Eclipse
Poem
By Gus O’Neil
The solar eclipse, once in a lifetime event
The day turns into night birds sing
The sun and the moon hold hands for four minutes, of darkness and shadow,
The light becomes cycles of light,
As all the lines in the sky, are projected to the ground,
As all the animal’s gawk,
And I can’t feel my eyes, I may go blind, I hope I can see the sun, A beautiful massacre of light.
The Eclipse
By Sam Gutierrez
The eclipse
Hovering high in the sky
Turns day to night
Casts its big shadow down on us
Light fades away as darkness creeps in Bats begin to fly crickets begin to chirp
As the moon and sun align
Let the eclipse come as the sun and moon become one
by Zoe Potter-Gamage
Prologue
A crash woke the alarmed sailor from his unconsciousness. Memories flooded his mind. A nice lunch turned into a disaster. He remembered an unnatural force that shook the sailboat and heard humming coming from behind him. A large metal item had been thrown at the back of his head, deeming him unconscious. The memories were too much for him. He looked around, head throbbing. The sky was dark. It had been several hours since he got hit. The humming got louder and louder until he could feel it in his bones. A tall figure stood over him and whispered,
“Crash the boat and I will save you or you die now,” growled the woman as her long cloak swayed in the wind. The humming had stopped as she waited for the sailor’s answer.
“Who are you?” asked the sailor, getting to his feet shakily.
“That does not matter. Answer me,” she said as she drew her dagger.
“C-crash the boat. Spare me!” begged the sailor.
The figure raised her hands to the sky and started chanting. When she finished, the sailor felt his boat sinking ever so slowly. The figure threw a metal object at his head and he collapsed, leaving the figure to take him away from the old boat. The last thing he remembered was getting thrown into another boat and the boat somehow speeding away.
Aldith and Lenna
A gust of wind followed Aldith’s arrow as it flew straight towards the fading mark of the target. A satisfying ‘thwunk’ followed.
“I can’t believe you can get bullseye!” Lenna cheered from the old wooden boards.
“My aim has gotten a lot better,” said Aldith, reaching for her other arrows. “Do you want to practice? I can show you. Also thank you for this. It was the best fourteenth birthday gift yet!”
“I saw it from the traders last year and I knew it was for you,” said Lenna. But in regards to practicing, I’m good,” Lenna said cautiously. “It seems dangerous.” She shifted uneasily. “Do you want to go to the docks and throw rocks into the water? I have a new place I want to show you,” asked Lenna.
Aldith nodded and they walked side by side, talking about the ocean and the boats that would be there. They passed Lenna’s home and her mother called out the window.
“I just got news from the town,” she shouted. “A small sailboat sank mysteriously and there was no sailor on it. A lot of people are by the docks looking for the sailor.” This was not strange. The waters were known to be treacherous and a lot of boats had sunk. Lenna nodded to her mom and walked away.
Lenna thought to herself, Why would anyone go there, especially if it was a sailboat? The water is dangerous. Lenna started obsessively wondering about many theories of what happened. Aldith had seen a cat and had gone to pet it.
“What did your mom say? Did the traders finally come?” said Aldith. The town had been waiting for the traders to come for months.
“No, there was a strange boat that sank. Most of the town is by the docks and there was no sailor on the
boat,” said Lenna. “Now there is more reason to go to the docks,” she continued.
A cat strolled over while meowing and cuddled against her leg, getting gray fur on Lenna’s black tights.
“Very well then,’’ exclaimed Lenna, rising to her true height. “Then let’s go to the docks.”
The dock was not a long walk if they took their special shortcut. Aldith and Lenna had been friends forever and they did everything together. They had made a special way to get to the docks when they first were allowed They went through the forest in the back of Aldith’s father’s house and walked till they got to a tree that they tied a rope to and it was a thick thing of rope that they tied a stick to to use a kind of a zipline into the dockman’s station. He was an old man, almost always asleep, there were no windows in the back and so they could easily sneak in. On most days, there were little to no people at the docks. They walked over to see a crowd of townspeople squished up against the pier.
Aldith and Lenna got through the crowd and they looked over at the water. They didn’t see anything but the ground lightly vibrated for a few seconds and then disappeared. Aldith looked to her left and saw a sign that read Winner of trivia night gets a free scuba diving trip to explore the sunken boat. Tell Ed the bartender if you want to join. This had been scrawled on a piece of cloth and hung up. Aldith straightened the sign out and exclaimed “Lenna! We should join!”
“That sounds fun,” said Lenna. But are you sure that we should scuba dive? It sounds risky. Do you remember the stories?” Lenna whispered, her voice tight with caution.
“Of course I remember the stories,” said Aldith. “I am scared of the dragons but we are kids, there is no way we would win the trivia. We should at least give it a try,” said Alsith, hoping she would get to explore.
“I guess,” sighed Lenna. They began walking toward the bar, looking for Ed. Lenna turned around and saw someone in a long black cloak look at the trivia sign. The figure’s cloak moved from side to side, as if checking on something. The figure walked away and the sign was gone. Lenna looked at Aldith and they shrugged and continued walking.
“I wonder who that was,” said Aldith, kicking a rock in front of her.
“We should consult Ed when we see him,” Lenna said nervously. “That person seemed creepy. Wait. Do you think that they will be at the trivia place?”
“I don’t know,” said Aldith as she ran ahead. “But there is no reason to worry.” Lenna sighed and caught up with Aldith who had slowed for her. They ran off to find Ed, not worrying about anything at all.
“What types of questions do you think there will be?” asked Aldith excitedly.
“I hope there are some about geography,” said Lenna. They arrived at the door of the bar and knocked.
“Come in,” a scratchy voice said. The door squeaked as it opened. Ed was standing behind the bar, wiping down the tables with a rag. “Are you two here for the trivia contest? I haven’t gotten anyone else,” said Ed.
“Yes!” exclaimed Aldith.
“Alright then, meet me here tonight at eight o’clock. If it’s just you guys, both of you would go on that trip,” he said excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to go scuba diving,” Ed said dreamily.
“It sounds scary,” said Lenna. “ But I have always loved the ocean.” They talked back and forth for a while and then waved to Ed, leaving the bartender to figure out who else should come to the contest.
Later that night, Aldith and Lenna left their houses and met by the bar. “Are you ready?” exclaimed Aldith, pumping her arms.
“I sure hope so,” said Lenna. “Do you think anyone else joined?”
“I kind of want some competition,” siad Aldith. They opened the creaky door once again and there was the cloaked figure from earlier sitting at the bar, drinking ale. The figure had a long, elegant chestnut braid. Aldith and Lenna looking at each other, thoughts spiraling. Lenna was deep in thought, why is the person here? Why did she want to take the sign? Was it a misunderstanding or did she do it trying to sabotage us somehow? The figure slammed the glass down, her drink spilling slightly.
“Hello,” she said eerily. She spoke in a strange accent that was familiar to both of them. Her bright purple eyes flashed in the dimness of the bar. “I would assume you are my competition.”
“Yes ma’am,” said Aldith bravely. “I have not seen you before, are you one of the traders? I need to get a few things from them this year.”
“I am not a trader, I have come on a recent boat, about a week ago,” she replied. “Are you two ready for a trivia master? Don’t worry though, I will go easy on you.”
“We are ready,” said Lenna quietly, stepping forward. The door creaked yet again, revealing Ed, holding a large book.
“I have the old trivia book,” said Ed, heaving it onto the old oak table. “Hello,” Ed said to the stranger, reaching his hand out for a handshake. She in turn, stuck her gloved hand out, and they shook hands. “The name’s Ed. I run this place,” he said.
“Greetings Ed, you can call me Ivy.” Ed shuffled around, getting the scoreboard and questions set.
“Alright,” Ed said. “Those two are Aldith and Lenna. The rules for the game are simple. I will give you a question and whoever answers first gets a point. Aldith and Lenna, you have to split up and the top two get to go on a trip with me tomorrow.” Ed finished. “First question, who was the great ruler of the sea?” Ivy’s hand shot up after a split second of hesitation.
“Queen Izzmay,” she said confidently.
“Correct! Said Ed. “Aldith is almost coming in for the point but Ivy gets it first!”
Lenna had gotten distracted. Who is this person? At least second place gets to go on the trip. Her eyes are so purple, kind of like Aldith’s lavender eyes. But who knows that much about Plactantia? She continued with her thoughts yet again as the other two battled for first. About half an hour later, the contest was over leaving the score at where Aldith and Ivy were to go on the trip. Lenna was close behind Aldith, but Aldith got second. Aldith and Lenna went home, spirits high, and got ready for the next day.
“Rise and shine,” Aldith’s father said. “Are you ready for your big day?” He asked. Aldith sat up and yawned. Aldith’s mother had left when she was an infant and she lived with her dad.
“I think so,” Aldith said. Why am I so nervous? She thought. I am usually so brave, but why am I so scared? Oh, Ivy will be there. I don’t trust her.
“Tell me all about it when you get back,” her father said. “When I was small, I had always wanted to go diving.” He left the room, allowing her to get changed into her leather outfit. She looked in the mirror once more, hoping that she would find anything.
Lenna knocked on Aldith’s front door waiting for her. “Are you excited? I am going to watch from the docks.”
“Yes, but what about Ivy? She seems strange,” Aldith asked.
“I think she will be fine,” replied Lenna. They walked through their secret way toward the docks. They got to the top of the zipline hill and the sun was rising above the white capped water. It was a beautiful day.
They were early, no one was at the docks. They went down the zipline, and sat on the rocky beach by the water.
“I think you can see me when I get back above water,” said Aldith. “The crash was right there…” She pointed towards the sea, her memory of the crash fresh in her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, Aldith saw Ivy and Ed walking toward the docks. “Let’s go, Aldith, it’s time.” They got up from the rocks and slowly walked over to Ed and Ivy.
“Alright,” Ed said gruffly. “I have the boat and the gear. I think we are all ready to go.” There was a smallish sailboat tied to the pier. Everyone but Lenna climbed in. Ed started the engine as Aldith waved to Lenna. They sped off. Aldith was right, Lenna thought. I can still see them. It was slightly windy so Ed dropped the anchor and talked with them.
“Get your gear on like this,” Ed said, putting his on. “Then you jump in the water and start diving. Luckily, the water is still shallow, so it won’t be a problem gettin back up. Meet back in like twenty minutes,” He finished. They silently got ready and Aldith looked up after she was done. She looked for the docks to see Lenna. Lenna waved and gave two thumbs up. Aldith was ready. After just a moment of hesitation, she plunged in, going down. She saw the boat, which was not decayed yet. She saw no one, and looked around shivering. The water was known to be very cold. Despite the temperature, she plunged farther down. She went to the sand, and found an old bottle. She went back up for a quick breath and went back down. There was still no sign of Ed and Ivy.
Where could they be? Lenna thought. They could have just gone back down. I should find them and show them the bottle. She thrust herself into the cold water again, in search of Ed and Ivy. She got to the opposite side of the boat. The sight startled her. Ivy had Ed tied up underwater. Aldith pulled herself away, trying to swim back up.
Ivy swam up behind her, tying her down like Ed. she saw the sky coming near her. Ivy had brought them above water. Once they got on a boat, they got hit with a large metal object. The last thing Aldith heard was the start of an engine. She could not do anything.
Lenna
Lenna looked toward the boat longingly. What is happening? She thought. It has been hours and she has not come up. People are starting to worry. Most people had come to the docks, waiting for their arrival. Night creeped forward, the sky got dark.
“Can I stay out here?” Lenna begged.
“Of course,” said her mother. “But come back in an hour.” Lenna nodded shakily. It had been a long day. Her mother walked away towards their house. Lenna got up and moved to the water, taking off her shoes. Where could she be? She thought, going deeper into the water soaking the bottom half of her pants. She felt a fish brush up against her leg. She looked down to see something not like a fish, but like a serpent. She stepped back, her head throbbing like something was prying open her mind. She sat down on the rocks again and breathed in and out. She felt something in her mind, causing her to bolt up and look at the serpent. It looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. Lenna waited until she heard a voice in her head.
I have been waiting for you, said the voice. Lenna looked back and forth and finally at the thing. It was
Aldith
about eight feet long and blue.
Can you hear me? Thought Lenna. Wait. Are you a sea dragon? My parents have told me many stories about your kind.
I am. It thought. And I know what happened to your friend. How can you know? Lenna thought.
I was there. Said the voice. I can help you. What can I do? Were you there? Lenna thought. You have to find her. I know where she is. I can guide you. On Plactantia island. I have witnessed several kidnappings. The dragon hid behind a rock and it swam over to Lenna
But how can I trust you? Lenna thought. For all I know, you might be a spy for Ivy. You can trust me because I was there and I need help. My friend got captured too.
No! What was their name? Well, it actually seems I don’t know yours. I’m Lenna. Her mind drifted, thinking of Aldith.
Sea dragons do not adopt names unless they meet a companion. My friend has no name as far as I know I know the kidnapper probably named her. The dragon swam closer to the shore as Lenna stood up.
I think I can trust you. I would do anything to rescue her. Lenna said, coming near the dragon. Alright, I will get ready to leave. My great great grandfather was an adventurer. My mother will hopefully understand. Can I meet you somewhere tomorrow where no one can find us?
