The OMS Chronicle Summer Issue 2023

THE OMS CHRONICLE

MEMBER: NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION VOLUME III ISSUE 2 SUMMER MMXXIII

Community Service Awardees

Amari Victor Angeli

Essence Caitlyn Savannah Ernesto

EDITORIAL BOARD

Trinity Beverley, 7th Gr.*

Angeli Burns, 6th Gr.*

Ernesto Cabral, 6th Gr.*

Jessica Clark, 6th Gr.*

Caitlyn Harper, 8th Gr.*

Victor Jimenez, 6th Gr.

Isabella Marin, 6th Gr.*

Savannah Marshall, 6th Gr.*

Shelby McCracken, 6th Gr.

Mary Nims, 6th Gr.*

Olivia Pinson, 6th Gr.

Myrah Ricketts, 7th Gr.*

Rogina Shaker, 7th Gr.

Essence Smith, 7th Gr.*

Amari Swader, 7th Gr.*

Isabella Switzer, 7th Gr.*

*Inducted member of NSPA

EDITORIAL

There are many issues faced by a middle school student, but one of the most prominent is stress.

Stress is very powerful and can cause middle school students to make bad choices. Relationships among peers can cause stress especially if peer pressure takes on a negative turn. Negative peer pressure is very dangerous. For example, if a group of delinquents are doing something bad, such as vandalism or drug abuse, the person who is friends with them will follow through because of their desire to fit in, to belong, and to feel accepted. Before we know it, the consequences transform into something that is cyclical in nature.

Middle school is a big change from elementary school – there is more work, more responsibilities, more everything! This could be a very stressful phase of growth for some students causing them to make very rash decisions and do bad things On top of that, their body is also going through many changes, making them even more stressed!

Bullying is also a very prominent phenomenon in middle school. Bullying can make a lot of people unsafe and stressed. Imagine doing pages and pages of work while worrying about someone bullying you.

What many schools are doing to combat this problem is the existence of a support system for middle school students. There are counselors, social workers, therapists, and mentors who all work together to ensure middle school students receive the help they need in dealing with many stressful life events. There are many programs addressing mental health awareness and stress. Finding a professional to talk with and have an open and safe space helps a lot in relieving stress.

Stress is very impactful to a middle school student’s life, outside the school and inside the school. This is why finding an ally in school is important.

By Ernesto Cabral

OPINION

Do you know of a major issue that young people today are facing? Phones. Phones have overtaken our real social life, so we rarely go outside anymore. OSF Healthcare states, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that children ages 8-10 and youth ages 11-14 spend an average of nine hours per day in front of a screen. ” This report implies that children in my age group spend a ridiculous amount of screen time per day.

Phones also make it difficult to sleep due to blue light. As Cleveland Clinic reports, “But, it [phone] can be bad for your sleep, too Exposure to blue light can affect your internal body clock and throw off your Circadian Rhythm.” This information is trying to tell us that phones disturb your sleep schedule.

Phones are most likely to be an addiction for their owner. Ironically, Verizon, a giant telecommunications company says, “Every user is at risk of developing an addiction to their [user] device. Whether it’s online games, social media, text messaging, or emails, there are many ways that smartphone apps attract users making it hard to look away. ” Verizon’s report suggests that people with phones are most likely to be addicted to their device. What do you think? Have we completely lost the art of true socialization to phones?

By Shelby McCracken

LEADER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Interview by Staff

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

DR. ANGELA HUGHES

Dr Angela Hughes, 8th Grade Assistant Principal, is our leader in the spotlight for this summer issue. Dr. Hughes is originally from Columbus, Mississippi Aside from Mississippi and Tennessee, Dr Hughes has lived in Texas and Mexico City and Matamoros in Mexico Her favorite travel destination is Costa Rica

She has three awesome kids – Ethan (16 years old), Jacob (13 years old), and Isabella (9 years old) She is also a pet lover She has a hyper Australian Shephard named Rocky and a sweet cat named Tigress

Being an administrator, Dr Hughes lives a busy life, but this does not stop her from being active in social causes such as supporting our veterans through Mighty Oaks Foundation, helping kids with cancer via St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and helping kids and missionaries in other countries that do not have opportunities we have in the United States Dr Hughes also uses her time to volunteer at World Outreach Church. In her spare time, Dr. Hughes hikes her favorite trails and footpaths She seems to be an adrenaline junkie as she went skydiving when she was 18 years old. She wants the same experience for her kids as she plans to take them skydiving when they turn 18

Dr Hughes is a product of three different universities She earned her bachelor’s degree at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), her master’s degree at University of Texas Brownsville Campus, and her educational specialist’s degree and doctorate at Liberty University When she started college, Dr. Hughes was excited to be in the education program When asked why she chose MTSU, Dr. Hughes stated, “MTSU has a great education program and allowed me to live at home a little longer and save money while going to college

I graduated with quite a bit of money saved and never took out any loans” While at MTSU, Dr Hughes was active with softball and basketball and also was a camp counselor She was in the honors fraternity called Golden Key and a member of different educational organizations. What was the most valuable lesson she learned from her education? Dr Hughes replied, “How little I knew and that I will never stop learning”

