, as if he were playing tag. When he got to the other side, he suddenly felt like he was disappearing… He woke up in his car holding a flower and a gift. He thanked the flower lady for giving him Those gifts. Then Nelson went home and gave his wife all the gifts.

Zombies went crazy and spread everywhere in the world. Now the world is in a very perilous and chaotic situation. Two teenagers, Jake and Darren, were resting in their tent. Inside the tent were a lot of useful things, such as water, bandage, food, and weapons. One day, while walking to a safe area, Jake fell down and cracked his hand. Darren brought him back to the tent. He put some bandage around his hand and told him to rest. But Jake was in pain and screaming all the time, so Darren decided to bring him to the hospital. He packed up their tent and started their journey. They walked until the next day. They were happy because they made it half way without any ‘accident’. Darren also felt good; he still has some energy to fight off the zombies.Outfrom nowhere, several zombies appeared. Darren hid Jake in a safe place, then he took out his weapon out and started fighting with the zombies. First, he fought with the giant zombie. Then the little zombies. The fighting was very fierce, but Darren managed to ‘kill’ the zombies.

By: Neil Long (12 years old)

61 Zombies

Neil Long is a 12 year old boy who lives in Richmond, BC. He likes playing sports. He also enjoys building lego architecture. He likes his family a lot. His favorite colour is blue.

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But he was very tired, so he decided to set up the tent and rest with Jake. They both rested for several days. Their stuff inside the tent is about to run out. Water. Food. Bandage. One by one, the items were getting less and less. Till they ran out. Both hungry and thirsty, Darren and Jake decided to continue with their journey again. They walked for a few hours until they saw a light house. People. Normal people. Darren thought. Darren ran off to check if they were actually real people or zombies. He yelled, “help!” They were surprised but happy at the same time. They run like happy little kids. “Yes, we made it.” Jake said. The ‘people’ gave them water to drink, food to eat, and a place to rest. It turned out that these ‘people’ were nice and let them do what they want to Jakedo.got his treatment, and Darren helped the people. The fight is still on, but Darren is optimistic that all zombies will disappear one day. Tomorrow will be a good day. He thought. Several weeks have passed, and all the zombies had disappeared. The world got better. The plants and trees had grown.

Stand Up!

By: Tony Ly (14 years old)

I had just moved to a new neighborhood and was about to start a new life, a fresh start from the beginning. I thought to myself, will I be treated well at school or will I get bullied? But none of these mattered because my goal was to make new friends and to finish off my studies in elementary school and work hard in high school. First day of school came so fast. I was practically scared to the bones and pretty much shaking when I met my teachers and classmates. As I introduced myself, I talked a little bit about where I came from and what my hobbies are. Other students also introduced themselves to the class. This went on for a while. After our introduction we had all be arranged into table groups. Then came lunch. When I was lining up at the cafeteria a kid named Mohammad introduced himself to me. I was surprised. I also wondered. Why does he have a different shade of skin from me. Still contemplating, in that split second another kid named Ryan showed up. I know because Mohammad told me about him, during the time we were waiting in line to get our food (lunch).

Ryan walked straight in front of me with his so-called ‘gang’. I told them to go to the back and line up like everyone else. He told me to shut up unless we were looking for trouble. I thought it was just a oneoff joke (or prank) so I stayed quiet and let him go first. Eventually it was my turn to get my food.

When we were having our break during our outside time, Ryan and his gang came up to us again. They started insulting us and physically harassing Mohammad. That’s when I realized that this was real. They were really bullying us. I was horrified so we went home right after school ended. The next day, what was supposed to be a normal school day turned out differently than I would have expected. While I was chatting with Muhammad during our recess as to how our day has been so far, suddenly Ryan and his gang showed up again. They came to where we were hanging out and started beating me and Mohammad up. Our stomach hurt a lot after that. Mohammad even thought they broke his arm, although I think it was a bit exaggerated. No one helped us, so we just kept quiet and departed to our different classes. Lunch time was the same as before. Ryan and his group walked right in front of us and said the same phrases again but in a more aggressive tone. We decided to stay quiet and just let them do what they want. But surprisingly they didn’t harass us at our lunch table or even when we were outside. It was a good break for us.

Tony Ly enjoys playing video games during his spare time. He is going to Grade 9 in September and is looking forward to reconnect with his friends again. He lives in Richmond, BC with his parents.

But we were not that lucky after school. They cornered us at the back of the school. This time I mustered all my strength and asked them why they’ve been picking on us. They said it was because they were also bullied by people before. In fact, they were bullied by people with a different shade of skin. I explained to them that we may look different, but we are in fact similar in many ways. The only way bullying stops is if we put a stop on it. We all agreed to stop bullying one another. Later on, we all became friends. The bullying stopped as well.

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Letter

The

By: Jolin Ma (13 years old)

“I’ll be right there, mom,” Betty replied quickly. Before leaving her bedroom, she hid the money under her pillow.

Three dollars and ninety cents. That was all. The next day would be Christmas and she only has this much money. It was a cold frosty evening. But the room was warm and clean, and the curtains were drawn. Betty was sitting on her bed and her mom was setting the table for dinner.Sheonly has three dollars and ninety cents to buy her mom a present.

“Time for dinner,” her mom murmured.

At the dinner table, there were three chairs. The one that she was sitting on, her mom’s, and her dad’s but now, it’s empty. Two years ago, her dad died fighting World War Two for the United States. On the table, there were two bowls of soup, a plate of newly picked wild berries, and another with some lettuce. Betty scooped a spoon full of tomato and garlic soup, but before she could put it in her mouth, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” she said, jumping out of her chair.

“Nobody”, Betty replied, shaking her head thinking it was a prank. When she sat back on the chair, the knocking began again, but this time, it was louder. Betty tried to ignore the sound but it was impossible. She felt annoyed. She thought to herself, This will be the last time I’m getting the door. When Betty’s fingertips reached the doorknob, the lights in the room flickered for five seconds. The flickering made Betty a bit nervous. When she opened the door, there was nobody there. She looked around, from right to left, up and down. When her eyes met the ground, she saw an envelope and, on top of the envelope, a blue rose.

“Who’s that?” Her mom questioned.

She headed to the door, but when she opened it, nobody was there.

She has never seen a blue rose before, although her mom has told her stories about it. When she picked it up, she immediately opened it. The letter looked strange. It said, “You have received a letter from the grandmaster. If you accept the invitation, meet the grandmaster tomorrow night at the front of your house.”

Betty was in shock after reading the news. “Hey, are you okay? You seemed a little pale.” Her mom called out. Her mom rushed outside and grabbed the letter. She said, “Why are you holding a blank piece of paper?”

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Jolin Ma is a thirteen year old girl who loves writing, sketching, reading, drawing, and playing the piano. Her favorite story is The Lottery and her favorite book is The Fault in Our Stars. She hopes to become a pianist and an artist someday. She also enjoys writing, and spending time with her family and her cat. Her future dreams include becoming a successful person.