Meet me by the stream with the willow and swing. You will know where. It swam away, its mind drifting away with the echoes of departure.
Lenna stood up, shaking. A day ago, her friend won a contest and now she was gone. It was up to her to make sure she was not gone forever. When both Lenna and Aldith were young, they were told stories with dragons from the sea. They had gone extinct once humans hunted them for their scales. Their scales were known to be the toughest of any animal. One was real, and she was the only one who knew it. She walked around, the bright moon casting shadows from above. Once she got home, her mom had fallen asleep. Lenna brought a mug of tea to her room and slowly sipped it before crashing on her bed, asleep.
Aldith
Aldith awoke on a metal cot, thoughts bombarding her mind. She was chained, in a large cell. She looked to her left, which was a wall and to her right, and saw two empty cots in the space. The room was damp, and made entirely out of stone. If anyone tried to escape it would’ve been heard instantly I might never see Lenna agin. Does she know what happened? Who else is here and why would Ivy need us? She heard a shuffling and saw Ivy bring a cot in, and exit. A few minutes later she walked in again, this time with a handcuffed boy about her age. She laid him down and took a metal pole that was hung and smashed his head. His eyes fluttered closed. Ivy looked over everyone else. Aldith was too late. Ivy saw Aldith staring at her. Ivy marched toward her with the metal pole. Aldith flinched, but before she knew it, the cold metal hit her head again, with the last thought drifting through her mind. Lenna, rescue me.
got up and got dressed to go see the dragon. Lenna walked out the door, grabbing an old piece of fruit from the bowl she had weaved when she was three. Lenna shook off the sad thought as she got up and opened the door, awaiting her next adventure.
Lenna walked the special path to get to the willow pond. She knew it by heart. Once she walked there, the familiar sensation entered her mind.
Hello. Thought the dragon.
How was your night? Thought Lenna as she walked toward the voice of thoughts. She took her worn shoes off and stepped into the pond, the sand and mud swirling around her ankles.
It was wonderful, the thunder was quite refreshing. The ocean thrives on the storms.
Are we still set on departing tomorrow? Lenna thought nervously.
Yes. I do not want to risk anything happening to them. My friend was captured a few days ago and I needed someone to help me get her back.
Alright, Thought Lenna. How do we get onto Plactantia island unnoticed?
I can swim and stay in contact with you mentally. If the same feeling of me coming into your brain happens, let your guard down slightly. Ivy might have some wizards on the island. The dragon moved to her ankles, brushing up against them. Lenna stumbled backwards, falling down and clutching her foot. A great pain came when the dragon touched her. A wavy mark was burned into her skin.
What is this? Thought Lenna. Am I dying? If every time I touch you does it do that?
I have only heard of this once. This had happened over two centuries ago. The dragons never wanted to stay with humans. Only Kyrujin the Great had made a bond. He was the ruler of the Endil sea. I believe I am related to him. He met his human, Caspian and the same thing was told to have happened. He was the most powerful human to ever roam the earth until Ivy came. She took him and killed him while using magic to take his power. She has a secret. I knew that Caspian had a secret that everyone wanted. The dragon thought. That is horrible, Thought Lenna, mentally preparing herself for the events to come. We will leave tomorrow. How do we get to Plactantia island? I know little of it. I know the queen is Izzmay at least a few years back. How will you get there? Lenna thought, standing back up.
I will swim and meet you at the edge of the Brancia forest. I don’t have a map though. You will have to look for one on your own. I have to go eat now but I will meet you by the port tomorrow. Try to wear all black to blend in.
Alright, I will get the map. Lenna thought. I know where one is! Ed the bartender kept maps of all islands and land in the world. He got captured as well. She waved goodbye to the dragon and walked away hopefully.
Lenna quickly snuck in and grabbed the map, putting it in her bag for the next day. Lenna slept soundly that night after she told her parents that she would go exploring. She neither lied nor told the truth. She would go exploring to find her friend.
Lenna
A rumble of thunder woke Lenna the next morning. Her bedside candle flickered. It was morning. She
She woke early, packing her bag with all the essentials for her journey. The sky was dark as she slipped out the door, getting food for the day. She left and went to the port. There was one tired man in the station. He was awake but his eyes were slowly closing. Lenna walked behind a tree just in case she was in the view of the boatkeeper. The familiar voice entered her mind.
It is time, Lenna. I will swim over and enter your mind. I have found a gift for you. In the sand, a few
feet away was a sword with glistening purple jewels.
But-But where did you find this? Thought Lenna, gasping. She walked over and took it. But how did you get it out of the water?
I have telekinesis. The dragon said nonchalantly. Lenna looked to the dragon and then at her gift. Thank you so much! Lenna thought, swinging it through the air.
The boat is just arriving. Also, it was my pleasure. I found it in the bottom of the sea and it needed polishing. It also needed someone to bear it. Now off you go, said the dragon. I will see you shortly.
Wait! Lenna thought. You said you needed a name. I thought of one last night. I woke up and this name was in my head. What do you think of the name Zennu?
I love it. My gift and your gift has paid off. I have heard of it but I’m not sure where. You can call me Zennu from now on. Now go to the forest. The boat is approaching.
Lenna hid in the forest. The boat came to the docks as it was unloaded. She noted a crate marked with the number 18 to hide in later. She saw the same cloaked figure, Ivy. Plactania island had not had many shipments recently. The figure, who Lenna thought was Ivy, was talking with the boatman, so Lenna snuck on. The boat was small but the perfect amount of space to get in unnoticed. The boat ride only took about half an hour which Lenna spent looking through the wooden slats of the crate. It was full of paper and quills. Once she felt the boat was tied to the port on Plactantia island she saw Ivy getting her stuff and running. There was an alarm in the distance. Lenna got up and ran to the nearby forest, holding tight on to her new sword.
Good. You made it safely. Zennu’s voice was back. Lenna leaned against a tree, relief and adrenaline coursing through her body.
What do I do now? Ivy went toward a bunch of rocks, is there a cave or something? Lenna thought, her previous bravery diminishing. Ivy will know I am here. She threw her hands up in the air, almost as admitting defeat. I need to save her. I can not go back home if she is not there. We have to try.
I think she has magic. I could feel spells as soon as we got onto the island. She must be hiding something. Zennu said with a quiver in her voice of mind.
This can not be good. Lenna thought, looking behind the tree. Ivy had gone away. This was her chance. I am going to try. I will be back. I can try and contact you if need be.
Good luck, The dragon said, the contact between them fading. Lenna walked behind the tree, putting a cloak on. She crept up to the rocks, sword at the ready.
A slam woke Aldith as she awoke. Ivy had gone. Her legs were stiff and tired, the metal chafing away at her skin the more she wriggled. Is this what I am stuck to be? Chained to a metal cot for the rest of my life. Why does Ivy want us? She heard boots in the hallway. Aldith immediately closed her eyes, unwilling to make the same mistake. She felt someone’s breath on her cold face. She was being uncuffed at the feet. The person got her up and shoved her into a wall and she heard them walk to the other cots. She peeked at the person. It was a servant. He looked like he was her age. He had black, messy hair and was tall. He brought Ed over and as much as Aldith could tell, he was still unconscious. She shut her eyes and got shuffled forward. They walked down a wide stone hallway. She heard keys being taken out and the sound of an old door creaking open. They were shuffled into that room, both Ed and Aldith’s blindfolds taken off. Before them was a familiar face.
Aldith
“Hello,” Ivy said mischievously.
“Ivy,” Ed grunted.
“Welcome to my island,” Ivy said, grinning.
“Why did you take us?” Aldith demanded.
“I have a special project and I know that someone can help me,” Ivy said calmly. She was sitting on a jewels throne in a dark corridor. Torches lined the walls. “Come with me.”
The boy looked up shyly and said “Yes, your majesty.” They walked in the stone until they came to an incline. Ed looked at Aldith nervously. They got outside and walked near a forest. Aldith heard a rustling noise from behind her and casually looked over her shoulder. She saw a flashing sword dart through the trees. Aldith tensed and ignored it walking up a hill. Ivy looked behind her to make sure no one was coming. Eventually, they got to a waterfall. It was crystal blue, the early morning sun shining. Ivy took them into the river. Aldith glanced at the servant who looked back at her and shrugged. They went under the waterfall, getting soaked. “Welcome to my project,” Ivy said eerily. “I know just what to do with you.”
Lenna
Lenna ran through the forest, trying to get a glimpse of anything. She heard footsteps coming from the mountain. She glanced behind a tree. ALDITH! Lenna thought excitedly. She pushed her mind out to Zennu. Zennu! I found out where they are going. Ivy is taking them somewhere. Lenna tried to share a mental picture. Can you see?
Yes, I can! Zennu said. Follow them. Lenna snuck through the forest, following their path. She looked out from a bush to see Aldith handcuffed, walking through a waterfall. No one came out after a minute so Lenna took a deep breath and walked forward.
Aldith
Once they walked in, it stunned Aldith. It was the prettiest cave she had seen in her life. The rock was shiny from water, moss growing everywhere and The echo from Ivy’s voice carried around the small space.“I have things for you to do, but first!” She spun around putting a dagger to Aldith’s neck. Aldith froze. “You have to swear loyalty to me or you die.”Ivy took the dagger and placed it on her belt. Aldith and Ed both nodded earnestly. They walked to a corner with a small metal table. Aldith looked around. There were many small, random items. She noticed a bird skull, a sword, and many precious items. “You have to help me open the safe. It is old, and I have found information that suggests that there is something behind this wall. I have also found that you can only open on a blue moon. I have gathered many people and told them this exact same thing. If you don’t try, you will be killed and if you run away, I will come find you and force you to.” Aldith gulped, hoping she could do it. “If you can open it, you are to be a faithful servant. If you don’t get it, you will be stuck here until you can do it. I need someone to pull this lever.” Ivy motioned toward a rusty lever in the back of the cave. “I know that there is power behind this wall. I need it,” she said, her eyes widening. “Stop!”
Lenna and Aldith
“You can’t stop me, Ivy.” Lenna walked into the room, her hair sticking out on all ends. She drew her sword and shakily walked toward Ivy. “You can’t take my friends,” she said confidently. Ivy calmly drew hers
and leaped forward. Lenna dodged away, slashing at her ankles. Ivy tripped tightly but stayed on balance. They both retreated to opposite sides of the room, Aldith freeing her friends. The servant looked from Ivy to the other group and once he got himself ready, he walked to Aldith, Lenna, and Ed. He grabbed the dagger from before and got ready.
“Why are you doing this?” Demanded Lenna.
“I want power!” Shouted Ivy.
Lenna threw herself forward, slashing at Ivy. Ivy was ready though, and quickly parried the attack. She started chanting and ran at them. The sword she carried burst into flames, as she slashed at them. Ed got burned on his knee, having him stumble backwards. Aldith and Lenna looked at each other and nodded. They grabbed their friends and ran out of the cave at top speed, getting through the forest. Ivy chased after them. They hid, getting closer and closer to the water.
Zennu! Mayday! Ivy is too powerful! Get us to the mainland as soon as possible. Zennu didn’t respond. Aldith took a boulder and held it. “Tell me when to throw it,” she said, ducking behind a tree. Ivy came running at them, sword in hand. She was getting close to the tree and finally came to it. “Now!” Lenna shouted. Aldith hurled the boulder at Ivy, knocking her unconscious. After a moment, all was silent. They looked at eachother, astonished at what happened.
“I-I can’t believe I did that,” Aldith said looking around. “Who are you?” She pointed at the servant.
“My name is Ambrose. I was kidnapped like you and I almost opened the lever. She wanted me to be her personal servant even though I hate her. She kidnapped me from my family.”
“I’m Ed,” Ed grunted. “I am a bartender and I heard about scuba diving from Ivy. She had been on the island and we had become friends. Ambrose and Ed shook hands.
“Enough with this chitchat,” said Lenna. “We can do that later but we need to go now!” They ran to the port, and a large canoe was set out in front of them.
“Where did this come from?” Asked Aldith.
“No time to explain,” Lenna replied, getting everything together.
“Where are we going?” Asked Ambrose.
“I think we should go to a nearby island.” Lenna said. “I have a map, – well it’s Ed’s map.” Everyone nodded and set to row. There was no going back. A power hungry queen was chasing them. Small talk went around the boat as they set sail for adventure.
by Sam Gutierrez
I dream of a world of peace and happiness
I dream of a world where everyone is equal
I dream of a world where you are respected for who you are
I dream of a world where you can play by a river cleared from pollution
I dream of a world where birds sing and flowers blossom
I dream of a world where you can stand proud and high and look up at the clean sky
I dream of a world where you can look out to see clean beautiful land as far as the eye can see and dream, hold on to your dreams for without dreams can you truly be free?