As a leader, Dr Hughes describes herself as a reflective leader She explained, “I am a reflective leader. I am constantly thinking about what is working and what needs to be adjusted to keep moving in the right direction and to strengthen or address areas of concern ” Her definition of a reflective leader seamlessly flows into her concept of leadership “Leadership is having a vision for something and helping others understand the vision Then helping and serving others so they can develop themselves and complete actions that turn the vision into a reality,” Dr Hughes elaborated We also asked her about the most important decisions she makes as a leader Dr Hughes responded, “When to push people to their limits and when to back off and just encourage It is also important to know when something is good but needs to be great That means there needs to be changes made to something, and people don’t always see the need to change to be better if something is “good enough ” Her response related back to her description of reflective leadership Her biggest joys as a leader is when “people realize their passion and confidence, when people learn something new about themselves, and when people trust each other and work as a team to complete something bigger than their individual selves.” While there are many joys, there are also challenges that must be overcome which includes “trying to do and focus on too many things at the same time.

It is also difficult to help others see the need for change if they have become complacent ” Further, Dr Hughes also mentioned that the biggest challenge facing educational leaders today is “some people value entertainment above wisdom Some students are disrespectful and don’t think they should abide by school expectations or policies Some students have poor work ethic and a lack of desire to learn ” Nevertheless, Dr Hughes emphasized that “it is important to stay positive, celebrate progress, and remember why you are doing what you are doing I try to remember that anything worth having requires sacrifice ” Dr Hughes looks up to Jesus, John Maxwell, Tony Robbins, and Stephen Covey as her role models We asked her what kind of legacy she wishes to leave behind as a leader, and Dr. Hughes had this to say, “I hope I can leave behind the legacy of having integrity, adding value to others, and having a desire to be a little better every day.”

“I hope I can leave behind the legacy of having integrity, adding value to others, and having a desire to be a little better every day.”

SCOTT KINNEY

Mr. Scott Kinney is our faculty in the spotlight for our Summer Edition. Did you know that he is originally from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee? Mt. Juliet is approximately 40 minutes away from Murfreesboro. His pathway to music education is quite interesting. His Dad was a band director, and his Mom was into teaching, and Mr. Kinney stated, “It was the right thing to do [to teach music].” Indeed, music and teaching are a natural part of the Kinney family as one of Mr. Kinney’s daughters is a professional French Horn player, and his other daughter is currently student teaching. He said that he discovered his talent as early as high school, and now he is on his 30th year sharing his passion for music with students and music lovers. Mr. Kinney obtained his music education degree from Memphis State University and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).

Mr. Kinney’s educational philosophy is treating children with dignity and respect while maintaining strong discipline. His educational philosophy is evident in how he nurtures relationships with his students. Mr. Kinney explained, “I smile a lot, I use good manners, I use positive reinforcement, and I play music. I get to know them, and I joke.” His past students, peers or administrators would describe him as hard working, dedicated, and kind. Mr. Kinney is proud to say that his greatest success is “lots of kids making it to all state level and making it into the Governor’s School for the Arts, and former students are now working as band teachers and performers.”

We asked Mr. Kinney the greatest challenge facing students today, and he replied, “Students are unable to put their phones down, connect with the real world, and get off social media.” He considers 9/11 his worst teaching day. From this experience, Mr. Kinney learned that everything is temporary, and he needs to love everyone. Mr. Kinney believes that the outstanding traits of a great teacher are showing up every day and putting the needs of their students above their own. As to the type of legacy he wishes to leave behind as a teacher, Mr. Kinney shared, “I want to leave behind the legacy of kindness and perseverance. ” We asked him if there were any question he would like to ask us that we did not ask and this question was, “Source of your success and happiness?” Mr. Kinney disclosed, “My relationship with God.”

STAFF IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MARY RECTOR

Interview by Staff

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

Mary Rector, our beloved bookkeeper, is retiring. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. Mary has lived in many statesIllinois, Wisconsin, Virginia, Kentucky, Colorado, Vermont, Kansas, Washington, Ohio, and Tennessee and in another country, The Netherlands. Mary has been married to Russ for almost 37 years (they will be celebrating their 37th this June), and they have a son, Sam, who is 28 years old. Mary is also a pet lover. She has a Rottweiler named Elsa, a German Shepherd named Siggi, a Corgi pup named Freya, and four aquariums Her favorite sports team is Kansas City (all the way!). In her free time, Mary indulges herself in leather crafting Mary’s favorite travel destination is any lakeside cabin which makes sense since she used to be an assistant park ranger. She is passionate about civility because “I believe that you should be kind and respectful to everyone until they treat you unkindly”

Mary’s work experiences have been extensive. Before becoming a bookkeeper, she was a waitress, an assistant park ranger, into cosmetic sales, an optometric assistant, a teller and new account representative in a bank, an educational assistant, and a secretary. You will be surprised that her bachelor’s degree is in Communications from Virginia Tech In college, Mary first majored in Art but changed schools and ended up in communications and marketing The most valuable lesson she learned from her education is “every opportunity you don’t take is a door you close on your future. Don’t be afraid to try new things because you never know what they’ll lead you to” That is wise advice from a wellrounded person.