“No, it’s not mom. It’s an invitation.” Betty whined. But then, her mom frowned, saying, “You must be exhausted or you’re just too excited for Christmas. Now, go back to the table and finish your breakfast.” She nodded and strolled back to the table. She wondered if she was the only one who could see the writing. The rest of the night went by in a Atblur.last, the time has come. It was the next night already. Betty was a bit nervous. She closed her eyes as she walked out of the front door. But when she opened them, she started feeling dizzy. As Betty looked around, she saw no one but she felt ‘something’ was following her. Suddenly, she felt something heavy touched her shoulder. She turned around, and screamed as she saw her father. Everything went black.

When you wake up, what’s the first thing that you think of? I think to myself - how can I make today better than yesterday? I grab my phone and look for something to get me through the day. I get up, brush my teeth, and wash my face with the cold water from the sink.

Am I Going to be Okay?

I tell myself that I’m going to be productive today. But how can I be productive if I can’t even be happy and motivated to do something? That’s 1 of the 3 questions I constantly ask myself. So how can a person (always) be happy? The answer is that you can’t. Everyone has different emotions. Some can control them better than others. Go grab breakfast, and you’ll find all girls eating almost nothing because they want to be skinny. You’re smart, and you will not be like them. Go to school, and you’ll find every girl dressed up in trendy clothes because they want to be popular. You go in your bedroom and find outfits that you feel comfortable in, making sure you don’t show too much skin.

By: Emma Martinez (12 years old)

70 You will find something that looks and feels good, but you will never know if they will make you happy. As you go out into the world, ask yourself the most important question of the day. Am I going to be okay?

Emma Martinez is 12 years old. She lives in Richmond, BC. When she’s older she wants to become a doctor and help other people. Her favorite movie series is Harry Potter. Her favorite place to eat is “Bubble World.” She loves to sing and dance. She always wanted to visit New York City.

The night before the flight, Tatianna did not pack right away. Instead, she smugly rested on her couch and watched her favourite TV

A Messed Up Audition

It was one of those boring days. Tatianna munched on her shortbread cookie, attempting to savour the flavour and spice from every single bite, as she stares at the sun’s rays shining brightly through the window. She grumbled, “Teaching students how to act is not the job I desire! I want a career that I cherish and enjoy! I want to become a famous actor!” Tatiana slipped out her phone and began texting. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. DING! DING! DING! She read the text, and slowly her eyes widened! “NO WAY!” shrieked Tatianna, her face brightened with joy. She dropped her phone and began leaping and dancing around. She read the text again. “HOLLYWOOD recruits more actors! Come to California for the audition….” Tatiana exclaimed, hardly finishing the last sentence. She knew exactly what to do. “I’m going to California,” Tatiana said without a doubt!

By: Isabella Ngan (12 years old)

72 series while enjoying her bag of potato chips. By the time she finished watching, it was already four in the morning. She packed hurriedly and went to bed. Because she didn’t get enough sleep, she woke up late! She haphazardly organized her ‘stuff’ and ran towards the door. As she arrived the bus station, her bus was just departing. With her suitcase tucked under her arm, she bolted with lightning speed as she chased the bus down. “NO! WAIT FOR ME!!” screeched Tatianna. Unfortunately, the bus driver could not hear her. She missed her bus. What a bad way to start the day! She thought. She walked to the taxi stand, hailed a cab, and arrived at the airport with only an hour left for her scheduled flight to California. As she approached the airline ground staff, she realized she didn’t have her passport with her. “REALLY?! “I LEFT MY PASSPORT IN MY DRAWER!!??Tearsbegan running down her cheeks, but she tried to hold them back. Not ready to accept defeat yet, she called her mom for help. Half an hour later, she was sprinting towards the departure gate. Unfortunately, she missed her flight and could only stand by for the next available flight. Two hours later, she was seated on the plane. “Finally, I made it!” During the flight, Tatiana could not contain her excitement and barely slept. Finally, she arrived in California, Los Angeles.

The next day, it was time for audition. Tatiana forgot to set her alarm the night before, so she woke up late. Again. She felt awful and grouchy, with slight shakes and stings on her head. Ignoring these signs, she did a quick wash and left without having a bite. As Tatiana walked through the audition lobby, she glanced at everybody practicing. She felt very confident. In fact, she felt overly confident. ‘Pssh! These actors won’t ever come near my level. They’re not even in my league! I’m gonna get the part for sure.’ thought Tatianna. She skipped her incredibly important warm-up practice as she felt too confident. “Get ready, Tatiana. You’re next.” One of the staff members chimed. She checked in, got her number tag, and waited patiently. When she heard her name, she clumsily stepped into the chilly auditionTheroom.judges gave Tatiana a scornful look as she started acting. Midway, she felt immensely dizzy and her legs shook vigorously. She began seeing blobs of different colours, collapsed, and then everything wentBlinkingblack. her blue eyes, she woke up and realized she was in the hospital. A nurse passed by. “Are you feeling better?” The nurse asked. Tatianna nodded. An experienced doctor entered her room, showed her an X-ray photo, and said, “Your right leg has been

74 fractured, and you will need crutches in the coming three months.” The doctor said. She began crying tenderly. That night, Tatiana relived the memories of the past day. What happened at my audition? She wondered. Was it all just bad luck or did I make a terrible mistake? She questioned herself. Finally coming to a realization, “If I could turn back time, I promise to be more modest and do things differently. I regretted the way I acted. Although this was not the outcome I expected, nonetheless this was a priceless learning experience.” Then she fell into a deep slumber.

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A Haunted House

By: Eliana Pe (9 years old)

One day I went outside to walk around my neighbourhood. While I was walking outside, I saw a house that looked very creepy. And it looked like a haunted house! I went in because I was very curious. While inside, I saw a lot of spooky things. In the living room, there were lots of vintage stuff. The couch was broken, the plants were dead, and the TV was old. Then I felt cold air passing my neck. At that point I was very scared, but I got over it. Then I went to the kitchen. I saw broken plates and broken utensils too! I also saw pans and pots, and they were very rusty. Again, I saw lots of vintage stuff all around the room – there was even an old telephone hooked on the wall. Then I went upstairs. I decided to go to the bedrooms first. When I went inside the smaller bedroom, I saw clothes in the closet! The clothes were very old-fashioned, but they looked quite interesting to me. Next, I saw the bed. It wasn’t really that big of a bed. The design was very old-style – it was all floral. An old beside table was next to the bed, but there wasn’t really anything on it except for a book that looked very old. Even the pages were a little bit crumpled.

Then I moved to the next bedroom. It almost looked the same as the first one. I checked the closet first. I saw some clothes; they were old-fashioned as well, but they looked more like boy clothes. The ones in the first room looked more like girl clothes. Maybe they were siblings? I also saw a similar bed in the second bedroom that I went to. But the design was polka dots, not floral. A washroom connected the two bedrooms. I went inside, and it smelled very bad in there! Yuck! The toilet, the sink, and the shower all looked yellowish and unusual. In fact, they all looked very weird to me. I’ve never seen them before. Maybe that’s what they used in the old days.I moved on to the next bathroom. It was smaller than the first one that I visited but it looked exactly the same! Then I heard someone calling my name. I panicked. Who could it be? Wait, it sounded like my mom! “Mom, where are you?”