Prophetic Dreams
I see you in constellations
And in my prophetic dreams
I sleep so I can see you again
While I think about you with every bit of conscience I was born with
I knit this thread infinitely and intentionally,
I talk to you all the time even when you aren't here
Night time feeds on grievance
But I have become selfless and forgiving
April’s Blue Hour
Spring has kissed over winter's cruelness
The sun is close to my skin
Soft April nights during the blue hour,
Where I exist as I am, and don't dilute myself
We are gentler in the sunlight and I can't remember what it felt like to be without you
When the sweetness turns me restless
And when winter makes me blur into you
Woods
The woods stand tall and ancient like time-forgotten gods
The sun sets behind the sea like a bad omen, a crimson red bleeding the sky
Darkness comes and falls silent as the night goes by
I feel like an antique
Collecting dust on your shelf
And fears that trouble your heart fade for a while
Then comes a light down the devil's head and the world goes quiet
Three Poems
Zaida Dunwoody
By Harriet Luongo
My rocket’s breaking. Poorly made. My oxygen tank is running out. I’m panicking. It’s dark. I can’t see. I need light. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I don’t know what to do and I’m lost. Everything is spinning in my mind as my life flashes before my eyes. The moment I was born. The time I took my first step. The first second I experienced the wonders of science. My mom yelling at me. My solitary. Each scene swirls around in my head. Is this my life? No, but who’s life is it? Who am I? What am I? Everything in my mind goes blank.
It feels like I’m floating through clouds. Who’s life was I experiencing and what happened? I can’t remember. Am I dying? But I feel nothing. I feel everything. My life is turning upside down and everything is spinning like crazy, but there’s a moment of calm. I’m alone, but do I like it?
I have no anchor but then I find one. I grab it and hold on tight. And pull myself through the clouds. Suddenly I can see and breathe and think. But I can’t feel my body. I don’t have a body. I look around and all I see is emptiness. All I feel is emptiness. But at the same time, I feel a burning sensation. It’s hot and weird and uncomfortable. It’s stabbing through me and won’t stop. I try to look down at myself and I only see light. What is happening to me? I’m confused and my senses feel like they’re jumbled together. I feel like I’m just consciousness floating around the abyss. It’s scary, and I feel like I’m trapped, permanently sucked into a world of hot stabbing pain. Then, I look up. And I see glowing dots all around me. They are so bright. Stars. That’s what they are. My head clears. They’re beautiful. Stars. Just glowing dots, floating around in the prepossessing Milky Way.
It’s night. I know it. Because there is blinding light pointing straight at me. The Sun. There’s no atmosphere to diffuse its light. Wow. Real smart of me to end up on the illuminated part of the moon. Anyway, I know it’s impossible to move, I have nothing to propel me forward. Then I glance to my right. And there it is. A rock. It’s about 3 centimeters and weirdly shaped. It feels threatening in some way. The longer I stare at it, I start to feel a pain in my head. It’s stabbing and it feels like my brain is searching for something. Something it can’t find. It can’t crack open enough to spill the contents. The rock feels like it’s destroying me. But is it the rock? My mind swirls through all the possibilities of what could be happening. I’m so confused. But at the last second, everything in my mind goes black.
I am scared. My life is plunged to darkness. I’m floating in a dark, thoughtless, spaceless, void. I feel my brain squeezing and squeezing like it’s trying to escape out of my body. My head is going to explode. All my surroundings are nothingness closing in. And just at the last second when I can’t bear the pain anymore, my mind escapes. I’m somewhere else. I’m 3 years old again. My mom’s in my room. She’s crying. My dad’s died. My face dissolves into tears. I have no shoulder to lean on; my mother comes. She comforts me; I don’t listen. My tears make everything blurry. I can barely see. Everything in my brain is screaming in all directions. Just at the last second, I watch myself turn and push my mom away before my mind is snapped back to reality
I look around. I’m crying. But what is crying? How can I cry when I don’t have a body to cry with? How can I cry when I’m just consciousness floating around an unfamiliar place?
That has to be my first flashback. I don’t understand why or how it happened, but I do know something else. Part of my life has been revealed. My mind is one step closer to being full. Part of it isn’t blank anymore. I need to figure out what caused my flashback. If I can figure out the trigger, then I’ll have more flash-
backs. And then I’ll be one step closer to getting back to Earth.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what caused my flashbacks and I think I just might have figured out the trigger. So it’s time to experiment.
I know it sounds stupid, but I’m almost positive it’s my rock. When I look at that rock, something in my mind changes. I’ve felt it before. The piercing pain that drives into my head as if it’s trying to get to something. Trying to rip open something. Like my memories. So I stare at the rock. I stare and stare and stare at it. My mind keeps wanting to slip into a flashback but I don’t let it. I don’t want to stop staring at the rock. My mind feels like it’s being pulled in, surrounding the rock. I can’t pull it away. And then… my mind slips. It’s in a weird consciousness where it feels like all my memories are swirling too fast for me to see. Then it slows down and I watch as the memory unfolds.
I’m at a birthday party. No. It’s my birthday party. I’m turning 3. My birthday is science themed and swirling with cheap, press-on galaxy wallpaper and fake painted stars. I run outside excitedly with all of my friends and my mom as I show them a science trick. It involves a rock. A rock lighting something on fire. I can’t make the scene out anymore. It’s going blurry. I squint my eyes and watch as the house catches fire. Everyone’s outside but my dad. And then I realize something. He’s inside. In the flames. With my burning birthday cake.
The flashback fades and there I am again, rushing through swirling memories. The spinning recedes again and I’m somewhere else. I’m 9. I’m holding a rock. The same rock that caught the house on fire. My father’s dead. And I’m even more attached to this specific rock. My moon rock. The flashback fades quickly. I am brought once more to a final flashback. It is the most recent one. I’m in a rocket. It’s homemade but crafted with experience. I don’t think it will work. I count down in my head. 10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3…..2…..1. Just as the rocket blasts off, something falls from my hand. I look down. My rock. My beautiful rock. My mind is free. It feels like the shell that’s been holding back my memories has cracked. All because of one little rock. Each memory circles over and over around it. Just as I’m done thinking about all this, my mind snaps back to reality.
But I’m not back. I’m not human and I’m not in my conscious form. I’m something I can’t name. I’m nothing. I have my memories, my life is complete, but I’m nothing. All around me is like a pit of black. And then, I see something. Something in the distance. It’s light. Pure light. And It’s rushing toward me. Faster, faster, FASTER….and then it hits me……
I’m a supernova. I’m exploding. I’m light, I’m darkness, I’m everything. Supernova. That’s what I am. I’m a star. And now It’s exploded. And that beautiful, beautiful supernova is me. And my light’s leading me home.
From Night to Night
Matty Canez
The eclipsing of the sun
A stone tossed across a light
Once midnight dawns, the day prevails
While this giant’s ring seems to bring the world to his hands
From gleam to burning ring, it seems to pass too quick
A ring that shall never be bested but only for the time its shown
Out of sight out of mind
It seems to become meaningless until the clock strikes midnight once more
Compression
Matty Canez
The hallowed, frail hand of the sea reached out to me one by one stacking emotions the weak, trembling floor finally gave out
Pressure by Crosby Reis-Larson
The pressure of gravity is always pushing me down
But there’s a time when I get to be free.
When I’m speeding down the slopes
Going as fast as a lightning bolt
When my skis lift off the ground
When the pressure feels the heaviest I fly
For only a few seconds
What feels like many more I fly
And with a thump
Gravity has brought me back down.
I hunt for these moments
Day to day
When life feels timeless
When you forget about everything else.
And when I go to sleep, I remember
The feeling of flying
Of having no pressure
Lunchtime Jam
Barley Bertucci-Miller
As the snow melts and the sun starts to emerge the social atmosphere lightens up with it. As the leaves start to grow, so does the fun. As you leave the dining hall you take a stroll, You walk and follow the flow. You hit the ball and talk near the wall for spring has come and summer is near. But within the fun trouble is near. You check google classroom and see what has come. One project, two project test quizzes and finals. The time of fun has ceased and the time of work has begun. You work on projects, study for tests and make sure your grade is not less than your best. But before you know your grades are up and it is that time of year. School is over and the summer is here
Excerpt from The Little Boy
Kathryne Gannon
He couldn’t help, that little boy, but wonder whether he could have helped that woman or not. And in the quiet days that followed in his lush home filled with velvet sofas and sprawling tapestries, it sat, rotting, in the very forefront of his head; seeping from his ears and filling his nose with the repulsive stench of it. He could not make it leave, that horrid memory of his. It haunted him; creaking doors turned into shrieks, luxurious crimson carpet became reminiscent of boiling blood. He sat quietly, face pale and tiny fingers trembling, in various spots around the expansive home. Those around him imagined that his long, empty stare was simply a way to show his distaste with his grounding. But the ghost that now haunted their home became difficult to ignore. Bright and bubbling laughter became vacant stares; wittily constructed replies turned into simple, dully spoken answers. He was never quite the same, even after the weeks turned into months. He took notice of his mother’s worried coaxing and his sibling’s concerned glances when he continued to refuse play, but he remained obstinate in his refusal to speak a single word of that night. And even when the months turned into years, he remained haunted by his failure to decide.
Dawn Rising
Note: This is the first chapter of a book that is currently being written by Graydon Rose Moss
I knew that I shouldn’t have done it, I had tried to cross and now look where I am, stuck on the edge, hovering in between life and death. I look down at Nyx, she is looking up at me with an annoyed stare. I think back to the day Nyx had told me that I had to leave, I remember the Elders warning me to never cross over the Corner.
Elder Galran had just summoned me to his chambers requesting my presence with Nyx. I hadn’t thought anything of it. He does this often usually to warn me about going over The Corner, but this time was different. When I came into the room he was pacing back and forth with his head down, waiting for me impatiently. As I had walked into the room, his head snapped up.
“Adrie, I’m so glad you’re here,” he said with a hint of urgency in his voice, “There is something I need to tell you.”
I looked up, this was unusual for him. Usually he was calm and collected. That day, he very obviously had something on his mind. I had looked at his face and searched it for any clues on what might be bothering him, finding nothing except for what appeared to be excitement, and a hint of fear
“What is it you wish to tell me?” I asked, bowing respectfully.
“We have attacked The Celestials,” he said, “and we don’t know how they will react to that, so you have to stay hidden from everyone.”
“Does that mean that I can’t go out?” I asked.
“Yes Adrie,” he said. “For your safety, you should not be seen in public for a little bit. The Elders will provide you with anything you need.”
At this moment I was trying my best to look disappointed so that he didn’t get suspicious.
“You are dismissed,” he said.
I nodded and bowed, and then left.
As I was guided back to my quarters, Nyx kept glancing at me, seeming to be looking for some kind of reaction. When we entered my room, Nyx hopped up on my bed and made herself comfortable.
“Adrie, come sit,” she said.
I walked over and sat down on the bed next to Nyx, and she looked at me like she was expecting something from me again. I looked back at her confused not knowing what she was expecting from me.
“What do you want to talk about?” I asked.
“Do you not find it strange that the Council attacked the Celestials unprovoked?” she asked. “They attacked without reason.”
“Need I remind you that the Celestials murdered my parents?” I said, “they attacked without reason first, so no it does not surprise me.”
“I have not forgotten,” Nyx said, “but the Elders let this sit for so long. Do you truly think that they had not forgiven them?”
“The murder of my parents was not forgiven!” I said, “it was an unforgivable crime.”
“Even things that are unforgivable can be forgiven,” Nyx said, “I don’t think the Elders did the right thing.”
“I believe that they did the right thing,” I said. “They did not make the wrong decision, they got revenge on
people who did awful things.”
“Is revenge always the right thing though?” Nyx asked under her breath.
“Yes, why wouldn’t it be?” I asked, “at least that’s what the Elders always told me.”
“See there’s your problem,” Nyx said.
“Where’s my problem?” I asked slightly offended.
“You always trust the Elders without questioning them ever!” Nyx said annoyed. “They could tell you the sky is green and you would believe them, and you’re always following orders!”
“I’m not always following orders!” I objected, “I leave after curfew sometimes!”
“You do?!” Nyx asked surprised.
In response I walked over to my door and counted up six floorboards, to the right seven, and then down one. I bent down and dug my fingertips into the short side of the floorboard, sliding my left hand along the floorboards until there was one floorboard between my hands. I pulled them up with both hands, revealing a hole in the floor with a ladder leading down to a dimly lit tunnel.
“Whoa,” Nyx said, gracefully hopping off my bed, “How long did it take you to make this?”
“Only a few days,” I said.
“How?” she said, “that is not nearly enough time to dig out a tunnel.”
“I didn’t make the tunnel,” I said, “I found it.”
“You found it!?!” Nyx said clearly incredulous. “You mean to tell me that you just happened upon a tunnel that just so happened to lead outside!?!”
“Yep,” I said.
“Well even if you did just find this tunnel,” Nyx said, “I can’t go down ladders, I’m a cat if you forgot.”
“I could carry you down,” I said with more confidence than I should have had.
“Climbing down a ladder with only one hand sounds hard,” Nyx said. “Are you sure you can do it?”
“Probably,” I said, still way too confident in myself.
“I could always just jump down,” she said.
“No you couldn’t, it’s way too far,” I said. “You’d probably break something.”
“No I wouldn’t,” she said. “I’m a cat, we always land on our feet.”
“Well even if you did,” I said, “there’s another ladder at the end of the tunnel.”
“Fine, you can carry me down the ladder,” she said, “but first there is something that I need to tell you.”
“What?” I asked.
“Your parents were not killed by the Celestials, or any beasts made by them for that matter,” she said, “the Elders killed them.”