Mary first started her bookkeeping journey at Oakland High School. As a person who is not afraid to try new things, Mary accepted the offer when the Principal offered her the job She had banking experience previously, so she accepted the offer. She never intended to stay long as a bookkeeper, but “I was good at it and ended up enjoying it” We asked her what professional accomplishment she is most proud of, and Mary revealed, “Finishing! Any time I finish a challenging project I feel a great sense of satisfaction” Her favorite thing about being a bookkeeper is helping teachers. A career advice she would give to a young person is, “Don’t be afraid to change your path What seems right when you’re 20 may not fit as when you’re 35. People change. Embrace it.”

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

COACH IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SHAUNTIA COOK

Interview by Staff

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

Many of you know Ms. Cook as our school’s 8th Grade Counselor Let’s get to know her, this time, as Coach Cook Coach Cook is Oakland Middle School’s Track Coach In our interview with her, Coach Cook relayed to us the reason why she wanted to be a coach, and it is because it allows her to strengthen the bond with her students and to get her more involved as a first-year counselor at OMS Her core values as a coach include respect, hard work, understanding, and willpower.

A typical practice for Track involves the whole team walking over to the high school, then athletes would go into their warm-up drill of two laps, a series of stretches, and then the workout for each group (sprinters, distance, throwers/jumpers) The bench area during a meet is set up to help keep runners relaxed and hydrated There are tents set up to offer shade as well as coolers full of snack and drinks to keep players fueled There are also extra supplies on hand in case something is forgotten and that helps to ease the stress of the runners and families. When the team is struggling, Coach Cook uses her counseling expertise to empathize with her athletes on their feelings as well as positive self-talk to help keep them in the proper headspace in season

During off-season, Coach Cook uses this time to review what worked and didn’t work for the season and make the necessary adjustments as well as view the athletes that are transitioning to high school to see which positions are available in the upcoming season

Coach Cook views the relationship between academics and athletics as one in the same Coach Cook explained, “As a coach I hold my athletes to a standard of maintaining their grades It shows that if they could remain focused and determined in the classroom, then they could go onto the track and do the same thing.” She develops community support for the team by honoring the accomplishments of the team. “We use social media platforms to highlight the things we are doing as a team to gain support from students, families, friends, and community members,” Coach Cook emphasized When handling criticism, Coach Cook imparted, “I handle criticism well; I know as a first-year coach things will not be perfect, and I will not do things right So, to have some constructive criticism will help me do some reflection and learning to come back better each season. ”

When parents have concerns about their child's playing time, Coach Cook communicates with the parents She explains the position each runner has as well as the spots available in each track meet so that parents understand if Coach can get their child into an event she will do her best, but sometimes there are instances when Coach Cook is unable to “The parents have been amazing in understanding that I can’t control certain things,” she remarked For Coach Cook, the importance of discipline in track is knowing that an athlete must be willing to constantly improve Coach Cook elaborated, “It is important that my team knows if you want to achieve a goal, discipline has to be the top values to possess ” Consequently, another factor that is important for a player to develop or cultivate other than athletic ability is respect

“An important factor to have besides athletic ability is respect. Why I say that is because in sports you will not always win, but to win and be a good sport as well as have respect for each team on the track will take you far in life,” Coach Cook said.

We asked her about the coaches that have tremendous influence in her life. Coach Cook shared with us that one coach that has a significant influence on her is her brother “One coach that has had an impact in my life is my brother Stephen Cook He is the Head Basketball Coach for Hamilton Heights Academy in Chattanooga, and his work ethic is unmatched Not only is he a lover of the game, but he is also a lover of kids He goes above and beyond to ensure his players are taken care of and are successful during their season,” she stated How would your team describe you as a coach? “I feel like my team would describe me as the coach who will love you and tell you a joke

same time ”

at the

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

SCHOLAR IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CAITLYN HARPER

Interview by: Amari Swader

PHOTO BY: AMARI SWADER

Caitlyn “Kait” Harper is going to high school, and before she leaves, we decided to honor her by awarding her with Scholar in the Spotlight In her years served at Oakland Middle School, Kait was in the Pep Band and The OMS Chronicle Kait has always been a very kind and spirited person When asked to tell us about herself she responds with, “I like to help people as much as I can I love reading books, and I love to spend time with friends and family ” In ten years, Kait wants to be a nurse in the Airforce

Kait says that her strengths are ”helping people and making sure they are okay ” When asked what her weaknesses are she responds with, “Worrying about what people think of me and letting it get to my head ” However, Kait describes herself as open-minded Kait’s favorite subjects are English Language Arts and Math She says this because ”I like to read a lot and that’s why I love ELA Math is my favorite because it’s solving a problem and knowing why ”

When asked what her favorite Oakland Middle tradition is she says, ”Pep rallies because everyone gets together and has fun, and you get to skip class ” OMS has taught Kait that “some people are different than others, but always treat them the same ” Kait was asked what policies she would initiate if she was a principal for a day, and she responds with, ”Fighting and people recording them ” Kait says that the biggest problem facing Oakland Middle is “Fighting someone because they bully their friend ” If Kait had to give a tour to a prospective student, she would bring them to the Band room or and Fine Arts area explaining that ”Once you join something like Band, Choir, or Sports, you are one big family and you’re all together like one big family and stand up for each other ”