So I ran down the stairs, trying to look for my mom. As I was nearing the door, a black cat came running towards me. I screamed and run as fast as I can. “Ellie, wake up.” Then I woke up! It was all a dream! And I overslept!

Eliana is an eight-year-old girl who enjoys playing the piano and writing. She will be in grade four this September at St Anthony of Padua, Vancouver. She also enjoys reading chapter books, doing arts and crafts, and flying kites. One of her favorite movies is “Ralph Breaks the Internet”. Some of her favorite colors are gold, purple, and blue.

77 Well, it was all a dream! If you go inside a haunted house, what do you think your experience will be? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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By: Kelly Rong (14 years old)

My Surprised Hobby

As a child, I never really enjoyed reading, whether it was picture books, folktales, or fairy tales. While everyone else around me were drawn to stories, I could never get myself to actually enjoy it. I would always find myself getting bored and uninterested. It’s not that I hated reading, it’s just that there were always better things to do, things that I found fun, like going outside, drawing, playing with my friends, or watching TV. But reading was just never one of them, and it never occurred to me why some people would rather spend hours reading than playing outside.Itwas not until grade three when I began to discover this new hobby. We were assigned “Home Reading” where we had to read a book everyday and evaluate it based on our opinion of the book. I have done “Home Reading” before in grade two, but this time it was different because we had to start reading novels. The only difference between novels and picture books was that novels contain fewer pictures and the story is longer. Basically, more boring and dull. If I can’t even read a picture book without complaining, then how do I read a full novel everyday for the rest of the year?

After school, I told my mom about “Home Reading”. She took me to the library so I can pick out a book. I was reluctant at first, but I knew I couldn’t avoid it. So I went to the novels section and picked the book with the most interesting cover. I know that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it honestly looked like the most appealing and most interesting one out of all of them. So I took it home. I started reading. At first, the book wasn’t very exciting, just introducing the characters and the problem. The book I chose was called “Matilda”, and it was about a young girl who was really smart. She even taught herself to read. As I slowly read through each chapter, I realized that reading wasn’t that bad after all. The way the author delineated each scene was fascinating, and I was enthralled by the whole storyline. I was surprised that I was actually enjoying the book! After I finished “Matilda”, I went to the library to borrow more books from the same author. I really liked the author’s style of writing, so I started reading more and more books. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it. I started to see the fun side of reading. Reading eventually became one of my favorite hobbies.

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By: Erin Jill Salvador (10 years old)

Hidden Happiness During COVID-19 Pandemic

Happiness! Something I’ve been chasing for 4 months. It is not as dramatic as it sounds. I mean the happiness that can be found in my bedroom. I spend a lot of time in my bedroom/ work space, since Covid-19 pandemic happened.

Hello, nice to meet you! My name is Erin. Everyday, for the last 4 months since pandemic started, I constantly look around in my room, feeling a little bit frustrated, wanting to change every little piece of decor that I see. One day I said to myself “I am so tired of waking up every day and feeling lazy just because my room is messy”, when I want to feel peaceful and cozy. I decided to put my foot down and started my “Room Transformation Project”. Honestly, I have been preparing this for years, in my head. Finally, because of the pandemic situation, I now have time to spend into this time-consuming project and came up with the following steps: Step 1.) Find inspiration by looking at Pinterest. Pinterest is such a good website to find inspiration for decor, colour schemes, and so

81 much more! I have been using Pinterest for about 2 years and I know that a big percentage of my time is spend just looking at the pretty pictures to give me ideas on what I need to achieve my dream room.

The next step is something that I have been ignoring since I started this huge project which is Step 2.) Buying decor and furniture. I have been avoiding this because why would I want to spend an unnecessary amount of money on something that will only benefit my room for its prettiness. Hmmm, maybe I can do something about this, and the next thing I know is that I am working on the art and craft supplies that already I have on hand. Modestly aside, I think I have a talent in decorating that will not break my (mom’s) bank. Again, I browse through Pinterest, looking high and low for something that is easy to make, for free. “Gasp!”, I saw that I can actually make a shelf with just cardboard, glue and paint! I started working on the project, hoping that it’ll function, and honestly, I didn’t have high hopes because it’s just cardboard. Two hours later, it is finished. Although it didn’t look exactly as in the Pinterest, I am very happy with my product. It’s time for Step 3.) Clean up. Since I have started the project, I have collected a pretty substantial amount of garbage. I realize that it is time to stop procrastinating and deal with this right away. Since Pinterest is taking over my life (and I was lazy), it took me about a week to clean up my room, and Boy! It gives me so much pride! Now, it is time for-

Step 4.) Furniture. I didn’t want to buy any furniture because the storage room is beyond full. I used the furniture that I already have in my room and moved it around until it was to my expectations. And finally, the last step Step 5.) Decorate! Decorating is such a good way to put your personal touch to a room. There are so many colour schemes and decorations to add to a room to make it feel nice and cozy. Honestly, even after finishing my dream room, I still randomly change things here and there! You might think that it is unnecessary to clean and decorate your room because it will probably get messy again, but I tell you, it is really worth it! I promise. I have been in a better mood and more productive since waking up every morning! Therefore, my dear friends, you don’t need money to have an aesthetic personalized room, you just need some time, a little bit of effort and a lot of motivation to keep you going. I am so that glad that I have discovered my hidden happiness, even during this COVID-19 pandemic. Erin is in Grade 5, French Immersion Secondary School. A straight A’s student since Kindergarten, Erin is intellectually competitive and always working hard in both academics and extracurricular activities. She plays the piano and guitar, as well as dances and sings. She recently won 1st place for a song that she composed about Covid 19 Pandemic. She also won 1st place in the 2019 Richmond Music Festival.

“Wake up, wake up Jade! We’re going to be late for the first day of school!” said Jack. I jumped up and quickly changed out of my pyjamas, “Seriously, how unlucky to wake up late on the first day of school!”, I mumbled. I grabbed my backpack and biked to school with Jack. Finally, I reached my classroom and met my new teacher Ms. Amelia. She was teaching my least favourite subject, Math. A very long 1 hour and 30 minutes later and it’s time for recess! Ms. Amelia and I felt a gush of wind as all the kids raced out the door. Finally, something good is happening, recess is the best! I ran as fast as I could out the door. “Ouch!” I fell on my knees because my classmates trampled all over me. “Hahaha,” my brother at the end of the hallway laughing out loud. Everyone in the hallway started laughing too. “Could this day get any worse?” I whispered to myself. Ms. Amelia helped me get back on my feet. “You really got trampled by all those kids,” she said. “You see, everyone is really excited since it is the first day of school.” I nodded and smiled back at her. Then I found myself giggling with Ms. Amelia for a while, until I realized that recess is over and it’s time to get back to class. Back to

The Worst Day Ever!