I froze, a look of shock on my face. I slowly walked over and sat down on my bed cupping my head in my hands. Nyx leaped up onto the bed, and sat down next to me.
“No, no, no,” I whispered under my breath, “there must be some mistake.”
“I assure you Adrie,” Nyx said, “there is no mistake.”
“You, YOU!” I screamed standing up, “YOU’RE ONE OF THEM, YOU’RE TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT THE ELDERS ARE EVIL! YOU’RE TRYING TO TURN ME AGAINST THEM!”
“I assure you that I am not lying,” she said. I sat back down on the bed, and buried my face in my hands, sobbing. The sobs racked my body, and I
turned my back to Nyx. She just waited for me to calm down, giving me distance.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I asked quietly between sobs. “Why?”
“You weren’t ready,” she said.
“And I’m ready now!?” I said, turning my tearstained face towards her.
“Yes,” she said. “When you were younger, you wouldn’t have understood the impact of this on your life.”
“What impact does this have on my life?” I asked, “I still don’t understand.”
“If they killed your parents, what stops them from doing the same to you?” she asked.
I stared at her, taken aback by the fact that she thought the Elders would ever try to kill me.
“Why would they want to kill me?” I asked, “they have kept me alive for so long.”
“Your parents were the closest people to them,” she said.
“Why would they lie to me?” I asked, “why would they go through the trouble of lying to me?”
“They wanted your help,” she said. “They knew that you would be a powerful ally.”
“Why would I be helpful?” I asked. “I’m just a normal girl.”
“You’re not just a normal girl,” she said. “You’re the Fey-Child.”
“But the Fey-Child is only born once every one-hundred years,” I said. “It can’t be me.”
“The Fey-Child is not born once every one-hundred years,” she said, “the next one is always born immediately after the first.”
“Then why does no one know about that?” I asked.
“It is confidential information,” she said.
“Then how do you know?” I asked. “If it’s confidential, then you shouldn’t know about it either.”
“I suppose that I haven’t fully been truthful with you on many fronts,” she said, looking as sheepish as a cat can.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. “You didn’t tell me that I am the Fey-Child, or that the Elders killed my parents and could very well be planning to kill me. What else haven’t you told me?!”
“I haven’t been fully truthful about my identity,” she said.
She opened her mouth and a bright flash of light came out of it, momentarily blinding me.
When the light faded, Nyx had a gold stripe from the top of her forehead to the top of nose, a brass dot over the front of her mouth, and a silver stripe down the middle of her chest over her glossy black fur. The markings of a Celestial.
I gasped in shock, not expecting this from my tutor, friend, and guide.
“Y-your a Celestial?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes,” she said. “I wield the first type of magic that you will need to learn.”
“Then teach me,” I said.
“I cannot teach you by myself,” she said. “You will need the teachers of the Celestials.”
“How will they teach me?” I asked, dreading her answer.
“We will have to leave,” she said.
“But I can’t,” I said. “The Elders would kill me.”
“Need I remind you that the Elders will probably kill you anyways?” she said bluntly.
“No…” I said. “Fine, yes.”
“Don’t forget it again,” she said.
“I won’t,” I said, “but I still don’t want to go.”
“You must,” she said. “It is your duty.”
“I don’t care about my duty!” I said angrily.
“If you don’t go, you will go mad!” she said.
“I don’t care!” I said, “I don’t want to learn magic!”
“Do you really think that you could live with the people who killed your parents?” she asked. “Do you really think that you could trust them?”
“But this is my home,” I said. “It’s a piece of me.”
“A piece that needs to be left behind and forgotten,” she said. “Without it, you can grow and become a better person.”
“This is my childhood,” I said. “I want to keep it.”
“Do you really think that when the Elders first ask you to kill someone you will be able to?” she asked. “An innocent person who just got caught up in the fighting and had nothing to do with the conflict?”
“I can avoid the fighting,” I said. “The Elders don’t even want me to fight right now.”
“I can bet to you that tomorrow you will have a fighting tutor,” she said. “They will claim that it is ‘just for self defense’ but you will slowly learn how to kill, and fight in a war. If we leave now, we can escape from you fighting in this war.”
“How will I escape from the war by going to the Celestials, if they are where the war is?” I asked.
“I will do my best to make sure that you don’t have to participate in the war against your will,” she said.
“What if I am forced to?” I asked, “what if the queen makes me?”
“She won’t do that,” she said. “If she tries to, I will convince her otherwise.”
“How would you be able to?” I asked.
“I am of high status there,” she said. “I am one of the highest nobility.”
“If nobility matters so much,” I said, “then I will be of low importance.”
“Nobility is judged by how strongly they can wield their magic,” she said, “and since the Fey-Child tends to have the strongest magic, you will be of high importance.”
“How important does that make me?” I asked. “Because if I have the strongest magic, then wouldn’t I be more important than the queen?”
“No…” she said, “it doesn’t quite work like that.”
“Then how does it work?” I asked. “You said that it was whoever had the most powerful magic?”
“I guess I should have been more clear about this,” she said. “That rule applies only to Celestials.”
“But you told me that I would be of high importance,” I said. “That makes no sense.”
“That is besides the point-”
Nyx was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Adrie,” Elder Panan said. “May I come in?”
“One second, Elder Panan!” I said, glancing nervously at Nyx.
She looked back at me with an equal amount of fear. She opened her mouth, and words the color of sunlight came out. “We need to go now!” the words read. I nodded, and grabbed my rucksack, filling it with enough supplies to last for around fifteen days and slung it over my shoulder. I grabbed Nyx, and held her in the crook
of my arm, and began to walk towards the ladder.
“Adrie, whatever you are doing, you need to stop now!” yelled Elder Panan.
“Just one second Elder Panan!” I called over my shoulder.
I quickly rushed towards the trap door, climbing down the ladder with Nyx under one arm, pulling the trap door closed as quietly as I could. Once I got to the bottom, I set Nyx down, and we began to run down the damp dark stone tunnel, our footfalls echoing. After a little while we slowed to a walking pace to catch our breath.
“How… did you… do this… every night?...” Nyx asked, panting.
“I usually… wasn’t running for… my life…” I answered, panting as well.
We caught our breath, and continued walking at a slightly faster pace. We walked for a little longer until we reached the end of the tunnel, with another ladder leading straight up. I took off my rucksack, and removed the long cloak I had previously put in it. I swung the cloak over my shoulders, and pulled up the hood so that it would keep my features in shadow.
“You need to disguise yourself,” I whispered. “You can’t be seen here as a Celestial.”
She nodded, sat down and closed her eyes. She opened them after a few seconds, and they were glowing with gold, silver, and brass. The light from her eyes swirled around her, and then condensed around her body making it glow. When the light slowly faded away, what was left was a long haired brown tabby.
I picked up Nyx and climbed up the ladder. I peeked my head out of the trap door, and looked around. Before me was a simple cobblestone alleyway and then a few streets. I crawled out of the hole, and set Nyx down.
“This,” I said, standing up and brushing myself off, “is the town.”
“That it is,” Nyx said, and she began to lick her fur into place.
“I think that the Water side is closest,” I said, “so maybe we should head in that direction.”
“It is,” she said, “and I know the way.”
“Great!” I said. “That means we won’t have to ask for directions.”
“M-hm,” she said, not really paying any attention.
She started walking down the street, and I followed, keeping as close behind as I could. Soon we got to the town square. Nyx began to skillfully weave between people. I followed to the best of my abilities.
Soon we emerged from the town square, and onto a crowded street. There were all sorts of people there, some of them were shouting things like, “Pies for sale! Get your fresh hot pies here!” and others things like, “Get your fresh roses here! Fresh roses!”
Nyx wove her way through the people, as skillfully as any cat could. Eventually, we emerged onto a side street that was less crowded. Nyx paused for a second and then continued on. As we continued, I noticed the road getting rougher, and buildings getting more and more sparse. I was beginning to get tired from walking for so long. Nyx stopped and turned around.
“I think we should take a rest,” she said.
“Don’t take a rest for me,” I said. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” she said. “You’re stumbling over your own feet.”
“Fine…” I said, “I guess I’ll rest.”
We sat down in a patch of long thin green plants by the side of the road, they were soft.
“You must be wondering why the road is so rough now,” she said.
“I guess a little,” I said.
“We are no longer in the city,” she said, “The plant we are sitting on is called grass.”
“Oh…” I said, “that makes sense.”
“Well,” she said, “it’s getting late.”
I looked at the sky. Sure enough, the sun was going down.
“I guess we’ll have to stay here for the night,” Nyx said.
“Outside,” I said, “with no protection?”
“Yes, outside,” she said. “You did bring a bedroll right?”
“I did,” I said, “but what if it rains?”
“Then you’ll just have to deal with it,” she said.
I sighed, then took off my rucksack and took out my bedroll. Nyx helped me roll it out, and get it set up.
“Where are you going to sleep?” I asked Nyx.
“Just a patch of grass somewhere,” Nyx said.
The sun went down and I tried to sleep. I kept turning restlessly on my bedroll, with only a simple wool blanket over me.
Once I finally got to sleep, I dreamt of Nyx, and Elder Galran. They were both trying to get me to go with them somewhere, but I couldn’t figure out where I was going, or which path to take. I was woken by Nyx sitting on my chest and yelling at me.
“It’s time to get up!” Nyx yelled, while sitting on top of my chest, “it’s time to get up!”
“Alright, alright,” I said. “I’m getting up.”
“Good,” she said. “Pack your bag, and then we’re off.”
I quickly grabbed a piece of jerky from my rucksack and then stuffed my blanket and bedroll into it. I swung my rucksack over my shoulder, and Nyx calmly stood up. We stepped back onto the road, and continued walking.
After about three hours of walking, we came to a cliff. It dropped off completely, and it stretched on in both directions.
“This,” Nyx said, “is the Corner.”
“We have to cross this!?” I exclaimed.
“Yes,” she said, “you have to be very careful, put one foot on the other side before you lift your other foot Like this.”
She gently took her front paws, and leaned half of her body over the side. She put her paws down so that her body was curved and then pushed off hard with her back legs which sent her rolling over the edge.
“Are you okay?” I called.
“Yep,” she said, “now you come over, carefully.”
I don’t know what happened in that moment, but whatever it was, it made me gently walk over the Corner.
Where I am now, stuck on the edge, hovering between life and death.
Between Me And My Dream
Lillian Blomquist
Between me and my dream, a silent duo bound to die Once flew on wings, above the ground. But winds of fate cruel and unkind, Left shattered pieces with no space to find. The silent place echoes of what could be, Me and my dream, lost to eternity. --
I Know a World
I know a world where everything is peaceful
Where everything is safe
Where everything is colorful
Where everything is plentiful
I know a world where that is
I know a world where everyone is peaceful
Where everyone can be safe
Where everyone is ok with different color skin
Where everyone is copious I know a world where that is
That world is this world It’s not yet..but it will I know a world…
Nicky Berenzon
The Mark Darius
Kalantari
Ace Hickman returned from work one Wednesday night. It had not been the best day for him. As the CTO of Apple, he had a busy job, and it was made even harder by the squabbling, well, squabblers that destroyed his mind every day. The thing was, it had been especially bad today, as the developer team had been complaining all day. Now, Ace had a headache that felt like he had been tackled by NFL great Anthony Muñoz and gotten a concussion.
As he unlocked the front door to his apartment, he thought, Well, this day could not get any worse. This thought carried on as he microwaved some Panera mac and cheese, and settled down to watch the Lakers destroy the Cavaliers.
Halfway through a game of LeBron James making truly remarkable plays, a scratching sound came at the door.
Scratch SCRATCH SCRITCH scratch!
He went to the door, thinking that this was odd behavior for an Amazon delivery man, and shouldn’t he have rang the doorbell instead of- Scritch SCRATCH!! Was he drunk? Was this a Halloween prank of some sort? Scritch BANG scratch BANG BANG. His heart started racing. Was there a robber or a serial killer out there? As the series of bangs progressed, as the wood started to splinter, he started getting more fearful. Was this his last night on Earth? What a bad way to end his life, a crappy day at work.
Ace thought, Why won’t my body move? Why won’t my legs walk, my arms swing, my eyes move, anything?! Paralyzed with fear, Ace watched as the door broke in. 5 seconds later, the new world record for loudest scream was set at house 372, by one Ace Hickman. It awoke animals, bears, even, from their hibernation at 254 decibels. A scream of pure terror and pain.“Why won’t it light??!!” a frustrated Nicholas Murtang cursed the gas lighter in his hand as he attempted to light his fireplace. He tried again. Nothing. In frustration, he threw the lighter on the floor, and it lit, blazing red and orange. Unfortunately, his floor was made of very dry wood planks. The flame blazed on the floor and he had to get the fire extinguisher to put it out. A very annoying process, yes, but not an uncommon occurrence.
See, Nicholas had very bad luck. It seemed to be genetic somehow, as all of the Murtang family, dating back to Nick’s great-great-great-grandmother, were not the most fortunate people. His mother, Emily, had it worst of all. During Nick’s childhood, he and his brother Ethan had counted all the times their mother had locked herself out of the house. The number came out as a whopping 457 times. They had stopped counting after Ethan had died in the forest, killed by a wolf. It was devastating, and Nick’s mother was never the same after that. He and his mother had developed a profound hatred for wolves after that tragedy and never went into the forest because of their newfound Hylophobia (fear of forests).