Kait says that OMS is special because of the teachers and students Kait says that she has changed a lot by hanging out with different people and that after you go to middle school, you will realize stuff that you didn’t before Kait states that The OMS Chronicle prepared her for the future by seeing things in a different perspective and allowing her to meet new people and learn about them When asked if she sees herself as a follower or a leader she says, ”A leader because I’m always down for anything, and I like to teach people and show them stuff that I learned ” Kait says that the most influential people in her life other than her caregivers are her teachers because they are always teaching us stuff about life and letting us know that life isn’t as easy as we think it will be and they like to prepare us for that

When we asked her what she would be if she were an animal, she replied, ”A dog because dogs like to protect people, and that’s what I do with my friends and classmates ” The proudest moment of Kait’s life is making friends and ensuring that these friendships last Kait says that her most embarrassing moment was ”When I knew the math problem, but my brain wasn’t working so I said apple ” A time when Kait dealt with a difficult person was when she and her classmates were arguing back and forth over a math problem They did not listen and told her she did it wrong even though she knew she had done it right Kait also experienced how to balance multiple responsibilities The time she did this was when she had to go around during the Open House and monitor her partners She was also able to lead a team during a math class Kait explained, ”We were working in a group in math class, and I was the only one who knew how to work the problem ” This chance to interview Kait Harper was very enjoyable, and we can’t wait to see her grow and succeed at Oakland High School

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

STUDENT ATHLETE IN THE SPOTLIGHT Interview by Staff

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

INSPIRATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS

Who are your sports heroes and what do you admire most about them? GabiButlerbecauseIadmirehercheerabilitiesthemost

What do all good coaches have in common? Allgoodcoachesdowhat’sbestforalltheirathletes .

How did you end up playing your current sport? I started off with dance for nineyears, then when I transitionedfromelementary to middleschool,IjoinedtheOMSCheerTeam

Any records you have broken? Ihaven’tyet.

What is your plan to fulfill your sports goal? Myplan is to continuecheeringuntilcollege,andhopefully oneday beeithera famous cheerleaderoranamazingcheercoach

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

Any nail-biting incidents that had happy endings? At thebeginning of theyear, we had a new team and not all of us have worked togetherbefore;butweputalotofworkandsweatintoourpracticesandcameoutas2nd inthenationby 1ofapoint

Have you experienced serious injuries and how did you deal with the situation? Inthebeginningoftheyear, Ifellandhurtmy knee badly,butIwenttoPTandI’mstillgoing,andithasbeengettingwaybetterthroughoutmycheerjourney

How do you handle missing out on activities with your friends because of your athletic schedule? Idomissagoodamount oftime withmyfriends,butIamvery determinedtowinthisyear andIwas lastyear, so Idon’treallymindmissingtimewiththembecauseIwant towin .

How do you maintain a balance between academics and sports? Ialwaystrymy bestatschoolandcheerandwhenI’matschoolit’sall schoolnocheerbutwhenI’matcheerit’sallcheerandnoschoolbutwhenI’mathomeIswitchthemoutandworkonboth

DAILY ROUTINES

Describe your typical day in your sports. Mytypicaldayinsportsischeerfrom3-6whenIhaveschool,butwhenIdon’tit’snormallyin themorningsoprobablyfrom8-10

Tell us about 1 or 2 things you do in training that directly contribute to your success. Itrymy hardestanddon’tgiveup Iencourage othersandmyselftokeepworkingandputtinginalltheworkpossible

Do you follow a certain kind of diet? Idon’teatatonofjunkfood,butotherthanthatIdon’thaveaverystrictdiet

TEAMMATES, CAREGIVERS, AND ADVICE

How would you describe your teammates? Iwoulddescribethemasoutgoing,encouraging,andkindhearted

Have you had any difficulties with teammates, and how did you handle them? Ihavehada fewdifficultieswithteammatesandwhatI doisItalktothemaboutitfirsttoseeifwecanfixitthenIwillgetanotherteammatetotryandhelpbeforeIgetanycoachesinvolved

Have you ever felt pressured by a coach or by your caregivers? If so, how did you handle it? IhavefeltatonofpressurebutwhatIdo isbreatheandtrynottostresstoomuchaboutitandIpushthroughitandkeepgoing

What have you learned about your own endurance? Ihavelearnedtokeepworkingandnevergiveup

How supportive are your caregivers? Mycaregiversareverysupportiveandalwaysencourageme

What words of advice or encouragement can you share with younger or new athletes? Iwouldsharetothemtokeeptryingyour best andthatyoucandoanythingifyoureallyputyourmindtoit

LEXI CALDWELL

LITERARY SECTION

The Cave Part III

By Trinity Beverley

“HEY, kid, are you alive? Please say you’re alive.” I heard a voice ask urgently. I opened my eyes - I was alive? That was surprising. I put my focus onto the figure above me. It looked to be a small, old man with a go-t, poofy hair, and wild purple eyes

Once I processed that there was someone above me, my reflexes kicked in and I punched it in the nose I tried to back away, but my legs wouldn’t work My legs felt like butter, was that the word? I had heard Professor Leon say it a few times when he put that that yellowish stuff on his bread.

Groaning brought me back to my senses; the little man was about three feet away from I looked over him…he had weird legs, that had feathers on them and talon like feet. What in the Galar? Was I seeing things? Did my sight get messed up on the fall? Can that happen?

The little man started to get up still groaning, “C’mon kid I’m just here to help you!”

“How can I know that? You could work for the scientists! You could be here to kill me! How can I know I can trust you?” I yelled at the creature.