By: Erin Jill Salvador (10 years old)

84 Math class, I was trying so hard to focus but I kept zoning out, then I heard Ms. Amelia announced, “Lunch Break!”. I quickly took out my lunch box, realizing that I did not eat breakfast or snack. I excitedly open my lunchbox, only to find out that it was grilled cheese and blueberries. I am so shocked! Did my parents forget that I’m lactose intolerant and that I’m allergic to blueberries? I thought to myself. I put my lunch back in my bag, disappointed and with my stomach gurgling like crazy.Lastlesson, Art. I did not snooze as bad as Math, but still pretty bad. I really tried to pay attention; I promise! Then, it’s time to start on my Art project, I picked up my pencil crayons, only to find out that all the pencil lead was broken. I tried to be positive and thought of another option. Yes, I have pastels! I immediately used the pastels but it messed up the paper. “Arghh, art is so hard! The first day of school is so hard!” I angrily said to myself. Finally, it’s time to head home. I found Jack and we got to our bikes and hurriedly biked home. “Today was the worst day ever!” I burst, as I ran upstairs straight to my room. My mom followed me and asked with her concerned voice, “Are you okay?” I shook my head while trying to hold my tears. “Was school that bad?” again with her soft voice. I balled my eyes out and sank my head on her shoulder. “Don’t be sad now. We cannot always have a perfect day. It is like doing a performance, when you try to make it perfect under pressure,

Erin is in Grade 5, French Immersion Secondary School. A straight A’s student since Kindergarten, Erin is intellectually competitive and always working hard in both academics and extracurricular activities. She plays the piano and guitar, as well as dances and sings. She recently won 1st place for a song that she composed about Covid 19 Pandemic. She also won 1st place in the 2019 Richmond Music Festival.

85 even if you messed up, you just need to learn how to get back up.” And we hugged in silence for a few minutes. Then I asked, “By the way mom, who packed my lunch?” “Oh, it was your brother, why?” said my mom. And then I found myself laughing.

By: Ethan Marcel Salvador Guin (15 years old)

“Don’t be late for the ceremony!”

“You bet I won’t!” I gleefully replied. Tomorrow marks the graduation for the Space Explorers program of 2056. My whole life led up to this moment, the moment I became a real astronaut. My father was an astronaut. He told me of the time when his group first discovered alien life, nothing like in sci fi or anything you could imagine. He told me the aliens weren’t tiny green big-headed men, or tentacle monsters or anything like that. When he met the aliens, he didn’t even know he met them. They were clouds of intelligence and information. They could communicate to you through your mind. Almost as if you were thinking what they were saying. We call them cirrus, and they live on a planet with enough gravitational force to hold them together. We could never bring the cirrus to Earth because the moment one stepped into a spaceship, it dissipates into nothing. My father said talking with one changed his life forever. He instantly learned of things that philosophers spent their lives looking for; and everyone who interacts with them becomes wise and knowledgeable. Trivial things stopped mattering to him, and he

A Dream for More

“Someone helps this young man up here; we don’t have all day,” the old man said slowly. When I regained my senses, I realized I wasn’t on the ship anymore. Oddly, it seems I was in some sort of a library, only it didn’t look like traditional, the shelves were of white marble, and it was lit with bright LEDs.

“You and your two friends here are on earth, well, not exactly your earth; no, only the best and the brightest live here. No such thing as

87 could see the bigger picture, on a universal scale, more. When he recited this story for the first time, I was hooked. Never in my life had I dreamed of something so bad. Immediately I applied for the space program, and out of 10 000 participants, I, along with 2 others, got accepted. Tomorrow will be the day I graduate and leave for the stars.

“Ready for lift off?” James asked me with a grin. “Oh, I was born ready,” I responded. I fastened my harness and set a course to our destination. Our third man, Henry, started counting down, “Five, four, three, two, one-” A sharp pain suddenly went coursing through my head. I tried to open my eyes but a bright light prevented me from looking. “Oh I wouldn’t open my eyes for at least a few minutes if I were you. Your brain is still trying to load your memories from the databank,” the voice of what seems to be an old man chuckled. “What did you just say?” I said, struggling to get out of my chair. The minute I stood up though, my body went crashing down to the cold hard floor.

88 those murderers and delinquents you may be desensitized to.” He puts his hand on my shoulder and urged me to walk with him. We sauntered into another room with screens displaying a live recording of everything and everyone on earth. It shouldn’t have been possible, but it was. And all this information gave me a headache. In my mind I slowly put together everything he said to me up till now, realization gradually hit me. “Wait, it's all a simulation?”Theold man smiled at me and patted my shoulder, “Always has been.”

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Ethan is in Grade 10, French Immersion Secondary School. He likes computer games (Minecraft), and has a natural talent of fixing electronics and assembling furniture. He also enjoys biking, basketball, badminton, and tennis. He is the only registered Ants keeper/seller in Richmond BC. He has also participated in the Tim Hortons Summer Camp in Alberta for 4 years.

Speaking of Kristen being childish, she was staring at the mascot of the orchard. The mascot was a cartoon apple eating another apple. “How fun it’ll be to eat yourself,” Kristen thought. She would have been staring at it for hours if Crystal did not call her over to pay for the tickets.As they gathered their buckets and bags and walked to the first apple tree, Kristen saw a big, juicy-looking apple hanging on one of the lower branches of the humongous tree.

By: Eliza Tian (9 years old)

Two twin sisters, Kristen and Crystal were going apple-picking in an orchard named Sweet Ville’s Sweet Apples. They were both 10 years old. Kristen was more childish than Crystal, who was more mature. They were now old enough to pick the best apples on their own.

“Wow!” Kristen said proudly, “Once I finish eating this apple, I would definitely be full!” Then she started climbing the tree. She did get a few bruises though. Meanwhile with Crystal, on the other side of the tree, she also

The Good-Looking Bad Apple

90 was climbing the tree and had picked a not-so-good looking apple with holes.

“Mommy!” Kristen yelled happily and excitingly to her mom. “Today I got a super-duper tasty apple!” “Really?” Did you share it with Crystal?” her mom answered, surprised. “No!” she yelled back, “But I didn’t taste it yet!” Her mom was slightly confused. “How could Kristen ‘know’ the taste before she even tasted it?” She wondered.

“Remember sweetheart, look what’s in the inside, not the outside.” Kristen and Crystal’s mother said. But it was too late. Kristen had already eaten the good-looking bad apple. “Yuck!” she spat at the sour apple.

“I may not be good at picking apples,” she sighed, “But at least I can try.” When Kristen saw Crystal’s ‘bad’ apple, she said, “WOW! You are so bad at picking apples. Look at my apple! It looks delicious and yummy while yours just looks BAD!!!” A few more hours ticked by. Then they left Sweet Ville’s Sweet Apples and returned back home. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” That was the noise Kristen and Crystal made when they knocked on their house’s door. The owner of the house opened the door. Before their mother could greet them, Kristen stood in the way.

“I think mom is right Kristen, you should never judge a book by its cover,” Crystal said. After that day, Kristen promised never to do the same mistake again.

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Eliza is currently a Grade 3 elementary student in Richmond BC. She likes reading and writing; and she is very good at both. Not only she loves reading fiction books, she also enjoys reading non-fiction books, which a lot of young kids do not like doing. In future, she hopes to travel to many places and write good articles about them.