Not much later, his mother committed suicide. Nick’s father had died of cancer when the brothers were just two. As a parting gift, he had had his nicknames for Nick and Ethan, Magni and Modi, tattooed into their necks. PERMANENTLY. As Nick got older, the mark grew with him, like some crazy voodoo or something.
Now, as he attempted furiously to put out the fire on his floor, his neck throbbed painfully. A reminder of his father. Eventually, he was able to put the fire out and settled down on the couch to watch the Saturday morning news.
“BREAKING NEWS, FOLKS! ON MAIN STREET, HOUSE 372, THERE WAS A REPORTED BEAST ATTACK, AND THE RESIDENT OF THE HOUSE, MR. ACE HICKMAN, WAS RENDERED DEAD. THERE WERE SCRATCH AND CLAW MARKS ON THE DOOR AND WALLS, AND BLOODSTAINS ON THE CARPET.”
Nick had doubts that this was true. A beast attack? There hadn’t been as much as a fox in his town for more than 20 years! The cameraman walked with the reporter as they moved towards the house. As the old flat came into better focus, he saw that everything the reporter had said was true! The door was in at least 20 different pieces, clearly broken down by a very heavy animal. Deep claw marks were etched into the pieces of the door and the brick wall around it. 10, maybe 15 important-looking people were crowded around the disaster scene, inspecting tools that could only be described as torture instruments.
These people covered most of the scene, but as the cameraman moved closer, Nick could make out a revolting human carcass on the ground, in the middle of a very large stain of crimson covering most of the white ‘HOMECOMING’ carpet.
“WELL FOLKS, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS SCENE IS PRETTY GRUESOME, SO EVERYBODY, A SEVERE TRIGGER WARNING FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSITIVITY TO BLOOD AND GUTS BEFORE WE ZOOM IN.”
The cameraman zoomed into the scene, swiveling with the precision of someone who has done camerawork for several years. It looked like there had been quite a scuffle. Multiple porcelain jars and framed pictures ornamenting the hallway were broken and ornamented the hallway differently. One of the uniformed men parted for two seconds and the now very clear dead body came into view. Nick gagged so hard, he thought his stomach was going to come out of his mouth. It was repulsive. He turned off the TV, not wanting to see any more of this awfulness for another second.
He tried meditation techniques that his mother had taught him to clear his mind of the horrendous picture that lingered there. They did not work. Nick then spent the day trying to forget the scene that was haunting him.
That night, he noticed the moon was still full, the same as the night before. Tomorrow, the beauty of that giant gray celestial body would start to fade. He went out to have a beer and a burger with his friends Mikey and Dennis at LuLu’s. A pleasant night, until Mikey said, “Did you see that crazy story on the news this morning? About some giant beast attack or somethin’?”
Right then, the image came back into Nick’s mind of Ace’s body on the carpet, or what was left of his body. He had a sudden urge to go into the bathroom and throw up.
“Can we not talk about this, guys? It’s a… sensitive topic.”
“Why?” Asked Dennis. “We always talk about stuff like this.”
Nick thought about an excuse to give them, to not look weak in front of his tough buddies.
“He was a… relative of mine, and I’m really sad” was the only thing Nick could think of at that moment.
“Oh, sorry for your loss, man. But you never told us that you were related to the CTO of Apple!” said Mikey.
“You never asked,” replied Nick.
After that, they didn’t bring it up, but now, Nick was reminded of it, and he enjoyed the evening less. He
returned home and plopped on his couch.
He put on The Office and laughed his head off. Halfway through S2 Ep5, he faintly heard a noise. He paused what he was watching and listened closely.
Scritch SCRATCH.
It didn’t occur to him that it could be the beast mentioned on the news until the scratching sound turned into a banging. For the first time since the wolf that killed his brother emerged from the woods, Nick was scared. Really REALLY scared.
BANG BANG BANG!!
The door started to splinter, and Nick grabbed the compound bow sitting in the case next to the couch. A trained archer always has to be calm even in the most deadly of situations. Allowing themselves to have deadly aim and accuracy, and good posture. The arrow was loaded, the string pulled back, but…
The door broke down, and what stood there was a beast of unimaginable terror. The most awful thing about it was the head, which directly resembled a wolf. Nick’s hand quivered on the bow and he let the arrow fly, whooshing through the air, and impaling the beast, the man-like wolf, in the chest. It reeled back, blood spurting from the arrow wound. It howled to the shining full moon and ran off, whimpering. Nick had shot it on the right side of its chest, so the heart remained untouched. He hadn’t killed it.
Heart racing, recovering from the events that had just happened, he stood on alert And now, everyone in his neighborhood had a front-row seat to his living room.
He called Mikey, asking if he could stay at his place, explaining what had happened.
“Sure, man. I got you,” said Mikey.
Wondering what he was going to do about the hole in his house, he went to the shed and got a bunch of long, thick wood planks. He nailed them into place and headed over to Mikey’s.
When he got to his friend’s house, the scene there stopped him dead in his tracks. The door was broken down, and there were claw marks on the walls. And there, lying in a pool of blood was what remained of his friend whom he had known since 2nd grade, Mikey.
Nick keeled over, sobbing with grief. Too many people had fallen to this beast. And now its last victim was Nick’s best friend. Newfound determination to kill this monster surged through him, and anger motivated him. He grabbed the bow from his car and stalked off into the woods. He had made a promise to never return to these woods since his brother had been killed in them.
As he plowed through the thick overgrowth, he thought about Mikey’s body lying there, helpless. Just then, a sudden movement caught his eye. And then it emerged, in all of its horrifying glory. Claws as long and sharp as kitchen knives just sharpened on a whetstone. Hairy chest, muscles bulging, and that awful wolf head, with glowing red eyes. Could this be a real werewolf? Nick aimed and fired his bow at the beast, but it was too quick and dodged the arrow. Then, it leaped onto him, pinning him to the ground. It dragged its claws across his chest. Searing pain erupted on Nick’s body, and he tried desperately to shove it off. He frantically took an arrow out of his quiver and plunged it as hard as he could into the werewolf ’s eye. It leaped off of Nick, howling in pain. It looked at him with a menacing glare. Nick only had time to think Uh Oh when it was upon him again, ripping his clothes and raking its claws across him. He attempted a karate kick into the creature’s stomach, and with all of that adrenaline coursing through him, the werewolf might as well have been hit by a train. It flew back, and that gave Nick the split second he needed to take his bow and shoot an arrow right into the creature’s
throat with deadly accuracy.
The werewolf grabbed its throat, and it seemed to have a battle with itself as it writhed. And then it dropped down. Dead.
A surge of relief almost swept Nick off his feet. He had finally killed it. Then the strangest thing started to happen. The werewolf started to transform, its form rippling and changing until what was left was a man with an arrow in his throat. He looked a lot like Nick, actually. A mop of black hair surrounded a freckled face that seemed oddly familiar. Nick shrugged it off. He went to retrieve his arrow but then noticed a strange marking on the man’s neck. He flipped the man over and gasped. There, on his neck, was the name Magni tattooed onto the man’s flesh. It was Ethan. His brother.
The Gnashing Plague
Malcolm Agresta
He awoke in his house immediately overtaken with giddy excitement and a strong confidence in his own abilities. Golden sun streamed through the window. There was the early morning scraping of carts entering the city, and the clanging of armor from the guards’ rotating shifts came with it. He got out of his bed, walked over to his wardrobe, then he pulled out his clothes, the leather still stiff and the fabric still completely stainless, and put them on with a bit of a struggle, as they were new and unused, prepared just for today. After he had put on his gear and packed up everything he would need for the coming months, he left his house and began to walk down the crowded stone road and through the cold morning mist that smelled of pastries. He soaked in the sound of stores opening up for the first shift of the day and people greeting each other, as he would likely not hear it for a long while. When he reached the city gates, he sighed and contemplated his journey. He was leaving the city not for commerce nor any other menial task. No, he was leaving the city for a greater purpose, to do what no one believed he could, to hunt the beasts of the wilderness. As he got further from the warmth of the city wreathed in golden light, the sky turned ash gray and the cold wind blew from behind, but despite the dreary atmosphere he continued, determined to achieve his goals.
A month passed.
He trudged through the gray fields of endless mud and the low hanging clouds of swirling madness and destitution as he had for days he could not number. His will was almost gone and he felt short of breath at almost every moment, but as he trudged through mud and grime he saw a faint flicker off in the distance. The flicker spread to his heart and reminded him why he was doing this, and he began to steady his pace. When he reached the town he did not see the light, as if its very existence had been an accident hastily snuffed out lest something see it. Luckily he saw it, and whatever they had to fear would surely be vanquished by his hand.
Nevertheless, he once more began to search for any semblance of life in this dreary town. Before long he came across a small inn with heavily boarded up windows and large scar-like marks filled with unnatural pox shaped formations of calcified wood spread across its exterior walls, and what seemed to be large tubs of water hanging over the door and windows, rigged up with rope in a way he could not understand, though despite this heavy fortification, he could see faint glimpses of dark yellowed lantern light coming from within.
After a moment of deliberation, he knocked on the boarded up door. A few seconds later, the door creaked open and a short gruff man in thick leather waved him in with his large rifle that was taller than the man himself. As he slowly walked through the inn he saw that most of the tables were improvised and the real tables were leaned on the windows and doors as some sort of rushed barricade. Combined with the fact that everyone was oddly quiet and stock still, this created an overbearing atmosphere of unease and worry. Though this shook him, he decided that just meant his name would be known even farther across the land once he vanquished that which they had to fear. So he sauntered over to the counter and sat down. Shortly after sitting he asked the man on the other side of the counter why the town was so quiet.
“Because there are no standing armies or any kind of support within hundreds of miles,” the bartender said. “Well, why is that a problem?” said the man.
“Why do you think, beast hunter,” the bartender said, like being a beast hunter was some disgraceful aspect to be hidden.
“Well then I assume you mean there is a beast afoot,” said the man. “Yes,” responded the bartender.
And with that the man ordered a drink and a plate of bland, dry food that looked to have been sitting in a sterile shed for a year or two. After scarfing it down, he went to sleep, determined to kill the town’s monster in the morning.
When he woke, it was still dark and gray outside, like a rainy evening and the slow sound of an inconsequential wind scratched at his window. After he got ready he immediately went down stairs and left the inn to vanquish the beast and save the town.
After an hour of searching (though it could have been more, he could not tell as the day seemed perpetually dark and cloudy), he heard a faint moan of agony pearce the oppressive silence. Without hesitation, he ran towards it and found himself in a clearing staring at what seemed to be the remnants of a person. It was riddled with poxes leaking viscous puss down its body and there were tufts of short unkempt black hair poking out of its ragged clothes like a rabid dog. Its right arm was hideously deformed wrapping and twisting in uncomfortable ways. Its hand ended in a long, malformed and splintered claw that dragged on the floor as it stumbled closer to him. Its twisted and malformed legs were held together with nothing but rotting strands of meat and congealed blood and fluids, and its head was pushed to the right to make room for a massive tumor riddled with malformed eyes and deep holes leaking a dark red substance. Three massive whip-like tentacles with slime covered barbs protruded from the tumor. What was left of its left arm was relatively normal, though mostly enveloped by the tumor; however it was riddled with small bulges that were akin to the eggs of a small insect.
Slowly it began to close in on him as he readied himself for battle. Then suddenly it lunged at him swiping down with its jagged claw whilst screeching with what he thought was pain. Luckily, he dodged it but only by the skin of his teeth. Next, he readied his gold plated pistol, fitted with state of the art technologies that would allow him to reload in a split second. With a loud crack, the beast’s large sickly tendrils launched it out of his hands. Quickly it followed with a swipe awkwardly upwards with its large claw, tearing up his skin, rending through his flesh, and crushing the bone of his left arm. As he saw his arm hit the ground like the lifeless corpse he would soon be, he fell to the earth. The beast walked towards him not maliciously, but almost in a forced manner, he grabbed his gun and shot its head off and a noxious mix of squirming flesh, congealed blood, and fragments of warped bone splattered him.
When he finally limped back to the village he was reeling with pain in his chest. On the stump where an arm used to be, his flesh was shriveling up and becoming soggy at the same time. He slowly hobbled to the door of the inn and barged inside, too delirious to see the fear and disgust in the eyes of the inn’s patrons.
For an unknown period of time he felt as if he was being dragged between states of consciousness. Then suddenly he was yanked back to reality as fast as he had fallen out of it mere seconds before. He was now sluggish and his skin stretched and melted off like a flowing mass of sewage, with new rotten and moldy looking muscles showing through his sickly sagging skin. He slowly attempted to regain his footing; however, the second he moved he felt himself squirm in ways he did not wish. Even so, he still got up.