“Trust me kid, if I was trying to kill you, you would already be dead And your buddy F2 sent me So, if you want to see them again you should follow me. ” He said slowly getting up.

F2? This guy could lead me to F2?

Avalon Part III

By Essence Smith

“So, what do you want.” Carmen took no time to ask her questions, she was tired, and to make matters worse Kaliope had just randomly shown up at her door. You could see the bags under her eyes, her hair was a mess, and you could tell she had just woken up. It was horribly noticeable.

“What happened?” Kaliope seemed desperate for an answer, though Carmen did not understand Who would?

“What do you mean, ‘what happened’ you know you really need to start putting some context into your questions ” She looked up to being cut off by the soft sobs of her former friend Out of all the things she expected, this was not one of them She wanted to give her some sort of comfort, but she did not know how

“What happened, to US, we used to be best friends and suddenly you just left and never came back, you never explained why you left and the minute I finally find you again you try to fight me?! All I want to know is why you left, because if it was something I did or something I said I promise I will make it up to you, just please, tell me why you left...” Carmen, wanted to say something, but … she couldn’t, she was speechless. If she knew that leaving would have hurt her so much, she never would have left.

“My mother...” She spoke softly, she tried to lay her eyes on something around her, anything that was not Kaliope’s eyes...

“What?” Kaliope stood in silence, and a mix of confusion, what had happened to Carmen’s mother? Did her mother make Carmen leave? Was this her fault?

Interrupted by her own thoughts, Carmen spoke again “She died in a car accident She was driving coming back from work ” She sniffled, not daring to let the tears in her eyes free “A drunken truck driver was speeding on the same road she was on, they crashed and she didn’t ” She choked on her own words “She didn’t make it ”

“Oh my god ” Kaliope’s hand slowly raised to her mouth Carmen’s mom had died?

“I am, so sorry Carmen, I didn’t know, I'm sorry if I pressured you into telling me or anything- I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine,” Carmen spoke softly, like she was holding on to every word like she was trying not to cry, she was, but it was one question that just broke her

“Are you ok?” Kaliope asked That question had brought Carmen to shambles, she fell to the floor, wrapping her arms around her own stomach, sobbing She couldn’t keep herself together, no matter how hard she tried She quickly stood back up and ran to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her, the click of the lock could be heard as clear as day compared to the almost ever-lasting silence

“Carmen? Are you alright?” She waited patiently though no response could be heard.

“Carmen, open the door...” She waited again, though there was no response.

“Carmen, I'm coming in.” She took a hair pin out of her pocket and slowly picked at the lock, eventually unlocking the door, only to be horrified by a girl she once knew as her best friend, unconscious laying on the bathroom floor.

The Way She Goes: Chapter 1

By Rogina Shaker

Monarch

It was 2017 in the state of New York I was getting ready to move out when my mother approached me to inform me to get some fruits. I sighed and stumbled upon the streets of Manhattan. Everyone had a wealthy look on their face, expensive clothes and jewelry that I couldn’t afford But they remained to look soulless beyond their riches and possessions When I found the grocery shop that my mother told me to go to and buy some fruits, I accidentally walked in a door that I thought was a grocery shop, but it was a master's place. Once I noticed that I wasn't in the right place, I quickly turned around and went to the door Once I was about to walk out the door, this big guy held my wrist so tight and wouldn't let go

“Sorry I think you're mistaken for someone else '' I told him

“GET IN HERE!” the guy yelled.

“Sir, let go of my hand please I don't like to be touched,” I replied carefully, trying to take his hands off slowly

“I said GET IN HERE,” he said to me trying to pull me in the room

“I don't want to say this again, LET GO OF MY HAND YOU, FREAK!” I yelled at him.

“You see this little girl? This is your father’s shirt I'm wearing We are cousins, so if you mess with me, I mess with your father ” He told me while pointing at his shirt.

I burst out laughing “HAHAHAH, you think you guys can mess with me? Well words don't hurt me ”

That's when I noticed that they brought my father out of a room He looked bruised, and they had his hands tied together

“What about now, huh? Are you scared now?” they all said to me.

“What did you do!!” I spoke

No answer was brought to me

Tears were running down my cheeks because of what I brought myself into I stuttered as I said, “Why would y-you do this?!”

No one answered me again

My head was so frustrated on why they would do that Soon after that, I started getting hungry, so I asked the guys, “Y’all got any food or do y'all want me to starve?!”

And they replied by saying, “Of course No, who do you think you are, I am your master, you know what that means That means you do what I say with honor,” he said to me while getting really close to my face which made me uncomfortable So, I said, “Uhhh- you ain’t no master to me ” I mumbled under my breath

“Oh, so you think you are so sassy Why don't you come over here and say what you said right in front of me,” the guy said to me waiting for me to come to him.

I didn't reply because I didn't want anything to happen to my father

“Here is some water little girl,” this guy told me while handing me a cup of water

I took the cup from him and drank some before thinking. I hadn’t had water all morning and was parched. “Is this water okay, it tastes like water that has a taste to it?” I asked the guy

“I'm sure we didn't put anything in there, like poisoning your water or anything..” one guy said while looking around like nothing had happened

And it made sense that they DID put poisoning water in my cup by that guy’s actions.