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92 Fish Disaster

Hi, my name is Nest. I have been dying and waiting forever for someone to choose me because I don’t like the other fish in our ‘tank’. It’s not fair that the other fish have more plants, but our tank has nothing. We also don’t get a lot of treats. And there’s no space to move around!Plus my group eats all the food. Can the fish stop eating all the food? I hate it. My friend Pan also feels the same way. In fact, Pan said he is so hungry that he can eat a whole tank!

“Who are you? And why are you here?” Asked Pan, not really sure. “Back there they call me Shadow Ghost, black fish, or almost everything black,” Shadow Ghost replied.

One day, I heard the door bell! A bunch of kids and their parents were coming towards our tank. Then I saw the net come down and scoop me up. I also saw my friend Pan and another black fish got scooped out as well. Just like that!

By: Mattias Wan (9 years old)

The next thing we know we were already inside a car. The car ride was bumpy and long. 10 minutes later we were home and made a treaty with Shadow Ghost. 30 minutes later, Shadow Ghost, Pan, and I were set free. When the kid was dropping us into the tank I saw that we weren’t the only ones there. There were other fish too! There were three koi fish. The tank was huge. The tank was as big as the counter at the store. That’s a big tank especially made for the Koi fish. They are huge like giants.Afew days later the koi fish became a bully. Good thing that there were hiding spots for us, or else they would have eaten us. But the hiding spots are not always helpful because we still need to get out sometimes to eat and check on Shadow Ghost. What is unfair is that the koi fish only chase us but not Shadow Ghost. Sometimes I think they just want to scare us. “Today they only left three pieces of food for us,” said Pan. I ate one, Pan ate one, and we shared the last one. Did I mention that Shadow Ghost eats our poo so he is always at the bottom of the tank and never ran out of food? We know we can’t keep on hiding forever, but what can we do? Then I started noticing that whenever Shadow Ghost is around the koi fish they just swim away. So one day we asked Shadow Ghost if he can tell them to stop bullying us.

“Sure,” Shadow Ghost said. From that day on, the koi fish began to treat us nicely. Now I know that you should stand up and face your bully. And we all live happily ever after.

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Mattias likes reading, playing sports, and going outside. He also likes chess and typing. He wants to be a fish seller. He likes his family, community, and country.

95 Forgotten

By: Michelle Wan (10 years old)

I opened the door to find my mother yelling at me. “Who are you, and how did you get here?” She screamed. What is that about? I thought. “Hey, mom it’s me, your son James.” I said loudly as I went up the stairs. “What, my son? I have never seen you before.” My mom spat back. “Nice joke. What’s for breakfast?” I answered. “This isn’t a joke, I’m serious. Get out before I actually call the police.” This isn’t a joke? Seriously? “Okay, fine. I’ll go to McDonald’s to buy some breakfast.” I replied. So I rushed outside half heartily, hoping that my mom will chase after me. Surprisingly, she didn’t. Did she actually not remember who I am? The son she loved? “Okay, this has to be a cruel joke. Maybe she was just a little too good at acting?” I said, calming myself.

I fished out my money and paid for waffles. While I was waiting for my waffles, I saw my best friend, Miles, eating at a corner table. I went over and sat down on the empty seat besides him.

“Hey, Miles. How are you doing?” I asked him, eager to start talking about sports and video games.

“Who on earth are you? How did you know my name?” He replied, looking shocked. Am I forgotten? “You’re joking, right?” I asked hopefully. He blinked twice with a straight face. “OK, I’m leaving now.” He said, as he got up and eyed me suspiciously. Still confused, I walked out of the restaurant without taking my waffles. Today is Saturday, so there’s no school. My dad is working, so he can’t really prove that everyone has forgotten who I am. I wanted so badly to wake up from this bad dream. I walked home, went through the front door, and hoping that my mom confesses that this is all a prank. But she didn’t. So I left the house. Again. I passed by the mailbox, and I looked inside. An envelope was in there. I opened it out of curiosity.

“Dear James, if you are reading this, then it means that everyone has forgotten about you already. If you want their memory back, go to the factory right beside the bank. There you will find what you’re looking for. Sincerely, Your Friend.”

I was right. Everyone has forgotten about me. So I had no choice but to head to the factory. The sign says Power Equals Happiness. Okay, any factory that had such a weird name is definitely a trap. But I still wentTherein.was a lady in front who exclaimed, “Hello, welcome to Power Equals Happiness! And you are….?” “Umm, James,” I replied. “Oh, James. My boss is expecting you here, you’re a VIP! Go to the office on the second floor. My boss is waiting for you there.” She said elevator, and met a person. “Hi, it’s my first time here. What exactly is this factory?” I asked nervously. “I’m afraid that’s classified, sir.” He answered and got off on the second floor. So I followed him, and finally found the office room. I walked in. “Hello, James. Here for some memories?” came a deep, gruff voice. “Yes, I am looking for memories. Is there any way you can give my family and friends their memory of me back?” I asked, trembling in fear. “I’m afraid not, because I am the person who took them. This factory will ta…

excitingly.Iwenttothe

Now I was getting angry. “Give me back the memories!” I yelled at him.

“Prove that love is greater than power. Convince one person that he or she knows you then everyone will remember you.” He said. I stomped out of the factory and went back home. I wrote, “Dear Mom, I know you probably don’t believe me, but I want you to know that I will always be your son.” I folded it into an airplane and threw it through the window. Mom picked up the airplane, read it, then smiled and said, “I believe.”

The next day, everyone remembers me again. I decided to go back to the factory. So I went back but found out that it was destroyed. Turns out they were manufacturing illegal potions. Somehow, everyone drank it and I was the only one immune to it. So I guess I could say that I lived happily ever after.

Love is definitely greater than everything.

Michelle Wan loves reading books, enjoys writing, and adores cats and dogs. She wants to become an author someday. Her favourite book series is either Percy Jackson or Keeper Of the Lost Cities. She lives with her parents, a younger brother, her grandmother, and five fish.

C.S.I. Officer Max Scott and his partner detective Dawn Harvey were relaxing after they just solved a murder case. Little did they know that there is a big case heading their way. When they were having lunch, the telephone rang. “Ring, Ring, Ring!” “Hello, Springfield Agency,” said Dawn. “Hello, I’m Frank. There’s just been a robbery at HSC Bank. Can you help?”“Yes,sure, ok. We’re coming,” said Dawn. “Bye, ” said Frank. 7 minutes later, Dawn and Max were at HSC Bank. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here. The crook stole all the gold and diamonds in this bank without leaving clues.” Max said, “OK, we’ll try our best!” They searched all day and found no clues. At least they thought so. Suddenly, Dawn said, “I knew it!” “What did you find?” Max asked, confused.

The Crime at HSC Bank

By: Alpha Wong (10 years old)

When Max and Dawn drove Victor to the office, he was quiet. When Victor was settled in the office, he confessed everything.

“Quick, he’s in the abandoned subway station. We can catch him!” shouted Max. They thanked Frank and dashed to the station with their gear on. When they arrived, Victor was still injecting the gold. Dawn and Max shouted in unison, “Hands in the air.” Victor was so surprised that he immediately stopped what he was doing and surrendered. “That was easy!” mustered Max.