As he surveyed his surroundings, his consciousness swayed and his eyes stole things from view, old maggots wriggled out of his mouth and ears, which slurred his already incoherent speech to the point that talking was useless. He attempted to walk forward and get help but his body began to burst at the seams and his sagging skin grew bloated with mold and rot. Pockmarked entrails burst out of his chest and began thrashing like snakes. His eyesight blurred and cleared at the same time. And he heard cracking and smashing and smelled the fresh tang of blood. He screamed, begging for help, and death, and his home, and his parents, all in the wretched ear-piercing screech of a suffering animal’s war cry. Suddenly his mouth fused shut and the shock sent him stumbling out into the cool night air. He fell and began fusing to the ground, tendrils reached out of his body and plunged into the dirt, infecting the earth like the roots of an invasive plant. His environment twisted around him and contorted, poxes spread upon every inch of the village and trees twisted into fleshy vissages of suffering and pain that produce noxious spores out of pox ridden orifices. All whilst he grew like a cancerous mass, squirmed like a worm that polluted the land it dug through, and consumed like a glutinous animal. Suddenly a pang of pain shot through his face and much of his consciousness dissolved through the rest of the grotesque affront to nature that he had become. He gave up. He was powerless to stop himself from growing, from killing, from infecting. He could feel the pain and anguish of the people, and animals, and even the plants, that he absorbed, the suffering of the world he was destroying.
This was his purgatory, the punishment for his hubris, to kill, consume, kill, consume, kill, consume, kill, consume, uncontrollably and to feel all the pain he caused, forced to smell the unrelenting deterioration and decay for the rest of time. To be the corruption futilely raged against in the end times. To taste the rot and sorrowful abominations of the world he birthed. For from him comes a world of decay and suffering, and he will be its unwilling god. For the rest of time unto eternity, until eternity itself loses all meaning, and still it will go on. And now, with his will shattered and his body spread across unknown lengths for unknown time, he lives on as an itching mountainous mass of sickly flesh that spews noxious gas and births beasts of unimaginable horror. A beast for whom time holds no meaning beyond a fragile concept he once understood but now only remembers in passing.
The alley was cold and dark. The girl shivered up against a stone wall. All she could see were her cold, blue hands as she held them up to her face. It got colder and colder, the world around the girl began to blur, dark circles entered her vision and all she could think about was how cold it was. Soon all the shadows had become one, the wind swirled in her ears until she couldn’t hear anything. Then, nothing.
The silence was so loud, ringing in her ears. What had happened? Her eyes snapped open, she saw the blurry outline of a person, a boy, standing over her. She coughed loudly and tried to sit up.
“Shhhh, lay down. You’re safe.” His voice was warm and concerned. The girl lay back down and realized she was on a couch by a fire. She coughed again, trying to speak. The pillow that was supporting her head was soft and comforting, she noticed a thick blanket wrapped around her legs. The boy noticed her eyes darting around.
“I found you outside in the alley when I was taking out the trash. You were passed out on the pavement. I went to tell my parents and they helped me bring you inside. Do you remember what happened?” He spoke again, this time with more care and warmth to his tone. The girl shook her head.
“Ok, um what’s your name?” He asked, as he brushed a strand of pale brown hair out of his face. The girl looked around for an answer but found nothing. “You don’t remember?” He asked, but they both knew it wasn’t really a question. The girl coughed quietly and rolled onto her side.
“Well you need a name.” He said. “How about Rin? Rin’s a cute name.” The boy suggested. The girl nodded slowly, the new name seemed to fit. “I’m Corwin.” He said. “I’ll let you rest for a bit.” and he walked away into a room Rin couldn’t see.
The room was small and warm, a large brick fireplace was against the opposite wall. The couch she was laying on was a dark brown color and very soft. All the lights in the room were off so she couldn’t make out much, she could only see what the light from the fire bounced off of.
It could have been an hour or so before the boy, Corwin, came back to check on her. She couldn’t tell how long it had been, she just knew he was back. Corwin sat down by her feet and spoke,
“Do you mind if I take your temperature?” His voice was timid and Rin could sense a hint of panic in his voice. She nodded and he scanned her forehead with a thermometer. He looked at the results and nodded. “Just what I thought. You are a bit cold, is it ok if I pull the blanket up around you?” He asked the question. The fact he wanted to know if she was ok with him doing anything really astonished Rin. Nobody in her life before him had ever asked her opinion on life. She nodded quickly. Corwin pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and curled up on the soft couch down by her feet. “Do you think you will be able to speak tomorrow? My parents said you can stay here for as long as you need until you’re better, but we will be trying to find your family.” He paused for a second and watched the shadows dance around the room. “You really don’t know who you are?”
He asked, not making eye contact.
Rin shook her head slowly. The question wasn’t surprising, she had heard it many times before. But she felt a very close connection to this boy.
Her eyes were forced closed and she felt the cold surround her once again. She saw snow and ice, an icicle falling down from a jagged cave roof. She saw the blue spike hit the ground and heard someone cry out. She heard a voice but it was muffled, presumably calling someone’s name. Then Rin was able to hear as she got closer,
“Go! Run! Stay hidden in the alley! Go!” The voice said the muffled word again and faded away into an icy fog.
Rin’s eyes snapped open. The boy was standing over her looking concerned.
“Are you okay? You were mumbling something and went all pale.” His tone was concerned and urgent, as if everything in the world relied on her answer. “I’ll get you some water!” he said and sprinted out of the room. Rin took a moment to assess what had happened. She still felt the cold in her hands from before. She sat up to get a real look at the room. There was a window, the curtains were open and she could see it was night. Corwin came back with a glass of water.
“Drink.” He said, putting the glass in Rin’s pale shaking hands. She drank, the cold water refreshed her mind and she took a deep breath. “Do you feel better?” he asked, the same concerned tone to his voice. “I fell asleep and I thought you did too, but then I heard you making noise and moving about and I woke to see you went all pale, what happened?” she moved so that Corwin could sit next to her. “Can you try and speak?” He asked. Rin nodded and lowered the glass from her pale lips. She moved her mouth trying to make noise and after a moment of silence she spoke,
“Thank you for everything.” At first her voice was calm and quiet. But then her tone changed and became urgent, “I saw an Ice spike fall from a cave roof, I heard a voice telling me to run. They told me to hide in the alley where you found me. I don’t know who said that or why.” She was quiet, Corwin grabbed her hand and sighed,
“Your hands are cold. Here.” He stood, layed her back down onto the soft pillow and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. “It’s late. Try to sleep.” He whispered a goodnight and walked away into the dark void that was the other room. Rin closed her eyes, the darkness filled her mind, she saw the cold ice falling from the roof of the cave, she heard the voice again, more clearly, it was a woman’s voice. Her eyes snapped open again.
The cold winter sun was pouring in through the windows. Rin felt her body shake as she tried to sit up, the boy was by the fireplace, cleaning it swiftly.
“You’re awake.” he said, it sounded like it was supposed to be a question but he didn’t ask it. “How did you sleep?” He turned his head to look at her.
“I heard the voice again. It was a woman’s voice.” She left out the part about her not being able to hear some of the words.
“Maybe it’s just a bad dream.” Corwin said, going back to the fireplace. “My parents said that they can’t find your family, they tried all night. I’m sorry.” This hit Rin hard. The fact that she was here with no memory of her past was overwhelming her.
“Thank you for trying. I don’t know many strangers that are this kind.” She looked at the floor.
“The world needs nicer people in it. I try to help all those I can.” He stood. “My dads a doctor, he can make sure you don’t have any injuries or anything. I put some close out for you. Get dressed then we go to his office.” He walked away to let her change.
The clothes Corwin had laid out were interesting ones. A gray long sleeve shirt and some thick blue jeans. A pair of trainers were neatly placed at the end of the couch. Rin quickly dressed and slipped on the trainers, then went to go find Corwin. He was in the kitchen.
“You’re Ready?” He asked, finally looking at her.
“Yes. Thank you for the clothes.” She said sweetly.
“My mom said she’ll drive us. Come on.” He said.
He took a light purple coat off a hook and helped her into it. Then he grabbed her hand and led her out of the house. He lived on a cobbled street, Rin could see the alley where Corwin had found her the day before. He led her into the car and the two kids sat in the backseat.
“Usually I ride in the front because I’m sixteen but since you’re here I’ll sit with you back here.” He said quietly.
“Thank you.” Rin thanked him. Corwin nodded, realized he was still holding her hand, blushed and released her from his grasp.
They pulled into the doctor’s office car park, hopped out of the car and walked inside the old building.
“We are here to see doctor Thomas. Patient name uh, Rin I believe.” Corwin’s mother told the receptionist at the front desk, then turned to Rin, “Your name is Rin right honey?”
Rin flushed and nodded yes. The receptionist told them to wait and they went to sit down on the soft chairs. Corwin took Rin’s hand again.
“My dad is super nice don’t worry…” He said, but something in his eyes told her he was lying.
“I’m sure he’s great.” she said in her sweet, quiet voice.
“I want to be a doctor just like him when I grow up.” he said, looking at the floor. Then muttered something Rin couldn’t hear.
Finally they were taken to a room and Rin sat on the patient table.
“Hello.” a tall bald man with a thick brown goatee and glasses came in and shook Rin’s hand. “I’m Dr.Thomas, Corwin’s father. How are you today Rin?” He asked, looking at his clipboard.
“Uh, I’m okay… it’s nice to meet you.” she said cautiously, trying her hardest to avoid eye contact.
“Can you tell me what happened the night my son found you?” Dr.Thomas asked, looking at Corwin with a look of disgust on his face.
“Well, uh, I was alone and cold, so cold, my hands were blue. There was so much snow that I could barely see anything. Then everything started going dark like all the shadows had all combined into one, then it was all silent, so silent it was loud, then I woke up by the fire and Corwin was standing over me…” Her voice trailed off into nothing but a mutter. Her pale face blushed red when she realized how quiet it had gotten.
“I see…” He muttered to himself just loud enough for her to hear. “I guess we’ll do a normal check up and see if anything’s wrong.”
After an hour they were finally done. The only noticeable thing was that she had hurt her wrist.
“Thank you for being so good Rin.” Dr.Thomas said as he wrapped up her arm with a cast.
“Come on.” Corwin said as he got off his chair, “I need to talk to you.” He grabbed Rin’s good hand and
led her from the room to a balcony area.
“What’s this about?” Rin asked, confused. She saw he was blushing, his hands stuffed deep into his coat pockets.
“When I found you in the alley I noticed something magical about you. Some kind of current pulsing around you. I could feel it.” He glanced at her quickly then looked away. “I- I’ve never been able to feel something like that before.”
“Something magical?” Rin asked, her voice was shaky and quiet. Her mouth moved again but no words came out.
“But I brought you out here to talk about it. You- you seem like a good listener, I mean I don’t know you very well but I feel like I can trust you.”
Rin nodded quietly then spoke again,
“I’m all ears.”
Corwin took his hands out of his pockets and rested on the bars of the balcony
“That night, you were pulsing blue. I could feel you shivering and feel your magic.”
“Magic?” She asked. “I’m not magic. At least I don’t think I am.”
“You’re hiding something from me, but you don’t know what, I can feel it, I can feel your emotions, and I don’t know how.”
The shadows filled Rin’s vision, she could sense the truth, she knew he was right. The darkness surrounded her and she felt her head hit the ground.
“Rin?! Rin?! Can you hear me?!” It was Corwin. Kneeling by her side. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath. “Oh, you’re alive!!” he let out a cry of joy and grabbed Rin’s, once again, cold hands. He started crying and clutched her hands to his face. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
Rin opened her eyes and looked around, she was once again on the couch by the fire. She tried to sit up, but found that she was too weak. “Shhh, lay back down, I got you.” Corwin said. He had stopped crying and smiling and was now by her side propping up her pillows so Rin could look around.
“What happened?” She asked, her voice shaking and was almost a whisper.
“You blacked out, I assume from the cold, then you started yelling-”
“What was I yelling?” she interrupted.
“Something like, ‘The world needs you, go, run! Stay in the alley! He’ll find you!’ I brought you inside back to my dad but he said you just need rest. I couldn’t believe him! I was so mad! He- he-” Corwin stopped and blushed, realizing he had gotten off topic.
“What do you have against your dad?” She asked, as Corwin sat at her feet on the couch.
“He thinks he’s the best doctor in the world, convinced he’s going to cure cancer. That’s what he tells himself. He wants me to follow in his footsteps and become great, but to be honest I just want to be an astrologist. Studying stars and planets just seems so cool to me. He’s just-” he paused and watched the fire for a moment. “The world needs better people.” His voice was tired and cold, unlike his tone from the day before. Rin reached out her cold hand and took his.
“The world has better people. The world has you. You have a power, though we don’t know what it is, I can sense it, and that power is going to get you places.” He clutched her hand and looked at her.
“How do you do that?” He asked. His tone had returned to being warm and familiar.
“Do what?” Rin was confused. She adjusted so that he could sit next to her. He did so, and put his arm around her shivering body.
“Make me feel better. You’re the one who he didn’t take care of, you’re the one that is pale and hurt. Yet you make me feel better.”
She didn’t answer him. She only looked at him. He blushed and she rested her tired head against his shoulder.
“Do you sing?” She asked quietly, her eyes closed.
“I can.” Corwin answered.
“Can you sing me a song?”
“Sure” and he closed his eyes and began to sing, “Over the clouds and through the snow lives a girl who begins to grow, the world around her is still new, but she knows she wants you, she has a soulmate far far away his name means love but she takes that all away. The day they will meet will be the day the world will change forever, whether that’s for good or bad they will be together.” he paused. Rin looked up and saw him looking around with a puzzled look on his face.