“You little freak, what are you doing telling her what we did to that water!!” the others said to the guy

“Wait WHAT?! You guys put POISON water instead of normal, plain water?!” I said freaking out

One of the guys replied to me by saying, “What poison? He was just probably joking or something..”

That guy said it in a weird suspicious way, that I knew for sure they were not joking about that!

I knew I had to do something before this water poison went into my stomach and then kill me or something

As soon as I started to say, “YOU GUYS a-are ” I collapsed on the floor and fell asleep somehow

“Finally, she went to sleep, now lock the door and help me make the food and get the dad out of here,” the mastersaid

“Yes sir,” the others said and went to do what the mastersaid

When I got back up, everything was spinning, and I couldn't hold myself and had to sit on the dirty, nasty floor Once everything calmed down, I realized that I don't remember anything that happened before I fell to the ground I got up and started walking to the table Once I got there, I saw a bunch of food and couldn't resist I had to take a bite of that chicken and soup! My brain was telling me not to eat it because it wasn't made by my mom, but my stomach couldn't resist and ate all of it! While I ate the last bite of the food, the three guys were smiling I couldn't tell why they were smiling And then once I finished, they all started laughing

“What are you jerks laughing about?” I questioned them

“What are you doing, eating the food that we made for us to enjoy?!” one of the guys said

“This was your food?” I asked

“GET IN HERE!”

Prologue

The Dyed River: Chapter 1

By Jessica Clark

Ritorai was feeling sick to his stomach standing above the river If you had come across it, you would think that a war had happened there. The once-clear waters were now saturated with blood, and corpses were scattered at the bottom. No one knows what happened—some say it was a terrible war, others say it was an offering to the great Seinaru. But whatever. Ritorai wasn’t there to just stand around. He dug in his backpack, searching for something. He did not even know what he was looking for, he just knew he needed something from there. Suddenly, he found it. It was a yellow amulet, with carvings of the many suns. It was a shame he had to throw it away. After admiring the amulet for a few seconds, he tossed it into the river. Maybe. Maybe then things would be saved. Only if Ritorai knew of the danger that was following him...

Chapter 1: A Girl and a Painting

400 YEARS LATER

Alicia stepped back to admire her finished painting. The city of Shin Sekai was hosting an art competition, and she did not intend to lose However, in her case, there was a catch Her parents were the type of people whose concern was focused on popularity. One time she had tried to present a painting of a classroom, and her parents responded with rage. “Alicia! If you were to win, your art would be presented to people all over the world! And THIS is what you want people to see?”

“Mother, we don’t have much time to work ” Alicia started “Keep your mouth shut when I am trying to talk to you! You need to work harder and quit that lazy, disrespectful attitude. This must be all because of that phone I gave you. Hand it over!” Her mom yelled with such a forcing tone that Alicia thought that she would topple over.

Alicia’s guess was that her mom wanted something scenery, something “meaningful. ” With that in mind, she had tried to paint a quiet beach underneath the night sky. The painting was beautiful. But her opinion did not matter. If her parents thought it was ugly, her opinion would also have to be that it is ugly. “Maybe…” Alicia mumbled to herself. “Maybe they will actually accept this!” The thought of that made her brighten up Painting in hand, she rushed downstairs to where her parents were.

“Mother, do you think this painting will do for the art contest?” Alicia questioned.

Her mom looked up from the newspaper she was reading “Come closer, I can’t see it ”

Alicia edged closer to her mother. “I hope this will do, mother.”

Her mom stared at the painting then looked up with a smile on her face. “Yes, this will do. Go ahead and bring this to the person who is running the contest ”

In that moment, time seemed to stop. Alicia had tried thousands of times to perfect her painting, and now she had finally done it. It was so exciting that she forgot to say thank you, and she just headed out the door.

The path from her house to the city ran through a forest Although it was pretty, Alicia hated it There were bugs, snakes, and rocks that were so easy to trip over. By the time she got to the city, it was certain for her to have a scrape or two.

The city, on the other hand, was organized Bricks were laid carefully, signs were positioned perfectly, and roads never had holes in them. The people were organized neatly, too. Everyone had their own place in society, and everyone followed their rules. In the center of the city there was a huge poster with all the rules on it.

RULE 1: No lying.

RULE 2: No stealing.

RULE 3: No fighting

RULE 4: No hate against Atarashī Kami

Rule 1 was surprisingly the most enforced of all the rules One time Alicia had complained that she was starving, and her parents were furious. “Alicia!” They had said. “You are not starving. Here in Shin Sekai, you will never be starving, ok? Now apologize to Atarashī Kami.”

That did not make sense at the time, since Alicia did not even know what Atarashī Kami was. To this day, she still did not know what it was However, one thing Alicia did know was that there was way to “dodge” the rules You cannot force someone to talk, so if you just kept your mouth shut nothing bad would happen.

As Alicia stared at the rule’s poster, she heard a rustle of leaves She sighed and said, “Jacob, I know you are there Stop hiding and tell me what you want ”

A whine came out from a nearby bush “You’re no fun,” it complained as it came out of the shrubs

Jacob was 8 years old, half of Alicia’s age Jacob enjoyed taunting her wherever she went, even if he only got a giggle or two out of it “You looked stupid,” said Jacob “Your face irritated me ”

Alicia sighed. “Whatever. I was going to head to the art building. Are you coming with?”