Sure enough, when they lifted the drain, there were splashes of gold everywhere. “But where did all the gold go?” asked Max. “Easy, just send one of our robotic snakes!” said Dawn. They sent a robotic snake down the drain. 5 minutes later, they found the culprit. “Victor McAlister!” They whispered at the same time. Victor was busy melting the gold and injecting liquid gold into diamonds!

“When everyone died in my family, I felt alone. Then, I got so poor that I had to beg. I thought that if I could sell gold and diamonds, I would get rich. Now, I’m going to jail.” Confessed Victor, sobbing.

“The thief must’ve melted the gold, and the gold slid down the drain right here,” said Dawn, gesturing to the drain. “Let’s see!” said Max.

“That’s priceless,” murmured Dawn.

100

The pair’s heart burst from happiness! “Thank you so much!” said the pair. “No, thank you!” said Frank.

Alpha is a ten year old boy who enjoys music and fishing. He is currently a grade 6 student at Richmond Christian School. The activity that he loves to do the most is spending time with his bird, Dawn. He likes reading mystery books, painting, building, and photography. He plays the violin. He is also a red belt in Tai Kwon Do.

“Yes! I can’t thank you enough!” Victor promised. After Victor left, they returned the gold and diamonds to the Bank. “I can’t thank you enough, so I guess you deserve at least a few of these beauties,” said Frank.

101

Max said, “How about we make a deal? We will supply you with everything you need until you get a job. But on one conditionyou must never steal again. Do we have a deal?”

Millionaire Boy Does Good Deed

Last week, I rode in my limo with my friends. They forced me, well not really ‘forced’, but more like encouraged me to help others instead of staying in and watching tv. “Sure,” I said. The next day, we went out again. This time we flew in my private jet (most luxurious one) and traveled to an island named Bog Nag. This is a place that has a lot of homeless people. We were going to help orphans, homeless people, and displaced families.

102

First, we went to an orphan shelter and volunteered to make them lunch. We also played some games and sang some music with the

By: Chris Wong (9 years old)

Hello, my name is Chris and I am a millionaire boy who wants to do good deeds. I live with my parents in a big modern building. Here is my story. *****

Chris is nine and lives with his brother, mother, and father. Chris loves biking at the bike park but the only thing that stops him is heights. He is afraid of heights. Chris also loves to drive his small boat, play lego, and go to the beach. Chris likes adventures.

103 orphans. After several hours, we left. Before leaving, I gave the orphan shelter money so they could buy materials to use at the shelter. Next, we volunteered at a homeless center for teenagers. We did the same thing as we did at the orphan shelter. We played sports and did some hands on activities. I also gave the shelter some money for their future operation. They thanked us as we left. We were on our way back to the airport. As we walked towards my private jet, I asked if there were other shelters that are in dire need of assistance. The local contact told us a few more. Change of plan. We went to a bank and instructed the bank manager to transfer some funds to two food banks and five schools. Then we were on our flight home, comfortably seated and rested. After we landed, we went back to my limo. At home, I just realized that I am one of the lucky ones. But not everyone is as lucky as me. Since then, I decided to donate to schools, food banks, homeless shelters, and orphan shelters.

104

By: Jessie Woo (15 years old)

As I gazed at the stars scattered across the inky sky, one of the thousands caught my eyes. It shined brighter than the others, and I felt like it’s calling out to me. I was attached at the moment to that beaming star. Suddenly, the bright star disappeared into the darkness, sending a slight shiver down my body. ‘It left!’ I sighed. It vanished and dimmed the entire sky suddenly. I wonder why it happened. I closed my eyes, my body sank into the uncut, cool grass, letting my thoughts wander. But that particular moment kept rewinding over and over again in constant circles. ‘The star is gone. ALL the stars are disappearing.’ A voice within whispered in my mind. As my mind slowly drowned in that dark thought, my body got carried away by the chilly breeze passing by into a dream. “Open your eyes!” I heard a voice echo from a distance. But I couldn’t open my eyes,...or were they already opened. I put my freezing hands to my face, determining if my eyes were closed, or if I was standing among pitch black. I was right, my eyes were indeed opened, and there was not even a single source of light.

Stars in the Dark

‘Where are the stars, did they disappear just like that star?’ I was confused, walking around in the plain black space, feeling around with my shaky hands, hoping to find a star. My heart sank further into my shivering body as I reached out, hoping to touch a star.

‘A Star!’ I said to myself with delight. Triumph and joy took over my body, head to toe. I was not walking in pitch black, I was not alone. I embraced the star, feeling the warmth and comfort of its existence. The presence of the star lightened up the setting, and I didn’t feel trapped in pitch black anymore, where none of the stars watched over me from the above.

“How could you leave me?” I exclaimed, holding the star tight to my chest, afraid that it would once again take off, leaving me back in the wicked darkness.

“Over here, lost soul!” a warm welcoming voice whispered, stopping me from proceeding further into the darkness. The calming voice once again said, “Over here! Over here!” I felt the voice guided me towards it, like I was the lost sheep and the voice was the shepherd. Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared upon my presence, taking me by surprise.

“Where are the stars?” I asked, hoping for an answer. Dead air! It became awfully silent, and I began to have the feeling of being trapped, like in a small box, blocking me from any source of light.

105

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106

‘I didn’t leave you. Have you looked at the thousands of other stars scattered around me?’ the star said, its voice once again spreading warmth. I looked into the bright star, squinting my eyes from the beaming lights, and I suddenly understood. The star would never leave me, and I finally realized that it would always watch over me from above the sky wherever I go. ‘Wake up!’ a voice said over and over again. I noticed that I went into a deep slumber in the meadows the whole time. But when I looked up to the sky, I gasped and my eyes widened from what I was seeing at the moment. The moon shone brighter than ever, and the stars beaming across the sky had multiplied into thousands more. I heard the voice of the star once again in my mind, ‘You’ll never be alone in the dark because there's always stars in the dark.’

Jessie Woo, 15, lives in Richmond, BC along with her parents, sister and two pet guinea pigs. She loves to draw, read, and hangout with her friends. Jessie’s favourite book is ‘One of Us is Lying’ by Karen McManus. Jessie hopes to write more short stories in the future inspired by her thoughts and creativity.

An owl hooted, then a cricket chirped. I restlessly tossed in my bed of leaves. This cozy cave in the forest is my home since my parents had abandoned me when I was 9. Reflecting on that memory made me want to Luckily,blub.

Beyond the Ravine

I had read a couple of articles on how to survive in the wild though. I started spying on the nearby village. I learned their lifestyle and I admitted that I am a burglar. Thanks to a risky adventure of stealing a blacksmith’s bow and a couple of arrows, now I was able to hunt

Withfresh-kill.theposition of the moon, I knew that it was about midnight, actually 1:00am to be exact. Normally I would have already been in deep slumber, but I could feel something nagging me to visit the ravine tonight. I got up and looked out through the tangly thin vines sparsely covering the gaps of my cave. Since I couldn't sleep, this should be the perfect time to go out on a nighttime adventure, I reassured myself. I quickly packed my bow and arrow into a pouch, together with a torch and an axe. I excitedly bustled to the entrance of the cave, dragged the huge stone door aside,

107

By: Kelly Woo (11 years old)

Skipping lightly along the woods with my torch dimly shining. I finally stopped by the edge of the ravine that no one had ever crossed. I looked down at the dark and menacing gaping holes of the ravine and wondered what was beyond. Thick bushy pine trees blinded me of what possibly could be. With all my might, I climbed up a pine tree and tried to peer across to the other side.