“What’s the matter Corwin?” She asked. She moved her head and looked at him.
“Nothing.” his eyes snapped back into focus and he looked at her. “Get some rest.” he got off the couch and left her alone. Rin laid back and closed her eyes.
Corwin went outside. The cold early evening air hit his face. He sighed and looked around the alley where he hid from the world, (the same alley where he had found Rin) He saw a little cold blue light on the ground. He reached for it, his hand outstretched toward the mysterious object covered by snow. He picked it up and examined it. The object was small and was attached to a thin chain. Corwin dusted off the snow and saw it was a locket. He opened it timidly, shivering from the cold. Inside was a picture of a girl with long light brown hair and stunning blue eyes, she was seated on a throne of ice. Corwin recognized her as Rin! The name under the picture read,
“Alvina.” he whispered to the cold. He closed the locket and shoved it in his coat pocket. He didn’t plan to tell Rin that he knew who she was. He stayed there, in the cold, thinking about the locket. After a little while Rin came outside, wrapped in a coat. Corwin could see she was concerned.
“I didn’t know where you went.” she said, sitting down next to him. “I asked your mother if she knew where you were and she told me you like to come out here.” he reached for her hand but she pulled away. “You weren’t taking out the trash when you found me, were you?” it wasn’t really a question because she already knew the answer. Corwin looked at her. “You know who I am.” she said, looking at her own blue, bruised hands.
“You’re right.” he said sadly. He rested his head against the brick wall of the alley. “I came out here to hide from my dad. He wanted me to help him sign patient forms, said it was good practice for me. That’s when I found you.”
“Corwin.” Rin rested her hand on his and looked at him.
“As for the other part. You’re right. I do know who you are.” He looked into her eyes and she looked back, longing to hear more.
“Tell me.” She whispered. Her hands becoming bluer by the second. Corwin noticed this and said calmly,
“Let’s get you inside first.”
She nodded and the two stood up. Corwin took her hand and led her back into the warm, cozy house. She took off her jacket and sat down on the couch. She shivered and Corwin placed a blanket around her shoulders.
“Tell me everything.” she said, her voice was serious and grim, her tone trying to convince him.
“I went outside to breathe and saw a magical blue glow in the snow. I picked up the object and saw it was a locket and opened it, inside was a picture of…” he paused for a moment, Rin already knew the answer
“Me.” She finished off almost in a whisper. The heat from the fire drifted up to where she was seated on the couch. She realized how cold she was and shivered. The smell of roast from the kitchen filled her nostrils.
“Did it say my name?” she asked, again knowing the answer.
“Yes. I don’t know what it stands for but your real name is Alvina.”
“Alvina.” she repeated quietly to herself. It seemed to fit. Her life started coming back to her, she lied back onto the pillows, “I just remembered so much. Alvina means magic, I remember learning that in school. My family was a magic polar tribe in the north, we lived in caves and were coal miners. One day I was out mining with my mother and a giant ice spike fell from the roof of the cave and crushed her and my arm. I remember her yelling out for me to run and I ran for miles and stopped for the night in the alley, that’s when you found me. The only part I don’t understand is why I feel the cold if I lived in the cold.” She stopped and looked at him.
“That’s the woman I’ve been hearing in my dreams, my mother…” she started to cry silently. Corwin reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped down, unconscious.
He was cold, he looked down at his hands to see he was trudging through snow. Corwin let out a deep sigh and noticed he could see his breath. He felt cold, so cold in fact he was turning more and more blue by the second. He looked down at his shivering hands to see he was wearing mittens. The snow was coming down fast and blurred his vision.
“Alvina-”
He heard a quiet voice off in the distance and saw the mouth of a cave open up in front of him. He walked inside and saw a giant ice spike sticking out of the ground, he walked over and noticed that his hands went through everything.
“I’m not really here.” he said to himself quietly. He walked around the cave and noticed a girl kneeling by the icicle, a woman laying on the ground in front of her.
“I’m here.. I’m right here-” the kneeling girl said.
Corwin could see the girl was crying. He moved closer, silently walking towards the figures. He got close enough to see who the people were,
“Alvina!” he let out a gasp and started running forward to see what was happening. When he made it to her side he could see the whole scene. A woman was laying on the ground, her face pale as paper, a shard of cold, blue ice protruding from her stomach. Alvina was trying to tend to it lightly. But her own arm had been wounded by a shard of ice.
“Go. You need to run Alvina, hide in the alley, he’ll find you! Go-” her voice was shaky, trying to get the point across that this was urgent.
“I’m not leaving you! You protected me, I’m not letting you die here all alone! Maybe I can fix you with my magic! Please, let me try!” she begged. Corwin could see her tears freeze as they rolled down her pale cheeks.
“Don’t waste your magic on me, you’ll need it for him. Plus you’re injured too, your magic is too weak… please leave, I don’t want you to see this.” the woman coughed quietly and she placed a shivering hand on Alvina’s knee. Corwin heard a noise and looked up from the scene. There, across the cave was Alvina, she was walking towards him slowly. The scene faded away in front of him as she approached.
“You were never meant to see this Corwin.” she said coldly. He could see she could also fade through things.
“See what? I’m so confused!” and that was the truth. Corwin had no idea what was going on and he wanted answers. She could sense that.
“My mom died. She was impaled with ice. This vision gives both you and me the truth, and for me..” she paused for a moment then looked right into his eyes. “It’s both my fault and your fault. You see, I made the ice, I used my magic and I summoned it, but you’re the real reason she’s dead. This memory reminded me that I have healing powers, but she told me to save mine for you! So I did, and it turns out I wasn’t supposed to. A warlock came to me in a dream and told me I messed up my destiny! I could still have my family, my home, my people! But I threw that all away for you…” her tone was getting angry now. Corwin could tell she wasn’t done.
“You! My family, my people! They all died for you!” she was yelling now, louder and louder with each word. “And now, it’s time for you to wake up!!!” and she slapped him across the face.
Corwin gasped for air as he sat up. Alvina was looking at him, concerned.
“What happened?! You were all pale and kept saying my name.” She helped him sit up, slowly lifting a glass of water to his lips.
“I thought you would be more mad.” he said confused, gratefully accepting the water.
“What are you talking about?” She asked, lowering the glass and setting it aside.
“You were mad at me, it’s my fault your family is dead, it’s all my fault! Your mother told you to save your power for me and it was wrong, she was wrong! You should have saved her!” he started coughing uncontrollably. “I thought the world needed me! I thought I was the good in the world, but I broke it.. I broke you. Your people, your family, they are all gone because of me!”
“What are you going on about?!” Alvina asked, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible but it was shaking and weak. “Lay back, here.” She picked up the glass of water, “do you think you can hold this?” she asked.
“I- don’t think so,” he said.
“Ok.” She lifted the rim of the cup up to his mouth and he drank slowly. Then she pulled a blanket around him gently. “Now that you’re comfortable, tell me what happened, and don’t leave anything out.”
Corwin explained everything, the cold, the scene, Alvina’s anger. Then he was silent.
“I see.” she said, after a moment of silence. “I had no idea.”
“Alvina I-”
“No, you don’t need to apologize. I just-” she was quiet a moment more then spoke again, “do you think you can walk? If not I can go get your mother and tell her you don’t feel well…” her voice was back to being quiet, but her tone was a hint more cold.
“I don’t think I can, but I’m willing to try.” He said, a hint of confidence in his voice.
“No. if you don’t think so, don’t take any chances. This vision business is very delicate.” Corwin nodded quietly.
“I’ll go get your mother…” and she walked away. Corwin could see she flinched when he stood up and clutched her hurt arm for a brief moment.
“Wait! Alvina… you’re injured too!” He reached out his hand to stop her but she walked out of the room. Corwin sat back on the couch and coughed again. The fire warmed his cold, sick body. He heard a log snap and burst into sparks as he closed his eyes. “The world needs better people…” he whispered to himself quietly.
“I’m back.” Alvina walked in, accompanied by Corwin’s mother. He could see she was clutching her hurt arm and looked in pain.
“Corwin…” his mother approached him. “What’s wrong? You were fine this morning. Tell me.” she paused for a moment, “I’m not your father, you can trust me.” she sat next to him and put her arm around his shivering body.
“I just- I think I just need rest. You on the other hand Alvina, are hurt.” He reached out and took her good hand.
“I don’t need your pity Corwin.” she said coldly, pulling away. “Thank you for your hospitality Mrs. Thomas but I think I’m ready to leave.” Alvina shivered and then looked up into the two pairs of eyes staring at her.
“Where will you go?” His mother asked, standing up.
“I can find somewhere to go, I have a feeling my home isn’t that far away..”
“Well, if I can’t change your mind. At least let me pack you some food before you go.” Mrs.Thomas stood and walked off to the kitchen. Alvina turned back to Corwin,
“You. I’ll never forget what you did. You both helped me and killed my family, that’s not something I can forgive or forget. My world has turned upside down so many times these last couple of days. Take care of yourself, magic can be delicate.” and she walked from the room.
she sobbed. Alvina settled down and rolled up her sleeves. “I can do this.” she readied herself and placed her hands on the lifeless body. “Please work!” she said, her eyes shut tight, trying to concentrate. Nothing. She readied again and placed her hands on her mother for the second time. Nothing. “It’s hopeless.” She stood up, defeated. She noticed she was sweating and out of breath. Alvina reached out for a bottle of water and drank the icy cold liquid. She heard a noise and looked up.
“Hi.” it was Corwin, walking across the icy cave floor. She could see he was limping slightly.
“What are you doing here?” she stood angrily.
“You didn’t let me apologize.” he said weakly.
“Fine. Let’s hear it.” She snapped coldly.
“Just hear me out! All my life I didn’t know my purpose, my dad had the steering wheel in my childhood, he controlled me. When I turned sixteen I thought some things would change, but I didn’t think it would go this far. The world needs better people and you, you warmed my heart, you filled me with hope and then, you helped me discover I do have a purpose, I have powers! I can see magical objects and feel others’ emotions and that’s what makes me, me. And I helped you. Sure I also killed your mother but I do love you, and I understand if you don’t love me. But you used to. I could feel it.” he was silent for a moment, the world seemed to pause. Alvina walked toward him.
“You’re hurt. Come, eat. I can share.” She reached into the bag of food and handed him half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and kept the other half for herself. He accepted it gratefully.
“I’m not the only one who’s injured.” he said like a worried parent.
“I’m fine.” she snapped as she ripped the cast off her arm to reveal a black and blue bruise covering her whole forearm. “See, it’s only a mark.”
“No! If there’s anything my dad taught me, I know that’s blood poisoning! If you don’t let me treat you, you could die.” He tried to explain but she turned away sharply. The smell of blood filled the air. It filled Alvina’s nose. Everything started going fuzzy and her head hit the ground.
“Alvina!” It was a woman’s voice. Her eyes opened and she saw her mother standing over her, splashing water onto Alvina’s pale face.
“Mom?! What happened?!” her tone was urgent as she embraced the woman.
“You saved me! Thank you!” she smiled and held her crying daughter for a moment. Alvina looked up for Corwin.
“Where is he?” she asked.
It didn’t take long for Alvina to find the cave where it all began. She walked inside, cradling her hurt arm with her other hand, the bag of food and water on her back. She walked across the empty cave to a giant spike sticking out of the ground. She sat down by the spike and placed the bag on the ground in front of her. She opened it and selected an apple from the bottom. As Alvina ate she thought about Corwin and her past. She looked at her arm and realized something.
“If I can heal people, and this is the place where my mother died, maybe I can fix her!” she thought aloud to herself, hearing the echo of her excitement bounce off the stone walls. She stood and walked deeper into the cave until she found the cold pale figure on the ground. Her vision started to blur with hot tears but they froze before they hit the ground. She knelt by the figure and pushed the brown hair out of its pale face. “Mom.”
“Who?”
“The boy. Corwin!” she said, urgently. “Corwin!” she called out.
“I’m over here!” he yelled back. Alvina tried to stand but found she was too weak.
“No, you can’t stand. He’s right, you do have blood poisoning. Let him care for you.” her mom assured her.
“Ok, I can trust him. At least you’re alive.” She hugged her mother again and laid back on the hard ground. Corwin came over with the snack bag and sat down next to his dying friend.
“Can you forgive me now?” he asked.
“Yes.” she shivered. Corwin rolled up his sleeves and readied himself to use magic. Alvina could see the
focus in his eyes. Nothing.
“It’s not working! I’m sorry.” he closed his eyes in defeat.
“Please. I didn’t come back to life only to watch my daughter die! Please boy, help her!” Her mom yelled, and started crying as she clutched the dying child at her feet.
“Well, if i’m not going to make it… Corwin” she turned to the pale boy standing above her. She watched as he pushed his light hair out of his face. “Come here.” she said, weakly becoming closer to the shivering boy She lightly rested her head on his boney shoulder. Corwin moved in and they became tangled in a kiss. With her last breath Alvina pulled away and closed her eyes for what she thought would be the last time. Silence. Alvina opened her eyes to see her arm was fixed.
“It’s a miracle!” her mom yelled, hugging Alvina tightly, but Alvina pulled away.
“Corwin…” she looked to her left to where the boy had been, there he was, slumped over. Dead. She started shaking.