“My dad won’t let me stay by myself, so yes ” Grumbled Jacob

Alicia went quiet The whole entire town was bound by rules both their personal rules and the rules everyone had to follow Sometimes, it felt as if nobody had any freedom It was as if the only lie you were allowed to tell here was that you were free Jacob must’ve read her mind, because the next thing he asked was, “You aren’t thinking of escaping, are you?”

“What?! No!” Even if Alicia wanted to leave town, she couldn’t There was a wall that stretched so tall your motive to climb it would be defeated by looking at it

It was then they reached the massive art building “I forgot to ask,” began Jacob “But what even are you submitting for your piece?”

Alicia showed him the painting “It’s not my best work, but ”

Jacob was shocked “Scenery?! That’s so plain and boring!”

“Tell that to my parents,” she complained “They think that abstract work won’t be accepted or something ”

But sitting around wouldn’t do her any good “Wait here,” she said “I’ll be back ”

So, Jacob waited

A Girl and Her Pencil

By Isabella Marin

There was a girl who lived in a small village Her name was Anna Anna loved to do art She loved the sound of her pencil scratching the paper, and how shading and coloring made the artwork pop She was lonely and did not have any friends She also did art to help her forget that she was lonely

One day Anna was outside painting a tree in her yard when she suddenly saw something glimmering in the tree Out of curiosity, she walked to the tree to get a better look at what it was She saw a shiny silver pencil The pencil was sharpened, and it had the shine of a diamond necklace. Anna has never seen a pencil this stunning She immediately snatched the pencil from the tree She looked at it and wondered where it came from. She thought, “Whowouldthrowawaysomething likethis?”Anna pondered about this for a while. She decided she would draw something with the pencil She took out a piece of paper and began to draw an apple with the pencil When she was done, the paper glowed, then the apple became a real apple Anna was astonished She had never seen anything like it She never thought magic was real Anna started analyzing many things she could do with this pencil such as creating food for herself, so she does not have to go to the market to buy it

Anna realized something Since this pencil can create anything, she can create some friends. With a smile as bright as the sun, she ran back to the house and slammed a piece of paper on the dining table She started designing what she wanted her friends to look like She decided to draw two girls, one with long brown hair and one with short blonde hair. Her magical pencil scratched the paper like how a cat scratches the floor She drew for hours on end with the urge to get the drawing perfect Finally, she was done The paper started glowing With a burst of light, the two girls appeared in front of her. They were both beautiful, with shiny skin and attractive clothing, just what she wanted

The girl with brown hair asked, “Who are you?”

“My name is Anna,” replied Anna, “Your new best friend ”

“Cool My name is Charlotte,” said the brown-haired girl

“How about you? What is your name?” questioned Anna, looking at the blonde-haired girl

The blonde-haired girl looked shyly at her “My-my name is Ovia,” she stuttered.

“So, since we are friends now do you want to go hang out in my backyard?” asked Anna

Charlotte and Ovia both agreed and followed Anna to her yard. Once they reached the yard, Charlotte and Ovia were spellbound They have never seen the outside world They were fascinated by the big blue sky and the bright green grass

“Wow, I have never seen anything like this!” exclaimed Charlotte

“Me neither.” remarked Ovia.

“Well, that makes sense since I just created you with a pencil,” claimed Anna, “It is not like you have seen the world yet ”

“I totally did not know that.” replied Charlotte sarcastically.

“Anyways, let's sit down ” said Anna

Charlotte and Ovia sat down on the shiny green grass, the cool wind blowing through their hair. Anna went back into the house and came back with a basket of snacks Anna placed the basket in front of Charlotte and Ovia They both opened the basket and saw apples, ham sandwiches, and orange juice. Immediately, they began eating everything in the basket.

“This food is magnificent!” extolled Charlotte

“Yeah, I enjoy the miraculous taste of the pungent orange juice.” Ovia commented quietly.

“Thank you,” Anna said

“I have a question.” Ovia uttered.

“What is it?” Anna asked

“Do you know where that magical pencil came from?” questioned Ovia

“I found it on a tree, but I do not know how the magical pencil got on the tree,” Anna said, conflicted

“Hmm, maybe it is a pencil from another dimension!” Charlotte exclaimed.

“Are you crazy!?” yelled Anna

“I mean, if a magical pencil exists, then that means magic exists,” said Ovia,” And if magic exists then, there is a possibility that other dimensions exist ”

“I did not think of it that way,” Anna admitted

Suddenly Anna had an idea, an insane idea, possibly the craziest idea she ever had

“Guys, this might seem crazy, but what if we use the pencil to open a portal to another dimension,” suggested Anna

“That’s an incredible idea!” Charlotte screamed, “I want to visit other places besides earth, like an extraterrestrial world!”

“I am not so sure about that,” Ovia hesitated,” What if we meet monsters and end up not coming back alive?”

“We are friends, Ovia Whatever happens, I will make sure you never get hurt,” Anna said kindly

“She is right! We are best friends, and we will never let each other get hurt!” Charlotte exclaimed confidently

Ovia stared at the clouds, considering what the other two girls just told her.

“Alright,” Ovia said,” I trust you two.”

“Come on! Let’s go to the house and draw the portal,” Charlotte yelled excitedly.