Well, it was a raw deal, I could see nothing through. Settling down on a branch of the tree, I gazed longingly in the sky. Fireflies twinkled around me like billions of stars, as I watched the peaceful scene of a bird taking off into the eerie night sky.

No matter how relaxed I was, that urging feeling seemed to engrave inside me permanently. I never had this feeling before, my soul kept on nagging me to visit the other side of the ravine. I was about to climb down the tree in an attempt to go back home and sleep, but then I noticed a long vine hanging down from the tree. Instantly, crazy idea struck in my mine, this prolonged vine might possibly fly me to the other side. I grasped the vine, it was nice and tough. Could I hold on tight enough to make it to the other side without plummeting down into the ravine.

108 and quickly tied up my thick, brown wavy hair with a long, stretchy piece of grass. Then I securely pushed the boulder back in place and I was ready to take off.

Excitement was building up in me, like a wave tide threatening to overflow out of my body. Finally, I pushed myself up and took one timid step, then another. I was now beyond the bushy trees that lined the edge of the ravine. Speechless, a big clearing was in my way and there stood a humongous rock. Countless animals lined the clearing as if waiting for me. Without second thought, I strode up onto the rock like the LionSuddenly,King. the rock plummeted and I fell down and down to a never ending black hole. Squeak, squeak! I abruptly woke up in my pile of leaves. Sweat was dripping down my neck and my heart was pounding hard, almost leaped out of my body.

Did I dare? Of course I did! With little hesitation, I wrapped the long twisting vine around my body securely. I put my right hand tight around the vine and took a deep breath, then I pushed off the branch with my left hand. I felt the cool wind rushing by, my sweaty hands grasped the vine so tight that I thought my fingernails would slice right through it. I daringly opened my eyes trying not to miss out on any stunning view. The next second, my destination was right ahead. Thump! Plop! I stumbled a little as I landed on the soft grass. I gently unwrapped the vine from my waist, saving it for my return trip.

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Kelly Woo is an 11 year old girl who lives in Richmond, B.C. Kelly enjoys playing violin and piano, and also likes learning new Math skills. Her favourite author is Erin Hunter, who inspires her a lot through her “Warriors” series. Kelly is very fortunate to live with a caring family that provides her with all the love and support she needs.

110

All I saw was a furry creature scrambling under my rustling leaves.What a dream, I sighed!

A ZOOM Meeting

111

By: Max Yang (13 years old)

It’s the year 2020, and Covid-19 has taken over the world. Everyone has locked themselves in their dwellings, and only leave when necessary. The world was in dark times, and life was quite challenging. The future looked bleak, but we have to give it our all. Hi! My name is Maxy Boi, and I am preparing for a zoom meeting that is supposed to happen soon. We aren’t allowed to leave our houses, which means we all have to learn online. I opened my dusty computer and joined the meeting. I took a look at my class, and nobody seemed very attentive to the teacher. We were talking about the recent weekend’s events, and what had happened. “Did you hear that the virus had mutated again?” A classmate whispered in a concerned voice. “It can be lethal to anyone who gets infected with 20 minutes!” “It can’t be that bad”, said another classmate in a naive tone. “Most of these things are just rumours.”

After a short while, the class finally decided to calm down. We were learning math today. I thought we were going to learn something new like calculating acceleration and velocity, but we ended up just doing simple algebra instead. The tedious class went on for about thirty minutes, and I thought we were finally going to do something ratherSuddenly,interesting.Ifelt a chill in the air. I had an unsteady feeling. I decided to check the news. Turns out I was right, there was some terrible news. The government said that in five minutes, the internet will be shut down, and it won’t be back for a while. I was nervous. I wondered what I was going to do. This meant that there won’t be any zooms, and there won’t be any communication between any of my friends.Iinformed everyone on the zoom. No surprise, they were all shocked! Many people started panicking, while others went quiet. I told them that we had to find a way to stop this, no else the next few days will be trivial. Although I acted calm, I was panicking in my mind. I could not fathom why the government would do this. After a bit of thinking, I came up with a risky idea. My friends and I decided to put on all of our protective gear and head to the government’s building. This trip might be the end of us, but we had to give it our all. We decided to meet at an abandoned McDonalds near our houses, and plan our strategy. We had to find a way to somehow

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113 sneak into the building and convinced them to not shut the internet down.We had to be careful on the way there. We tried to avoid contact with as many people and objects as we can. After ten minutes, we finally made it there. The government building had lots of security, and it was hard to get past. Whether it was the bodyguards, the security cameras, or the traps placed around the building, we eventually got past and made it inside. The air was damp, and there was only one person there. Turns out that he was responsible for shutting down the internet. It took guts, but we walked up to him and asked him not to shut down the internet. Obviously, he said no and told us to get out of the way. My friend who played CSGO just realized that he isn’t shutting down the internet, but he’s planting a bomb! Without hesitation, we charged at the bomb and tried to defuse it. Little did we know that the bomb was already planted, and it was about to explode in three seconds. 3… 2… 1... KABOOM!!!! Suddenly, I woke up. Turns out it was all a dream and the Covid19 was just a dream too. I checked my phone, and it said. Email: 1 notification. “Zoom Meeting at 10 am! Meeting ID: 123-456-7890, Password: 12345.”

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Now I’m wondering, was everything all a dream, or is everything I’m experiencing right not real...

Max is a 13 year old boy who is going to grade 8 in September 2020 at Vancouver College. He loves math, sports, video games, and hanging out with friends. Max's hopes and dreams for the future are making it through high school. Writing is not one of Max's strong points but somewhat tries to improve.

Project ‘Earthy Mars’

By: Besty Ye (12 years old)

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A few decades ago, they said that humans will be able to live on Mars. It is now 2045, and I am in the first group of test subjects for the project: ‘Earthy Mars’. The project in which astronauts and scientists try to make it possible for humans to live on Mars by using abandoned children for experimentations. I, along with two other neglected teenagers, were going to stay on Mars for 9 months, and see what would happen to us. No one knew for sure if we’d make it back alive. In fact, they were pretty much positive that we would not. We were unwanted for any other purpose, we were constrained to be humanity’s guinea pigs. ***** It had been over half a year, when the time I fretted over most finally came. I was enjoying the view of nebulae and stars when an unsympathetic supervisor with a poker face came over to me and ruined my mood. He came to notify us, the guinea pigs, that we would be arriving shortly and that we should prepare. When he said prepare,