“Corwin…” she whispered, grabbing his face and slapping him, trying, begging for him to wake up.
“No… not for me, not because of me!!!! Corwin please, wake up! Now!” She bent down over his body and cried out loud, and she remained there for hours crying. His blue lips went without speaking. Without bringing good to the world.
THE END
Letters Home from the Perspective of Victor Frankenstein’s Roommate
Mina Serdoud
Monday, Nov. 3rd
Dearest Mother and Father,
I know it has been too long since I last wrote. I have become so engrossed within my studies that I seem to have forgotten the flow of time. School has been treating me well, although it has not been easy. Whilst I am fascinated by the ins and outs of physics I am still yet to fully understand it, I spend my days and nights memorizing Newton’s laws, and pondering questions such as whether or not the earth is spherical. I have come to find this all quite strenuous and feel myself slipping into the depths of a rather aggressive cold. I have been trying to focus on nursing myself back to health, however, I have been preoccupied as of recent due to the arrival of a new student, who shares my apartment room with me. His name is Victor Frankenstein and he moved here to Inglostad from Geneva, where his family resides. Victor appears to be rather quiet, and very reserved in his thinking. He has spoken very few words to me since his arrival, in the late evening of yesterday. I find this to be very impolite, in fact, I would say it borders the line of being disrespectful. I fear that if it continues this way, I may have to seek help to request a transfer to another room. I am aware of my swift irrationality, as it has not yet been one full day of sharing a room with Mr. Frankenstein. I shall monitor the progression of the living situation and draw upon a conclusion. I prefer to think of myself as one who is sociable and gets along well with others, as I have been told throughout my childhood, which is why I am so shocked at myself for the immediate resentment of my bedfellow. I fret that as I age, I shall become more and more of a recluse as I retreat to my own shell, as would a hermit crab. I have in fact been studying in depth the anatomy of a hermit crab within my biology course, this being the reason for my allusion. I have come to learn the uniqueness of the hermit crab, lending to this crustacean becoming my new favorite of the kind. All this being beside the point. I will ensure to make an effort to write more frequently.
Your beloved son.
Monday, Nov. 17th
Dearest Mother and Father,
As the leaves begin to fall away, and days grow colder and darker signifying Ingolstadt’s departure into the dreary depths of winter, I can’t help but feel my motivation waning. As you both know, since I was a youth I enjoyed the act of laying out absorbing the sun. I now must, yet again, begin the wait for the longest part of the year to be over, before I can again be met with the comforting rays. I hope you are both staying well during this dreaded time; I know that there has been a resurgence in the case of scarlet fever. I hope you both are keeping well away from anyone who shows any symptoms of the ailment. Father, as I am sure you have told Mother, my focus is on physics and not biology. In the case that either of you were to fall prey to this treacherous illness, I would only be able to sit by and watch helplessly as my knowledge of curing human illness is nothing but rudimentary.
I have kept on with my rigorous dedication to school, despite my lack of motivation. It has been a fortnight since I last wrote, and I still occupy the shared space with Victor Frankenstein. Although in my last letter,
I made mention of the idea that I transfer to another room, I have decided to pursue the sharing of a room with Victor in the hope that this will eventually become more enjoyable. Victor is a very peculiar man. I have often caught him mumbling to himself as if he is in some sort of trance. In turn, my curiosity has been piqued, I try not to pry, but I find I can’t help myself. As I observe his actions more and more—which I do from a distance, as I am wary of Mr. Frankenstein and his odd behavior—the more anxious I become. I have borne witness to many a strange circumstance but something about this particular instance leaves me especially unsettled. I soon came to discover that Victor is an avid sleep talker. Each night he relentlessly mumbles and whispers as if preaching to the population of the night. I have never seen anything quite like it. Unfortunately, I have suffered through many sleepless nights at the hands of none other than Victor Frankenstein. Victor and I have engaged in very few, if any conversations, all of which have revolved around the professors who work here at Ingolstadt. Mostly Victor asks for insight into oddly specific aspects of the professor’s life and I tend to lack answers for his questions due to their obscurity. The thought of transferring rooms is constant, lingering over me. I will admit that my curiosity has aided in my perseverance of remaining where I am, as well as the fear of burdening others with my request. I will keep a close eye on the living situation and will not hesitate to act upon instinct.
I miss you both.
Sincerely,
Your beloved son.
Wednesday, Nov. 27th
Dearest Mother and Father, It is not often that I write this frequently. The passing of this week has been of much relief. I write to you from one of my friends’ bedrooms. I have slowly been losing grasp of my sanity, as sleepless days turned into sleepless weeks. My head hangs heavy, and my eyes feel as though they are sinking. I have lacked focus and concentration in my classes as I find my eyes often shut and my head fuzzy from slipping in and out of consciousness. I have concluded that I must request that I change apartment rooms immediately! The uncanny goings-on have become too much and I cannot endure them any longer without losing my mind. Victor Frankenstein’s erratic mumblings have progressively become louder, to the point where he was nothing short of screaming in his sleep. The indecipherably haunting noises were inescapable and have continually kept me from sleeping. Apart from the nightly disturbances, Victor also mysteriously disappears and does not return until late. What he is doing at such a time is unknown to me but I doubt it is of any good. Each sleeplessly painful day that passes, I find myself more and more suspicious of Victor. I regularly find him slamming draws shut as soon as I enter the room, or covering up his writing in the hopes that I do not catch a glimpse. Thus far I have managed to restrain myself from the urge to stick my nose where it does not belong, partly out of fear of what I might find. As of now, I have decided that I shall request to move into another apartment room, one which contains only sane people who do not speak during times of rest, or impose their heinous whisperings onto others. Once this is all done, and I am settled into my new space, I am confident I will be able to resume my normal state. I look forward to the return of my sanity.
As always, I hope you are both well and doing better than I am. I hope to return home soon for a brief visit which is long overdue.
Your beloved son.
How Not to Book Your Next Vacation
Hana Foulk
Beyond that slice of boreal forest wrapped around our northernmost cities, they say the cliffs still plead for visitors. The old harbors—half abandoned, half torn down for scrap metal—sit beneath snow and rust, and the roads frame stretches of wildflowers in the warmer months. The buildings lower their eyes against the wind, roofs slanted like winter hats. Everything is quiet and waiting and still.
Yet the cliffs are as impatient as one would expect. They are, after all, mountains that walked into the sea and hesitated at the wrong moment. Frozen, perhaps with one arm still extended, or leaning back enough for moss to cover them. They stand shoulder to shoulder facing the ocean, crowded together as though body heat could protect them from the cold. Over the waves they talk of how they miss the snow geese, and the arctic terns and the puffins, before those too made their way somewhere else. Whether the cliffs are guards or prisoners of the open sea they have not yet decided.
Once bored, the wind journeys south into the treeline, where it shakes the needles of the great conifers; and past the villages that bloom here and there like red tundra moss; and even along the few roads that someone bothered to pave.
Until it finds me, huddled beneath a post office sign, staring at an advertisement.
Haven’t you always wanted to visit the ocean before you die? That could be today! Book your Arctic Ocean Tour FIRST. Make your bucket list happy, even if it makes your bank account sad. Contact us NOW. There’s no time to lose!
I used to compare it to something my professors would’ve shown—one of those ad campaigns sent out before the tourism companies cut their losses and moved south. We would’ve passed a faded newspaper around the table, each student taking turns dog-earing the corners to see the paper crumble into dust; and they’d have told us to be grateful we had classrooms and not museum gift shops.
I think I’d rather be on the run from a museum gift shop.
I’d found the first one at the bottom of a bowl of soup. I’d lifted my spoon to find a piece of potato, a slice of celery, and the words Contact us NOW! When I took the wet paper from the bowl, the ink had feathered enough to render the words unreadable. I cursed whoever thought the cafeteria bowls were an appropriate alternative to a recycling bin.
My next advertisement came after a math exam the following week. As the professor made her way down the row of desks, I realized that the stack of papers she held was not our tests but something typed in large, bold letters like billboard notices.
The same letters that had watched me through a bowl of chicken broth.
I looked down at my paper, and at the next student’s, and the one past theirs, and the row of people all smiling or shaking their heads with disappointment, and I wondered why no one felt the same confusion I felt.
“Did you also get a 90?” my neighbor said.
I tried to speak to my professor later that day—I wanted an explanation, if nothing else—but the door was opened by a paper with arms and legs.
“That’s a great mask you have,” I said.
“Sure is,” said Book your Arctic Ocean Tour NOW!
I slammed the door and ran.
That night, I unlocked the paper latch of my window and climbed down the scraggly cliffs beneath the dormitory. The university sat on the side of a mountain overlooking the forest, which spread in all directions like a green blanket over the earth. As I walked, I began to hear things over the wind. That same wind which was now salty, which carried a chill so unlike anything I had felt that I wondered how the same storms could pass through here and home. The road was nothing more than scattered pebbles, handfuls of gravel tossed wher-
ever the first traveler had wished it. When I saw buildings, they stood in single file beside the road. I think they found me as startling as I did them, with their windowless stares and open doors for mouths.
I made it to the ocean, and the wind put a pen in my hand and told me to write. It greeted me as soon as I arrived and showed me each of the abandoned roads, laughing in that cold, high pitched whistle. It told me how to find the one undamaged building tucked into the harbor, shielded behind an old oil refinery. It couldn’t get there itself, the wind told me apologetically. If it wasn’t the Arctic Ocean tour I’d expected, it was at least an effort I appreciated.
Now I spend my days in the university, making advertisements in hopes that I can write my way back home. I place them outside for the wind to collect, and I imagine as they fly away that they are carried in the beaks of snow geese, or arctic terns or puffins.
Your future is waiting for you in the Arctic Ocean. You heard me—the ARCTIC OCEAN! Visit now for the low cost of whatever your tropical summer vacation would’ve been. Find it all in the Arctic Ocean TODAY!
The Boy and The Door
Lark Buncher
When Harry was a child, he made his way to school on foot. He never wanted to, his shoes would get dirty and his hair a sweaty filth before he’d even walk in. Dogs would snarl and spit behind their weak and rickety fences and his neighbors would throw their broken beer bottles on the sidewalk the night before. However, none of these living nightmares were worse than the giant wood door, lying in the fields of a junkyard behind his house. It was leftover from a scrapped apartment complex and had been rotting in the thicket for years. He’d hear it slowly squeaking open and close with the morning wind and that noise followed him everywhere. He’d hear it while in empty long brown corridors at school. He’d hear it in crowds that seemed so loud nothing could drown them out. He heard it everywhere. A few years went by of this constant creaking and the urge to lock the door plagued his mind more and more each day. It felt almost as if the worse his life became, the more the noise replayed in his head; like a record. And even when Harry graduated and left his old Victorian apartment complex, and even when the dogs didn’t snarl and the neighbors didn’t scream, the noise remained. He felt it shake the dorms, he watched it ripple the pond, and he heard it through the sound of the morning winds.
More time went by and his parents sold the house. Harry decided this was his last chance to face his biggest fear, lock the door, and free himself from the affliction. Stepping through the dead grass and pushing up old dirty water which soaked into his new shoes, walking by the old fence where the old dog used to eject the sounds of hell, and jumping over the few glass shards that remained from years before, Harry made it to the junkyard. He was a different person than he was before now. His hair was gelled back and he dressed in formal wear. He was stronger than he was before, more in control. And yet, the noise was louder than ever.
With a cold and dead fist, he planned on hitting the door into placidity. He struck it. The door began to vigorously spasm up and down against the dirt and its beams, the noise louder than ever. He struck it again. The door was now violently swinging with the most unbearable cry excreting from the panels. Harry began to panic. He punched it till his knuckles bled before falling onto it like a child.
“Please” Harry whispered to the door with a shaky voice as his lips trembled while tasting the salt of his own tears. In that moment of vulnerability, it gradually began to occur to him that he would never get this door closed. He wiped his tears with dirt on his hands causing it to transfer to his face. As Harry sat there, more a mess than ever, with the sound of the door like always, he thought about how no matter how much pain he could experience, he would not be able to control the endless creaking of the door. In fact, the more he prayed the door would shut, the more aggressively it would swing. The only option was to ignore it. He couldn’t be what every boy so desperately wants to be, the hero who bravely conquers their demons. He would have to sit this one out. The door will never close, nor will it ever remain open. It swings back and forth forever and always.
In the final days of Shah Jahan’s time in this dunya, the acclaimed King was confined to a prison of a home and brackish water. His most beloved material possession now disgusted him within his confinement. The King of the World, a title most men would have died for had fallen from the throne. But the Shah was not alone, the Shah had the accompaniment of the shattered window. A shattered window that allowed the Shah to see his magnum opus. The Taj Mahal, the Palace of Wonders. The monument for his Mumtaz. Even if it was only for one minute each day, the Shah could immediately relax at the sight of the palace. The Shah passed away one of these lonely nights,but he left this world with the Taj in his eyes. A final reminder of the feeling of Junoon, a cure to his cold ending.
MISSION STATEMENT
Oakwood Friends School, guided by Quaker principles, educates and prepares young people for lives of conscience, compassion, and accomplishment. Students experience a challenging curriculum within a diverse community, dedicated to nurturing the spirit, the scholar, the artist, and the athlete in each person.