Charlotte grabbed Ovia’s hand and ran to the house Anna was running behind them Once they got to the house, they had to take a second to catch their breath Anna snatched the pencil and walked to the nearest wall She carefully drew a neat looking portal on the wall When she was done, she took five steps back With a burst of light, the portal came to life

“Come on girls lets hold hands,” she said, looking at Charlotte and Ovia

The three girls held hands and stared at the portal

“Are you ready?” asked Charlotte

“Y-yes,” replied Ovia

“Ready as I will ever be,” said Anna, with confidence

With that the three girls stepped through the portal.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Seasons Gone Wrong: Parts II & III

By Angeli Burns

Apollo coughed, not an entirely normal sound, considering who it came from The god let out a miserable groan and turned his head toward the window.

If you were to ask him what he expected to see, I can assure it was not tofind Olympus’s lush green grass, blooming sunflowers, and radiant sun rays replaced to be coated with white snow, and icicles clinging to every roof they found gods didn’t get sick, per se However, they could get overworked from time to time or be injured. Now allergies were a ghost concept to the gods, but that didn’t mean Apollo would be unaffected by a harsh, merciless winter Apollo was after all, the sun god It should not be snowing in the summer season. And he was going to set this straight rightnow

The son of Zeus and Leto got up from the sofa and exited his palace with no small amount of reluctance. Winter wasn’t going to hurt him rather than feeling too cold and a possible headache That didn’t mean he wanted winter to come two seasons too early

One step outside, and he was immediately face to face with a sheer, strong, bitter wind Apollo set straight on to his father’s palace, to find the one goddess that could explain a (technically still summer but might as well be winter) early winter

“DEMETER”

So maybe Apollo hadn’t quite meant to sound that rude, but this was not right

Said goddess was sitting upright on her throne that had growing vines, flowers, and berries taking over the armrests Her head was down and staring expressionless at the floor She perked up, raising an eyebrow at her nephew, seemingly confused. Even if she knew why he was here.

“What do you need, nephew?” she demanded

“What do I need? I need to know why it is snowing in July , where is your daughter?!”

The goddess sighed, “gone” she answered woefully Apollo blinked “Gone?”

She went on to explain the argument, why she no longer was satisfied with the compromise, her daughter disagreeing, and then running off to hide in the underworld

“Well, I’m going to bring her back”, Apollo decided. Demeter rolled her eyes “You know Hades won’t let you within six feet of her” she told him

“Someone else will go for me. ” Demeter raised both eyebrows, “Oh really? And who is going to do that? Your sister is busy, and you and I both know that the other gods won’t go to the underworld and get her for you”.

“I don’t know who will get her, but I know what will”, he said “What might that be?”

“A prophecy”.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Without giving his aunt a chance to reply, he slammed the door shut and was off to create a prophecy

He arrived in his temple, shooing away any mortals in his way. He blinked his eyes in preparation, and soon they lit up green, and his power took control, with the Fates now taking the wheel, he spoke.

“Mortal girl that you will find

To accompany across the snow and ice

Where all dead go at the end of their lives

Obstacles will be in your every way

Mother and daughter must bond again

Or else this winter shall never end”

His voice came to an abrupt stop, as his link with the Fates ended “A mortal girl? In the underworld?” Apollo thought out loud, there was no waythat could end well

It would have to work, the Fates always decreed the truth, how could they not when they werefate itself?

Apollo sighed, according to the prophecy hewould be going on this mission as well, you never can just read a book, can you?

Unleashing a sliver of his prophetic power, he let the spark find this mortal child, he hopped on his horse and followed where his essence was leading him

About half an hour later, he was looking at a small brown house, Nashville Tennessee Snapping his fingers, he altered his appearance to fit one that the mortal eye could handle and knocked

A teenage girl answered the door, she was wearing a pastel purple sweatshirt and some baggy jeans Long light brown hair sat comfortably behind her back, and sunset eyes studied him skeptically “Can I help, you?” she asked

Apollo sighed for probably the 1000th time that day

“Greetings, mortal, I am Apollo The fates have called upon you You must join the journey to the underworld and return Persephone to where she belongs ”

“If your advertising movie auditions, I’m not interested ”

This day just kept getting better. “No, I am not advertising movie auditions I am Apollo, lord of the sun, and the Fates have called upon you to help me get rid of this weather

The child blinked, “Like, like the god , Apollo? The one you read about in those old myths?”

“That’s right”, Apollo confirmed “No. ”

“I don’t believe you even a little bit, those are just stories You are not a god; the Greek gods don’t exist ”

“They do exist, and I am Apollo, if you do not believe me, then I suppose I will just have to show you”, he said

With that, Apollo waved his hand toward the sky, following his movement, the sunshine peered from behind the clowns, melting away the nearby snow.

He also willed his body to glow a vibrant gold, illuminating the space around him.

The girl’s jaw had dropped to the floor long ago, so with his point proven he let the flow of power reach a stop, and the bitter cold returned

“Do you believe me now?” he asked, and when the girl nodded, he smiled “Good, now about that mission ”

Have a great summer!

PHOTO BY: EVELYN EGAN

The OMS Chronicle invites you to submit original photography that symbolizes summer. Email photo as attachment to egane@rcschools.net. Selected photo will be featured on a one-page spotlight in our fall issue (October 2023).

We are also inviting guest writers, fiction and informational.

If you are an artist and you would like your artwork to be featured in our succeeding issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Email: egane@rcschools.net