116 we were all well aware that he not only meant to be physically prepared, but also mentally. We could die anytime without anyone knowing. We could die without knowing why… … The time had come. We will blindly walk into an unfamiliar environment completely unarmed and defenceless, with unfamiliar creatures and organisms hiding behind the curtains of darkness, peeping out, watching our every step. No one ever told us what we were supposed to do if an unexpected situation occurred. We walked around Mars’ surface to find a flatter place to settle down. The astronauts helped set up our base and propped up some cameras to keep us under surveillance, and left us three teenagers alone. They left us alone in a foreign place, with no one around to help us. No one to help us when we are in danger, no one to help us when we are in need of help. We were to live in an unknown place for three quarters of a year. They would watch us from the spaceship, miles away. They wanted us to experiment doing different things to see whether or not it is suited for Mars. For the first experiment, the scientists gave us some seeds and animals for us to try to make a plant farm and an animal farm. I have no idea how they expected us to do that, but apparently they left us with step-by-step instructions. In the process of transferring the animals to the pens, a chubby and extremely round pig escaped. The three of us set off to find the pig

117 with a drone used specifically for finding things. The drone caught the live footage of a black gas blob floating towards it, magically holding carrots on a rod. The pig was led by the blob to a cave, and devoured the carrot. While the pig was deliciously chomping on the carrot, the most unexpected thing happened. The gas blob slithered into the pig’s mouth while it was eating, and possessed the pig. The cute pink piggy turned dark red and demonic with a murderous vibe flowing throughout the body.Thescreen froze, and the next second, they were gone. They teleported right in front of us. Suddenly a dozen gas blobs appeared out of nowhere and surrounded us. I was petrified. In all my life, and I had never seen such a thing before not even in movies. The pig slowly came towards us, furious. Seeing that we were surrounded by all these blobs, we figured that we intruded into their territory. But what could we do about it? There was no way out. Before we could decide, the satanic pig charged at me, hitting my lower legs and knocking me over. He scooped me up onto his back, and catapulted me high above the ground. I blacked out before I felt any impact.

When I woke up, I was alone, floating in the middle of nowhere. It was all darkness and quiet with a ray of light beaming in front of me. I went through it and blacked out once again. This time, I rebirthed as a

Besty Ye enjoys learning new things on sunny days, and track and field on cloudy days. Her favourite genres are thriller, science fiction, action adventure, and mystery/crime. Besty also likes listening to music and discovering new TV series. She is going to grade 8 in September, and is super excited about meeting new friends.

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baby in a place that looked just like the base from when I was a teenager. But this time, there were many people, and everything about the place was more pleasant.

During my last trip to China, I learned that swimming and dumplings mix, just in a strange way. It was one of those extremely hot summer days that just made people lethargic. In my subconsciousness a little voice was nagging me about my listlessness, but it was too faint for me to really hear. Just as I was about to doze off again, my dad came in and his voice matched the one in my head.

“No worries, we can go swimming at the public pool!” He replied, triumphantly like a winner. Eventually, I succumbed to his enthusiasm and authority.Compared with the infinite heat waves outside, the airconditioned lobby of the swimming pool was paradise. But my dad was frowning and shaking is head. I looked towards the pool, shocked to find that each lane had literally 20 people in it. That vivid picture screaming “don’t come in!”.

Swimming and Dumpling

“We should do some exercise today!” He said passionately, as if everyone was as sporty as him.

“No…,” I protested lazily yet with firmness. “I don’t want to. It’s too hot for running, and I’m feeling tired already.”

By: Alaina Zhang (12 years old)

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After our initial surprise, we both knew there was no point going in the pool.Wewent home, disappointed and weary. I ran straight to the bathroom to wash my face free of sweat. As I headed back to the living room, I caught bits of things like “dumplings” and “pots” in the conversation between mom and dad. Dumplings? Please NO. “What are you guys talking about?” I asked anxiously. “Oh,” my dad said, giving me a wink, “I was just talking about how those people in the swimming pool looked like dumplings in a pot!” “Phew!” I said. “For a second I thought we were having dumplings for dinner again!”

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My First Ever LessonSwimming

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One sunny afternoon, I sat at the edge of the glimmering pool, watching as adults and kids splash around. The sun was particularly bright that day. The water was like a piece of silk, sliding away as you try to grab it. The urge of trying was pushing me closer and closer to the dangerous water. As I was about to dip my toe into the cool water, hesitation suddenly washed through me. With the fear running through my veins, ‘I can’t do this’, I thought. So I slowly returned back to the seat along the edge of the pool. My gaze focused on people’s happy faces again, and their laughter hugged me in. I was jealous and also pitied myself for being so weak. I slowly got carried away in my own little world, not noticing when an elbow landed on my back, sending me straight into the pool. When I

By: Tiffany Zhu (12 years old)

When I was four, swimming to me was an extremely difficult sport that I absolutely fear. The reason to this is because I hate water and, of course, swimming is all about the water.

122 finally came to focus, the scene that appeared before my eyes surprised me. I held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. My heart raced as I counted silently, one… two… three… four… Before I reached five, the water carried me to the surface. With the sky above and the water below, I felt a sudden rush of relief. I start to paddle with my hands and kicked the water with my feet. When I finally reached the edge of the pool, I took a deep breath, taking in the cool breeze and the scent of the water. Everything around me became so much clearer. After that crazy accident, I learnt that nothing will happen to you if you never try. Life is all about trying new things. I have to thank the person who ‘pushed’ me to face my fear. Because of him, I not only found swimming exciting, but I also moved on and started trying more new things.

No author’s bio

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124 A collection of original poems by Isabelle Chan, Fear Jason Chan, Bonds Jason Chan, Perspective Micah Da Costa, Orangutan Adheem Imran, Nature Inaayah Imran, A Blessing and a Curse Andrea Lachica, Claiming Time Jeremiah Lam, The Gift Verik Li, Essentials Abdullah Naeem, Crisis Aaren Sze, To Rhyme or Not To Rhyme Andrew Sze, Violin Isabella Ngan, Living and Dying Mattias Wan, Nature Michelle Wan, Books Autumn Woo, Corona Summer (Through the Eyes of an 8 Year Old) A collection of original short stories by Francis Chan, Mother Knows Best Isabelle Chan, Deja Vu Kathy Chen, Water Adheem Imran, The Gaming Fight Inaayah Imran, A Hunter’s Karma Lorenzo Lachica, The Red Dot on the Dot Jeremiah Lam, The Mysterious Pedals Neil Long, Zombies Tony Lu, Stand Up! Jolin Ma, The Letter Emma Martinez, Am I Going to be Okay? Isabella Ngan, A Messed Up Audition Eliana Pe, A Haunted House Kelly Rong, My Surprised Hobby Erin Jill Salvador, Hidden Happiness During COVID-19 Pandemic Erin Jill Salvador, The Worst Day Ever! Ethan Marcel Salvador Guin, A Dream for More Eliza Tian, The GoodLooking Bad Apple Mattias Wan, Fish Disaster Michelle Wan, Forgotten Alpha Wong, The Crime at HSC Bank Chris Wong, Millionaire Boy Does Good Deed Jessie Woo, Stars in the Dark Kelly Woo, Beyond the Ravine Max Yang, A ZOOM Meeting Besty Ye, Project ‘ Earthy Mars’ Alaina Zhang, Swimming and Dumpling Tiffany Zhu, My First Ever Swimming Lesson www.sfacanada.com 604.285.3835